From the Inside Out

This was posted today on FB, and I thought of you guys. Take from it what you will. Enjoy!

 

March Madness – NCVC Style

 

Thought we would have a fun and competative practice to renew our love of the game after a long and, at times frustrating, weekend in Colorado. Happy to have had the struggles though, so we know where to focus our efforts so we can be prepared for our next big test. Enjoy this video….its pretty hilarious.

The Race –

The Penalty –

Can I Get A Little Rumble From Everybody??

First, turn your volume up, a lot. Its a quiet video. Then enjoy 🙂

So I don’t do this on purpose. Inspiration finds me I swear. Got this one from a movie I watched Friday night, after thinking all day about how to help you guys after practice last week. As you all know Jeff came to practice last Thursday. We agreed  it was a good and productive practice, until the end. He and I had a long talk after about the pro’s and con’s of this team. He said, you have all the pieces you need, but you lack passion as a team. There is a clear lack of sacrifice from some of your players. There is no visible passion from your team. Not enough personal sacrifice.

As your coach, I know we all want to be successful. Most of us are willing to put in the time, the effort, the extra reps to actually be succesful. You accept coaching, and information well. I truly believe that you guys want success. Both individually and as a team. But he is right, there does seem to be a lack of passion. I am not the only one that feels it. Even some of you feel it.

There is a breakdown somewhere between our minds and our hearts. Your mind will get you far. It will help you process and retain information that is vital to success. It will make you more of a student of the game. BUT…..and this is a highly important, life changing, Kim Kardashian sized but……( did I really just say that?, I did only use one “t”)

YOU NEED PASSION.

You need to allow your heart to take control. Your mind will only throw in ingredients to success. Your heart will season it. I know each onoe of you has passion in your soul. If you didn’t, if all this wasn’t important to you, you wouldn’t give what you give to be a part of it. We just need to learn as a team, to let our heart guide us, control us, make us absolutely crazy in love with this sport!

Example. We do need to know “who’s ball is that one”…but more importantly we need to know that as a passionate team and individual athlete, I have the right to exercise my “love of the game” to get that ball up and look incredible amazing because I did. Let’s remember that talking, diving, running, blocking, hitting, setting, coming to practice, going to tournaments, winning, LOSING………are all  AWESOME beyond belief!!! Because we have the chance, the opportunity, and the support to be passionate. Like artists. Let’s throw caution to the wind a little more, and go be the passionate athletes I know we are.

Trust me when I tell you, the information is important…..but passion…..competative drive…..that is the real deal!

Right now, our system is broken, but if a few cells can just start the process……our entire system can be healed.

Can I get a little rumble?

What Story Are You Telling Yourself?

When things get hard, or confusing, or frustrating….What story do you tell yourself?

When you are sick, or tired, or need a mental break……What story do you tell yourself?

When something is unfair? When you are cheated? WHen you don’t get what you deserve….when you do get what you deserve…..what story do you tell yourself?

No matter what our reaction is, we are telling ourselves and the people around us a story about who we are….who we REALLY are. In our guts. In the dark places in our minds, what we are made of.

I can only speak on my own story, since I am uniquely me, and my expeirences are mine and no one elses, and no one elses experiences are mine. I HATED LOSING. I hated not knowing how to do things. I wanted to be the best. NOTHING, was going to stop me. My story is simple…nothing, no one, was going to get in my way. All the doubts,  the “honesty” about my height limitations in this game , my lack of experience, sickness, other people that were better than me, other teams that were better than me….NOTHING was going to stop me. It is simply who I am. Some people with that level of fight cast their emptions by controlling their level of effort in tough times. I instead invested all my emotions and trust……I went all in…… on the one thing I knew I could trust……MYSELF. Only I could chose to handle peoples doubts in a way that would help me succees and not fail. No one else was going to force me to learn what I needed to in such a short time. No one was going to sweat for sweat for me, or fight for me, or beat each and every single limitation I had.

So the story I began to tell myself was this….I am worth it. I am worthy of hitting the floor till I am black and blue to get that ball up, even if I don’t get it up. Even if it doesn’t matter to anyone, it matters to me. Because I am worthy of it. I am worth of crying after a game because I have given completely everything I have inside and still failed. I am worth bouncing back from that and trying again, harder, smarter, and tougher the next time. I CAN. I WILL. ME. That was, and is, my story I tell myself.

And at the end of the day, I get to have peace because I know that through it all I don’t have to be haunted by any regrets or wonder what could have been. Because I know. I did all I could do. And my story was told more than just to myself. It was told to every person and every coach I ever played for or with. Because my team was worth it too, my coach was worth it, and my opponent was worth it. Because I decided they were.

Watch this video….and in the mean time search the deepest most secret places in your soul only you are able to reach and ask…..am I worth it?

