In sports, commitment is huge. Not only are you making a serious pledge to yourself, but you’re making a promise to the team. By joining a sports team, each player and their family commit to each of the other players and their families. Not only does commitment mean caring about your work, but as part of a team, it means caring about the team’s work, as well. As explained in any tryout, it’s the expectation that each player, and their parents, maintain their commitment to their sports program. By committing to the team, you as a player are setting the team up for success. We can only be successful and each player may only succeed if we can rely upon one another to keep the commitment everyone has made.
Commitment means you knowingly and willingly give up things you want in the short-term to potentially gain something of greater value in the long-term. Sometimes we’d rather take it easy all night, but we have practice. A weekend away with friends at a water park sounds like a great time, but we have a tournament. There are many times when athletes have to give up those times with their friends and family to stay committed to the sport they love. Ultimately, committing to a team involves sacrificing fun non-school activities for what is best for the team.
Success starts with commitment. We give ourselves an opportunity to succeed if each and every player devotes themselves to the greater good of the team. Traits like hustling and a good attitude are essential to achieving your goals on and off the court or field, but without a solid base of commitment, without being fully dedicated to the team, we will not succeed.
When the season is over, you’ll look back at all of your achievements and the sacrifices you’ve made. You’ll remember the good times and the bad and all of the times you could have been doing something else, and realize it was definitely worth it. At that point, you’ll experience a distinct feeling. That feeling is called pride, and you’ll feel that because you sacrificed, you cared and most of all, you committed.
In the long run, you commit to being part of a team and became a better person for it.
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Beach Volleyball (472)
Beach volleyball is totally different than indoor. Different rules, different strategies, and different skills to learn. Although there are different rules you have to have the same mindset to compete in either sport. In order to be successful in beach volleyball you need to know the important rules and learn some of the strategies.
The rules involved in beach are very different from indoor. The main difference is the rule about setting. In beach you are not allowed to set the ball unless it has absolutely no spin (which is pretty much impossible). You also can not open hand tip the ball like you can in indoor. The other main rule is that if you are blocking and you touch the ball you and your partner only have 2 contacts to get it back over the net, where in indoor you would have 3 contacts.
Obviously in beach volleyball you are playing in the sand and usually you are playing doubles with a partner. This leads to some strategies that can help you succeed in this awesome sport. The first tip is to either serve/ hit to the player that can’t pass or the player that is the least offensive threat. This will give you a better opportunity to score that rally. Serving and attacking to the person who is not as good at passing will most likely make their side become out of system, giving you a free ball. Serving and hitting to the person who is the least offensive threat will give you a better chance at digging their attack. If you are playing a team where both players can attack and pass decently then you can try serving in between them and that will usually get them out of system. Other strategies include blocking, going over on the second ball, and using smart shots. In beach blocking can be a little tricky and it takes a lot of practice to get used to it, but it is really fun when you stuff block someone in beach J If you and your partner decide to block, the person blocking tells the defender what part of the court he/ she is going to be blocking. The defender is then responsible for the other part of the court. For example if I was blocking the cross court shots for both hitters I would hold up 2 fingers on each hand (1 finger on each hand means I am blocking the line shots) and my partner would defend the line shots. Some smart shots in beach are a short pokey (tipping it with your knuckles) or a high roll shot to the deep corners. These shots will cause the other team to scramble for the ball and give you an easy ball back over.
Remember to stay hydrated when playing in the heat!
The rules involved in beach are very different from indoor. The main difference is the rule about setting. In beach you are not allowed to set the ball unless it has absolutely no spin (which is pretty much impossible). You also can not open hand tip the ball like you can in indoor. The other main rule is that if you are blocking and you touch the ball you and your partner only have 2 contacts to get it back over the net, where in indoor you would have 3 contacts.
Obviously in beach volleyball you are playing in the sand and usually you are playing doubles with a partner. This leads to some strategies that can help you succeed in this awesome sport. The first tip is to either serve/ hit to the player that can’t pass or the player that is the least offensive threat. This will give you a better opportunity to score that rally. Serving and attacking to the person who is not as good at passing will most likely make their side become out of system, giving you a free ball. Serving and hitting to the person who is the least offensive threat will give you a better chance at digging their attack. If you are playing a team where both players can attack and pass decently then you can try serving in between them and that will usually get them out of system. Other strategies include blocking, going over on the second ball, and using smart shots. In beach blocking can be a little tricky and it takes a lot of practice to get used to it, but it is really fun when you stuff block someone in beach J If you and your partner decide to block, the person blocking tells the defender what part of the court he/ she is going to be blocking. The defender is then responsible for the other part of the court. For example if I was blocking the cross court shots for both hitters I would hold up 2 fingers on each hand (1 finger on each hand means I am blocking the line shots) and my partner would defend the line shots. Some smart shots in beach are a short pokey (tipping it with your knuckles) or a high roll shot to the deep corners. These shots will cause the other team to scramble for the ball and give you an easy ball back over.
