Having a good coach can really affect the outcome of a team. I have had so many coaches so far in my volleyball career but the best coaches have common qualities. A coach that is positive, calm, determined, and a good communicator is key to having a successful team.
Positivity is important because if a coach doesn’t have a positive mind set and outlook on the game your team won’t improve or be able to realize the ultimate goal for your season. Also having a coach that believes in your dreams and wants to help you reach your goals is very important. If you meet a coach that sees potential in you and tells you that, don’t take that for granted and continue to work hard until you reach your full potential. They told me what they were going to help me improve on and what I needed to work on. The biggest thing they said to me was they see potential in me and they can’t wait to continue to work with me. I think when someone hears that from their coach they are motivated to work even harder because they realize that someone other than themselves wants to see them succeed. That is an awesome feeling.
A determined coach is important because with the determination to win anything is possible. If you have a coach that wants to succeed as much as you do, great things will happen. A coach that remains calm in tight situation is also very important. If you are in a close match and you make a mistake most players don’t want a coach to yell at them and tell them what they just did wrong. Instead a coach that stays calm and tells you how you can improve what you just did wrong on the next play would be more helpful. Volleyball is a game of mistakes, who makes the least mistakes is who wins the game. Therefore, a coach should understand that everyone is going to make a mistake some time and getting mad at a player is not going to help the situation at all.
Having a coach that communicates well is also important. Communication can range from letting you know ahead of time when practices are cancelled or there is a change in practice times, to choosing the right words to say in a team huddle just before your team is going to face a tough opponent. They also set a good example of how you can communicate to your teammates on and off the court.
I have been blessed to be coached by the coaches I have had. I have learned so much not just about volleyball, but life in general from them. I can’t thank them enough for helping me continue to grow as a person and an athlete. I truly believe that with a great coach and players that strive to be successful an awesome team can be formed.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Setting Middles (408)
In the game volleyball it is very important to set your middles for a lot of reasons. It is also one of the hardest things to do. You need to set your middles to keep the blockers on the other side honest, leave your outside and right side 1 on 1 as much as possible, keep your opponents defense off balance, and allow your setter an open tip or attack.
Keeping the other teams’ blockers honest means making sure they are staying with their hitter (Outside with outside, middle with middle and right side with right side). For example say that I never set my middles, the middle blocker would cheat to the outside or right side and would cause them to have a double block almost every time. This is why a setter needs to run a smart offense based on the blocks. If your left and right side are facing a double block every time they swing that probably means you need to run your middles more often or mix up the offense that you are running. This is why running a fast offense is very important, the faster I can deliver the ball to my hitters the less time the other teams’ blockers will have to get in the right position to block. So mixing up my sets often and running fast plays gives my hitters a better opportunity to get a kill.
On the other hand running quick middle offense often is one of the hardest things to do as a setter. There are many factors that determine whether I can set my middle or not. The pass is most important. If the pass is more than 10 feet off the net it is very difficult to deliver the set the way it should be. If I’m that far off the middle will hopefully call a 31. I can set a 31 if I’m off but it takes a lot of practice to figure out how far off and how fast you can push the ball so that the middle will be able to get a good swing. The other factor that goes into setting my middle is the positioning of the blockers. If I see that the middle blocker is following my middle I will push it outside or back. If the middle blocker is cheating towards the outside I can set my middle and she will have either 1 or no blocks.
Keeping the other teams’ blockers honest means making sure they are staying with their hitter (Outside with outside, middle with middle and right side with right side). For example say that I never set my middles, the middle blocker would cheat to the outside or right side and would cause them to have a double block almost every time. This is why a setter needs to run a smart offense based on the blocks. If your left and right side are facing a double block every time they swing that probably means you need to run your middles more often or mix up the offense that you are running. This is why running a fast offense is very important, the faster I can deliver the ball to my hitters the less time the other teams’ blockers will have to get in the right position to block. So mixing up my sets often and running fast plays gives my hitters a better opportunity to get a kill.
On the other hand running quick middle offense often is one of the hardest things to do as a setter. There are many factors that determine whether I can set my middle or not. The pass is most important. If the pass is more than 10 feet off the net it is very difficult to deliver the set the way it should be. If I’m that far off the middle will hopefully call a 31. I can set a 31 if I’m off but it takes a lot of practice to figure out how far off and how fast you can push the ball so that the middle will be able to get a good swing. The other factor that goes into setting my middle is the positioning of the blockers. If I see that the middle blocker is following my middle I will push it outside or back. If the middle blocker is cheating towards the outside I can set my middle and she will have either 1 or no blocks.
