Volleyball Coaching Bible II PDF

The
Volleyball Coaching
Bible
VOLUME II
American Volleyball
Coaches Association
Cecile Reynaud, Editor
Human Kinetics
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The volleyball coaching bible / Cecile Reynaud, editor.

p. cm.
1. Volleyball—Coaching. I. Reynaud, Cecile, 1953-.
GV1015.5.C63 V65 2002
796.325—dc21
2002007964
ISBN: 978-1-4504-9198-3 (print)
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VOLUME II
Contents
Key to Diagramsâ•… vi
Pa rt ON E
Coaching Priorities
Chapter 1 Sharing the Passion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
John Kessel
Chapter 2 Defining Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Charlie Sullivan
Chapter 3 Developing a Positive Team Culture . . . . . . 25

Becky Schmidt
Chapter 4 Growth Mindset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Jamie Morrison
Pa rt t wo
Program Building and Management

Chapter 5 Building a Winning High School
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Randy Dagostino
Chapter 6 Building a Successful College Program . . . 63

Todd Lower y
Chapter 7 Starting a Sand Volleyball Program . . . . . . 71

Danalee Bragado-Corso
Chapter 8 Running a Successful Volleyball Camp . . . . 85

Chris Catanach
Chapter 9 Recruiting the Right Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Salima Rockwell
Chapter 10 Developing a Five-Year Plan . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Bill Ferguson
iv
Pa rt t h r ee
Positional Training Strategies

Chapter 11 Training Middle Hitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Ben Bodipo-Memba
Chapter 12 Training Outside Hitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Erin Mellinger
Chapter 13 Training Setters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Wayne Kreklow
Chapter 14 Training Liberos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Erik Sullivan
Pa rt fou r
Match Preparation and Strategy

Chapter 15 Deliberate Practice Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Gylton B. Da Matta
Chapter 16 Scouting Opponents the Right Way . . . . . . 197

Joe Trinsey
Chapter 17 Statistics for More Effective Coaching . . . . 215

Todd Dagenais
Chapter 18 Offensive Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Bill Neville
Chapter 19 Serving Strategically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

Shelton Collier
Chapter 20 On-Court Decision Making . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

Jennifer Petrie
About the AVCAâ•… 271

About the Editorâ•… 272
About the Contributorsâ•… 273
v
Key to Diagrams
D Digger
L Libero
LB Left-back player
LF Left-front player
MH Middle hitter
MB Middle-back player
MF Middle-front player
OH Outside hitter
Opp Opposite
RB Right-back player
RF Right-front player
RH Right-side hitter
S/H Setter/Hitter
Floor marker
Net
Movement arrow
E6283/AVCA/fig01.01/513850/alw/r4
vi
Part ONE
coaching priorities
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chapter
1
Sharing the Passion
John Kessel
The sport of volleyball, invented in 1895 at a YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts

has gone on to become one of the most popular sports in the world. The inventor,
William G. Morgan, would likely not recognize the sport today as a result of the
modifications that have been made in over 100 years since he put down his first
rules. He would, however, likely be amazed at the level of athleticism of the hun-
dreds of millions of players around the world, and the level of passion the sport’s
fans have for the game he created.
This sport-for-a-lifetime, which you have chosen to share with others, has an
international federation (the International Volleyball Federation [FIVB]) with
members from 220 nations, whose motto is simple: Keep the ball flying. No other
sport in the world boasts as many nations in its international community. USA
Volleyball, one of the most respected national federations in the world, played a
big part in bringing the game to the Olympics and in its success in those Olympics
over the last 30 years. Americans involved in volleyball who go abroad are seen
as leaders in the sport who know most or all of the secrets of the game. Many
people also assume that Americans involved in volleyball know Karch Kiraly, the
three-time U.S. gold medalist who was voted the world’s best player in the sport’s
first 100 years by the FIVB. In October 2014, Kiraly coached the U.S. women’s
national team to its first gold medal in world competition in 62 years.
We hope, in your passion for volleyball, that you share the secrets, insights, and
skills that have made the United States one of just two nations to qualify for every
Olympics for three decades. Only 12 nations make the Olympiad every four years,
and 208 nations stay home—and for 16 years, the United States was a spectator
nation, competing in Mexico in 1968 and then not again until Los Angeles in 1984.
As coaches, one of our jobs is to teach parents and players alike about the many
challenges that are special to playing volleyball. It is a rebound game, but we cannot
go to the store to buy new and improved rebounding implements—such as new,
ever-larger tennis rackets or golf clubs. We compete using our own bodies. We
are the only people in the gym who know where the lost badminton birdies and
prom balloons are, because we spend the majority of our time looking up—which
is why we have to know where the court lines are kinesthetically. Ours is the only
3
4â•… â•… The Volleyball Coaching Bible
sport in which repeated maximal contact (spiking the ball) is done unsupported in
the air. Imagine how good baseball hitters would be if they had to jump maximally
before swinging the bat.
Because we rotate our positions constantly, we need to be all-around players—
good at all skills and great at one or two. What would baseball or football be if, after
every score, the players had to rotate to new positions? Volleyball is a noncontact
sport with a net no one may touch, even though it is right where most of the
action takes place. Every contact is judged in volleyball (do refs take points away
if a quarterback throws a wobbly pass or a shooter makes a basket with a spinning
ball?). We are allowed only three contacts before the ball must go over the net, so
true team players in volleyball work very hard to “better the ball,” knowing that
errors are just part of the game and that their job is simply to improve the next
contact, not complain about it. What would basketball be if players had to shoot
after the third contact? What would volleyball be if fouls were allowed? Under-
standing these challenges allows all involved to realize how amazing the game is
when played at any level, but especially when serves and spikes are traveling over
100 kilometers an hour (62 mph).
Here is a pretty amazing fact about our game: With contact times ranging
between 0.008 and 0.1 seconds, depending on the skill (from spiking to setting),
the average international player touches the ball less than a total of 30 seconds
in an entire Olympic competition. This means that the most important skill in
our sport is not technical; it is reading the game between contacts, anticipating,
judging, and timing.
Primary Versions of Volleyball

The three primary versions of our sport are the indoor 6v6 game, the sand (or grass)
2v2 outdoor game, and ParaVolley, which includes the most popular version being
played sitting on the floor over a much lower net and smaller court. One of the
most popular versions is coed; tens of thousands of coed competitions in all three
disciplines are held annually. Personally, my second most favorite way to compete
is in reverse coed, in which the net is at women’s height and males play in the back
row only (serving, digging, and attacking). The rallies are magnificent, and players
of both sexes get to compete at full speed together. Go out and organize a reverse
coed event at your school or in your program, and see what I am talking about!
Teach your players these three words: citius, altius, fortius, the Olympic motto
in Latin, which means “swifter, higher, stronger.” The key is the er part of each
word, because there can be only one est: Olympism is about individually growing
to be the best you can be. Some consider this a growth mind-set, to help athletes
know what they can and cannot control in our team game, and to work to be as
good as they can be, day after day.
Sharing the Passionâ•… â•… 5
A Sport for a Lifetime

It is more than symbolic that this first chapter shares ideas on collaborating to
grow this sport-for-a-lifetime that first was known as mintonette. The inventor
of the game, Morgan, worked with his fellow YMCA staffers and those playing
the game to both rename the game and change the rules. Throughout its history,
however, it has remained a sport-for-a-lifetime. When I work with 13U female
players, who are starting to play with the women’s net height, I let them know that
they will be hitting every third hit over nets at this height for the next 52 years. Do
you know that USA Volleyball has a 75 and over age group national championship,
in addition to an 11 and under division? At every age, players must hit every first
and third ball over the net. Consider posting a sign in your gym that says: “Use of
the Court without Use of the Net Is Prohibited.” Posters allow you to share the
passion (USA Volleyball and the FIVB provide free skill and motivation posters
on their websites).
This next May and June, take the time to create Mother’s and Father’s Day
doubles tournaments. Over a decade ago, Leon Fell, the tournament director of
Vail King of the Mountain (a doubles volleyball event held since the early 1970s),
let me add father/daughter and father/son divisions on Father’s Day. Today, the
event has 18, 16, 14, 12, and 10 and under age divisions. Over 100 teams compete
in pool play and then elimination competitions beneath Colorado’s majestic Gore
Range. In other states, the same is happening on Mother’s Day. There is nothing
quite like partnering up in competition with your child, regardless of your skill level.
You Will Be a Better Player if You Coach

One of the best ways to get better at volleyball is to teach the sport to others less
experienced than you are. Seneca the Younger, the Roman philosopher, under-
stood this when he said, “While we teach, we learn.” Mentoring and coaching is
safe to do at any age in volleyball. In Asia, where amazing levels of play occur at
the elementary school level, older kids spend half their time teaching volleyball to
younger kids after school while the head coach watches. All over the South Pacific,
the spirit of ‘ohana, meaning “family,” results in young children playing the game
with their aunts, uncles, and grandparents. In Honolulu, nine Olympians came out
of one program, which has three sand courts, one of which is a baby court with a
lowered net. There, the youth of the Outrigger Canoe Club start playing at a very
young age and are watched and mentored by adults.
If you are a coach, you should be a good storyteller. You see, you do not coach
volleyball; you coach people—and people remember and learn better from stories.
A Jewish proverb notes, “What is truer than truth? The story.” Your parents read
you bedtime stories to teach you about life, not to impart facts. By working on
your storytelling skills, you can better share your volleyball passion.
An experience I had teaching volleyball taught me much about the importance

of passion in our game. In 1995 I was working the World Games for the Special
Olympics, teaching an athlete clinic with U.S. national men’s team player Bryan
Ivie. We were on the commons of the University of New Haven and had a couple
of nets set up alongside playing areas for a dozen other sports. Special Olympians
from 125 nations attended the Games, and the idea was to experience new sports,
not just ones they came to compete in.
Some 20 athletes arrived at the start, many of whom did not speak English, to
learn volleyball. We gestured to them to stand and watch, and I stood near the net
and tossed a ball to Bryan’s forehead. He said one word, “Superman,” and overhead
passed the ball to me. I said “Superman” and set him well off the net. He jumped
lightly and spiked the ball over the lower net. We repeated the sequence three
times; then gestured to the athletes to get in small lines. We repeated the overhead
pass/set/spike with them and kept showing and saying “Superman,” chasing their
passes down and setting balls for them to hit. In less than five minutes, Special
Olympians who had never played volleyball before were passing and hitting. The
most important thing began to happen about 10 minutes in, when we heard other
sports’ coaches yelling, “Get back here; we aren’t done!” Athlete after athlete
stopped shooting baskets, putting, and fishing, and like moths to a light, gathered
to wait their turns to spike a volleyball. This is a lesson for all who love the game:
let everyone spike early and often; it is fun!
One of the secrets to helping newcomers love our sport is to stop

teaching the forearm pass first. I wish coaches and teachers who start
their clinics with the statement “Can’t pass, can’t hit” would see the pained
faces of first-timers as they return to the back of the traditional line drill.
When newbies’ first experience with volleyball is to strike a hard ball off
their forearms, they go home and say to their parents: “This sadomasoch-
ist came to school today—um, do you have any ice for my bruised arms?
Do I have to go back?” Please, when you go out to help grow the game,
teach hitting and overhead passing first; then torque serving (which is in
players’ control and has the torque action that allows even young play-
ers to send the ball over the net). Only once they are hooked should you
share the very odd skill of eye-to-forearm contact and deflecting a ball
off the arms to a teammate.
In volleyball, as in other sports, the coach who knows why will beat the coach
who knows how—and the same goes for players. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once
put it: “The man who knows how will always have a job. The man who knows
why will always be his boss.” A love for this sport lasts longer when it comes from
within, not from the coach. Guide your players’ discovery, but do not give them
the answers. They will have a better volleyball IQ for it.
Simply speaking, the game teaches the game. You know this already from learn-
ing a sport far more dangerous than volleyball: bike riding. You did not have a
bike riding coach, nor were you sent to bike riding summer camp. You did not
learn by doing bike riding drills or progressions, and for those who say, “But what
about training wheels?” two things come to mind. First, the majority of bike riders
around the globe did not learn with training wheels. Second, research shows that
using training wheels slows the learning of riding an actual bike considerably.
Those whom you coach also need to know one important part of
you: your coaching philosophy. It needs to be written, and it needs to reflect
why you coach. Keep it simple, post it to your online bio, and stick to it.
Volleyball Around the Globe

I have taught coaches, teachers, and players in volleyball clinics in over 50 nations.
In many nations, people don’t have volleyballs or nets, but somehow they find a
way to play the game. Players build their own balls from wrapped banana leaves
or soft-sided drink containers wrapped with sliced tire inner tube bands. They
make antennae from fishing poles or bamboo. They have a passion for volleyball
and come up with ways to make the game happen. In the end, the game will find
a way. This section shows some of the remarkable ways kids have found a way to
play volleyball all around the globe.
Playing 1v1 over a tree limb in the Cook Islands.

Photo courtesy of John Kessel
Cook Islands lunchtime competition.
Vanuatu kids playing 3v3 with a rope net and bamboo for their standards.
8
U.S. Air Force Academy’s Arnold Hall with 16 ParaVolley courts set up with ribbon
nets and chairs with 50-pound free weights on the seats for standards and blue
painter’s tape to line the courts.
Ten and under division of King of the Mountain Doubles tournament on grass in Vail,
Colorado.
9
South Carolina Palmetto Region: 2v2 monarch of the court game, losers-become-
the-net version.
Using a net from another great sport and playing 1v1 with a 70-gram First Touch
fabric ball.
Photo courtesy of Chris Vadala USAV
10
Get more nets up: Rope ribbon band or four nets on one rope with swim noodles for
low-cost antenna.
Adapting Existing Facilities

Volleyball is often played in facilities that are not set up for the game. There are
some simple ways to adapt them for our sport. Gyms have six basketball hoops
(aka volleyball accuracy training devices in which players must send the ball with-
out banking it), but often only one volleyball net. By putting a ribbon, rope, net
band, or smaller nets on one long rope down the middle of the net, anchoring to
11-foot vertical ropes or standards tied next to the wall, you can set up nets of any
height. You get four to six smaller courts for small-sided games and can also teach
badminton, tennis, and sitting volleyball, other great lifetime sports.
There are three things you can do to help grow the game of volleyball at light-
ning speed. The first is to simply use the preceding net system on only half the
main gym. This gives other athletes a chance to see how much fun it is to play
volleyball, especially spiking.
The second thing you can do is get permission to leave one net up in a gym all
the time. Although this is easier in larger gyms, it can be done even in two-court
facilities. The point is, when a basketball player asks to check out a ball to shoot
some hoops, a staff member need only hand over a ball. When a volleyball player
asks to play, the staff member may sigh heavily and say, “You’ll have to give me
20 minutes to set up the net.” The solution is to have one padded net system per-
manently set up, and half-court basketball played there if needed, or to have the
hoopsters take the net system down and then put it back up when they are finished.
Currently, volleyball people have to get the basketball system out of the way, set
up the net, and then return the court to basketball readiness. To move away from
this expectation while not alienating others, don’t ask to have the whole gym set
up for volleyball, just one court. It makes a big difference in growing the game for
all players to move away from this expectation while not alienating others.
The third thing you can do to help grow the game is not to cut players—at
any age. The challenge of creating programming that gives everyone a chance to
play comes from the long-term athletic development (LTAD) models, the goal of
which is to decide slowly, keeping as many athletes playing as long as possible. We
also need to accommodate players, providing practice or game sessions at earlier
or later times, as swimming and ice hockey programs do. Create open programs
during open gym times. Set up more courts: smaller ones on regular indoor courts;
courts in unused racquetball, squash, and tennis courts; multiple linked courts on
grass fields; or courts in cafeteria spaces. Give volleyball a chance to be a player’s
favorite sport.
Volleyball is a late specialization sport, as compared to sports such as gymnastics.
Many people believe that athletes need to specialize in a sport early in life to suc-
ceed at that sport in college or professionally. However, only about one percent of
high school players get college scholarships in their sports, so the best reason for
participating in any sport, volleyball included, is for the life lessons to be learned.
Specializing early is fine, if a person loves a specific sport. It is also fine to experi-
ence many sports and come to love a sport later.
Take a look at the “Late bloomer” Wikipedia entry at www.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Late_bloomer to see an amazing list of those who found something they loved
later in life. The following quiz is a fun test to find out some lesser-known facts
about some of our most famous athletes. Specific to sport, see if you can match the
following athletes to their sport backgrounds. The answers appear at the bottom.
The word coach comes from the term “carriage,” a vehicle used to carry valu-
able people from where they were to where they wanted to be. This definition
is still true of coaches: the more you empower your players to compete on the
court without you, the better everyone else will be, because in the end, the coach
never plays. For younger players, the Brazilians have a great statement: Your first
coach should be the game. Too often, adults get far too involved with younger
players learning the game, rather than letting them just create and figure things
out through play, not drills. After all, did you learn to play tag by doing tag drills?
Please also take the time to teach the history of our sport—from its best play-
ers and teams, to the way the sport has risen from a single game at a YMCA in
the United States to being one of the most popular participation and fan sports
in both the Olympics and the Paralympics. USA Volleyball has a section on the
history of the sport on its website: www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/About-Us/
Historical. Indeed, this organization has a SportKit DVD that you can get for just
the cost of shipping, which contains drill and skill videos, books, articles, posters,
and many ideas for teachers and coaches. If interested, check out the Grassroots
section of the USA Volleyball website.
Match Quiz
â•ƒAâ†œæ¸€å±®. Michael Jordan 1. Played only basketball in college at
Arizona
â•›Bâ†œæ¸€å±®. Larry Walker 2. Was only 5’11” as a senior in high
school
Câ†œæ¸€å±®â†œ. Kenny Lofton 3. Was not recruited out of high
school
Dâ†œ. Cynthia Cooper 4. Wanted to be a pro ice hockey goalie,
but was cut
â†œEâ†œæ¸€. Scottie Pippen 5. Did not start playing ball until 14
years old
â•›â†œFâ†œæ¸€å±®â†œ. Sammy Sosa 6. Did not start playing ball until 16
years old
â†œGâ†œ. Mark McGwire 7. Was an outstanding goalkeeper in
soccer
Hâ†œ. Hakeem Olajuwon â•› 8. Was a top college basketball player
at UCLA
â†œIâ†œæ¸€å±®â†œæ¸€å±®â†œ. John Stockton â•›â†œæ¸• 9. Was cut from his high school hoops
team at 16 years old
â•›Jâ•›. Jackie Joyner-Kersee 10. Eyesight as a child was 20/500
â†œæ¸€å±®â†œKâ†œ. Chris Drury 11. Pitched in the Little League World

