Questions to Ask to Change Your Game

Alabama football coach Nick Saban tells players to focus on two things - do the things necessary to be successful and avoid doing the things that prevent success. That's a tall order for most players. 

These are questions that players should ask. 

1. What did Gia Vlajkovic and Sadie Jaggers do to change positions and perform at a high level? 

2. "Every day is player development day." What are you doing today to improve your skill, athleticism, physicality, or resilience? 

3. Can I find a teammate to share workouts to elevate both of our games and drag us into the top ten percent of players? 

4. Am I coasting through off-season workouts or giving maximum effort? How you do anything is how you do everything. 

5. Have I found a mentor? "Mentoring is the only shortcut to success." Ask your coaches what you need to do. 

6. What's my long-term personal development plan. Have I written it down?

7. Can I be a better teammate? Encouraging and energizing others comes back to us. 

8. What is the volleyball skill that gets and keeps me on the court? 

9. Teams that win championships ordinarily have three dynamic hitters. Who plans to step up and assume those roles? 

10.Am I tracking progress? There is ALWAYS room for improvement. Add to your game with front row players being able to set each other, get more setter dumps, improve service and platform skills. 

11.Do I utilize cellphone video and game video to study the details? What's your runup as a hitter? How can I close the double block better? Where is my 'contact point' on attacks? A low contact point over the net means getting blocked a lot, even if tall. 

12.What's my strength and conditioning plan? I suggest reviewing James Clear's Atomic Habits. Commit to a habit, do it regularly, and monitor. I call that PICK, STICK, and CHECK. "Don't miss twice." 

From the summary linked above:

The Book in Three Sentences

1. An atomic habit is a regular practice or routine that is not only small and easy to do but is also the source of incredible power; a component of the system of compound growth.
2. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change.
3. Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years.

The Five Big Ideas

1. Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.
2. If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.
3. The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become.
4. The Four Laws of Behavior Change are a simple set of rules we can use to build better habits. They are (1) make it obvious, (2) make it attractive, (3) make it easy, and (4) make it satisfying.
5. Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior.   

Lagniappe. Start with light weights. Always be stretched out. 

The best MVB players have done more to grow their skill, game understanding, and athleticism. "The extra mile is the one least traveled." 

Lagniappe 2. Start with Jason Selk's "Identity statement" and "Performance statement." 

For example say, "I am a dominant outside hitter with great fundamental attack and power."

Then add, "This is what I do to develop, monitor, and maintain my skillset."