One Man Volleyball Team... are you serious? One guy playing whole volleyball teams all by himself? People naturally assume there must be some kind of catch or trick associated with this concept. There is none! Everything is the same except that I get three consecutive contacts with the ball. Otherwise, the court and rules are all the same. Since 1982 I’ve played more than 8,000 volleyball games without losing a game. I used this platform to share a message about setting goals and staying chemically free with students all over the country.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoK9bGxH5M4 (KARE 11 News Feature)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB_rSSBlEzs (WCCO News Feature)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNICllye-HA&t=8s (Some misc. highlights from old VHS Tapes)
The experience on the court against teams of six players taught me priceless lessons about the frame of mind necessary to achieve the highest level of performance.
I think the biggest factors associated with the success on the volleyball court would be...
1. Conditioning - Constantly looking for ways to take your strength, flexibility, and endurance to the next level.
2. Volleyball Skills - As in any sport, you have to break down the skills and be willing to practice them over and over again.
Many athletes like to practice what they are good at and neglect the weak components of their game. Look for those
things that you may be doing "wrong". If you view "mistakes" with the proper perspective they are often the details that
will help you "Take it to the Next Level". The key to taking your skills and proficiency to a higher level is looking for details
and then make the necessary adjustments. When you take ownership of your own abilities and you are part of the learning
process, practice takes on a whole new meaning and purpose. People who excel are on a mission in the practice mode!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ma2sSfuT4U (Video by Samsung Epic - Rick Rassier - VB Practice)
3. Confidence - When you engage in focused practice you see that your hard work pays off. Five minutes of focused practice
is better than two hours of going through the motions. There is nothing better than celebrating progress. This establishes
a higher level of confidence that doesn't waiver in pressure situations. It also allows you to play and think in the moment
instead of worrying about the outcome. Everything slows down when you develop a focused frame of mind and are not
consumed with the outcome. Way too many athletes compete or perform in the panic mode, and it is a huge inhibitor.
4. Many are curious about the challenge of "covering the whole court" with one person. The challenge requires skills that areoverlooked and neglected in many sports. When
you learn to READ, ANTICIPATE, REACT, and learn your opponents' tendencies and detailed components of their skills, you will be amazed at how it changes the game.
Just one example: When I play volleyball teams and they are going to serve to me, I watch the direction they step, the rotation of their shoulders, their arm coming through,
the position of their hand, etc. Before they even contact the ball, I can typically tell where they are going. Then, when they do contact the ball, I react right off of that
contact. What does all this mean? Well, if you ask most volleyball coaches when many of their athletes react to the serve... not until the ball is coming over the net. Reading, anticipating and reacting creates more time and obviously increases the likelihood of getting to the ball, even if you are the only one on the court. This information can
open doors to a whole new world in the realm of competing against another athlete or team.
Many athletes play their sport, but often don't really"play" the other team.
Over the years I've always been surprised by how many athletes do not come into their season the best shape of their lives! In order to achieve your highest level of performance it takes a great deal of focused practice and conditioning. Long hours of training over the years have taught me a great deal about motivation, discipline and making the most of my athletic ability.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoK9bGxH5M4 (KARE 11 News Feature)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB_rSSBlEzs (WCCO News Feature)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNICllye-HA&t=8s (Some misc. highlights from old VHS Tapes)
The experience on the court against teams of six players taught me priceless lessons about the frame of mind necessary to achieve the highest level of performance.
I think the biggest factors associated with the success on the volleyball court would be...
1. Conditioning - Constantly looking for ways to take your strength, flexibility, and endurance to the next level.
2. Volleyball Skills - As in any sport, you have to break down the skills and be willing to practice them over and over again.
Many athletes like to practice what they are good at and neglect the weak components of their game. Look for those
things that you may be doing "wrong". If you view "mistakes" with the proper perspective they are often the details that
will help you "Take it to the Next Level". The key to taking your skills and proficiency to a higher level is looking for details
and then make the necessary adjustments. When you take ownership of your own abilities and you are part of the learning
process, practice takes on a whole new meaning and purpose. People who excel are on a mission in the practice mode!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ma2sSfuT4U (Video by Samsung Epic - Rick Rassier - VB Practice)
3. Confidence - When you engage in focused practice you see that your hard work pays off. Five minutes of focused practice
is better than two hours of going through the motions. There is nothing better than celebrating progress. This establishes
a higher level of confidence that doesn't waiver in pressure situations. It also allows you to play and think in the moment
instead of worrying about the outcome. Everything slows down when you develop a focused frame of mind and are not
consumed with the outcome. Way too many athletes compete or perform in the panic mode, and it is a huge inhibitor.
4. Many are curious about the challenge of "covering the whole court" with one person. The challenge requires skills that areoverlooked and neglected in many sports. When
you learn to READ, ANTICIPATE, REACT, and learn your opponents' tendencies and detailed components of their skills, you will be amazed at how it changes the game.
Just one example: When I play volleyball teams and they are going to serve to me, I watch the direction they step, the rotation of their shoulders, their arm coming through,
the position of their hand, etc. Before they even contact the ball, I can typically tell where they are going. Then, when they do contact the ball, I react right off of that
contact. What does all this mean? Well, if you ask most volleyball coaches when many of their athletes react to the serve... not until the ball is coming over the net. Reading, anticipating and reacting creates more time and obviously increases the likelihood of getting to the ball, even if you are the only one on the court. This information can
open doors to a whole new world in the realm of competing against another athlete or team.
Many athletes play their sport, but often don't really"play" the other team.
Over the years I've always been surprised by how many athletes do not come into their season the best shape of their lives! In order to achieve your highest level of performance it takes a great deal of focused practice and conditioning. Long hours of training over the years have taught me a great deal about motivation, discipline and making the most of my athletic ability.