Re: Am I missing the point?

Thanks for the snippy remarks. Maybe you forget that ultimately, I am
responsible for what goes on with the team, and if the administrators
don't like something, it's on my head. While this may be seemingly
innocuous, I'm not taking a chance. I have my livelihood as a teacher
and coach to think about.

The bottom line is that this is a team that makes lots of noises about
being better but doesn't make many positive moves towards that goal.
This *is* about the kids. I don't think that we would ever say that we
should *study* like rock stars, since that makes no sense at all.
Volleyball is no different in this regard.

IMHO, this is a learning experience about setting a goal and figuring
out what it takes to make it happen. As i said, it's a tough
assignment at our school in all areas.


On Aug 18, 10:35 pm, Bill Shatzer <bshatze...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Yas_sensei wrote:
I coach a high school varsity program in Colorado. My school is known
for an overall indifferent attitude which permeates the athletic,
academic, and artistic programs here. This is my second season as head
coach at this school, where the team has gone no better than 6-13 for
at least five years.

I'm a very competitive person. I look at everything as a challenge. I
get the impression that my players don't see life the same way. Here's
an example: I gave them the opportunity to suggest a slogan for the
back of our t-shirts that I'm ordering. They wanted the shirts to read
"Play like Rock Stars," a suggestion that I chose to reject, simply
because "play like rock stars" says *nothing* about what it takes to
be competitive. My players said they think that rock stars go fast
24/7, forgetting that the 24/7 has absolutely no focus and no goal.
So, I'm wondering, am I missing the point or are they? How do you
fight an attitude that is this pevasive?

Maybe they're tired of playing for a coach who solicits their input and
then trashes their ideas because they don't meet YOUR expectations?

I don't know anything about the dynamics of your team situation but I do
know that unless they came up with something obscene or pejorative, you
should go with what THEY want, not what you want. They are the ones who
need to "take ownership" of the slogan, not you.

Remember, ultimately it's for the kids, not for you. No matter how
competitive you might be.

'Sides, playing like a rock star is not a bad idea. Rock stars practice
extensively, devote considerable effort to their performance, and
ultimately excel at what they do. Your players could have come up with
considerably worse.

Cheers,


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