The blow of the whistle the blast of the gun: two sounds that have controversial meanings. One initiates a long, back and forth rally of heart-wrenching skill and exerting talent while the other signals a clock dwindling down foretelling your strive to be the best. The sports of volleyball and track may seem similar, but in reality, they are on opposite ends of the spectrum. It’s game time: focus. These are the only words that float into the mind of a volleyball player anticipating the sound of the referee’s whistle. The sharp blow of the whistle initiates the duel. In the game of volleyball, a team has 25 opportunities to prove they have more determination, skill, and effort than the other team. The ball flies over the net right at a player, …show more content…
When coaches say this, they mean the difference between a great player and a good player can be as simple as repetition. Volleyball is more a learned talent than a natural skill. Development of fluency and fluidity of motion is the result of long, intense practices. One player can be a crucial element of a team, but one player cannot make a team. The platform of the defensive specialist’s arms provides the ideal ball for the graceful hands of the setter. The ball is then lofted into the air, awaiting the forceful attack of the hitter plummeting it to the ground. A volleyball team is comparable to a well-oiled machine. If one part does not fulfill its tasks, the whole machine will malfunction. The amount of effort each volleyball player contributes can make or break most teams. Breathe in. Breathe out. React. There is not enough time to think in the game of track. If a thought occurs, the chance to win has passed along with it. “Runners to your mark.” The runner walks back into the blocks. Hearing the clang of the metal spikes on the solid surface of the starting blocks means the fire of the gun is anticipated shortly. “Get set.” The runner closes their eyes and assumes a set position, with a conscience effort to not quiver. …show more content…
Once on the track, waiting to display her talents, the runner glances around, only to notice hundreds of people eyeing every move she makes. If she errs, not only will the runner be aware, the whole stadium will likely react, roaring with disapproval or disbelief. Although the people may be disappointed in the lackluster performance of the runner, the thoughts swarming through her head makes her question her ability as a confident individual. The pressure that weighs on the shoulders of countless runners may be self-inflicted, but this immense amount of pressure also leads to a forceful drive to be the
Race day will either be filled with one race of a few, very fast miles or a fraction of that in dead sprint. While a track athlete can always count on racing around the oval in track, and never lose sight of the finish line; cross country sees a course of winding hills and trails that can leave me wishing it were track season. No matter the sport, I am running against the clock at the bang of the gun. I always find myself pushing harder and harder to beat not only the clock, but the next girl in front of me. For both of these sports race day is a little different, but it is always the most
Cross-country running, a sport that requires the fusing of body and mind, strives to maximize your physical ability by testing your mental tenacity. Everyday represents a new struggle to beat yesterday's maximum output, an issue of mind over matter. I have known the agony of this conflict since I joined the newly established cross-country team. As convincing as my morning doubts are, I do not heed them. Through pains and sprains and through adverse weather and unfavorable conditions, I run because I made up my mind three years ago to succeed.
I have played volleyball for 5 years. I have played school volleyball for five years, and club volleyball for four. Throughout my years of playing, I have recognized a significant difference between club volleyball and school volleyball. I have played for two clubs in my four years of playing club. The first two years, I played for a club named Platform Elite. The last two years, I have played for Iowa Select, and this year I am playing my club season with Infinity X. Personally, I prefer club volleyball over school volleyball. Club volleyball and school volleyball can be compared in three different categories: price, competition, and “politics” within the sport and its’ players.
Volleyball Changes and Rules throughout the Years While researching my topic about volleyball, I found lots of information on how rules have changed, how the sport was created along with information about how volleyball does in the Olympics. I would also like to grasp how, where, who, and when volleyball was invented. I am researching this topic because volleyball is my favorite sport and I would like to know more about its history and learn some more about the rules of the setter. I am a setter on my volleyball team. My goal in this paper is to connect the rule changes and absorb as much information about this amazing hobby or sport as much as I can and share what I have learned.
As some of you may know, there are two spring sports that I enjoy participating in. I have been playing baseball and tennis since I was 5 or 6. In the back of my head, I have always thought about which sport I would try out for in High School. This decision will have to be made in less than a year. Luckily, with dual sports, I can participate in both. The only downside to this is that one sport will have to take precedent over the other.
