Wheeeee.... Just came back from a 4-hour training session. It was only supposed to be 2 hours, but the coach just kept going at it, and what are we to do? Play on, what else. And the last hour was again extended so that we could play matches against the guy's team. One hour of getting whacked left, right and centre. How fun hor?
Sianz, although I am sort-of improving, a lot more confidence in my game then say, one miserable year ago, I still have a long way to go. The other people are improving at a much faster rate, so i need to step up my game too. *determined look*
I seriously need to do more sprinting. Every week, it's the same complaint from my coach - "Oy Joanne, move faster can or not?" "Eh Joanne, it's not good enough to just swish your arms in the right direction, move your legs as well!"
No idea what I'm talking about? Ok, crash course in volleyball. The normal receiving position is one that involved squatting with your legs apart.
Not just forward spread, but sideways as well. Think big, honking spread-eagle position.
Now, being the conservative and shy me, I'm not in the habit of spreading my legs apart (somehow, that came out wrong). My old coach couldn't break me, let's see the tenacity of this coach. So I tend to squat with my legs close together, butt in the air. As you can imagine, it is not very effective. So the coach will scold and scold and scold. Haiz.
When we played against the guy's team, due to a shortage of girls, my coach joined our team. When I missed a couple of balls due to my obstinance in the spreading-of-legs issue, he threw me a disgusted look after a while. Whoopee. Thanks for making me feel good.
Anyway, my practically dead legs of course caused a lot of problems for the person next to me. Sometimes, the ball is mine, and so since I'm not moving, my team mate has to fly over to cover the area. LOL, can understand her need to cough blood.
Our team's formation is as follows:
See, in my position, I have to rush forward to cover the big hole; I have to cover balls coming in a straight line cos the front player has to get ready for attacks, and of course I have to cover to the right.
But sometimes, I get confused whether the ball should be mine or my team mate's.
If you are a smart opponent, you would know that between us is the weakest link. So people keep attacking and attacking and attacking the same spot. With my dead legs and confused state of mind, I missed damn a lot of balls. Deep, deep sigh.
My greatest asset on the court is my loud and happy attitude. Even when losing, I find something to laugh about. *shrugs* Some people find it comforting, and the opponents get so flustered that they make mistakes. I remember back in Sec 3 when we faced the top team in the division... We felt it was a lost cause. They insulted us by putting their substitute team in. So I played a mind game. I laughed, mocked, refused to die (sub team mah, balls not very difficult to receive). I outshouted them, blocked their players' view (it's legal) and laughed and laughed and laughed. They lost that set. Their coach turned livid and immediately put on the first team. We lost eventually, but I'd never forget that feeling of superiority. Even if it's for stupid reasons.
So confidence is very important on the court. Not so much your skills, but how much you believe in yourself. If you think the ball would go over, it would. So when lambasted and criticised by my coach, I wilted like a wallflower. My balls went from bad to worse. Oy Vy.
What I've come to realise is that I cannot think on the court. Thinking and brooding and feeling hurt is bad. So throw the brains away for a sec. Don't get emotional. Accept the directions like a robot. That way, I keep up my cheerful disposition, my confidence isn't shaken, and I can play decently.
Bye bye brain, hello subconscious movements. Let the rhythm take over. Thinking bad. Moving good. *grunt*
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