LADYMUSTANGS

PLAYERS

The Team Comes First
As a Lady Mustangs volleyball player, you agree that the team is paramount.  Your individual goals and your team’s goals do not necessarily conflict, but when they do, you accept that decisions are made for the good of the team.

Successes are sweeter – setbacks sting less – when they are shared.

Rules Help Our Team Run Smoothly
Each player must decide if she buys into our system and is willing to commit to this team.  Every rule is for the benefit of the team, and you have to decide, in advance, whether you want to follow them.  If not, you should not be part of the team.

Our Team Thrives On Trust and Respect
You must trust your coach and your teammates, and behave in a way that earns their respect.  You must do everything reasonably necessary to make yourself and your team better.

Our Athletes Learn to be Coach-able
There is often more than one way to do things correctly.  In some cases, however, your coaches will select a specific strategy for the benefit of the entire team, even if it may not seem to benefit a particular individual.  You must be willing to make changes according to your coaches’ suggestions.  If coaches seem to be ‘riding’ you, it is usually because they think you are capable of a higher level of performance.

Our Team Works Hard
Everyone wants to win, but few make the sacrifices to do it.  No one will give you anything in life, you must earn it.  You cannot cut corners.  If, for example, you don’t have a consistent, killer serve, you should work long and hard to get one.

Our Team Has Balance
To balance academics, athletics, work and family, you must plan ahead and make difficult choices.  The choices you make will affect your future opportunities.  Choose wisely. The rewards are great!

On Our Team, Bench Time IS Playing Time
As a Lady Mustangs volleyball player, you maintain the same focus and enthusiasm whether you are between the lines or on the bench. You accept that playing time is decided by the coach for the good of the team in the circumstances of the moment.  Our bench is a secret weapon: every player has her head in the game at every moment, and is ready to come in at any opportunity.

Our Team Can Be Successful
Your coaches want you to know that almost any obstacle can be overcome with hard work.  Commitment, perseverance and responsibility will be rewarded.

Our Team Has Fun
Volleyball is one of the most fun sports in the world.  You know you’ve chosen the right sport if you simply can’t wait to get back in the gym, and absolutely love stepping on the court with your friends and teammates every chance you get.

Our Team Passes It On
As you move through middle school and high school, share your new skills and insights with new or younger players.  Be generous with your time.  Consider helping at the middle school or club level as an assistant coach or referee.  Be an active and involved
Lady Mustang alumnus.

PARENTS

Parent Expectations
Parents have long been central to the success of any athletic program.  The Lady Mustangs enjoy an unusually high level of encouragement and sportsmanship from members of their extended family, including parents, teachers, school administrators and fans.  We welcome the chance to continue that tradition of support.

Communicating with Coaches
Lady Mustang head coaches understand the parenting joys and frustrations that can accompany high school athletics.  We are glad to speak with you about your daughter, but ask that you:

• Insist that your daughter try to work out volleyball-related issues directly with her coach before enlisting your assistance.  Learning to deal with authority figures is one of the supreme benefits of participation in organized sports.

• Avoid jumping to conclusions. Remember that some pre-teens and teenagers tend to exaggerate both when praised and criticized, and that decisions about complicated issues like playing time are usually the product of many factors.

24 Hour Rule
If you are concerned about a volleyball-related issue that requires you to speak directly with a coach, we ask that you wait at least 24 hours after the triggering event. Cooler heads are inevitably more productive. We always enjoy chatting with parents at the conclusion of matches, but cannot address non-emergency issues at that time. We also cannot interrupt practice sessions. All of us have families, children, and our time after work and volleyball is very precious – please respect that time.

Sportsmanship
All parents (and players) are expected to demonstrate the highest level of sportsmanship while representing Lady Mustang Volleyball. Please cheer for our team’s efforts and successes. Parents and other fans should never celebrate our opponents’ mistakes.

• While in the gymnasium, keep all comments positive – remember, you are sitting among parents from the other school.  Please do not compare the skill or attitude of your daughter out loud with other members of the team.

• Volleyball officials are off-limits for parents. Refrain from yelling at the referees – before, during and after the match – no matter what the perceived error or injustice.  Coaches believe players must learn to perform under adversity, and to not waste emotion or effort on things not within their control.

• Take the time to learn more about volleyball rules and strategy.  What sometimes seems like a blown call or a poor coaching decision often looks much different if you have a more detailed appreciation for the nuances of this sometimes – complicated sport.

Playing Time
For coaches, delegating playing time is a zero-sum exercise; the decision to give one player more time on the court means another player will get less. As such, all good coaches know that with each decision, however well-considered, comes the likelihood that someone will be disappointed.

• Strong teams have strong benches.  Players who keep focused on the match while not on the court greatly increase their chances of success once they enter the game.  Spirited bench players almost always infect their teammates with optimism and extra energy.

• Lineup decisions are primarily the result of careful consideration about our own team’s chemistry, and our opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.  Playing time is earned by hard work, proven performance and an occasional hunch.  Coaches take a season-long view about each player’s time on the court.

Parents should resist measuring their
daughter’s volleyball experience solely by the
amount of her playing time. We strive to inject
each player with a love for the sport, teaching
her to value the opportunity to be strong and
confident, whether in practice or a game.