What story do you tell yourself? Others?

 

(Thanks for the key Alanna Jackson) Love and respect!

Lessons from Ruffian

Everywhere in life there are lessons that can be learned. Lessons you can learn from experiences, from people, and from other peoples experiences. I would like to share with you today a story about a horse named Ruffian. You can decide what if anything you want to learn from this amazing story of the purest kind of Champion.

Lets just start with this fact…..Ruffian was a filly, female race horse, which in itself was, and is, unusual. She was a triple tiara winner, which is the female version of a triple crown winner. Ruffian was undefeated for the first 10 races of her career. She was ahead at every point, in every race. No horse she raced against was ever in front of her. She set new records in each of the 8 stakes races she entered. In of the races she won, the Sorority Stakes, where she set a record, she was racing on a freshly popped splint. Not a serious injury, but one that would take the edge of most horses. She was unaffected.

She then entered the Spineway. The morning of the race her trainers found her food was left untouched. They soon discovered it was because she had a hairline fracture in her hind leg. She raced anyways, and not only won, but set a track record.

She was affectionatly nicknamed the “Queen of Fillies”.

In Ruffian’s eleventh and final race, at Belmont Park, she was in a match race (only 2 horses head to head) against that years Kentucky Derby Winner “Foolish Pleasure”. The “Great Match” was  heavily anticipated and had an estimated 50,000 in attendance, and another 20 million TV viewers. Both horses had the same jockey, Jacinto Vasquez. He chose to ride Ruffian over Foolish Pleasure because he felt she was the better of the 2 horses.

When Ruffian left the starting gate, she hit her shoulder hard on the gate before straightening herself. She was ahead by a nose for the first quarter mile. Just over 1 furlong later she was ahead by a half a length when both sesamoid bones in her right leg snapped. The jockey tried to make her stop, but she kept running. She continued running as her sesamoids were pulverized, her skin on her fetlock and all her ligaments tore, and her hoof flopped uselessly. Her jockey could not stop her. She continued to try to finish the race. She was immediately attended to by 4 veterinarians in a 3 hour surgery to repair the extensive damage. When she began to come out of anestesia, she thrashed around in circles on the floor because her mind was still trying to win the race. She was still “running”. She was still competing so hard, that she shattered the cast that was on her freshly repaired injury, completely undoing all the repairs and also shattering her elbow like ice dropped on the floor. They could not get her to settle down and stop racing, and she was continuing to injure herself, so they finally had to put her down.

All but one of Ruffian’s record remain unbroken. She is buried near a flag pole at Belmont with her nose pointed toward the finish line. There is even a movie made in her honor “Ruffian”.

Although I do not intend for you to get the message that your bodies are not important to listen to, there is something here to be said. There is nothing that can overcome the heart of a champion. Ruffian, had that. It is her legacy.

What will your legacy be?

Let This Sink In……

 

Team. I love you enough to tell you the truth. We aren’t there yet. We have quit in our insides still. For some it comes from fear, others lack of confidence. You all have your reasons, and I believe in my heart not one of you quits because you don’t care. Problem is, you still do it. You guys have it in you to back down. This can change. You guys CAN change it. It can not be changed for you. Until we figure out how to fight, how to really fight, we will remain limited. I don’t like limits….I like destroying them.

What We Can Learn From Nanny McPhee

Maybe you have heard of Nanny McPhee, maybe not. She is a character in a wonderful self titled movie about an army wife that is struggling to control her 3 children as well as her niece and nephew. She is at the end of her rope when an uninvited nanny shows up. Nanny McPhee. After just one night with the kidsshe decided they had 5 lessons they needed to learn.

These were her lessons for all 5 kids in general, or her “team” lessons. 

1. No Fighting: A basic lesson for all teams. The stronger you are as a team, and the more you can trust each other, the higher the potential for success.

2. Share: This one isn’t quite as easy since we are all success driven and have our goals. Playing itme is a good example of where we need to learn to share. There are truly more than 6 starters on this team and even more contributers. Being able to share in the time, the success, the glory, isn’t always an easy thing to do.

3. Work Together: Volleyball is known as “The Purest of All Team Sports”. You can’t have 1 good player and expect to be good. Most times 3 people touch the ball each time it is on your side of the net. You are only as good as your weakest link in this pure sport, and working together is never more important.

4. Be Brave: Now its getting a little tougher. This is where preparation can really, REALLY help. Expecting to feel brave when you aren’t completely confident in your own abilities or your teams abilities is an act in futility. However, once you have achieved self trust through preparation, being brave feels more achievable. Being scared or vulnerable is a completely normal and natural feeling when you are un a tough situation and loosing or getting hurt is possible. But if you are somehow able to shift your focus to the way you act during the game instead of the outcome of the game, you are one giant step closer. You no longer have to fear the things you can’t control. You can control how hard you work, your preparation before the game, your responsibility to forgive your mistakes and move on…..and those things lead to more success. 