Series
L. Tom Brady 12. Played pro basketball before winning
an Olympic medal in another team
sport
M. Mike Whitmarsh 13. Drafted 199th yet by his fourth season
had two Super Bowl MVP awards
Nâ†œ. Bart Starr 14. Drafted in the 17th round yet won
seven league titles
A-9, B-4, C-1, D-6, E-2, F-5, G-10, H-7, I-3, J-8, K-11, L-13, M-12, N-14
Conclusion
In closing, I offer some final thoughts. The first is to follow a key part of doctors’
Hippocratic Oath: Primum non nocere—“First do no harm.” Another is to never
be a child’s last coach, thus to judge your “coaching” record by how many players
keep playing volleyball after you are done teaching them. We are teaching what is
perhaps the ultimate team game, and we need to make sure not to let the pleasure
of competition be overtaken by the pressure of competition. Volleyball is such a joy
to play; players love the fight as a team to keep the ball off the floor on their side
and put it down on the other side. In practice and competition, help your players
understand the randomness of the game: in the hundreds of millions of matches
played since the creation of the sport, 50 percent of the teams lost. Likewise, the
athletes you coach will spend about 50 percent of their time competing at a level
below their average. This is just a fact. Your job is to raise that average, even though
your athletes will play below it half the time. Be their biggest supporter, win or lose.
It is also important to ask lots more questions, to guide players’ discovery, and
give them hints without a rule. This form of teaching is remembered far better
than being told what to do. Remember, players don’t care how much you know
until they know how much you care.
Finally, make a point of catching your players doing things right. Most coaches
only seem to give feedback or attention after a player errs and ignore the times a
player gets it right.
In the end, if you have shared the beauty and excitement of volleyball that is in
your heart, and focused on the mastery of the game over the outcome, you will
have players who love the game as much as you do. Then, you can truly measure
your success as a coach—which is by never being a player’s last coach.
chapter
2
Defining Expectations
C h ar lie Sullivan
Defining expectations is very important for any group attempting to work together
to achieve the highest level possible. When all members are on the same page
about what is expected, achieving goals is easier. For a leader not to communicate
expectations is not fair. Whenever I bring my three children under the age of eight
into a store, or when we go to church, I say, “OK, kids, here are the expectations.”
I do the same with my team. Expectations clarify for everyone what constitutes
best behavior and give a leader credibility when a player does not achieve them.
Identifying the expectations of being a team member in our program, and not
assuming that everyone knows those expectations, is very important.
Relationships
The first expectation of our volleyball program at Springfield College in Mas-
sachusetts is that we work hard on developing relationships. For a team to play a
championship level of volleyball, the players must get along and be able to work
together. This may sound like a description of team cohesion, but there is more to
it than that. This chapter will help you and your athletes develop great relation-
ships that will help you all perform at your best. This has been the foundation of
our program and any success we have had.
Coaches identify early on that the highest level of a relationship with their
players is trust. The best way to develop trust is to communicate well and often.
Therefore, early in every season, we identify times for our players to communicate
with each other.
We tell our players that 75 percent of communication occurs through body
language. We show them their body language on video and, without hearing their
words, identify what they are communicating to other players. We also explain that
they can probably know what someone is thinking or feeling by looking in their
eyes—and that they should communicate with their eyes and look their teammates
in the eyes. When I am talking to a player who is facing away from me, I sometimes
reposition my body so we are facing each other and can see each other’s eyes.
15
If I have to give a player instructions during a time-out in the fifth set of a national
championship match at 13-13, I want 100 percent trust between me and that player.
Maybe our scouting report had our zone 2 (right-side) blocker staying in tight
versus the opponent’s rotation 1. For the entire match, I might have reiterated to
our zone 2 blocker to stay tight versus rotation 1, but now I want this blocker out
wide. Without trust, if I give this player this instruction, he might doubt what I am
saying and think I am insane. However, if the player trusts me, he might, without
any hesitation, get into a spread-ready position and play the rally to the best of
his ability. Without a trusting relationship, players cannot reach their potential.
What that player does not know and does not need to know at the time of the
new instruction is that we saw the opponent substitute in a player who hit a great
high ball in a previous match, and we anticipate that the setter will set him again.
We want to make sure that our zone 2 blocker is in a good spot. It is best at that
time to say, simply, “Hey, get wide and front that high ball.” Ideally, the player will
perform without hesitation, and we can trust that he is going to be in a good spot.
This is why our coaching staff identifies trust as the highest level of a relationship.
Following is a list of communication expectations that our team developed for
the 2014 season:
Team Trust
The highest level of a relationship is trust.
The best way to get there is communication.
Opportune times to communicate are during and between rallies.
Your list
Setter communication with hitters and reverse
Discuss block assignments before play
Call for set three times
Call for high ball sets in transition
Communicate front-row setter
Front row and back row discussing if they are taking line, seam, or cross
Back row talking about what defense they are in
Who has second contact on setter dig
Discussing hitter or server tendencies
Third blocker on three-man block calling three
Serve receivers discussing seam pre-serve
Calling “in” or “out” for serves
Calling “up” when player digs a ball
Calling “I got it”
Compliment and encourage—stay positive
Defining Expectationsâ•… â•… 17
How to communicate
Huddle between rallies—all in, 100%
Positive body language
Positive communication with one another
Talking before, during, and after plays
Tone can affect communication
Not getting upset when a mistake occurs or a teammate is performing
well. Pick up your teammate for the next rally.
Communicate through effort and work ethic
Make a play
Negative criticism is not acceptable
Drill to Foster Team Communication

This drill works on communication and trust. Three serve receivers are on
the court with a setter, and a few players serve into that group of four. The
players receive a serve and run an audible offense. Of the three players who
receive the serve, the person who passes the ball is required to hit a back-row
attack. Of the two remaining players, the one farther left on the court runs a
quick attack or a fast tempo in the middle of the net, and the one farther right
runs an attack on either antenna. The players who are farther right and left
vary depending on which of the three players passes the ball. You can vary
the responsibilities to modify the drill. The player who passes could be on a
pin, the one farther left could be back row, and the one farther right could be
the quick attack. All this takes place in a split second. The setter must listen
to the play sets that players are calling and make a great set.
This drill is usually total chaos at first, but as players improve their com-
munication during the season, it gets smoother. We use it to observe our
progress during the season and to admire how our relationships have grown,
especially during our championship month of April!
Expectations Defined
After teaching players to communicate, the next step in getting everyone in the
program on the same page is to share a list of expectations with the players. In
recent years the list has grown to include social media expectations to reflect the
current generation. If a problem arises during a season and I realize that I did not
communicate how disappointed I was in that action, I add it to my expectations
list for the following season. Our list of expectations includes some seemingly
mundane things such as the expectation that all players on the men’s volleyball
team say hello to all faculty members when they see them on campus. This is an old
policy at Springfield College that we want to continue. Following are our players’
expectations for the 2014 season. You will have your own list of expectations that
pertains to your program, but this can serve as a model.
Overall Rules to Live By

Do not do anything that will represent yourself, your family, Springfield
Live College, and the Men’s Volleyball team in a negative fashion.
s.b. Discipline is doing the right thing in the best possible manner at the cor-
rect time, and that is not such a bad thing.
You might be thinking that if you have expectations, you will need consequences.
For a variety of reasons, I do not agree. I state in my expectations that failure to
comply with any of them will require a meeting with the head coach, at which
time disciplinary decisions will be made. We work hard to recruit players who are
not only great volleyball players, but also great people. We explain that we trust
that they will make the right decisions and give them our trust until they give us a
reason not to trust them. Therefore, we do not anticipate any of our players having
trouble with our expectations list. We let them know the expectations during the
recruiting process, and if they do not think they can live up to them, we probably
will not have them in our program. With that said, we handle discipline issues
on a case-by-case basis because every situation is unique and we do not want to
be boxed into taking actions we are not sure will be best based on the situation.
Team Handbook
The next step we take in defining expectations and communicating all facets of
the program to our players is publishing an annual team handbook. My favorite
section of the handbook is “Defining a Springfield College Volleyball Player,”
which explains how to act to be a great player in our program. I love this section
because it is an open invitation to greatness. I love it more when players take us
up on the offer and choose what to put in the list. A couple of examples of what it
takes to be a great player would be “attends all classes and completes all homework
assignments” or “sits in the front row of all his or her classes.” I highly recommend
a similar list for your players.
Our team handbook includes my coaching philosophy, because my decisions
are based on it. If a team’s philosophy is to run a quick offense to the pins, then
the setter should not need to ask what tempo to set the ball at from the attack line.
Springfield College Men’s Volleyball Player Expectations
1. Players are expected to be knowledgeable and abide by all alcohol and
drug policies as stated in the student handbook.
2. Players are expected to be knowledgeable and abide by the rights and
responsibility section of the student handbook under resident life.
3. Players are expected to never use the excuse of “I did not know” in
reference to the consequences of discipline determined by the Dean of
Students office as a result of their violation.
4. Players are expected not to get written up, and Coach Sullivan does not
condone the use of drugs and alcohol.
5. Players are expected to represent themselves, their families, and the
SC Men’s Volleyball program in an exceptional manner in everything
they do including competition, classes, behavior in the dorms, working
women’s matches, and off-campus events.
6. Players are expected to attend all classes and meet with professors in
advance to make up classes that will be missed due to away matches.
7. Players are expected not to post inappropriate photos on any Facebook
or online personal page that they have. Springfield College Dean of
Students has the right to take disciplinary action based on photos on
students’ personal web pages.
8. Players must be at the first practice in January and after spring break.
9. First-year players must have a completed grade chart and present it to
Coach Sullivan every two weeks.
10. Players are expected to aid in the recruiting process by entertaining
recruits during visits to campus.
11. Players are responsible for checking their email daily to receive important
communication from the head coach.
12. When players are communicating through social media, it is expected
that any message will not represent the program in a negative manner.
13. Players are responsible for contributing positively to team cohesion in
an attempt to facilitate the program performance at its highest potential.
14. At Springfield College athletic events, team members are expected to
represent themselves, their families, and the college by cheering for
SC athletes only.
15. Volleyball players are expected to greet faculty members on campus.
16. Players are expected not to go on “spring break trips” in March.
17. Failure to comply with these policies will result in a meeting with the head
coach. Discipline decisions will be made by the head coach.
19
The answer is implicit in the team’s philosophy. The same is true of my coaching
philosophy. The players should know how I will react based on my philosophy
and how I approach coaching.
I was moved to write my coaching philosophy by one of the greatest coaches in
men’s volleyball history, Tom Hay, who coached the men’s and women’s teams at
Springfield College. He was instrumental in developing the EIVA men’s conference
on the East Coast and is enshrined in the EIVA Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, Coach
Hay passed in my second year of being the head coach at Springfield College. At
his wake, among photos and memorabilia, Coach’s family had posted his coaching
philosophy. Not only was it remarkable in content, but it also made me wonder
how I could expect to make daily coaching decisions without a standard as to the
reason why? As Coach Hay did for so many people, he inspired me to build better
relationships, to communicate more effectively, to define expectations more clearly,
and to be a better coach. Thanks, Coach!
Player Evaluations
We want to be clear to our players how they are going to be evaluated in our pro-
gram. Our team handbook includes all the categories in each position on which
players will be evaluated, as well as general qualities such as respect, communication,
and work ethic. These lists include subjective and objective categories. Again, if
the players know our expectations and how they will be evaluated, they can choose
to work hard in those categories. We have a spreadsheet that we share with the
players before the season begins. Every position has the same set of eight subjec-
tive evaluation categories, so that all players are evaluated equally. Each position
then has a set of objective evaluation categories that pertain to the position. The
players are rated 1, 2, or 3 in each category.
We use our evaluation forms to ignite some great communications and build
trusting relationships. We have the players fill out the forms rating their own
performances in each category. Then, as the head coach, I rate each player. Some-
times I rate the players with my entire coaching staff, or the player and each coach
rate the player in all the categories separately. However you choose to do it, the
great moment is when players compare their completed forms to yours. That can
stimulate some great conversations and literally get everyone on the same page. A
player might have rated himself a 1 in serve receive, and I might have rated him a
2. He may believe that he performs the serve receive at a high level, and he learns
that we think a bit differently. In evaluations, we listen to the player’s perspective,
give our own views, and leave the meeting on the same page with the next steps
outlined for working to achieve the player’s potential.
These meetings can be quick if we are all on the same page, or they can be a bit
longer if we need to work out some confusion or define expectations more clearly.
Sometimes we have the whole team go through the evaluation process together;
players who are struggling or need more communication go through the process
individually.
We also use the evaluation form to get a statistical comparison between two
players. If two setters are battling it out for a starting position and it is very close,
the coaches may meet and give each player a rating in each category and then
compare them. Coaches can also take into consideration one category that might
be more significant than another. For the setter position, for example, one setter
may serve and block better than the other, but the other setter may win every drill
in practice. A variety of issues may need to be taken into consideration. We find
the evaluation form to be great for both defining expectations and communicating.
Positional Meetings
Positional meetings are yet another way to communicate with players. We plan
these meetings for every two weeks, but weekly meetings are most effective. A
positional meeting is a great time for communicating to everyone in the position
and the individual players as well. We first go over things that are going well in
the position and then move on to any problems and the things we need to improve
to play championship-level volleyball.
The last thing we do in a positional meeting is give each player a ranking in the
position. It is not an easy conversation sometimes, but it is a good one. If there
are four guys in a position, we say very directly, “You are number one, you are the
second-ranked player, you are the third, and you are the fourth.” Then we give
our reasons for ranking them this way and explain what each player needs to do
to move up in the ranking as well as things he needs to do to maintain his current
position. These meetings get everyone on the same page and help players accept
their roles. The players who are lower in rank know what they have to do to move
up and do not feel hopeless. We also give the players who are lower in rank an
opportunity to come to practice early to work on some fundamentals to improve
their performances. This keeps everyone engaged in the program, everyone knows
his role, and the quality of our relationships improves. Things always feel better
after these meetings.
Sometimes you just need a quick conversation with a player. This can take
place before practice while players are warming up. Taking time to check in with
a player, ask how his classes are going, or tell him something you liked about his
performance in practice yesterday is valuable. In our program we can always talk
about the statistics because we take statistics in every practice and e-mail them to
the players every night. The players have a chance to see the statistics along with
the coaching staff and get feedback about their performances.
Statistics
Ultimately, the bottom line in any program is the product, the numbers, effective-
ness in competitions—in other words, the results. That’s the reality. Websites give
results after matches. Society is product driven. When my six-year-old daughter gets
out of the car in her neon orange soccer uniform, my neighbor, who is the nicest
person in the world, inevitably asks a terrible question, “Did you win?” Really, is
that what these youth sport performers should be worried about? There are so
many variables that go into a youth soccer game, and I am not sure the reliable
measure of my daughter’s performance is a win or loss. Nonetheless, this is the
world we live in, so we must learn to excel in this world.
Three Objectives of Statistics

The three objectives we have when using statistics are as follows:
As an indicator of the level at which we are performing. Statistical goals are in the
team handbook, so all players should know the statistical level at which we need
to perform for each skill. If these vary by position, then the players in the posi-
tion need to know the differences for their position. Therefore, we can look at
the statistics per skill and per position and know what we need to work on and
what is going well.
As a goal. If we achieve established levels of performance, our chances of win-
ning volleyball matches increase substantially. Therefore, we use statistics to see
where we stand vis a vis our goals. The more we achieve these goals, the closer we
are to playing championship-level volleyball.
As motivation to work hard to achieve them and as motivation to compete against other
players. Players know that if they are playing well, their chances of playing more
increase. When we rank players statistically, we are communicating very clearly
that we value those who can compete and win in our program. Players need to
learn to compete in practice so that they are prepared for competition.
Process
We preach the process in our program at Springfield College, although you may
not believe that we are process oriented if you looked at our preparation. Even
though we use statistics a lot, we want our players to focus on the process more
than the product. However, we confront them with a lot of product (i.e., statistics)
to help them practice ignoring this distraction. If they work daily on eliminating
the distraction of the statistical product, then they are more equipped to do so on
the most important days of the year, match days. Our players see their statistics
daily after practice. Some days we rank players in comparison to the other players
in their position, both in terms of skills and overall. This is a lot of product for
players to deal with. In reality, the players who do the best are those who can focus
on the process, their self-talk, or a simple fundamental skill, and let their errors
pass them by. These are the players who finish statistically higher. Although it is
not easy, when our players focus on the process, our team competes better.
The best example of focusing on the process is that of a player in our program
who graduated in 2007 who I will call “Joe.” In his junior season, Joe had started
as an outside hitter on our national championship team. In his senior year, Joe got
beaten out by a freshman. No longer on the starting team, Joe practiced with the
second team daily and became totally immersed in the process and all the behaviors
and thoughts he needed for playing at his best. He became more focused, he got
better, and we noticed that statistically he was competing better and better all the
time. We qualified as one of the four teams in the national championship, and in
the few games prior to those matches, Joe came off the bench and was a spark in
helping our team play better. In the semifinal match, we were struggling a bit, and
here came superman. He ran in from the bench, subbed in, and immediately added a
process orientation to our team that eliminated the distraction of playing for goals.
This helped our team bring the level of play up. We fortunately won that match,
and on the morning of the national championship match, it was a surprise to no
one that Joe was our starting outside hitter. Joe had become the master of process
orientation and focus and was able to eliminate the distraction of this national
championship product that other players had fallen victim to. Joe’s performance
is still vivid in my mind. I mostly remember the strategies he developed to focus
on process rather than product in his daily practice.
Conclusion
Building trusting relationships results in consistent behavior, as well as a great
team personality. With this foundation, our players are on their way to achieving
their potential and achieving our goal of playing what we call championship-level
volleyball. What fun!
Our team works all season long on communicating and building relationships,
and expectations are continually defined. Without this foundation, our opportuni-
ties for success diminish.
chapter
3
Developing a Positive
Team Culture
B eck y Schm idt
Think back to a time when you worked hard, had fun, learned a lot, and achieved
at a high level. What characterized that environment? What characterized the
relationships you had with your peers? Your leader? Seldom do people look back
and recall these times as easy, but they also don’t describe them as negative. A
balance exists on teams that reach their potential—between challenge and skill,
criticism and encouragement, trust and accountability, fun and focus, as well as
between team and individual. How you, as a coach, facilitate the balance of these
factors, both in your relationships with your athletes and in the way they relate to
each other and the environment, is where the art of coaching is found.
The aspects of your program on which you have some influence are all based
on relationships. The effectiveness of the drills you choose or the tactics you
employ is based, in part, on the strength of your relationships with your players.
The selflessness and team focus of your players are influenced, in part, by their
relationships with each other. Their ability to be engaged in the moment and focus
on the task at hand is facilitated, in part, by their relationships with their training
and competitive environment. Although these relationships are sometimes difficult
to control, they are certainly open to being influenced by the head coach.
Balance of Challenge and Skill

