Coaches Eyes - Rewritten from 2019 with AI Assist (Leaving an Impression in Volleyball)

The Declaration of Independence reminds us that “all men are created equal.” But in sports—and volleyball in particular—not all athletes look equal through a coach’s eyes.

When your daughter tries out for a school play, applies to a college, interviews for a job, or walks into the gym for team tryouts, she must leave an impression. What do evaluators see when they scan the court?

Here’s how coaches often think:

1. Size. Height, wingspan, and frame still matter in volleyball. As a college walk-on pitcher I saw three freshmen pitchers who were all 6’4” and 220. That didn’t bode well for me. In volleyball, if you’re a 5’9” middle competing with a 6’2” middle, the margin for error is slim—you’ll have to stand out in other ways.

2. Athleticism. Some of it is genetic, but much can be developed. Every elite player works to become quicker, faster, stronger, and more explosive. Vertical jump training, core strength, and lateral quickness make the difference at the net.

3. Skill. Where do you fall on the skill continuum? Can you serve tough under pressure? Can you hit high hands? Pass in system? A setter who consistently delivers hittable balls or a libero who nails 65% excellent passes stands out. Coaches notice.

4. Volleyball IQ. CARE: concentration, anticipation, reaction, execution. Coaches help your daughter “see the game.” That means spacing, reading hitters, communication, tracking the block, covering tips, understanding rotations and seam responsibility. The best defenders anticipate instead of chase. The best setters disguise.

5. Toughness. Toughness isn’t chest-thumping. It’s doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done—diving for a shanked pass, focusing after an error, siding out at 23-23. It’s also FOXHOLE mentality: who do you want next to you in the fifth set, when it’s 13-13?

6. Resilience. Volleyball is a game of errors. The ball is dropped, the serve is missed, the block gets tooled. The best players bounce back, reset, and fight through adversity.

7. Emotional Intelligence. How does she play with others? Can she lift teammates instead of draining them? Adam Grant’s Give and Take reminds us that those who elevate others build cultures that last.

Parents—our love can cloud our vision. We all battle bias: endowment effect, recency bias, confirmation bias, and more. As hedge fund manager Todd Harrison says, “Never confuse net worth with self-worth.” In volleyball terms: Never confuse “minutes” with self-worth.