Fall adult season wrap up 2009

I always have fun working with adults. As we ended the season with working on techniques in passing  hitting and setting- this was truly a challenge. I am confident that  everybody understands what is involved in using proper basic approaches to a hit,  proper base and platform passing and the list goes on and on and on.

Now the questions is would the old habit change for the new one?  I guess the answer is up to the athlete that wants to change his or her ways.  It really is hard to change old habits but I know we try everyday of our lives to adapt to new things. Thank you for being a part of my volleyball life experience.

We can always reschedule for another time after the thanks giving holiday – Do let me know when you are available on DECEMBER 5th. 6pm my house. Just leave a comment on the  page below if you can  come to my house and celebrate with me. Have a great holiday! Do spread the word. It’s  my birthday!

We want you to stay Active with Off-Season Volleyball Training

When fall volleyball season is over, do you feel the way you do once the holidays have come and gone? You’ve worked tirelessly for weeks, even months, to prepare for a big event. And now that it is all over, you’re left with a feeling of emptiness while, perhaps, breathing a sigh of relief.

It is natural to want to “chill out” after a busy volleyball season. After all, you worked hard and your body and mind deserve a rest. Plus, training in the cold of winter isn’t appealing.

It is okay to take some time off, but you shouldn’t abandon your volleyball workouts until next season. It’s better to stay active with lighter workouts, which help with weight maintenance and staying in shape. And you’ll be ahead of the game when the next season rolls around (which is usually sooner than you think).

Have you thought about off-season volleyball training? Volleyball relieves boredom and can work different muscle groups, letting your trained muscles rest and repair during the off-season. Unlike running and cycling, sports such as handball, racquetball, basketball and lacrosse involve changing directions while volleyball, which strengthens ligaments around your knees and ankles. They’re also great cardiovascular exercises. Don’t forget about stretching and strength training during your off-season routine.

Strength training for volleyball is a common and routine part of any player’s strength and conditioning program. You have certainly come to the right place if you are just starting a strength training routine or are just beginning volleyball.

Strength training for volleyball is a must-do! Volleyball is a highly competitive sport that requires athletes to be quick, powerful and coordinated. Volleyball players are well known for sticking to their strength-training program. They realize the extreme benefit that strength training for volleyball has on their performance. Any athlete wants to gain an edge over her opponents. Strength training delivers that edge.

Finally, don’t leave stretching and strength training out of your off-season routine. For lighter workouts, lower the intensity by using less weight.

Keep moving through the winter months, and you’ll be in fighting shape for your next volleyball season. Join us this winter for fun, exercise and keeping yourself active in volleyball.

Friendship

Work team at the David Lawrence Convention Center

People come into your life for a Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you will know exactly what to do. Its how the universe work or either God’s plan for you.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a God Send, and they are. They are there for the Reason, you need them to be. Then, without warning, any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they just walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize at that moment that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a SEASON.

LIFETIME relationships teach you Lifetime lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid Mental and Spiritual foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love and accept the person/people (any way); and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life…for what ever the reason, season or lifetime!

Three Young Men

Wealth, Love and Success - Three young man

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 young men with beautiful smiles in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat; Is the man of the house home?, they asked. No, she said. He’s out. Then we cannot come in, they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. Go tell them I am home and invite them in! The woman went out and invited the men in. We do not go into a House together, they replied. Why is that? she wanted to know. So  the young bald men explained: ;His name is Wealth,; he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, He is Success, and I am Love.; Then he added, Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home; The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed.

Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth! His wife disagreed. My dear, why don’t we invite the one with hair- Success? Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: Would it not be better to invite the young man Love? Our home will then be filled with love! Let us heed our daughter-in-law’s advice, said the husband to his wife. Go out and invite the young  man Love to be our guest. The woman went out and asked the 3 young men, Which one of you is Love?

Please come in and be our guest.; The bald man  Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?; The young men replied together: ; If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would’ve stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!

From the original version “Three old men”

Xtreme – We finally won first place medal in the Silver bracket

That is such a huge accomplishment when a club team works hard and focuses on a team goal to be the best.  The sacrifice of the team doing late night practices, the constant repetition of drills, passing, serving, hitting and setting.  Repetition, repetition repetition. Its all about learning how to do things right so as to sharpen our reaction skills, or reading defensively and anticipation of every movement our opponent makes.  How to counter act with an offensive and make every spike count.  Its all about teamwork.

I guess its all in the mind of each athlete to believe their God given talent that they can just –

do it !!

Congratulation MVSA Xtreme !!

