Become a Sponge: The Best Athletes Never Stop Learning

# Become a Sponge: The Best Athletes Never Stop Learning

There are two words I wish every young athlete would learn to say more often:

**"Teach me."**

Not:

*"I already know."*

Not:

*"That's not how my other coach taught me."*

Not:

*"I've been doing this forever."*

Not:

*"But I usually..."*

Just:

**"Teach me."**

Those two words can change your entire athletic career.

Because one of the greatest advantages you can develop has nothing to do with your height, vertical, speed, strength, or arm.

It's your ability to learn.

---

# Talent Can Get You Ahead

Some athletes develop earlier than others.

Maybe you're naturally athletic.

Maybe volleyball came easily to you.

Maybe you've always been one of the better players on your team.

That's great.

But talent can create a dangerous illusion.

It can convince you that because you're already successful...

**You don't need to change.**

That's where talented athletes sometimes get passed.

The athlete behind them keeps learning.

Keeps asking.

Keeps studying.

Keeps adjusting.

Keeps developing.

Eventually, the gap closes.

And sometimes it reverses.

Talent matters.

But your ability to continue learning determines how much of that talent you eventually develop.

---

# The Most Dangerous Sentence in Development

Be careful when your first response to coaching is:

**"I know."**

Maybe you do know.

But if a coach is still correcting it, ask yourself:

**Do I know it—or can I consistently do it?**

Those aren't the same thing.

You may know you're supposed to finish your platform.

You may know your approach timing.

You may know where you're supposed to be defensively.

You may know you need to communicate.

But knowledge without consistent execution isn't mastery.

Instead of:

*"I know."*

Try:

**"Show me what you're seeing."**

Now we're learning again.

---

# Knowing Something Is Not the Same as Mastering It

The fundamentals of volleyball aren't complicated to describe.

Platform.

Footwork.

Arm swing.

Hand position.

Timing.

Movement.

Communication.

But great athletes can spend years improving those things.

Why?

Because mastery has depth.

You can understand passing at 12...

And understand it differently at 16.

You can understand attacking at 14...

And see completely different things at 18.

The skill may have the same name.

**Your understanding becomes deeper.**

That's why great athletes can return to fundamentals without thinking they're above them.

---

# Learn From More Than Your Coach

Your coach should be an important teacher.

But don't make the mistake of believing your coach is the only person you can learn from.

Look around.

You can learn from:

• Assistant coaches.
• Former coaches.
• Strength coaches.
• Trainers.
• Teammates.
• Opponents.
• Officials.
• College players.
• Professional athletes.
• Players at your position.
• Players at completely different positions.
• Film.
• Books.
• Interviews.
• Your own mistakes.

Sometimes someone will teach you intentionally.

Other times, you'll learn simply because you were paying attention.

---

# You Can Learn From Someone You Disagree With

This is a more advanced skill.

You will eventually meet coaches who teach something differently.

One coach may teach a certain footwork pattern.

Another may prefer something else.

One coach may communicate in a way you love.

Another may communicate differently.

Your immediate reaction doesn't need to be:

**"One of them must be wrong."**

Instead ask:

**"Why does this person believe this works?"**

Listen.

Try to understand.

You may ultimately decide one approach works better for you.

That's okay.

But understanding different perspectives makes you smarter.

You don't have to agree with everything to learn something.

---

# Study Great Players Differently

Watching great volleyball is useful.

But don't just watch the ball.

Choose one player.

Watch them when they aren't touching it.

What does the libero do before the serve?

How early does the middle transition?

When does the setter release?

What does the outside do after landing from an attack?

How does the blocker position their hands?

What happens after the player makes a mistake?

What are they communicating?

Where are their eyes?

Now you're studying.

There's a huge difference between watching volleyball for entertainment and watching volleyball to learn.

---

# Learn From Players Better Than You

Playing against someone better than you can be uncomfortable.

Good.

Study them.

Instead of thinking:

*"She's way better than me."*

Ask:

**"What does she do that I don't do yet?"**

Maybe her first step is faster.