You may remember a time competing, as a player or as a coach, when you got lost
in the moment. Time was transformed, your movement felt effortless, your focus
was precise, and your performance was exemplary. In short, the experience was
perfect, and somewhat elusive. We might remember these moments so clearly
because they don’t happen that often. Important research was conducted by
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the late 20th century to investigate why these “flow”
experiences happen and how they can happen more often. An important factor in
their occurrence is the balance between the challenge presented by the context
25
of the game or training environment and the skill level of the athletes involved.
If the opponent or drill is too challenging for the participant based on skill level,
frustration is likely to prevent a good performance. Likewise, if the contest or
drill is too easy or simple for a team, boredom will prevent the athletes from
having motivation to achieve optimal performance. The key is to manipulate the
competitive and training environments to keep the balance of challenge and skill
appropriate to maintain maximal motivation.
Coach–Player
As the coach, you have control over the drills you build into practice, the level of
performance you demand, the way you structure groups and teams, and the level
of competition in the nonleague portion of your schedule. The first task in an
effort to achieve balance between challenge and skill is to evaluate your talent. At
what skills do the players on your team demonstrate proficiency, and where are
they weak? At what point do the skills at which they are proficient begin to break
down? Evaluating these factors will help you find the sweet spot in training where
athletes will experience enough challenge to feel pushed but also enough success
to remain confident.
Another factor contributing to the balance of challenge and skill is the way
athletes and coaches interpret failure. After all, the negativity that comes with
frustration is rooted in the perception that failure is a bad thing. One of the
common characteristics of training programs that elicit the most success from their
performers is that failure is not something to be feared. In fact, failure is appreci-
ated because it means that participants are willing to risk and to push themselves
outside of their comfort zones to improve. People who fear failure attempt only
the things they can already do. The player who fears failure and can attack very
well crosscourt will focus only on her crosscourt attack, limiting the opportunity
to develop her line shot. If you, as a coach, focus on failure (by either calling atten-
tion to it or punishing it), then you will end up fostering a mind-set that prevents
risk taking and limits growth. Table 3.1 provides examples of how to manipulate
the training and competitive environments to create a balance of challenge and
skill to encourage peak performance.
Player–Player
A positive team climate is not just dependent on the relationships between the
players and coaches: it is one in which the players have a positive influence on
each other. But how can players influence the balance between challenge and skill
for each other? The answer comes in the way the team is grouped and how team
members take responsibility for each other. At Hope College in Michigan, where
I coach, I often structure scrimmage teams so that the top front-row players are
attacking against the top back-row players. This makes it so that players who need
more developmental work in the back row are digging balls against a front row
Developing a Positive Team Cultureâ•… â•… 27
Table 3.1â•… Training to Encourage Peak Performance

To reduce challenge To increase challenge
• Slow down the drill. • Speed up the drill.
• Have a specific focus that is • Increase the number of stimuli.
Skill development
under the athlete’s control. • Increase the standard.
• Decrease the standard.
• Control the rally to focus on only • Create a more gamelike
specific tactical criteria. environment.
• Reward winning the rally • Reward tactical execution.
Tactical execution
regardless of tactics. • Add environmental distractions.
• Reduce environmental
distractions.
• Create homogeneous groups. • Increase the diversity of
• Create a smaller team. personality types and
Team building
backgrounds.
• Increase team size.
• Reduce the competitive level. • Play up into a more competitive
• Evaluate performance on a age bracket or division.
Competitive
singular focus that is within the • Evaluate performance on
performance
team’s control (i.e., effort). multiple or more complicated
factors.
that is also working on developing skills. Both groups are playing with and against
teammates in ways that are developmentally appropriate.
On occasion, ignoring developmental level when grouping players can be incred-
ibly positive. I worked with a volleyball club that would do position-specific practice
with players from every age group on the same court by position. Experienced and
talented 18-year-olds were grouped with 14-year-old novices. The challenge–skill
balance was maintained because the experienced players were tasked with being
good models of fundamental techniques for the younger players and with providing
peer instruction. The younger players were encouraged to focus on the process
(technique) rather than the result.
Player–Environment
Another way that we try to promote a balance of challenge and skill is to make sure
that our players understand the big picture of our training. We use a whiteboard
at practice to share our practice plan, the focus points and goals of each drill, and
where our players are supposed to go. This helps players identify how the skills
developed early in practice will prepare them for performance in the scrimmages
later on. It identifies coaching cues and focus points that our staff will be verbal-
izing during the drills. The whiteboard also helps us track our performance in
drills over time, which facilitates setting appropriate goals and standards. For
instance, we do a crosscourt ball-control exchange drill in which players try to

take a specific number of aggressive swings in five minutes. We keep the highest
scores in that drill in the corner of our whiteboard as a reminder of the standard
and players’ past achievements.
Balance of Criticism and Encouragement

A positive team climate is one in which athletes improve their ability and learn
more about their potential. The feedback they receive from their coaches, each
other, and the environment contributes to both of these objectives. Telling players
what they do well, although positive, does not help them maximize their skills.
Focusing on the negative, for most athletes, results in frustration and decreased
self-confidence. Again, the coach’s task is to find a balance between the two as well
as provide multiple sources of feedback.
Coach-Player
In my experience, athletes desire two types of feedback from their coaches:
◆âŠƒ To be acknowledged when they do something well
◆âŠƒ To be told specifically how to improve when they fail
At Hope College we want our coaches working hard to provide both types
of feedback. We want to acknowledge and celebrate when our athletes succeed,
both in result and process. I went through a phase in my coaching when I felt as
though telling players “great pass” after getting the ball to target was redundant.
They could see that the pass was perfect and didn’t need me to tell them. I found
that my athletes appreciated my praising their passes (or any other obvious dem-
onstrations of skill) because pleasing me was important to them. This is further
demonstrated in how often my players ask, “Coach, did you see that?” when they
achieve success at something they have been working on. The athlete knows that
she was successful, but she wants to share that success with me.
In addition to praising successful execution, we also want to praise successful
process. Specific feedback on techniques that improve athletes’ chances of success
or attempts that are outside their comfort zones are worthy of encouragement. It
helps to know exactly what your players are working to improve, so that you can give
appropriate feedback when you see them make progress. Write down their goals or
objectives, as well as the areas in which you would like to see them improve, and
carry it with you during practice. Sharing those goals with your assistant coaches
will keep them engaged and help them know where they can make a contribution.
When I realized that praising both success and progress toward goals was valued
by my players, I also realized that I could be much more specific than just saying,
“Great pass.” We don’t have a lot of time to convey a lot of information, so we
use specific cues to convey exactly what led to the success. During one afternoon
of our preseason, we spend a couple of hours in volley-school (an idea taken from
the U.S. national team program), in which we explain all of the coaching cues our
staff uses and exactly what each word means. This cuts down on needing to use
whole sentences to explain the specifics of what the athlete did well or poorly;
we need only one or two words that are well understood. We use words such as
balance, square, plant, and press to convey specific aspects of skills quickly. You can
use instructional feedback with motivational feedback to let your athletes know
specifically what led to their positive results. Have a manager track the type of
feedback you provide to see whether you are as positive, specific, and motivational
as you can be.
The Positive Coaching Alliance (www.positivecoach.org) uses the phrase emo-
tional gas tanks to convey athlete’s emotional health. Praise, instruction, opportunity,
and positive body language add to the emotional gas tank of an athlete. Criticism,
punishment, and decreased opportunity result in emotional gas tank withdraw-
als. Keeping an eye on the emotional gas tank of each player on the team (how
often you have made additions and how often you have made withdrawals) will
help you predict how they will respond to the feedback. This is not to say that
you should never make a withdrawal. Sometimes it is important to be critical, to
uphold a standard, or to let athletes know that their behavior, attitude, or effort
is unacceptable. However, in those situations, unless significant investments have
been made, their motivation or self-confidence may diminish.
Player–Player
Players sometimes receive feedback from teammates more easily than from coaches.
Such feedback can feel less threatening and also increase trust between teammates
who are competing for the same position. We have developed a culture in which
peer feedback is an important part of our program. The foundation is a lack of
hierarchy within our team. For instance, we do not want our seniors to believe
that they are any more important than our freshmen, or for sophomores to believe
that they have any less value than juniors. We encourage our freshmen to give
advice to seniors when they see an opportunity, and we ask our seniors to take the
advice that they get from anyone with an outsider’s perspective regardless of year.
In our program, the first 15 to 20 seconds of time-outs involve players getting
into position groups so that the players on the bench can tell the players on the
floor what they are seeing. This also gives the coaches a few seconds to meet and
put together a cohesive, concise message for the entire team. For drill work in
practice situations, we break up the team into smaller groups; while one group is
performing the drill, another is positioned to give feedback. When we are work-
ing on blocking, one player says yes or no to communicate whether the middle
closes the block, another player along the net says yes or no regarding the blocker’s
hands getting over the net, and another player identifies whether the block is
timed correctly with the attack. The goal for the blockers, regardless of the result
of the block, is to get three yeses from the players giving feedback. How can you
strategically position your players who are not involved in drill so that they can
provide valuable feedback to the players in the drill?
In a drill we call hot seat, which is a 6v6 scrimmage, one player is designated as
the only one who can score a kill. One of our players did so well in that drill that
a teammate bought a little red stool and wrote hot seat on it and put it in her team-
mate’s locker to call attention to her great performance. When another teammate
had a strong practice the next day, the first recipient of the hot seat passed it to
her. Now, the little red stool moves from locker to locker as the previous recipient
tries to identify the teammate who had the most impressive practice of the day.
Such peer recognition goes a long way to build a team culture of encouragement,
success, and positivity.
Coaches can use video to provide important feedback in a way that builds moti-
vation and confidence and increases effort. Many athletes are visual learners and
benefit from seeing themselves perform. Technological advances have made access
to video information very easy. We use an iPad app called BaM Video Delay to
create a live delay on an iPad attached to a tripod. The delay is perfectly timed
so that an athlete can perform a repetition in a drill, exit the drill, and watch her
execution while a teammate performs the same drill on camera. The visual feed-
back allows players to see what they are doing correctly and incorrectly while also
giving them the opportunity to experiment with a variety of techniques.
Videos of match play can also show players successful and problematic behaviors.
Take advantage of available camera angles to focus on specific aspects of the game.
For instance, if you can film only from the center line, focus on block penetration
or the distance of the set off the net. When filming from behind the court, focus on
blocking footwork and set distance. Be sure to focus on both positives and things
to work on. Recently, as we were getting ready to watch a film of our serve-receive
patterns from a match we had lost, I chose to show only the clips we had won.
Seeing themselves succeed gave the players confidence in their ability to excel in
their next match. Although this strategy worked in this situation, it shouldn’t be
the norm; it is important for teams to understand the reality of failure and to learn
from those opportunities rather than disregard them.
Balance of Trust and Accountability

A positive team climate is one in which there is trust among coaches, players, and
the administration. In the brilliant leadership fable The Five Dysfunctions of a Team,
Patrick Lencioni states: “Great teams do not hold back with one another. They
are unafraid to air their dirty laundry. They admit their mistakes, their weaknesses,
and their concerns without fear of reprisal” (2002, p. 44). When trust is developed
among all members of the program (including parents in high school programs),
an environment is created that allows everyone to take risks that help them reach
their potential. When trust is held in high esteem, accountability to the standards is
more likely to happen because coaches and players do not fear losing the relation-
ship. This section focuses on developing trust between coaches and players, but I
believe that trust is important to cultivate with administrators, staff, and parents
as well. Trust is developed by doing two things: being clear in your expectations
and being a good listener.
Coach–Player
We do a number of things to develop trust between our coaches and players, but
it starts with hard work. None of our players second-guess the importance we
place on the success we are trying to achieve because they know how hard we
work. This work ethic is demonstrated through the level of detail in our practice
plans and scouting reports, the organization of team trips, and the support we
show to our athletes off the volleyball court (e.g., we keep a calendar of all our
players’ exams and research paper due dates so that we can check in to see how
their classes are going).
Our work ethic extends to the relationships we build with our players. Each
member of the coaching staff reaches out to players individually. Although, as
head coach, I need to develop a relationship with each player, some players may
resonate with another member of the coaching staff on a more personal level. We
have tried to make sure our coaching staff is diverse in personality so that every
player will have at least one member of the staff with whom she feels a connection.
We ask our players for input on drill suggestions through our weekly goal
sheets and provide written feedback on those sheets about the progress we see
them making. We ask our players (especially our leaders) to share their opinions
on a variety of decisions we make. This is because we believe that players don’t
necessarily need to have their way, but they need to feel heard. In the end, my
team knows that I make the final decision and that the decision is based on my
experience and long-term vision for the program’s success.
Player–Player
As a coach, I am around my team for approximately two hours a day during the
season. Teammates, on the other hand, are around each other in that same time
frame as well as in some classes, in dorms and apartments, in the locker room, and
during treatments and in the weight room. In short, they are around each other
much more than I am. Developing a program in which trust and accountability
are developed among players extends a positive team climate to the areas outside
of the gym walls and the presence of a coach.
We have a team meeting in the third week of every season in which every
player shares the role she sees herself playing. The meeting then opens up and all
members of the team share what they appreciate about their teammates as well
as what they need more of from them. It took a few years for this conversation to
be as honest as it needs to be, so don’t get too frustrated if during the first couple
of years nothing is shared or it becomes a “love fest” without any real substance.
Once something has been brought up, whether good or bad, acknowledge it and
continue to reinforce that everyone is a part of the team to help each other reach
their potential.
On our team we have an accountability program in which we pair each under-
classman with an upperclassman (we call them sisters). These partners pair up with
each other in the weight room, eat meals and room together on road trips (at least
the first one), provide notes or gifts of encouragement to each other on match days,
and look out for each other. When one of my players seems to be having a rough
day, I ask her directly if everything is OK. Typically, I get an answer such as, “Oh
yeah, Coach… everything is fine,” but with incongruent body language, intonation,
and tone. This tells me that I still have work to do to develop that player’s trust in
me. In these situations, I go to the player’s sister to see if she knows what is going
on. I don’t ask that player to break confidence with me unless she thinks the issue
is not a big deal to share (stressful week versus problems with her boyfriend), but
I do make sure that the player is getting the support and love she needs. I then
talk to the captains to make sure they are looking out for the player. The same
process happens when I need more from a player. Her sister on the team (and the
captains) has a role in providing encouragement and accountability.
The most important criterion for pairing accountability partners is to pair
older players with younger players, but then it comes down to personality. Don’t
put complete opposites together, but don’t put those who are extremely similar
together either. They shouldn’t already be close friends (or best friends if your team
is small), but they should have something about their personality in common. In
this way, they can use their common trait to encourage each other and hold each
other accountable in the areas in which they may be weak.
The most important aspect of trust between players and their environment is safety.
In no way can players give maximal effort if they fear for their safety. Prophylactic
ankle bracing, pads on the poles and a free-zone clear of obstacles, proper instruc-
tion and coaching in the weight room, and ample water and rest breaks help to meet
the most basic needs of your players so that they feel safe in their environment.
Environment goes beyond space and equipment. Coaches who do not trust
their administrators might choose to play it safe and not take the risks that result
in realizing their teams’ potential. Trust applies to other staff as well, such as
athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, and teachers. Look for ways
to inform these groups and seek their opinions on decisions that they will have
responsibility in implementing.
We do not have a strength and conditioning coach (other than me and my
assistants), but I meet with our athletic trainers to see if there are any program-
wide chronic injuries that can be reduced through off-season training. I respect
their opinion, and, in turn, they have increased trust in the way we work together
to develop our athletes. In his video Team Toughness Trojan Style (Championship
Productions, 2009), Mike Voight shares how Mick Haley (head coach at the Uni-
versity of Southern California) refers to the entire team of coaches, nutritionists,

administrators, and athletic trainers as the performance team and actively seeks their
support and insight into helping realize the team’s potential. Who is on your per-
formance team, and how can you cultivate trust so that they feel valued, respected,
and influential in your program? Do parents belong on your performance team?
Parents are important. In the lives of millennial athletes, parents are typically
seen as close friends, and they have a much more open relationship with their
children than in any previous generation. This is both good and bad. Youth seek
the counsel of more experienced adults on important issues, but today’s parents
often struggle with using tough love and withholding praise that is not earned.
If parents don’t trust the coach, they will likely undermine the coach’s efforts in
the minivan on the way home from practice, in the stands with other parents, or
around the dinner table. This issue is just as important for the college coach as
for the high school and middle school coach. If the college coach doesn’t establish
trust with parents, the parents will not send their children to that college. If a high
school or middle school coach does not establish trust with parents, the athletic
director will receive calls from disgruntled parents (another reason to have the AD
on your performance team). Establish clear boundaries between you and parents
to empower their children and teach them self-reliance, but keep parents informed
of what is going on in the program—especially when you see their son or daugh-
ter growing or making a contribution. You might be surprised at how powerful a
short note or e-mail can be for keeping parents on your side even when you are
practicing some tough love with their children—they will probably be relieved
that it is you doing it and not them.
Balance of Fun and Focus

Positive environments are those that stimulate the senses and get teams’ competi-
tive juices flowing. Sometimes, however, overstimulation can decrease an athlete’s
ability to focus on the task at hand. Demonstrating consistency and understanding,
valuing your players for the fun and focus they bring to the court, and handling
the training and competitive environments well can help your players navigate
this balance.
Coach–Player
A coach’s first job is to identify the ways the team has fun. Sport psychology
research tells us that we experience pleasure in sport participation mainly from
the stimulation of the game itself, the feeling of accomplishing a difficult goal,
and the enjoyment of learning a new task. Because these things resonate with your
athletes differently, it is important that you use all three to provide enjoyment
for everyone. Simply asking the question, “What do you love about the game of
volleyball?” should give you a better understanding of the type of enjoyment that
results in maximal motivation.
It is important to acknowledge (and I do this with my team) that I find the

driven pursuit of winning to be the way I define having fun. Although this may
be a different definition than my team might use, it speaks to a bias that I hold
for behaviors that I encourage and those that I don’t. Head coaches need a clear
understanding of where to set the standard that determines when focus is lost.
However, they also must know when too much detailed focus is preventing players
from enjoying their participation and reducing the effort they put into the process.
The LA Lakers and Chicago Bulls, coached under Phil Jackson, were known
for the triangle offense and the incredible talent that comprised their NBA cham-
pionship teams. Often, Jackson would allow his players to use their talents in a
free-form offense, but all it took was a whistle from him and they would return to
running the detail-dependent triangle offense. Just as Jackson knew when to allow
his players to play and when to have them perform, you too must know where
to strike the balance. It is important to remain consistent in this understanding.
Don’t leave your players guessing when it is OK to loosen up and when they need
to buckle down. It is also important that you not let your mood drive where you
hold these standards. Being consistent will result in your players having the exact
mind-set that you want from them.
We have taken a lesson from the way the U.S. women’s national team breaks up
practice to clearly define the learning objectives. During the training block that I
observed, part of the practice was spent in a doubles tournament with the coaches
keeping track of the winning and losing records of each team. Part of the time was
spent in “school” (e.g., attacking school, passing school, blocking school), in which
the athletes had a detailed focus on skills they were trying to develop, received
precise feedback from coaches, and had no penalties for failure because the intent
of the session was to develop a skill in which they were not yet proficient. The last
part of the practice involved modified scrimmage and team play, in which there
was more to focus on, but there were consequences for the team that lost or didn’t
meet the standard. We have tried to bring a similar structure to our gym so that
the athletes know what is expected of them at every phase of practice.
On occasion, we like to make having fun a higher priority than developing vollÂ�
eyball skills. It breaks up the monotony during a long season, develops relation-
ships among teammates, and brings a sense of perspective to the athletes (and the
coaches). We play some warm-up games that have very little to do with volleyball.
One of the favorites with my team is volleyball soccer, in which two teams are
divided on a basketball court (no net) trying to use volleyball skills to advance the
ball and score a goal (attacking the ball against a mat under the basketball hoop).
The game is out of control, but it is high energy and involves lots of laughing.
Although such a game might last only 5 to 15 minutes, once or twice a season we
run a pyramid practice that consists entirely of playing games. It starts with vollÂ�
eyball tennis (1v1 with one contact), and all players keep track of their wins. After
10 minutes (there’s usually a lot of standing around so we don’t do this game for
very long) the players arrange themselves on a line corresponding to the number
of wins they achieved. We then pair the player with the most wins with the player
with the fewest wins for a doubles tournament. We then move to triples, quads,
fives, and finally sixes. Each time, the players get reassigned to teams based on
their personal win total throughout the day. The focus of this session is learning
how to compete and find ways to win while having a lot of fun.
Player–Player
We try to recruit players who demonstrate a balance of fun and focus in the way
they practice and compete. We like to see them smile, joke around with their team-
mates (when the moment is right), keep their heads held high, and stand tall with
confidence. We look at how our recruits interact with their parents and coaches,
how much they complain or pout, and whether their body language indicates
disengagement. We watch recruits as they are line judging to see whether they
are focused and respecting the game even when not playing. As a college coach, I
have the opportunity to select my players, but I understand that high school and
middle school coaches have less control. In that case, consider keeping a player
on your team who might not add a lot of skill, but who brings gregariousness that
helps others have more fun. To continue finding the balance, empower one of your
introverted players to be a leader and hold the line on the level of focus expected.
A stimulating environment will help your players experience pleasure and have
fun in your gym. We have worked hard to build a fan base at Hope College so
that our matches are well attended and spirited. Resources on how to develop a
loyal fan base are readily available, but it is important to acknowledge that play-
ing in front of a packed house is more fun than playing in an empty gym. We are
blessed with two gyms in which to hold our matches. One seats 700 fans, and the
other seats 3,500. When we are expecting fewer than 1,000 fans at a match, we
play in the smaller gym because it feels crowded, loud, and intense. For matches
in which when we expect 1,000 or more fans, we move into our arena because
playing in front of 1,000 fans is fun no matter the size of the gym! Do you have a
way to create a more intimate competitive environment to help your athletes feel
the simulation provided by the crowd?
On a visit to a Michigan State men’s basketball practice, I was impressed with
how often head coach Tom Izzo used music during practice to create a more
stimulating practice environment. I purchased a portable speaker with an iPod
docking station to pull out to practice (and take on our bus) so that we can have
music playing while we warm up and during specific drills (doubles and triples
play). We turn it off when a little more focus is required, a subtle hint to buckle
down and get to work. I see my team smiling, dancing, acting more energetic, and
having more fun during some of the more basic parts of practice than I remember
and regret that it took me 13 years to embrace using music in practice.
Balance of Team and Individual