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Choosing a Club Team (390)
Choosing what club team you want to play for is stressful sometimes but if you keep a few things in mind you should be good to go. When choosing where you want to play you should keep in mind, who your coach will be, how many players will be on the team and how it will affect your playing time, how far away you want to travel for practices and tournaments, what your team chemistry will be like, and the costs involved.
To determine if you will like your coach and his/ her coaching styles make sure to attend all player and parent meetings and ask questions. If you have a club in mind attend a match and watch the coaching style of your potential coach. Ask friends who have played at the club for their opinion of the coach and their philosophies. Search online for records of teams played under the coach you may have. Are they at the top the region or near the bottom? Make sure the coach’s style fits your personality. Is the coach too demanding or too laid-back? How many years have they coached? What position did they play? Do they play everyone or do they play to win?
Some club teams are more competitive than others, and this usually determines how far they travel for tournaments. Club volleyball tournaments range from in town scrimmages to national qualifiers with over 200 teams for each age division. If your club team is going to try to qualify for nationals you will more than likely compete in tournaments all over the country. Club practices usually take place in the city where your club is based. Before you try out for a club you should decide how far you want to travel every week to practice.
Team chemistry is a very important part of picking a club team. If your team doesn’t get along and connect well together you probably won’t get to where you want to be at the end of the season. In order to ensure you will have good team chemistry make sure you talk to the girls that could potentially be on your team. Get to know them before you commit to playing for the team.
If you are not sure about where to play club I hoped this helped you make your decision!
Crocs are Great (453)
If you are an athlete and are looking for some comfortable shoes I have the pair for you. Crocs are made from rubber and are very durable. They clean fvery easily so you can walk through mud and wash them off the next day. These easy to slip on shoes will become your best friend in a matter of minutes.
One reason I absolutely love Crocs is because they are extremely comfortable. Put a pair of fuzzy socks on and slide them on and you are good to go. There are also fuzz lined Crocs which are especially nice in the winter! They fit your feet very well and do not slide off easily. The morning after a game you are just going to want to be comfortable, so put on some sweats and slide your Crocs on.
There are many different styles of Crocs, but my favorite are the classic ones or striped ones. They both are the most known style and have holes for jibbitz. Jibbitz are little rubber images you can put in the holes of your Crocs to style them up a bit. Athletes can personalize their Crocs with their favorite sports teams on them or cute little smiley faces. There are also cartoon characters from popular movies and TV shows for kids. There are so many options to choose from when it comes to jibbitz. While there are many different styles to choose from there are also a ton of different colors as well. These things just personalize your Crocs and make them unique to yourself.
Crocs are somewhat a fashion statement that tells other people you don't care about their opinions. If you wear Crocs you might get some rude stares, but who cares when you are wearing the most comfortable shoes? Wearing Crocs is a way to put yourself out there and provide for your comfort needs. Your peers will soon become jealous of your Crocs when they realize just how great they are.
I strongly recommend athletes get Crocs to wear because they are the most comfortable thing for their feet, in my opinion, especially after a long practice or game. They make each person unique and can even become a team thing. My entire volleyball team has their own pair of Crocs and it is just something fun we do together to bring us even closer. There is no shame in having a little fun, especially when it is a quality, comfortable shoe you are buying. Even if the shoe wasn’t that great, other people’s opinions don’t matter. We don't mind the stares, we embrace them. It lets people know we are confident in ourselves and do not care what others think of us.
One reason I absolutely love Crocs is because they are extremely comfortable. Put a pair of fuzzy socks on and slide them on and you are good to go. There are also fuzz lined Crocs which are especially nice in the winter! They fit your feet very well and do not slide off easily. The morning after a game you are just going to want to be comfortable, so put on some sweats and slide your Crocs on.
There are many different styles of Crocs, but my favorite are the classic ones or striped ones. They both are the most known style and have holes for jibbitz. Jibbitz are little rubber images you can put in the holes of your Crocs to style them up a bit. Athletes can personalize their Crocs with their favorite sports teams on them or cute little smiley faces. There are also cartoon characters from popular movies and TV shows for kids. There are so many options to choose from when it comes to jibbitz. While there are many different styles to choose from there are also a ton of different colors as well. These things just personalize your Crocs and make them unique to yourself.