Remember to stay hydrated when playing in the heat!
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Importance of the ACT(428)
Most athletes that want to play sports in college seem to always focus on their skill level and if they are good enough to make a team. They worry about the facilities, coaches, teammates, ranking, and their playing time. Athletes seem to be blind to the fact, sometimes, that their grades actually matter too. In order to get into college there are some requirements you must meet, no matter how good you are at sports. One of the things that might be necessary is a high ACT score.
There are many opportunities students have to take the ACT throughout junior and senior year. There is a test date almost every month, or every other month. A student can take the ACT up to as many times as they want, but of course it is going to cost you a lot of money. This is why it is better to just do well on your first or second time taking it.
As it is important to do well on this test, because it will ultimately affect the college you choose, there are many ways you can prepare yourself. The people in charge of the ACT provide students with the option to order a book, or take online practice tests. This will help students see what they need help on and give them an idea of what the test will be like.
Preparing for the ACT can be extremely stressful, and athletes might not always have the time to prepare. This is why many students, like myself, study lightly for the first test to see what they need to work on. If my scores for the math section are low, while the science scores are high, I then know that I need to work on math a lot more than science. This will take some stress of you for the first time, but later on you will really need to dig in if you don't do well the first time.
Always remember that it is not always about if you are physically fit for the sports team at your college, but your grades need to be in tact as well. Some people even have to commit to other places simply because their grades weren't good enough for the college's criteria. School is very important and most athletes in college aren’t going to become professionals. You are going to college to get an education and it just so happens you get to play the sport you love as well. Unless you are seriously focused on going pro, focus on the academics.
There are many opportunities students have to take the ACT throughout junior and senior year. There is a test date almost every month, or every other month. A student can take the ACT up to as many times as they want, but of course it is going to cost you a lot of money. This is why it is better to just do well on your first or second time taking it.
As it is important to do well on this test, because it will ultimately affect the college you choose, there are many ways you can prepare yourself. The people in charge of the ACT provide students with the option to order a book, or take online practice tests. This will help students see what they need help on and give them an idea of what the test will be like.
Preparing for the ACT can be extremely stressful, and athletes might not always have the time to prepare. This is why many students, like myself, study lightly for the first test to see what they need to work on. If my scores for the math section are low, while the science scores are high, I then know that I need to work on math a lot more than science. This will take some stress of you for the first time, but later on you will really need to dig in if you don't do well the first time.
Always remember that it is not always about if you are physically fit for the sports team at your college, but your grades need to be in tact as well. Some people even have to commit to other places simply because their grades weren't good enough for the college's criteria. School is very important and most athletes in college aren’t going to become professionals. You are going to college to get an education and it just so happens you get to play the sport you love as well. Unless you are seriously focused on going pro, focus on the academics.
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Systems and Strategies (531)
In volleyball there are many different options for an offensive system. Whichever team adjusts quicker to the other teams system usually has a better chance of winning the match. An offense is chosen based on how many setters your team has, who is in the front row, match ups on the other side of the net and what defense your opponent is in.
The number of setters that play on a team determines if you will run a 5-1 or a 6-2 offense. A 5-1 means that there is 1 setter and he/ she will play all the way around, setting in the front row and the back row. In order to run a 5-1 your setter has to be able to block, play defense, serve, be an attack option in the front row, and be a leader. A 6-2 means that there are 2 setters and they will both set from the back row only. This will allow your team to have 3 hitters in the front row all the time.
What players are in the front row on your side of the net determines what plays the setter decides to run on offense. The sets an outside hitter can call for are a 5: the highest set and slowest tempo out to the pin, a 4: a quicker antenna height set, a shoot: pretty self-explanatory but it’s the fastest tempo set for an outside and is just above the height of the net. The sets a middle can call are a 1: quick in the middle right in front of the setter, a 2: a higher set about 2 feet in front of the setter, a 31: a fast tempo set 3 feet in front of the setter, a 32: same location as a 31 just a slower tempo and a higher set, a gap: like a 1 but the setter should push the ball away from them to create a “gap” in the other sides block, a 6: same as a 1 but behind the setter, a 7: same as a gap but behind the setter, an a slide: behind the setter, all the way to the pin, slides can vary in height and speed. The sets a right side can call for are a 6, a 7, an 8 which is usually the same as a slide, or a 9: which is the same tempo as a 5 but just behind the setter. These are what I use as a setter for my play sets but some teams could differ in what they call each set.
