Managing yourself through competition – Coaching Volleyball

Following England competing in the NEVZA U19 tournament (a zonal qualifier for U20 Euros), I spoke with our head women’s coach about the touranment. Among other topics, he brought up the energy demands of being in an event like that. Yes, we did talk about it in player terms, but we equally did so in regards to coaching.

Just as we coaches expect our players to be at or near peak performance toward the end of a tournament, so too should we be. That means we have to follow the same rules. Rest. Eat well. Stay hydrated. No doubt you preach it to your players. How much do you take that onboard for yourself, though?

I can hear you thinking, “But I’m not playing.”

True, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t still a performer in the event. It may be more mental than physical, but you 100% are.

If you want your teams performing their best when it matters the most, you need to be able to do that as well. That means doing the things you tell players to do.

It also means being conscious of the energy you’re exerting and whether it’s being put to it’s best use.

An example of this is a coach who isn’t generally the cheerleader type who takes on that role. For such a person that’s likely to burn a lot of energy – energy that might be better saved for later (it’s different if you’re normally high energy). Obviously, you need to make situational decisions. Something to keep in mind, however.