Maybe she sees the block earlier.

Maybe her platform barely moves.

Maybe she transitions harder.

Maybe she communicates before every point.

Maybe she has better emotional control.

Now that athlete isn't simply your opponent.

**She's information.**

Take something with you.

---

# Learn From Players Who Aren't Better Than You

This matters too.

You don't only learn from stars.

Maybe a teammate isn't as physically talented as you...

But she's an incredible communicator.

Learn from her.

Maybe another athlete doesn't jump as high...

But she reads the game beautifully.

Learn from her.

Maybe a bench player brings incredible energy every day.

Learn from her.

Maybe a younger athlete asks better questions than you do.

Learn from her.

If you believe you can only learn from people you consider better than you, you're going to miss a lot of teachers.

---

# Learn From Bad Examples Too

Sometimes someone teaches you what **not** to do.

Maybe you see a talented athlete treat teammates poorly.

Remember it.

Maybe you watch someone blame everyone else after losing.

Remember it.

Maybe you see an athlete waste an opportunity because they weren't prepared.

Remember it.

Maybe you experience leadership that makes people afraid instead of better.

Remember it.

Ask:

**"What is this teaching me about the person I don't want to become?"**

You can learn from almost anything if you're willing to pay attention.

---

# Ask Better Questions

Curious athletes ask questions.

But there's a difference between asking:

*"What am I doing wrong?"*

and:

**"What are you seeing with my feet when I pass this ball?"**

The second question creates a better conversation.

Try asking:

**"What is one thing you would change?"**

**"Can you show me what you're seeing?"**

**"Why do we use this system?"**

**"What should I be reading here?"**

**"What does a great player at my position do differently?"**

**"What should I work on outside practice?"**

Questions turn coaches into resources.

Use them.

---

# Listen All the Way Through the Answer

This sounds simple.

It isn't.

Sometimes athletes ask a question...

Then begin preparing their response before the coach finishes answering.

Listen.

Don't interrupt.

Don't explain.

Don't immediately defend what you did.

Let the person finish.

You asked because you wanted information.

**Receive the information first.**

You can think about it afterward.

---

# Be Curious About Positions You Don't Play

You're a hitter?

Learn what your setter is trying to do.

You're a setter?

Understand what makes passing difficult.

You're a libero?

Learn what blockers are reading.

You're a middle?

Understand defensive positioning behind you.

The more you understand the responsibilities around you, the more intelligent your own decisions become.

Volleyball isn't six separate positions.

It's six people solving the same problem together.

---

# Start Asking "Why?"

Don't just memorize where you're supposed to stand.

Ask why.

Why is our defense positioned this way?

Why does the setter want this pass location?

Why are we serving this player?

Why is our middle committing here?

Why does Coach want me transitioning this direction?

Once you understand the reason...

You become less dependent on someone constantly telling you what to do.

Eventually, you can solve problems yourself.

That's volleyball IQ.

---

# Your Mistakes Are Teachers

You don't need to love making mistakes.

But you should become interested in them.

A mistake contains information.

You got blocked.

Why?

You missed the serve.

Why?

You were late defensively.

Why?

You shanked the pass.

Why?

Don't simply become frustrated.

Investigate.

Athletes who become curious about mistakes can turn failure into data.

---

# Your Successes Are Teachers Too

Don't only study what went wrong.

Study what worked.

You passed incredibly well today.

Why?

Your serving was aggressive and consistent.

Why?

Your connection with your setter felt great.

Why?

Your body felt strong late in the tournament.

Why?

Success leaves information too.

Learn what created it.

Then try to repeat those behaviors.

---

# Don't Collect Advice Without Applying It

There is another trap.

Some athletes love information.

Videos.

Coaches.

Training tips.

Social media clips.

Advice.

But they never stay with anything long enough to actually develop it.

Learning isn't collecting information.

Learning requires:

**Hear it.**

**Understand it.**

**Try it.**

**Practice it.**

**Evaluate it.**

**Adjust it.**

Information becomes valuable when it changes something you do.

