10,000 Hours or Ten Years of Deliberate Practice

               I posted the question on my facebook if 10,000 hours of deliberate practice made an expert or a master. Out of the votes I got the results broke down to 63% saying no. We can debate the correct answer for years but to me, based on my research, this was the correct answer. Let's face many parents, coaches, and players are great to throw the phrase out, "10,000 hours of practice makes perfect." This is based on the research based on Ericsson (1994) and Gladwell (2008) where both of these physiologists did research on experts in music, chess, and sport to figure out what made an expert. Their studies found that all of the greats had these 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. Deliberate practice is the key to mastery however it isn't the only factor in making someone great. The poling results from facebook gave me 63% agreeing that 10,000 hours doesn't make a master. That 37% that is completes the 100% is what I believe is the amount of natural talent an athlete needs for the sport he or she wants to be a master in. Nature plays a larger role in being elite then most people want to believe. Remember we are talking masters and elite players here. Deliberate practice makes up the rest of the athlete to be elite. Deliberate practice isn't just practicing in your back yard. This style of practice is defined as:

Deliberate practice refers to a special type of practice that is purposeful and systematic. While regular practice might include mindless repetitions, deliberate practice requires focused attention and is conducted with the specific goal of improving performance. (Ericsson et al., n.d.).

            Deliberate practice is the key part here. If an athlete isn't doing deliberate practice then he or she most likely isn't getting better. As a coach, it is our job to make sure the athletes are getting pushed to the limit in deliberate practice. Knowing how to set up a strong practice that is based in excellence and pushing the athletes to be the best. As parents, it is your job to select programs that have smart talented coaches that are going to push your athlete in deliberate practice. Parents it is your job to select a job that isn't just pretending to be a coach and just filling space. Coaching education is important and is easy to access. Allowing a coach to coach your athlete that is just breathing body (most likely a parent wanting to be a coach) is not acceptable. Demand coaching education from your coaches. Get what you pay for. After all, practice isn't enough. It needs to be deliberate practice and if it isn't then the athlete is messing out.

Question: Why so many clubs?

When I was in high school (2002-2006) there was only a handful of clubs for travel volleyball in Western NC. If I didn't go in Charlotte the choices were only three clubs. I had to drive 30-45 minutes to get to these clubs. No club had their own building. They used high school gyms or church gyms which may be further away then 45 minutes. Now there is 30-45 clubs with in a hour drive for volleyball clubs. Baseball, softball, and basketball are have more in the area than volleyball (though volleyball is becoming a large sport in NC).  So what happened in 12 years? Why is there more travel teams or clubs then McDonald's in towns? Is there a need for so many clubs? Are there that many players needing a place to play? Are there that many outstanding coaches who need a place to coach? Let's look at these questions together and hear me out here. 

1. What happened in 12 years. Population change is important factor. There are more players to play. With that comes big business. There is a lot of money to be made in club / travel sports and charlatans want to cash in on this. 

2.  More teams then McDonald's in a town. Pure pettiness. That is why small towns have two or more club teams. Look at the roots of the clubs starts. Most start with a parent being mad their child didn't make the club or travel team they wanted to make or the parent got mad at the coaches for not making their daughter a super star even though the player was never at practice or just plain out sucked.  The parents then go start there on club or team. 

3. Is there a need for so many clubs? No. There is no need for this. In my area alone there is a watering down of talent. Very few clubs will be able to compete for a USAV or AAU national title because teams don't stay together. There have been some that have won recently but the point is how many more teams could go on to win high level titles. We are to watered down.

4. Are there that many players needing a place to play? The decline of high school sports have left athletes who want to get better without much support in the school system.  Who wants to waste time with a coach who is a math teacher and the school begged him or her to coach because they signed up for coed volleyball in college (just using volleyball as the example) or played in middle school. High school programs overall are starving players of the team spirit and the sport. Not all of these programs do this but most. Players need a place to be a family and grow in a sport.

5. Coaches needing a place to coach. No. There is not that many outstanding coaches who need a place to coach. In fact, I believe there needs to be a dramatic scaling back of coaches and more coaching education. Look at the travel teams or the clubs. The coaches are parents or the young adults children of who coaches in the club. Do they know how to coach? No. Do they know how to player develop? No. When I attend tournaments I look around at the clubs there and look at the coaches. Do that next time you go to an event. Look at the coaches and watch them. Do you think these coaches are outstanding? I bet you will see my point. 

