Expensive Volleyball Coaches, Gamers, and Dad and mom,
My father was one of the best youth sports activities coach I ever performed for. I’m 22 years into my teaching profession. I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with world-class coaches and athletes. However I at all times discovered myself going again to his philosophy when it got here to teaching my children:
“For a lot of children, youth sports activities will present their first expertise with failure. Instructing them the best way to work via that may assist them navigate their educations, relationships, and careers.”
That could be a beneficial lesson in any sport – in volleyball it’s extremely essential. In keeping with bvbinfo, the final two feminine gold medalist pairs misplaced 46% of their performs the yr they had been the highest groups on the planet. Volleyball can educate children that dropping is inevitable. It doesn’t outline them – however how they reply to that adversity will make all of the distinction.
For my first 12 years of teaching, I witnessed environments that I felt had been backwards. Gamers had been handled good or unhealthy solely on their contributions. Athletes who had been within the developmental part of their careers had been being taught “In the event you don’t deliver the identical worth as their greater/quicker/stronger friends, you aren’t worthy of the identical alternatives for progress”.
I’ve watched assured hard-working children get destroyed by youth sports activities coaches who had been unqualified to know what their gamers wanted to search out their private greatest. And I fear: What occurs to those athletes once they have a ardour for issues the place they’re not naturally gifted?
Youth sports activities are in a bizarre place. On the one hand, the annual income and participation numbers are booming. Anybody who has monetary stake in youth sports activities is feeling superb about the place they’re at.
Then again, there may be extra stress on our athletes than ever earlier than. Athletes are being requested to specialize as early as 10-11 years outdated, despite the fact that sports activities scientists say this isn’t essentially what’s greatest for them. Off-seasons in our space have disappeared, and any highschool athlete taking part in each journey ball and highschool will get no low season for 4 straight years. The cash isn’t going again into the product, and the % of unqualified coaches continues to rise. These elements are having a unfavourable affect on a superb chunk of our athletes. I consider it doesn’t get addressed as a result of by the point most households notice it, they’re on the tail finish of their profession and applications are specializing in advertising to the following technology of athletes who will face the same path.
I’ve been a little bit of a lone nut for the final decade as I created a program with the purpose of constructing positive each athlete acquired the identical alternative for progress. It comes with challenges, however as an entire I really feel we’ve succeeded. Now we have 30 athletes which have gone on to play in faculty. However I take simply as a lot delight in my athletes who got here to our program with very low-self-esteem, and by the point they left we had them believing in one of the best variations of themselves – or not less than working actively in direction of that.
No children held again; no children left behind.
I speak to lots of mother and father and gamers. Backstage, anxiousness, despair, suicidal ideation are as prevalent as they’ve ever been. And it’s in any respect ranges – among the athletes carrying among the heaviest burdens are ones on the floor you’d assume had been in one of the best place.
They learn articles that discuss how essential journey tournaments are, the significance of recruiting providers or “being seen”, and numerous pay-to-use providers which are supposed to assist with one’s journey. They arrive off as “In the event you simply do A/B/C, you’ll be capable of play in faculty”.
However we at all times appear to sidestep the fact that roughly 19 out of 20 athletes that make their highschool groups won’t play in faculty. Or how a lot the person’s improvement issues. Or how high quality of reps is equally essential to amount of participation. So many children are taking part in year-round and touring, however they’re getting in entrance of school coaches with abilities that aren’t ok, and a scarcity of athleticism that received’t translate efficiently to the following degree.
I agreed to put in writing for Volleyball Magazine as a result of the powers-that-be are giving me the chance to put in writing with out restrictions. Being direct, I wish to turn into the platform that I struggled to search out. I’ve gotten in entrance of some titans in our sport, and whereas off-the-record they agree with lots of what I’m saying above, ultimately what’s greatest for households isn’t essentially what’s greatest for enterprise, and they also want me luck as we go separate methods.
So irrespective of the place you might be on the spectrum of juniors volleyball, I wish to write items you can join with. I look ahead to utilizing my voice right here to raise others up. I wish to deliver consciousness to people who really feel they aren’t represented. I wish to deliver consideration to teams who’re providing wholesome alternate options to the present norms however might not get the correct recognition for what they do. I wish to provide faculty steering that’s nonetheless beneficial for roughly 94% of you that received’t play in faculty.
Each child I work with is exclusive of their targets and willingness to decide to them. I hope to make use of this platform to deliver consciousness that in 2025, one dimension suits one in youth sports activities. I look ahead to receiving suggestions and ensuring that if individuals are on the lookout for data on sure subjects, we’re bringing you beneficial content material that addresses it.
Merely put, I wish to write youth sports activities articles that prioritize the youth. If this seems like one thing you’ll be able to profit from, I hope you’ll be part of me on this journey.
Till subsequent time, be good to yourselves, be good to one another,
Coach Bryan
