Throughout my journey in being a volleyball coach, I have experienced many “wins”.
Yes, I love a good WIN in the Win/Loss category, however, the moments in the gym applying what I know and seeing players’ success and growth are my FAVORITE wins.
I am a loyal subscriber to the thought process, that if I teach players how to teach themselves – they will become more self aware, accept responsibility, have the ability to make changes in themselves and in their situation. With volleyball players, I do it with volleyball drills, skills and progressions, with my kids, I had the ability to do this on a regular basis in many different situations.
In all my years in the gym, the idea of overloading, or overwhelming players, and allowing them to work through that situation.
Some process the drill verbally, some jump in with every ounce of their being, some scramble and are a step behind, some get frustrated and feel foolish. As a coach, when I throw a new drill at players, I don’t expect perfection. As a matter of fact, a challenging drill should look REALLY bad the first time it’s executed. I WANT THEM TO GET OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE. However, we continue to do it every practice. By the end of the season, the drill looks sharp, it’s less stressful, less chaotic for them.
GROWTH HAPPENS RIGHT AFTER FAILURES.
Players want to be their best, they are competitors for a reason. It just so happens, that I coach college volleyball players, and they are no different than the 12-19 year olds that I coach in club volleyball.
Throw an extra ball or 2 into a drill. The extra ball enhances players eyework.
Eyework and calmness in stressful situations are paramount to players that can compete in those tough moments, against the toughest teams.