Crocs are somewhat a fashion statement that tells other people you don't care about their opinions. If you wear Crocs you might get some rude stares, but who cares when you are wearing the most comfortable shoes? Wearing Crocs is a way to put yourself out there and provide for your comfort needs. Your peers will soon become jealous of your Crocs when they realize just how great they are.
I strongly recommend athletes get Crocs to wear because they are the most comfortable thing for their feet, in my opinion, especially after a long practice or game. They make each person unique and can even become a team thing. My entire volleyball team has their own pair of Crocs and it is just something fun we do together to bring us even closer. There is no shame in having a little fun, especially when it is a quality, comfortable shoe you are buying. Even if the shoe wasn’t that great, other people’s opinions don’t matter. We don't mind the stares, we embrace them. It lets people know we are confident in ourselves and do not care what others think of us.
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Example Profile (385)
After you have sent an introduction letter to a college coach they might want to know a little bit more about you, and learn what experiences you have had with volleyball in your past and any cool awards you have been given. It is very helpful to make a "Profile" of yourself just to keep all of your successes organized and so you can get back to the coaches that are interested quickly. This shows a college coach a little more about you that is easily accessible to them. This will help the coaches get a quick look at you so they can see if they are interested by things like your academic achievements, athletic achievements, height, reach, video, etc.
Here is what an example profile might look like:
First Last name
Height:
Weight:
Approach:
Standing reach:
Position
High school name
class of _____
Academic achievements:
GPA:
ACT or SAT Scores:
Hudl Link: (Insert link to Hudl)
YouTube Link: (Insert link to YouTube)
Junior Year accomplishments:
EX:
Metro Sports Highlight Player of the Week
Summer before junior year
EX:
Selected to play in the High Performance Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma with the Iowa Girls Youth National team
Selected through USAV HP to go to the A3 training camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Earned a bid in the Great Plains Open in Omaha to the USAV Junior Beach Tour Championships in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Earned a silver medal in the High Performance in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Sophomore Year accomplishments:
EX:
Selected to play in the High Performance Championships in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida with the Iowa Girls Youth National team
5-1 setter for Club Iowa (CIA) 16 Black
5-1 setter on varsity for Kennedy high school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
1st team all Mississippi Valley conference
1st team all-metro
Varsity lettered
High Honorable Mention - Soph 79
Summary of season and athletic accomplishments. Can add quotes from coaches.
Freshman Year accomplishments:
EX:
Selected to play in the High performance Championships in Des Moines, Iowa with the Iowa Girls Select National team
Named offensive player of the year on Kennedy’s sophomore team
Competed in the GJNC in Dallas, Texas with Iowa Rockets 15-1
(Include here your contact info., your coaches contact info, and a current picture of yourself
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Fav Drills (485)
Coming up with drills to do in practices is sometimes hard because they have to involve all positions, be productive, and be fun at the same time. Some of my favorite drills are Pra-ja, Columbia, George, Baseball, WIN, and Split Court. All of these drills are fun, productive, and everyone gets a lot of touches.
Pra-ja is a game I learned at HP this year. It is definitely my favorite drill because it involves a lot of quick thinking and communication between you and your partner. Pra-ja is a 2 on 2 game with 2 balls being played at the same time. You and your partner are allowed 3 touches on each ball like normal but you can let the ball bounce in between each contact. In order to get each ball in play one partner from each side will serve one ball to the player on the other side who is not serving. After each ball is in play you play normally but you can let the ball bounce once in between each contact. If one team wins both points they stay and the other team waves through, but if both teams win one point they are both off and two new teams come on. I like this drill because it tests how well you can communicate with your teammate and it trains you to look across the net to tell your partner where he/she should attack the ball to. A hint for this drill is to never tip short. Tipping in the drill is an easy pass for the other team because the short tip will bounce up directly to a player on the other side.
Columbia is another awesome drill. Columbia is run with 4-6 players on each side of the net. The scoring and rules of a normal game apply, the only thing that is different is that every player rotates when your team attacks the ball over the net. I like this drill because you get to experience playing every position. George is similar to Columbia with 4-6 players and regular rules/scoring applies, but if you make a mistake you are out and the next person in line on your team replaces you. I like this drill because it puts pressure on you to not make a mistake. Volleyball is a game of mistakes, every point is caused by a mistake. So everyone is going to make mistakes at some point in a game but it is the team who makes the least mistakes that will come out on top. When you are playing the game George it really makes you focus on the position you are playing because if you want to stay on the court you can’t make a mistake.
