Greetings -

This email for this special groups that Volleyball.ORG coordinates,
is just to let you know of some special educational opportunities at USA
Volleyball. I have been with USA Volleyball for over a decade, currently
serving as USA Volleyball's Director of Education, Disabled, Grassroots and
Beach Volleyball. I believe you will find the information we are sharing of
value.

John Kessel
USA Volleyball Director
Beach Volleyball, Education, Disabled & Grassroots Programs
FIVB Technical & Commission Secretary/Level IV Instructor

TO GET USA VOLLEYBALL'S EDUCATION NEWS

This is how we first plan to reach out to those working with kids as
coaches, interested parents and educators. There is some stuff on backlog of
importance and value, then things will likely both slow down and diminish in
size. If you have some great information or material you think others should
read, as they are working with kids and athletes, please send it to me and
we will pass it along.

To SUBSCRIBE to the USA Volleyball Education news, send an email to
listserv@... with SUBSCRIBE Education as the text of the message. The
subject line should be blank. To UNSUBSCRIBE from the group, send an email
to listserv@... with UNSUBSCRIBE Education as the text of the message.
The subject line should be blank. For more information, visit our website
at www.usavolleyball.org or email postmaster@...


The kind of educational information we will be sharing is found below, one
of many articles to be shared with educational list members.

It’s Not Where You Are, It’s Who You Are
John Kessel, USA Volleyball Director of Education, Grassroots,
Disabled & Beach Volleyball

This started as an email I sent to the top 5 USA Teams battling in the
spring to make the final two 2000 Olympic Beach Volleyball Team slots. As
the Olympic Team Leader in a sport that just now is allowing coaching, I
enjoyed the challenge of preparing a team from individuals and changing
partnerships and to give them all they needed to succeed on the sand in
Sydney. I have since added to it to help volleyball kids who write me about
problem coaches, and for those seeking to excel under any coach. Originally
I called it “How to Excel Under Any Coach,” but on a trip to Alaska,
attending the Eskimo Olympics (www.weio.org) and working with Eskimo kids
who come from such small schools they always play coed to fill a team, I
remembered Marv Dunphy’s great line that now titles the article. The
sub-title of this is “It’s not how tall you are, it’s how tall you play…” as
skill and timing will beat height anytime. It summarizes what I hope your
kids will be learning from our fun on the field, in practices and
games...Some of it is a bit volleyball specific, but the majority of the
thoughts are about being a true athlete, no matter what the sport.

Reflections on what you need to do, to be the best you can be. I want to
share some of my thoughts with you, as I believe they will help you succeed
on the court in preparation towards your personal best. The fire I carry
within is to help you shorten the time gap in the development of your
personal philosophy. The ideas below come from decades of helping players be
excellent, The motto of the Olympics, CITIUS, ALTIUS, FORTIUS. - guides our
efforts as staff and players. Swifter, Higher, Stronger. So to win, we must
push ourselves, giving all we can for as long as we can, and extending
ourselves. Remember this about your pursuit of personal excellence - If it
is meant to be, it is up to me...

I should also tell you that while there have been many people, experiences
and books that have guided me, the most impactual one simply is John Wooden.
There is a new book out called The Ultimate Guide to Life, Leadership,
Friendship and Love, by Neville Johnson. ISBN 0-9673920-0-4. Get it, for it
is all about the ideas of John Wooden and his pyramid of success, that can
help every person, athlete or not, become the best they can be. I also have
learned great things from Marv Dunphy and Doug Beal, both USA Olympic Gold
Medal coaches. As Marv once said, "It is not where you are, it is who YOU
are; it is not how big you are it is how good or how great YOU are."

THERE IS ONLY ONE CHAMPION - This is our holy grail, and every team in our
championship division is seeking that same trophy. Now, we must define what
winning is. In this team sport of volleyball, one person cannot win the game
by his or herself. It is a team sport, so the winning is out of just one
player's control. So, winning is always, ALWAYS going to be defined as doing
all you can to be the best you can be. John Wooden's classic Pyramid of
Success has at its peak, the statement. "Success is peace of mind which is a
direct result of self satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become
the best that you are capable of becoming." If you do this...the winning on
the court will be more likely. Should you play your best, and lose in the
point column, what more can you ask of yourself? Nothing...for you won. ..to
quote George Moriarity, "Giving all, it seems to me, is not so far from
victory."

