This is an entry in my volleyball coaching log.

The last training before Final 8s was one I wanted to use to send the team off on a positive note. By that I mean good intensity mixed in with some of the drills/games the team seemed to enjoy.

Following dynamic warm-up I had the team moved to into serving. Once they’d warmed up I had the play the Amoeba game. I put a twist on things, though. I told the teams they had to only serve into deep or short zones, meaning the team had to select either the last 2 meters of the court or in front of the 3 meter line and could only have player targets inside those areas. The teams opted for deep zones the first couple rounds, but I made them go short for the last one. Energy was good and they seemed to have fun.

From there I went on to Continuous Cross-Court digging. This was a chance to have the players digging higher velocity balls than they might do during scrimmaging, helping to prep for the higher level play to come. It’s also a good intensity drill.

To prepare for the 6 v 6 play to come, I then moved on to Winners 4s with fixed setters and back row attacking only. It gave the team a chance to work on good attacking swings and general defense, with serve receive mixed in.

I then moved on to 22 v 22. Big points were awarded for kills, blocks, and aces. We ran through all six rotations before finishing up with a couple rotations of Scramble for maximum speed and intensity.

It was a good training session overall, one which achieved exactly what I’d intended. Next stop, Edinburgh!

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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.

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