After my first season, I fell in love. I immersed myself in everything volleyball. I regularly attended camps, learned as much as I could, played on travel teams, and eventually coached some kids myself. I have a love and respect for this sport beyond words.
Jade didn't make the varsity team in 11th grade and never competed competitively ever again. She is the girl you watch who is trying so hard but just can't hack it. She is the girl who is going to teach a group of girls nothing because she has no background to teach someone from. I've had a handful of coaches like this. Where I had already surpassed their knowledge of the sport and you are rolling your eyes at them the entire practice. Hell, this was my college coach. Never played volleyball before but yet taught at the collegiate level and my old coach's understand of the sport is better than Jade's.
I bring this up for a few reasons. Like I said, I have a deep passion/love/respect for the game. These poor, unsuspecting, high school girls might want to play in college and yet they will never be exposed to the sport at a higher level than what she can offer them.
I think in order to coach any sport you should be hired based on not only experience and love of the game but also understanding of the sport as well. Many people believe the game is just bump, set, spike, game over. When that isn't it at all and truthfully I laugh at the people who say, "bump, set, spike" and use the words bump and spike. If you've made it to the high school level (at most, but not all schools) we don't use the word bump, it's called a pass and for good reason. You use the word bump when you are in junior high because you are just trying to get the ball in the air, instead of passing it to your teammate to run a play (yes there are plays in volleyball). Also, because the first pass isn't always a bump, it can in fact be a set. We also don't use the word spike, we say "hit" because a hit isn't always a spike and you can still get a kill.
The game is also a very big mind game. You must understand your opponent, outsmart them and be stronger mentally, just like any other game. Volleyball though is all about strategy, outsmarting your opponent and putting the ball where they are not. If you've got a good volley going back and forth, chances are the team is creeping closer and closer to the net and the game gets a little smaller, defense creeps in a leaves the corners open. Nine times out of ten you can send the ball back deep into the corner, end the volley, get the point and gain huge momentum to help win the game. Mental. Smarts. Experience.
Like I said, I love this game. And it truly does bother me to know that Jade is out there with her very limited exposure and no understanding of the sport is coaching your sons and daughters and I'm sorry because if you haven't played, you won't know the difference either.
No comments:
Post a Comment