5 Things Volleyball Players Can Control on Court
There are many things you can’t control when you’re out there on court. But the things you can control sure are important and can make a real difference to the player you can be and the result of a match.
Your Serve
Your serve is the one play you have complete control over. It can score points and disrupt the opposing team’s offense, so you really want to make it count. There is no reason not to make it consistently and predictably great.
Take full advantage of this and make it great every time by putting the time in during practice on and away from the court by using volleyball training aids and equipment. During matches, make sure you give yourself a consistent toss and serve the spaces.
Your Attitude
Generally, the best attitude you can have as a volleyball player is a positive one. You can’t control your teammates, the opposition, and a thousand other things on court, but what you always have complete control over is your attitude.
If you make a mistake, you can either let it eat you up inside and affect you for the rest of the game, or you can put it behind you and move on.
Your Effort
The coach, your teammates, and the fans definitely appreciate a good hustle, as it shows that you’re willing to go that extra mile for the good of the team. The best thing is that how much effort you put in, and how much you hustle out there on court in each and every point is down to you. A good hustle can even make up for a lack of skills.
Generally, as long as there isn’t a huge difference in ability between two teams, the team who puts in the most effort tends to win.
Your Communication
The way you communicate includes how much or little you talk, how you talk to your teammates, your tone of voice, and even your body language. If you are an introvert and don’t consider yourself a natural leader, we know can be hard to speak up. It isn’t necessarily the number of words you say, though, but what you say instead.
For example, if a teammate makes a mistake, you can either be encouraging, and say a few words to help the player who made a mistake move on, or you can chew them out. It’s your decision. We know which one we would rather be on the receiving end of and would motivate us.
So be positive, and talk/cheer well no matter what is happening on the court.
Your Conditioning
We get it, doing what is necessary to improve your conditioning isn’t fun. It defintiely can’t compare with the fun you have when playing a match. But conditioning is so important and something you have complete control over.
When everyone all around you is tired and begging for some relief, you can be the player who can access an extra reserve of energy, which can make the difference in winning a point or losing it, or winning the match or losing it.