1st Place Volleyball April 2010 : Page 8

your game If you have the passion and the desire to achieve more with your game, then get ready, suit up and make it happen! Our passions and desires often lead us to our dreams. Unfortunately, many are as passion- ate about a dream as can be, but don’t have a clue as to how to make it a reality. That’s true of sports like volleyball as well as life in general. Having a dream is nice, but having a goal for achieving that dream and a plan to back it up is even better yet, making our chances far more possible. Begin By Visualizing Your Success Many people have found that the more they vi- sualize what they desire to do, to be, to accom- plish, the more they achieve. When you spend time visualizing, you begin to identify the little steps required; the details needed to actually make a dream a reality. Time and again athletes that competed in the 2008 Olympics related how they had conceived and visualized goals for the dreams they had hoped to reach. Take Your Game? Irene Dunlap, author of numerous “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books  Bruce Powers, TCA Volleyball Steve Aird, TCA Volleyball How Far Do You Want to Michael Phelps dreamt of winning, then, he vi- sualized the most minute details of technique and worked towards perfecting that technique, always working on small detailed goals to move toward the bigger goal. He literally imagined himself racing. The 2008 USA Men’s Olympic Indoor Volleyball Team also thought it was possible to win gold. The team had bought into a dream by creating a plan and then going on a mission to accomplish it. They described the time and energy they took to develop a plan that would help them bring the gold home. Without a map – you are LOST! The man whom most would say is the best ever in the sport of volleyball launched his dream by defi ning goals years before achieving them. Misty May-Treanor and KerriWalsh Olympic Gold Karch Kiraly Olympic Gold Courtney Thompson National Championship Todd Rogers Olympic Gold 8 Phenom | April 2010 Whether you are just about to enter or are cur- rently in high school, or a collegiate athelte look- ing at your future, once you visualize yourself achieving a goal, and you decide to pursue that goal or dream, you’ll need a blueprint – a guide– to be your steady compass, your inspiration and your own personalized map for success. That’s what the best of the best have done – and not just in volleyball, but in every area of life. And your personal blueprint begins with you setting a series of goals and then mapping out how you are going to achieve them. To Begin Setting Goals, You’ll Need to Answer Some Questions There are many formulas for goal setting. For a basic overview of how goal setting works, you can begin by applying these 7 basic steps to your life: 1. Fix in your mind exactly what you want; be defi nite with your plans. Be specifi c as to ex- actly what you want and write it down. (I will receive a scholarship to ABC University; I will be an All-American at JO’s. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Determine exactly what you plan to give and what you will sacrifi ce for your goal. Anything worthwhile in life comes with a price. Put a timeline on your goal. Be exact with your date. ( ie: I want to make the Junior na- tional team by X date, month, year) Create a defi nitive plan: What you need to do and when it needs to be done. Who or what do you need to support you and your goal? Do those things. If you miss a goal, re-set it for another date, or revise it based on what you have learned. Find a mentor, someone that has already reached a similar goal like yours and if pos- sible, ask for their advice and guidance. Place your written goal where you can see it. (On your mirror, in your binder) Put up pic- tures that remind you of your goal. Read your statement aloud before bed and when you wake up. “I’ve always had very high expectations, very big dreams. When I fi rst started playing volleyball I loved it from the very fi rst time I touched the ball. I was bitten immediately and I started getting better and loving it more and more. To get where I ultimately wanted to go, I knew I’d need to work my butt off. So I set up my expectations and I set goals. I put myself on path and I challenged myself to aspire to new levels.” Kerri Walsh

How Far Do You Want To Take Your Game?

