This article is republished with permission. The original article appears at Peak Performance Sport

By Patrick Cohn

One point at a time… one set at a time… one match at a time.

How many times in your athletic career have you heard a coach, player, teammate, commentator or parent mention the previous mantra?

As a volleyball player, you know you should be focused on one point at a time.

You know that the only way to play at your peak is when you are fully immersed in the current point.

If every volleyball player understands the importance of focusing “one point at a time”, then why do so many players have difficulty with this type of focus?

There are a few reasons why some volleyball players have difficulty maintaining a “one point at a time” focus:

1. You are constantly being bombarded by distractions that can hurt your focus.

Your mind can wander during a match hundreds of times while you are attempting to play. Some distractions are external, but most are internal distractions…

Your internal voice is constantly reminding you of past mistakes, bad matches, the importance of this match, how tired you feel, how sore your hip is, who you may be playing in the next round, what your coach might say to you after the match, etc.

2. You may not be consciously aware of what you are focusing on.

If you are not consciously aware of what you are focusing on and how that focus affects your game, it becomes almost impossible to stay focused on the right things that will help you play optimally in the moment.

3. You may never have devoted any time or training towards improving your focus.

Focusing is a mental skill and skills require practice. Even the most technically-sound athletes continue to practice their technique.

That repetition is what makes those athletes great. If you want to have improved focused, then you need to train your focus.

If you want to consistently play your best, then you need to have a sound mental game, in particular, a “one point at a time” focus.

University of Nebraska senior, Kenzie Maloney, talks the talk and walks the walk when it comes to focus.

Nebraska beat Maryland in dominating fashion 25-13, 25-10, 25-18 with Maloney leading the way with three aces and 11 digs.

Even though Nebraska ended its regular season on an eight-match winning streak, Maloney still preaches that there is only one path to success in the post season and that is by focusing one point at a time.

MALONEY: “You can’t really look ahead to the final four even thought that’s our goal. I think it’s just focusing on first round, second round, and then taking it point by point and really focusing on the opponent at hand instead of looking so far ahead.”

Focusing on the present moment is where peak performance can be achieved… so roll up your sleeves and get to work on your FOCUS game!

How to Have a “One Point At A Time” Focus

1. Identify what you should focus on during a single point given your role on the team. What performance cues help you on the court?
2. Be aware of the thoughts and game situations that pull you away from fully focusing on the current point.
3. Fully immerse yourself into the current point–one play or touch at a time. Does anything else matter when playing?
4. When you notice you’re distracted, refocus on the current point in the match.

Awareness is a key step in developing laser “one point at a time” focus.

This article was provided by The Junior Volleyball Association

By Mary Gonring (Bizzie)

A volleyball coach is all too familiar with the dread that can affect a player in serve receive during a tight match. Coaches see it on the athlete’s face and the athlete certainly feels it.  The face seems to be saying, “Please, don’t serve it to me. I can’t pass it.”

Now picture a serve receive drill during practice in which everyone gets to serve and to pass. How often do you see that look of dread? Hardly ever. In both instances, though, the task and skill are the exact same – serve receive. So why does this become more challenging in games?

This is the difference between an anxious player and a confident player. Anxiety happens when our thoughts drift from positive and realistic to negative and imaginary. Simply, we start to convince ourselves that we do not have the skills to complete the task at hand.

Go back to the thoughts of the anxious players in serve receive during a tight match, “I can’t pass it.” Their confidence is so low, they are convinced their passing skill suddenly has been taken from them, even though it is the same skill they have demonstrated hundreds of times in practice! And as coaches and players know, this anxious mindset is not restricted to serve receive; it also occurs, for instance, when serving during close matches, and in general for athletes struggling overall to perform well; what is commonly known as a “slump.”

Is it possible, then, for an athlete to feel confident in these instances as well?  Of course it is.

When an athlete’s perceived skill level matches the perceived challenge at hand, then the athlete is confident. For instance, in the first example, confident athletes would see a serve receive pass as a simple task, and view their serve receive skill as high. They know the serve can be passed.

How does an athlete get to this confident state? By changing his or her mindset.

Here are 3 ways to instill confidence in your athletes:

• Encourage Positive Self Talk: Most anxiety stems from the things we say to ourselves. In order to feel confident, an athlete needs to reject negative thoughts when they occur (I’m going to miss my next serve), and turn the negative thoughts into realistic and positive thoughts (I know how to serve and I’m going to make it).
• Have Your Athletes Write Down Positive Thoughts: Athletes can work on confidence simply by physically writing out things they tend to say to themselves during matches that are negative, crossing those out and writing the positive version of those thoughts instead. For instance, “I can’t pass this serve” becomes “I will pass this serve.”   Then, in practices and games, this thought-changing process becomes habit, with the mind “crossing out” the negative thought.
• Give Specific, Positive Feedback: Coaches can help the confidence process by giving players specific, positive feedback. Point out the things that all players are doing well by telling them specifically what you saw them do well. A general phrase such as “nice hitting” can be improved by saying, “That was a really nice swing”. A negative phrase such as “Don’t drop your elbow when you serve” can be improved by saying “Make sure to keep your elbow high”. These more positive phrases help athletes achieve greater confidence on the court.

For related reading on mental toughness and mental training, click HERE. For additional reading for coaches click HERE.

About the Author

Mary Gonring (Bizzie) has been around the game of volleyball for 17 years. She played 8 years of club volleyball for Milwaukee Sting Volleyball Club, 4 years of high school volleyball for Dominican High School, and 4 years of college volleyball for NCAA DII Assumption College. She holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology, with a concentration in Sports Psychology, from Boston University.  Currently, Bizzie is the assistant coach for Milwaukee Sting 12 Gold and works full time as a school therapist. She also works as a mental performance consultant for athletes striving to improve their total athletic outcomes. In her spare time, Bizzie loves to watch sports, eat pizza, and hang out with friends in Milwaukee. To contact Bizzie about your team email her at [email protected]

This article can also be found on Coaches Toolbox, a collection of free resources for coaches of all sports

Every coach would like their players to perform better in the clutch.

One of the things we must first recognize that performing in pressure situation is a skill that can be practiced.

You can coach your players to be better in the big moments.

As coaches, we can help them if we embrace some of the many things that we have learned in the field of sports psychology.

In the video below, renowned sport performance expert Chris Stankovich reveals proven techniques and strategies to help players stay tough and deliver in the clutch.