The researchers wanted to see “the relation of verbal aggressiveness and state anxiety (somatic, cognitive, and self-confidence)” between coaches and athletes in a sex-specific sport such as volleyball (Bekiari et al., 2006, p. 630). Results examining both sexes showed males have higher levels of somatic anxiety due to the verbal aggressiveness of their coaches compared to female volleyball players (Bekiari et al., 2006). These results could be due to the kind of training and competitiveness, but it still shows how the use of language can have different effects on athletes nonetheless. Additional research done by Julie Masterson, Lisa Davies, and Gerald Masterson showed that coaches should “use positive instruction rather than negative feedback” to encourage their athletes (2006, p. 41). This backs the ideas that verbal aggression is harmful and the research “consistently shows verbal aggression may be associated with negative outcomes and learned helplessness,” two aspects that can be seen in sports that are contributed to the language that is used (Bekiari et al., 2006, p.
Volleyball Rules, Tips, Strategy, and Safety. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2005. Print. The. Hartwell, Eric. A.
White, S. A., Psychological Skills: Differences between Volleyball Players on the Youth National Team and Those Involved in the 14’s High-Performance Camp, Unpublished Thesis, Illinois State University, Normal, IL.
This research task requires that, through participation in skill learning and game play during the volleyball unit we have been required to observe and analyse the characteristics of skilled performers; receive feedback on weaknesses in technique and develop and participate in training activities that could correct these weaknesses.
Going into the first race we had not expected much since Susan and I had never run this type of race. There were so many crucial things that we had to remember. It wasn't just to get out of the blocks and burn up the track; there was a baton involved, a certain amount of steps to take, and even a certain way to hold the baton.
Cool Running’s is a 1993 American sports film based on the true story of the Jamaica national bobsled teams and their debut in the bobsled competition that took place at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta Canada. This movie puts together quite a few sport psychology qualities such as motivation, determination, leadership, imagery and goal setting. The movie showcases how an underdog Jamaican team who lives in a constant summer can compete in a winter sport due to the fact that they never gave up and used every resource they had available to them including sport physiology. Throughout this summer I will talk about the certain aspects of sport psychology and how the movie sheds light on them. Motivation is seen throughout the entire movie from Derice to coach Irv Blitzer.
“Sports are for fun, but they also offer benefits and lessons that carry over into all aspects of life”. This well-known anonymous quotation conveys the message that sport is the game which has some rules and custom. It is not only for fun and entertainment, but there are also some benefits of playing sports and which gives some important lessons for life. Every kind of physical sports is healthy because it involves running, jumping, stretching, mind skills and much more. There are so many sports available in the world nowadays, but we can categorize them by the numbers of players, the three main categories are individual sport, dual sport and team sport.
It was at this moment that I realized that there truly is no “I” in team. A team is not characterized by the individuals within, but rather what the individuals can come together to achieve. For so long I had tried to discover where I belonged on the team. In reality, I should have realized that from the moment I stepped on the court, I was already a member of the varsity team. With a newfound sense of strength, we continued the game. Every single point we won felt like we were putting our lives on the line, while every single point we lost felt like ten-ton chains were holding us down. Even so, it was just another volleyball game. One I had experienced on multiple occasions, perhaps not to the same magnitude, but it was a relatively familiar situation. Strangely, it felt different. I felt more relaxed, more confident, and I was having more fun. At the time, I was not sure what it came from. I was too focused on finishing out the game to pay it much attention. But reflecting on it now, I realize that without a doubt, it was because I truly felt like I belonged on the team. For the first time, I knew that my team was behind me, ready to help me up whenever I fell. We continued on with the game. Despite being down two sets to one at one point, we now found ourselves nearing victory in the fifth set. Finally, we were able to overcome the opponent to win the match three sets to two and secure the second SPC championship for Greenhill Boys Volleyball in three
It seems strange that a simple sport can do so much to a person, but it is not just a simple sport. To an outsider it is just volleyball, but to a player it is love, commitment, and family. It is a way to connect with people who become people in your life that are unforgettable. I have spent the past five years playing this sport with many different girls and I watched them as they grew up and went on to college and other things in life, and now I am that girl. I am now a senior in high school playing volleyball for the last year and I could not imagine what my life would be like if I had never tried this