An often forgotten member of a volleyball team is the coach. It may sound funny but in order to play at the top off your game it helps to be in-sync with everyone including your coach. Don't know where to start? Check out this fundamental list of things your coaches wish you would stop doing.

Gossip.

Slowing tearing your team apart from the inside. To be successful as a team it is important to accept that players have different personalities. While it may feel like you are bonding with teammates, you are doing quite the opposite by alienating others.  If you create drama off the court, there will be tension on the court.

Talking while the coach is talking.

This is a simple case of respect. It doesn’t matter how old your coach is or what they are talking about, they are the coach and you are the player. It may seem idiotic to stand around dripping sweat listening to the coach mumble about something they talked about two days ago, but this is great practice for real life, listening to a boss complain about something for the third time this week.

Not making an effort to improve.

I know that when you personally feel you aren’t improving it is easy to pull away from the team/coaches and maybe even from your family.  The season is long and you aren’t alone, it may be surprising but coaches are there is to help you become the best player you can and they know your game almost as well as you do and see things that maybe you don’t see.  Go talk to your coach about what they think you can do to improve. If they film games, ask if they will watch it with you (if they say no don’t take it personally, they might actually not have time).

Missing practice because of school work.

A majority of your time as a volleyball player will be spent as a student athlete. I actually cannot put into words the importance of showing good time management skills other than to say it will make or break your entire career. Think that is an exaggeration? This excuse has the power to change your entire mindset when it comes to balancing school and volleyball. As a student athlete, you are not a victim of not having enough time and your coaches know that. Procrastination is the true enemy, skip that fight by planning ahead and getting your work done.

Being told to make the same change more than once.

It is impossible to get better if you keep making the same mistakes. This is a basic idea that you can sometimes get caught up in and it can be frustrating. Before your coach snaps at you, that is the time to tell your coach you don’t know how to make the change(s) you need to.  A great player started out as a mediocre player that was willing to make the changes needed to become great.

If you are looking to become a better player, a great start is to communicate with your coach. Good luck.