VOLLEYBALL: Competitive Edge!

One of the key ways to assist your players to performing well is to understand that their level of importance depends on the emotional state they are in at the time. Our emotional state is dictated by how we talk to ourselves. What we imagine, and how we use our physiology.

In the middle of a competitive match or even during practice, saying to one of your players, "You have to positive right now!" might not be received well. They may be too emotionally stressed, or just not want to if they hit 5 balls off the back wall.

However, a hidden secret that the best coaches use is they ask right questions to direct their players self-talk, images, and physiology. Here are a few examples of what not to ask, and what to ask:

Not recommended: "Why do you keep hitting the ball out?"

Recommended: "Forget about the last one. What needs to happen right now, for you to put the next ball away?"

Not recommended: "Why are you upset?"

Recommended: "How do you want to feel right now?"

"How would you act right now, if you were at your best?"

Here are a few questions, that build confidence, to ask if you feel your team doesn’t believe they can beat your opponent:

"Why do we deserve to beat this team? How have we earned the right to be here?

"If we had already won, what would we have done to beat them?"

" How would we act, feel, and think if we knew we could win this match?"

There are so many ways to ask different questions to direct your teams emotions. Sometimes in practice, I’ll ask questions that create frustration, but it’s because I want them to know how to play while experiencing frustration. Like I tell my athletes, "If you can handle frustration you will be successful at anything you do in life!"

To receive your copy of Ed O’Keefe’s free book/e-pub "Incredible Secrets to be Mentally Tougher than Your Competition! Immediately," go to www.uramazing.com/volleyball3.html or call (708) 424-5074.