If you have the passion and the desire to achieve more with your game, then get ready, suit up and make it happen! Our passions and desires often lead us to our dreams. Unfortunately, many are as passionate about a dream as can be, but don’t have a clue as to how to make it a reality. That’s true of sports like volleyball as well as life in general. Having a dream is nice, but having a goal for achieving that dream and a plan to back it up is even better yet, making our chances far more possible. Begin By Visualizing Your Success Many people have found that the more they visualize what they desire to do, to be, to accomplish, the more they achieve. When you spend time visualizing, you begin to identify the little steps required; the details needed to actually make a dream a reality. Time and again athletes that competed in the 2008 Olympics related how they had conceived and visualized goals for the dreams they had hoped to reach. Michael Phelps dreamt of winning, then, he visualized the most minute details of technique and worked towards perfecting that technique, always working on small detailed goals to move toward the bigger goal. He literally imagined himself racing. The 2008 USA Men’s Olympic Indoor Volleyball Team also thought it was possible to win gold. The team had bought into a dream by creating a plan and then going on a mission to accomplish it. They described the time and energy they took to develop a plan that would help them bring the gold home. Without a map – you are LOST! The man whom most would say is the best ever in the sport of volleyball launched his dream by defi ning goals years before achieving them. Whether you are just about to enter or are currently in high school, or a collegiate athelte looking at your future, once you visualize yourself achieving a goal, and you decide to pursue that goal or dream, you’ll need a blueprint – a guide– to be your steady compass, your inspiration and your own personalized map for success. That’s what the best of the best have done – and not just in volleyball, but in every area of life. And your personal blueprint begins with you setting a series of goals and then mapping out how you are going to achieve them. To Begin Setting Goals, You’ll Need to Answer Some Questions There are many formulas for goal setting. For a basic overview of how goal setting works, you can begin by applying these 7 basic steps to your life: “I’ve always had very high expectations, very big dreams. When I fi rst started playing volleyball I loved it from the very fi rst time I touched the ball. I was bitten immediately and I started getting better and loving it more and more. To get where I ultimately wanted to go, I knew I’d need to work my butt off. So I set up my expectations and I set goals. I put myself on path and I challenged myself to aspire to new levels.” Kerri Walsh How Far Do You Want to Take Your Game? Fix in your mind exactly what you want; be defi nite with your plans. Be specifi c as to exactly what you want and write it down. (I will receive a scholarship to ABC University; I will be an All-American at JO’s. Determine exactly what you plan to give and what you will sacrifi ce for your goal. Anything worthwhile in life comes with a price. Put a timeline on your goal. Be exact with your date. ( ie: I want to make the Junior national team by X date, month, year) Create a defi nitive plan: What you need to do and when it needs to be done. Who or what do you need to support you and your goal? Do those things. If you miss a goal, re-set it for another date, or revise it based on what you have learned. Find a mentor, someone that has already reached a similar goal like yours and if possible, ask for their advice and guidance. Place your written goal where you can see it. (On your mirror, in your binder) Put up pictures that remind you of your goal. Read your statement aloud before bed and when you wake up. The More Thorough the Plan, the Better the Outcome Will Likely Be To set and follow through with goals, the more in depth you go into assessing your skill level and looking at other commitments, like your outside interests and your relationships, the stronger the possibility is that you won’t fi nd yourself sabotaged along the way. Consider who you depend on to help get where you are going. None of us achieve greatness on our own. Others are always part of the picture, whether they are on our immediate team, a role model or a fan. Your Team: You need people that are invested in your journey. People that support you with their time, money and knowledge. Coaches, parents, teachers and friends play a signifi cant part in your successes and accomplishments. If you don’t have a personal team, create one, and learn to appreciate them. Mentors and Role Models: Skills, techniques, strategies and tactics can all be picked up on and applied to your goal by observing others. If you see how a skill is done and then do your best to approximate what you saw, you’ll learn faster than if you were simply told how to do it. Role models can also be examples of behavior. So, keep an eye out for people who pique your interest: A person that models what you aspire to be. Pay attention to their journey. How do they handle themselves when things get tough? How do they handle defeat and setbacks? You will learn volumes if you watch a role model encounter different situations, and then observe their reactions and responses to them. Be Aware of Other Commitments and Interests One thing you don’t want or need to happen is for something that is important to you to confl ict with another commitment. Let’s say you are a member of a music group because on top of being a talented volleyball player, you are also a musician. Make sure that you are clear about how much time you can give to each and not have one cause confl icts with the other. Also, if there are important dates coming up for you, such as prom or an event like a wedding, make sure you get the dates on your calendar along with your volleyball schedule as soon as possible to avoid being let down or having to let others down at the last minute. When that happens, it can throw your relationships off balance and a domino effect can result in drama and disappointment that no one needs. Begin to Journal If you don’t hold yourself accountable in athletics, how are you going to get better? To become a more successful athlete, student, and person it is very important to utilize the skill of self-assessment. Self-assessment helps you to objectively review your strengths and weakness. Many people will wander through life without doing so, and thus set themselves up for being mediocre in many areas of their lives. One of the most time-tested, results-oriented ways of achieving this is through journaling. Journaling helps us stay focused and chart our progress. When we spend a few minutes on a regular basis to refl ect on our progress as well as to assess whether or not we’ve fallen short of any of our smaller goals, we stay on track. Create a “Blueprint” to Help You Build Your Dream For much of the past decade, thousands of club players around the country have utilized an exclusive program that has helped them create their own plan for achieving their dreams, on and off of the court. Designed specifi cally for people that are looking to become a better player, an accomplished athlete, and have a balanced and successful personal life, the Blueprint of a Champion athlete workbook has helped hundreds of players do just that as well as to attain college scholarships to play at top universities. As a complete guide to goal setting, it is uniquely structured to be personalized by you; and thus to become your personal set of plans. Soon to be available to all players nationwide this summer 2010, the Blueprint of a Champion will include bits of wisdom and advice exclusive to this program shared by some of volleyball’s greatest players such as Karch Kiraly, Misty May-Treanor, Todd Rogers, Kerri Walsh, Phil Dalhausser and more. The Blueprint also guides you in evaluating and balancing the various roles you play, and competing interests that vie for your time and attention. So you explore not only your athletic skills, but also discover things that impact your life so you can discern the right path to continue on and discover which choices will be best persued and which to leave for another day or time. If you’re serious about becoming the best you can be on the court and in life, take it from the champions that have paved the way and utilized these strategies to achieve their personal dreams. In the words of Courtney Thompson, a national champion: “The only thing you can completely control is yourself, your effort and your improvement. If you do everything you can to become the very best that you can be, you are a champion. That’s what it’s all about.” The Blueprint of a Champion program is slated for availability this summer 2010. If you’d like to be notifi ed regarding the release and availability of the program, log onto www.blueprintofachampion. com and click “Keep Me Updated.”

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