At the beginning of the season, my players seem a little confused as to why their coaching is asking them questions about volleyball.

Why is he asking me? Shouldn’t he know why we ran that drill? He’s the one who made us do it after all.

But two months into the season, my players have the answers! Er… some of them anyway.

That drill helps us to focus on spot serving! — (two players said this in unison!)

Asking questions helps players have a better understanding of why we do things the way we do.  It helps them to better understand our offensive and defensive strategies.  Asking questions helps develop a Growth Mindset and teaches players to think differently.

I could just tell them what to do and not share any of the thoughts behind it, but are they really learning if I give them all of the answers?

Some of the questions I ask:

– Looking at the other team’s Serve Receive pattern, where would you say is the best place to serve the ball right now?

– Why do we have our off-blocker stand 15ft inside the court and 10ft deep when the other team’s Outside Hitter is attacking?

– Why are we using a Setter-Up Defense against this particular team?

– Why do we not want to hit the ball at Zone 6?

– Are you early, on time, or late with your approach? How do you know?

– After a match or tournament, I may ask: What did we do well and what do we need to focus on?

– Why is it important for us to communicate while playing?

– Why do you want to attack the ball in front of us and not above our head?

– What are the benefits of jump setting?

I encourage you to challenge yourself and your players by asking more questions. You may be surprised at much quicker they learn a skill.