There is a difference between making a great play and being able to offer a good response when the team needs it. An outside hitter may control the pass when the ball comes towards them and lose that ability when the serve forces them to move. Their best exists, but it still appears in a very restricted situation.
The question becomes: what needs to change in preparation so that this quality also appears under the demands of the game?
When Ricardinho tells his story, he speaks of persistence, a style developed while still young and the support he received from his family. These accounts help us see development as a process of construction: there is the athlete's work, guidance and conditions that allow them to continue.
What characterises high performance
In the sporting sense used here, high performance involves preparation aimed at competing at a high level and meeting the demands of that context. Objectives, preparation quality, assessment and competition need to be connected.
The term also appears in sports programmes, regulations and policies with their own criteria. For an application or benefit, the responsible institution's definition applies. In this article, the focus is understanding sporting development and the choices along the way.
Performance and turning professional are not the same question
One question concerns the level of preparation and competition. Another concerns the employment relationship and the career's economic conditions. Confusing the two may lead an athlete to interpret sporting recognition as a guarantee of financial stability.
Even within the same sport, opportunities and structures vary. Responsible planning needs to consider where the athlete is, what possibilities exist and what will be needed to progress, without assuming that the next step is already assured.
The level of demand changes what needs to be observed
During development, an execution may work in predictable conditions and lose quality when the game speeds up. Progress requires recognising that difference. Repeating the movement well when there is time is not enough; you need to learn to use it in competitive situations.
In volleyball, this appears when the player needs to decide after a different pass, adjust their attacking approach or take a second ball. Reading the game develops alongside execution, not as a distant add-on.
The R17 perspective: turning your best into your standard
High performance is turning your best into your standard. This is a principle declared by R17. In sporting development, it changes what we seek in training: a response the player can access in different conditions and recover after an error.
Relying on a good moment or building a dependable response
An athlete who relies on the moment needs many things to align to play well: a comfortable pass, their preferred ball, a favourable start to the match. When one of those conditions changes, their repertoire becomes smaller.
Building a standard means expanding the capacity to respond. The outside hitter recognises earlier that the serve will force them to move, controls what they can and reorganises to attack. On the next ball, they use information from the previous play. Quality lies in this sequence of decisions, including when delivery needs to be simpler.
This standard includes variation. A high ball may be the best delivery in one situation; in another, the team can speed up. The reference is the play's demand and the realistic possibility of execution. The outcome remains subject to the opponent and the circumstances of competition.
Excellence as a way of doing things
Another R17 principle is excellence as a way of doing things. Here, Equipe R17 translates that guidance into questions that help shape the work: what did you perceive, why did you choose that action, what did you manage to execute and what adjustment makes sense now?
After a poor pass, for example, the athlete may identify that they started moving late. The correction gains direction when they and the coach locate the delay: in reading the trajectory, starting out or the route taken. In the next attempt, there is something specific to test.
A standard is built when correction guides the next attempt. The demand becomes useful because it leads to an action the athlete understands and can work on.
What Ricardinho's journey helps us see
Recalling his adolescence, Ricardinho describes weekend training and practice with his brother in the backyard. He also places the development of a style marked by speed at around 14 or 15 years of age. These are memories of how his own journey developed.
The account shows sustained interest and dedication. For another athlete, planning begins with their age, situation and team demands, with guidance from those supporting their development.
Persistence needs a concrete focus
Persist at what? Attending training, making a technical correction, learning a role, seeking an opportunity? The clearer the answer, the easier it is to distinguish commitment from directionless repetition.
An athlete may be disciplined and keep repeating an error because they did not understand the information received. In that case, increasing the demand for effort does not replace clarifying the task. The volleyball training guide helps connect objective, observation and adjustment.
Persistence becomes more useful when the athlete knows what they are trying to improve.
Support is part of the story
Ricardinho highlights his father as a role model and supporter, mentions his brother and acknowledges his parents' encouragement. When telling his story, he does not present development as an isolated achievement.
For someone in development, support may mean transport, scheduling, access to training and someone to discuss decisions with. Conditions differ between families; a story of support should not become a demand for every family to offer the same resources.
The point is to identify real needs and seek feasible solutions with the people and institutions involved. A difficulty with access is not proof of a lack of desire from the athlete.
How to turn ambition into a development plan
Wanting to play at a higher level is a direction. To guide the routine, that direction needs to become a set of concrete questions: what role do you perform, what does the next level demand and what difficulties appear today?
Organise the plan into four fields: current situation, learning objective, training action and evidence of progress. This structure makes the discussion with the coaching staff more specific and helps define what to track in the next period.
Example: the player who trains more but repeats the same problem
Imagine an outside hitter who controls the ball well in predictable drills and becomes disorganised when receiving a serve that forces them to move. They decide to add many repetitions of the task in which they already feel comfortable. Volume increases; the difficulty in the game remains.
