How have Front Range teams been doing in RMR play? See the results below. Special congratulations to 13 Scarlet for winning their third consecutive power tournament! Congratulations also to 16 Red, 14 Amber, 12 Pink, and Boys 131 for winning their divisions! Where are Front Range teams playing this weekend? See the playing sites below.
Power #3 Odd (Complete Results: 3/18/12)
Cardinal: Coach Dave Youngblood |
3rd 15s Division 3 |
Amber: Coach Bob Poulter |
1st 15s Division 2 |
Royal: Coach Eduardo Fiallos |
7th 15s Division 7 |
Navy: Coach Michelle Hoffner |
7th 13s Division 3 |
Boys 13s: Coach John Archer |
4th Girls 15s Division 12 |
Pink: Coach Joe Brand |
2nd 13s Division 3 |
Power #4 Even (Complete Results: 3/25/12)
Red: Coach Steve Colpus |
1st in 16s Division 3 |
White: Coach Craig Kingsley |
3rd in 16s Division 4 |
Cardinal: Coach Dave Youngblood |
4th 16s Division 5 |
Boys 14s: Coach Rolando Buted |
2nd in Girls 16s Division 5 |
Scarlet: Coach Jen Pokraka |
1st in 14s Division 2 |
Pink: Coach Joe Brand |
1st 12s Division 1 |
Rose: Coach Deb Keller |
5th 12s Division 3 |
Power #4 Odd (Complete Results: 4/1/12)
Amber: Coach Bob Poulter |
6th 15s Division 1 |
Royal: Coach Eduardo Fiallos |
4th 15s Division 7 |
Navy: Coach Michelle Hoffner |
3rd 13s Division 4 |
Boys 13s: Coach John Archer |
1st Girls 15s Division 11 |
Pink: Coach Joe Brand |
4th 13s Division 2 |
Power #5 Even (Complete Team List: 4/15/12)
White: Coach Craig Kingsley |
Windsor HS |
Cardinal: Coach Dave Youngblood |
Windsor HS |
Boys 14s: Coach Rolando Buted |
Windsor HS |
Rose: Coach Deb Keller |
Metro |
How many of you know that you're using three different brains in volleyball? You're using your neocortex to learn volleyball in your mind (understanding the skills you're developing, the tactics, etc.). You're using your midbrain to experience volleyball in your body (experiencing the skills, tactics, competition, etc.). You're using your cerebellum to habituate and automate all that you're learning and experiencing, so you find yourself being a volleyball player, using all that you've learned and experienced automatically without conscious thought, making good plays and decisions.
Why is this important? Because this is the process that 16-1 Blue used to qualify at Big South, and it's the process that your coach is using to help you develop into the best volleyball player you can be this season.
Early in each season, you'll be asked to use your neocortex as you learn new skills, tactics and routines (and frequently you're asked to learn to play a new position). You gain a good understanding of these new skills, but find it very difficult to execute in competition because you're still having to use your conscious brain (neocortex).
Then you practice the new skills, tactics and routines a lot! A lot means hundreds and thousands of repetitions with great awareness. It's called deep practice in the book, The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle. Awareness is different from the kinds of analysis you did with your coaches when learning a new skill. Analysis is done by the neocortex, and we now know it's too slow to be useful in competition. Awareness is subconscious and very fast. It's about experiencing, feeling the move you're making and noticing the effect on the ball. An example of practicing with awareness would be self-passing, alternating from platform to setting to one forearm to the other forearm and repeating until you can pass 100 balls without a miss while staying in a small area and controlling the height of each pass. You're deepening and automating behavior patterns that will serve you well in competition. You're becoming a volleyball player.
Finally, you get to use these ingrained patterns in competition. You find yourself unconsciously choosing the right response to balls and making controlled passes with all the passing skills you've learned, practiced and automated. There's no inner voice telling you how to do it. There is awareness and correction that comes from a quiet, alert, competitive subconscious mind. Now you're being a volleyball player.
We're in a part of the season where experiencing and being are most useful. Challenge yourself to get the repetitions you need to automate the skills, tactics and routines that need more development in the gym, on your own time, and using mental rehearsal. Then reap the rewards of your hard work when you compete.
Tim Engels, M.A., sports psychology consultant to Front Range Volleyball Club, is a sports psychology consultant and counselor in Denver, CO. You can contact him at (303) 956-5691 or tim@timspractice.com.
