Teamwork
by Amy Poelker on Sunday,
February 24, 2013 at 8:30pm ·
Volleyball Is a “TEAM” Sport
This requires
all members to realize that they are part of a process, whether they are sitting on the bench or standing on the court ( subbing,
time outs, pass-set-spike-block ). Team members may not like or understand why their coaches make certain decisions,
but they must trust that the coaches are making decisions that they believe will best help the “team” succeed.
IMPORTANT:
You are playing for a “team,” for the good of every member of the team—not just for yourself. Even
if you succeed while everyone else around you is failing, your “team” will still fail.
Team members
are chosen based not only on skills, but also on personality and character. (This is also known as “coachability”-
the ability to work well together with others, not hot dog/need to be the star of the show, positive and supportive on the
court and off the court. )
Definition of a team player…..
team player
team play·er
(plural team play·ers)
noun
Definition:
somebody who works cooperatively: a member of a group who cooperates
with other people and who subordinates personal interests in order to achieve a common
goal
Creating a Team and Your Role as a Player
1.
How Coaches Put Together Rosters and Lineups
Volleyball team
rosters usually carry 8-10 players; this helps ensure that
a.
there will always be enough players to play in each tournament (illness, injury, emergencies, and planned vacations occur,
after all), and
b. that coaches can maximize strengths, weaknesses
and specialties (as they see fit) as part of game strategy.
Subbing
is necessary; it’s based on both the position(s) your coaches feel you are best skilled at and can use to help your
team AND again, it’s also based on your character/personality, or the “mood”/”vibe” you create
while playing with your teammates.
At every
moment in a game, coaches are trying to maximize the talent their team possesses in order
to defeat an opponent. Just because you are not “starting,” or just because you don’t spend
every minute on the court DOESN’T mean you are being treated unfairly or that your coaches don’t see your talents.
Also, be assured that you DO have a chance to make an impact as an individual every time you are on the court—coaches compliment
and ask players names and recognize you for the skills they see you personally perform while you are on the court. Better
yet, if you are constantly positive and are working for the good of the team (not to showcase yourself alone), coaches will
be impressed with your maturity and your team mentality!
2. Your
Jobs at Games and Practices
During all games, and ESPECIALLY
at practices, we expect you to participate so that you can increase not only your skill level but your range
of skills as well. For a college or high school coach putting together a team, the most “valuable” recruits/players
are those who are well-rounded and able to perform at all positions on the court. If something happens (an injury, an
illness, a “bad day”) coaches can expect these players to step up, do any job needed, and make up the slack to
help the team avoid getting crushed in a crisis situation. In college (and most high school teams), you do not see a setter
who cannot spike or dig, a libero who cannot set or spike 10’s, or a middle hitter who can’t serve and/or pass
if needed.
Furthermore, EVERY player must perfect her serve; it is without a doubt
the best offensive weapon on a team. Just because you “get it over” does
NOT mean you don’t have to take criticism or try different things your coach may ask. Until
you have mastered the top spin, float, jump top, and jump float serves, nailing them to ANY area of the court on command,
you are still the student, not the “master.” Even Olympians ask for input/help or try to learn new and more
effective serving strategies, because they know there is always room to learn more and to improve. As young players,
you surely don’t want to send the message to your coaches (by displaying a poor attitude or refusing to change/learn)
that you are better than Olympic athletes!
* NOTE: The only “specialty”
position you will see is the setter. Those spots will be filled during tryouts, where you
have designated your interests and we have chosen you for our team based on those interests and your fit with the other players’
strengths/weaknesses and your coach ability. Because there is so much to learn while setting, and because it demands
great amounts of training and expertise, we do not allow all players to “try” setting in a game.
Final Message:
1. Expectations
Please keep these
thoughts in mind as we finish the season. Your ultimate goal and our ultimate goals should be the same. As players, you may
also have personal goals you set for yourself, and that’s great. However, as coaches, we have the extra responsibility
to meet the needs and goals of “everyone” on the team, not just you.
Sometimes,
your personal goals may clash with our team management goals. In these cases, it is your coaches’ responsibility
and right to make the “final” decision, and it is your job as a player to respect your coaches’ authority
and contribute/work to make it happen, even if you disagree.
This means
that you cooperate and do what is asked without arguing, questioning, complaining, glaring, gossiping, pouting, etc.
You keep your body language, your words, and your actions respectful and positive to EVERY PERSON on the team, including ALL
your teammates and your coaches. These are expectations that every coach/boss will have for you from childhood through
adulthood. So get in the habit of practicing them every day!
2. Choices and
Consequences
You must also
understand that if you choose to ignore these expectations, you should expect fair consequences, such as loss of playing
time, reprimands from coaches, phone calls to parents, etc. After all, why would
any coach make a set of rules if they were not going to address a player who shows disrespect
by not following them? In addition to being disrespectful to your coaches, it adds
negativity and causes awkwardness on the court, which is the last place any team can afford to show weakness
to its opponents.
Remember—all
the talent in the world does not excuse or make up for a lack of character, and that’s the bottom line in sports.
Sports is all about character—even the competitive aspect of it; winners generally
rise to the top because they have the character traits of discipline, commitment, honesty,
drive, humility (humbleness or coach-ability), and respect (for teammates, coaches, and
opponents) to rise to the top.
One more thought: Sometimes tournaments
may be scheduled on dates that may coincide with an important event that you are looking forward
to attending during the evening. Please remember that during the matches, your coach needs 110% of your thoughts
to be concentrated on Volleyball and so may some of your teammates. Some of your teammates
are relying on you as part of the team, to help them show College Coaches why they should
be picked for their teams. If every member of the team is not concentrating on volleyball,
but instead on the evenings events-it shows in points and performance. Your teammates need you, they have probably chosen
this team because they trust you to make them successful on the court, please be
supportive of their needs by just:
"THINKING VOLLEYBALL
AT TOURNAMENTS."
famous quotes: http://www.strength-and-power-for-volleyball.com/volleyball-quotes-team.html
WORK HARD, TRAIN, PREPARE YOURSELF CAUSE...
