The Attitude of Teamwork

Each of you has a decision to make: am I going to be involved with volleyball this year as an individual player, or am I going to be part of a team?

An individual player thinks "I want as much game time as possible for ME" - regardless of if it is good for the team or not.
A team player thinks "Only six players can be on the court. If I am playing in a game, I will do my best. If my role at this moment is to cheer my team on from the bench, I will do my best at that too."

An individual player thinks "My attitude is just the way I am, so everyone else should just get used to it and not take it personally"
A team player thinks "My attitude has either a good effect or a bad effect on everyone around me. I will always try to be positive."

An individual player thinks "Why should I cheer for my teammates on the court? I don't feel like it. And it probably doesn't make any difference anyway"
A team player thinks "I want to do everything I can to help my team, even when I don't feel like it"

An individual player thinks "I don't have to give 100% effort in practice - only when someone is watching me"
A team player thinks "Giving 100% in practice will make me a better player, and that helps the team."

When you mess up in practice, or if you mess up in a game, it is okay to be mad at yourself - but only for a second. "We cannot afford the luxury of self-pity". Be mentally tough - GET OVER IT.

What about when the girl next to you makes a mistake? She needs encouragement! "that's okay", or "forget it". Everyone has to be in the right frame of mind when the next serve comes over the net.

What about when the girl next to you makes a good play? Tell her how great she did! Don't you like for people to tell you when you do a good job? Do you know someone who always has a compliment or something good to say? Isn't it nice to be around someone like that? BE that person!

Things you need to understand:

1. If you are a junior player, or if this is your first year playing or even your second year playing, there will be game nights where you don't get game time. Those are just the facts of life. As a new player, you are getting your experience and improving your skills here in practice, practice you do at home, and possibly in a game if we play an extra game after the match is decided.
   
   You need to understand that, and you should also explain it to your parents so that they understand it. Every starting player was a rookie at one time, and everyone does their time on the bench.
   
   
2. If I put you in, then take you out again in a few minutes, don't get upset about that. It's a natural reaction to think "Oh, I was playing crappy, so the coach had second thoughts and pulled me out of the game". That is NOT necessarily true. Very often, a substitution is done just to shake up the other team - to break their rhythm. Or maybe you ARE makin g repeated mistakes, and we need to have someone in that position that is more game-ready...would it be better for the team if I left you in? It might be what YOU want, but what is best for the team?
   
   
3. Talking - we are going to get to the point where we are the most talkative team in the league. You guys are going to talk so much on the court that it will get noticed. Other teams will be going home on their bus after a game saying "Did you hear them? They never shut up!". How are we going to do this? We are starting tonight. When we are doing a drill, or scrimmaging, I want to hear everyone talking. If we're doing a drill, and I don't hear everyone talking, everyone runs a lap. Next time it happens, it's two laps. If we are scrimmaging and a ball drops between two players and neither person called it, both of those players will run a lap. Next time it happens to anyone, it's two laps. Next time, it's three laps. Every occurance of not enough talking means anot her lap added. How many laps we get up to by the end of the night is up to you. And - if you are talking, but not loud enough that I can hear you, it counts the same as not talking.
   
   
4. If you are a junior player, and a senior player makes a suggestion to you, do it. Take advantage of their experience and skills. They are not here to boss you around or put you down - the suggestions that they make are to make us a better team. Listen to them.

Lessons to learn from wild geese:

1. As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an "uplift" for the birds following. By flying in a "V" formation the whole flock adds 71% more flying range than if each bird flew alone.
   
   LESSON: People who share a common direction and a common goal can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.
   
   
2. Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the birds immediately in front.
   
   LESSON: If we have as much sense as a goose, we will join formation with those who are headed where we want to go.
   
   
3. When a lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into formation and another goose flies at the point position.
   
   LESSON: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership - we make more progress as we depend on each other for help.
   
   
4. The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
   
   LESSON: We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging - not something less helpful.
   
   
5. When a goose get sick, wounded or shot, two geese drop out of formation and follow their fellow member, to help and provide protection. They stay with this member of the flock until he or she either is able to fly again or dies. Then they launch out on their own, with another formation, or to catch up with their own flock.
   
   LESSON: If we have as much sense as the geese, we'll stand by one another just like they do.

Originally Posted At: http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?redirCnt=2&msg=1847.3&nav=messages&webtag=ab-volleyball

Contributed by Randy Nelson