5. Have Faith: This is a big one for some of you. You need to learn to have faith in the proces. Learn that knowing the answer to something doesn’t automatically mean you can perfectly execute it every time. Learning something new takes time to actually perfect. It isn’t healthy to expect automatic mastery. Trust the process of learning, be patient with yourself. That doesn’t mean slack off, it just means don’t exect instant gratification.

 

Later in the movie, once the kids had learned a few lessons and began to love Nanny McPhee, one of them asked her what her medals were for….

Medals are earned by individuals, therefore “individual” lessons…..

Courage:  the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. There is more than one way to confront something though. Simply showing up with fear to fail doesn’t count. Courage is the ability to show up and put it all out there, knowing you may give your best and still lose. Courage isn’t for everyone, but those with courage will reach much further into their potential.

kindness: You can never be sorry for showing kindness. You never knoww who is watching you. More importantly, you never know how what you do when they are watching will influence them. Already, at your young ages, there are kids younger than you, or your same age even, that look up to you. Aspire to be you. Believe it, because it is the truth. From now on, you will be watched. You speak loudly when you play to someone…..better think twice about what you want to say to them. One of the best gifts you can give the sport of volleyball is a proper impression of the road to success for the future generations. 

resolve: to cause resolution, to deal with successfully, to clear up or find an answer to.  Please note, this does not say, wait for someone else to cause resolution, deal with successfully, clear up or find an answer to. That is a MAJOR KEY to success as a team and as an andividual. The ability to have the presence of mind to recognize problems, find ways to solve them, and work hard until they are solved. 

imagination: how is this relevant to volleyball? Well, in a situation when you are recieving the same amount of training, or less training, or are physically or mentally inferior, or equal even…..what can set you apart? Its a question only you can answer for yourself and it will require IMAGINATION. Don’t underestimate this step though, becasue it is ultimatley what will set you apart from your competition. This can also serve you well during actual play. Being creative to find solutions to a good defense, etc. as a hitter. Imagination is a wonderfully powerful tool. 

enthusiasm: this one is important becuase without is you are short changing yourself with everything you do. If you lack luster, you underachieve. Enthusiasm is a gift. Use it. 

leap of faith: This one is tough. Expecially for people like you guys. You are all over achievers. It is hard to be unsure of success. There is an auto response to hold back emotion and effort when you fear a result other than success. It often comes with maturity. Sometimes, it can come with extreme courage. Yes, it takes courage to take a leap of faith. But at least you will know where you stand at the end of that jump. Maybe you gave it all and lost to Vision 15-1, but maybe you didn’t give it all and you will never know. Which one is worse? I know which one is braver. 

 

Lets be the hardest working team there is. Lets also learn to be the bravest. The one that is willing to take the leap of faith. Then have the courage and resolve to get back to business and change the things we need to change for the next leap of faith. We can be undefeated all year if we resuse to allow another team to work harder and be braver than us.

If we have to build the road, lets pave it with “courage and hard work”.

 

(ps – I think we should get t-shirts that say “We Have to Build the Road”.)

 

 

“We Have to Build the Road”

Since long before tryouts I have been planning this season. Night after night siting in my chair after I put my kids to bed I would grab my little binder and poor out idea after idea onto paper. Any spare second I could find was spent gathering information from videos, books, and other coaches I respect so I could be the best form of myself for you guys. Its how I do things.

I don’t know how to “kill less than a whole critter”.

I’m a super passionate and competative person. Losing hurt me so much that I freed my pain with preparation. I knew that if I was prepared before practice, during practice, each point, each contact….I had nothing I could regret. It was liberating. I want that for you guys. I can’t decide your level of dedication, obsession, or preparation….but I can explain its importance to success.

“You Have to Build the Road” – Abraham Lincoln

In the 1860’s there was a need for faster transportation from coast to coast. The concept of a “transcontinental railroad” was born. A goal was made if you will. In 1863 the began to work on this goal. Day after day they laid railroad ties and spikes. They worked through extreme temperatures, illnesses, and fatigue one spike at a time until the project was completed….in 1869…..6 YEARS later. But after all their work, they could reach their goal. But never, could the get further than the road they build could take them.

The trains couldn’t go beyond what the worked to pay. Not one inch. If they left a gap in the track and kept going, the train still couldn’t work without de-railing. They had to work not only to lay the track in front of them, but to also maintain and repair the road they had already finished.

The moment I read this I knew it was perfect for this team. I owe it to you to tell you the truth about success. It doesn’t happen on someone elses track. Roads that have been built by other people aren’t worth traveling. This team, you 12 along with me and Tyler, need to build our own road. I want this to be our identity. I strongly believe that if we can buy into the concept of we can only go as far as the road we build for ourselves, we will go far beyond our expectations.

