The head coach was faced with a problem many of us are all too familiar with: a team blessed with physical ability that could not quite put it all together. They needed something more, something that would bring them together and, “put them over the top.”

The next day a team meeting was called and the group assembled in a classroom. The coach presented a situation for the girls to ponder, “A coach entered the gym on the first day of tryouts and noticed a new face, an incoming freshman he didn't know. As the tryout progressed, it became evident to all that this was no ordinary player. The coach was quite impressed and immediately placed his newfound freshman on the varsity roster. Within a week it was obvious, this girl had it all, a virtual “coaches dream.” She was the “Ideal Volleyball Player.” The freshman went on to a have a fabulous season. She was named first team all-state and led her team to their first-ever state championship.”

“I want you to think about this player,” The coach continued, “what is she like? What characteristics does she possess? How would you describe her?”

One by one, the players voiced their thoughts, “a good leader,” said one. Another offered, “She’s a hard worker.” The description kept building, “she listens well”, “she has a positive attitude and doesn't get frustrated or down on herself”, “I think she treats her coach and teammates well”, “she probably jump swell,” and “always gives 100%”, were quickly added to the list.

As the team was giving their description, the coach had been writing each quality on the chalkboard. He then turned to his team and asked, “Look at the list we have here, how many of these qualities would you say are mental?” The response was immediate, "almost all of them,” replied the group in unison. “That's interesting”, continued the coach, a sly smile creeping over his face, “I told you about the ideal volleyball player and asked for a description of her, and from what I see on the board we all feel this player would definitely have an ‘excellent mental game’. So I guess there is a lot more to being the ideal volleyball player than simply mastering skill techniques, don't you think?” he coyly asked.

The room suddenly fell quiet as the girls shifted in their seats, sneaking glances at each other in the process. One by one, each player nodded in agreement. Some knew what was coming next.

“I want each of you to copy down all the characteristics we decided this player possesses on a sheet of paper right now. Then I want you to rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 for each one, with 10 being a perfect score. "Be honest,” the coach urged, “no one has to see the list except you.”

When all had finished, the coach asked, “How many feel you could improve on each of these?” Without exception, every hand in the room went up. “If each of you improved just slightly in half of these areas, would we be a better team?” he continued. “Without a doubt,” his captain replied quickly. The rest of the team hastily agreed. “Will we need extra practice time to do this?” he asked. “No,” was the immediate reply. “So, what you're telling me is if each player in this room simply dedicates themselves to improving the mental side of their game we can become a much better team, and very soon?” Again, the girls nodded in agreement. Well ladies, then let's get to work on it right now,” the coach concluded, ‘our best is yet to be!”

This scenario could have unfolded in any of a million teams around the world. So many times we as coaches become so enthralled with our teams passing, blocking schemes, or kill efficiency that we lose sight of what is really holding them back from reaching their true potential, the mastery of the mental game. A team can be blessed with an enormous amount of physical size and ability, and still waste their opportunity to achieve all that is possible if they ignore what really matters most, the mental skills that make reaching one's true potential achievable.

It is our responsibility as coaches to not only make our players aware of the mental skills needed to succeed in competition, but also to teach them how to develop these skills. Teaching players how to develop mental skills is no easy task. However, if the following steps are adhered to, every player exposed to learning about and improving their mental game will ultimately benefit.