Being the best player+ beating out someone

Question
I need some advice. OK, so I have an issue, my real skill is setting, but I am really short compared to my competition, and I'm not going to get any taller. I am deciding wether or not to transfer over to a DS/Libero postition, but I just made the team as a setter. Also I need to know how to be a good team leader, what would be some things that could improve not just myself but also the people around me? Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hey Morgan!
Happy Saturday morning!

* If you've been chosen as a setter on your new team, then you be the best setter you can possibly be.  If you are setting, I imagine ou'll be a back row setter only.  If this is the case, the only thing you'll have a problem with is when the pass is really tight.  But, then you learn to jump set, you practice it, practice it, etc.  You do your very best at it..... and let it all work out.  

* If you want to change your position, you can ask your coach.  But the coach will do what's best for the team.  Some people will say, "But I want to......," but the coach will do exactly what your mom & dad would do when you say, "But I want to....."  If the coach/mom/dad thinks it's good for the team/family, and won't hurt anyone, then you'll be free to do it.  Otherwise, the answer is no.  

* OK, so you WANT to learn the Libero position.  This is your strategy:  (a) Plan on attending a number of camps.  (Some STAR camps may be in your area.  You can see them all at the website below.)  (b) When you register for the camps, notify them that you're a libero, you want to be a libero, you don't want to play any other position, etc.  (c) When you arrive at camp, every time they say, "Libero's with Coach X," you go with that group.  If you are told to set, tell them that you're changing positions and that you'd really prefer to not be setting.

Does this sound like a bad attitude?  Well, it's not BECAUSE this is camp, where you're paying to learn what YOU want to learn.  It's YOUR call, not a coach's, there is no "looking out for the team," etc.  At camp, you're looking out for yourself...and your parents are paying for this training.  

Let's talk about LEADERSHIP!!

How much you say and how much of a leader you are during your school抯 volleyball season depends on a three things:

(1) your personality;
(2) your team's need for a leader and;
(3) how much your coach wants you to be a leader.

(1) Is your personality suited for the job?
I've had some seniors who wanted to stay in the background.  These young ladies really didn't want to be in front or in the spotlight.  Actually, I have discovered that seniors are like that!  Most don抰 want to have the pressure of leading.  But I've also had some seniors who had that leadership "gene"  

Regardless of your personality & desire to be a leader, you must be careful to ensure that your leadership is done in a way that helps the team.  So before you say things and before you do things, think for a moment and ask yourself, "Will this help us?  Will it motivate us? Is this good for the team?"   

This past junior season, Jessica was a natural leader on my 15's team. She was intelligent and a solid player.  Because she knew the rule book so well, she wouldn抰 hesitate to question an official抯 call, but she would never question her teammates or coaches.  The more serious the situation, the more serious Jessica was.  She was the first to splash on the floor for a ball, but also the first to say how awesome her teammates were.  When I named her as speaking captain, everyone cheered.  They knew that she was perfectly suited for the job.

About 10 years ago, I coached a setter with outstanding skills.  But as for leadership, her team wouldn抰 have followed her to the fountain during a practice water break.  Since then, I have called referred to her as 揂ttitude Setter?  During her junior year, Attitude was intentionally not setting our star senior OH in fear that the OH would win some postseason awards that Attitude wanted for herself.   Unbelievable.  This girl was never going to be given a leadership role on our team, even if the rest of the team had been middle schoolers!   

So, some people are made for the job.  Most aren抰.  If you one of the 搇ucky?ones, have fun!  It抯 going to an incredible ride!   

(2) Does your team need a leader?  
In 1996, Megan was an outstanding catcher on my school's softball team.  She eventually even played softball at a Division 1 schools   She was the only junior on that softball team (that had no seniors) and she was asked by her coach to take a significant leadership role.  However, she was a quiet person who really wasn't comfortable in that role; yet, she tried mightily.  She would talk to me at school and say, 揟his is so hard for me.  What should I say?  I hate it.  Are you going to ask me to do this during volleyball season??  I really felt sorry for her.   Well, the next fall, Megan was on my volleyball team and guess what?   She was one of NINE seniors.  Her leadership really wasn't needed.  In fact, I encouraged the seniors NOT to try to take control.  Why?  Nearly all of them were good players who could have started on any other team in our conference, they'd all began their career in the 7th or 8th grades, and they were all high self-esteem kids.  They would have bucked a team leader off into the dirt.  