These are just some of my favorite drills I have played. I hope this helps if you are looking for fun drills for a practice :)
Pra-ja is a game I learned at HP this year. It is definitely my favorite drill because it involves a lot of quick thinking and communication between you and your partner. Pra-ja is a 2 on 2 game with 2 balls being played at the same time. You and your partner are allowed 3 touches on each ball like normal but you can let the ball bounce in between each contact. In order to get each ball in play one partner from each side will serve one ball to the player on the other side who is not serving. After each ball is in play you play normally but you can let the ball bounce once in between each contact. If one team wins both points they stay and the other team waves through, but if both teams win one point they are both off and two new teams come on. I like this drill because it tests how well you can communicate with your teammate and it trains you to look across the net to tell your partner where he/she should attack the ball to. A hint for this drill is to never tip short. Tipping in the drill is an easy pass for the other team because the short tip will bounce up directly to a player on the other side.
Columbia is another awesome drill. Columbia is run with 4-6 players on each side of the net. The scoring and rules of a normal game apply, the only thing that is different is that every player rotates when your team attacks the ball over the net. I like this drill because you get to experience playing every position. George is similar to Columbia with 4-6 players and regular rules/scoring applies, but if you make a mistake you are out and the next person in line on your team replaces you. I like this drill because it puts pressure on you to not make a mistake. Volleyball is a game of mistakes, every point is caused by a mistake. So everyone is going to make mistakes at some point in a game but it is the team who makes the least mistakes that will come out on top. When you are playing the game George it really makes you focus on the position you are playing because if you want to stay on the court you can’t make a mistake.
These are just some of my favorite drills I have played. I hope this helps if you are looking for fun drills for a practice :)
Things to know (355)
Here are some things to know that apply to volleyball and I'm sure other sports as well:
Always play your hardest, you never know who is watching.
You are going to lose 5th (or 3rd) sets and it sucks. Learn from it, remember what it feels like, and move on. There will be other matches.
Be thankful for your parents who pay for everything, are supportive, and drive you all over the country so you can play the sport that you love.
NEVER give up.
Always thank your coaches, because without them you would not be the player or person that you are today.
If you want to play in college, you should start the recruiting process early. Email and call coaches at schools you are interested in and fill out recruiting questionnaires.
Pressing the call button will be the hardest thing to do when you call a college coach, but trust me it is not bad at all once you start talking to them.
Follow your dreams, no matter how big they are. If you work hard and have the confidence in yourself you can do it. Do not limit yourself.
Enjoy the moment you are in right now. You can't play volleyball forever so do not take the opportunity to play for granted.
If you make it to state or nationals be proud because you worked hard for it. So many girls dream of getting a qualifying banner or a bid, but never get that opportunity.
If you get to watch your idol play (mine is Micha Hancock) ask for a picture with them… you will regret it if you don’t.
You WILL have days where you feel like giving up or where nothing is going right. It WILL get better I promise. Every one has bad practice or game days every now and then.
Your teammates will pretty much become your family and it is awesome.
Find a friend group that is supportive of you. You will be gone a lot for tournaments and finding people that care how your team is doing and come to your games to support is awesome.
Always play your hardest, you never know who is watching.
You are going to lose 5th (or 3rd) sets and it sucks. Learn from it, remember what it feels like, and move on. There will be other matches.
Be thankful for your parents who pay for everything, are supportive, and drive you all over the country so you can play the sport that you love.
NEVER give up.
Always thank your coaches, because without them you would not be the player or person that you are today.
If you want to play in college, you should start the recruiting process early. Email and call coaches at schools you are interested in and fill out recruiting questionnaires.
Pressing the call button will be the hardest thing to do when you call a college coach, but trust me it is not bad at all once you start talking to them.
Follow your dreams, no matter how big they are. If you work hard and have the confidence in yourself you can do it. Do not limit yourself.
Enjoy the moment you are in right now. You can't play volleyball forever so do not take the opportunity to play for granted.
If you make it to state or nationals be proud because you worked hard for it. So many girls dream of getting a qualifying banner or a bid, but never get that opportunity.
If you get to watch your idol play (mine is Micha Hancock) ask for a picture with them… you will regret it if you don’t.
You WILL have days where you feel like giving up or where nothing is going right. It WILL get better I promise. Every one has bad practice or game days every now and then.
Your teammates will pretty much become your family and it is awesome.
Find a friend group that is supportive of you. You will be gone a lot for tournaments and finding people that care how your team is doing and come to your games to support is awesome.
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