Team building exercise:
In the first few days of fall practice it is kind of a fun thing to explain how important it is to be a team. A fun way to do it is to buy a bundle of pencils, chopsticks, craft dowels, 10 inch long sticks, etc. Give each player two sticks and have them write their names on both sticks with a sharp felt tip. Have each player take one of their sticks in their hands and hold it out in front of them and break it. Then you take all the remaining sticks and put them together with rubber bands and have each team member attempt to hold the bundle of sticks out in front of them and break the bundle. Basically it can’t be done (be sure to use strong enough sticks).
The lesson is that as an individual a person can be broken or defeated and as a team that bands together it is very difficult to break them. Remind your team all season long of how important it is to band together and be a team. Keep the bundle in your volleyball equipment locker, take it occasionally as a reminder. At the end of the season at your awards ceremony when you hand out team awards and news clippings, etc, include the unbroken stick with their name on it from the banded bundle. This will be an important keepsake and the kids will be keep with their volleyball memorabilia.