Bad Attitudes

[Juniper1299 0]

I was just thinking about ways to deal with bad attitudes and poor sportsmanship at practice. i'm sure many of you are in teh same position i am in with 5th- 8th graders, the attitudes can be more of a hinderance than the ability of the players. If they get down on eachother and do not respect one another they cannot expect to work as a team in games. If anyone has more ideas please let us know. I personally either have girls sit out the practice, run laps or do push-ups, depending on the type of poor behavior.

I have also began to havethem eithr run a lap or do 5 push-ups for each ball that is not passed correctly out of 5. (i only do this with varsity because they should be able to pass the ball properly 4 out of 5 times)

[David 0]

This is always a tough one in any sport. First I get the parents involved so that when I do take action it won't come as a surprise. After the parents are involved then I start cutting back playing time. This has been most effective for me. I have tried running, sitting out of practice, etc. but a reduce role and lack of game time sends a clear message to everyone.

[markymarc 0]

I use the military chain of command for my varsity team. Meaning if there is a problem with attitude or anything, i try to let my captains work it out. If that does not fix things, then i'll handle the situation as I see fit. Most varsity players will already know the team rules and expectations before the start of things. And they need to think of being on varsity as being the top players (elite) in their school. They need to think and carry themselves as ' The Few, The Proud, The Varsity!!!!'

[CK1015 0]

How does running laps help in volleyball? Why not run sprints, suicides or extra serving practice? Why not make the punishment beneficial to the sport ? Pulling a player from game time would be used a last resort.

[gijig21 0]

How does running laps help in volleyball? Why not run sprints, suicides or extra serving practice? Why not make the punishment beneficial to the sport ? Pulling a player from game time would be used a last resort.

If a player has a bad attitude and lacks respect for me or any other member of the team they do not play period, until they can show they want to be a member of the team. In this game attitude is everything. If you have an athlete on the court with a bad attitude it can bring the rest of the team down.

Besides usually an athlete will do whatever it takes to get their playing time. If that means a slight attitude adjustment they will usually do it.

[Bert 0]

This is always a tough one in any sport. First I get the parents involved so that when I do take action it won't come as a surprise. After the parents are involved then I start cutting back playing time. This has been most effective for me. I have tried running, sitting out of practice, etc. but a reduce role and lack of game time sends a clear message to everyone.

I agree with David, but I use parents very often, no matter if there is something the matter or not.

Every 6 weeks I invite all the parents on my training, I talk to them how things are going, what I am doing and why I do the things I do. Parents do know how it's going with there son or daughter so, like Davids says notthing is a suprise for them.

[Bert 0]

There is something else to handle with bad attitude - it's called the Rose of Leary. Leary said that we react of another reaction, and that we get a whole desigh of interaction. Truth such a desigh we get role people play in a group. We can use this roles, people play in a group to transfor these role in another rol. A bad asttitude is part of one af the roles. I have an article about this way of working. It's in dutch but perhaps there is some one interested. When some one want this article, please say so.

[Connie 0]

Instead of having the player run laps when they are being disrespectful I have them run lines or do lines pushing a towel across the floor. Both woth on speed and stopping and turning while the towel one does a great job of building up their legs as well as endurance.

My team also knows you earn your play time by the way you conduct yourself during practice. You will all get to play but the time you are one the court varies accordingly. (this is an 8th grade team)

[Bert 0]

I think running laps or running lines is okay when the target is p.e. improve their condition or the coordination. When it use as punishment I have problems with it. What do they learn? They learn that when they behave badly they will punished but what is the link with volleyball?

Two weeks ago I have a clinic, for youth coaches, from a former headcoach of the dutch national team. He told us that the key target for a (youth) coach is learning the kids to be self responseble for their act and their learning process. You will see this in the way a coach is acting in the lessons, but also in the way heis acting in the way he should handle when kids behave badly or when they didn't show respect.

I agree very much with this coach. I think realy that the learning proces of a volleybalteam, even a youth volleyballteam is their own proces. As a volleyball coach you're not one who stand above the group or above the proces, no you're one of the group. You are interacting with the members of the group and when they behave badly the group must solve this problem.

By the way, this coach said something more. He also told us that the only way to get respect from your team is by showing that you're they volleyball expert.

Bert

[Connie 0]

I use punishment only as a last resort. They get a warning, they get benched for a game, I talk to the parents, we have a team meeting. All the options are tried before I get to the point of having them do lines. If I am still having issues with a player the whole team does the lines together because they are a team and when they are in the gym they need to function as such.