What offense the other team is running should also influence the offense your team is going to run. For example if the other team is running a 5-1 and their setter is short and can’t block, your setter should realize that and utilize his/ her outside when the short setter is in the front row. Another example is if the setter is not a strong passer your team should attack to him/ her when he/ she is in the back row, to get there team out of system.
I hope these explanations helped you clear up any offensive questions you had!
The number of setters that play on a team determines if you will run a 5-1 or a 6-2 offense. A 5-1 means that there is 1 setter and he/ she will play all the way around, setting in the front row and the back row. In order to run a 5-1 your setter has to be able to block, play defense, serve, be an attack option in the front row, and be a leader. A 6-2 means that there are 2 setters and they will both set from the back row only. This will allow your team to have 3 hitters in the front row all the time.
What players are in the front row on your side of the net determines what plays the setter decides to run on offense. The sets an outside hitter can call for are a 5: the highest set and slowest tempo out to the pin, a 4: a quicker antenna height set, a shoot: pretty self-explanatory but it’s the fastest tempo set for an outside and is just above the height of the net. The sets a middle can call are a 1: quick in the middle right in front of the setter, a 2: a higher set about 2 feet in front of the setter, a 31: a fast tempo set 3 feet in front of the setter, a 32: same location as a 31 just a slower tempo and a higher set, a gap: like a 1 but the setter should push the ball away from them to create a “gap” in the other sides block, a 6: same as a 1 but behind the setter, a 7: same as a gap but behind the setter, an a slide: behind the setter, all the way to the pin, slides can vary in height and speed. The sets a right side can call for are a 6, a 7, an 8 which is usually the same as a slide, or a 9: which is the same tempo as a 5 but just behind the setter. These are what I use as a setter for my play sets but some teams could differ in what they call each set.
What offense the other team is running should also influence the offense your team is going to run. For example if the other team is running a 5-1 and their setter is short and can’t block, your setter should realize that and utilize his/ her outside when the short setter is in the front row. Another example is if the setter is not a strong passer your team should attack to him/ her when he/ she is in the back row, to get there team out of system.
I hope these explanations helped you clear up any offensive questions you had!
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Dominican University (465)
This weekend, I went on my second college visit of the season, to Dominican University. Dominican University is a DIII college just near Chicago by about twenty minutes. For this visit, my dad and I left at about five in the morning to get there on time for my campus tour which started at 10:15 in the morning. When we got there, we drove through big gates at the entrance near the soccer field, parked the car, and went to meet the coach, Jeanne Czipri, right off the bat. She was very nice, as I am sure all coaches are when meeting athletes. First, she got us set up for the campus tour and we went on a tour around the campus with one of the players. She showed us all around the campus. We saw almost all of the different buildings that classes were in, dining halls, dorms, and other facilities. Their campus is really nice and my dad made the comment that it reminds him of the Notre Dame campus since the buildings are kind of old but pretty. The campus is a comfortable size where everything is close together and the city of Chicago is only a short 20 minute car ride away.
This college also is the only college that I have looked at that has Neuroscience as a specific major, which is something that interests me. After the tour, we had lunch with the volleyball team and the coach. There were also two other recruits there with me going on the same tour and visit. One was also a setter and the other was a middle. After lunch was over, it was time for team time and questions. We walked over to a different room with some of the girls from the team and the two other recruits. It was now time for question and answers. We also got to meet with the coach one at a time, so while one person was talking to the coach, the others were talking to the team. We got to ask them things about being on the team, the coach, and get an answer from a student athlete perspective. When it was my turn to talk to the coach, my dad and I went into her office to talk to her. This was a time where we could ask each other questions. We had a long conversation and afterwards we went back to the room with the team and let the last girl know we were done and it was her turn. After meeting with the coach, we were done with the visit, so we left the building and went back to the car. We did make a stop at the campus bookstore before we left and I got some sweatpants from Dominican.
This college also is the only college that I have looked at that has Neuroscience as a specific major, which is something that interests me. After the tour, we had lunch with the volleyball team and the coach. There were also two other recruits there with me going on the same tour and visit. One was also a setter and the other was a middle. After lunch was over, it was time for team time and questions. We walked over to a different room with some of the girls from the team and the two other recruits. It was now time for question and answers. We also got to meet with the coach one at a time, so while one person was talking to the coach, the others were talking to the team. We got to ask them things about being on the team, the coach, and get an answer from a student athlete perspective. When it was my turn to talk to the coach, my dad and I went into her office to talk to her. This was a time where we could ask each other questions. We had a long conversation and afterwards we went back to the room with the team and let the last girl know we were done and it was her turn. After meeting with the coach, we were done with the visit, so we left the building and went back to the car. We did make a stop at the campus bookstore before we left and I got some sweatpants from Dominican.
