Laziness

[Alanna12 0]

I have been coaching a team of girls since 4th grade. They are currently in 6th grade. We are in two leagues for school and practice once a week. There are 12 girls on the team. Many of these girls also play volleyball in the summer for a park district team. this year there are only two girls on the team that are new to volleyball. My assistant and I have never saw a lazier bunch of girls. Many of these will let balls drop at their feet or duck when they see balls,and practices are another story entirley. Any sugesstions. I truley wish some of them would just drop out of the program.

[Connie 0]

To get the kids moving I have them stand in a line and one by one I toss them a ball that they have to catch. The thing is I toss the ball pretty far away from them so they have no choice but to move to get the ball. I also do a lot of stuff where they are in ready position and they simply practice moving across the gym while staying low in ready position.

Sometimes I think that players are able to execute things really well in practice as they are comfortable in their surroundings and there is nothing to lose. When they get into a game situation they are afraid of making a mistake and they figure it is better to do nothing and not make a mistake than to try to pass the ball and have it not work. I tell the team mistake are a good thing it is how we learn. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, the trick is being able to know how to correct them.

[Bert 0]

I have been coaching a team of girls since 4th grade. They are currently in 6th grade. We are in two leagues for school and practice once a week. There are 12 girls on the team. Many of these girls also play volleyball in the summer for a park district team. this year there are only two girls on the team that are new to volleyball. My assistant and I have never saw a lazier bunch of girls. Many of these will let balls drop at their feet or duck when they see balls,and practices are another story entirley. Any sugesstions. I truley wish some of them would just drop out of the program.

Are they really lazie or is there a problem with there technique (because they for example let the ball drop at their feet)? Perhaps the goals you have set for this team are to high? Or they are not all satisfied with the goals and perhaps so players have there own goals, goals you don't know about?

When I have lazie players, the first thing I do is looking at my self, what am doing, how attrative are my lessons? How do I act in the group, am I dominant or perhaps or a more 'laize faire' coach? When you look at the Rose of Tomoty Laery. He says that on every action their will be a reaction and that we get a whole structure of communication and action in a group. When the group has a dominant leader, we always see that the group is lazie and following. When we look at these phenomenons, we can steer the group in other direction. On this website you will find more information about Laery: http://home-6.tiscali-business.nl/~t028692/bijl3.htm (this is a dutch site but I think the picture of the rose of Laery is clear)

The second thing I do, when I have this problem is let the group compete against each other. So find competitive drills, were they must compete against each other, who is the best, who is the fastes, who jump the highest and more like this and ..................... ice for the winner! No this is a joke, but seriously, it helps when they get sometime something for things they do good.

At last. I always work with longterm programmes, for a year and longer. I make these programmas with the following method: 'When someone is in a big dessert, like the Sahara, someone is only interesting in looking for water when someone is realy, realy thirsty'. I mean when you like someoneto learn something, they always must be motivate to learn something, there must be a necessity for learning something new. When i plan a new program, I always creat a lack, so there is a need you do something about it.

I hope my english is good enough and that you know what I mean. When not, plaese say so!

Bert

[St_TJanet 0]

I have been coaching a team of girls since 4th grade. They are currently in 6th grade. We are in two leagues for school and practice once a week. There are 12 girls on the team. Many of these girls also play volleyball in the summer for a park district team. this year there are only two girls on the team that are new to volleyball. My assistant and I have never saw a lazier bunch of girls. Many of these will let balls drop at their feet or duck when they see balls,and practices are another story entirley. Any sugesstions. I truley wish some of them would just drop out of the program.

When my 6th graders started out the season 2 months ago they were the same way. They still have their moments. I think this thread and the communicating thread are one in the same.

I've had to teach them to be "ball hogs". I told them this is the only "team" sport where you can be a ball hog. You should try get the first hit. You have to yell the loudest (MINE!) and repeat it (as in Finding Nemo) because usually two yell at the same time. After that the team takes over and they fight for the 2nd hit. If nobody calls it and they don't make a move for it, we do burpees or run lines. On our team if they cannot get the ball they have to call their teammate name.

We do drills where I will hit specifically to the person not moving until that person starts moving. Usually, they don't like the other girls getting in their "space" and start moving for the ball to regain control of their area. (Girls are so funny.)

I guess the one that really gets them moving is for my assistant and I to do rapid fire drills. Accuracy of their hits is not the object, but getting them under the ball and moving. They line up single file on one side of the net and we toss, hit or spike the ball to the first person in line. They attempt a pass and move to the back of the line. Once they figure out they can get to the ball, their hits become more accurate.

I also had to get out a dry erase board and draw their positions and show them literally that it is okay to move into the other persons "zone". This helped give them a visual (and explained basics that I -- incorrectly-- assumed would be common sense).

Sorry to be long winded. This is our first year and these girls have had phenominal success in learning the game and moving along at a rapid pace. We've been using the 5:1 (W) thus far and today at practice we are going to look at using another rotation (just for fun). I don't know if we'll incorporate it into our games yet this year, but I can tell they are starting to get bored with the basics drill and I need to shake things up.

Janet

[fmfjohn 0]

Alanna12,

So what has happened to your team? Have you found anything that has worked to get them going?

I'm sure we'd all like to hear what you've tried, successful or not.

john

[Bert 0]

Alanna12,

So what has happened to your team? Have you found anything that has worked to get them going?

I'm sure we'd all like to hear what you've tried, successful or not.

john

Hello Allana12,

Yes, I agree with John, I am also very intersted in you're sollutions, just because it's something every one could happen

Bert