The Women's NCAA Volleyball Final will be played in Seattle tomorrow night and as their season comes to an end, I can only be glad that the Men's season is yet to begin. This preseason has been a strong one; with the help of a new and incredibly dedicated strength coach, our team is moving in the right direction. However, as we disperse for a few weeks of Christmas break, one can only hope that things will return in the fine form that they left. The first semester of classes has finished and with it so too has the Fall preseason. While it could not be said that the preseason was a breeze by any stretch, the real challenge begins when we return in January. Perhaps it is fitting that on January 10th we will play our first match of the home & away season against fellow long-haired Australian: Thomas Hodges. Tom and the University of Pacific will host us on a Friday night and will kindly provide us with room, board and our first win of the season. I will be sure to post a link to the match on Facebook for those that are interested in watching some GMVA vs. GMVA action; American style.
Now, forgive me, I will offer some words of warning to those that plan to take on the college volleyball pathway. The preseason is a fantastic opportunity to improve your body and volleyball. The number of hours that a team can practice each week is restricted, and as such there is an excessive amount of time to lift. Do not overdo it though! Unfortunately, I felt it was more important to improve my physical strength than to maintain a healthy body. Towards the beginning of the preseason, I lifted daily; on some days twice. The goal was simple: increase squat and clean maximums, improve core and shoulder strength and consequentially improve my vertical. This load, however, was putting increasing amounts of stress on my back, which could not continue. Eventually, I rolled my ankle two days before leaving for a preseason tournament. Naturally, I tried to play on it, with the help of strapping and ibuprofen, only to pull a muscle in my back during the first set. The message is this: be smart about your body, because if you're not - something's gotta give. While this may seem obvious, the intensity that often accompanies a high level of competition can lead people to strive for too much too quickly. The key is to be patient and disciplined in one's will to succeed, for naivety alone is not enough to attain success. Fortunately, my injury occurred during October, and the road to recovery is already well underway. However frustrating and painful it may have been, the lesson had to be, and has been, learned.
Lastly, I want to wish the best of luck onto those GMVA athletes traveling to LA! This is an incredible opportunity to become more than an unknown name in a coach's inbox. You'll get a chance to see some of the top college prospects within America, as well as proving your own spot amongst them. While this is an important opportunity for each of you on your path to college volleyball, it is also the beginning of a potentially long-standing relationship between GMVA and the American college system. Be proud of this responsibility and embrace it. As of right now, there are limited opportunities to play volleyball at a consistently high level in Australia. Furthermore, there are even fewer chances to experience something similar to the lifestyle of a full-time athlete. The college pathway is one of the closest things to this, not to mention it is a fantastic opportunity to get an education, travel and enjoy being young! So again, good luck to you all. My assistant coach will be at the tournament, keeping a close eye on the young team from Melbourne.
All in all, a fresh season awaits. I have already predicted it to be a successful one, yet this can only remain a prediction until it manifests itself over the coming months. With the promise of facing a familiar face, returning to a healthy body and seeing GMVA further its ties to the NCAA system, the 2014 season certainly has a lot in store.
Merry Christmas Aus,
Gerrard
Now, forgive me, I will offer some words of warning to those that plan to take on the college volleyball pathway. The preseason is a fantastic opportunity to improve your body and volleyball. The number of hours that a team can practice each week is restricted, and as such there is an excessive amount of time to lift. Do not overdo it though! Unfortunately, I felt it was more important to improve my physical strength than to maintain a healthy body. Towards the beginning of the preseason, I lifted daily; on some days twice. The goal was simple: increase squat and clean maximums, improve core and shoulder strength and consequentially improve my vertical. This load, however, was putting increasing amounts of stress on my back, which could not continue. Eventually, I rolled my ankle two days before leaving for a preseason tournament. Naturally, I tried to play on it, with the help of strapping and ibuprofen, only to pull a muscle in my back during the first set. The message is this: be smart about your body, because if you're not - something's gotta give. While this may seem obvious, the intensity that often accompanies a high level of competition can lead people to strive for too much too quickly. The key is to be patient and disciplined in one's will to succeed, for naivety alone is not enough to attain success. Fortunately, my injury occurred during October, and the road to recovery is already well underway. However frustrating and painful it may have been, the lesson had to be, and has been, learned.
Lastly, I want to wish the best of luck onto those GMVA athletes traveling to LA! This is an incredible opportunity to become more than an unknown name in a coach's inbox. You'll get a chance to see some of the top college prospects within America, as well as proving your own spot amongst them. While this is an important opportunity for each of you on your path to college volleyball, it is also the beginning of a potentially long-standing relationship between GMVA and the American college system. Be proud of this responsibility and embrace it. As of right now, there are limited opportunities to play volleyball at a consistently high level in Australia. Furthermore, there are even fewer chances to experience something similar to the lifestyle of a full-time athlete. The college pathway is one of the closest things to this, not to mention it is a fantastic opportunity to get an education, travel and enjoy being young! So again, good luck to you all. My assistant coach will be at the tournament, keeping a close eye on the young team from Melbourne.
All in all, a fresh season awaits. I have already predicted it to be a successful one, yet this can only remain a prediction until it manifests itself over the coming months. With the promise of facing a familiar face, returning to a healthy body and seeing GMVA further its ties to the NCAA system, the 2014 season certainly has a lot in store.
Merry Christmas Aus,
Gerrard
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