Volleyball - The Mental Game

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Pressure degrades performance. Managing it well reduces the decline. 

Performance has both physical and mental inputs. Some have used the analogy of the rider (the athlete), elephant (emotion), and the path (situation).

Psychology of Success

Coaches give it different names:

• The head game
• Performance under pressure
• The mental game 

Resilience Toolbox

Just as you have skills to attack, defend, or serve, work on filling your mental toolbox. Find what works for you to build the "COTE of armor" - confidence, optimism, tenacity, enthusiasm.

Here are a few examples: 

Activating energy (pre-game) - Pump up or chill with music 

Mindful mediation (long-term) - Reduce stress hormones, boost focus

Dot B (immediate) - stop and take a cleansing breath, refocus

Visualization (pre-game) - "highlight reel" builds confidence

Affirmations (immediate) - self-talk can include identity (this is who I am), performance (this is how I play), keywords ("now" or "I got this").

Quotes

“There is a simple technique for self-regulation called “affect labeling,” which simply means labeling feelings with words. When you label an emotion you are experiencing (for example, “I feel anger”), it somehow helps you manage that emotion.” - Search Inside Yourself

“People by and large become what they think about themselves.” - Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect

"The trick is to keep the naturally instinctive behaviors that help us and change the ones that hurt us." - Coaching the Mental Game

“But we now know that even small victories, or micro-successes—a productive conversation with your boss, or a positive phone call with a client, a compliment from a colleague or friend—can have the same impact. They stimulate the winner effect, causing the release of testosterone and dopamine, which in turn build confidence.” - Performing Under Pressure 

References

Search Inside Yourself (Chade-Meng Tan)

Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect (Dr. Bob Rotella)

Coaching the Mental Game (H.A. Dorfman)

Performing Under Pressure (Weisenger and Pawliw-Fry)

Lagniappe. Doing what is frequent and doing it well separates the best. 

"Champions are champions not because they do anything extraordinary but because they do ordinary things better than anyone else.”
-Chuck Knoll

And the do it that way everyday. pic.twitter.com/bAKkXqgvgO

— Bob Starkey (@CoachBobStarkey) April 11, 2026