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Coaches are often faced with implementing strategic decisions and making tough calls. And just as often, the athletes on your team may resist those decisions or the changes that you’re trying to make. Getting buy-in from athletes isn’t always easy, but it is often critical to the team’s success and your relationship with players.
Motivating athletes on your team is an important part of coaching. And providing motivation while protecting mental wellness can be challenging. You can make simple shifts to your coaching style and language to provide motivation without compromising mental wellness.
As a volleyball coach, you have the power to inspire a love for the game that can last a lifetime. And with the Project Play 63 by 30 initiative, a significant movement aiming to increase youth sports participation to 63% by 2030, your role has never been more important.
As a volleyball coach, you play a large role in your athletes’ lives, and helping them set realistic, meaningful goals as a team and as individuals is one of the most important parts of a successful season.
Social media usage amongst young athletes is all but guaranteed, and as a coach, you have the difficult task of ensuring that your athletes are using it to enhance team culture rather than spread negativity. It’s tempting to ignore how athletes approach social media, but because it’s a primary method of communication for many of them, it needs to be part of the team culture conversation.
How can a volleyball player position oneself for meaningful NIL opportunities? Spending time making a plan before becoming a time-strapped college athlete is a great place to start! Ready to jump in? Let’s go.
From an offhand comment about what an athlete is eating for breakfast on race day to referring to one athlete on the team as having ’the right build for the sport,’ even casual references to an athlete’s body can have long-term consequences. TrueSport Expert and licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Melissa Streno has recommendations around what to avoid saying or discussing when it comes to eating habits, praise during practice or competition and social media.
For most, participating in NIL is not a handout but rather a part-time job. It requires dozens, if not hundreds, of hours of research, strategic planning and outreach to be successful. Thus far, the most successful non high-profile athletes have taken the initiative in creating NIL deals for themselves.
USA Volleyball partner Sports Imports has provided USA Volleyball coaches with drills for use with their Trainer+ and The Vertec.
TrueSport Experts Kevin Chapman, PhD, clinical psychologist and founder of The Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, and Nadia Kyba, MSW, the president of Now What Facilitation, share a few important ways that you can help athletes navigate traumatic times and become better prepared for moments like these.
