Coach Speasl's May Coaching Tip

Posted by Volley CART on

Players that get hit in the face:

It never fails someone is going to get hit in the face with a ball during practice. There is nothing like getting hit in the face, whether by a ball or person or something else, that will automatically change your attitude (to being bummed) instantly. The face is different than being hit anywhere else on your body.

Usually what happens is that someone is hitting or serving and someone else is focused on another part of the gym or practice. Then the hitter/server sends one (not attempting to hit anyone) and it hits the unsuspecting player right in the face.

What I have my players do is, the hitter (not someone else) sprints to the player that got faced and grabs her (both hands on each side of her head), looks her in the eye and says something like “Oh my gosh I’m so sorry, are you alright?” and maybe also gives her a little hug or something. Most of the time the wounded player will start laughing and say “I’m ok” “thank you” or something like that.

It only takes a minute or so but it is time well spent. In my experience it seemed to take a player a long time to brush off being hit in the face and get back in the groove of practice. After I initiated this action to our practice it was like a miracle drug for attitude. A kid would be smiling and mentally back in the practice in seconds.

When introducing this action I literally have a player stand on the other side of the net, we simulate her being hit in the face I run over and grab her by the head and go through the routine.  If you just tell them about it some of them will just stand where they are and yell across saying “I’m sorry are you OK ?” That doesn’t work like getting over there and being face to face with your teammate.

 

Give it a whirl, see what you think, I believe it works wonders.


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