What Does Your Coach Want to See on the Court?

We all want to make our coach proud and prove our way to the top, so any teaching points to improve our game never hurts. USA Volleyball published an article that lists and explains 10 things, according to top coaches, players should be doing on the court. These coaches focus on teaching their players the game in a positive way, so instead of focusing on the “don’ts” they center their attention on the “dos”. Here is a more in-depth view of some of the important teaching points the coaches make and how to keep the focus of teaching the game more positive.

One of the points the coaches make is in beach volleyball to keep talking to your partner. Although this is absolutely crucial in beach, it is also important part in indoor volleyball. I’m sure everyone can agree that communication is a key aspect in volleyball. Even if you aren’t familiar with the sport you always hear the players yelling “got it” or “mine, mine, mine”. Players also need to communicate with their teammates to keep team spirit up and their heads in the game.

Another point the coaches make is to understand that you’re always involved in the play. Volleyball is a team sport, which means you constantly have to be working with your team. We have all seen a dig make its way to the other side of the court and if you’re not prepared to react, then it will most likely result in a point for the other team. This point doesn’t just apply to the players on the court. The players on the bench need to be paying attention to learn what went wrong in a play to provide support to the players on the court and ensure this mistake does not happen again.

Coaches always want to make sure that their players are ready to play, physically and mentally. The intense conditioning you do in practice and through tough drills that make you exhausted always serve a purpose. Volleyball is extremely fast paced, so having the endurance to keep up with the game is crucial. You also need to constantly keep improving your skills to stay ahead of the competition. Being ready for the game means being mentally prepared. Your mentality is probably the biggest obstacle you will ever face in this sport. It is so easy to psych yourself out before a big game but staying positive is the only way to beat the opponent.

The coaches list several more points in the article that you can review, but these three points were the ones that stuck out because they involve everyone on the team. Everyone is always involved in every aspect of the game, off or on the court, and everyone needs to be ready to play the game.