TEACH OTHERS TO TEACH YOURSELF - If you coach, you will be a better player.
This is true at any age level, so seek out and create time to coach others
less skilled and/or experienced than you are. In Japan, the after school
elementary school practices I worked with were 45 minutes of games and
practice for the 7-10 year olds, who were coached by the 10-12 year olds
under the watchful eye of the adult head coach, then 45 more minutes where
the head coach trained these 10-12 year olds once they were done coaching.

COMPETE WITH YOURSELF - Demand more from yourself than from your teammate.
This is the sign of a serious and true competitor. This is how you will
become the best you can be, and thus help USA win a gold. To excel, focus on
yourself first. No matter how small or unimportant it may seem, look for
ways to be better when you leave training than when you walked in, whether
it be the weight room, training room, physical testing, or the court. By
competing as hard as you personally can, you will also help those around you
be better. Gold Medalist Dan Jansen said " I do not try to be better than
anyone else, I try to be better than myself."

TALENT IS A JOB, NOT A GIFT - If you have talent, you can be good without
working hard, but to be great, you must work hard. Volleyball is a hard
sport to learn, so do not expect it to be easy, for it takes years to be
great. People see talent in two ways, One group sees that talent is to be
developed through hard work, while others see it being something you either
have or do not. Those athletes who know that skill takes time, will practice
longer/have patience thru tough times. Research shows that higher
performance happens with those athletes who expect to have to work long and
hard to develop their talent. Superstars, like Karch, Jordan, Gretzky Woods,
share an intensity and drive to constantly improve their talents. Karch's
coaches and teammates describe him as the hardest worker in the gym/on the
sand. You have to BE, before you can DO, and DO before you can HAVE.

LEARN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE - STAY IN CONTROL - These same superstars share
the ability to stay in control, despite the great pressures they
encountered, using their emotions effectively. They stay focused, and
efficient, the mental discipline, to act decisively when it counts. Karch
would stay on the court in the sand during time outs, staring at the
opponent's empty court, while one teammate called Jordan, the Predator.
Controlling frustration, anger, fear, and even confidence is an athlete's
responsibility, not that of the coach. Develop responses that

MAKE SURE TO GET REST - One of the key items I learned from the Prep for
Sydney meetings for head coaches was realization that there is no such word
as "Overtraining. " To be great you must train very hard sometimes. What you
also must make sure you get is enough rest and recovery, for you are
training hard. Everything you are doing en route to a gold medal is
important, significant, and meaningful. As the distractions mount towards
the end of a long season, it is vital to get enough good rest.At the same
time, remember the words of Jerry West - "You can't get much done in life if
you only work on the days you feel good, for work beats talent, unless
talent works."

BE A TRUE TEAMMATE - One who is responsible for yourself, to your team's
obligations and to your personal and team goals. You, no one else, are
accountable for ALL your actions. Be honest and trustworthy to yourself,
your teammates and the entire team staff. Ask when you have questions. You
need to make sure that you are all pulling on the SAME end of the
rope....together and strong.

TEACH YOUR COACH HOW TO HELP YOU LEARN BETTER - In the art of coaching,
coaches have many colors and different paintbrushes on their pallet that
they can use to help you learn to be your best. It is just that each of you
are unique, and for us to excel, a coach should not treat, nor teach each of
you the same. Skilled coaches have learned to be consistent with each of
you, but not the same. They are there for you in every practice. It is not
their job to hammering you with constant feedback, but letting you learn.
They will summarize feedback at times, but anytime you want to ask a
technique or tactic question, you can talk to your coach who will always
listen. Day or night, on the court, by phone, or even email! It is what you
learn, not what the coach knows, that matters. It is our role to help you
become a player who is all you can be-- without the coach -- for you are the
athlete on the court of competition, and we cannot think for you as you
play. You will always be your best coach, for you are with yourself 24 hours
a day...

COMMUNICATE - Talk and listen with your teammate and any staff helping you
become your best. Share information you think will help us be our best.
Silence equals acceptance, so speak out if you do not accept it. When off
the court, read books and watch movies that can give you a new idea or
inspiration to be great. If you have a problem, all energies will go towards
the solution.

