As you get ready to start this season and review why you and your team failed to achieve the volleyball results you wanted last year I think it’s important to take some lessons from America’s finest. A lesson that can make us better coaches plus a better mentor as we impart this important knowledge onto our players as a valuable life lesson.
This summer 2016 I worked with a number of different high school coaches who were not satisfied with last year’s results and who understood failure started with themselves. Ownership and accountability started with them as the leader and coach. The reason the team was not successful was because of them! I believe that in order to improve you must believe that something is wrong and it is within your power to fix it.
To many coaches blame the players, the parents, the school administration, the lack of resources, whatever vs. taking ownership / accountability that the reason the team sucks or that they did not have the results they wanted is because they were not skilled enough or did not do a god job!
The value of this is not only an empowered mindset which allows for change and growth. It results in a pursuit for answers to fix the problem! Ultimately the result is a “Growth Mindset” and the coach works to become better and pursue the answers to getting betters.
Too often leaders blame others and in no place is this more apparent than in South Africa, my place of birth. Last year I lived in South Africa for 4 months as I pursued my goals of playing in the Olympics. During that time I got to see face to face the stark difference between ownership and accountability vs. blaming everyone else.
You see Volleyball South Africa (VSA) is the complete polar opposite of United States Volleyball (USAV). The politics of VSA leaders is always to blame others and take zero accountability for mistakes. By contrast USAV leaders accept responsibility for mistakes and take those mistakes as an opportunity to grow. The result is volleyball is dying in one country and thriving in another.
I think this video brings home some of the reason why leaders (Like the leaders of VSA) don’t take ownership. Reasons like they will look weak or lose respect.
At Volleyball1on1 by contrast we believe that showing vulnerability and humility is the foundation of trust and thus the foundation of a team. (See article 1 of 5 from the 5 Dysfunctions of a team)
During our Volleyball1on1 Summer Camps we help coaches and players develop a culture of ownership and accountability. A culture of vulnerability and humility. If you are looking for tools to improve your team culture contact Andor Gyulai and see if it makes sense to run a Volleyball1on1 Summer Camp at your school, club or college.
