#NODAYSOFF: The life of a DI Volleyball Player

           Week 5: Step Your Game Up by Becoming a TEAM 

Jessi Greenberg

Hey y’all. Sorry for the delay in posting. We actually had some time off last week, and I assumed you didn’t want to read four paragraphs about me laying by a pool and eating grilled chicken, although it was tasty. 

Anyway, vacation is over and this week began with a series of volleyball camps here at UK. Although camps take up the majority of our days, my teammates and I have been getting in the gym almost every day to get in extra reps of passing, digging, hitting, etc. As the days fly by, I’ve been getting more and more excited for season to start. Sure I’ve been excited for seasons in the past, but this year already feels different. Our team is basically together at all hours of the day, and with 43 days left until our first home game (not that I’m counting or anything), it’s obvious that this year’s team is unique.

As much as I love talking about my team, I promise there’s a point to this. One of the biggest reasons we made it to the Sweet Sixteen last year was because of our chemistry on AND off the court. No group of individuals can be successful in anything if they can’t work together. Just because you’re wearing the same jersey as 14 other people, doesn’t mean that you are a cohesive unit. So therein lays the big question: How do individuals come together as a team? 

Obviously that is not an easy question to answer, but as a member of UK Volleyball, I can definitely consider myself an expert in the topic. I could write an entire book about this, but for your sake I’ve narrowed it down to a few key elements:



I love my sisters!



9 Keys to Becoming a Successful Team:

1.    Communication – Communicating with your team goes way beyond calling “mine” before you pass a ball. Communication on the court needs to be constant. The more you talk to your teammates, the closer you will become. And when something doesn’t go your way in a game, you will always have that to fall back on.

Our head coach, Craig Skinner!

2.    Honesty – If someone is slacking in practice or making bad decisions off the court, you need to talk to them about it. It’s not always easy to be completely honest with each other, but it’s necessary.

3.    Respect Your Coaches – Let me put it this way, our team voluntarily wants to hang out with our coaches outside of practice and games. That’s love.

4.    Eliminate Drama – When an issue arises  among team members, try to fix it with each other before getting the coaches involved. Dealing with problems on your own brings a team closer together and builds trust (another key element).

5.    Motivate – If you sense the team losing sight of your goal, remind each other what you’re there for. Hard work will pay off.

6.    Have a Leader – A leader is the core of a team. Whether they lead vocally or physically, their actions give everyone else something to believe in.

7.    Include Everyone – Even though there are only six people on the court at one time, every individual matters. Never leave a teammate behind, especially off the court.

8.    Play for Each Other­ - You all share one common goal, so you shouldn’t be thinking about yourself while you play. Your focus should always be “what can I do to help my team win.”

9.    Trust – Teammates should be able to count on each other in every situation. Team = family.



We like each other off the court too. Imagine that!



“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime.” – Babe Ruth