Philosophy

=Coaching Philosophy of G.S. Girls Volleyball = = =

**It starts and ends with this...no ego's, no individuals...What is best for the team?**
The coach must properly plan every training session and set clearly stated objectives for the season which he must strive to achieve for his players. The coach must be knowledgeable in his area of expertise and must always seek self improvement. He must also set the example, be fair, firm and compassionate with his players. Further responsibilities as a coach are as follows:

1. Instruct athletes in the proper techniques of the game and basic tactical principles. 2. Help athletes develop healthier, more fit bodies. 3. Instill in athletes a passion and love for the game of volleyball. 4. Use the game as a vehicle to offer athletes opportunities that will help their development into adulthood. 5. Help athletes set realistic, achievable goals and aid them in mapping a course of action to reach them. 6. Help athletes establish rules of conduct that will ensure acceptable and proper behavior which will reflect respect for all. 7. Monitor their academic progress and offer help when needed. 8. Help those interested in playing college volleyball explore realistic choices of schools for them. 9. Model a positive, enthusiastic, caring attitude toward all players and the game itself. 10. Provide a safe environment where all of our players can feel comfortable and have lots of fun, for volleyball is a game, and the main purpose of the game is to have fun.

**Volleyball Philosophy**
There are 5 necessary ingredients for the development of a successful volleyball player and these essentials should be stressed every day of the season. We plan to start from the ground up. We have detailed fundamentals that fit our style of play. We believe in them, and if any of you have been taught differently, we expect to reshape you to fit our scheme. You must be willing to learn:

The 5 fundamentals are:

1. Overhead/Forearm Passing 2. Net Play (Attacking/Blocking) 3. Defense 4. Serving 5. Communication

The first four are not new. They have been requisites since the inception of the game. The fifth element, "communication" is the added feature of the modern era. Together, we will strive to develop these five facets of the game. There exists a high positive correlation between the successful execution of these basic fundamentals and winning.

Despite our ardent desire for victory, winning is not the sole objective of volleyball. However, it remains one of the primary objectives of the game, otherwise they could not keep score. A player is under a moral obligation to do everything she possibly can do to win-anything else is cheating. If you lose because your effort has compelled the other player to beat you - if you have forced her to prove she is better - then - and only then - you can lose, because you have done so with dignity. In order that a team which loses has not played in vain, volleyball must have a residual value. That value is learning to lose - learning to bounce back after failure - seeking the cause of that failure, and being determined to do something about it. I believe in winning - that all out effort should be expected to finish first. But it is the striving, not necessarily the arriving, that brings out the best in an individual.

**Playing Time Philosophy**
Jr. High and High School Junior Varsity programs are the development grounds where players must be given an opportunity to develop game savvy, pressure coping tools and overall game experience gained in an official contest. Winning is not the primary objective - repetition is. All players must play relatively equally in game situations. At the Varsity level, players shall play according to the team's best interest. Playing time is based completely on practice intensity, attitude and overall skill/performance. What grade you are or how long you played has little to nothing to do with playing time. The coach will make the ultimate decision about who will play, where and how much based on merit.

**Off Season Philosophy**
The off season is very, very important for it plays a large role in the outcome of the regular season. We encourage our athletes to participate in other sports to experience other coaching philosophies, training methods and overall positive experiences that are unique to high school athletics. In addition to our endorsement of participating in other sports, our players are strongly encouraged to participate in Junior Olympic Club Volleyball and/or AAU Volleyball which runs from December to May each school year. By playing Junior Olympic Volleyball and/or AAU Volleyball, the athlete gets to work on fundamentals and see a wide variety of volleyball through practices and many tournaments. Playing club volleyball also exposes the girls to other players from different schools and backgrounds which begins friendships and experiences not gained in high school volleyball alone while also allowing extra exposure to college scouts who attend many of the local club tournaments looking for prospective players. Lastly, we offer open gyms that run during the course of the winter, spring and summer, a varsity summer league program as well as a school summer camp and varsity team camp that gives the athletes an extra chance to mesh with their teammates and develop their own individual fundamentals that will enhance our program in the fall.