Practice Makes Perfect
You may have heard the old adage, “practice makes perfect”, but have you really looked into its full implications? It’s not just that practicing helps you during game day. Practicing regularly also works as a way to hone your mind and muscles. Your body gets muscle-memory that comes into play directly during game day. Your mind begins to see patterns and anticipate them before they come into play.
But it’s not just about muscle-memory, athletic toning, and experience on the court. Did you know practice also extends to actual games, and seasons? Consider someone who is new to the team, and has yet to finish their first season. Don’t they have a lot to learn? Stamina doesn’t just start on the court. It extends through multiple games and multiple meets across many months and years.
Elder Wisdom
There is an old adage you may have heard: “The master has failed more than the beginner has even tried.” What does that mean? Does it mean the master of something is bad at what he or she does? No. It indicates that there’s a learning curve to mastery which will involve failure.
You have to learn how to deal with failure, transcend failure, and turn that failure into experience which results in ultimate success. Professional volleyball players have lost more games than beginner volleyball players have even played. Anything worth doing takes time and effort, and part of that requires pushing past obstacles that aren’t just physical, they are mental and emotional.
Preparing The Right Way
This doesn’t mean everything has to be an uphill climb, however. One thing masters quickly learn is how to overcome and avoid tiny pitfalls that are unnecessary. You’re going to quickly learn which wardrobe works the best for the court, among other things.
You’ll learn certain activities should be abstained from the night prior a match, and certain activities are to be encouraged. It makes sense to have a healthy breakfast in the morning, and even go for a slight aerobic outing—provided you don’t push yourself too hard. It doesn’t make sense to get hammered and sluggish the night before—that’s supposedly how the Russians lost that famous 80’s hockey match.
One of the smartest things you can do is practice with the right materials, in the right state of mind, with the right amount of health about you. You’ll want to use materials that are up-to-par as well. A volleyball should have the same quotient of inflation that one will have on match day.
The net you use should likewise be taut and secure. Many volleyball apparatuses use six points of contact to secure the net. There are two poles, and each pole has two cables which are secured on the ground. The thing is, this allows the net to be easily loosened, and takes a long time to set up.
Meanwhile, a Cobra volleyball set may just be: “The safest, most durable volleyball net you’ll ever own…” It uses only two points of contact with the ground, and is taut enough that someone can actually suspend themselves from either of the poles without compromising the tautness of the net.
Develop Into The Player You Want To Be
If you want to become a professional volleyball player, you need to practice like the pros, prepare like the pros, and use equipment that is of the highest standard. You want everything to be as it is during game day, but even more difficult. It’s like running with weights to build more muscle for a race. If you’re diligent to practice like the pros, eventually your failure will turn to mastery of the sport.
