Alone

“For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories." - Plato

Discipline defines destiny. Although volleyball is a team sport, training is often individual. Accomplish a lot alone - working on technique, tactics (e.g. studying video), strength and conditioning, and resilience with visualization and mindfulness. 

Every elite performer invests time and energy training. Having a mentor/partner is better but not always available. 

Technique: 

Tactics. 

When studying video, have your 'commonplace book' to keep notes on what you learned. Think about the big picture, e.g. scoring points on the serve, block, or attack. Also study the granular (fine) detail that goes into each of the above. 

As unpleasant as watching losses is, learn to love our losses and learn from them. 

Have a plan and execute. 

Physicality. 

Top players grow their athleticism. Time is ticking but you have time to grow coordination, strength, and conditioning. Over 50 years ago, we jumped rope for five minutes at the beginning of basketball practice. Can you?  

Given a choice of elite conditioning or elite jumping, choose conditioning. 

Psychology.

Under the pressure of competition, pressure, and fatigue, mental toughness often separates champions from contenders.

 

Watch at your leisure and take notes. Learn to practice resilience skills. Controlled breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the opposite of the "fight or flight" system that stimulates or overstimulates. 

Lagniappe. Process, process, process. 

Well said - It's a winning mindset and striving for a mindset of excellence.
• Focus on process over results.
• Focus on doing your best.
• Focus on getting better.

Excellence isn't a one-time event, it's a journey.

It starts by winning today and then tomorrow and then the… pic.twitter.com/i9Gu05E0F4

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) June 22, 2024