Monthly Archives: February 2010

Feb 27

Bounce pass for beginners

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Can’t get your youth players to move to ball? Are they running with their hands together (like an elephant trunk as Donnie would say)?

This is a great beginner volleyball drill to teach passing to 12-year-olds who have never touched a volleyball or… put your 16-year-olds out there to get them back to basics (like I did).

1. Put servers and passers on both sides of the court.
2. The passers on one side are on the same team as the servers on the opposite side.
3. See how many volleyballs you can get to bounce between your knees in 5 minutes.

As you can see, there’s no need for the passers to have their forearms ready when they have no intention of using them. A little repetition in this basic volleyball drill can help cure the “elephant trunk run.”

Keep score:
1 point for bounce pass
2 points if they catch it with their knees
-1 point for a missed serve

And, don’t let them cheat and do a cheerleader jump for a bounce pass (that doesn’t count). Keep quick feet in mind when critiquing your players in this drill.

Oh, have fun!

Feb 24

Calling all female collegiate volleyball players!

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Check out this article on the beach Collegiate Challenge! (or just read below and you’ll get the gist)

USA Volleyball (USAV) will host the USAV Beach Collegiate Challenge on Saturday, April 17 at Will Rogers State Beach in Santa Monica, Calif.

The Collegiate Challenge will have three separate divisions: the Collegiate Division, the Fours Exhibition and the AVP Seniors Division.

The Collegiate Division is open to current NCAA and NAIA women’s volleyball programs and will mimic the NCAA-proposed sand volleyball format. Teams will be seeded according to NCAA rank and results of the 2009 AVP College National Championship and USAV Beach Collegiate Challenge.

The Fours Exhibition is for schools that have athletes who would like to participate and get some court time but are not interested in doubles.

The new AVP Seniors Division is for old fogies who – wait… it’s open to female athletes who used all their eligibility with their final playing season being between Fall 2007 and Fall 2009? I guess that’s what we call “seniors” in volleyball. Man, I feel old! The team members must have played at the same college or university.

What a great opportunity for current and recently graduated volleyballers! I’d do it but… I’m too old!

Check out the link above for registration information.

Feb 17

Volleyball blues

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I’ve heard the same comments over and over from girls’ volleyball coaches. “This team is an emotional roller coaster” “They constantly focus on the bad plays and not the good” “No self confidence” “They blame themselves and each other” “Their negative attitudes show on the court”… You won’t find a volleyball team that doesn’t have problems with emotions.

For teenage girls, intense emotions are undeniable facts of life. But, there’s got to be a way to keep the negative energy off the court. If not, out of the gym altogether (I know. That may be pushing it a little.)

Recently, I introduced a “self help” tip to my team: Set small goals.

Remember the movie “What about Bob?”? Sorta like Dr. Leo Marvin’s “Baby Steps” program, except your players are not middle aged men with OCD… and it’s unlikely that you are a psychiatrist. But the same principles are there. Take one step at a time. For example, before a tournament, set a hitting percentage goal or a passing percentage goal… or even simpler, “I’m going to focus on attack selection in this game” or “I’m going to pass every free ball with my hands.”

Here’s a good article on how setting smaller goals can help you stay motivated to achieve that big goal – say winning a state championship for example.

Feb 15

I need your help!!

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I am thinking of ideas for a volleyball team motto for next year. I love them. It sets the tone for the whole season and gives players a little extra motivation, but I need some ideas!

Last year, we won a state championship and our theme was “212 degrees: the extra degree”. It was all about giving just a little extra effort and it can go a long way. It was fun.

The year before was, “We Will”. We will, is still my overall motto as a coach because I love how simple, but also how much it means. It’s about an overall attitude of knowing we will accomplish anything we want to work for.

But I’m really struggling to think of one for next year… can you all throw out some ideas that would help inspire a team that accomplished so much last year?? Leave a comment… let me know your thoughts!

Feb 06

UCLA All-American transfers to UW

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Check out this blog post on 6’6″ sophomore Amanda Gil’s decision to skip town and head toward Husky-ville.

It’s amazing that such a great player transfers out of a program like UCLA halfway through her college experience only to sit out a whole year before seeing the court again. What do you think? Controversy on the team? Vertical envy? (I mean, come on, she’s 6’6″)