Overcoming Doubt in Volleyball
Do you doubt your team’s ability in matches?
Do you doubt yourself in matches?
Does this doubt cause you to play tense and not trust yourself?
Playing a team sport like volleyball can be tough…
You know you can’t get the job done alone, so you depend on your teammates to perform.
Though, if your skill level is way above others on your team or some of your teammates are having a bad day, you may doubt the performance in that game.
When you have doubts, it’s difficult to trust your teammates and yourself.
High school and club seasons can be extremely different…
Typically, players look forward to club because they are playing with athletes in their skill pool. With high school, coaches sometimes just try to put together a team with what they have.
That was usually the case for the high school where I coached. Additionally, I coached club, where I also served as the club’s mental coach. More times than not, I looked forward to that season as well.
We had a girl at our high school who also played in our club. She was a standout in both and was one vote away from being the first freshman “Player of the Year” in our conference.
Only a few girls on the high school team played club at all, so transitioning to that season after club was a struggle for this player.
As her coach and mental coach, she shared a lot with me and we became pretty tight over the past few years… Before and during each high school game we talked.
She was always so skeptical about the way the team might play and even in her ability to play with them.
She would say, “How am I ever going to swing if I can’t even get a set?”
The mental strategy I would always share with her is that you just have to trust them.
You know their abilities, so you can’t expect it to be more than it is. Trust that they’ll bring what they have each day to the match.
I’d also tell her to trust in her skills. I’d say, “You’re a good, extremely versatile player. Trust that you can adjust and play with whatever you get.”
Sometimes, you’re going to doubt your team or yourself and it’s going to be difficult to play with trust through a match.
Enter a match with no expectations for your team or self.
Know that just like you, your team is bringing all they have that day.
Practice trusting them and yourself in practice.
When you enter a match, commit to trusting the skill you and your teammates bring to that game.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- How to Prepare for Pressure in Volleyball
- How to Develop a Champion Mindset in Volleyball
- Fragile Confidence and Perfectionism in Volleyball
*Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on iTunes
*Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on Spotify
Download a free sports psychology report to improve your mental game!
Learn more about our one-on-one mental game coaching.
The Mental Edge For Volleyball Players
Do you over think your performance in games? Do you lose confidence easily after a couple of blow plays? Do you become so frustrated with your game that you can’t focus on the next play?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s a good bet that your mental game might prevent you from consistent performance in games…
“The Mental Edge For Volleyball” program is ideal for any club, academy, college, or professional volleyball players. In addition, volleyball coaches, instructors, and parents would also be wise to teach the strategies we provide in “The Mental Edge For Volleyball” to their players.