I remember calling a timeout about 10 years ago during the final game of the region semifinals.  We had been ahead 10-3, but at that point were ahead only 12-10. The winner would advance to the state.  The loser would go home.  During the timeout, Mary, who was one of my seniors, starting screaming, 揥hat抯 wrong with you guys?  We can抰 lose this!!  Do you hear me?  Get your butts in gear!  Don抰 you give up now!!?and on and on and on.  It was completely out of character for her and for our team. I had to waste valuable time to get her to calm down so that I could tell the team what I thought would win the match.  Jeeeeeeze.   I抦 sure Mary was trying to be a leader, but wasn't her natural role on our team, and that抯 not what the team needed at that point.  In other words, she didn抰 think before she spoke and, in my opinion, did the team more harm than good.  

The point here:  sometimes the needs of your team dictate your role.  Sometimes a quite person will be asked to lead the team, and sometimes a normally vocal person will be asked to remain calm.  It抯 always 揟eam First, Me Second.? 

(3) Does your coach want you to be a team leader?  
Some coaches prefer the players to do most of the motivation for the team.  Some coaches want to do most of it themselves.  When I'm a head coach, I plan on doing all the motivational work until I discover players who can help me with it.  Hey, and if those players exist, THAT扴 GREAT, I sure can use them!!! However, before they implement their idea, I'd like for them to talk it over with me.    Cindy, before you do too much, try to find out how much control your coach wants to have.  

Remember the team of nine seniors?  Well, the next season the team was, of course, inexperienced and scared.  To make our season even more challenging, the team was also extremely quiet and bashful.  (Yep, that was a change!)  Then one of the 3 seniors, Sonya, came to me saying, 揑 can抰 stand this!!  I want to try to be a leader, a motivator.  Do you think I can do it?? Sonya had had so many childhood illnesses & setbacks that I had been scared to keep her on our freshman team 3 years earlier!  She had also been about as introverted a middle school kid as you will ever meet.  Well, I told her, 揋o for it and we抣l see what happens.? BOOM, she became the 揚ied Piper?on the team, leading not only by her words, but by her play, her effort, her cheerfulness and enthusiasm.  I don抰 remember her ever getting angry; but she encouraged the younger & the weaker players constantly.  The team RESPONDED, going undefeated in the conference, and she was named Conference Player Of The Year.  It was stunning.  I抳e never been involved in a similar situation.  Sonya was the major reason for our successful season.  Looking back, I could have said, 揘o, I need you to be quiet.  I抣l handle the motivation of the team.? What a mistake that would have been!!  

One more idea!    Before you try to step up and be a vocal leader, here抯 some more information that may help you!   I've had seniors, like Sonya, who were incredible leaders.  The team would follow them into the interstate if she had told them to do so!  Leaders like this are few and far between.  If you抮e not one of them, then you抮e normal!   Don抰 worry about it!  Don抰 force it!!   But, on the other extreme, I've also had seniors, like Mary, who disrupted the team.  And I think we抳e all had teammates whose constant talking & chattering irritated the team or was just ignored.  You'll know after a few weeks how the team is responding to you.  If you discover that your team is not responding to your attempts at leadership, remember, that抯 normal.  You must stop.  

But if you discover that they are responding to you, here are two pieces of advice:
I)   Praise & encourage often!!   The more you do that, the more impact it will have!!  We all like to be praised!!  I heard a coach say 揑抳e never had enough praise.  And I抳e never given out enough?  
II)   Fuss as little as possible!!    On the other hand, the less you fuss, the more impact your fussing will have.  It's true.  Remember how those childhood teachers and coaches who fussed the least, also had greatest impact when they did?  Yep.  So, don抰 overdo it!  Try to limit yourself to two speeches a week and maybe only one display of  anger/irritation a month!    Then, when your teammates see your emotion, they抣l know that you抮e serious!   

~~~~~~~~~

OK, finally, for all this typing, I'd like for you to visit me at www.coachhouser.com.  Please check out the 2011 volleyball camps that have already been scheduled.  On Dec 1st, I will start awarding camps to all the new hosts!  We've directed 18 the past 2 summers, and this coming summer will be the most fun yet!  

Have a great season!  
Coach Houser