Volleyball, like any other competitive sport, requires a great
deal of practice, patience, and conditioning. It takes thousands of
hours of repetitive motion to master the various passing, setting, and
hitting techniques used in a game. The beauty of volleyball as opposed
to say, soccer, is that you are actively using all of your muscles and
relying on instincts and reflexes to play your position during every
second of the game.
You
must constantly be ready for the ball to come your way, be it during an
offensive attack or whilst digging a cross shot from the opponent's
power-hitter. Positioning is a huge part of your life on the court, and
it takes a long time to get it right. But when you do master your
footwork, you move with the ebb and flow of the game as naturally as if
you were taking a stroll down the beach.
This article targets players whose desire it is to maximize their mental fortitude on the court, and subsequently increase their value during high-pressure games. A confident, communicative player helps keep their team mates focused, and assist in driving them to play to their fullest potential. Conversely, a weak-minded player - no matter how talented - can drag an entire team's spirits down and greatly detract from offensive or defensive momentum.
The trick is to have confidence. The trick is knowing that whatever it is you need to do, you are the one to do it. You are built for your role on the court, and you are hungry to perform that role. That is the mindset that confident, valuable players bring to the games they compete in, and it is also the mindset that adds to the momentum your team needs to play as a cohesive unit.
But where do I get this confidence from?
It starts with your skills, during practices. It starts with refining your technique with the assistance of someone who has the patience and experience to help you build a solid foundation in passing, blocking, approaching, serving, and every other aspect of the game. Once you have a clear understanding of how to move your body the way your coach has instructed, it is up to you to dedicate uncountable hours to perfecting the motions. This means spending fifteen or twenty minutes before every game continuously setting a ball against a wall, without moving your feet, so that your control is absolute - even if you are not a setter.
After you are well on your way to having your skills in place, it is time for your mind to mature. There are far too many gifted players out there who make one mistake, and then let their entire game go down the drain. You will never see a national player, or an Olympic player throw a tantrum after missing a serve. They mentally note the mistake, tuck it away for adjustment later, and move on. The last thing you should ever do is dwell on a mistake you or anyone else on your team has made. This is one of the surest ways to crumble as a player, and as a team, and expose a vulnerability for your opponents to exploit.
How do I build this mental fortitude?
When you are in a game, acknowledge your mistakes to your team. Claim points as being your fault with a small wave of your hand to show your team that:
1. You are responsible for missing a pass, block, dig, etc.
2. You will get it next time.
Next, always support the players around you. This will boost their spirits and encourage the other players on your team to act supportively as well. Supportive teams improve faster, play better, and typically outperform teams that fight with one another.
Finally, when not on the court, take the time to review your performance. When you have a moment to yourself (preferably not while driving), close your eyes and reconstruct some of the key moments of the game in your head. Picture exactly what your body was doing right and, if possible, try to remember the mistakes you may have made. Then think of what it was you were supposed to do, and actually visualize yourself doing it. This will build connections in your brain that will increase your ability to react next time you are faced with a similar scenario. Professional athletes use visualization techniques all the time - there's no reason why you can't do it as well.
This article targets players whose desire it is to maximize their mental fortitude on the court, and subsequently increase their value during high-pressure games. A confident, communicative player helps keep their team mates focused, and assist in driving them to play to their fullest potential. Conversely, a weak-minded player - no matter how talented - can drag an entire team's spirits down and greatly detract from offensive or defensive momentum.
The trick is to have confidence. The trick is knowing that whatever it is you need to do, you are the one to do it. You are built for your role on the court, and you are hungry to perform that role. That is the mindset that confident, valuable players bring to the games they compete in, and it is also the mindset that adds to the momentum your team needs to play as a cohesive unit.
But where do I get this confidence from?
It starts with your skills, during practices. It starts with refining your technique with the assistance of someone who has the patience and experience to help you build a solid foundation in passing, blocking, approaching, serving, and every other aspect of the game. Once you have a clear understanding of how to move your body the way your coach has instructed, it is up to you to dedicate uncountable hours to perfecting the motions. This means spending fifteen or twenty minutes before every game continuously setting a ball against a wall, without moving your feet, so that your control is absolute - even if you are not a setter.
After you are well on your way to having your skills in place, it is time for your mind to mature. There are far too many gifted players out there who make one mistake, and then let their entire game go down the drain. You will never see a national player, or an Olympic player throw a tantrum after missing a serve. They mentally note the mistake, tuck it away for adjustment later, and move on. The last thing you should ever do is dwell on a mistake you or anyone else on your team has made. This is one of the surest ways to crumble as a player, and as a team, and expose a vulnerability for your opponents to exploit.
How do I build this mental fortitude?
When you are in a game, acknowledge your mistakes to your team. Claim points as being your fault with a small wave of your hand to show your team that:
1. You are responsible for missing a pass, block, dig, etc.
2. You will get it next time.
Next, always support the players around you. This will boost their spirits and encourage the other players on your team to act supportively as well. Supportive teams improve faster, play better, and typically outperform teams that fight with one another.
Finally, when not on the court, take the time to review your performance. When you have a moment to yourself (preferably not while driving), close your eyes and reconstruct some of the key moments of the game in your head. Picture exactly what your body was doing right and, if possible, try to remember the mistakes you may have made. Then think of what it was you were supposed to do, and actually visualize yourself doing it. This will build connections in your brain that will increase your ability to react next time you are faced with a similar scenario. Professional athletes use visualization techniques all the time - there's no reason why you can't do it as well.
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