“For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the
pack.” This line from Rudyard Kipling’s poem “The Law for the Wolves” helps
to explain the responsibility a team has to each individual and the responsibility
each individual has to the team. You can’t achieve success without a focus on each
player working hard to become the best she is capable of becoming, but you must
also understand that what the team achieves together is what really matters. How
you go about getting your athletes to give their best for the success of the team
depends on the voice you provide your players, how team roles are defined and
appreciated, how players view the diversity of their talents, and how often they
are reminded of the power in their collective strength.
Coach–Player
As I mentioned before, we ask for our athletes for their opinions on many team
issues. They know that our team is not a democracy and that the final decision on
all things is mine, but I do value their opinions and want them to feel as though
they have a voice. I have seen my athletes take greater responsibility for themselves
and their program when they believe that their opinions are valued. It is for this
reason that I also try to use we language as often as possible: “We need to be on
time, we need to be responsible for communicating with our professors when miss-
ing class, we are capable of working harder.” Using we makes leadership feel less
like a top-down approach and more of a “we are all in this together” style. I coach
my team leaders to use the same language when interacting with their teammates.
As head coach, I also need to be clear in the way I define and appreciate players’
roles. I have noticed that my athletes begin to lose motivation, focus, and enthusi-
asm when they do not understand their role on the team or when that role is not
appreciated. We have meetings with players to talk about the contribution we see
them making to the team as well as the unique skills and abilities they bring. We
also discuss the roles that need to be filled on the team and encourage them to
apply their skills to the needs of the team. This is less of an issue for the athletes
in the starting lineup because they typically feel that their role is important and
appreciated. Finding ways to encourage the reserve players, for whom appreciation
is less obvious, is more challenging.
Be sure to acknowledge your players’ improvement (even if it doesn’t change
their role), invest in their life outside of volleyball, and celebrate their successes
in front of the team. You can argue that feeling appreciated is not necessary for
giving maximal effort, but the fact is that not many coaches served in a reserve
role when they played. A little empathy goes a long way in helping an athlete find
her value on a team.
Player–Player
The most valuable exercise we do at Hope College is helping players understand
their value and that of the team using the DiSC Behavioral Assessment. The DiSC
is just one of many personality/behavioral assessments that describe how people
solve problems and work differently. It is beyond the scope of this chapter to cover
the details of the profiles contained in the DiSC, but the reason this exercise has
been so helpful is that it shows everyone on the team that she has a unique view
of the world and how that diversity makes us stronger. It reveals that everyone on
the team has specific gifts that are useful in different situations. It also reveals that
everyone has blind spots and must rely on those who are different from her when
appropriate. For instance, when my team is struggling to perform a complicated
drill, some on the team will want to stop and analyze the situation while others
will want to keep running it and figure it out as they go. There is value to both
perspectives, and having a session in which those differences are identified and
discussed helps our team empathize with and ultimately have greater respect for
their teammates. Many of these assessments are reliable and valid psychometric
instruments and should be administered by a trained professional. Check with your
counseling or career services office to find someone who is experienced with the
instrument to lead a workshop with your team.
Most people acknowledge that valuing the team over the self is an important life
lesson learned through team sport participation. Most also acknowledge that this
is difficult to put into practice all the time, and at some point, our selfish natures
take over. Consider ways that your competitive and training environment inspires
and reminds team members to achieve their potential while also committing to
the values and goals of the team. You might want to put an inspirational quote on
the back of your practice T-shirts or on the wall of your locker room or gym. We
have a team picture of every conference championship team on a wall in our locker
room over the pictures of every all-American or all-conference players because
we want our team to focus on what the team can achieve. However, because we
also want our players to be inspired individually, we place a card in every player’s
locker with the name of the graduated senior who wore that number in the past
(asterisks behind her name indicate the number of times she earned all-conference
recognition). There is one card in each player’s locker with the name of all the
players wearing that jersey in the past (as many as 10 players are on that card).
If you choose to post newspaper articles, stats, or other visuals with an indi-
vidual focus, make sure all team members are represented. Posting an article of
a reserve player’s comeback following an injury would be a great balance to the
article featuring your team’s setter. I made the mistake once of leaving out a key
substitute when a reporter asked to do a story on our attackers. The player took
the unintended snub in stride, but I missed a significant opportunity to show
her how important she was to the success of our team. If you post team stats, be
sure to also provide access to practice stats so that players other than starters can
monitor their progress.
Conclusion
A positive team climate results in athletes who work hard, have a love of the game,
improve in their skill and ability to work as a team, and have the opportunity to
reach their potential. The primary way coaches influence these factors is through
the relationships they foster. Find ways to invest in your players every day. Provide
opportunities for them to have a voice in their experience. Build a training environ-
ment in which they feel free to take risks and to learn from their failure without
fearing it. Be vulnerable and know that you will make mistakes as a coach—when
you do, follow the advice you give your athletes: learn from it and move on.
chapter
4
Growth Mindset
Ja m ie M or r ison
Hugh McCutcheon, former head coach of the U.S. men’s and women’s national
volleyball teams, once told me, “As coaches, we are two things: salesmen and change
agents.” The following words describe everything you do in your profession. Your
first job as a coach in any sport is to get your athletes to dedicate themselves to
your systems, techniques, culture, and all other aspects of your program. Once you
have buy-in, your second job is to create change. Look to improve behavior and
make your athletes better people, better students, and better teammates. Look to
change the way your athletes’ bodies move to perform the fundamentals of the
game at a higher level. You are a teacher, and the volleyball court is your classroom.
A large part of your job as a teacher is to create the best possible environment for
promoting learning among athletes. Let’s explore the idea of a growth mindset, its
benefits to learning, and some ways to develop a growth mindset in your athletes
as well as your coaches. The goal is to gain the knowledge and tools so that you
can give your athletes the best chance to develop and thrive.
Creating a Culture of Growth

Humans are wired to survive in a world of challenges. The natural reaction to
danger is to tense up, flee, or defend yourself. What has evolved is the ability to
use the rational parts of the brain to make plans, use tools, and respond rationally
to situations in the environment. To create a growth mindset, you have to train
your brain to think in drastically different ways. It is a difficult task, but as a coach
you can develop it within yourself and then develop it in your athletes.
39
Admit You Aren’t Good Enough

The first step of developing a growth mindset is realizing that you will never be
perfect. Even people who are considered experts in their fields will fail at times. The
best inventors fail countless times before they have success. The best surgeons fail
and lose patients. The best volleyball players fail in the biggest moments in a match.
The growth mindset starts with you as a coach. The best coaches have their
teams believe that they (the coaches) will make mistakes, but at the same time
their athletes have full belief and confidence in every decision that the coaches
make. This comes from developing a deep trust with each athlete—a trust that will
convince them that each decision is the best they can make for the team.
Realign Your Thoughts

Remember Hugh McCutcheon said that coaches are salesmen and change agents.
Not only do you have to change the way your athletes respond to the opponent’s
tipping, but you also have to guide athletes to new and productive thoughts that
mold their mindset.
Fifth-Graders and Learning

In Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (2007), Carol Dweck outlines a series of
experiments done over 10 years on 400 fifth-graders. Her experiments shed light
on how perception of ability to learn can influence the decisions you make, your
view of failure, and your ability to learn. Students were divided into two testing
groups and put through a series of four tests.
Test 1
Students were given a simple nonverbal IQ test. Upon receiving their high test
scores, group 1 was praised for their intelligence that resulted in a high test score.
The students in group 2 were praised for the effort that they put in to get high
scores.
Test 2
All students were given a choice of the next test they would take. These were their
choices:
◆âŠƒ Harder version: Students were told that this was an opportunity to chal-
lenge themselves and grow.
◆âŠƒ Easier version: Students were told that this test would be similar to the first
test and they would perform similarly.

Growth Mindsetâ•… â•… 41
The results differed dramatically between the two groups. In the group praised
for their intelligence, 67 percent of students chose the easier version of the next
test. Conversely, in the group given praise for their effort, 92 percent of students
chose to challenge themselves with the more difficult test that followed.
What You Can Learn From These Tests

While your athletes are going through the easiest phases of learning, find times
to give praise for the work going into improving. At some point in the learning
process, things will get difficult. The foundation that you put down early in your
season when things are easier will give your athletes the fuel they need when the
learning process becomes more difficult.
Your goal as a coach should be to get athletes addicted to improving. You can
do this by explaining the learning process, praise them when they are making the
right mistakes, (such as serving out at the end line instead of serving in the net)
then find ways to correct them and learn.
Video can also be a great tool for showing improvement. Give your athletes
growth homework (a small change for them to focus on during a week), and use
video to show them their improvement as the week goes on. A good rule is to
show one clip of them doing something right and one clip of an improvement
they need to make.
If you simply praise athletes for their successes, they will look for safe avenues
to success in the future and will avoid trying new things and risking what is usually
required for learning something new. Find places in your training to give praise for
the work going into making change, and find ways to get your athletes engulfed
in the process of making change.
Test 3
All of the students were given a test with impossible questions. As before, the two
groups of students handled the challenges differently. The group praised for their
intelligence was much quicker to get frustrated and give up on the test. The group
that was praised for effort worked harder on the questions, stuck with the test for
a longer time, and actually enjoyed the challenge as they were going through it.
What You Can Learn From This Test

Positive reinforcement is the strongest tool you have in making changes in physi-
cal and psychological behavior. Athletes will begin to create an identity early in
their development.
There will be those who are praised for their talent—the kids who are told
that they are gifted with talent. This kind of mindset is referred to as fixed. These
fixed-mindset athletes will begin to identify with their talent that was granted to
them and not earned. When difficult situations that threaten that identity present
themselves, these athletes will avoid them. They view these challenges as a threat to
who they are and what they are praised for. They will make excuses for not taking
part in difficult drills in practice. When injured, they will not put in the work to
get back on the court. They might even shrink in big moments in matches.
In these situations, athletes avoid the situation not because of the situation itself;
they avoid the situation because of how they might be viewed if they fail. They
shrink away from big moments not because of fear of the moment but because of
the fear of what their teammates will think of them, what their parents will think
of them, or what their coaches will think of them.
There is another group of athletes: one that was praised not for who they are
now but for how they got there. This mindset is referred to as growth. These
growth-mindset athletes are praised for and are held accountable for the work
they put in and the improvement they made because of that work. Their coaches
don’t hold them accountable for mistakes but rather encourage mistakes and offer
opportunities to learn from them. From early in their career, these athletes are not
called gifted or believe that anything was given to them. They know that they have
worked hard for everything that made them what they are. When these athletes
are presented with difficult situations, how do you think they view it? If you have
done your job well, they view these as opportunities to improve. They know that
growth requires work and look forward to that work. Table 4.1 outlines some of
the characteristics of fixed- and growth-mindset athletes’ behaviors and beliefs.
Behavioral changes are the hardest to make both as a coach and as a player. To
develop a growth mindset in your team, you must make this a priority. On the
first day of practice, this ideal must be a building block that your team’s culture
and success will be built on. Tom Black, the assistant coach for the U.S. women’s
national volleyball team and head volleyball coach at Loyola Marymount Univer-
sity, shared the following guiding principles from the book Mindset and expectations
of athletes on the first day in the gym.
1. Value process, dedication, growth, and learning, not genius, talent, height,
or vertical jump.
2. Don’t expect that you’ve arrived here fully formed. You’ve arrived here
ready to learn.
3. Stretch beyond your comfort zone and take reasonable risks. Do not do the
thing you’re good at over and over.
4. Value and reward process. Reward taking on big but reasonable challenges
and pursuing them doggedly. Reward teamwork.
Establish what your team will be about and create an expectation for that start-
ing on the first day of practice.
Table 4.1â•… Feelings and Behaviors of Fixed

and Growth Mindsets
Fixed mindset Growth mindset
Behavior Feeling Coaching points Feeling Behavior
Something is Talent Something that
given to me I earn
Aloof; listening A threat: you are Feedback An opportunity: Engaged: asking
but not saying I’m not being given questions and
processing good? another way to getting involved
get better
Complaining, Something that Hard work The only way to Accepting and
going through the people who aren’t improve honest about
motions good enough do workload
Upset and Signs of Mistakes Opportunities to Contemplative
defensive weakness learn
Complaining and Focused on the Setbacks Forward thinking Finding solutions
acting as a victim past and focused and solution and acting on
on the problem based them
Tight and What will people Pressure Process Loose and free
mechanical think of me if I
mess up?
Deflecting blame What will other Failure What do I need Accountable and
to others or people think of to get better at? forward- and
making excuses me? solution-based
thinking
Celebrating and I’ve made it Success What could Analyzes
content with I have done successes as
place better? thoroughly as
failures
Consistency of Your Message

It is easy to say something but more difficult to live it every day. If you want to
make difficult change in your athletes, you need to do many things.
Repeat Your Message

Identify the things that are truly important to you and what traits you want your
team to embody. Once you have done this, constantly revisit the things that you
find important to both prove their importance and provoke thoughts about those
topics.
Live It
If you ask your athletes to make difficult changes, you need to make those changes
as well for multiple reasons. First, you need to provide a model of behavior for
athletes to follow. The best model they can have is a player on your team. If you
have someone who models this mindset, don’t directly point it out. It is usually
obvious to your athletes, so let them discover it on their own. Outline the charac-
teristics of a growth mindset presented earlier in this chapter.
Second, if you ask athletes to do something difficult, they will be much more
likely to try harder to make this change if they see you putting in the effort. A study
in 1967 by Dr. Albert Mehrabian showed that up to 93 percent of what people say
is communicated through tone and body language. To give feedback in a way that
athletes feel safe enough to make mistakes, you can’t display frustration with your
body language or portray a tone of disappointment using your voice. You have to
truly believe that mistakes are part of the learning process. You have to be convinced
that every one of your athletes can make the changes you need them to make.
Give Examples
One of the greatest teaching tools in volleyball is to give examples. You can do this
by showing the passers video of the best passer in the world or video of themselves
doing it right. Do the same thing to encourage a growth mindset. When you come
across a book or an example of someone displaying characteristics of this mindset
in other sports or business, share the examples with your athletes. Every one of
your athletes might resonate with a different story, and you never know when you
are going to get that “aha” moment.
Power of Praise
The most powerful tool you have in making change is praise. Countless studies
prove that giving someone praise after doing something is the most powerful
thing you can do to encourage the repetition of behaviors or actions. However, as
you learned from Carol Dweck’s research, what you praise is extremely important.
Table 4.2 provides some examples of the type of praise you should avoid and what
you can look for to praise.
Table 4.2â•… Giving Praise

Avoid praising Instead, praise this
Being gifted Improvement in a skill or behavior
Results: simply getting a kill or dig Process: effort put in to make a change
Wins Specific process in the match or improvement
Process-Based Feedback
There is a common misconception that positive coaching revolves around con-
stantly telling your athletes what they are doing right and never addressing the
things that they are doing wrong. Positive coaching is based on focusing a person’s
energy on what they can be rather than what they are now.
Julio Velasco, one of the greatest international volleyball coaches of our genera-
tion, says, “Have a movie in your head of what your team is realistically capable of
looking like. Once you have a clear vision, point your athletes toward one specific
change you can make and one change your team can make to get closer to that
movie.”
John Wooden is the greatest coach that the sporting world has seen. He led
his UCLA basketball teams to 10 national championships in 12 years, 7 of those
consecutive. One of Wooden’s former players summed this up perfectly when
asked about the feedback he received from his coach:
As a former student who committed many errors during practice and

therefore having been the recipient of plenty of corrections, it was the
“information” I received during the correction that I needed most. Having
received it, I could then make the adjustments and changes needed. It
was the information that promoted change. Had the majority of Coach
Wooden’s corrective strategies been positive (“Good job”) or negative
(“No, that’s not the way”), I would have been left with an evaluation, not
a solution. Also, corrections in the form of information did not address,
or attack me as a person. New information was aimed at the act, rather
than the actor.
~Gallimore and Tharp 2004
When coaching, focus on moving athletes one small step at a time toward the
vision you have for your team. Never attack the person; rather, address the action
or decision and how the athlete can improve it the next time the opportunity arises.
If you can create a culture of growth and continually give your athletes specific
attainable goals, teaching becomes easy.
You should also have a vision of what your athletes’ mindset should be. To make
a shift to a growth mindset, ask your athletes to make specific changes in their
thoughts and give them feedback just as you would give them on any skill taught
in the game.
Solution-Based Thought
It is easy to dwell on problems, hang on to the past, and complain about circum-
stances. You have to teach yourself to understand the problem but then turn your
focus from the problem to the solution. If your program doesn’t have the financial
resources of your competitor’s program, instead of using this as an excuse, focus

your attention on finding a way to make a small improvement.
Once you can lead by example, you need to teach your athletes to do the same.
You should put them in difficult situations in practice and in life and then give
them the feedback they need when their minds start wandering to the problem
rather than the solution.
Pitfall of Perfection
As you have discovered, the first step to developing a growth mindset is accepting
that you will never attain perfection. The goal should be to get as close to it as
you can. You are simply trying to make small improvements in all aspects of life
to get closer to that goal. As soon as you accept that you will never be perfect, you
will begin to reduce the pressure that you put on yourself to be a finished product
today and engross yourself in the small steps that you need to take to improve.
Your goal in coaching is to be good over long periods. You do not need to be
perfect or even great for an extended time. In no sport is perfection expected. In
volleyball, you are amazing if you kill the ball 60 percent of the time. In baseball,
you are considered elite if you get a hit 35 percent of the time. Present teams with
two overriding goals on the volleyball court:
1. Be good for as long a period as you can. If you drift away from good, find
ways to get back there quickly.
2. Be a better version of your team every time you step on the court.
The Power of Mistakes