Ten most important words of personal responsibility

According to Gallagher and Ventura, the most important words of personal responsibility are as follows:

The 10 most important words:
I won’t wait for others to take the first step.
The 9 most important words:
If it is to be, it’s up to me.
The 8 most important words:
If not me, who? If not now, when?
The 7 most important words:
Let me take a shot at it.
The 6 most important words:
I will not pass the buck.
The 5 most important words:
You can count on me.
The 4 most important words:
It IS my job!
The 3 most important words:
Just do it!
The 2 most important words:
I will.
The most important word:
Me

How to Trust yourself

 

By eHow Relationships & Family Editor

A lot has been said and written about trusting others, but trusting yourself is even more important. By believing you can get through difficult times, make the right decisions and learn from your mistakes, you hold the key to a fulfilling life. It’s easy to believe the negative voices inside and outside your head that put you down. Follow these steps to develop your self-trust.

Step 1. Nurture yourself by eating right, exercising regularly and taking time out to relax. You can’t trust yourself when you’re on edge or feeling guilty. Minimize restrictive behavior by allowing yourself the occasional treat and only engaging in physical activity you really enjoy.

Step 2. See your mistakes as gifts. They’re valuable learning experiences because we learn the most from the things we do wrong. Write down the lessons you’ve learned from your bad experiences in your blank book and refer to them when similar situations arise.

Step 3. Minimize your regrets. Learning from mistakes isn’t the same as feeling bad about what you did. When you’re at fault, use your journal constructively to work through your misbehavior and understand why you acted as you did.

Step 4. Practice self-forgiveness. Actually formulate the words “I forgive myself for…” in your journal as often as you need to let go of your mistakes. Then come up with solutions to avoid such behavior in the future.

Step 5. Celebrate your accomplishments in your journal. Forget admonishments from your past that you’re not allowed to be vain or show off. Your blank book is a loving friend that wants to hear about the great things you’ve done.

Step 6. Concentrate on following your intuition. This can be difficult if you’ve been taught to rationalize every decision. Life is dynamic and living authentically requires flexibility.

Step 7. Try new things. You don’t need to visit exotic places or take risks to prove you trust yourself. Taking a drawing class when you’re convinced you have no artistic talent, for example, can really teach you things about yourself.

Three keys to Entering the Zone

The following tip was contributed from Coach Steven Ijams after reading a terrific article in Volleyball Magazine. He felt it was important to pass along the instruction that Volleyball Magazine had spoke of.

Here are three Master Keys to enter “the zone” and create peak performance more consistently. They are:

1) Your Physiology: Defined, your physiology is how you use your body. How you breathe, how you move, whether you are moving fast or slow… where are your shoulders? Are they shrugged or are they back? Where is your head, is it up or down?

Your physiology is the fastest way to change your emotions and how you focus. Remember how you move the days you have outstanding days. Then walk, breathe, and move the same way you did then. You brain will fire off the same messages you had the day when you were unstoppable. Go to a college or professional match and watch how the most confident players use their physiology. Then, MODEL IT! Confidence is a skill that you work on, not a trait that you either have or don’t have.

Quick tip: If you shank a pass, move your body out and shake it out a little. Then, tell yourself, “Next one’s going to be perfect.”

2) The second way to master your focus is through your language or self talk. This is commonly seen through players that get frustrated and swear at themselves. What you say to yourself and how you say it, will determine how you FEEL and where your brain focuses.
*I can pass at a high level all match
*I am consistent
*I will anticipate my opponent’s next shot
*I am swinging with power today, and feeling really confident
*I get better as I go, and I adjust and learn from all of my mistakes
quickly.

Point #2 is about self-talk. Never tell your mind what it is that you “don’t” want to happen. For example, if you say, “I don’t want to serve it out,” or, “I don’t want to shank this, I don’t want to have a poor match today.” Your brain goes directly to that thought and you’ve subsequently pre-programmed your mind to struggle. Instead of using “don’t,” replace those thoughts with what you’d like to happen. “I will hit aggressively down the line. I am seeing the ball with ease today. I am serving it with power and effectively taking them out of their systems. I will have my BEST match today!”

3) The third way to master your focus is though the process of visualization. This is the most EFFECTIVE way to pre-program your mind and body before competitions so that you respond without thinking and you compete naturally.

Submitted by: Steven Ijams

Living life to help others be succesfull

Be nice

Lets make our world a better place.  A simple smile, a gesture of kindness to others, opening doors to the elderly, giving thanks, helping old folks carry their grocery bags, being courteous, remember and apply  good ethics or just plain being nice.

Being nice to others should be a primary principle by which we all

strive to live. By simply putting ourselves aside and thinking of

the other fellow first, we’re not only adhering to the Golden Rule

by treating others the way we would obviously want to be treated,

we are making a positive impact in a world sorely`in need of one.

When we smile at people, most people smile back.

