Month: March 2016

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Dear Team,

I don’t know about you, but I had a very fitful night’s sleep. I replayed last night’s match over and over again in my mind. While I am emotionally and mentally tired today, I suspect you are all physically tired as well. I don’t like the idea of not getting closure as a team on last night’s match, yet I want to be able to focus on upcoming matches when we get back together again after Spring Break. So, I decided to use my blog to write you a letter.

Last Saturday, we played two matches and lost them both. At the conclusion of our day, I shared with you the things I want others to notice and remember about “my boys”:
1. They show respect for officials, fans, coaches, managers, opponents and teammates
2. They are good kids who are fun to watch play the game
3. They know, love and understand the game
And I let you know how disappointed I was in your performance on Saturday, not because you lost, but because you didn’t exhibit any of those traits.

Fast forward to last night. We played a long and intense 5-set match. The official record indicates a loss (18-25, 25-21, 25-23, 23-25, 10-15), but we are so much more than that. According to Butler University’s head volleyball coach, we are an incredible 2nd year program. She went on to say that we played a great match and we were so much fun to watch. Our new favorite official said she hopes that she has the opportunity to work more of our games, because you are a great group of boys. And the opposing coach just smiled and said, “What a difference a year makes”.

I see many 5 game sets in our future this season – some we will win, some we will lose – but in all of them we will learn, grow and improve. We coined a new phrase last night during a time-out…We are One. Meaning we are no longer 11 players, 2 managers and 2 coaches in a program, or even 6 players on a court. Rather, we are one cohesive group, with the same objectives, playing for the growth and benefit of our program. Along the way, there will be individual accomplishments and we will celebrate those, together. Along the way, there will be momentary lapses in what others notice about us, it will not match what is outlined above, but we will re-group and fix it, together. We will win together, we will lose together, we will be together.

I am sorry that I did not make a point to tell you how proud I was of you last night. Last night you delivered on all of the things I want people to notice and remember about “my boys and my girls“.

Yours in volleyball,
Coach Angie

[An entry from January 10, 2016, that I forgot to post]

I spent yesterday as a spectator at a boys club volleyball tournament. And while I am pleased to be able to report that Boo had his best performance yet, since returning to the court after a serious shoulder injury, this post isn’t about my son or any team with which I am connected. Rather, this post is about being reminded of a very valuable coaching lesson – a lesson that all coaches should share with their team.

Yesterday’s tournament was very small. It consisted of only 8 teams, playing on two side-by-side courts. With so few teams it was hard not to see each team play at least one match. And despite the small number of teams, there were a few outstanding individual players and some exciting moments of good volleyball for even the casual volleyball enthusiast to enjoy.

However, the most remarkable team from my perspective didn’t have an outstanding individual, nor did they have any exceptionally exciting moments. What they had were rotations where the setter came from left-back on serve receive. What they had were nine young men who likely had less competitive volleyball experience than every other team at the tournament. They had was a coach who likely has never coached a nationally recruited athlete and who probably doesn’t have any personal collegiate playing experience.

What this team had – was a game plan. A game plan that both coach and players knew and understood. A game plan that they ALL executed to perfection. Re commented that this team wasn’t just “reading from the same play book, they were on the exact same page in that play book”. The team didn’t finish first, but they finished much higher than the talent of the individual players would have indicated. Anyone can take a talented group of athletes, call it a team and win some matches – but what do you really have in the end – I contend that it is NOT a good team. It takes discipline, desire, preparation and hard work to take an average group of athletes and turn them into a good team. It takes a coach willing to spend extra time and be invested in her players and figuring out how to play to their strengths.

Thanks for the reminder!