Mistakes are the most important component in the learning process. If you are
not making mistakes, you are not pushing yourself beyond your boundaries. The
most difficult task in creating a growth mindset is getting your athletes to believe
this concept.
Encourage your athletes to make mistakes in practice. Second, accept mistakes
as they happen and give feedback so that they don’t happen again or as often. I
commonly see young coaches modeling the behavior of older coaches by simply
giving negative feedback for a behavior without giving any explanation of what
the athletes should be doing. Let your athletes feel free to push their boundaries
with mistakes, and give them guidance when they do make mistakes.
To accelerate the growth of athletes’ abilities and personality, you must foster
these beliefs:
◆âŠƒ You are not born with inherent gifts or abilities other than your physical
attributes (height or jumping ability).
◆âŠƒ You are not a perfect version of yourself and never will be.
◆âŠƒ The amount of work that you put in will dictate what you are able to do or be.
If you can do this, you will create a group of people who aren’t concerned with
what the outside world thinks of them. Because of this, you develop a team that
stands up to pressure in matches because their only concern is improving from
who they were in the previous match. You create a group that wants to work hard
because they know they will see results.
conclusion
Ironically, in some ways developing a growth mindset requires a growth mindset
to begin with. You were not born with the gift of a growth mindset. You were born
with the reflex to protect yourself when you make a mistake or defend yourself
when someone tells you that you’re wrong. You will never be perfect at personi-
fying a growth mindset. You will have times when things get difficult and you
will question your faith that the work you do will lead you where you want to be.
However, if you work really hard, both with your teams and with your staff, you
can create a mindset that will help you be the best you can be in all aspects of life.
References
Dweck, C. (2007). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Ballantine Books.
Gallimore, R., & Tharp, R. (2004). What a coach can teach a teacher, 1975-2004:
Reflections and reanalysis of John Wooden’s teaching practices. The Sport Psycholo-
gist, 18(2): 119-137.
Mehrabian, A., & Ferris, S.R. (1967). Inference of attitudes from nonverbal communica-
tion in two channels. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 31(3): 248–252.
Part two
program building
and management
chapter
5
Building a Winning
High School Program
Ra ndy Dagostino
When I started coaching girls’ volleyball at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa,

Florida, in 1983, it was the perfect time to get passionate about this sport in this
part of the state and the country. Let’s just say that volleyball was very much dif-
ferent than it is today. That year I also started the first girls’ volleyball club in
Florida, the Tampa Bay Juniors Volleyball Club (TBJVC).
I guess you can say that I was one of the early pioneers of this sport, at least in
the Southeastern United States. What I knew from the very beginning was that
I loved the sport and had a good idea of what it was supposed to look like when
played well. This vision was all in my head because I had never played volleyball,
other than taking two classes at the University of Illinois at Chicago and playing
in a couple of beach volleyball tournaments after relocating to the Tampa Bay area.
My desire to become more knowledgeable really intensified after my first high
school season. The motivator often in my early career was a very hard, close loss
to our arch rival in the district final, only to have this rival go on to win its third
consecutive state championship.
At the conclusion of my first season, I wanted to continue with the sport so
much that I started the TBJVC. It was a challenge because when you are the first
at anything, it is difficult to find others to compete against. We had no peers to
play against locally or, for that matter, in Florida. So our competition was against
college teams that were in their spring season, which was legal at that time. This
was actually a very good situation for us because the college teams prepared us
well for the end of our first season. We went to five college spring tournaments
throughout the state before finally ending our first club season by attending the
AAU national championship in Benet, Illinois.
Upon returning to Florida, I knew that I wanted to do as much as possible with
this sport, and so I completely immersed myself in it.
51
Coach Has to Be the Hardest Worker

If you expect your athletes and their families to make sacrifices, you have to show
that you are willing to work harder than your players and the rest of your staff.
When I became the head volleyball coach, I was also the athletic director, the head
boys’ baseball coach, and a physical education teacher at Berkeley Prep School.
I wore all of those hats for three more years, but I decided in 1986 that changes
had to take place because I wanted to do more with volleyball. That school year I
stepped down from being the athletic director and also the head baseball coach.
My degree was in physical education, so I continued as a physical education teacher
and the girls’ volleyball coach. Because my contract with Berkeley required me
to coach another sport, I became the girls’ basketball coach so I could leave the
spring season open for club volleyball.
The transition from being the head of athletics to focusing on learning as much
as I could about coaching volleyball was now complete. My passion to learn took
on many forms, including working at volleyball camps, attending coaching clinics
and USA Volleyball training sessions, going to the American Volleyball Coaches
Association (AVCA) convention, and traveling to as many out-of-state club tourna-
ments as I could with my teams. How did this make our Berkeley program better?
First, many of the Berkeley volleyball players mixed in with other players from
the Tampa Bay Area and became part of this journey with me. They traveled to
those club tournaments, and early on we took our lumps. Together we saw what
we could be doing with this game, which motivated all of us to do more. Second,
because I am a visual learner, I would sit for hours and watch other teams play in
these events, with notepad in hand.
Attending these events made me a better and more knowledgeable coach. I felt
more confident in teaching this sport to my teams. It was not uncommon for teams
connected with TBJVC to travel to three out-of-state tournaments per season in
those early years, whereas the other clubs that were popping up in Florida did
not leave the state. Soon three out-of-state tournaments became five, and we were
having success at both the high school and the club level; many teams and athletes
qualified for national championships, and many players were recruited to play in
college. The pattern had formed and the system was in place to perpetuate itself
over and over again. My school/club volleyball year appeared to never end, which
was a process that would continue for more than 30 years.
Don’t Ever Coach to Be Undefeated

In the late 1980s, I decided that if our club success was due to our demand-
ing schedule and increased training, why not do the same with our high school
program? From 1988 to 1993, Berkeley Prep did not lose a volleyball match in
Florida; we also won six straight state championships, but we never had an unde-
feated season. Our losses occurred when our team traveled out of state to very
strong competitive high school tournaments, first in Chicago, then in Las Vegas,
Building a Winning High School Programâ•… â•… 53
on to Santa Barbara, and then back to Chicago over the years. The Berkeley vol-
leyball team still competes in out-of-state tournaments such as these today. Our
high school record from 1983 to 2011, when I retired as the head girls’ volleyball
coach, was 836 to 161. That record includes 15 state championships and over 100
girls receiving scholarships to play in college, but not one undefeated season. As
soon as I would start to feel that my team was the best, I would remember that
although I had these feelings before, I had still never finished with an undefeated
season. So there was still room for improvement.
Athletic Conditioning = Speed, Weight,

and Jump Training
At the same time that Berkeley Prep had established itself as the high school vollÂ�
eyball power in Florida, I sensed that other clubs and schools were recognizing
the value of more demanding schedules and more training hours. At this time
hiring personal trainers was the new craze. Many of the athletes from Berkeley
were signing up with these trainers who cost money and also took up study time.
I approached my Berkeley Prep department chairperson and convinced her that,
with our physical education background, we could do very similar forms of train-
ing right here at Berkeley. I suggested that many students would sign up for a
conditioning class for physical education credits. Athletic Conditioning became a
class offering in our physical education curriculum, and it still exists today. I taught
this class for 20 years, and many volleyball players took it for two or three years.
To prepare to offer this class, I convinced my school to send me for some training.
I attended the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, where I watched,
again with notepad in hand, how athletes in many sports (e.g., volleyball, basket-
ball, weightlifting) were doing physical training. I read books on speed training
and jump training. Athletic Conditioning at Berkeley was a yearlong class that
did not have a sport exemption option, meaning that if you were in season you
could not opt out of it to get a study hall. I stressed that for the athletes to really
benefit from this form of training, they had to do it both during the season and in
the off-season. I am convinced that our volleyball players developed an advantage
over our opponents because they were stronger, quicker, and fitter, and could jump
higher, because of their dedication to our Athletic Conditioning class. Now many
programs work a training component into the overall development of their teams.
We were one of the first, but certainly have much company now.
Whole-Part-Whole
As I have said, I am a visual learner. What that means is that I can see someone
perform a skill and understand what doing that skill perfectly should look like. To
take that a step further, I believe that many of the movements and body angles
in volleyball are found in other sports that I grew up playing. After practice, my
volleyball players would often feel that not only did they learn something new
about volleyball, but also their golf swing, baseball swing, tennis serve, or basketball
defense posture had also improved.
Volleyball is a game of repetition. Many of the skills are awkward and foreign
to most of us. In our early development, we don’t play games that require us to
rebound the ball off various body parts, as in volleyball. Most of the games we play
when we are young involve the skills of catching, throwing, or hitting a ball with
an object. In volleyball the skills of passing, serving, hitting, digging, setting, and
blocking are all rebound skills. We never have complete control (holding the ball)
as we do in other sports, except when serving. Even though volleyball skills are
different, they can be learned pretty quickly, as can the basic tenets of the game
with the whole-part-whole method. My goal as a coach was always to create a
training environment that maximized playing the game.
Because each player needs many repetitions of these skills to gain the necessary
control to play volleyball the right way, my number one challenge was to make
sure this took place in our practices. When players understand that making three
contacts is the key to success, and practice performing these three contacts, they
are working on gaining an advantage until they can win the rally. An ideal setting
for that to happen was in our mini volleyball practices. Here is a description:
◆âŠƒ Mini volleyball is played on a much smaller court (44 by 17 feet). A normal-
size gym is big enough to have two official-size practice courts running the
opposite direction to the main competition court; that gym is big enough
for six of these mini courts.
◆âŠƒ Each court has a point value. Court 1 is worth 1 point, court 2 is worth 2
points, and so on, up to 6 points for court 6.

◆âŠƒ Two players are on each side of a court. They play 2v2 but with a different
scoring system. If a pair wins a rally using only one or two contacts, the team
earns 1 point. However, if a pair performs three contacts, which directly leads
to winning the rally, then 5 points are awarded. This is called a 5-point rally.
◆âŠƒ Each competitive game is timed (three to five minutes). At the conclusion
of the game, the winning teams rotate to the next-highest-valued court, and
the losers rotate to the next-lowest-valued court. For example, the pair that
won on court 5 would get 5 points for that victory and rotate up to court
6. The loser on court 5 would rotate down to court 4 and receive no points
for the loss. Each team adds up its points, and at the end of this lesson, the
pair with the highest number of court points wins.
Following are the benefits of mini-volleyball lessons:
◆âŠƒ Every player performs a maximum number of contacts because, with only
two players per team, everyone is forced to play the ball in every rally.
◆âŠƒ Using a 5-point rally scoring system encourages the players to use 3 con-
tacts, which consistently shows them how to earn an advantage over their
opponent.
◆âŠƒ On a smaller court, players have to play with more ball control; otherwise,
the ball often goes out of bounds.
◆âŠƒ Most important, all of these contacts and all of this controlled play teaches
players the game of volleyball in a competitive setting. Their focus is not

on any particular skill such as passing, but rather on the sequence of skills
needed for playing the game the right way.
When athletes were playing mini-volleyball games, I would shout

one-word or short-phrase instructions to make a point to an athlete or the
group as a whole, without interfering with the flow of the games. This is
an example of the whole-part-whole method of teaching.
Never Put Limits on Your Players

I will never understand why coaches believe it is their responsibility to tell an
athlete “You will never be able to achieve that goal.” Throughout history people
have accomplished unbelievable things, and one of the reasons is that they had
a passion for what they did that defied all odds. When I hear that an athlete has
been told that he will never perform at a certain level, the first thing I think of is
the U.S. men’s hockey team at the 1980 Winter Olympics—the Miracle on Ice—to
remind myself that these types of coaches are wrong.
I will take this a step further and say that such coaches have no business leading
others. Being a coach means trying to figure out a way to help athletes accomplish
never-before-achieved levels of success. That is what good to great teachers and
coaches were put on this earth to do. When a connection is made between a coach
and an athlete over a shared goal, then both rise to their best. I can honestly say
that I have been fortunate on many occasions to be part of this process, and it is
the most enjoyable part of being a coach.
Team Chemistry = Roles of Importance

I have had the good fortune over a lot of years of coaching this sport to see many
successful coaches interact with their teams in many different ways. Some are
very quiet and command the attention of their players because they have to listen
carefully just to hear the message. Others are very loud and somewhat intimi-
dating, at least to the casual onlooker, but this seems to work for their teams.
Some coaches have the patience of a saint and, during a match, use everything
that occurs as a teachable moment, almost to the point of letting the match get
away from them. Others have a quick hook, meaning that they substitute players
out for what appears to be the first miscue or error (especially to these players’
parents). The most successful coaches know their teams so well that the but-
tons they push on the sidelines and the timing of their messages are completely
familiar to their players.
Knowing your team well and forming bonds to create a good team is something
to focus on constantly. In any given year, a coach may have a group of talented
players who are superior to most of the opponents they may face. That coach is
going to win a lot of matches with such a gifted group. However, in order to beat
the toughest opponents the individual players will have to fulfill a specific team role.
I have said for a long time that I would rather have a collection of players who
have good ability and are good learners than one or two amazing players who need
to carry the team. My reasoning is quite simple. When a team has a few stars, what
happens if one of those stars has an off game? Or what if the team plays against
such a well-coached team that the stars are limited in what they can produce? I
think the answer is pretty clear: this team loses.
The team that has a collection of good players who fulfill their roles ends up
being pretty tough to beat. The key is a coach who can manage the egos and get
across to the team that if each player takes care of her part of the game, they will
win a lot.
This concept goes hand in hand with the idea of a coach not putting limits on
players. The coach is responsible for identifying the attributes each player brings
to the team and then devising a plan, with these talents, to put a successful team
in motion. It would be very easy from the outset for a coach to dwell on the short-
comings of a team or certain players. Another concept entirely is to embrace the
challenge of “coaching this team up” to new levels of success. The secret is to let
players consistently know, in every practice and every set played, what they must
do to fulfill their roles so that the team will succeed. The following player story
is an example.
I am presently coaching a boys’ 18s team. From the outset I knew that the setter
on this team is the best and most knowledgeable player I have ever coached. He is
a born leader and the engine that would make any team go. He is also very good at
disguising his sets and, because of that, would create many one-on-one situations
for his pin attackers. In the first practice of our season, within the first 10 minutes,
I walked up to our 6-foot, 5-inch left-handed opposite, whom I did not know, and
said, “You will be our terminating attacker on this team.” I could tell by the expres-
sion on his face that no one had ever said something of that importance about his
contribution to a team before. I backed it up by saying, “In free-ball situations, I
do not want you to worry about playing any ball.” Continuing, I said, “You are to
transition off the court and get ready to terminate the ball, because you know our
setter is going to create the best possibility for that to happen.” At the same time,
I announced to the team that this would be our strategy.
Now I needed to make sure everyone else bought into this change. I told our
middles that on this play they would now retreat to zone 2, a place where well-
coached teams like to send free balls. Our middles were going to have to get better
at playing this short ball high enough, most likely with their hands to our setter, to
keep themselves as options for free-ball plays. They would also then attack, moving
back in front of our setter to draw more attention away from our opposite. At the
same time, I told our libero that he should now have a clear view of the free ball
coming to our side of the court, and I knew that he had the speed and the talent to
cover the space on our side of the court. I told him that his goal was to be mobile
and vocal enough to play the majority of the free balls. Certainly, our outside and
middle-back players were ready to cover their spots on the court. At this point in
our season, after going to two very competitive national qualifying tournaments,
it is clear that my assessment was dead on. Our setter is creating a ton of one-on-
one situations for our pin attackers, and because of that, our opposite is clearly
our leading terminating attacker.
I could continue with examples here, but the point is that, as a coach, you must
recognize the differences in your players—physical attributes, mental maturity,
and game experience. Then you must coach to each player’s strengths to find the
best way for them to contribute to the team. This means that you may need to tell
players in the same position, such as outside hitters, to each focus on something
different.
The game of volleyball is built around errors, so as you recognize the strengths
of your nonstarters, you can create a learning atmosphere in which they can con-
tribute when the starters are not performing at their peak. Your goal should be to
convince each player that a positive contribution, in any form, affects the team’s
success and is therefore critical to the team as a whole. Much like the sixth player in
basketball or the utility player in baseball, players who can come off the bench and
make an immediate positive impact in multiple positions are valuable to any team.
On the best teams I have coached, I have also had players take on what may
appear to be more limited roles, but I know that they have felt the importance of
their contributions. Developing a defensive specialist who can enter the game and
make positive plays because he believes he has great instincts for the game, or a
serving specialist who knows that her serve is critical to begin a rally in a position
of advantage is a crucial coaching skill. Creating these roles can generate a special
chemistry among athletes who have never played together before because they are
made to feel that they are all important to the team’s success and they understand
the scope of their contributions.
focus outward
If you have coached this great sport for a while, you understand the frustration that
happens for everyone, from coach to players, when the pressure of the game gets
the best of a team, or some players. This typically happens when a particular skill,
such as passing, starts to break down. Players may have been passing very well in
matches, and then all of a sudden they hit a mental wall. This Achilles’ heel can
lead to the total shutdown of the rest of their game. What do you do?
You might immediately make some moves, with the hope that this player will
snap out of it. Here are some examples:
◆âŠƒ Provide words of encouragement or a technical correction.
◆âŠƒ Alter the serve-receive pattern. At the same time, encourage your libero, if
he is not the player who is having trouble, to cover more space.

◆âŠƒ Call a time-out, provided you have any left. Based on what you know about
your player, you can either address the issue directly or skirt around what is
happening and hope the brief time off the floor does the trick.
◆âŠƒ The last choice is to substitute for the affected player, no matter how much
your team relies on her.

What I have learned over the years is to help players reach the point of being
competitive with every touch on the ball. They should want every ball they play to
be perfect, knowing that this is impossible. How does this help? As I mentioned in
the section Team Chemistry = Roles of Importance, all players have to know what
they are responsible for in order to ensure that their team performs at its best. If
passing is a skill a player is responsible for, she must go after it as best she can. If
she starts to break down with this skill, she should let her team know outwardly
that she is not going to tank. Here are some ways she could do this:
◆âŠƒ Go to the team captain and announce, “I am still with you.”
◆âŠƒ Pat another team member on the back with words of encouragement if that
player made an error.

◆âŠƒ Remind the team that when the opponent was last in this rotation, they
ran a certain play.