---

# Become Easy to Teach

Think about the athletes coaches love teaching.

Usually they aren't necessarily the athletes who already know the most.

They're the athletes who make teaching rewarding.

They look at you.

They listen.

They ask.

They try.

They fail.

They adjust.

Then they try again.

You can see them processing information.

That's an athlete a coach wants to invest in.

Become that athlete.

---

# From the Sideline

After decades of coaching, I've learned that I can teach an athlete a lot...

But I cannot make an athlete want to learn.

That part has to come from them.

Some athletes hear correction and immediately defend themselves.

Others lean closer.

Some say:

*"I know."*

Others ask:

*"Can you show me?"*

Those responses tell me something.

Not necessarily about talent.

About **growth potential.**

The athletes who remain curious give themselves more opportunities to improve.

That's why one of the most powerful attitudes you can bring into any gym is incredibly simple:

**"There is something here I can learn."**

From this coach.

From this teammate.

From this opponent.

From this practice.

From this mistake.

From this success.

From this experience.

Find it.

---

# CoachMikeDZ's Advice

I don't care how long you've played.

Walk into the gym willing to learn.

If you're the best player there...

Learn.

If you're the worst player there...

Learn.

If you love the coach...

Learn.

If the coach communicates differently than you prefer...

See what you can learn.

If you win...

Learn.

If you lose...

Learn.

If someone younger than you knows something you don't...

Listen.

Never become so impressed with what you already know that you become unavailable to what someone else could teach you.

There is knowledge everywhere.

**Be a sponge.**

---

# YOUR CHALLENGE

At your next practice, you are going on a **learning hunt.**

Your goal is to leave practice with **three things you didn't know when you walked in.**

LEARN ONE THING FROM A COACH

Ask a real question.

Try:

**"What is one detail about my game you think I don't notice?"**

Listen to the complete answer.

Don't defend yourself.

Write it down afterward.

LEARN ONE THING FROM A TEAMMATE

Choose someone who does something well.

Ask:

**"How do you do that?"**

It doesn't matter whether they're a starter, younger, older, or play your position.

Learn something.

LEARN ONE THING FROM YOURSELF

Pay attention during practice.

Find one mistake or success and ask:

**"What did that teach me?"**

After practice, write:

**COACH TAUGHT ME:**

________________________

**TEAMMATE TAUGHT ME:**

________________________

**EXPERIENCE TAUGHT ME:**

________________________

Do this regularly.

Imagine finishing a 100-practice season having intentionally collected three lessons from every practice.

That's potentially **300 lessons.**

Now imagine doing that for years.

That's what curiosity can do.

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# Key Takeaways

• Your ability to learn can become a competitive advantage.
• Talent doesn't protect you from being passed by athletes who keep developing.
• "I know" and "I can consistently execute it" are different things.
• Fundamentals become deeper as your understanding improves.
• Coaches aren't your only teachers.
• You can learn from people you disagree with.
• Study great athletes instead of simply watching them.
• Learn from athletes who are better than you—and those who aren't.
• Bad examples can teach valuable lessons too.
• Ask specific questions and listen completely to the answers.
• Understanding "why" develops volleyball IQ.
• Mistakes and successes both contain information.
• Don't collect advice without applying it.
• Walk into every environment believing there is something available for you to learn.

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# NEXT: REPLACE "I CAN'T" WITH "TEACH ME"

You've started looking for lessons everywhere.

Now we're going to make this harder.

What happens when someone tries to teach you something...

**and you don't believe you can do it?**

Maybe your first response is:

*"I can't."*

*"I've never been able to do that."*

*"That's not my game."*

*"I'm just not good at it."*

Those words can end development before it ever begins.

In the next lesson, we're going to replace one of the most limiting responses an athlete can have with two of the most powerful words in development:

TEACH ME.

Because coachability isn't simply being quiet while someone talks.

**It's being willing to let new information change you.**