The Art of Coaching Volleyball

Don Patterson | AOC senior content manager John Hyden is the most durable player in the history of American pro beach volleyball. Period. The Ironman title once belonged to Karch Kiraly, the 3-time Olympic gold medalist who is currently head coach of the U.S. women’s national team. Kiraly won an AVP tournament in 2005 at […] The post Why core strength is so important for volleyball players appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

How do you make your team play together and have a certain feel for one another? This all has to do with culture, but this is something that is hard to put your finger on. Sometimes your team culture comes from finding a way to win when you're down. See how Russ Rose approaches team […] The post Team culture: Finding a way to win appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Many sports have their athlete superstitions, but hockey may be one of the most colorful. The legendary Wayne Gretzky would never get a hair cut on a road trip. Goalie Patrick Roy would be seen talking to his goal-post. Players from Stanley Cup finalists the Chicago Black-hawks refuse to step on the huge Indian head […] The post Superstitions impact performance appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Purpose: To work on reading whether the hitter is hitting a hard ball at your platform, a floater at your head, or is tipping the ball short. How it works: One player is in middle back with the coach at the net. The coach tosses the ball up and makes one of three hitting moves: […] The post Concussion-prevention drill: Reading the hitter appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Terry Liskevych reviews "Norwich: One Tiny Vermont Town's Secret to Happiness and Excellence" by Karen Crouse. Crouse, a New York Times reporter, moved to Vermont to immerse herself in the lives of Norwich Olympians past and present. In "Norwich", Crouse talks about her experience in the charming Vermont town of roughly three thousand residents. Why? […] The post Book review: Norwich appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Purpose: To warm-up players while working on communication and vision. How it Works:Start with two players on each side of the net with the rest of the players on an end line ready to fill in, Queen of the Courts style. To start, players are only allowed to pass and set and must get the […] The post Small group drill: Two contacts appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Goals: The goals of this team building exercise include: Enhancing the team-building process through self-disclosure, feedback, and interpersonal commitment. Offering team members an opportunity to give and receive feedback about team-related, personal growth goals. Developing the team's commitment to support each others goals. Materials: The materials needed for this activity are the following: Blank paper […] The post Team exercise to address trouble spots appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Christy Johnson shows us a competitive serving and passing drill that works on ball control under pressure. Players fight for the highest score to make their way and to stay at the top of the passing ladder. The post Serve receive ladder drill appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Coaches and athletes must deal with the fact all games end with a team's performance falling (more or less) into one of the following categories: Won and played well. Won but played poorly. Lost and played well. Lost and played poorly. Given the above four conditions, is there a constructive method when de-briefing a team […] The post Have players do post-game evaluations appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Teaching your middles how to run an effective 3 or a deceiving slide is not always the easiest thing to do. See where to have your players start, their footwork, and angles from John Dunning. The post Hitting 3’s and slides: Where to start, footwork, and angles appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Purpose: To encourage players' effort while also increasing ball control How it works: Start with two players on the court in front of the 10-foot line with a coach on the net. The coach begins inputting balls into the players who must both touch the ball to get it back to the coach. The catch: […] The post China drill: Ball control and conditioning appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Every coach in every sport deals with unhappy parents, but Ron Kordes believes in volleyball that alot of the time this comes from parents not understanding the game. That's why he has instilled a 24 hour rule for parents AND coaches to abide by. This time helps things to settle and helps the conversation become […] The post Team communication: 24 hour rule with unhappy parents and coaches appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Use these 3 tactics if your team has trouble meeting a short-term goal:   1 | Don’t allow discouraging attitudes to penetrate the team Remind team members that the goal wasn’t meant to be easily reached. Challenges make us tougher. 2 | Recognize partial accomplishment Especially with a harder short-term goal, recognize small improvements or […] The post Three tips for teams who miss a goal appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Purpose: To create a better match up between your A Team and B Team by dividing up starters on each side. How it Works: Split your starting line-up in half with your OH1, MH1, RS1 on one side of the net and your OH2, MH2, and RH2/Setter on the other half. Other players fill the […] The post 6 on 6 drill with rotation variations appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Jaimee Rindy | Middle blocker at Coe College, juniors’ club coach As a senior in college playing my final season, I can definitively say that I was one of the lucky ones. I went a full 9 years of competitive play without so much as missing a practice with an injury. Over the years, I […] The post 6 things coaches need to understand about an injured player’s state of mind appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.