KNOW YOUR ROLE - You need to understand and perform your role, just as much
as you need to perform technical skills. We have a GREAT staff assembled to
help you be your best...so use us. Who is on the court will be determined by
on the court competition when the points are tallied. Since a teammate does
not err on purpose, you need to put those errors immediately in the past,
and focus on what you can control, the next point.

SUCCESS IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION - You get better one play at a time.
Certainly touching the ball yourself helps you learn the most, but each
contact, by your teammates as well, can be a joy and a learning experience.
We all can see Scott Fortune kill the overpass for the Seoul Gold Medal
match point...and should be able to see Eric Sato's jump serve that set it
up. We have such a great sport to celebrate in, rally by rally. Enjoy this
time as an elite athlete. It is exciting to be playing volleyball,
especially at this level. Have fun and smile, it takes fewer muscles, and it
makes you stronger.

PLAY SINGLES IN THE GARAGE - It is important to learn to play this game over
a net. In the winter, you can still string up a rope, and play one on one
with that one friend, or sibling, who shares your love of playing this game.
Play one on two if someone else shows up, or even doubles, using a beach
ball or a real ball. If you can, put up a net or just a rope for even a
small distance in the backyard, and play these small sided games on smaller
than normal courts. Learn to read and anticipate what an opponent is
preparing to do before they send it over the net.

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL - A setter cannot control the passer, or the
hitter, a passer cannot control the server. You cannot even control what
your teammates say, think, or do. You can only control yourself, so focus on
what YOU can do.

FOCUS POINT BY POINT - In a related way, every match has three parts, a
past, present and future. You cannot control the past, even that last rally.
Nor can you control the future (if you can, get into the stock market, make
millions then give it back to volleyball please). So by focusing on the
point at hand, playing one point at a time, you eliminate two-thirds of the
worries many players have cluttering their heads as they play. What do you
do NOW.

IF YOU WANT TO BE BETTER YOU MAY HAVE TO CHANGE - These changes may cause
you to slide backwards for a bit of time. Pay close attention to the small
successes you achieve by making these changes. Turn your wounds into wisdom,
and hey, remember...50% of the teams playing today in 220 nations around the
world - lose. The key is to keep pushing forward.

BE A POWERFUL PRESENCE - Be yourself, and be proud. If you gripe at
calls,turn your back on teammate errors, hang your head or kick a ball, get
frustrated outwardly, it gives energy to your opponents and weakens you and
the team. Forget your mistakes and focus on what you can control...the
upcoming play. Focus on what to do, not your errors, and always and only let
them see that you are powerful and confident.

BETTER WHAT WAS GIVEN TO YOU- I remember Marv Dunphy summing up why he
thought we won the gold medal in the Seoul Olympics. He felt at that time,
just hours after the success, that it was due to playing better team defense
and bettering the ball. It is your duty and focus as a teammate to make the
ball you got better, no matter how difficult the incoming ball is. Every
ball can and must be played! In our three contacts, we can improve the bad
pass, if we are setting, kill the ball off of a wayward set. Bettering the
ball happens not just on the court, but off. If you have ideas that might
work in other areas of your development, share them, in order to make that
also better for the next person.

RELENTLESS PURSUIT - For those of you who know my far side, you will
understand then my two rules in this key area of pushing yourself on the
court.

Rule #1, Go for EVERY ball.
Rule #2, If the ball is too far away to reach, see rule #1.
And a corollary to this high effort is: Winners never fear risking to lose.

WATCH THOSE BETTER THAN YOU - Watch videotapes of the Olympics, and NCAA
Championships. Go watch levels of play higher than you compete in -the 18
and unders if a Junior Olympian, or collegiate matches, and the National
Team any time you can catch them on TV or in person. Watch one player who
you want to be like as they do the whole rally, by not focusing on the ball,
but their actions before, during and after the rally, before during and
after each contact. What are they looking at and learning to read? Why did
they move to that spot before ball was hit and not some other place? There
is much more learned by what is done before the ball is touched, that you
need to develop too.

