Connection with your Teammates

 
We are now well into our club season and I am reminded of the article below;
Please share,
Pete

Small Victories By Chris Beerman

I’m struck by as I attend their training sessions is how excited the players are, how much fun they have with each other and how much they’ve improved.  It reinforces to me the idea that volleyball is really the ultimate team sport, one of the most difficult to coach and the sport that creates very long-lasting personal relationships with your teammates. 
As a former high school football player, I have often compared volleyball to football, which is often called “the ultimate team sport”.  I believe volleyball mirrors football in three ways.  First, complete reliance on a teammate for success; second, the anaerobic + stamina nature of the sport: explode, relax, explode, relax, etc. over the course of a couple hours and finally the similarities in the physical, mental and emotional responsibilities of the various positions.  

1. Setter (leader, distributor) = quarterback
2. Passer/digger (dirty work) = linemen
3. Hitters (home run, scorers) = skill positions 

Where volleyball differs and makes it an even tougher sport to be good at as a team is the ball can’t be held, thrown or caught, your team is confined to a small court and there is no contact with the other team. Therefore, there has to be a “connection” with your teammates.  The ball cannot touch the floor, therefore using your body parts to rebound the ball to teammates requires constant focus, trust and execution from everyone In order to be successful.

As I watched the regional players advance through their season, the vast majority in their first year of club or any kind of advanced training, those psycho-social elements of the game were most notably improved upon.  In some ways, they began to grasp the “soul” of the sport which I’ve always contended is what makes volleyball so different.   I believe above all else our regional players began to learn this part of volleyball that separates it from other sports and makes it such a popular sport for those who learn to play it on a team.  The excitement I see coming from them is that they are not only learning how to play the game, but also discovering how important their individual role is to the success of their team.  Definitely fun to watch develop.~~~~