Should there be higher education for coaches at the youth level?

Should club or travel team coaches have higher education? Often times in travel or club volleyball, coaches are chosen based off of playing experiences or past coaching experience. This can range from playing at the highest level in the USA which would be playing on the national team or international play to only playing in middle school. Most commonly coaches have played in high school. Coaching experience ranges from coaching in NCAA to coaching recreational team for the local boosters club. According to the USA Today article by Jason Smith (2017), Paying to Play: How Much Do Club Sports Cost?, travel or club volleyball can cost upwards of $8000-$10,00.00 a year for the elite teams. These are teams that do national tournaments and do travel out of the state a lot. To look at an average team. Not the elite top teams nor the less competitive teams but at a team that is ranked middle of the road so to speak.  The cost is between $3000-$6000.00 a season. 

Should club or travel team coaches have higher education? A normal club volleyball season runs for 6 months. These 6 months are filled with tournaments and practices. The article by Smith (2017) adds that most parents (40% of them) believe that their child will get a college scholarship that will pay for half of the students tuition. With these numbers wouldn't it serve to reason that higher coaching education should be required to coach club or travel teams? Parents are paying coaches to equip their child with skills to get them money for being an athlete and not only an athlete but a top athlete at that. There are many factors that play a role in an athletes ability to on a college roster. DNA makes up most of the factors (tall, explosive quickness, self-motivated, etc,) however, coaching and skills make up the rest. 

Club or travel coaches should have higher education. The reason is you get what you pay for. Does education make a coach good or bad? That is based on the person who is the coach; What education does is take a good coach and prepare him or her to be a better coach. A coach who understands methods of coaching past X's and O's. Knowing the game is highly important to teaching an athlete how to play but what about rest and recovery methods or off-season workout plans that are sport specific? There is more to volleyball and being an athlete than just sort of knowing how to play the game. There is more to coaching than being willing. Parents should call for higher education among club and travel coaches. Parents should get their moneys worth.  

http://usatodayhss.com/2017/paying-to-play-how-much-do-club-sports-cost

Volleyball 101

Top terms I believe every volleyball player needs to know and understand.  

• In System: The setter gets the ball in target. He or she is setting from target which allows a team to run a full offense.
• Out of System: The setter gets the ball NOT in target. This forces the setter to set limited options. This can also cause a easier ball to defend from hitters. 
• The Corners: When a coach refers to "put the ball in a corner" he or she means to hit, push, or pass the ball to deep spot 1 (right side) and deep spot 2 (left side). Getting the ball to this spot can cause a team to get out of system or give up the point.
• Seam: The seam can be used in two different ways. The first way is with blockers. When a team is blocking with two or three blockers, a seam is created between the blockers bodies. The space in between the blockers is what is called the seam. The second use of the word in volleyball is for serve receive. The space between the passers is referred to as the seam. Putting the ball in the seam means serving the ball in between the two passers so there is confusion as to who gets the ball. 
• The Pins: The antennas. 
• Read Blocking: Read blocking means the blockers are allow to set their block based on their read of the hitter. 
• Set Blocking: The block is set based on what the coach has told the blockers. It is pre-set and not changed by where the hitter moves.
• The BIC: A back row attack that goes over the middle front hitter. The set is tight to slightly in front of the ten foot line to allow the hitter to hit the ball close to the front row.

These are just a few terms. As I see the need for this list to grow I will add to it. 

#ccvc #volleyball #setsinthecity #volleyball101 #girlsvolleyball #boysvolleyball #volleyballterms 

Getting stronger

I have been a gym rat since I was 12 years old. I love being in a gym and I love working out.  I have always been strong and from a very young age I knew I was strong. Going to the gym a few times a week as been apart of my life since I was 18 years old and working with a trainer. In college I worked out and even took classes in it.  Since starting out coaching I have noticed that most athletes don't have a proper workout routine and most players don't see the need in making their athlete get stronger. I am not sure why not. Everyone can be stronger. No one to my knowledge as ever said "I would do some much better in sports or life if I was weaker." That is crazy to think about! You may not want to sell tickets to your "gun show" but being stronger is always better. Shoulders and arms are a key element that I feel gets overlooked. Basic arm and shoulder workouts can be simple. Push Ups.