Because expectations don’t build roads. Desires don’t build roads. Only hard work and commitment builds the road. Who’s in? I’m in.

Write down what this means to you, and how you plan to build the road. Bring it Tuesday. Time to do some work!

 

 

 

 

 

What is Toughness – part 2

Have you ever been here? Have you ever felt the things this person is feeling? Defeat, frustration, exaustion, pain, anger, loss of hope. We have all been there. Its a feeling firmly ingrained in the history of all sports. Its a crippling feeling, with very real physical concequences, and if left unattended, can and will prevent top performance.

So if these feelings are so common, what do we do?

Chapter 2 has to do with a little known strategy know as “accessing your performer self”. In a nushell, it means that you start by identifing your body, mind, spirit, when you are performing at your absolute best, and then learn to replicate that on demand so you can perform your best when needed most, aka when things are the roughest.

Step 1 is creating a difference between the real self and the performer self.

The Real Self – is how we really feel. Selfish right now, angry, frustrated, bored, like kicking the ball, cussing at the ref, or quitting, etc.

The Performer Self – is the ideal way we need to feel to perform our absolute best. Normally associated with the feelings of calmness, routine, fun, joy, winning, being challenged, etc.

The key in sports is to learn to recognize when the real self is in need, and responding appropriately to that need so it can be met as soon as possible so you can get back to your ideal performer self. Examples of this can be simple, like the feeling of dehydration or hunger. Your body becomes weak or shaky, your mouth is dry, and you notice. This is a real need, and must be met immediately. Simple solution is to drink water and eat something healthy and you can quickly return to your ideal state. Other times, it isn’t quite as easy. Maybe this time you are being evaulated by a college coach, and you know it. You refuse to recognize that you are acutely aware they are watching, and that you MUST play well so you don’t blow it. Your body feels funny, you feel less coordinated, you are making mistakes that are uncharacteristic. Gatorade doesn’t make a drink for this, so what now. You start by recognizing that you might be nervous and reacting to the situation. Denial isn’t the solution. You then call on your “performer self”. (Remember this is the way we NEED to feel to be our best).

How the heck do we do that? (that is in chapter 3 🙂

For now, food for though. Close your eyes and think of the best you ever felt as a volleyball player. Absorb every detail possible. The smells, sounds, physical feelings of control, calmness, etc. Write it down.

Then do the same for the most frustrating or worst time you can remember. Save it for next time. 🙂

 

Why the Eyes Have It

One of the most under rated “skills” or “abilities” in volleyball, and most other sports for that matter, is “eyework”. What your eyes see, and your ears hear (later) send information to your brain. The more information you can give your brain, the more problems it can solve and the more accurately it can predict situations. If you are just arbitrarily watching the ball, you are making your job significantly harder because you are missing tons of valuable information that is being given that can narrow down the number of options for the opponent to return the ball. Here is a comparison….

scenerio A – Your team has served the ball to the opponent and you are front row (blocking). The ball is passed pretty tight to the net, and you jump with the setter so she can’t dump the ball. The setter does not dump, she instead sets a 2, and you are standing right there while your hitter runs in and crushes a tightly set 2 with no blockers up at all. The right side wasn’t given the information that a hitter was coming into her zone, the middle jumped with the middle running a 1 on the other side, and the left side blocker (you) didn’t realize there even was a 3rd hitter because your eyes never identified her position before the serve, causing you to 1. guess wrong that the setter was front row, which caused you to 2. jump with a backrow setter, and 3. miss blocking YOUR HITTER hitting a 2 right in front of you because you didn’t track her approach or 4. even know she was an option. You end the play being yelled at by your coach and team for not paying attention.

scenerio B – Same situation. Your team just served, but you have already accurately identified the setter as backrow, and you know you have 3 hitters and that they are 2 stacked to the left. You have watched the setter call the play, so you know they are running an “x” play. The pass is tight, and the setter is slightly off balance so you know she can’t set the 4. You see your hitter shuffle in to hit a 2, so you scream several times to alert the right side blocker that YOUR HITTER is coming in her zone. The off balance setter sets the same tightly set 2 ball against a triple block and is housed straight down. You end the play feeling ahead of the game, well prepared, and ready for the next thing they have to send your way.

As you can only imagine this is only one of limitless scenerios where simply having advanced eye work makes the entire game easier. Its always easier to block, hit against, or defend 3 options that unlimited options. Your eyes have the power to narrow down options and make the game easier. It takes practice.

 

We will begin to work a lot on eye work in January. It is a part of every skill in the game, even serving. (here is a short video of coach Jim McLaughlin- head coach of University of Washington – expressing his take on eye work)