Is there any other sport that has such a weird relationship with skill model?
You know you’re a real tragic when you spend your spare time (not working and coaching) turning up to other people’s training sessions to “borrow” their ideas. Which is exactly what i did last night. About a year ago, SASI began a basic satellite programme in the Fleurieu (South) to promote volleyball to high school kids in the area. I noticed a remarkable improvement in the WIllunga kids i coached that went. The sessions are great. They’re run by former Australian player Simon Phillips and a lot of fun. They’re relaxed but productive, and highly engaging and interactive. Simon just also happens to be great at teaching and you can see the immediate results.
These sessions are that good that it’s bit of a bummer more kids don’t take up the opportunity. Only about 13 kids turned up last night (12 willunga, 1 victor harbor), which is a good number to work with. There are longer term plans to extend this out into other areas like the north.
Most interestingly, Simon has the finger on the pulse of the current skill models being taught and used at the AIS, so it’s like getting a software update into the system – whether you like it or not! I liked a lot of the techniques i saw and will no doubt “adopt” them, but I can’t say I’m overly fond of everything i saw:
- Forearm passing with upright position and swinging arms – there is a skill model which is beginning to spread of passing without much use of the legs, but swinging the arms from low to about 90 degrees to the body. apparently espoused by Hugh McCutcheon.
- Highball sets using stiff fingers – there’s also a skill model of stiffening the fingers and “stabbing” at the ball to give it extra height if you have to set it a long and high distance. It gives off a sound that would make any purist vomit and there’s slight spin. given the current interpretation of what is a “double-touch”, it’s admittedly effective. I started seeing this technique two days before at my club training when i saw one of the advanced SASI players do it. it’s less puzzling now why a well drilled player would set like that.
Skill models change like fashions. The Olympics serve as the catwalk for all to see. But like all fashions, some looks never really go out of style on certain people. I’m skeptical that we’ll ever see a lot of liberos at an olympics pass without their legs, although the outside hitters might. I’m skeptical that we’d ever see a lot of setters set high balls with stiff fingers, although someone else on the team might if the setter can’t get to the ball. Even with the rule changes that you can finger pass the serve, a lot of serves are still passed on the forearms.
But my personal taste isn’t really the issue here. I might not like retrospective releases of old sneakers, but if I sell shoes for a living and they were a hit at Fashion Week, I better start stocking re-issued onitsuka tigers and nike air force 1’s if i want to stay in business. As a coach, being stubborn with skill model can cost your players further opportunities. It might not, but say there’s a squad or team being selected and there are two players on the fringe. one player has the skill model the coach/selector likes, the other will have to be “re-invented” to their preference. who’s going to get in? (of course this is more applicable at the fringes of selection than at the top. people tend to have more patience with these players).
And that may sound ridiculous but how often do you hear selectors and coaches say “The clubs/schools just aren’t teaching their players right”. It’s all relative because what’s “right” changes every 4 years or so (it wasn’t so long ago that people were being taught to pass with rigid arms straight out with high shoulders).
Even for my open mind, i’ll find it difficulto make skill models i don’t like into gospel. But at least i owe it to my players to try them out, understand how they work and make them aware of it. they don’t deserve to miss out on playing State volleyball just because i think another coach’s ideas are retarded. I should at least tell them something along the lines of “i don’t like ___ style of ___ and i don’t think it works in ____ situations, but ____, who is selecting the ____ team will probably prefer it, so appreciate that if you’re going to try out there are different expectations and you might have to make it work. up to you”. As coaches, we have to stop saying “I’m right, and everyone else is wrong” and instead explain things in their context. And at the risk of asking too much, instill in them the sort of attitude and wisdom it takes to adapt and exercise good judgement. is it information overloading? maybe. but we’re dealing with a pretty intelligent and well educated (perhaps even over educated) generation. At worst it can only make them better people.
We are seeing increasing gulfs between coaches. devo reported something like 600 coaches in Victora with only 150 of them registered – that’s at least 450 of them out of the loop. But the solution isn’t to say what’s right or wrong, but understand all the perspectives and educate the players. you owe them that much instead of bagging other people’s ideas as trite. your coaches shouldn’t be bagging one another and their views. for players it can be like having parents who fight a lot. i’m not perfect at this, but trying to get better. i can’t expect every other coach to try to be as open minded, but i can at least make the start.
it just means spending some of your free nights driving 40 minutes to the middle of nowhere to see what other people are doing. Watching guys like Simon work, it’s not always such a bad chore.