I watched last night young male athletes who are in good shape struggle with push ups. They were different kinds of push ups but they struggled through them. The trainer went push up for push up with them but the 10 years plus young males still struggled. The one athlete who is in weight training in high school sited that his problem was he ran a lot during weight training but the truth is he just wasn't very strong. This isn't okay.  We need to bring back strong! I encourage you to do some push ups today! Be stronger!

100 wins

February 13th, 2017 could be a record setting day for women's sports and really sports in general. The University of Connecticut is women's basketball team goes for 100 straight wins in NCAA D1 basketball.

   What an amazing feat. As a coach I am always happy with back to back wins but to think about 100 in row! Wow. This record didn't happen over night. UCONN just didn't win 99 games in a row in one week or even month. We are talking since 2014 they have been working hard to get these wins. UCONN has graduated players, added new players, and are playing in big games or normal games. 

The coach is one thing that has remained the same. Coach Geno has become one of the best coaches in the sport of basketball if not the best. If he coached men he would be the all time greatest coach of basketball. Sadly, he coaches women therefore may people say he doesn't have competition he would have if coaching men.  That just sounds like sour grapes to me. He has played within the same rules and guidelines that all other teams both male an female have in the NCAA. 100 wins. Just take time to count to 100! Even that takes time. If UCONN wins tonight they will have won 4000 minutes of basketball.  Let that set in. Good luck tonight UCONN! 

Kind of like picking out fruit

When selecting a travel team for your child what should you look for?

A question I get asked a lot of times just reworded. Volleyball is my thing so I always get parents asking me to tell them about my club or my favorite way it's worded... "so what do ya'll do?" I am in the south so we get the "ya'll" thrown in there. I am never sure how to answer this question. The sales rep inside me wants to give an answer fitted to who I am talking to but the coach in me wants to tell them about all the smart hard work we put in to volleyball. I end up giving the parent a general overview of what my club does and gives to the athletes.  The reason for that kind of answer is parents don't know or don't know how to phrase what they are looking for in travel sports teams.

Recently I learned about the joys of cooking with bananas.  I knew about banana bread or banana pudding (again, I am in the south) and like everyone else I knew about just eating them! For the three ways I just listed to use bananas for cooking or eating, all require a ripe to very ripe banana; therefore, when going banana shopping you would look for the ripest ones the store offered. What about soup? Banana fries?  There is a whole world of dishes that require green bananas and would require you selecting the greenest bananas the store had to offer. If you didn't find the kind of banana's you wanted at one store you would simply switch stores till you found what you wanted or made a compromise.

Bananas are a easy metaphor for us to see. When picking out a travel team you have to know what end product you want to make. You don't pick up green bananas and make banana pudding with them.  If you want your child to be a great shooter in basketball then you have 1. ID that is what you want. 2. Find a team that has coaches that focus on shooting. 3. Will allow your child the chance to get to shoot. 4. Alumni or teams that scored a lot of points. 5. Will take your child.

Figure out what you are looking for in a club. Ask your child what he or she wants to do with the sport. If they are just wanting to be a team and have friends... don't waste $$$ on that. Look for cheaper clubs.  If your child wants to be the next Mad Bum (MLB pitcher) then you better find a team that has good pitching coaches. Don't just ask directors or coaches what they do in general terms. Ask particular questions and have reasons for asking. Picking a travel team is kind of like picking a fruit. You don't pick the rotten ones and you know what you want to do with it when you buy it.

Blaming the wrong people

"Our coach just sucks"

Many parents get upset when their team isn't winning. They get mad at the coach for not winning. The coach gets blamed for not pushing the players harder and sometimes for pushing the players to hard. He or she gets undercut and verbally chewed out by frustrated parents in shadows or in the bleachers. The coach maybe can't focus on the right fundamentals or maybe doesn't know the game... I will even agree that the coach might play favorites the whole time BUT why be mad at them? If club, you are paying to be there so after the season ends move on to another club. In school, go to the AD or administration.  The school administration is who hired the coach in the first place right? The coach maybe doing the best job he or she can do. There is no point to be angry at the coach. Demand better from the AD. Chances are all he or she does is hid from anything that might make them uncomfortable or look like work. You don't like the coaching choice and you complained then pull your daughter. Vote with your feet. Let the school know that you don't need them or care what the heck happens the program. I know most of you won't do that.  "My daughter just likes playing" will be the defense for allowing her to play on a team that you think the coach is a moron. Complaining to kid about it doesn't help either. The only people who can help you in the time of frustration is the AD and administration. 