“Put your future in good hands – your own.”~Author Unknown

Though it may not appear to be, your future is yours to mold as you
see fit. Beginning today, make it your goal to use your God-given
talents, whatever they might be,  to create a bright and pleasing
future and then daily commit yourself to its excellence, allowing
your inner spirit to inspire you to learn and grow. In this way,
you will not only determine what your future will be, you will be
giving it your own personal brand.

Just do it !!

“I have learned, as a rule of thumb, never to ask whether you can
do something. Say, instead, that you are doing it. Then fasten your
seat belt. The most remarkable things follow.”
~Julia Cameron
Author – “The Artist’s Way”

Whatever it is you want to do, remind yourself often that it’s
possible. If you were not capable, the desire would never have
risen within you. You’ve already been given all the permission you
will ever need to succeed.

Kind thoughts

“Kind thoughts are rarer than either kind words or deeds. They
imply a great deal of thinking about others. This in itself is
rare, but they also imply a great deal of thinking about others
without the thoughts being criticisms. This is rarer still.”
~ E.W. Faber
19th century playwright

Try this experiment. For the next 24 hours, do your best to suspend
all judgment and criticism of others. Instead, wrap every person
you meet in a warm and loving thought of kindness. Don’t just limit
this to physical contact, but apply it to everyone who comes to
mind. And for those you consider enemies, make certain the thought
is especially kind.  There is a very good chance that by the time
the experiment is finished, the way you habitually think about your
fellow man will be forever changed.

It was English poet and essayist Samuel Johnson who said,

“To cultivate kindness is a valuable part of the business of life.”

~Samuel Johnson, English poet and essayist, 1709-1784

In this world of reaping and sowing, where we actually do invest in
our futures with every thought we think and word we speak, it would
behoove us to cultivate kindness, if for no other reason than the
return on our investment is so much sweeter.

To my Dear Friends and Supporters of Volleyball.

I wish to extend my sincere thanks to all of the athletes and parents who have continually supported my winter, spring and summer camp program, and I look forward to working with as many of you as possible in future camps.
Please allow me this opportunity to share with you some thoughts about the value of such programs in the lives of our children and certain plans I am developing for the next year of volleyball. This my mission statement.
Sharing the sport of volleyball with you and your children has provided profound meaning and purpose to my life. I sincerely believe that my true calling is to be a volleyball coach. I strive to be the best I can possibly be in helping children become successful. First, of course, I endeavor to teach them excellent skills in defense, offense, and setting, and instill in them a thorough knowledge of the game, an appreciation for competition, and a passion for the sport. More important, my athletes come to believe in their God-given abilities to be the best in anything they attempt in life. I welcome the challenge of presenting all athletes, even those who may initially resist hard work and sacrifice, with a picture of the goals that they can achieve
and helping them succeed.
The benefits to these athletes extend far beyond the game of volleyball. They acquire self-esteem, determination, self-discipline, and a rewarding sense of belonging to a group of highly competitive, successful athletes. The pride and character development that comes from working hard at this sport benefits them in school and all other aspects of their lives. Volleyball has provided me with a positive perspective on life, and my goal in life is to share these benefits with as many young athletes as I can.
Volleyball for me is many things and everything: a life sport; a pathway to self-esteem, identity, self-confidence, maturity, and good physical health; a connection with the outside world through competition; a teacher of good sportsmanship. Through your help, I hope to extend my work in volleyball to serving others who may not otherwise have had an opportunity to enjoy and benefit from this great sport.

Thank you again for your support and God bless.
Sincerely,
Coach Francis

• SUMMER VOLLEYBALL CLINIC 2011

We are now accepting registration for the  Summer Volleyball Clinic 2011.  Participants must have health insurance in order to participate in this event.

Middle school and high school is a critical stage in the development of our children. This is when they search for their own identities and the need to belong and be part of a group is essential. So,  why not get them involve in healthy activities like sports, volleyball in particular?

Here are suggestions for you to consider when trying out for middle school and high school volleyball this coming fall. An important reminder to parents as well as athletes:

1. HAVE YOUR CHILDREN’S PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS DONE weeks before high school try outs as this is a requirement. NO EXEMPTIONS!
2. GRADES are important! Time management and keeping up with school work is a MUST. This holds true for club volleyball athletes.
3. So when High school volleyball season is done, what’s next? Join a club, recreational or training programs during the winter, spring and summer months. This will keep the athletes fit, always on top of the game and who knows, this may even lead to college scholarship.
4. Parents, your child NEEDS YOU!  Be committed when your child participates in volleyball or any sports program for that matter. Put in time, a lot of effort and give encouragement especially in the early stages of volleyball training.
5. Kids/Athletes – learn and train volleyball because you want to. Make it fun and exciting. You are the only one who can make it happen. It may be difficult in the beginning but the payoff is always rewarding in the end. Confidence, competitiveness, strength, pride and becoming a team player become the ultimate reward which is necessary in the “real” world.