Hi. Happy new year! I have a question to ask : when there is such a big power gap in the team, how do we go about trying to mingle with them? Just having a hard time being part of the team.
TL;DR it be like that sometimes, think of the good of the team, keep training
I really empathize with your situations. I was on both sides on this equation and it is not pleasant on either. Iāll assume itās a competitive situation or at least there are some stakes ā itās not just pastime with friends. The answer to this may not please you but I donāt want to pull wool over anyoneās eyes.
You need to see things from the teamās point of view. If you want the best for the team and not just for yourself, you yourself will recognize the situations and matches when you need to step down and let the more experienced teammates handle the situation. They will appreciate it. This only becomes a problem
However, if you yourself are aware of this and act accordingly, it shouldnāt put a strain on your relationship with the team. If there is a power gap, keep improving. Ask your teammates for help, techniques, pointers etc. to show them you are interested in growing as a player and not being the hole in defense.
Iām not sure how big of a power gap youāre talking but it is a possibility youāll always be the weak link, even if you train a lot. I donāt want to discourage you from training, and do continue playing if you enjoy it, but volleyball is a sport where your physique can give you an enormous advantage, and itās as unfair as everything else in the world.
Since I got many questions like these lately, I went around and asked many ex-club players of all levels on how it was for them. They all say the same thing ā they were in the club for the whole time and some of them never got off the bench. They continued practicing because they enjoyed the volleyball but they realized thatās whatās best for the team even if it was frustrating to no end to them.
It was like that for me too at first, even though I literally learned volleyball in an open gym where all levels are welcome. Sometimes I would wander on the court for a higher level game than I was ready for, and I could see the side looks the guys shared. I felt bad for being on the court. I was the sand in the cogs, ruining the smooth game. It actually made me play worse because I felt I was being silently judged for every mistake I made. However I persevered and kept training and got good enough to not be a nuisance on the court and suddenly these people started being more tolerant and friendly towards me.
On the other hand, to offer some perspective, I recently found myself on the other side, and I have to tell you, itās even worse than being the noob on the team. Having been the noob for a very long time myself, I really sympathize with them, I know itās really hard, especially mentally. I play a mid-level school league, which we did abysmally in last year. I was voted the best female player on that team when I have just begun playing volleyball 3 months ago; thatās how bad we were. But after careful planning, we gathered the good people from the team and recruited new, better players. Everything was working out, but boom, one guy added his friend from the old team without consulting anyone, even though she was easily the weakest player. And the damage was done, you canāt just tell her sorry, weāre building a stronger team to play a better game, because she was already in and we were friends. And it only got worse. And you have to smile, and cheer for her on the 10% of the passes she gets and dommai her on the rest, because you KNOW how sheās feeling, you know sheās as frustrated at herself as you are, you have to cheer her through it even though she just let go an easy pass after a long rally because she doesnāt have the experience needed to play on a team of this caliber but insists on being on the court.
I was like her a year back. Putting yourself against challenging opponents will help you grow as a player, but you need to find the fine line of where it is actually detrimental to the team as a whole. If you continue improving, your teammates will notice, but always keep the greater good of the team as a priority (you know, assuming your teammates arenāt assholes).
I hope I didnāt sound patronizing and harsh, Iām trying to keep a realistic outlook.
theartofmadeline
blakekathryn
andulkaphoto
vaporwave
kianamaiart