Here is the key to all that I am saying. The school thought that who ever they hired to be the coach was good enough for your kid. They didn't go find a good coach. They found a warm body to do it. They most likely didn't care much about what knowledge of the sport the person hired had or how they would man the helm of the program. They wanted someone to do the job. So don't be mad at the coach you are convinced of can't spell libero much less knows what one is. Go voice your anger on the people who made a poor choice. Remember, they would never hire a high school football coach who was a volleyball player in middle school. Let that sink in. 

Just not impressed

This fall, I have been officiating middle and high school volleyball. This has given me a great chance to see players from all over the area. Gaston, Lincoln, Cleveland, Iredell, Burke, and Caldwell Counties in NC have I been in. So far... I am not impressed. The most impressive team I have seen all year was a middle school team who was spot jump serving. They crushed the little team they were playing but I truly believe they would beat ALL the high school teams I have seen this year. Here is why I have not been impressed overall. Let me state up front that there are good players on teams but I am addressing the WHOLE team not being impressive.

        Reason 1. Clubs: I watch familiar faces in warm-ups and I know these girls play club. I know they have played for years yet these players are still struggling with the basics. Passing, serving, talking, and moving their feet. Serves should always be made. If you aren't up by 5 plus then you better not be serving the ball out or in the net. There is never excuse NOT to talk while playing however I see team after team chalked full of club players that will not talk. I say that the clubs these girls play for are a reason the teams aren't impressive because they should have taught these skills. 

         Reason 2. Coaches: There was one coach I dealt with as an official that if I could have thrown a rule book at I would have. Sadly, in high school the coaches just aren't the best in every school. Big reason in that is schools don't want to pay these coaches anything and they expect them to deal with tons of drama.... that is another blog for another day.... Coaches are allowing players to be lazy. They maybe don't have the best players but they can make their players hustle to the ball. Allowing players to be lazy to the ball is going to give you poor results.

          Reason 3. A mix of players: Players that haven't sold out to volleyball enough to play all year are always on a high school roster. Nothing wrong with that except most of these players who add in are called upon to be key roles in starters. These girls might be great athletes but they don't have fine tuned volleyball skills. Sloppy play as in net calls, carries, two hits, or four hits can happen more offend with players who don't play yearly vs ones who play do play yearly. This goes back to the coaches and they have to get all players on the same page to prevent sloppy play.

I gave three reasons why I am not impressed with teams this year. I hope we can all work to bring about better volleyball next season and that starts now. 

Motivation Monday: Blocking Tools

Attention hitters! As school season kicks into high gear and play is underway. Here is a good tip for getting kills when you are facing a big block. Tooling the block is when the set is trapped inside the hitter has nothing left to do but get blocked or use the block.  Check it out!

Click on the AVCA Tooling the Block below to watch about how to complete this task.

AVCA Tooling the Block

Happy hitting

Work hard. Work together

Did you see it?

The Olympics have come to a close just like they have for 1000's of years. There were tears for victory and tears for defeat. Some athletes were injured and some set world records. The fastest man to ever live proved himself for the 3rd time leaving his footprint on all of sports. Another Micheal through his name in the ring of all time great "Micheal"s and to the tune of 21 gold medals. A child abandoned by her parents and saved by her grandparents showed us all that size doesn't matter and hard work does. Who the world picked as the top women's soccer team lost their breathe when the ball like water slipped in to the back of the net. The rebirth of the dream team had moments of a nightmare but closed the deal. Bikers biked and runners ran but did you see any of that? Fighters fought and jumpers leaped but did anyone see that?

Did you see any of that? 
According to ratings... No... no you didn't. I believe we witnessed the greatest athletic display under the sun but very few watched. If you didn't get to watch for whatever the reason maybe I encourage you to google some finishes and enjoy the show! 

