Venetian Bay teams are talented and they work hard – that’s why you play here, isn’t it?  Let’s keep this quote in mind at this weekend’s tournament.  It’s not our talent alone that leads to victories – it’s the hard work we’re willing to do in all phases of the game. Physically commit to getting every ball up, controlling the ball, and hitting and serving aggressively.

Emotionally, stay involved in the match with your teammates.  No sulking because you’re having a bad day or not getting the playing time you want.  Your teammates need your emotional support, and it’s part of your job to give it to them.

Mentally, control your thoughts so all that’s in your mind are positive images of you getting the ball up, controlling it and hitting and serving aggressively, carrying out the game plan your coach has set for you.  When negative images appear, thank them for reminding you about what to avoid, send them on their way and replace them with positive images. 

Before the point starts, See.  Visualize yourself “doing my job.”  For passers, this means seeing themselves tracking the serve and passing to the appropriate target using “Hit, Mine, Pass.”  If the passer is also a hitter, she sees herself handling the pass, and then moving outside, calling to the setter and swinging to kill on the set.

For the server, it means going through her serving routine: taking a cleansing breath, visualizing her serve, and breathing in and out as she tosses and serves.  For blockers, it’s seeing themselves moving to the set and stuffing the hitter.  For the libero, it’s digging and controlling the opponent’s hit.

Then it’s time to Execute.  Notice the rhythm and depth of your breathing as you prepare for the ball to come into play.  It’s impossible to breathe diaphragmatically (abdominal breathing) and feel anxious at the same time, so use belly breathing to keep your mind confident, quiet and ready.  Expect and “want the ball” to come to you.  As the ball comes into play, call out “Hit, Mine, Pass” to focus with relaxed eyes on the ball and respond to what it’s doing.

When the point ends, Notice and correct.  Now’s it’s time to use visualization again to notice what you did, reinforcing the things you did well and correct any errors.  For correcting, first take a cleansing breath and then pick just one thing to correct.  Visualize yourself making the correct move and seeing the good result.  Then it’s time to get ready for the next point.

Attitudinally, maintain your competitive determination through the entire day.  Play every ball as if it’s match point.  Keep your level of intensity high no matter what the score, no matter what how important the match.

The first tournament is important – your placement will determine future seedings.  The more challenging your opponents, the more you'll develop as a volleyball player and team.  Find out how rewarding it feels to know you've worked hard – have a great event.

by Tim Engels, M.A.