The best way to avoid problems at any level is to set up the rules from day one and make sure they are understood by all. When everyoine knows what is expected of them is it much easier to attain.

[Bert 0]

I use punishment only as a last resort. They get a warning, they get benched for a game, I talk to the parents, we have a team meeting. All the options are tried before I get to the point of having them do lines. If I am still having issues with a player the whole team does the lines together because they are a team and when they are in the gym they need to function as such.

The best way to avoid problems at any level is to set up the rules from day one and make sure they are understood by all. When everyoine knows what is expected of them is it much easier to attain.

Hi Connie,

You're absolutly right, the best way to avoid this problems at any level is to set up the rules from day one and make sure that they all understand it very good. I have wrote an article over here about bullying in volleyball (this is part of my job) and one of the things I wrote in this article was the importance of the first phase of the groupsproces. Over here many coaches don't think about this, they 'just start a new group' and don't think about this part of the proces. Besides that I also think that the last part of the groupproces is also very important, the moment the group is ended, the players are going there own way, to other groups, other teams ect. There must be time for a good evaluation, because (my opinion) the things they have learn (and I don't mean the volleyball part) can be of a great influance of the way they will act in other groups or other teams.

I was wondering, what do you (or any one else!) think: who make the rules in the group? Is this the coach or perhaps the group or may be the coach and the group together? I have my own ideas about this but I am open for any other ideas!

Bert

[Connie 0]

I like to have the team make the team rules. Of course I tend to steer them a little so there are rules that I see a ned for included in the list.

1. Respect everyone in the gym, sportsmanship first.

2. You earn your play time. Everyone will play but the amount varies depending on the effort put out at practice.

3. I understand everyone has a life outside of volleyball, if you are uinable to make a practice or game it is the player's responsibility to let coach know.

Those three cover just about anything and the players usually do come up with the same one all on their own.

[Bert 0]

I like to have the team make the team rules. Of course I tend to steer them a little so there are rules that I see a ned for included in the list.

1. Respect everyone in the gym, sportsmanship first.

2. You earn your play time. Everyone will play but the amount varies depending on the effort put out at practice.

3. I understand everyone has a life outside of volleyball, if you are uinable to make a practice or game it is the player's responsibility to let coach know.

Those three cover just about anything and the players usually do come up with the same one all on their own.

Hi Connie,

I am sorry I ask you again, but I think this discussion is a very good discussion, just because volleyball is a team sport and because there is hardly a sport where the players must trust each other every moment of the game. When you look at p.e. soccer, players do have the change to take a break, even when the game is going on.

I was wondering, why do you think that the kids must earn their play time.

In my opinion no child have to know when he or she is playing, but every kid must the same time they have played after the whole competition, just because ´playing time, ball contacts, are so important in volleyball´. T could tell you an example, in 1985 I became 3th at the Dutch Campionships, we practice only 2 times a week. The next year we become the 8 place, not becose we play not so good, but in that year, you could look at the ranking and you saw that number 1 practice the most, 5 times a week. Number 2 something less ect., we still practice 2 times a week. I hope you know what I mean.

Bert

[Connie 0]

What I mean by earning playing time is not all of my players will play the same amount of time in a game situation, when it comes to league play. All players get equal time in practices. If a players is not trying inpractice, or is being disrespectful to his/her teammates their time on the court may be cut down when it comes time to play in competition. My starting line always has to earn their spot on the floor. It may not always be the best 6 I put out there, it is always the 6 that have put forth the most effort in practice, as well as maintaining the proper attitude throughout.

[Bert 0]

What I mean by earning playing time is not all of my players will play the same amount of time in a game situation, when it comes to league play. All players get equal time in practices. If a players is not trying inpractice, or is being disrespectful to his/her teammates their time on the court may be cut down when it comes time to play in competition. My starting line always has to earn their spot on the floor. It may not always be the best 6 I put out there, it is always the 6 that have put forth the most effort in practice, as well as maintaining the proper attitude throughout.

Hi Connie,

Do you agree that it's possible to let kids earn there playing time but also let every kid play the same time at the end of the season?

Bert

[Connie 0]

Even using the "they earn their play time" theory my player are all within 1 1/2 games played of each other. This takes into consideration absent players and getting them all on the court. I make a good effort to try to keep it as equal as I can. I let the players know right for the begining that the one thsat put out the most effort will get the starting positions and a bit more play time. I never really have a problem taking away their time on the court. They all want to be out there and work to get their time.