April 03, 2025   |   Tagged Motivation,

How to improve your volleyball team culture

“Culture is a set of living relationships working toward a shared goal. It's not something you are. It's something you do.” - Daniel Coyle

This month we explore the power and challenge of culture, and how it influences our volleyball teams, schools, businesses, and homes. Culture is a mutual responsibility and telling of our most important values and beliefs. What culture are your building?

What is culture? Culture is a broad topic which speaks to the articulated and especially unspoken rules, goals, mission, and actions of a group. It is the habits and practices of this group whether in dress, manner, beliefs, customs, or ways of communicating.

Culture comes from the Latin word cultivate. Imagine your volleyball team or your home as a field. What would we find there? Is it a temperate climate encouraging lots of growth or is it more of a hostile climate where only the very hardy survives?

Why culture matters. One of the philosophies of NBC Volleyball is that we are what we repeatedly do. Small, daily actions lead to our future success. Culture builds, protects, and grows these daily actions. Picture a kitchen table. A family that meets daily at the table without phones, laughing and talking together about meaningful topics in which everyone is engaged and full of joy for one other is a vastly different culture than a home where no one eats together, laughs, or even talks together. Culture is crucial for thriving and success.

What are the hallmarks of a successful culture? First, how would you define success? Interestingly, this is one of the core foundations of a transformational culture. Is success measured by externals or more by internals? For example, is winning the highest measurement of success, or is executing at the best of our ability? Is money the highest measurement of success? Does the culture value grades or learning or are these two in tension? Where does the culture spend its energy, time, and focus?

Another hallmark is how trustworthy are the leaders? Healthy cultures have high degrees of safety and vulnerability which lead to a spirit of creativity, growth mindset, and courage. Leaders who express care and connection with their teams and families experience the most healthy and transformative cultures. Fear is a powerful motivator but it’s unsustainable and damaging. Love as wisdom is the most sustainable motivator. Love finds a way.

VOLLEYBALL CULTURE

Volleyball has a defined culture. Volleyball clothing, court etiquette, or an experience unique to regions and specific gyms.

What is the volleyball culture at your school? It’s amazing how even young players can articulate a specific volleyball culture.

Here are some questions that name culture:

• What values does my team reward?
• Who has the green light to shoot the ball, and who is restricted and why is this?
• What is respected?
• What is disrespected?
• How does the team navigate disagreement?
  
  

Another way to consider volleyball culture is to look at patterns:

• What is the body language of the coach, fans, and teammates when a mistake is made?
• What is the tone of the team when behind?
• What is the energy like after a game?
• What is the connection between the player that plays the most and the player that plays the least?

These questions reveal culture and what the culture unconsciously values. We are what we repeatedly do.

Types of culture:
Toxic: Characterized by a poisonous community with gossip, anger, screaming, or pouting from the stands or bench, siloed or cliquish behaviors, survival of the fittest.

Dysfunctional: Characterized by a lack of functioning systems and rhythms. Some do all the work, some are fully excluded, some are motivated, some simply show up at best. Dysfunction means the energy is not evenly distributed. Imagine a relay team. Some run fast, some run poorly, some struggle passing the baton. This is a dysfunctional culture.

Winning: Characterized by achieving mutual goals, operating together like a well-oiled machine, all working together within their areas of expertise to bring about winning results.

Transformational: Characterized by a healing, life giving culture. This culture not only brings everyone together, but everyone becomes stronger, wiser, more connected, more empowered, more inspired, and more inspirational.

What culture are you building on and off the court?

Hey NBC Volleyball Student-Athletes,
We love that you are culture builders who understand we are all leaders and responsible for our experiences. We believe in your ability to speak out and to speak up. To create meaningful change through modeling, inspiration, vulnerability, and compassion. You create the culture you want to see not just for yourself but in honor and love of your teammates. Keep up the outstanding work!

About NBC Volleyball Camps
Since 1979, NBC volleyball camps have been training student athletes to succeed on and off the court. Camps and training are located in USA and Canada. Find a program near you at nbccamps.com/volleyball.