When I started learning to play volleyball, it brought me closer to a lot of guys and gals who ordinarily I wouldn't cross paths with. Most notably was when my team began to seek greater improvement and we engaged the services of a volleyball coach.
This coach invited a lot of players who were far better than us and among these players, there were soldiers or "gun people", lol. They are actually the best volleyball players I have witnessed, and I got to make friends with one of them. So yeah, that's my standout experience.