Increasing the Commitment
in Your Program
-By Dave Cross
A Question for Dave:
I coach a girls high school team at a small school. We are looking to really
build the program here but a vast majority of our team also plays soccer,
basketball, etc.. I am finding it difficult to get the girls to commit to
off season volleyball training. Once our season starts, we average 1-2 practices
a week because of game schedules and other mandatory school activities. We
just don't get enough practice time-- this is quite frustrating as a coach!
Do you have any suggestions?
Dave's Reply:
Coaches: You
may not be in the exact same situation as this coach, but would you like
to
increase your player's commitment to your program? Even if you are
fortunate enough to
have built a "true program" over the years, I bet you still have players
that simply aren't
as committed as you want them to be, or years where the commitment just
isn't what it was
during one of your "banner years".
No matter what, if you are going to improve a players',
or an entire teams', commitment you
are going to have to get them to decide to change their level of desire
to improve. In order to do this, you are going to need to sit
them down, talk to them and get to them to sincerely think about their volleyball
future.
You see, that's the key here. Typically,
young people do not think far enough "down the road" on their own.
This is not to say that none have this "vision", but it is certainly not
the norm. They are way more focused on the "here and now" of their
lives, than the long
term affects of their actions.
Here's my answer to this coach. I'm sure you'll be able to see how
you could apply this approach to your own situation and increase the commitment of your players, by increasing their
desire:
Although I do not know all the specific dynamics of your situation, which
may affect/adjust some of my answers, here is what I suggest:
1. Sit your returning varsity
players down and talk with them. Lead them through a discussion of
what they really want to accomplish next season, both as individuals and
as a team.
2. Then ask them how much both themselves
and the team will have to improve to accomplish these goals.
NOTE: If you are familiar with
our "Crystal Ball Method" explained in the Gold
Members Site, make sure to use it at this point and then continue on from
here. If not, then simply continue on.
3. Then ask them to explain to you how
they will improve as much as they need to if they don't increase the amount
of time they work on volleyball in the off season.
IMPORTANT: All through this process,
do not allow any "I don't know" answers.
You can make it like a game, where you tell them at the beginning they can't
use that for any answer. If you do get "it" for an answer, calmly remind
them you aren't accepting that and that they need to think longer and come
up with an acceptable answer.
No matter what, do not waiver from this, and be prepared to wait
awhile for an answer. Also, no matter how long it takes, DO NOT get impatient and put words you want to hear
in the kids mouth.
REASON: Kids have learned (and adults,
too, I guess) that replying with an "I don't know" gets them off the
hook from thinking long enough to come up with a good answer to the question,
or from giving an honest answer the "question asker" doesn't want to hear.
IMPORTANT: When you do get an
acceptable response, follow it up with "What makes you say that?"
Avoid asking any questions that start with the word "Why"-this will not get
you the real reason for what they just said. (Trust me, there's a lot
of psychology behind this!) :)
4. Once you get the "real responses"
from them you've got them where you want them, because you will get them
to the point that they will admit they won't improve enough to
achieve their goals for the coming season unless they do put more time in
during the off season.
5. You can then lead them into an agreement
that they have to put more time in to reach their goals.
6. Then talk to them about the days
and times that they could adjust their schedules to, to be able to attend
consistently.
NOTE: I have always found it's
easier to get them to summer workouts/open gyms in the morning. That's
probably your best bet because it will avoid soccer, softball and basketball
practices and summer games more often. It also avoids situations where
they get into doing something "kid-fun wise" during the day and then decide
they don't want to stop in time to get to the gym.
7. For those multi-sport athletes,
it is very important that you point out to them that all summer activities
for all school sports are "optional", and at the least, they need to commit to putting in as much time for volleyball
as any other sport.
8. Once you get them there, whether
in the spring or summer, make sure they have fun:
Play music, some fun warm-up games, and a lot of hitting and game-play.
If they have "fun" they are much more likely to
keep coming.
9. Once the pre-season comes,
it is very important to go six days a week, at least three hours a day with
your varsity, and as close to that with the JV and frosh as possible.
You can justify this by explaining how much the team needs to get done before
the matches start, and that practices are shorter and less frequent then,
as you told me.
10. The hours per day, and days per
week, doesn't get cut back until school starts.
I hope this helps, and if you have any other questions, please let
me know. You may discover that your gonna get your younger, talented
players to buy into this more often. If that's what happens, so be it.
They will help you build this process in your program
as they go through their careers.
Good luck!
Dave Cross
National Director
Yes I Can Volleyball
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