Coaching Volleyball
Random Thoughts on Random Topics
Good Coaches Are Always Scrutinizing Their Methods A highly successful coaching colleague recently made a video contribution to an online coaching education website. The video presented drills used to develop volleyball skills. After the video was online for a few days, the coach reached out to me, expressing dismay at the nasty nature of comments…
Read MoreIt’s Easier to Move If You’re Already Moving
Volleyball is a game of movement. The entirety of the game involves moving from Point A to Point B, then executing a skill. The faster you can move to the ball, the chances of a successful contact are increased. At all levels, volleyball is being played at a faster tempo. Players are serving at an…
Read MoreDirect Teaching Is A Roadmap for Player Development
“Not only is unguided instruction less effective, but there is also evidence that it may have negative results when students acquire misconceptions or incomplete or disorganized knowledge. Teachers should provide their students with clear, explicit instruction rather than merely assisting students in attempting to discover knowledge themselves.” -Paul Kirschner I’ve had many inspiring mentors during…
Read MoreA Good Approach is Essential to an Effective Attack
Coaches will agree that attackers are most effective when the attacker implements a quality attack approach. One of the positives of running an offense with high sets at every position is that it is easier to implement a dynamic 4-step approach to attack. However, when running a quicker tempo offense with middle and outside attackers,…
Read MoreThe Misuse of a Bell Curve for Determining Your Target Area in Serve-Receive
It is common for many coaches to have their passers target an area 6′-8′ off the net when receiving a serve. The thought is to build in a buffer area to avoid a pass that either goes too close or over the net. Some will use a bell curve to validate this approach (excuse the…
Read MoreThoughts on Serve-Receive
My recent post on serve-receive initiated significant responses, directly or on various venues. The article aimed to encourage coaches to be creative in organizing serve-receive patterns. The straight 3-person pattern isn’t necessarily the best way to deal with the challenges of receiving a short or deep serve, which is statistically the most difficult for the…
Read MoreWill Professional Volleyball Impact Club and Collegiate Programs?
An increasing number of students are “canning” the over-rated and overpriced collegiate experience and are focused on getting a head start on a career without being saddled with a college loan. A study by the National Student Clearinghouse indicates a decline in college enrollment of 5.1 percent or 938,000 students since the fall of 2019.…
Read MorePassing Techniques and Systems- One Size Does Not Fit All
Coaches must guard against automatically mirroring other teams’ or coaches’ techniques and tactics. Many factors should influence how the skills are taught and the systems implemented. The game is different at the collegiate or national team levels compared to a 14-under club team. The men’s game at the international level is a beast unto itself—the…
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