Hair Choices for Sports (363)
How many athletes do you know, wears their hair down when playing a sport? There aren't too many when reaching the 5th grade. Little kids for some reason love to play with their hair down, in their face keeping them from seeing. I don't understand why they would want to do that, because what benefit does that bring to the athlete succeeding at the sport?
I would never let my child wear their hair down when playing a sport. There are some circumstances where wearing your hair down is okay, like dance or show choir. Any sports that involve contact or having a quick reaction time should have to be required to tie their hair back in either a bun or a pony tail. When you reach middle school, wearing your hair down in a physical activity is considered weird and different. Playing volleyball with your hair down means there is no way of seeing what is going on. A ball could be coming at you and not even know it, because your hair is in your face blocking your view. You could perform SO much better, by just tying your hair back in a pony tail or a bun.
There are lots of different ways you can wear your hair, especially if you have longer hair. You can have a ponytail, bun, braid, fishtail braid, french braid, french fishtail, pigtail french braids, a ponytail with hair ties going down it, and much more. If someone is worried about their looks while playing, then any of the braids look cool and they could always straighten their hair and put it in a ponytail, but my opinion is that if they are playing a sport they should not really care what their hair looks like while they play. Personally, I do not care what my hair looks like as long as it stays out of my face and is comfortable. For me, buns do not work because they do not stay in and they fall out and get loose, which is not comfortable to play in since it gets in my face. I usually have a ponytail or a braid in when I play.
I would never let my child wear their hair down when playing a sport. There are some circumstances where wearing your hair down is okay, like dance or show choir. Any sports that involve contact or having a quick reaction time should have to be required to tie their hair back in either a bun or a pony tail. When you reach middle school, wearing your hair down in a physical activity is considered weird and different. Playing volleyball with your hair down means there is no way of seeing what is going on. A ball could be coming at you and not even know it, because your hair is in your face blocking your view. You could perform SO much better, by just tying your hair back in a pony tail or a bun.
There are lots of different ways you can wear your hair, especially if you have longer hair. You can have a ponytail, bun, braid, fishtail braid, french braid, french fishtail, pigtail french braids, a ponytail with hair ties going down it, and much more. If someone is worried about their looks while playing, then any of the braids look cool and they could always straighten their hair and put it in a ponytail, but my opinion is that if they are playing a sport they should not really care what their hair looks like while they play. Personally, I do not care what my hair looks like as long as it stays out of my face and is comfortable. For me, buns do not work because they do not stay in and they fall out and get loose, which is not comfortable to play in since it gets in my face. I usually have a ponytail or a braid in when I play.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Powder Buff (451)
Here at Kennedy High School, we do not have a boys volleyball team. Most people would say, "Well, of course we don't!" That is because in Iowa, there are very few boys teams and boys volleyball is not very popular. There aren't any boys high school teams in the whole state, and only a handful of club teams. Our high school coach, Michelle Goodall is really involved in trying to grow the boys volleyball game in Iowa, and for a fun way to get more boys involved in volleyball, she puts together Powder Buff every year. Powder Buff is where we have a day that boys from Kennedy High School can form teams and play volleyball against each other. This usually is on a half day so that they have time to go get lunch, then play volleyball in the afternoon. The guys form teams and enter into the "tournament" and Coach Goodall makes brackets and they end up playing all of the teams. By the end of the night there is a tournament champion. The girls who play volleyball aren't supposed to play with them, but we help ref and keep score. It is kind of funny to see all of the guys playing volleyball that have either never played before or have only played once or twice in their life. Powder Buff is mostly just for fun but it is also a good way to let guys have a chance to play volleyball, and if they are interested in playing more they can talk to Goodall about boys club teams, boys HP, and more. We usually have powder buff once a year, but when the guys have a lot of fun we try to schedule more. In the past they have been on the Wednesdays that we have half days, but next year we will probably have to move them to Fridays since we will be having half days every Friday. The other funny part is that the guys can get pretty competitive and take the games pretty seriously. That's mixed with them not really knowing how to play makes a funny game to watch and ref, although sometimes reffing is difficult because they don't know all of the rules. Sometimes we will make calls on a team and they will argue, for example net calls, under the net calls, and rotation calls. There's been times where the same server will go back to serve in multiple rotations and we have to explain to them that they have to rotate servers as well as the people on the court. Powder buff is one of the fun things about school volleyball season and I hope we continue to do it!
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