[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!
