It's been awhile since I've written - with our sand program doubling in size this season, I've been extremely busy keeping the ship afloat - but we had an incredible season and I'm proud of the progress our girls made this summer! As sand season ends, it's already time for tryouts for many of our players - I spent some time towards the end of the program talking with our athletes about how to approach tryouts, and figured I'd put some of it in writing to share with whoever may be interested in reading it.
Many of my players admitted they were nervous about tryouts - some factors included the potential of making mistakes, not knowing what competition they'll be up against, fears about not making the team. I told them that the only thing they should be focused on is Controlling the Controllables - I use this phrase all the time with them. Truth be told, they WILL make mistakes. They WILL have competition at their positions. And there is the ugly possibility that they don't have a guarantee of making their squad. However, these are all things that will cloud their mind and negatively affect their ability to focus at completing the task at hand. They also WILL make good plays. They've put a lot of time/effort in to fine-tune their skills this summer and will be competition for others. And they are capable of making the team. The key is focusing on the process and not the results.
I always like to tell my players the three things coaches look for at tryouts, which I heard from Gold Medalist Pat Powers at a camp I helped run a few years back. 1) Does the player have talent? This one is a given, but I tell my players to focus on the things they do well - visualize all the good serves they've had - the passes they've sent directly to the target, the setting/hitting they've done with proper mechanics - they've invested a large part of their club season/sand season fine-tuning their game, and should be focused on what they do well and go into tryouts determined to showcase it! 2) Are they coachable? EVERYONE at tryouts will miss serves, hit out of bounds, shank passes. If a coach talks to you, make eye contact and pay attention to what they're saying. If you're struggling with a drill, instead of getting frustrated, go to the coach and ask if they see anything you can do differently. We don't expect perfection, but if I have two kids making mistakes and one is actively looking for ways to fix them and another is just losing confidence and getting agitated, I feel like I have a better chance of helping the first player in progressing over the next 2-3 months. 3) Do you make your teammates better/worse?
The third point is a huge one and one I don't think we think of enough as players. The reality is, we all have bad physical days from time to time - and sometimes, it'll happen on the day of a tryout. However, one thing we ALWAYS control is how we interact with those on the court with us. If a kid makes a mistake, and sees 4-5 kids glaring at them afterwards, it's only going to make them even more nervous the next time the ball comes to them and odds are they'll be more prone to making the same mistake again. However, if a teammate comes over and tells them they'll get the next one, sometimes that can be the boost they need to keep their focus and determination to make the play the next time the opportunity presents itself. If I see a player at a tryout constantly being positive to those around them, that's something that could help them make the team if they're on the bubble from a physical ability point of view.
There are other little things players should always do. Run everywhere, don't walk. Be the person that shags the most ball. Be the person that's first to the coach when they say to bring it in. Be the first one to the water fountain and the first one back. Move faster than everyone else from spot to spot in drills. We can't always control our ability that day, but we do control our effort. Coaches notice. STAY IN THE PRESENT - don't let a bad rep turn into a bad drill, don't let a bad drill turn into a bad tryout. If you make a mistake, don't dwell on the result: Think "why?" "How do I correct it?" and then go make the next play. If you have a bad string, don't lose confidence - you can always bounce back with the next play, and coaches recognize persistence. Be positive and give your best effort at all times! I always liked the quote "If I don't have to coach effort I can focus on coaching volleyball" - you can have all the talent in the world, but if you're giving off the impression that you don't care or that you're not going to be willing to dedicate yourself to the team during the season, they may take someone that they feel has more long-term promise due to their work-ethic/passion for the game.
The last piece of advice I'd give is BE TEAM-FIRST. If a coach asks what position you play, I always tell my sand players to say "I've always played x, but I played sand this summer and worked on a little bit of everything - I'd play whatever the team needs". If I have a player that only plays one position and I'm already loaded in that spot, it makes it hard to find a spot for that team. However - that line a) makes you more valuable to your team as you can serve various roles that the team may need b) shows an attitude that recognizes that it's about the team, not the individual.
To conclude, BE CONFIDENT! We can't control the results, only the process. I have yet to meet a player that plays better when they're more concerned with not making mistakes than they are making the play. Don't think about making the team vs. not making the team - think of tryouts as an opportunity to show your work ethic, your passion, your best effort - if you give those three things at tryouts, when it's all said and done you'll be able to look yourself in the mirror with no regret.
I wish you all good luck!
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