North Carolina Women's Soccer coach Anson Dorrance discusses "soccer personalities" in his opus, The Vision of a Champion. Variations on his three major archetypes occur in other sports.
The Warrior
The warrior embraces the challenge of physical and mental confrontation. Warriors embrace the joust at the net, the challenge of the block, the intentionality of hitting, digging the spikes. It's who they are. Being a warrior doesn't preclude other elements from being in your game, but the dominant personality constantly brings the fight. Victoria Crovo stands out as a 'typical' warrior personality.
The Artist
Dorrance writes, "for the artist, the field is her canvas...delivers bent balls...makes perfectly textured passes." Her game displays subtlety and precision. She can create something out of nothing, for herself and for others. Brooke Bell brought skill and artistry to Melrose volleyball.
The Visionary
Dorrance describes, "the player who stands out to those who understand and appreciate the intricacies of the game...she sees the entire field...a knowledge of angles and distances...and how to anticipate." Dorrance sees visionaries as future coaches. He adds, "great tactical minds are built on a complete foundation of skill, so that you can problem-solve individually and hurt the other team tactically." That description reminds me most of Lily Fitzgerald and Hannah Brickley.
Ask yourself, "which type of player am I" and more important, "whom do I want to become?"
Lagniappe: Little girls who come to the matches sometimes end up playing in them. This 2013 missive proves that.
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