Along with volleyball skills, there are key traits that coaches should consider as they evaluate players in preseason tryouts. Terry Liskevych, a three-time USA Olympic coach who also coached collegiately at Ohio State, University of Pacific and Oregon State, pays close attention to these three in particular:
- Effort – Are they giving 100 percent in every drill from start to finish, or does their effort change based on the score or which players they are teamed with?
- Attitude – Lots to consider here, including:
- How do they react to a mistake, a bad play by the team or a lost game or drill?
- Is winning each drill or scrimmage important to them? You want athletes who are competitive, not flatliner players who are continually on cruise control.
- Are they leaders? For instance, after a bad play, do they get everybody together, look them in the eyes and say, "Let's get the next one!" Or do they look down at the floor and say nothing?
- Are they focused and making eye contact when the coach is talking?
- Do they ask good questions?
- Do they really "hear" what the coach is saying, then do it on the court?
- Work ethic – Similar to effort, but this involves a day in and day out mindset. It's important to have players who show up every day in practice and want to do what it takes to get a little better. Over the course of the season, it can be challenging to maintain a strong work ethic, but it's a quality that separates great players from players who are average
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