Using Music to Motivate
Posted on Dec 05, 2007 under Mental Game |At the higher levels of volleyball, learning and skills become automatic, and it is hard to get players over the hump of the daily practice routine. Many players will play without emotion or spunk during the middle of the season when workouts seem to become monotonous. One way to tap into the emotional reserve of your players is to incorporate things that make them feel good and that they enjoy. For many teenagers, music defines a lot of who they are and how they feel. It is an external expression of who they are. Music can evoke the entire spectrum of emotions from elated joy to deep sorrow.
Do you remember in the movie “Rocky” when Rocky Balboa was finally able to climb the stairs in a sprint? The music, paired with the feelings of triumph, left an impression so every time you hear the “Rocky” theme you get goose bumps. Ask your players to make a tape of music that makes them feel good or inspired, and let them play it certain times during practice (warm up, cool down or repetitive drills where there is no need for a lot of instruction) or before matches. Hopefully, the music will evoke positive emotions in your players and inspire them to a higher level of effort on the court. Your players will feel as though they have contributed something to the practice, and you’ll be surprised at what a bounce it will put in their step!