Work Hard and Work Together

Do you have the heart?

Last year I met  Carolina Costagrande who is a member of the Italian national women's volleyball team. She shared her story with the players I was with and myself. She was born in Argentina and moved to Italy to pursue her career in volleyball and have a better life. She explained that she at a young age knew she had to move away from her family and friends to be the best she could be in volleyball. If you didn't know, Italy is one of the strongest countries in volleyball and as a lot of professional options in the sport. 
          Carolina Costagrande added about how she had to get out of what was easy for her. She had to push herself out of her comfort zone and step out on her on. There were lonely times and bad days she added. Days that she wanted to quit and go home however she knew that to be the best she could be in the sport she had to press on. She had the heart for it. The heart to step out on her own and to be great. 
          Do you have heart to step out and be great? Do you have the heart to leave your comfort zone and do what it takes for you to be great? Most of you don't. Some of you will think you do. Only a few of you will. No one wants to be uncomfortable and don't want to fail. As the saying goes, "no risk no reward" is very true in a lot of areas. Take the risk to get the reward...Risk by putting yourself in a place to fulfill your dreams. That maybe the risk of feeling uncomfortable and maybe it is fear of failure. 

         Do you have the heart for greatness? Do you have what it takes to be the best you can be? 

By the numbers

In 2015, a study found that 1787 colleges and universities sponsored varsity volleyball teams. These teams have an avg roster size of 15 players per team. That is 26915 players playing in the 2015 season. In high school, there were 432,176 players playing for varsity and JV volleyball in the US. The chances of a high school volleyball player playing in college comes to 5.9%.  That means 94.1% do not play at the college level. 

Most high school varsity rosters have 10 players. That means by the numbers 1/2 a player will play in college. Now, we both know a half a player can't play but you get the idea. This doesn't include club players that don't play in high school. 

Three things come to mind after looking at these numbers. 

1. How important is it to play for a good club? VERY! If you want to make the 5.9% you need to make sure you are getting the best coaching, the best matches, the best training, and being pushed to the next level. The local up the street club may not cut it. 

2. The sport is more than just playing. It is about learning life skills. Learning how to work in a team is key to life. We are social beings and we all have to work in teams at some point. It is key to work with coaches that are going to teach their players how to be leaders. Teaches them how to be good people through the sport. 

3. You have to work very hard to make the cut. There is no sitting back and just waiting on things to happen.... Do it yourself or no one else will! 

For more information check out the site below! 

You can also contact me: Coach Hannah

http://www.scholarshipstats.com/volleyball.htm

Pre-School season tips!

Summer is coming to an end for volleyball players. 2nd weekend in July means August is coming quickly! The last three weeks are very important to get ready for school season. High school season will start in the middle of august so time is short! As someone who has coached middle school and high school teams I know that it is so important to have your players ready even before the first morning of tryouts! Here are a few tips to help get you ready!

1. Get in shape! As coaches we know you have a life. Vacation happens and its hot. Laying around can happen and sometimes does! That is okay but get in shape! Start jumping and running! 

2. Eat healthy. Nothing any worse than eating junk food all the time. Food is fuel. The food you eat becomes your body. Think about it. The best players aren't eating nothing but cheese puffs! 

3. Lot's of water. July and August are hot months. You can't drink enough water during these times. 

4. Practice and camp. Maybe you didn't get signed up for a camp but you can practice! Practice like there is no tomorrow so to speak. Work on your passing. Ball handling is everything. 

5. Weight train. Start working your muscles. You need to be as strong as possible. Get in a gym! 

6. Attend open gyms. Your school will host open gyms and you need to be there! No excuses. 

7. Mentally prepare yourself. Get your mind right and your body will follow.

8. Set goals! Big goals and small goals! All goals need to be wrote down and posted where you can see them!  

These steps will help you be ready for school season. Time is passing quickly and now is the time to be ready! Go get them!

Work hard. Work Together!  

For more information

What can you do!

Since I first discovered this quote 10 years ago as a budding college athlete, it has been one of the best quotes to me. Maybe, I was struggling with the skills I couldn't perform as well as others or maybe I was trying to motivate myself to keep working hard on what I was good at but regardless I fell in love with this quote.  Let's look at it together!

                                 Don't let what you can't do stop you from doing what you can do.