SHARE YOUR SECRETS - The best thing about our Prep for Sydney meetings in
Chicago and Sydney, was the chance to share our ideas with other Olympic
bound coaches and support staff. I will be passing these along to others,
starting with the Paralympic and Olympic staffs, as part of the team around
the team we have here. If you have an idea that you think might help you or
the team programming be better, share it, for unlike items, when you share
ideas, you still have yours, while adding new ones to our tools to be our
best. Pass them along to me at john.kessel@.... I will be sharing more
with you later, but for now, it is back to learning, er, I mean work.

copyright 2001 by USA Volleyball


Thanks for your help in growing this great game,

John Kessel
USA Volleyball Director
Beach Volleyball, Education, Disabled & Grassroots Programs
FIVB Technical & Commission Secretary/Level IV Instructor
715 South Circle
Colorado Springs, CO 80910-1740
(719) 228-6800 (719) 228-6899 FAX
john.kessel@...
www.usavolleyball.org

To get USA Volleyball's main info, email to: listserv@...
with the message subscribe usavolleyball







Greetings -

This email for this special group that Tom Jack and Volleyball.org
coordinates, is just to let you know of some special educational
opportunities at USA Volleyball. I have been with USA Volleyball for over a
decade, currently serving as USA Volleyball's Director of Education,
Disabled, Grassroots and Beach Volleyball. I believe you will find the
information we are sharing of value.

John Kessel
USA Volleyball Director
Beach Volleyball, Education, Disabled & Grassroots Programs
FIVB Technical & Commission Secretary/Level IV Instructor


TO GET USA VOLLEYBALL'S EDUCATION NEWS

This is how we first plan to reach out to those working with kids as
coaches, interested parents and educators. There is some stuff on backlog of
importance and value, then things will likely both slow down and
diminish in size. If you have some great information or material you think
others should read, as they are working with kids and athletes, please send
it to me and we will pass it along.

To SUBSCRIBE to the USA Volleyball Education news, send an email to
listserv@... with SUBSCRIBE Education as the text of the message. The
subject line should be blank. To UNSUBSCRIBE from the group, send an email
to listserv@... with UNSUBSCRIBE Education as the text of the message.
The subject line should be blank. For more information, visit our website
at www.usavolleyball.org or email postmaster@...

If you are a past USA Coaching Accrediation Program (CAP) trained coach,
even if you failed to finish your testing, you should be on a special
education list - "USACAP," and need not join this "Education" group. If you
have not received any news from us with USACAP in the title as part of the
subject line, please contact diana.cole@... with your current address
and past course taken/year/site information, so we can update our files.


SPECIAL AVCA & HIGH PERFORMANCE CONNECTED CAP COURSES

We will be increasing the USA CAP Courses in the future. For those looking
for higher level courses, a Critical Thinking Seminar/CAP III course will be
held in Salt Lake City Jan 25-28 2002, with Carl McGown, Tom Pingel and
myself among others - these 4 days are open to anyone wanting to hold better
summer camps and outreach programs, and will include one or more
representatives from every RVA High Performance Camp for the summer of 2002.

For many of you, I hope you can join USA CAP for a unique educational
opportunity following the 2001 AVCA Annual Convention and NCAA Division I
Women's Volleyball Championships in San Diego, Calif. A CAP Level I & II
course will be held Dec. 15-17 at San Diego State University's Peterson Gym,
across the street from Cox Arena, site of the NCAA Women's Volleyball
Championships.

Level II begins on Saturday the 15th following the Women's Championship
match (5:00 pm final registration/check in). Level I begins the following
morning with an 8:00 am registration/check in.
Both courses end on Monday, December 17th at 5:00 pm. Take advantage of
attending the AVCA Convention to also fulfill the Level II accreditation
requirement of a non-CAP clinic!

A unique highlight is that this CAP course will be held concurrently with
the USA Women's National Team tryouts in the same gym on Saturday and
Sunday.

The CAP Program has been substantially revised over the past year with new
course books, videos and unique materials for each level. Cadre includes
Brad Saindon, USA Men's National Team Assistant Coach; and Diana L. Cole,
USAV Manager of Coaching Education & Grassroots programs, and me.

Visit the USA Volleyball web site at www.usavolleyball.org and click on
Education to get more information and to register on-line. The deadline for
the early registration discount is December 1, 2001.

If it has been less than a decade since taking your CAP course, you are
eligible to re-new your current CAP accreditation level at a reduced
registration fee. Call the CAP office at 719-228-6800 for more information
on how to sign up to take advantage of this discount!