◆âŠƒ Tell the setter that on the next good pass, she wants the ball, reminding
the setter she is still ready to hit and that part of her game is not affected.
The preceding are outward signs to the rest of the team that the player is going
to fight through this. Consider starters, who contribute in a variety of ways. If one
of their skills starts to suffer, the rest of their game needs to remain competitive.
Without shouting it aloud, they can demonstrate an outward focus by expressing
to their teammates that they are going to be there for them, even if the skill takes
a while to come back.
If an athlete chooses to crumble, or anytime an athlete starts to show signs of
losing his edge, that athlete and I are going to have a heart to heart about selfish-
ness. Athletes who want everything to come easily don’t allow the best part of
becoming a competitor to really take hold: learning about themselves.
Help Players Get Recruited

If your program attracts athletes who have the potential to be recruited to play in
college, you must explain to them and their parents at the outset of your season
the fine line between being a member of a team and improving their chances of
being recruited. Their focus must be on their performance for the team. Your job
is to make them see the correlation between being a strong team player and getting
recruited. If their focus is on being a strong team player, it helps the recruiting
process: college coaches will take notice.
Your high school team’s needs are likely to be different from those of a club
team your players may play on. A player on your high school team with physical
or skill attributes that help your team may not be used the same way on a club
team. Thus, a one-on-one discussion with the athlete and a follow-up discussion
with the parents about how you anticipate using the player are important. You
must put the betterment of the team first, which you need to express to players
and their parents. The goal is to improve every player’s total game, which improves
the team’s performance, which in the end should improve the chances for every
worthy player to be recruited.
Players and parents need to understand that college coaches know their jobs, and
they need to let them do them and trust that they know how to get the information
they need to evaluate players fairly. The majority of the recruiting process takes
place during the club season. If a coach whom a player and parents have contacted
is courtside watching your team, chances are that he is watching the player in ques-
tion and also other players. Players must understand that their normal capabilities
and skills, executed in the way they always execute them, are what these coaches
want to see. They must focus on playing the game the way they know how, within
the team strategy, and let college coaches do their job of evaluating.
Finally, as a coach, you must accept that where an athlete plays after high school
is a family decision and not yours. As much as you want to believe that you know
which college program would be best for an athlete, the parents and the athlete
should make this decision without undue influence by you. Their future should
not be about your placing another notch on your resume.
There are a number of things you can do to help families in the recruiting
process. The first is to have a general meeting with all athletes who are of the
appropriate age to cover the basics and let them know what you are willing to do.
Also, meetings with individual players and their parents are needed for helping
to develop a plan for each athlete. Following are topics to include in a general
recruiting meeting for all athletes of the appropriate age:
◆âŠƒ The role you are willing to play in the process, such as calling college
coaches, e-mailing, helping them create a skills video, and having periodic
family meetings.
◆âŠƒ Basic NCAA rules about what contact is and is not allowed depending
on the athlete’s age (you can find these on the NCAA website). This is an
important area that parents need to understand. You may also have athletes
recruited to junior colleges (NJCAA) or NAIA schools who will need to
understand those recruiting and eligibility rules, which are different from
NCAA Division I, II, and III rules.
◆âŠƒ The importance of maintaining good grades and keeping their class selec-
tion on track to meet NCAA Eligibility Center requirements.

◆âŠƒ Recruiting sources, services, and seminars that may be available.
◆âŠƒ A list of important websites to browse.

◆âŠƒ A list of questions to be answered, or homework, before their individual
meetings.
Homework questions for athletes to answer before their individual meetings:
1. What type of school are you looking for?

a. Campus size, student body size, public or private
b. Location: rural or urban, weather preferences, distance from home, ease
to get to
2. What schools that fit that description have volleyball programs?
3. What area of study are you looking for, and what schools have that discipline?
4. What type of financial assistance do you need, if any?
5. What is your academic status, and how does that match each school’s
requirement?
Next, schedule meetings with individual players and their parents to review their
answers to the homework questions. Make sure you thoroughly understand the
desires of the athletes and their parents, because they can differ. Encourage athletes
to write letters to each school they are interested in to introduce themselves and
provide some basic personal information, as well as their upcoming playing sched-
ule. Encourage them to more fully research each school and its coaching staff and
maybe even plan visits to the campus on their own. Make sure they understand the
NCAA rules about unofficial visits. Once families and athletes have narrowed their
selection of colleges, request a list so that you can start the process of contacting
college coaches to speak on behalf of the athletes.
Stay in touch with college coaches to see what positions they are looking for in
a particular year of recruiting. Always let the families know what you have found
out, positively or negatively, when it pertains to the athletes.
In the end, don’t forget to ask one important question of the players: Is this a
school you would want to attend even if your volleyball career ended? That should
get them thinking.
Work With Parents

I have learned that the best way to work with the parents of my players is to com-
municate with them regularly via e-mail. It is a practice of mine to write a recap
of every match or tournament to share my thoughts with the parents. In these
recaps, win or lose, my focus is on team growth and improvement. I specifically
mention certain players’ contributions in a match and how that helped our team
maintain focus. I keep a record to make sure that over a period of time I touch
on every player on our team. I also send an individual e-mail to the parents of an
athlete who had a special practice, letting them know how much I appreciated
their son’s or daughter’s efforts that day and how, as a result of that performance,
our team became better.
Parents are always welcome at my practices. Depending on your confidence
level and style of coaching, this is either going to be a good or bad choice. All of
my practices have one central theme, which helps us work together to become
the best we can be. I want the parents to hear often that the most important thing
is our team. What I have learned is that if you are a hardworking coach who is
organized and runs a fair practice that involves everyone, having the parents see
that increases their respect for you. It helps alleviate most misconceptions that
parents can adopt because they just don’t know. You will find that this open style of
coaching combined with communication will prevent a lot of confrontations and
create a positive relationship with parents as a whole. It makes them feel part of
the process, and they buy in to your team-first mentality. I also want my parents to
be involved with anything they feel comfortable doing, such as calling lines, taking
tickets, score keeping, providing pregame meals, helping with food schedules when
we are traveling, and assisting with any jobs connected with running a tournament.
I make a big deal about the help I have received from the parents over the course
of the season at our annual team banquet, which is held near or at the end of our
season. Again, the focus of my presentation is how much we were able to accomplish
together, along with the help and support of the parents. Although this is a forum
for speaking about every player individually, and I do, the bigger message is how
each of these players helped us improve as a team. Just as their children buy in to
the team-first concept, parents do too after reading about it in e-mails, seeing it at
practices and matches, and hearing it at functions such as a banquet.
Conclusion
In closing, being a coach has been the second most rewarding experience I have
had in my life, trailing only after being a father and husband. Even though this
was my job, it never felt that way. Being able to wrap so many of my personal life
experiences around volleyball, including travel, meeting and working with people,
and being able to share that with my family, has been most fulfilling. In looking
back, there was never a special recipe or secret to creating a winning program.
The passion I experienced as a collegiate athlete and has been part of my life all
along is what led me to success. Like anything in life, if you have a passion for what
you do, you will always strive to learn the most you can and be successful. That
passion is contagious to others you are around—especially the athletes you coach.
chapter
6
Building a Successful
College Program
Todd Lower y
As I reflect on my 11th season as a coach, I feel blessed by the opportunities I have

been given. I feel fortunate that along the way I have had so many great players,
peers, and friends who have guided me through the building of two collegiate
programs that on the surface seem to share many characteristics, although the
underlying challenges were vastly different. When given the opportunity to share
what goes into building a successful college program, I reflected on the sources of
my ideas. Some of them I accidentally discovered in my early years of coaching,
and some I borrowed from players, coaches, and, most important, people I believed
were just winners at the game of life.
I was hired for my first job as a head coach only seven weeks before the start
of the fall season. The university had recently eliminated all of its athletic teams
except two. I was straight out of graduate school and far from qualified to be a head
coach. Looking back, I realize that I was probably the only one willing to accept
the position. I had spent two years as a graduate assistant prior to that, which did
little to prepare me for the duties of a head coach. My exposure to volleyball was
limited to about three years at that time, but growing up as a multisport athlete
and being part of a team was something I felt comfortable with.
As I entered the gym to face a group of young women who for certain knew
more about the game than I did, one of only three returning players on a squad of
eight approached me. She said, “We are like any other team. We are a reflection of
whatever you are.” It was in that first 10 seconds of coaching that I realized I had
all the tools I needed to be a successful college coach. Don’t get me wrong—when
I look back on many things I did in those early years, I wonder how the program
survived much less thrived.
As years have passed and my coaching career has evolved, so has my definition
of success. As a young coach, I thought success was measured only by wins and
losses, and to an extent any athletic team is measured by what happens on the
court. However, different levels of college volleyball programs have different goals.
63
I discovered that the goals that had nothing to do with wins and losses led to the
success we achieved on the court. Success for our program now means graduating
quality young women who through our program have gained valuable tools to be
winners in the real world. Every program comes with unique expectations, but
improving and guiding the lives of young adults to better themselves both men-
tally and physical is a measure of success that spans any level of college volleyball.
Administration
A key contributor to any program’s success is administrative support, which can
come in many shapes and forms.
Staff
Somebody once told me that a great head coach is like a turtle on top of a fence
post. You know they had some help getting up there. This is a true statement in
sport as well. So many people play a role in the success of a program aside from
the obvious people such as the head coach and assistant coaches. Just as in business,
there are the college volleyball programs that have plenty of money for a full staff,
and then there are the rest of us.
So what are the keys to building a great program whether you have the funding
for two assistant coaches and a director of operations or you don’t? First of all, if
you are fortunate enough to have one full-time assistant, this is a very important
hire for your program. Before selecting an assistant coach, you must do an honest
assessment of yourself. What are your strengths, or what do you do really well,
and what are your weaknesses, or what areas do you really need help with?
Once you are comfortable acknowledging your weaknesses, you can begin to
identify candidates who will add to your program instead of just giving you more
of what you already have. Once you have chosen your assistant, don’t be afraid to
let him do what you brought him there to do. If you are not a great recruiter and
you hired a great recruiter, let him run with it. If you hired somebody to train
players in a certain position, let her train them. New coaches, especially young
ones, often believe that they need to be in charge of everything. What ends up
happening is that they do everything in an average way instead of focusing on a
couple of areas and doing them great and letting their assistants focus on a couple
of areas that they can do great.
Surrounding yourself with staff members who share your philosophy ensures
that the message is consistent throughout the program. With that said, a similar
philosophy is not the same as similar personality. When I look at many of the
great coaching staffs out there, often the members of the team have very different
personalities. Every year, new and unique athletes will enter your program, and
the more resources or the greater the diversity of thought you have to connect
with them, the better your team will be. Being creative with volunteers, student
assistants, and managers can be very beneficial for teams with limited resources.
Building a Successful College Programâ•… â•… 65
Often, these people bring great value to the program at little cost. Make sure they
feel part of the program, which fosters buy-in and motivates them to contribute
for reasons other than monetary gain.
Managing Staff
When I first started coaching, I was an “if you want something done right you
have to do it yourself” type of coach. I still feel this way with certain aspects of our
program, but I have learned to delegate some responsibilities to others. Luckily, I
have had some really good assistant coaches who have contributed greatly to my
program over the years. The first several years I was a head coach, though, I had no
assistance, not even a student assistant, and I found myself run down by midseason.
From having to break down film to washing uniforms on the road, it was simply
too much for one person to handle. I finally took on a student assistant to whom
I could shift some of the simple day-to-day tasks. When I got my first full-time
assistant, we sat down and decided what her strengths were, and I allowed myself
to give her a lot of control in those areas. By this time I was in my fifth season as
head coach, and the help could not have come at a better time. I had spent five
years trying to do everything, and it was starting to take its toll: I was starting to
lose my passion for the game. Adding a great assistant allowed me to refocus on
the game and everything became much easier and much more enjoyable again.
I have recently had my first experience dealing with multiple assistant coaches.
I now know that more is not always better. It takes significant time to oversee the
duties of several coaches and manage multiple personalities. As your coaching
staff grows, it becomes even more important to look at personalities and coach-
ing philosophies to get all of your staff members working toward a common goal.
Your staff is basically a team within the team; you need to manage them much the
way you do your players.
Hiring New Staff

Former players can be great assistants, and we all have athletes come through our
programs who have what it takes to contribute as coaches. The good thing about
hiring former players is that after four years in the program, they know your
work ethic and what you expect. The major drawback of hiring former players is
that they are probably a lot like you. Diversity on the staff is important because it
brings new perspectives and new ideas. To diversify my staff, I have hired former
players of teams whose coaches I know and respect.
Always keep an eye out for people who can help your program. Working at
clinics and camps allows you to see and interact with a lot of coaches in a short
amount of time. When I’m recruiting, I like to watch the coaches of the athletes
I’m recruiting. If a player has everything I’m looking for, then the person coaching
that player must be doing something right. Your next great assistant coach can be
anywhere, so keep your eyes open. Even if you do not currently have a position
open on your staff, you should be identifying who you might like to bring on if a
position comes open.
One Voice
Having one voice as a coaching staff is very important. The people on your coach-
ing staff, much like your players, need to clearly understand what you expect of
them and what their roles are. Giving your staff members the respect they deserve
is key. If you listen to any of the great coaches in any sport, you never hear them
say “I” in anything the team or the staff accomplishes. They always give credit
to their staff by saying “we.” If you do not give credit to staff members, one of
two things will happen: they will not be around for very long, or they will not
support you. Support and respect are two-way streets: you must give them if you
expect to get them. I give my assistants a great deal of space to speak in practice,
in matches, and in public. I have a lot of confidence in the staff I have hired. If I
don’t trust them enough to speak at any time, then I have failed in doing my job
of communicating what we are trying to accomplish.
Our staff meets and plans practice together every day. As a result, when we walk
into the gym we all know exactly what we want to accomplish that day, what drills
our players will perform, and what coaching cues we will use to accomplish our
goals. Having a great staff requires hard work. You need to put a lot of time and
effort into developing them; if you do, they will move on and become successful
head coaches.
Recruiting
Recruiting may be the most important factor in the success of any program. As
coaches, we may believe that we are great teachers of the game and can develop
talent, but getting the right recruits is so much more than just procuring great
talent. I was lucky to recruit four freshmen in my first season who ended up having
a huge impact on our program. That first season I did not have much time to plan
recruiting or go after a certain type of athlete. I simply took the best players avail-
able. However, that first recruiting class opened my eyes to so much more than
just recruiting athletic talent.
When I set out to develop a recruiting philosophy earlier in my career, I was at
a small private school in South Dakota with a below-average scholarship budget.
I quickly realized that a traditional method of recruiting was not going to work.
We had limited resources to travel to club tournaments out of state, and at that
time club volleyball was almost nonexistent in South Dakota. Our student body
was somewhere around 400 students. Approximately 150 of them were traditional-
aged students, and of those, about 90 were international students. Because we
experienced great success with the international players on our roster, we chose
to focus on this niche.
The Right Fit

Recruiting should start with identifying what sets your school apart from all other
schools. Find out what attracts the general student population to your school. Is it
location, a certain academic program, or, as in our case, a great history of recruit-
ing students from around the world? I am reminded of my older sister’s recruiting
experience. She was a much better athlete than I and actually had people fighting
for her to attend their schools. At an early age she was set on becoming a chemical
engineer, and all the schools that were interested in her that were not known for
science and engineering had no chance of signing her. This taught me about the
importance of fit when recruiting students to an institution.
You must find student-athletes who are going to fit into your community and
be happy while also improving as volleyball players. Unhappy players, more often
than not, underachieve. Make sure you know your institution and area as much
as you know your team and what type of personalities are going to fit with your
group of athletes.
Over the years I have put more effort into recruiting athletes who will fit with
our team than in recruiting the best talent out there. We have won championships
when we did not have the most talented group, but did have the right chemistry;
and we have lost championships when we were far more talented, but struggled
with personality issues on the team.
Academics
Another area I have focused on during the recruiting processes is academics. In
my experience, the students who are the most successful in the classroom are also
the most successful on the court. I have learned that high scores on SAT and ACT
tests don’t automatically translate into good grades in college. Looking at high
school grade point averages seems to be a much better indicator of how students
will do in college. I would say that 95 percent of all the students I have coached
received almost the exact level of success in college that they did in high school.
College grades have little to do with how smart students are and much more to
do with how dedicated they are to their studies. Dedication in the classroom is
much more difficult to achieve than dedication on the court. Volleyball is the fun
part of most student-athletes’ day. If they work to succeed in the classroom, they
are most likely to work to succeed in the gym. This is why academic success has
become a key component when we are evaluating potential recruits.
Team Culture
When you take into account the number of hours freshmen are going to spend
with each other over the course of the next four years, it probably adds up to more
than they will spend with any other person in their lives during this time—more
than boyfriends or girlfriends, family members, and friends. This is why we strive
to create a family culture on our team. Our players practice together, take classes
together, travel together, live together, eat together, and pretty much do every-
thing else together as well. As with any group of people that spends that much
time together, they are going to get on each other’s nerves and there are going to
be disagreements, lots of laughs, and some tears. Creating a family culture helps
us get through many challenges.
When I was a small child, I was picked on daily by my two older sisters. I also
very distinctly remember my sisters’ reactions when somebody outside of our
family picked on me. They would walk across hot coals barefooted to come to
my rescue. The thing about creating a culture of family on a team is that at the
end of the day, no matter what has happened, team members are always willing to
forgive each other. When the sun comes up the next morning, it will be the start
of a new day; whatever happened yesterday can be left behind, and the team can
get back to work. Of course, it is not always easy, but we have seen that a family
feeling helps us get through the hard times.
We have also created a culture of winning and excellence on our team. When
freshmen come into our program, they often don’t understand the mentality of our
upperclassmen or why they do what they do on a day-to-day basis. For example
our athletes are always ready 15 minutes before we start. This way, if somebody
is running late for some reason it does not affect our time together on the court.
When you create the expectation of excellence, students tend to rise to that level.
We expect it in everything we do. We are not just focused on being excellent on the
court; we strive for excellence in everything we do. We teach our student-athletes
to do the right thing even when nobody is watching.
Team Captains
Team captains play an integral role in the chemistry of a team. We use our captains
as go-betweens who connect the coaching staff and the entire team. I’m not sure
there is a magic formula for choosing team captains, but of course, you want them
to be people with great leadership qualities. They also have to be players the team
responds well to or who have personal power on the team. My experience has shown
that it is best to have two captains. We always pick one who is very organized and
detail oriented (and if she is a leader on the court, even better). Our second captain
is an on-court leader either through example or by default.
Great leaders or student-athletes in your program who emerge as leaders on
the court do not do so by their own conscious effort or by being told to step up as
leaders. They are simply athletes whom all the other players on the team gravitate
toward or look to when they need guidance. Some years it is clear who to choose
for captains, and other years it has been a very difficult decision. We always try
to balance the personalities of the two captains. If we have one person who gets
straight to the point, we look to balance her with someone more fun-loving with
an easygoing personality.
Our team captains have a great deal of responsibility in our program. They are
the ones we contact when we need to get a message out to the entire team. They
are the ones who make sure we look like a team when we show up for practice,
when we travel, and during all other team activities. Having good team captains
ensures that the culture of the team and the expectations of our program are passed
along to all incoming players each year.
I have never allowed our team to pick our captains. It is my philosophy that
we need team captains to be mediators between the team and the coaching staff.
Not everybody is capable of doing this. Sometimes the best athlete or the most
well-liked player is not good at accomplishing the tasks that a captain needs to
accomplish. It is important to have the person we want in that position.
Player Meetings
I try to minimize individual meetings with players. We have them at the begin-
ning of the season, at midseason, and after the season, and then we have them at
the end of spring semester. Of course, individual meetings do occur as situations
arise, but for the most part, we handle our problems as a team. I do meet with the
two captains more often—probably once every couple of weeks—because there
are always team dynamics going on that coaches do not see. It is important to be
aware of those issues, and good captains keep us in the loop.
Team Rules
We have a very clear set of rules and standards for our team. We are very clear
about what we expect, what is acceptable and unacceptable, and what the conse-
quences are. Everybody on our team knows what will happen if our team rules or
expectations are not met. There is no gray area when it comes to enforcing rules, or
breaking the rules, for that matter. If the rule is to be on time, 1 minute late is the
same as 15 minutes late. The most important thing I tell coaches is that whatever
rules you place on your team, you have to be willing to enforce them with your
best player on the day of the biggest match, and you must enforce them all the
time regardless of the player or the situation. Consistency is key.
Conclusion
I have been very fortunate to have recruited very talented players. This has been
coupled with the ability to get a handful of great players to buy in to the vision I
have for my team. By no means do I have a magic formula for success, but we have
been able to get a lot of really good players to work together and give everything
they have for the team’s success.
I feel fortunate to have been able to coach college volleyball for the past 15 years.
Although the memories of the specific wins and losses fade over time, the impact
that we as coaches get to have on student athletes are memories that last forever.
Every coach and program measures success in different ways, but for me to see
former players that are now bank managers, physical therapists, business owners,
and even head volleyball coaches, is the greatest reward that a coach can have.
chapter
7
Starting a Sand
Volleyball Program
Da n a l ee Bragado- Corso
Beach volleyball has been played throughout the world for almost a century. It has
become the most sought-after ticket and most viewed event at the Olympics and
is now the newest NCAA championship sport. This progression is in line with the
prolific success the United States has had at the Olympic Games, along with the
booming expansion into junior clubs in recent years.
Because most universities are not located near beaches, the name sand volleyball
has been used for programs around the country. It is often used interchangeably
with the term beach volleyball, depending on where the sport is played. Getting
sand volleyball into the collegiate ranks was an arduous road. With much support
from the AVCA and despite the controversy that always comes with change, sand
volleyball was approved to become an NCAA emergent sport beginning in the
2010-2011 academic year. The sport had 10 years to garner 40 committed pro-
grams for two consecutive years, after which it would become a NCAA-sponsored
championship sport. Collegiate sand volleyball is the fastest sport to go through
the emergent process; it established itself as an NCAA championship sport within
only five years. With the additions of programs at California State University
at Northridge, the University of Oregon, and Louisiana State University, sand
volleyball had the 40 sponsored programs needed in the 2014-2015 season. The
2016-2017 season is slated to be sand volleyball’s first year as an official NCAA
championship sport.
Advantages of a Sand Program

