What are you gonna do when your backs against the wall?

When our backs are against the wall we tend to focus on our problems. The thing is if we focus on our problems, the problems tend to get bigger.  We start to doubt whether we can even get out of this situation. This could’ve been the smallest problem, yet through self doubt and a mind focused on an undesirable outcome it can become massive. In volleyball this is why momentum is a such a big deal, but it doesn’t have to be.  Momentum is based off of emotion.  We can’t stop the emotions from happening, but we can absolutely control how we respond to them. One of the greatest ways this was ever explained to me was this.  Reaction is acting on emotion without thought.  Responding is feeling that emotion, yet taking a second to think about how you need to act in response to the emotion. Knowing this information is one thing, using it is a whole different story. I wish I could say that I always choose to “Respond” rather than “React”.  However I’m human, therefore I make mistakes.  I do my best to pause and respond, but there’s definitely times where I react instinctually and it reflects poorly on me.  It’s not about being perfect, it’s about trying.  I don’t expect my players to never react, but I do expect them to try not to. Great things happen when  you choose to control the narrative in your mind, and respond rather than react.  You can’t control your opponents emotions.  When they make a big play they will gain energy.  However when you choose to respond, you can minimize the impact it has.  If your team reacts negatively and loses energy, the effect doubles. If they respond appropriately and stabilize their energy level, they can steal the “momentum”back.  If our backs are against the wall I want my team to be focused on what they need to do, not what just happened.  I want them to respond rather than react. We can’t control the “momentum” but we can influence it.

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