Ways to Nurture Culture at Your Volleyball Club

I believe that culture isn't created, it is nurtured. You can plant the seeds of culture within your club or team, but there is no guarantee that the roots will take hold. As such, you must provide consistent opportunity and nourishment for club culture to grow. 

First things first: decide what you would like to see in your club culture. Another way to think of this is to answer the question, how would you like a college coach to describe your team or club?

• Do you want to be the fiery team?
• The organized and professional club?
• The club that supports each other?
• The club with the best setters?

Next, deconstruct these traits or characteristics so that you understand the building blocks that make them that way. For example, let's take 'The club with the best setters':

• How do you train the best setters?
  • Train everyone as a setter from a young age
  • Select the top prospects from the young age to continue once specialization occurs later on
  • Spend more time training to set then everyone else
  • Have the best setters coach

• How do you turn this into culture?
  • Create a curriculum for all athletes to train as setters when they first become a part of your club (this could be an instructional video, mandatory training session, bi-monthly session, etc). When first looking to identify potential setters, we are looking to get as many "shots on goal" as possible.
  • When it comes time to specialize players into positions, choose your setters wisely. What are the criteria you are looking for? Height, athleticism, leadership, communication, etc.
  • Schedule a weekly setters practice and establish an at-home training program
  • Hire the best technical setters coach you can find

This on it's own will not create a culture of great setters. Give this framework time and keep track of the successes and failures. Iterate often. If you keep nurturing these sessions the players and coaches themselves will develop the culture naturally. Some of the best culture / traditions have come naturally from players or coaches trying something out.

For example:

• The Bay to Bay pre-game cheer was created by a group of our 18-1's players while at a random Power League tournament. One of our younger teams saw them doing it and copied it at their next match. We had the 18's teach it to each team at practice the following weekend.  

Provide athletes and coaches the freedom to try new things. You never know when someone is going to do something that will become a part of your club for years to come.