“Control the controllables”

“We cannot always control everything that happens to us in this life, but we can control how we respond. Many struggles come as problems and pressures that sometimes cause pain. Others come as temptations, trials, and tribulations.”

~L. Lionel Kendrick

What on Earth is a Controllable???

This was my first thought when hearing the phrase “Control the Controllables” for the first time. Is volleyball one of the sports where you ever have full control?

A controllable is something that you individually direct or have an influence over. A few examples would be executing a skill, focusing on a mindset, or developing something as simple as a routine.

One of the earliest discussions I can remember was with Paul Westhead, my first National League coach about the idea of a closed skill, and how one of the only examples in volleyball is the serve. No one else has any influence over that ball but yourself, you decide how you want to throw the ball up, how you contact the ball, and where on the court you target. As with a lot of sports, much of the rest of the game is dependent on other factors. This applies not only in game situations, but also in practise, and life in general; so how can we control the controllables?

Controlling the controllable’s is something that I still don’t always put into practise in every situation even though I have heard the phrase numerous times over the last few weeks during various conversations. I know that my competitive drive usually makes me want to be out there on the court and help my team mates, but the way I am starting to look at these situations is that my time will come if I keep giving 100%, and by being supportive we win as a team! Once I stop thinking about factors I can’t control, I can focus on my game and find a level where I might not execute every ball, but I control my emotions, I have focus on my serve, and I do everything I can on the court to put myself into contention.

For me, focusing on controlling the controllables probably happens about 10% of the time, with the other 90% of the time being a hectic scramble in my head about “how I need to talk with the setters more” or “how can I help my team mates develop.” However, sometimes by just doing whatever you can with the ball that is put in front of you can be the best option. Sometimes it’s not easy to overlook those external factors; maybe you don’t always get the feedback you want, or you aren’t putting the ball away, the setter might not even set you often. However, I found in my practices recently that when I have a goal, for example working on my cross court shot, even when the situation was out of my control, I controlled my emotions, and made sure that everything I did technically was in the future going to pay off for me.

Now my role as an opposite is pretty simple, as one of our fans pointed out to me the other day after our Giesen game “don’t worry just HIT THE BALL!” Yet I still question myself when I hit the ball out, “why did I do it”, “how can I be a good player if I miss?” and “What about the next ball”. However, the best way to look at the situation would be that I can’t change the past, so let’s make the next ball better. Too many times you see players overthinking the ball that came before, and as a result the team loses the next run of points and this can be what costs them the game.

One of the biggest concerns players have is game time. Players worry about why they aren’t on court. It can be easy to think this reflects badly on the way you have been performing. However, worrying doesn’t solve the problem, it can even make it worse! You don’t have control over the line-up that your coach puts onto the court, but you can control your performance in practise to put yourself out there and say you are ready, and you can control how supportive you are on the bench and give it all when you get your opportunity on the court! Changing around the mindset from worrying to being pro-active can be the difference between being in control of your career and finding excuses.

Another important factor in the game over which you have no control over is the referee. How many times do you see players argue with the referee and he or she suddenly changes his or her mind in favour of that player? There is no harm asking the referee to clarify his decision; the problem occurs when players start to blame the referee and focus on that rather than the game itself and this usually leads to the other team gaining a run of points. What I try to do is think “the next ball will be in and unquestionable,” focusing on my execution rather than how the referee may have made a mistake on the last ball.

So a few questions for you to answer to help you realise if you are good at controlling what you can control, or if you are too worried by external factors:

• Have you ever felt like a game has been decided by a single point or a bad decision at around 22-22? Why not focus on the next point…
• Have you ever wanted to shout at your setter because you made 3 mistakes in a row because the ball wasn’t in the right place? Why not keep the ball in play…
• Have you ever worried about not getting playing time? Why not keep working in training until you get your shot…
• Are you getting enough sleep? Or are you choosing to stay up late and complain you are tired…

If you answered yes to any of these then please feel free to share your experiences, and how controlling the controllable’s may have helped you in that situation!

At some point in time, you will have answered yes to all these questions, the aim, however, is that as you develop as an athlete, your mindset will improve and you will answer these questions with a yes less frequently, but it is a process!

 

4 Points to take away: Focus on…

1. Your Performance
2. Your Attitude
3. Your Energy
4. YOU!

 

As an athlete there are so many factors that come into play when looking at performance, too many for an individual to allow themselves to be worried about things that are out of the persons control. Work hard, control your portion of the game and good things will happen, and if anyone needs any advice then send me an email and I will see what I can do!

Rob

 

Volleyball update: 

We picked up our second win of the season last weekend with a 3-1 victory over 3rd place Russelsheim. We have some big games coming in the run up to Christmas, playing against teams from the bottom half of the table. We take on Hammelburg this weekend away. The team is really starting to find a rhythm and we are gaining confidence so it should lead to an interesting few weeks!

German Word of the Week:        Handschuh
Meaning:                        Gloves
Literal translation:            Hand shoe

“You can control two things: your work ethic and your attitude about anything.”

~Ali Krieger