You need to focus your skills on those that will be used most often and have the greatest impact on the game. Some coaches think this is the attack with a forceful kill, which is never the right answer. Think about your team and see what you use most.
I have seen a young (Jr High) team lose consistently. In practice, they worked on footwork, hitting, defense, hitting in the middle and outside, serving. When you look closer, the other team served most of the balls in the match, which means they were in serve-receive frequently. They could not pass well enough to ever hit in the middle. Most attacks were freeballs or something other than a front row attack. This team needed to develop serve receive passing. If you can't pass, you can't hit. In girl's volleyball, these are typically the most important skills that affect the outcome of the game: 1. Serve Receive 2. Serve 3. Dig 4. Transition attack (not serve receive attack)
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What is it that coaches are looking for in players? Will they notice your best skill and not see your worst skill? How are they measuring you against other players? These are legitimate worries that a player cannot control. Let me share with you some advice based on observing coaches and players at tryouts. Remember that the majority of players fall in the middle of the pack. They have relatively equal skills and talent. Also, remember that high school and junior high coaches are rarely adept and evaluating talent and potential.
1. Focus on what you can control, not what is out of your control. Don't worry about what the coach thinks or what other players think. 2. Energy and volume are the easiest things to notice. The old saying, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease" applies here. If you are loud and energetic during the drills, it draws attention to you. Quiet players often get overlooked even though their skill is as good, if not better than the louder player. You need to stand out among the 6 other kids who are the same height and have the same skill level. 3. Be a team player and a leader. This is part cheerleading and goes with the previous item (energy and volume). If you have a poor player in a 6-on-6 drill, be a leader and help that player feel better about herself. Talk to your teammates and get them focused on the next point. Call out people who made a great effort or made a great play. 4. Be aggressive and accept failure. If a coach asks for a volunteer, step up with enthusiasm, even if you don't think you can do what they are asking. I love hearing a kid say, i don't know if I can do it, but I will try. Coaches are looking for players who are not afraid to try. You have to mess up a hundred times before you actually start improving. Kids that are afraid of failure never try and struggle to improve. Dive for balls (not because you are late or out of position, but because you don't want a ball to hit the floor on your side). 5. Power is impressive. I hate to admit it, but coaches drool over power and rarely go ga-ga over control. So, if you get a set, hammer it even if it is 5 feet out of bounds. Same with a serve. You may serve five aces with short, soft serves, but coaches are enamored with the hard, line drive serve. They feel they can harness power and help you gain control, but it is much more difficult to teach power. In other words, Go Big, or Go Home! |
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