Finding team leaders

There is a great saying that I quote all the time and that is, “When the real leader speaks everyone shuts up and listens.” I have never seen this fail. I have always seen it come to pass. There is always one player that the rest of the team listens to. Let’s take a quick quiz and see what you think.

1. _____________ is one of the most competitive players on the team.

What name popped in your head to fill in that blank?

     2.  ______________ leads through encouragement and energy.

What name do you think should be in that blank?  

     3.  ______________ puts the team first in all decisions and actions.

That is a hard one…. we are work through selfish desires but who comes to mind when you read that question?

     4.  ______________ leads by example in practice, in weights, on the road, and in the classroom.

We all know that teammate…. Maybe it is you. That is okay to put.

That was a quick four question quiz that can give you some hints to who the real leader is on your team. The reason teammates listen to that one teammate when she or he speaks is because of the actions that back it up. If you are the leader on the team, great! Keep that up. If you are not a team leader then support your leader. That not only will make you a better teammate but leader as well.  

Keep working hard and work together!

Be loud and be Proud!

Volleyball players are always told to talk and be loud. No one ever really says why. The reason they are told to be loud and talk is because no one can read your mind and you can't read theirs. If two players are going for the same ball and no one calls it, what happens? They crash into each other and more times than not, the pass, hit, or set isn't completed. This can increase the risk of injury among players and your scoring chances go down. Talking and being loud also helps connect you to your teammates. The more you talk on the floor the more like minded you all are. For example, you will all know what play you’re running on a free ball. Talking helps you in defense too. Saying what you see is not a bad thing. If you are on the front row you have a much better view of what play the other team is running and can see what hit the hitters are wanting to make. If you are blocking right front and you see the hitter go up to tip... You clearly can see what she is going to do. So you can alert your back defender to move in, or you can step off and cover. Talking also helps you scare the other team. The non-stop chatter will make teams uncomfortable if they don't talk much. Coaches say talk for a reason. It only helps you be the best player and team you can be! Go out and start talking more and more!

Be the G.O.A.T

It is slightly embarrassing that it took me until two months ago to figure out what G.O.A.T. meant. For those who don't know, it means Greatest Of All Time. I'm not sure anyone can really be the greatest of all time. I can't imagine how anyone would figure this. We can look to Einstein, Michelangelo, Churchill, Mozart, Dickens, Gretzky, Jordan, and Jobs as men who at one time were arguably the G.O.A.T. of their time. Yet, they didn't stay there. Someone else came along and built on their ideas, foraging what was the greatest with something new. Being the greatest is a very subjective thing. What I may like in a player, you may not.  You might not be a good fit on every team and in every level. All you can do is be the G.O.A.T. The greatest of all time that you can be. You should work hard and do your best. Work hard and never give up.

http://carolinacrushvolle.wix.com/ccvc

https://www.facebook.com/CarolinaCrushVolleyball

After tournament care

Those long hard and fun tournaments can leave you tired and sore. There are lots of ways to recover but if you can't lay around all day you will need another way to get back to 100%.
1. Diet. Chances are you didn't eat that great or enough. Make sure you get some good protein and fresh veggies. Lay off some carbs and sugars. Take time to sit and eat. Taking your time gives you a chance to rest and refuel.
2. Water. No way you drank enough during play. It it was cold you lost a lot of hydration just by walking outside. Drink lots of water. Your muscles need water to function correctly. All the water helps refresh you too. Think like a flower that is lacking water. Add water to the flower and it perks up and begins to flourish again. You are like that flower.
3. Ice and Heat. If you need ice on your knees or shoulders then get it! You want to make all injuries feel better by reducing swelling. Ice first. Once you get home, take a nice warm bath or shower. If bath, use epsion salt. Soaking will help relieve tension and soreness from the muscle. If you take a shower make sure it's warm, and stand under the water for an extra minute. This helps your muscles warm up and release some soreness. Note on the salts, all floor burn will sting if you take a bath. Re-ice if you need to for joints.
4. A good night sleep. Staying up all night night happen but shouldn't. Go lay down if you can't sleep. Enjoy just relaxing. Laying on your back with your feet up air against a wall. That helps the body feel refreshed.

These four steps will help you recover quicker and have you back ready to play!

No one got time for that!

If I see another player okay with not being the best I may scream. I don't understand what goes through girls minds when they want to play sports but then complain and not give their best when the coach asks them to work hard!  If you are going to waste the time to be at practice, workouts, and games then why not put forth effort to the be the best? Maybe I am old school and maybe I am too intense but I don't understand why an athlete doesn't want to be the best. It takes a lot of work and time to be the best but look at the reward! Be the best you can be. Not one has time for you to be just getting by. Dream of more and be more!  

Throw back Thursday

If you want a good #tbt remember why you started your mission. Think of why you wanted to play. Remeber that reason and use it for fuel. Never give up and push through.

Liar liar pants on fire

A coach knows when you are being lazy. A coach knows when you lie. A coach knows when you're cheating in a drill. I've had many players who have played these cards. I've had players come late into practice without excuses. I make them run the traditional 10 laps that every late player runs. I always watch my players, to keep them accountable. But there have been players that skip laps and act like they've done nothing wrong. Even after confronting them, they deny any wrongdoing. I have made sure to set all my players straight with the rules.

Pro tip for all players: If your coach asks you if you did whatever task, you better tell the truth because they already know.  

A coach knows when you lie. No matter how slick you think you are it is better to not lie in practice. If you are a lazier player, the coach will watch you in conditioning. If you do lie and you get busted please don’t accuse the coach of being wrong… that is asking for trouble!  A coach knows. Don’t lie. Do what you should and give your best. Lying and being lazy isn’t your best. Do better today and from here out!  

http://carolinacrushvolle.wix.com/ccvc