Wow! What powerful words. "Don't let what you can't do" There will always be something we can't do. There are things I can never do. As an athlete height is very important.  I will never be 6"4'... I can pretend. I can wear heels, I can even stretch out as much as possible yet at night when I go to sleep... I am still 5"9'. I can't change that. 

"stop you from doing what you can do" I maybe wasn't the tallest girl on the floor but I was strong. I knew I was strong. I knew that pound for pound I was stronger than any other player I would face. I gave up the height at the net but bless God I was going to push the ball through your block (as a hitter). 

What are you letting hold you back? What can't you do that you are so focused on that you forget all the good things you can do? Maybe you are very fast, smart, hard working, tall, short, strong, quick, and whatever else you could be!  Whatever you can do.... again... WHATEVER YOU CAN DO do it! Don't let what you can't do hold you back! 

Be great today! Be your best today! Do what you can do and work on what you can't do!

For more information contact

Happy 4th July

Wishing everyone a happy 4th of July. Impedance is bought not given freely. The price is high yet men and women haven willingly given their lives for the freedom we as Americans enjoy. I am blessed and honored to be American. To have the right to pursue happiness in anyway I see fit is something some people can't have. Be grateful for freedom. Be thankful for those who bought it for you!

 

Who are you lying too?

Kids are the best at trying to lie. They give some crazy story that everyone knows isn't true. Such as I didn't steal the last cookie but they have cookie still around their mouths and on their shirt. Adults lie too and they are just as bad of lies as little kids most of the time. I always question if people think I am that foolish to believe their lies. I mean the truth always comes out one way or another. What is worst than kids or adults lying to you is you lying to you. We all do it to a point but we shouldn't. I always say the truth hurts sometimes. I recall a player I once had. She was good enough to make the team but was not starter level. Her teammates didn't really trust her and I didn't either. I only played her when we were winning by a lot and the game was heavy in our favor. Her parents (like great parents) always told her she was the best and she didn't need to change anything. They added it was just me not liking her that kept her from playing. I offered extra practices and she wouldn't show. One time she sort of talked to me after a practice what she needed to work on. I told her she needed more experience which she didn't want to hear. Remember, I offered extra practices to her and she didn't take them.  She had a awful season though we did very well as a team. She played a little and in big games. The point is she believed the lie that she was good enough and didn't need extra work. Had she worked extra the trust would have come and she would have felt more apart. She lied to herself. Who are you lying to today? What is it that you need to have a come to Jesus meeting with yourself over! The truth does hurt sometimes so maybe you don't want to admit it but I hope we ca all get our lives together and stop the lies. Worst than lying to your coach is lying to yourself... even if you parents or close friends agree. Be honest with you. 

Play hard. Play together.  

For more info Contact Coach Hannah 

More volleyball info at

Must win at home

Who has been watching the NBA playoffs? I sure have. It seems home court advantage is a very big an advantage! The point spreads have been record breaking  with the home team winning by a large amount. Good for the home teams I think and here is why. When you are at home you have the upper hand. Not only did you now have to travel but you get play on the court you have played on all year. You know where the slick spots are on the floor and you know about the lighting. There are no court surprises.  You have the fans on your side too!  The yelling and being rude goes to the other team not you. Winning at home also keeps fans. No one wants to come watch a team lose. Winning at home is a must have. You have to dig deep and make it happen. Show heart and win at home! 

Work hard. Play hard. 

Tip Tuesday #11

Supporting each other. Stop! Think back to something that was important to you and someone who you thought a lot about showed up. It could be a game, play, spelling bee, or event you had but regardless someone (not your normal people) showed up. That was a great moment. What if we did that more? It might sound crazy to get out of your bubble and think of someone besides yourself.... We are all busy people but I charge you with the duty of making someones day or night. Go watch a game, play, or see that spelling bee. Support someone you normally don't get too. It's nice for everyone. Think of it as paying it forward too!

Work Hard. Work Together.

Carolina Crush Volleyball Club

For more information contact Coach Hannah

#TipTuesday part 10

Tip Tuesday: Hitting Harder

This is the best video I have found on the internet that talks about hitting. Give it a listen and learn how to hit harder!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_Cu3SWVcSo

Play Hard. Play Together!