Riding the great success the United States has had both on the World Pro Tour
and at the Olympic Games, beach volleyball has become one of the fastest-growing
sports in the country. According to the 2013 Sports & Fitness Industry Associa-
tion’s Topline Participation Report, there has been an 80 percent growth in the
participation of females ages 13 to 25 since 2007. Young aspiring volleyball players
71
follow in the footsteps of their athletic idols; for a great majority of these athletes,
Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings have blazed a path toward beach
volleyball success.
Indoor volleyball athletes are attracted to sand volleyball because of the fun
factor, social atmosphere, and laid-back attitude associated with the beach life-
style (figure 7.1). Some top-tier indoor volleyball athletes have played it and want
to continue at the collegiate level. It is in the best interest of top-notch college
programs to offer sand volleyball to attract these blue-chip indoor players. Addi-
tionally, most coaches enjoy the option of having their indoor players cross-train
in the sand. If done properly, training for the sand game can greatly increase the
fitness levels of indoor players and give them a new and interesting way to train.
Although indoor volleyball has become very specialized, beach volleyball is not,
which means that sand athletes get to use all the skills of the game, which greatly
increases their volleyball IQ as well as their enjoyment. The number of ball touches
one player receives in a two-hour sand volleyball practice is enormous compared
to an indoor practice. Sand volleyball athletes must be complete players mastering
all the skills of volleyball to be good. Just walking in the sand is a difficult task,
let alone sprinting, jumping, stabilizing, and changing direction. At Florida State
University, our indoor athletes gained a significant increase in their vertical jump
by joining the sand team. Most athletes see their overall cardiovascular fitness
Figure 7.1â•… Recreational action in the sand.

Starting a Sand Volleyball Programâ•… â•… 73
improve as well as their ability to push through tougher physical scenarios after
training in the sand. Thus, sand volleyball also provides a break from the norm
and a novel mental and physical outlet for athletes.
Sand volleyball also offers the opportunity for female athletes to get involved
with collegiate athletics. At present, the only sand collegiate opportunities for
men are at the junior college level in southern California. Title IX is always an
important topic, and sand volleyball is an excellent option for providing much-
needed playing opportunities for aspiring female athletes. Also, compared to other
collegiate sports, it is quite inexpensive to run. As in track and field, schools may
double count (i.e., count indoor athletes for both indoor and sand volleyball teams).
However, in the long run, indoor athletes should not be the primary resource for
filling a sand volleyball roster because the two versions of the sport are distinct.
Collegiate sand volleyball should provide more opportunities for more female
athletes as well as college scholarships for more young women.
Sand Volleyball Budget

New sand volleyball programs need to purchase some basics, many of which are
one-time costs. The first decision is where the team will train and host events.
Court space can be rented from city parks, beaches, churches, or schools. Typi-
cally, these groups charge a small flat fee to reserve the courts or a percentage of
the gross receipts, or both. It is important to have the proper insurance through
the university or other programs such as USA Volleyball or the Amateur Athletic
Union (AAU). Check with the appropriate organization about the specific insur-
ance needs for your program.
If you are building your own court or facility, it is important to do it the right
way. Plenty of information about building courts is available on various websites.
Following are a few that will walk you through the process:
www.avca.org/sand/facilities
www.volleyballusa.com/College-Volleyball-Court-Construction.html
www.volleyballmag.com/articles/43020-building-a-regulation-sand-volleyball-
court
www.volleyballmag.com/articles/112-court-cents-build-your-own-sand-
volleyball-court
Sand
Sand is the biggest expense. It is important to use quality sand with no rocks and
minimal clay to limit the “dust” effect of the top 6 inches. Below that, you could
use a less expensive, larger-grain sand that may include tiny rocks as a bed because
it drains better than high-quality, fine sand. Another level below that will be gravel,
landscape cloth, and French drains. Your site should also include showers, multiple
electrical outlets, and lights if possible.
Net Systems
Good-quality net equipment systems include the standards (poles), padding, net,
antennae, and the referee stand. Several companies make this equipment, includ-
ing Volleyball USA and Sports Imports. You will also need to purchase court lines
(for boundaries) and possibly court enclosures to keep volleyballs from rolling too
far from the courts.
Balls
Volleyballs are your next consideration. Programs need about 16 to 20 outdoor
volleyballs per court to run an efficient practice. Sand volleyballs last only three
or four years before they get heavy and worn, unlike indoor balls, which last much
longer. Because each brand of sand volleyball is unique, it is important to purchase
the brand that your athletes will be using in competition throughout the year.
Uniforms
Uniforms typically consist of an athletic-style bikini or a sport bra and spandex
bottoms. Uniform styles will most likely be determined by the sport governing
body that oversees the conference your team is competing in and will be included
in the rules. Sand socks are a necessity for hot as well as very cold weather. Sun-
glasses are necessary, and a hat or visor is highly recommended. The sunglasses
need to fit properly and provide UV protection. Many types are available; try to
make the best choice for your athletes. If you are in a cold climate, tights and an
athletic long-sleeved shirt are also a necessity. A thermal sleeveless vest that zips
up is extremely useful as well. At practice, athletes should have a towel to stretch
on and to use to brush sand off themselves. Each athlete should also have a court
bag to put all these items in.
Staff
A sand volleyball team should have an 8-to-1 player-to-coach ratio. Eight players
play on a single court. If you are in a college program and the coach is given a head
coach title, there may be a minimal salary for that coach. If the indoor volleyball
assistant coach is also assisting with the sand team, that person can retain the
assistant coach title. However, it is a lot of work to coach two teams with separate
schedules, budgets, scholarships, and so on.
Extra Program Costs

Scholarship cost is another budget issue to consider when adding a sand volleyball
program. Refer to current NCAA rules regarding the number of scholarships that
can be offered and whether players with sand volleyball scholarships can play on
the indoor team, and vice versa.
Another budget consideration is travel costs to events, which includes hotel

rooms, transportation, food, and other costs. Home matches have certain expenses
as well, such as officials, hospitality, and other miscellaneous expenses. A home
event checklist is provided later in the chapter in the section Match Event Man-
agement.
Recruiting Players
Because sand volleyball has only recently grown to include girls 18 and under,
the number of skilled sand players is not as large as that of accomplished indoor
volleyball players. With time and good training, some collegiate indoor players
are having quick success converting to the sand game, but experience and time
are definitely needed for them to fully understand the game.
USA Beach Volleyball has quickly developed its junior program, and many of
their top players have been recruited as sand scholarship athletes. Additionally,
indoor players that have all-around skill, but may be considered too small to be
recruited for top schools for indoor volleyball, have successfully converted to sand
volleyball athletes. However, these players may lack experience, which is critical to
the success of a sand player, so they will need to play a lot of events to see whether
they can handle the rigors and elements of the sand game and find enjoyment in
the environment.
A number of national junior beach volleyball programs abroad have highly
skilled athletes who are making their way to U.S. colleges to play sand volleyball.
The best places in the United States to recruit strong players are USA Volleyball
High Performance Championships and national invitational events such as the
USA Volleyball Junior National Championship and the AAU Junior Olympics, in
which you must win a bid to compete. A few collegiate combines are other places
that coaches recruit sand players. The states of California and Florida host many
junior beach volleyball events in the summer, in which many strong players are
competing. Additionally, high school sand volleyball is growing quickly; Arizona was
the first state to officially adopt the sport into its high school programs. Southern
California and certain counties in Florida have also adopted the sport for high
school girls as well, and it is growing quickly. Additionally, many seasonal and year-
round sand volleyball clubs are developing around the country, but mainly in the
hotbeds of indoor volleyball, which include regions such as Texas and the Midwest.
Coaching Staff
Initially, for programs working with limited funding, staff and athlete roles may be
filled by existing and interested indoor volleyball coaches and athletes. As stated
earlier, the number of experienced beach players and coaches is still growing,
but they will be scooped up by top programs offering scholarships, a high-level,
experienced beach volleyball coaching staff, and other opportunities.
A fully staffed collegiate beach volleyball program would consist of three coaches:
Full-time head coach, full-time or part-time assistant coach, and volunteer assistant
coach. A minimum of 14 athletes is a good roster size. Only 10 players compete
at a time, but unfortunately, athletes may get injured, and you should always have
enough players to compete. If you are thinking of relying on the indoor team for
players, remember that indoor coaches may not mandate that their athletes play
on the beach team, so you may not end up with enough players to fill the roster.
Coaching Fundamentals
When player development begins, the primary focus should be on having fun with
the learning process. Many polished indoor athletes are easily frustrated when
they find themselves struggling in the sand at first. They may have trouble with
ball control, the environment, and developing their sand legs. Our research has
shown that, initially, outside hitters experience a drop in their vertical jump from
2 to 3 inches, and middle blockers may lose 6 to 8 inches on their vertical jumps.
This can obviously greatly affect their timing as hitters on the sand. Initially, all
athletes experience a 2- to 4-inch loss in vertical jump. Indoor athletes need time
to adjust their game and develop their sand legs. It takes a minimum of five weeks
to be comfortable in the sand. As a coaching staff, you must educate yourselves to
defend against initial player frustration. Invest in beach volleyball–specific coaching
and training DVDs, books, and Internet resources to ensure that your athletes are
seeing that their newly acquired skills are leading them to success in the sand. The
AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) is a great resource for educa-
tional material on coaching beach volleyball: www.championshipproductions.com/
cgi-bin/champ/c/Volleyball/Sand-Sand-Volleyball-2421.html. USA Volleyball also
provides BCAP (Beach Coaching Accreditation Program) certification for coaches:
www.usav.org/USA-Volleyball.
If you have a sand program with full-time sand players, training should be peri-
odized and segmented to provide a proper progression throughout the preseason,
in-season, and summer. If you are new to the beach game, you need to educate
yourself. Listen to what your athletes are saying about their energy levels, and
get in the sand yourself to gain a well-rounded understanding of what they are
going through. Because of the physical load of working in the sand (i.e., it is much
harder to work out in sand than it is on a solid surface), it is very easy to overtrain.
Although double days are common in indoor volleyball practice, in the sand they
are inappropriate and highly discouraged.
Coaching During Competition

The beach game comes with its own separate and developing guidelines for com-
petition. Teams play duals, and the winner is the team that has won the majority of
five flighted matches. Flighted means that teams are ranked according to skill level,
as in collegiate tennis, in which the top-skilled team is the number one doubles
team. Currently, many high schools use three flighted matches instead of five.
Coaches coming to the sand from the indoor game may face a tough transition
in terms of coaching during competition. In the sand game, coaches have limited
opportunities to provide feedback. They may speak directly to their athletes only
during time-outs, during side switches, and between sets. Teams switch sides of
the court on multiples of seven (e.g., 3-4, 7-7, 10-11), and during which the coach
may walk along the side of the court and offer strategic or adjustment-oriented
feedback. In no way should this interaction slow or stall the match. During play,
the coach may instruct an athlete to call for a time-out. Teams have one time-out
plus a technical time-out when the scores combine to equal 21. Outside of that,
any communications should consist of vague encouragement and support.
Sand volleyball provides a unique coaching experience because coaches are not
tied to one match (doubles team). The first match you start watching could be a
blowout. You may leave that match and go to one featuring a dog fight, tight scores,
and back-and-forth action. A coaching staff can go through the gamut of coaching
skills within one dual, which can be exciting and keep the game fresh and alive.
Only three collegiate coaches per team are allowed to participate during an event,
and multiple matches could be going at the same time. Therefore, athletes must
be self-sufficient and able coach themselves through a match, unlike in the indoor
game, in which a coach is always present and may provide constant feedback and
direction through every point.
Facility Design
Because a dual consists of five matches,
it is ideal to have a five-court facility
with additional surrounding space to
comfortably accommodate up to four
competing teams and staff (figure 7.2).
This allows for maximal use of time and
formatting during competition as well as
during practice.
A minimum of three courts is recom-
mended because any fewer can really
drag out the dual competition. The
format for a three-court location should
involve only two matches counting
toward the overall dual in the first wave
with perhaps an exhibition match on
the third court. The second wave would
consist of the final three matches to
complete the dual competition. This is
done so that the dual is not already deter-
mined after the completion of the first
wave of matches, which could result in Figure 7.2â•… Typical sand facility.
a 3-0 scenario, thereby making the next Courtesy of Arron Saltz
18 ft.
15 ft.
Figure 7.3â•… Example of a typical E6283/AVCA/fig07.02/513738/alw/r1

three-court facility.
two matches inconsequential. Most schools play flights 4 and 5 first and leave the
more exciting matchups for the second wave of matches.
Site development should allow for ample space between courts (see figure 7.3).
Collegiate requirements are 18 feet from sideline to sideline, which provides
adequate space for safety and play of the ball without interfering with adjacent
courts. There should also be plenty of room behind the end line for safety, jump
serving, and real-time playing of the ball. Fifteen feet of clear space from the back
line is ideal for reasons previously mentioned.
A daily maintenance regimen is needed for keeping the courts level and prevent-
ing them from getting bowled out. We use baseball infield rakes because they are
lightweight and move a good amount of sand. Proper technique is to start pulling
sand approximately 3 feet outside the edge of the court and toward the middle. As
you pull the sand in, keep the rake level and allow the sand to fall, filling in divots
as you go. You will end up with a small mound in the center of the court. Push the
sand around the court and smooth as you go. Make sure to check the height of the
net periodically to give you a consistent sense of the levelness of the court. Then
run the rake around the perimeter of the court beneath the boundary lines for a
finishing touch. Raking an entire court takes anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes, a
minimum of twice a week.
As discussed in the budget section, many resources are available to help you
build a sand court facility, which is relatively inexpensive and requires very little
maintenance if it is drained properly.
Team Cohesion and Player Development

Collegiate sand volleyball is unique in that the program includes athletes from two
disciplines with differing skill sets. Early on, most programs fill their rosters with
indoor athletes who may have limited sand volleyball experience. Some programs
have the funding to establish a sand-only team, but they may lean on the indoor
program to complete it.
The sand coach’s primary objective with indoor volleyball athletes is to make
the sport an enjoyable experience because they are in their non-traditional season
and participating on the sand team is optional. Their indoor coaches may strongly
suggest that they play, but they should be under no obligation to participate on the
sand volleyball team. Sand coaches must also develop strong team chemistry while
they are folding in indoor players with the sand players they have been coaching
during the fall semester, while the indoor team has been a separate team. Indoor
athletes join the sand team at the beginning of the spring semester after they have
finished their indoor season.
Indoor athletes need to get their sand legs initially and should probably not
participate in scoring or competitive games at the beginning of their training in
the sand. Losing in drills early on may cause disillusionment with the progress of
their sand skill development and may discourage them to the point of quitting.
This could have devastating effects beyond the athlete; it may also affect future
prospects. Bringing indoor players in slowly can be done with simple noncompeti-
tive ball-control and hitting exercises. This develops a base of confidence that adds
to the excitement of learning a new skill set in a game they love.
Rules: Differences and Similarities

There are many rule differences between sand and indoor volleyball, some well-
known, others not so much. Make sure to become familiar with the particular rules
used in the organization governing the competition for your program. Following
are some of the main rule differences:
◆âŠƒ In sand volleyball the best two out of three sets wins a match for both men
and women, as opposed to indoor volleyball’s best three out of five. The first
two sets are played to 21 points; the third set, to 15. All sets have no cap,
which means that they must be won by a minimum of 2 points.
◆âŠƒ The court dimensions for sand volleyball are 8 by 8 meters; those for indoor
volleyball are 9 by 9 meters.

◆âŠƒ Beach teams switch sides of the court during each set on multiples of 7 for
sets to 21 points, and on multiples of 5 for sets to 15 points. The only time
indoor teams switch sides during the play of a set is in the fifth set, where
they switch sides when one team reaches a total of eight points.
◆âŠƒ The collegiate sand game consists of duals of flighted play, which feature
five matches of doubles. Indoor plays one team made up of their best six-
person team of the moment.
◆âŠƒ The touch off the block counts as one of the three contacts in sand volleyball.
◆âŠƒ There is no center line in the sand game; players may go underneath the
net as long as they do not contact or impede an opposing player. There are
strict centerline limitations in the indoor game.
◆âŠƒ The rules on hand setting are much tighter in sand than in indoor volleyball.
◆âŠƒ Sand coaches are limited to communicating with players only during side
switches, between sets, and during time-outs. The indoor coach may speak
liberally to his or her team at any and all points of the match.
◆âŠƒ Open-handed tipping is not allowed in the sand game; it is allowed in the
indoor game.
◆âŠƒ In the sand game, when a player is intentionally overhand setting over the
net, the ball must cross the net directly to where the setter is facing; this
can be either in front or directly behind. There are no such limitations in
the indoor game on overhand setting the ball.
◆âŠƒ The ball pressure for the sand game is 2.8 to 3.2 psi; for the indoor game
it is 4.3 to 4.6 psi.