The important information lies in the difference between the situations. The problem may involve reading, movement or preparation to attack after passing. The first step is to identify that difference with whoever leads the training.
Suppose observation shows a delay in reading the serve. The task now includes trajectories that require recognising direction and moving out to receive. The coach adjusts the difficulty so the athlete can distinguish the information, try a response and understand the correction. They then also monitor attacking preparation: the pass has improved, but does the outside hitter remain available for the build-up?
Training needs to make familiar what competition will demand. In this editorial proposal, that means bringing the task closer to the identified problem. First, clarify the information being missed; then check whether the player can use it alongside the rally's other demands.
If passing improves only in the predictable drill, the adjustment still needs to transfer to the situation that caused the difficulty. If the player can recognise different trajectories, control delivery and offer an attacking option again, evidence emerges of a more accessible standard. The focus of this change is the task and its assessment; workload continues to be defined by those supporting the athlete.
Record something that can be compared
“I am improving” may be a valid perception, but it needs observation to guide decisions. Does the player recognise the trajectory earlier? Can they take responsibility with less uncertainty? Do they maintain an attacking option after receiving?
Choose evidence related to the objective. If the focus is a transition, counting only attacking points may not show the change. If the task is becoming harder, a temporary drop in success does not automatically mean regression either.
Listen to corrections without abandoning your own development
In another interview, Ricardinho acknowledges the importance of listening to the coach while also discussing preserving his essence and desire to play differently. The context is his playing style, not permission to ignore instructions.
This tension exists in development: the athlete needs to learn from those observing from outside and also understand what they are building. Obeying without understanding may limit learning; refusing every correction may prevent necessary progress.
Ask for the missing information
If the instruction was to arrive earlier, it is worth understanding which moment it refers to. Is the start of movement late? Is reading the trajectory taking too long? Does the athlete follow a route that could be adjusted?
A specific question allows the correction to be tested. The discussion's aim is to make the work executable and check its effect on the next attempt.
Distinguish style from a recurring problem
A personal characteristic can be a strength. It may also be used as a justification for not correcting something that harms the team. The difference needs to be examined in concrete situations.
If a choice works in some conditions and fails in others, the learning may lie in recognising when to use it. Expanding the repertoire and adjusting the use of that characteristic can preserve its strength in different situations.
Preserving a sporting identity includes learning to use it with greater judgement.
The routine needs to fit the life that sustains the athlete
Training and competition depend on organisation. Study schedules, travel, available resources and family commitments influence what is feasible. Ignoring these conditions may produce an attractive plan that cannot be maintained.
There are also decisions requiring specialist support, such as training load, recovery and health needs. An athlete's account or an article does not determine these prescriptions for another person.
Dedication needs conditions that allow it to continue
Stories of overcoming adversity tend to highlight obstacles overcome. To guide an athlete today, it matters to recognise which obstacles can be reduced: travel that disrupts the routine, unclear guidance or lack of access to the necessary facilities and support. Improving these conditions is part of development too.
In Ricardinho's journey, dedication and support appear together. This combination allows a fuller reading than the idea that he succeeded only because he endured more than everyone else.
Development also involves collective responsibilities
The athlete needs to do their part. The quality of guidance, clarity of criteria and organisation of the environment also influence the work. When everything is attributed to individual mindset, structural problems may go unanswered.
The article on leadership broadens this discussion for those guiding people. Demanding and supporting are not incompatible when the demand is clear and the support helps people execute.
Think about the career beyond the next competition
A season may occupy almost all the attention. Even so, decisions about education, work and transition deserve space. Planning these possibilities helps sustain choices over a career that will involve changes and uncertainties.
The International Olympic Committee runs initiatives to support athletes outside competition too. One example is the Athlete365 Business Accelerator, focused on developing entrepreneurial skills. This support reinforces the importance of treating transition as a preparation topic, without assuming that sporting performance automatically translates into success in another field.
A planning discussion can record which commitments need to be preserved, which opportunities are being assessed and which information is missing for a decision. This helps reduce choices made solely under the pressure of the next result.
FAQ: questions about high-performance athletes
Is there an age that guarantees reaching the top level?
No. Starting at a particular age does not guarantee an outcome. Sport, journey, opportunities and development influence the path. A concrete assessment should consider the athlete's situation and the demands of the context they aim to reach.
How do I know I am progressing even without being a starter?
Observe learning objectives, execution quality and responses to situations that were previously difficult. Selection as a starter is a competitive decision involving several factors. It matters to the career, but it is not the only indicator of development.
Can an online course make someone a professional athlete?
A course can broaden knowledge and help study the game. Turning professional depends on practice, development, competitive context and opportunities, among other factors. Supplementary education does not replace the on-court journey or guarantee a contract.
