November 08, 2024   |   Tagged Skills

Why teams play better when the dominant star player is out of the game

Volleyball Paradox

There are many interesting research studies on sports paradox. One called The Ewing Paradox is the discovery that teams with an overly dominant star player actually play better when the star is out of the game. Other interesting paradoxes are you cannot create inspired play but inspired play arises when we are struck with inspiration.

So how do student-athletes become stronger at playing in the paradox? Free and disciplined, aggressive and kind, cautious and abandoned, confident and deeply humble.

1. Think both/and not either/or.
2. Verbalize what you want to see. "I am incredibly competitive, and I am deeply supportive."
3. Lean toward what isn’t easy for you. You will naturally gravitate one way or another. Instead choose to lead into your deficits.
4. Find value in the paradox. Understand that contrasting qualities are necessary to make us well-rounded and stronger.
5. Find others who have strengths you want and learn from them.
6. Aim for experiences with people and teams with greater diversity of skill set and mindset. If everyone thinks and acts just like you, you could be missing out on deeper learning.

Important Paradoxes in Skill Development

• The best time to practice is right after practice. Cementing what you learn 10 to 20 minutes after learning it is a game changer.
• The best way to learn from mistakes is to look more deeply at the mistake and to learn from it with curiosity rather than just forgetting and moving on.
• To think more clearly, stop thinking and take a short nap.
• It takes more time to fix a bad habit than build a new habit. Use your time to build a new healthy habit.
• To learn from a book, close the book. Read a few pages, then close the book and recall what you just read.

Hey NBC Volleyball Student Athletes, we are thankful for you because you get this powerful mystery that paradox makes us stronger. You work hard not to be one-sided but multifaceted through an abundance mindset and a commitment to think outside the box. As the season approaches, start speaking life affirmations. Growth has paradox. You can stop growing and still be growing. You can have a setback which could be your greatest opportunity.

About NBC Volleyball
Since 1979, NBC Volleyball have been training athletes and coaches to win on and off the court. Focused on intrinsic values, NBC Volleyball trains athletes to become stronger mentally, emotionally, and spiritually along with physically. For more information visit www.nbcvolleyball.com