The Host Hotel for the San Diego CAP course is:
HOTEL CIRCLE INN & SUITES
2201 Hotel Circle South
San Diego, CA 92108
Reservations: 800-772-7711
Fax: 619-291-3096
RATE: $69.00 Dbl/Dbl (plus tax) for up to 4 people; $109.00 2 room
suite (plus tax)
When calling for reservations mention the code: USA Volleyball CAP
Course. Reservations must be made no later than December 1, 2002 to
guarantee this rate.



The kind of educational information we will be sharing is found below, one
of many articles to be shared with educational list members.

It’s Not Where You Are, It’s Who You Are


- John Kessel, USA Volleyball Director of Education, Grassroots, Disabled &
Beach Volleyball

This started as an email I sent to the top 5 USA Teams battling in the
spring to make the final two 2000 Olympic Beach Volleyball Team slots. As
the Olympic Team Leader in a sport that just now is allowing coaching, I
enjoyed the challenge of preparing a team from individuals and changing
partnerships and to give them all they needed to succeed on the sand in
Sydney. I have since added to it to help volleyball kids who write me about
problem coaches, and for those seeking to excel under any coach. Originally
I called it “How to Excel Under Any Coach,” but on a trip to Alaska,
attending the Eskimo Olympics (www.weio.org) and working with Eskimo kids
who come from such small schools they always play coed to fill a team, I
remembered Marv Dunphy’s great line that now titles the article. The
sub-title of this is “It’s not how tall you are, it’s how tall you play…” as
skill and timing will beat height anytime. It summarizes what I hope your
kids will be learning from our fun on the field, in practices and
games...Some of it is a bit volleyball specific, but the majority of the
thoughts are about being a true athlete, no matter what the sport.

Reflections on what you need to do, to be the best you can be. I want to
share some of my thoughts with you, as I believe they will help you succeed
on the court in preparation towards your personal best. The fire I carry
within is to help you shorten the time gap in the development of your
personal philosophy. The ideas below come from decades of helping players be
excellent, The motto of the Olympics, CITIUS, ALTIUS, FORTIUS. - guides our
efforts as staff and players. Swifter, Higher, Stronger. So to win, we must
push ourselves, giving all we can for as long as we can, and extending
ourselves. Remember this about your pursuit of personal excellence - If it
is meant to be, it is up to me...

I should also tell you that while there have been many people, experiences
and books that have guided me, the most impactual one simply is John Wooden.
There is a new book out called The Ultimate Guide to Life, Leadership,
Friendship and Love, by Neville Johnson. ISBN 0-9673920-0-4. Get it, for it
is all about the ideas of John Wooden and his pyramid of success, that can
help every person, athlete or not, become the best they can be. I also have
learned great things from Marv Dunphy and Doug Beal, both USA Olympic Gold
Medal coaches. As Marv once said, "It is not where you are, it is who YOU
are; it is not how big you are it is how good or how great YOU are."

THERE IS ONLY ONE CHAMPION - This is our holy grail, and every team in our
championship division is seeking that same trophy. Now, we must define what
winning is. In this team sport of volleyball, one person cannot win the game
by his or herself. It is a team sport, so the winning is out of just one
player's control. So, winning is always, ALWAYS going to be defined as doing
all you can to be the best you can be. John Wooden's classic Pyramid of
Success has at its peak, the statement. "Success is peace of mind which is a
direct result of self satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become
the best that you are capable of becoming." If you do this...the winning on
the court will be more likely. Should you play your best, and lose in the
point column, what more can you ask of yourself? Nothing...for you won. ..to
quote George Moriarity, "Giving all, it seems to me, is not so far from
victory."

TEACH OTHERS TO TEACH YOURSELF - If you coach, you will be a better player.
This is true at any age level, so seek out and create time to coach others
less skilled and/or experienced than you are. In Japan, the after school
elementary school practices I worked with were 45 minutes of games and
practice for the 7-10 year olds, who were coached by the 10-12 year olds
under the watchful eye of the adult head coach, then 45 more minutes where
the head coach trained these 10-12 year olds once they were done coaching.

