How to Get Your Volleyball Team Pumped Up

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When it comes to sports, one of the best ways to improve a team’s performance on the field is through motivation. If you’re curious about this, you might wonder how to get your volleyball team pumped up and what the benefits are.

How to Get Your Volleyball Team Pumped Up

It may take more than physical training to improve your team’s performance. This is because if the players are unmotivated, they may not perform as expected, resulting in a loss. This can send a team into a losing streak where they could worsen by the day.

An image of players that are very happy

This is why it is important to pump up your team and motivate them every day, not only after a match. When a team is motivated by their goals and their desire to win, they are prone to perform better, both individually and as a team.

Also, the coach is not always in charge of motivating the team; some players (especially the captain) can also pump up their teammates and increase their desire to win the game. As a result, everyone on the team should understand how to do it correctly.

Use an Intrinsic Motivation

This type of motivation is based on each player’s internal desires or his internal environment. This environment inspired the player to start playing volleyball in the first place. It is also the one that drives him to improve every day and achieve his objectives.

As a result, motivating the player in such an environment is far more effective than encouraging the player with external elements. For example, although you could motivate them by promising a gift if they win the game, this will not satisfy their desire to win and succeed.

To do this correctly, you must inspire players to perform at a high level. Give them a motivational speech in which you tell them they have the potential to become elite players. Always emphasize that all of them are capable of making sports history.

Improve Your Team’s Chemistry

You should pay attention to how the players interact with one another. If training sessions are too stressful, players do not get along, or conflicts among them, their motivation to play can suffer greatly.

Conflicts can cause players to lose love for the team, pushing them to become selfish. If this happens, it will be noticeable on the court during game actions. Although it may sound simple, this can break down a team completely, causing it to lose many games.

There could be many reasons for this, though one solution could be as simple as more interactive and dynamic training. It can, however, be complicated, and you will have to take drastic measures against problematic and uninspired players.

Stop Seeing Failure as Something Bad

An important foundation for motivation is to stop seeing failure as a step backward. On the contrary, failures as a team serve to improve and reach a much higher level. In the same way, personal failures make the player grow and evolve.

As a result, if you are a coach and you overemphasize the importance of not losing, your players’ performance will suffer. Not only will they be unable to evolve, yet they will also be concerned about failing, making them more prone to failure.

An image of players being emotional

Here you can see the benefits of failure.

  • Allows players to identify what they need to change. Failing often means that they are not a hundred percent developed in that area yet. Therefore, they can put extra work into that.
  • Allows players to grow mentally. Sometimes failure happens because things just don’t go your way. This can teach players to manage their emotions and continue improving their game. If not, they could get frustrated and get stuck.
  • Allows players to stop being scared of losing. There is no way to improve if they are nervous and scared before every match; therefore, they must let go of that fear.
  • Allows them to build a character. Sometimes what a player needs to reach their full potential is to start being more assertive and confident. Failure can help them to become more determined and sure of their actions.

Celebrate Good Occasions

Celebrating your team’s triumphs will allow your players to unwind and appreciate their efforts. These occasions can include birthdays, accomplishments, or good behavior. You can even do it for no apparent reason – gathering for a nice dinner doesn’t have to be difficult.

Of course, you must remember that there must be hard work before each celebration. If there are players who are not meeting all expectations, you should talk to them and resolve the situation as soon as possible.

Recognize That Not Everyone Is Motivated in the Same Way

Even though most players get pumped up after hearing a good motivational speech, not all are the same. You need to understand that some players might have different goals than others. For example, maybe one player doesn’t have many intrinsic motivations.

In this case, you should look for that player’s inspirations and figure out what motivates him to play in the first place. If you can’t find this motivation, you’ll need to consider what your team wants as a whole and whether or not this player fits into that mindset.

Players are not always mentally prepared to be part of a team. If this is the case, no matter how good he is, he will not fit in with your team.

Work on the Little Details

When I think of motivating a team, I always think of doing it as a group, giving everyone a motivational talk and inspiring them as a team. While this is fine, you should go further and motivate them individually.

An image of players motivating one another

Being aware of their achievements, their efforts, listening to their problems, and giving them advice all help the motivation and morale of each player. You must remember that your teammates are human and deserve to be listened to and cared for.

Show them that you believe in them and that they have the potential to go further and further. Lastly, let them know that their achievements depend solely on themselves, no one else. If they want to achieve everything they dream of, they must work for it.

Related Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about pumping up your volleyball team.

What Can I Say to Motivate an Athlete?

To motivate a player with words, you need to talk about their goals, dreams, and competitiveness.  Although it might sound cliché initially, it can awaken the players’ innate desire to win.

Talking about how they will be able to succeed if they put enough effort always works. However, you must investigate and develop a detailed speech for your team.  After all, all teams are different.

How Do You Pump up a Nervous Player?

Changing their mindset is a simple way to accomplish this. Although motivating a nervous player may be more difficult, it all boils down to the mind. These players should warm up with yoga, listen to calming music, or go for a walk before the game.

If these actions do not seem to be effective, they should seek professional assistance from a psychologist.

Conclusion

Motivating your team is one of the most important aspects of winning a match. After all, no matter how good your team is, it will fail if it is unmotivated. As a result, whether you are a coach or a player, you must be ready to assist and motivate your teammates at all times.

Alfonso Andrade is an avid sportsman, growing up playing soccer and volleyball. He is a coach and sports analyst, studying the game to analyze performance and help create improvement.