Kageyama is coming up to replace him, and Ushijima just seems endlessly ahead. And neither of them seem to even break a sweat

What Iwa and the coach points out is that when oikawa starts thinking about other peoples talent, and trying to get ahead, and practicing just to put distance between them, he looses track of what he actually wants. To win. To be good at volleyball. To play. And that hinders him!

I know "talent is something that blossoms, skill is something you hone" is interpreted differently by people, but in my eyes it's this: talent is a seed that you can make bloom, but skill is keeping that flower alive and growing. Talent means nothing, it's how you care for it.

That aside, i always love to see someone be petty and childish in competition, isn't that how we all feel a little bit!? I know we should always be supportive of our peers but it's refreshing to see a character be a bit horrible! Winning does, after all, require someone losing!

Developing, getting better, WILL include failure. Its essential how we handle it, and how we let it affect us. Why "insignificant pride" is so powerful is because Oikawa can say even after losing, that he will continue to hone his skill, and return stronger. Once again, murder me