COMPETE WITH YOURSELF - Demand more from yourself than from your teammate.
This is the sign of a serious and true competitor. This is how you will
become the best you can be, and thus help USA win a gold. To excel, focus on
yourself first. No matter how small or unimportant it may seem, look for
ways to be better when you leave training than when you walked in, whether
it be the weight room, training room, physical testing, or the court. By
competing as hard as you personally can, you will also help those around you
be better. Gold Medalist Dan Jansen said " I do not try to be better than
anyone else, I try to be better than myself."
TALENT IS A JOB, NOT A GIFT - If you have talent, you can be good without
working hard, but to be great, you must work hard. Volleyball is a hard
sport to learn, so do not expect it to be easy, for it takes years to be
great. People see talent in two ways, One group sees that talent is to be
developed through hard work, while others see it being something you either
have or do not. Those athletes who know that skill takes time, will practice
longer/have patience thru tough times. Research shows that higher
performance happens with those athletes who expect to have to work long and
hard to develop their talent. Superstars, like Karch, Jordan, Gretzky Woods,
share an intensity and drive to constantly improve their talents. Karch's
coaches and teammates describe him as the hardest worker in the gym/on the
sand. You have to BE, before you can DO, and DO before you can HAVE.

LEARN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE - STAY IN CONTROL - These same superstars share
the ability to stay in control, despite the great pressures they
encountered, using their emotions effectively. They stay focused, and
efficient, the mental discipline, to act decisively when it counts. Karch
would stay on the court in the sand during time outs, staring at the
opponent's empty court, while one teammate called Jordan, the Predator.
Controlling frustration, anger, fear, and even confidence is an athlete's
responsibility, not that of the coach. Develop responses that

MAKE SURE TO GET REST - One of the key items I learned from the Prep for
Sydney meetings for head coaches was realization that there is no such word
as "Overtraining. " To be great you must train very hard sometimes. What you
also must make sure you get is enough rest and recovery, for you are
training hard. Everything you are doing en route to a gold medal is
important, significant, and meaningful. As the distractions mount towards
the end of a long season, it is vital to get enough good rest.At the same
time, remember the words of Jerry West - "You can't get much done in life if
you only work on the days you feel good, for work beats talent, unless
talent works."

BE A TRUE TEAMMATE - One who is responsible for yourself, to your team's
obligations and to your personal and team goals. You, no one else, are
accountable for ALL your actions. Be honest and trustworthy to yourself,
your teammates and the entire team staff. Ask when you have questions. You
need to make sure that you are all pulling on the SAME end of the
rope....together and strong.

TEACH YOUR COACH HOW TO HELP YOU LEARN BETTER - In the art of coaching,
coaches have many colors and different paintbrushes on their pallet that
they can use to help you learn to be your best. It is just that each of you
are unique, and for us to excel, a coach should not treat, nor teach each of
you the same. Skilled coaches have learned to be consistent with each of
you, but not the same. They are there for you in every practice. It is not
their job to hammering you with constant feedback, but letting you learn.
They will summarize feedback at times, but anytime you want to ask a
technique or tactic question, you can talk to your coach who will always
listen. Day or night, on the court, by phone, or even email! It is what you
learn, not what the coach knows, that matters. It is our role to help you
become a player who is all you can be-- without the coach -- for you are the
athlete on the court of competition, and we cannot think for you as you
play. You will always be your best coach, for you are with yourself 24 hours
a day...

COMMUNICATE - Talk and listen with your teammate and any staff helping you
become your best. Share information you think will help us be our best.
Silence equals acceptance, so speak out if you do not accept it. When off
the court, read books and watch movies that can give you a new idea or
inspiration to be great. If you have a problem, all energies will go towards
the solution.

KNOW YOUR ROLE - You need to understand and perform your role, just as much
as you need to perform technical skills. We have a GREAT staff assembled to
help you be your best...so use us. Who is on the court will be determined by
on the court competition when the points are tallied. Since a teammate does
not err on purpose, you need to put those errors immediately in the past,
and focus on what you can control, the next point.

SUCCESS IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION - You get better one play at a time.
Certainly touching the ball yourself helps you learn the most, but each
contact, by your teammates as well, can be a joy and a learning experience.
We all can see Scott Fortune kill the overpass for the Seoul Gold Medal
match point...and should be able to see Eric Sato's jump serve that set it
up. We have such a great sport to celebrate in, rally by rally. Enjoy this
time as an elite athlete. It is exciting to be playing volleyball,
especially at this level. Have fun and smile, it takes fewer muscles, and it
makes you stronger.

