Using Practice Drills to Develop Mental Toughness

How you develop mental toughness throughout your practices has a direct impact on your team's ability to perform under pressure during matches. But how can you coach your players so they develop mental toughness?

Coach Susie Johnson outlines several proven areas that can help your team make this transformation by adding urgency to drills and accountability to every situation. You will learn how to implement drills that will help build mental toughness.

Warm-Up Drills

Coach Johnson introduces a series of competitive warm-up drills that challenge players mentally and physically right from the start of practice. Many of these drills are common drills coaches have used for years, but Coach Johnson explains how to make the drills more competitive. Even drills as simple as shuttle drills are demonstrated with a twist!

Skill Drills

Learn how to take ordinary skill drills and turn them into competitive, mentally challenging drills. These fast-paced, timed drills instill urgency and focus and create pressure situations. This series focuses on a variety of skills, including passing, serving, blocking, setting and attacking. Your players will not only work on their volleyball fundamentals, but also learn how to compete.

Team Drills

Coach Johnson showcases team drills that will challenge players, put them in pressure situations, and encourage them to compete against each other. She shows you how to tweak these drills so your players will be more engaged, focused and competing at a higher level in practice. Every team drill has variations, so you can tailor them to your team's needs.

Every drill presented in this video puts pressure on players of all levels, gives them consequences for losing and allows them to earn points individually. These points of emphasis will help intensify your team's practices and help create mentally tough athletes.

Produced at the 2014 AVCA Annual Convention in Oklahoma City, OK.

55 minutes. 2015.