Team Sprit and Momentum

[Karl]

I was searching around about team sprit and momentum I came across a few conversations on the subject but mainly the conversations were not developed and opinion was not present.

I found a quote, "If you’re played or coached volleyball for any length of time, you know that it is a game of momentum."

Personally, I think the momentum of a team is one of the most difficult things to combat. During a game the only way to really fight the momentum that the other team has got is basically to side out every time you have serve receive. I know it is an obvious statement, but that's all it really takes. A team can just stop the other team from getting several points in a row, when you focus on just play each point as if it’s the game point.

Never forget the game is all a state of mind. Once a team is 5-6 points ahead many players think it’s over, this is the real problem. Allowing the other team to win is really your choice and not a matter of fact!

Mental toughness is a player’s ability to block out other influences and focus on the game.

What do you think?

Is this, in your opinion, true?

How can you defend against it?

How can you use it to your advantage?

[strazzere]

Originally Posted by Karl

I was searching around about team sprit and momentum I came across a few conversations on the subject but mainly the conversations were not developed and opinion was not present.

I found a quote, "If you’re played or coached volleyball for any length of time, you know that it is a game of momentum."

Personally, I think the momentum of a team is one of the most difficult things to combat. During a game the only way to really fight the momentum that the other team has got is basically to side out every time you have serve receive. I know it is an obvious statement, but that's all it really takes. A team can just stop the other team from getting several points in a row, when you focus on just play each point as if it’s the game point.

Never forget the game is all a state of mind. Once a team is 5-6 points ahead many players think it’s over, this is the real problem. Allowing the other team to win is really your choice and not a matter of fact!

Mental toughness is a player’s ability to block out other influences and focus on the game.

What do you think?

Is this, in your opinion, true?

How can you defend against it?

How can you use it to your advantage?

Volleyball is a very mental game, making momentum a very powerful tool.

The key I find, is run the game at your teams pace. If your team runs a fast game - keep it running fast, don't try to slow down or go faster than they like. This could mean, keep passes low - don't take a year to serve, fast substitutions.

A way to slow the game down (kill momentum for some teams) is taking your time to serve. Slower substitutions, "oh... uhmm - line up check... are you sure? shouldn't #4 be here and #6 there? oh, ok thanks ref! I got lost!" and the most obvious - a time out.

We use momentum to our advantage - you can get your team pumped up with it, keep them loud and happy. They will think less, meaning they are thinking less about bad things - and are just plain pumped. Momentum usually means adrenaline too.

[mycena]

Well, I know about momentum being killed in the middle of a game. It seems like our (Air Diney and NERT are on my team) team is pretty cerebral when we are on the court. We have a bad habit of getting psyched out basically.

For us the momentum of the game has to be kept high and a lot of what seems to help is chatter. I know that often if I am not into the game I don't gab as much on the court and our play sometimes reflects my lack of enthusiasm. However, If I force myself to talk the entire game it helps keep everyone else in it too. I basically talk the entire time, "Here it comes, over, deep, short, get up there!" Just to give an idea. And it seems to work for our team. I think I am the one who usually ends up in the position to do the talking because I am the most vocal to begin with AND I'm kind of loud.

Otherwise We have to start wagering beer. Every service fault is a round you have to buy!

[Outta Town]

The loss of momentum is like quicksand( to borrow the phrase from the movie The Replacements) when you stuggle to stop the other teams momentum. The more you struggle, the deeper you get and with rally score, it is hard to over come a bunch of points against you. Happened last night. I was setting. I set my big guy in the middle, no kill when he hit it long. Next hitter hit wide. Next hitter also hit a roll shot wide. I set everyone on the court including back row, male and female and we could not get the ball down or into the court. We got so far down that we just could not wait for that game to end. And it was the last match of our indoor season. Not a good way to go out with a bang.

[NewEnglandRT]

Originally Posted by mycena

Well, I know about momentum being killed in the middle of a game. It seems like our (Air Diney and NERT are on my team) team is pretty cerebral when we are on the court. We have a bad habit of getting psyched out basically.

For us the momentum of the game has to be kept high and a lot of what seems to help is chatter. I know that often if I am not into the game I don't gab as much on the court and our play sometimes reflects my lack of enthusiasm. However, If I force myself to talk the entire game it helps keep everyone else in it too. I basically talk the entire time, "Here it comes, over, deep, short, get up there!" Just to give an idea. And it seems to work for our team. I think I am the one who usually ends up in the position to do the talking because I am the most vocal to begin with AND I'm kind of loud.

Otherwise We have to start wagering beer. Every service fault is a round you have to buy!

You talk on the court?

Yeah, I'm a headcase and momentums best friend or worst enemy depending on which side I'm on

[BHitterDPasser]

Originally Posted by mycena

Otherwise We have to start wagering beer. Every service fault is a round you have to buy!

You do this???