PLAY SINGLES IN THE GARAGE - It is important to learn to play this game over
a net. In the winter, you can still string up a rope, and play one on one
with that one friend, or sibling, who shares your love of playing this game.
Play one on two if someone else shows up, or even doubles, using a beach
ball or a real ball. If you can, put up a net or just a rope for even a
small distance in the backyard, and play these small sided games on smaller
than normal courts. Learn to read and anticipate what an opponent is
preparing to do before they send it over the net.

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL - A setter cannot control the passer, or the
hitter, a passer cannot control the server. You cannot even control what
your teammates say, think, or do. You can only control yourself, so focus on
what YOU can do.

FOCUS POINT BY POINT - In a related way, every match has three parts, a
past, present and future. You cannot control the past, even that last rally.
Nor can you control the future (if you can, get into the stock market, make
millions then give it back to volleyball please). So by focusing on the
point at hand, playing one point at a time, you eliminate two-thirds of the
worries many players have cluttering their heads as they play. What do you
do NOW.

IF YOU WANT TO BE BETTER YOU MAY HAVE TO CHANGE - These changes may cause
you to slide backwards for a bit of time. Pay close attention to the small
successes you achieve by making these changes. Turn your wounds into wisdom,
and hey, remember...50% of the teams playing today in 220 nations around the
world - lose. The key is to keep pushing forward.

BE A POWERFUL PRESENCE - Be yourself, and be proud. If you gripe at
calls,turn your back on teammate errors, hang your head or kick a ball, get
frustrated outwardly, it gives energy to your opponents and weakens you and
the team. Forget your mistakes and focus on what you can control...the
upcoming play. Focus on what to do, not your errors, and always and only let
them see that you are powerful and confident.

BETTER WHAT WAS GIVEN TO YOU- I remember Marv Dunphy summing up why he
thought we won the gold medal in the Seoul Olympics. He felt at that time,
just hours after the success, that it was due to playing better team defense
and bettering the ball. It is your duty and focus as a teammate to make the
ball you got better, no matter how difficult the incoming ball is. Every
ball can and must be played! In our three contacts, we can improve the bad
pass, if we are setting, kill the ball off of a wayward set. Bettering the
ball happens not just on the court, but off. If you have ideas that might
work in other areas of your development, share them, in order to make that
also better for the next person.

RELENTLESS PURSUIT - For those of you who know my far side, you will
understand then my two rules in this key area of pushing yourself on the
court.

Rule #1, Go for EVERY ball.
Rule #2, If the ball is too far away to reach, see rule #1.
And a corollary to this high effort is: Winners never fear risking to lose.

WATCH THOSE BETTER THAN YOU - Watch videotapes of the Olympics, and NCAA
Championships. Go watch levels of play higher than you compete in -the 18
and unders if a Junior Olympian, or collegiate matches, and the National
Team any time you can catch them on TV or in person. Watch one player who
you want to be like as they do the whole rally, by not focusing on the ball,
but their actions before, during and after the rally, before during and
after each contact. What are they looking at and learning to read? Why did
they move to that spot before ball was hit and not some other place? There
is much more learned by what is done before the ball is touched, that you
need to develop too.

SHARE YOUR SECRETS - The best thing about our Prep for Sydney meetings in
Chicago and Sydney, was the chance to share our ideas with other Olympic
bound coaches and support staff. I will be passing these along to others,
starting with the Paralympic and Olympic staffs, as part of the team around
the team we have here. If you have an idea that you think might help you or
the team programming be better, share it, for unlike items, when you share
ideas, you still have yours, while adding new ones to our tools to be our
best. Pass them along to me at john.kessel@.... I will be sharing more
with you later, but for now, it is back to learning, er, I mean work.

copyright 2001 by USA Volleyball


Thanks for your help in growing this great game,




John Kessel
USA Volleyball Director
Beach Volleyball, Education, Disabled & Grassroots Programs
FIVB Technical & Commission Secretary/Level IV Instructor
715 South Circle
Colorado Springs, CO 80910-1740
(719) 228-6800 (719) 228-6899 FAX
john.kessel@...
www.usavolleyball.org

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