Setting Goals as a Volleyball Player

By. Kyle Ohman | December 12th, 2023

The Importance of Setting Goals as a Volleyball Player

Goal-setting is crucial to success in volleyball and in life. You may know that you want to become a better volleyball player, but how will you get there? It is like knowing a destination and having a general idea of where it is, but you still need to follow the map to get there.

With goal setting, you can get to your first turn, then set another goal and get to your next turn, and so on. Before you know it, you are on your way to becoming a great volleyball player by attacking one goal at a time.

With the right goals, you can focus your efforts on improving specific skills. Whether you want to become a better passer, more mentally tough, etc., with the right goals, you can make a game plan to work on these areas. Each volleyball player is different, so the more personalized your goals are, the better.

Whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting out, this guide on setting goals as a volleyball player will provide invaluable insights into harnessing the power of goal-setting to maximize your potential on the volleyball court.

The Purpose of Goal Setting in Volleyball

Goal setting is essential to the success of any athlete, including volleyball players. Setting goals can help improve individual player performance by providing a clear direction. It isn't enough to just say, "I want to be better at volleyball." By setting specific objectives, players can push themselves to improve their skills and abilities.

Another important reason to set specific goals is that achieving a goal can boost your confidence and motivate you to strive for even more. Setting and achieving goals can be addictive and can allow players to continue to improve at a very high pace.

When you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, you can focus your efforts and time on mastering specific skills, ultimately leading to you becoming a great player. But it all starts with your ability to break down what you need as a player and then setting the right goals.

Motivation and Focus

Goal-setting provides a clear direction and purpose for your training, motivating you to work towards something specific. You can identify areas of weakness and set goals that target those areas, pushing yourself to improve and become a better player.

Having goals will also help you maintain focus during practices and games by providing a tangible outcome to aim for. When you have a goal in mind, you are less likely to get distracted or disheartened by small setbacks.

Keeping your eyes on the prize can give you the boost you need to power through challenging moments and ultimately succeed. In short, setting goals as a volleyball player is crucial for finding motivation, maintaining focus, and reaching new heights in your performance.

Types of Goals in Volleyball

There are a number of different types of goals that you could set for yourself, but I want to talk about just two: short-term and long-term goals. Both of these types of goals are important, and both will be needed if you want to maximize your goal-setting and development.

Short-Term Goals

Short-term goals are crucial for players who are seeking immediate improvement. These goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Examples of short-term goals in volleyball include perfecting a certain skill, like serving or blocking, or improving a personal record for a specific drill or exercise.

By setting these goals, players can focus on specific areas they need to work on and can track their progress closely. The immediate improvement resulting from achieving these goals will help you build confidence and perform better in games.

Short-term goals are the foundation for long-term success on and off the court.

Long-Term Goals

A long-term objective is a goal that you aim to achieve over a significant period, such as a year or more. It is critical to have such objectives because they help you formulate a clear pathway towards achieving your bigger goals.

A good example of this as a volleyball player would be making the all-conference team, becoming a starter, etc. Your long-term goals will vary based on what you are looking to accomplish. So, when you are creating long-term goals, make sure they are geared for you.

So, the next time you step out on the court, keep in mind your long-term goals and let them fuel your passion to achieve greatness.

Write Down Your Goals and Look at Them Every Day

Setting goals for yourself can be an energy-filled moment! You are excited thinking about getting better and everything that you are going to do on the court! But whether it is days, weeks, months, or even a few hours later, that initial feeling tends to lessen.

That is why it is important to write down your goals (both short-term and long-term) and place them somewhere that you will see them every day. Whether it is by your mirror, in your locker, etc., put your goals somewhere that you will see and use them as a daily challenge. Use them every day to give you the energy and passion to get better!

Overcoming Challenges in Goal Setting

So far, this article has been all about inspiration and telling you how great it will be when you set goals. You are probably thinking, if I write it down, my goals are sure to come true! And that is the exact mindset you should have. But, unfortunately, when looking to achieve something, it is not always in a straight line. There will be setbacks and challenges along the way. Your path may end up being a squiggly line rather than a straight one, but that is okay!

If you don't at first succeed, pick yourself back up and keep going. Every player's path is different. A great way to do this is by having a strong support system. From parents to teammates to coaches, surround yourself with people that care about you, and that will continue to challenge you to get better.

VidaVibe Goals for 2024

As a company, we are no different when it comes to setting goals and then going after them. At VidaVibe Volleyball, we aim to create a community that allows volleyball players and those looking to stay active to feel at home with a brand that gets them. Everything that we do is to help better what we offer our VidaVibe Tribe! So, how will we move toward that goal in 2024?

The way we do that is the same way you can do that as a player, and that is setting smaller goals that will help us fulfill our primary goal. So, in 2024, here is what we plan to offer and our goals.

10 Additional Tournaments to Our Schedule: We want to get in front of more players, parents, and coaches to help spread the message of VidaVibe Volleyball. This means more chances for everyone to take advantage of our VidaVibe Volleyball gear.

New Product Offerings and Designs: We love the gear we already offer (and we know you do as well!), but we are always looking to improve and continue adding new designs for our Tribe. So, in 2024, we have some exciting new products and designs coming out! Whether you love our volleyball hoodies, shirts, or whatever, there will be plenty of new volleyball gear for you to enjoy!

Expanding Into Summer Volleyball Camps: We understand how important volleyball camps are for player development and want to be a part of summer volleyball camps. So, we are partnering up with several different summer volleyball camps and continuing to connect with even more camps. If you are interested in partnering up, make sure to contact us!

Conclusion

The more you play volleyball or whatever other sport, the more you will realize that the journey can be just as fun as the destination. You will never get to the point where you don't need to continue to set goals and challenge yourself to get better. When you conquer one mountain top, you will see another that you want to climb, but that is what makes sports so fun!

The best players in any sport learn to embrace this feeling and constantly want to take on new challenges and push themselves. They are always setting new goals to go after.

So the quicker you can learn this, and the better you can create a goal-setting and goal-accomplishing strategy for yourself, the more life-long success you will have in sports and in life.