Posted by If we have spent any time at all around volleyball gyms we feel pretty confident that we can pick out the great competitors among any group. The great competitors are often the centre of attention. They play aggressively on every play. They are always pushing their teammates. They question every call, even in a non important drill on a Tuesday afternoon, because winning is an every day thing. They are great competitors.
I see a lot of things differently than most people see them. Or maybe more accurately, I link things differently together than others. For example, where many coaches see lack of effort, I see lack of readiness. And so it was when I was involved with coaching one of those great competitors. Others saw an obvious and enormous will to win. But I noticed that our ‘competitor’ only pushed his teammates to track down his errant plays (and berated them if they didn’t succeed). He only questioned (and argued) the calls that would have prevented his mistakes. Sure he was always aggressive, but most of what he did that stood out from the crowd had the effect (intended or otherwise) of deflecting our attention away from his mistakes. He was not a competitor. He was a deflector.
How is it in your gym?
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