Positive Mindset – Feeling at home on the court

by Robert Poole

I think if you ask any athlete, they will have had a period of nerves or anxiety related to their sport at some point during their career. It could be a period of rough performances, or something else that is taking their mind off the sport, and sometimes this creates a negative image of the arena or court that they play on. It is similar to when a child doesn’t want to go to school because in their mind, they maybe link the school to an unpleasant experience there. It’s a difficult situation.

            If you don’t have the belief that you bring something to the court, even if it is just a positive thought of “ I am going to bring energy today,” then it becomes very difficult to feel as if you are improving and so those negative connotations and links will form. We all want to feel valued, that we have a role to play, and so when you become disconnected with the team or unaware of what significance your role has for the team, then you can even feel that disconnect on the court, like you do not belong. This can be a very tough situation for a player to experience, because in most cases we view the court as a place where we can express ourselves and have fun.

            When you play a sport or you work in a business environment, you might find that environment can be influence your mindset and how you feel about yourself. If you are happy and feeling valued, then you will be more productive and are more likely to go to work with a feeling of anticipation (maybe this is more so for athletes). The saying “if you do something you love, then you will never work a day in your life” comes to mind. We spend a lot of time in this working environment, and so we have to find ways to feel comfortable and to make that environment one that we enjoy being in.

Players should try to see the court as their home. Yes there are days when the player gets burns or bruises or wounds from hitting the court. Maybe they have days when they can’t perform on the court. However, we have to remain aware that on a volleyball court some of our best days have happened, days when we have played out of your skin. We hit the floor to pick up a ball that wins an important match, driven home aces against some of the best players in the nation at the time. We have to work to overcome our fear of the court in that present moment by remembering the positive experiences the sport and the volleyball arena has provided.

When you walk out onto any court, the court is still the same, 9m x 18m with a 2.43m high net, no matter where in the world it is. What changes is your mindset towards that particular court and the real question is: do you want to ‘own’ that court or are you going to fear it?