The Art of Coaching Volleyball

Purpose: Drill to teach players to control their blocking movement by performing multiple blocks within a span of seconds. How it works: One blocker starts in middle front. Two coaches in middle front and right front are on the opposite side of the net hitting balls at the blocker. The blocker will block one ball […] The post Rhythm blocking drill appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Purpose: A passing drill to put pressure on the passers to pass perfect balls in a row. How it Works: Three passers and one target receive served balls (a total of 40 balls). The first goal for the passers is to pass 5 perfect balls, but they do not have to be performed in a […] The post 5-3-5-3-5 passing drill appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Purpose: Simple drill to practice communicating and performing reps of the seam ball (the ball served between two passers). How it Works: Have two passers split the court on each side of the court. One at a time, servers serve the middle seam and the two passers must communicate about whose ball it is. Many […] The post Clarifying the seams on serve receive appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Simple moves and requirements for the individual defender: defensive posture should have knees slightly bent and weight forward on the toes. How to capture more space and range: Train players to take steps towards the ball before moving. Be able to move laterally and forward and back by keeping a low, neutral position with a […] The post Individual defense: Capture space and have more range appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Mike Sealy of UCLA calls the first step of the hitting approach the "prowl step": the slow-moving preparation step into the dynamic step-close (which should be fast) of an approach. The purpose of this step is to slow down the beginning of the approach - many players launch into the first step aggressively and then […] The post The prowl step: Timing and direction appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Purpose: Work on the first phase of play in a shortened rally 6 on 6 drill - a great drill if you want to practice game-like play but don't want to tire out your players. How it Works: Play out 6 on 6 rallies, but shorten the duration of the rallies by not allowing the […] The post 6 vs 6 drill that won’t wear out your players appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Purpose: Teach players to set from the backrow and learn how to adapt to out-of-system plays. How it Works: One player is in right front with one outside hitter and two defenders. Both sides set up with this orientation. A ball is initiated into either side of the court. Whoever sets the ball (try to […] The post Follow your set drill: Attacking out of system appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Terry Liskevych talks the basics: practice management. First? Learn how to set up the net, no matter what level. Second? Teach your players how to shag the ball quickly. Set up ball carts and make it clear how you want the balls handed to you during drills. Once these processes are clear and concise, practices […] The post 3 tips to make your practice run smoother appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Clinician: Laurie Eisler Check out why Laurie believes that blocking is a necessary part of defense, but is sometimes overused by teams and can end up creating problems. The post Blocking tip: Don’t overuse the skill appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

    Clinician: Lucas Yanez, men’s assistant coach at Benedictine University Purpose: To train players to dig a settable ball while moving forward How it works: This four-step progression drill allows players to practice different digging techniques. The setup is the same in all progressions with a coach in the right front pin position and […] The post Digging while moving forward – 4 step progression appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Cell phones, text messages, instant messages, constant images zapping your athletes' brains from television to video games to online computer time. Is there a downside to this information overload? If so, what can be done about it? A new book called “Rapt” looks into the perils of the information age and comes up with some […] The post Increase concentration in a multi task world appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Susan Halverson Maloney of Ohio State University talks about rebounding from a loss or a bad practice. When developing a skill, the first phase is called "process": learning the skill, working through the mechanics and performing reps to commit the skill to muscle memory. The second phase is called "execution": this is when the process […] The post Learning how to lose appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

John Dunning, former coach at Stanford, says the difference between a good setter and a great setter is net play. Are you adept at using your hands to control the ball and not just your arms and shoulders? To train hand control, have one tosser stand a few feet apart from the setter. The tosser […] The post Youth setting control drill appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

1. Attentiveness to Detail. You must prepare to win in order to be a winner. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. 2. Impartiality. This is a must, but you must remember that you must not treat everyone alike as they are all different. Give each one the treatment earned and deserved. 3. Teaching Skill. […] The post 18 character coaching qualities appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.

Tod Mattox | Head coach at The Bishop's School Now that I have your attention, let me be clear. I am not a Karch detractor. Quite to the contrary; I not only have the utmost respect for him as the GOAT in our sport, but I am equally amazed by his prowess as a coach. […] The post Why Karch is wrong about midline passing appeared first on The Art of Coaching Volleyball.