Settling Conflicts on Your Volleyball Team

"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." - Andrew Carnegie

It's inconceivable that a group of people who spends as much time working together toward a common goal as a volleyball team does would get along all the time, but conflict among the members of your team not only destroys teamwork, it sets the stage for conflict out on the court. The ability of coaches, captains and teammates to work together to effectively solve conflicts before they have the opportunity to erode the quality of a team is vitally important.

Effective teamwork requires the input and effort of every member of a team, not just a select few; therefore, the most effective way to manage conflicts is head them off before they evolve. Involve the entire team in major team decisions, offering them the chance to participate when possible and offer their input and suggestions for making it work when it's not. We all know that sometimes decisions come down from on high and no one has a choice in the matter, but by offering your team the opportunity to feel as though they are helping to shape the form of those changes you're setting the stage open communication and, consequently, minimized conflict.

Encourage your team to keep their personal lives off the court, and address the issue quickly when personal problems pop up. I've noticed over the years that it's personal issues between individual players that often rips a team apart, because members end up either choosing sides or stepping away from the conflict in an effort to "stay out of it". Coaches should immediately step in to provide mediation and help players keep their minds on the game when they are on the court, and players should bring the problem to the coach's attention as soon as it begins to cause friction during play time.

Open communication and addressing problems before they have the opportunity to fester is the most effective way to eliminate conflict between members of a volleyball team and set the stage for success out on the court.

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