How we perform in a given area is affected by our attitudes. For example, if you gave created negative feelings toward a certain drill in practice, chances are that your personal accomplishments in that drill would not be satisfactory.

This premise applies to all we do or don't do. Our attitudes dictate the out come of our performances. With positive attitudes towards an endeavor, our opportunities for success are greatly enhanced.

The development of good attitudes is a life long process. Many people do not discover that our attitudes (specifically our expectations) affect performance until late in life; some never do.

Athletics should be used as a vehicle to teach this concept at an early age, thus giving the young person some valuable early lessons. Volleyball can be utilized as a medium lo develop skills in attitude refinement that will have a carryover to all areas of life.

Because our attitudes have a direct effect (good or bad) on all that we do, the following discussion is intended to challenge you to develop and refine your own attitudes.

Athletes should have positive attitudes towards themselves. The basis of how we feel about all things depends on how we feel about ourselves. Most of us have a few traits that we'd like to improve upon. Itemize and put a premium on some of these aspects in your life and make a commitment to start working on them now.

Remember, the key to self discipline is simply making and keeping promises to yourself. Also remember to accent your positive attributes. As you change your behavior in certain areas, add new "projects" to work on, and as you do, your self esteem will grow and grow.

Take pride in being an athlete, particularly a volleyball athlete. The combination of mental toughness, power, quickness and skill required to be proficient at this game are abilities to be admired. Realize that no matter who you are or where you play, there is someone who looks up to you. The example you set has a great effect upon that person.

Practice should be year round in scope and should entail sessions in skill development, flexibility, cardiovascular training and positive mental imagery training. Many highly successful athletes are able to inspire themselves to put "game-like" efforts into training sessions through the recall of "what it was like" in past competitive experiences projected towards expectations for future competitions.

QUOTES:

"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor. " Vince Lombardi

"Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can." Ralph Waldo Emerson