This is an entry in my volleyball coaching log.

It was a bit of a messy session due to a combination of equipment issues and players late arriving. We also had a new player in training who had been brought in from one of the lower level groups of the club as both a potential fill in for our second team and as a prospect for being in the team fully next season. The net result was that I wasn’t able to get in all the stuff I’d planned, though we did get the key elements done.

After some pepper and dynamic warm-up I had them do the serving warm-up and then targeting of all 6 zones. I transitioned from there into two-sided 3-person serve receive with the coaches serving with a target of 30 and then 3/4 person serve & pass.to get more individual passing reps because the first drill went faster than I’d expected. Because I was focused on serving I don’t know if that was a function of generous targets, easier serves, or what.

I finished up with 22 v 22 to again get serve receive into game play. I had wanted to do either Scramble or Bingo-Bango-Bongo at the end, but we needed to do tardiness punishment at the end, so I couldn’t. I was generally quiet happy with the volume of communication (even with the new player, who was relatively quiet) and the intensity. Still a few mental lapses that need to be erased, and there could have been stronger attacking, but overall I’m pleased with how things are coming along with the group. Given the bye into Final 8s and the amount of time there is until the first team plays it could have been an issue at this point of players not being as seriously motivated.

6 Steps to Better Practices - Free Guide

Subscribe to my weekly newsletter today and get this free guide to making your practices the best, along with loads more coaching tips and information.

No spam ever. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

John Forman
John Forman

John is currently the Talent Strategy Manager (oversees the national teams) and Indoor Performance Director for Volleyball England, as well as Global Director for Volleyball for Nation Academy. His volleyball coaching experience includes all three NCAA divisions, plus Junior College, in the US; university and club teams in the UK; professional coaching in Sweden; and both coaching and club management at the Juniors level. He's also been a visiting coach at national team, professional club, and juniors programs in several countries. Learn more on his bio page.

Please share your own ideas and opinions.