◆âŠƒ Appropriate music can be played during the competition in sand volleyball.
Music is not allowed while the ball is in play during indoor volleyball.
This list is not comprehensive, but it provides a quick look at some of the rule
differences between the sand game and the indoor game. As the sport develops at
the collegiate level, the rules may change slightly to achieve the fairest atmosphere
to ensure success in the sport.
Year-Round Training
In the overall development of our program, our greatest commodity is our athletes.
They need special attention year-round to continually improve both on and off
the court and to avoid injury. At Florida State University we provide our athletes
with year-round lifting and conditioning programs. Our athletes train the way
professionals do, except that we have them for only eight months a year. Thus,
when they leave our program, they are well equipped to continue and build on
their successes.
In our conditioning program, we focus on Olympic lifts and upper-body develop-
ment because the sport demands a high level of power endurance and strength. To
ensure safety, make sure your athletes are familiar with proper lifting techniques.
Have a certified strength coach work with your athletes, or get certified yourself
so that you are familiar with the best techniques and safe lifts. We incorporate all
forms of resistance training from body weight to barbells, cable machines to sand
bags. We periodize our lifts by using heavier cycles in the fall and lightening the
load heading into the spring and in-season. In addition to resistance training, our
athletes work through an extensive periodized track program to build explosive
speed and endurance.
A preseason strength/power routine consists of three lifting sessions per
week. We have our athletes perform an active warm-up prior to lifting, and the
lift session might look something like this:
◆âŠƒ Back squat: 3 or 4 sets of 6-10 reps

◆âŠƒ Clean (hang clean or power clean): 2 or 3 sets of 3-6 reps
◆âŠƒ Chest press: 3 or 4 sets of 6-10 reps
◆âŠƒ Seated cable row: 3 or 4 sets of 8-10 reps
◆âŠƒ Front squat to power jerk: 2 or 3 sets of 3 or 4 reps
◆âŠƒ Front and lateral raise: 2 or 3 sets of 8-10 reps
◆âŠƒ Lateral band walk: 2 or 3 sets of 10-12 reps
◆âŠƒ Alternating biceps curl: 2 or 3 sets of 8-10 reps
◆âŠƒ Variety of abdominal and core work: 3-5 exercises
An in-season routine might look like this:
◆âŠƒ Hang clean to power jerk: 2 or 3 sets of 3 reps

◆âŠƒ Power clean pull: 2 or 3 sets of 2 or 3 reps
◆âŠƒ Back squat: 2 or 3 sets of 3-5 reps
◆âŠƒ Chin-up: 2 or 3 sets of 3-6 reps
◆âŠƒ Bench press: 2 sets of 6-10 reps
◆âŠƒ TRX row: 2 sets of 6-10 reps
◆âŠƒ Standing dumbbell (DB) military press: 2 sets of 8-10 reps
◆âŠƒ Standing DB biceps curl: 2 sets of 8-10 reps
◆âŠƒ Variety of abdominal and core work: 3-5 exercises
We also incorporate a multi-week plyometric program into our training. This

comes after our athletes have laid a foundation of strength and power to maximize
the effectiveness of plyometric training. We incorporate body weight exercises,
plyometric box drills, medicine ball throws, stairs, hurdles, and cone work.
We have recently increased the use of foam rolling (SMR, or self-myofascial
release) prior to practices as well as multipoint shoulder warm-ups with the use
of bands. The primary reason for the increased use of foam rollers is to improve
overall flexibility, prevent injuries, and increase functional movement. Band work
has always been part of our program, but we have increased it by including it as
a part of the daily prepractice warm-up routine to maintain the health of, and
prevent injury to, athletes’ shoulders.
For additional injury prevention, weekly yoga sessions are part of the program
we use all year round. The focus is stretching rather than isometric holds and
strength, which is already addressed in various forms. Taking a 10- to 15-minute
ice bath several times a week is a requirement to promote recovery as the load on
a sand volleyball player taxes every muscle in a very different way than the indoor
game does. As always, we work closely with our athletic training staff on athlete
recovery and rehabilitation.
Match Event Management

Running a sand volleyball event with all the logistics may seem hectic, especially
if your background is indoor volleyball. From proper formatting to staffing with
volunteers and hiring referees, there are a lot of moving parts.
It is important to have a competition manager (or director of operations) who is
not the coach. This person’s job is to delegate and manage all primary responsibili-
ties such as assigning volunteers, managing score sheet collection, and making sure
lunch has been ordered and is arriving on time. The manager must also coordinate
with the officials and make sure hotel accommodations are in place, check with
the assigning officials’ coordinator to make sure the proper number of officials
have been planned for, and be ready to manage an inclement weather plan. The
manager must plan to have the facility set up two hours prior to the event, and
make sure tents and the sound system are set up according to the schematic drawn
up by the facilities staff. The courts must be raked, and tables, chairs, and umbrel-
las need to be set up. The marketing staff should arrive an hour prior to the start
of the event. They will have confirmed the hiring of a knowledgeable announcer
and a singer for the national anthem, and have appropriate music playing before
the teams arrive and during the competition. They also need to be adaptable and
ready for all the little things that pop up throughout the day that may interfere
with the smooth running of the event. See figure 7.4 for a schematic drawing of
our match-day event setup.
Following are the requirements for a basic home event:
◆âŠƒ Two to five sand courts or more
◆âŠƒ Net system: court boundary lines, nets, pole pads, antennae, and a referee
stand
◆âŠƒ Six to eight balls per court for the warm-up, three or four game balls per
court for the match

◆âŠƒ Table and chairs and portable scoreboard at the end of each court
◆âŠƒ Four chairs and two umbrellas per court for the athletes and coaches to use
prior to the start of and during the match and time-outs

◆âŠƒ Separate tents for each school and for referees, medical staff, marketing
staff, and volunteer staff

◆âŠƒ Chairs or benches for each tent
◆âŠƒ Sound system, microphone, and speakers for music prior to and during the
event, for the announcer and marketing announcements

◆âŠƒ Extra cups, water bottles, and coolers of water and ice for general use
◆âŠƒ Extra scoring sheets for referees
◆âŠƒ Marketing table displaying booster information, season schedule, and the
event program
◆âŠƒ Concession area for spectators
◆âŠƒ Restrooms for event staff, players, and spectators

Visitor tent Team tent First aid Visitor tent Visitor tent
Score Score P.A. Score Score Score
O
O
O
4 2 1 3 5
O O
O O
R R R R R
O
O O
O
O O O
O O O
Bleachers Bleachers Bleachers Bleachers Marketing

table
Coaches
R Referee chair Camera Training tent Umbrella

O Athlete chairs Bench Barrier Speaker
Figure 7.4â•… Match-day event setup.
E6283/AVCA/fig07.03/513739/alw/r3
Coaching at-home events can be difficult at times; you may feel as though you are
putting out fires throughout the day. It is imperative that you have a well-organized
staff whose members understand their roles and execute them professionally. As
a head coach, you train not only your athletes, but also your support staff, which
may be ever-changing. Make sure to have plans for inclement weather because
protocols, ball management, and court management may change. Sand volleyball
will be played in heavy rain and strong wind unless there is a threat of lightning
(most athletic training departments have some type of lightning-detection equip-
ment) or if the wind is so strong that the site is compromised. Play does not stop
for extreme conditions that are deemed safe for being outdoors. Obviously, this
also means that practice and training take place on rainy, cold, and windy days.
One major priority for event planning is to make sure the format provides
enough play for all teams, which should include exhibition matches for the alter-
nate players who don’t receive many opportunities to play live matches. A match
can last anywhere from 25 to 75 minutes. We have experimented with a variety
of formats combining dual play and a flighted pair’s tournament with teams 1 and
2 in one bracket and teams 3, 4, and 5 in another bracket. We have found much
success with this format because all teams receive a minimum of three matches
the first day (considering a four-school competition) and a minimum of two full
matches the second day with many different matchups for the teams that make
it to the finals. A five-court facility with four participating schools can finish a
round-robin of dual play the first day usually in about 6 hours and a flighted pairs
bracketed event the second day in about 8 hours. Bracket play would not necessar-
ily be a true double elimination because there would be consolation matches for
the early losers. In sand volleyball, typically, a double-elimination format reverts
to single elimination during the final four to keep down the number of matches
played per day.
The number of courts at the site, and the maximal and minimal number of
matches played per team are the primary deciding factors in format development.
Three full matches per day should be the maximum because more than that can be
dangerous to athletes. The ideal number of matches per day is one. In reality, one
match is unrealistic within the collegiate/high school/amateur setting, however,
as you need the biggest bang for your time invested. You can reduce match play
for top teams by making some of the rounds of the bracketed pair’s event one set
to 28 points.
Conclusion
These are amazing times in the sport of volleyball. With the addition of sand
volleyball at the collegiate level, the opportunities for current and future athletes
and coaches are tremendous. It has been a long and arduous road for the AVCA
and for the first colleges that jumped on board to make sand volleyball the fastest-
growing emergent sport in NCAA history. The sport will likely continue to grow
exponentially because it has a strong television presence, it is an exciting specta-
tor sport, it is relatively inexpensive to start up and maintain, and because of the
continued need for universities to make steps toward being Title IX compliant.
In 2010 I was fortunate to be the first full-time head sand volleyball coach at
the collegiate level and have been privileged to witness all the other programs
being added. Although the sport itself has been around for some time recreation-
ally, professionally, and in the Olympics, its acceptance into the collegiate ranks
will truly catapult it throughout the country in all climates and for all ages. I have
spent my career working specifically in beach volleyball. I am very blessed and
grateful for the opportunity to work in sand volleyball at the college level and to
see the sport I love grow so much.
chapter
8
Running a Successful
Volleyball Camp
C hr is Catanach
During my first year of coaching, some 30 years ago, I had the opportunity to raise
money for my fledgling volleyball program by renting our gym for a volleyball
camp hosted by a high-profile athlete. This camp was a sellout because of the status
of the athlete and the big-name staff members listed on the brochure. The camp
was marketed by a company out of California (which I was in touch with almost
daily), and I was excited to be the point person for the University of Tampa. My
role in the camp was to set up the courts, unlock the doors each day, and be a liaison
for housing and food service. My daily conversations with representatives of the
marketing company gave me a false sense of how organized this camp would be.
Within minutes of the staff arrival, I realized that there was no camp plan.
Although the campers registered prior to arrival, they were not assigned room-
mates, and there was no supervisory staff and no plan for directing the campers
to and from sessions. There was no camp schedule and no group or staff assign-
ments. The camper-to-staff ratio was about twelve to one, and the staff members
were not interested in working very hard. By the end of the first session, I was
no longer just a liaison; I was directing the camp from behind the scenes. At the
end of the camp, the father of the celebrity athlete offered me the opportunity to
run the camp in the future and keep the proceeds but pay his daughter $3,000 to
make an appearance. As a result of my experience with this camp, I realized that,
although a “celebrity athlete” or coach may help with attendance, the real success
of a camp comes from providing an organized, fun experience at a reasonable
price. I could do better than this. I decided that even if I drew only 50 kids in the
first year, I could make a small profit and begin building the camp. As a result of
hard work, organization, attention to detail, a desire to provide a great value, and
a commitment to service, I have been fortunate to draw large numbers for each
of our camps.
85
Camp Philosophy
My philosophy on camps is simple: Make the camp experience all about the camper
and not what is easiest or most convenient for the staff. You will know you have
provided a great camp experience when a departing camper is thanking you for
having her, raving about how much fun she had with her roommates, telling mom
how great the food was, excited about playing volleyball again, and tired because
your staff worked her so hard. If you did your job right, your campers will sign up
early next summer, and they will bring their friends.
This chapter pertains mostly to three- or four-day resident and commuter camps.
The three key facets to focus on to create a successful summer camp experience are
organization and administration, volleyball training sessions, and the residential
experience (food and housing). The order of importance is not the same for all
campers. Elite-level campers may critique the curriculum or group assignments
more than the food and housing, whereas beginners may gauge their experience
based on food or housing rather than training sessions. Sometimes you can do
everything right and a camper will have a bad experience because she could not
get past her displeasure regarding her group assignment. Nevertheless, you should
consider each camper your only customer and make it your daily goal to ensure
that all facets of the camp are as good as they can be for everyone.
Organization and Administration

Organization is the key to running a successful camp. Planning should start well
in advance of the actual camp date. Putting in the preparation time well before the
first whistle blows will enable your camp to run smoothly. There are many things
that go into the organization and administration of a successful camp. You must
organize your business, secure facilities and staff, determine your pricing strategy,
develop the camp schedule, and register campers. Below I will touch upon the
topics I think are the most important.
Creating Your Business

The first order of business in establishing a camp is creating your company and
incorporating it. The S Corp and the LLC are two of the best options for simple
corporations. Consult with your accountant about what type of corporation would
work best for your business. Both can be created online at a reasonable cost.
The reasons for incorporating are numerous. Most important is the reduction
of liability because your business involves minors. We live in a lawsuit-happy
country, and your good friend, the lawyer, will not hesitate to sue you, your camp
insurance, the owner of the facility you are renting, the maker of the volleyballs
and nets, or anyone else who is deemed to have deep pockets. Having your own
business also allows you to make more timely purchases and pay staff without going
Running a Successful Volleyball Campâ•… â•… 87
through extensive paperwork at a university. Keeping good records of income and

expenses is critical. Incorporating is also important for tax purposes. Again, consult
an accountant to learn the benefits of the various types of corporations.
Identifying Costs and Developing a Budget

Determine your per camper cost by adding the expenses you will incur from all
of the categories presented below. I create a budget for each category so that I can
better manage the expenses incurred during the camp. For example, if my budget
for staff salaries is $50 per camper, I will then make decisions about the number of
extra staff I am willing to hire and how much I am willing to pay each staff member.
Facility Fees
Your university may have a per-camper fee for facility use or a lump sum fee per
day. Schedule your camp to maximize this cost. If you pay a daily facility fee, then
plan to have at least two sessions on both the first and last days to optimize your
use of the facility. Don’t forget to include sales tax in your rental fee budget. If you
are charged a per-camper fee (for each camp), it is quite easy to put that amount
into the budget.
Insurance
Most insurance companies will sell you a liability policy that requires you to
purchase a secondary medical policy. A number of companies underwrite sports
camp insurance policies. Coaches in your athletic department should be able to
suggest companies with whom they have had good relationships. Premiums for
liability and medical coverage for staff and campers will cost about 75 cents per
day for residential campers and 55 cents per day for nonresidential, or commuter,
campers. In addition to the liability and medical policies, your university may also
require a sexual abuse policy that will add 25 cents per day.
All camp insurance companies require a minimal payment to write the policy.
For example, if you have only 50 kids attending camp, the minimal fee for the
policy may exceed the per-day figures noted earlier.
Food
One of the most important relationships to develop when running a camp is your
relationship with your food service provider. You may be able to negotiate a price
based on volume because providers’ prices are based on volume and they should
be willing to pass the savings on to you. Small colleges and universities that do
not have huge summer school attendance usually are willing to bargain with camp
programs because their food service providers need summer revenue to pay their
salaried staff. When creating the schedule for the camp, avoid having a meal as the
first activity on the first day because this adds a significant amount to your per-
camper costs. Include staff food costs as well as sales tax in your per-camper budget.
Housing
When computing your housing costs, do not forget to budget for not only the
campers, but also the staff. Once again, sales tax will come into play. Some states
require the lessor to charge the local hotel tax rate for dorm rentals. It is also a
good idea to gather all of the coaches who run camps on your campus and meet
with the residence-life staff, or whoever assigns summer housing. Impress upon
them your need for the use of air-conditioned and updated buildings.
At private universities, admissions directors can be a tremendous help in con-
vincing the administration to provide the best the school has to offer in terms of
housing and other facilities. The positive marketing for the university facilities is
worth thousands. Every camper or parent who is impressed with your residence
halls will tell at least five other friends, and word will spread. If you are offered
better dorms for a higher price, it is probably worth the additional cost.
Staff Salaries
Hire your camp staff as contract labor because they provide a service to the camp
for a short period of time. Create a contract identifying all areas of service, their
employment status as contractors, salaries, duties, and policies on abuse. You should
provide a brief sexual abuse training session with the staff prior to having them
sign their contracts. When determining compensation for employees, take a look
at what the competition is paying. The coach-to-camper ratio is up to you, but a
ratio of one coach for every eight campers generally provides each camper with
plenty of one-on-one interaction. Avoid the common mistake of hiring more staff
than you need; this is best done by hiring as you receive registrations and deposits.
When determining what you will pay your assistant coaches for working the
camps, I recommend an incentive plan. Paying your assistant(s) a predetermined
amount per camper gives them an incentive to help grow the camps. They become
invested in the success of every facet of the camp. This form of payment also cre-
ates a per-camper salary cost and helps you avoid overspending.
Background Checks and Fingerprinting

Many states require live scan fingerprinting of any people hired to work with
children under the age of 18 during a summer or vacation period. The cost of a
live scan is anywhere from $30 to $50 per person. Most states accept affidavits
from the school system verifying that a teacher or coach employed by the school
system has been screened within the past five years. For any staff members who
cannot provide affidavits, arrange for screening locally, or require them to go to
a testing agency near their homes to be screened. You should reimburse them for
this expense in their first paycheck. Make sure to start this important process early
because it may take a few weeks for processing.
Supplies
When budgeting for supplies and equipment, consider supplies you will need to
run a quality operation outside of the gym as well. In addition to balls, ball carts,
and floor tape, consider stocking up on paper for manuals and handouts, water
cups, pens for staff, computer support supplies, certificates for camp awards, and
training room supplies. If you run a camp over the weekend and maintenance per-
sonnel will not be around, stock up on paper towels, toilet paper, and large trash
bags. Have your staff be responsible for keeping the areas clean and trash picked up.
Computer Software
A multitude of companies create websites, provide credit card services, and import
registrations to a database. Most services provide access to the database so that you
can assign groups or housing. The costs for these services range from around $3
per camper to as much as $7 per camper. These companies also charge you credit
card use fees, but they ask you to build them into your camp price. A cheaper solu-
tion is to purchase database software such as FileMaker. For a $300 investment,
you can accomplish everything the camp data companies offer in their services
for multiple years. This is a much more economical option for camps that service
more than 100 campers.
Camp Gifts
The most common camp gift is a T-shirt. If you shop around, you should be able
to purchase a white T-shirt with a two-color design for under $5 each, or a col-
ored T-shirt with a two-color design for under $6. The T-shirt pricing is based
on volume, so the more you buy, the cheaper the price will be. Other camp gift
ideas are volleyballs, knee pads, backpacks, and sling packs. Add the cost of each
gift item into your per-camper cost and price the camp accordingly.
Additional administrative costs might include website fees, cell phone use,
database management, and accounting fees.
Pricing and Payments

Once you have identified your costs and desired profit, check the pricing of your
competition to make sure you are right in line. If you decide to charge more than
competing camps, make sure it is because you provide something the other camps
do not: a special camp gift, extra training sessions, or individual skill videos.
Payment is an issue that should be clarified up front. We accept personal checks
up to 14 days prior to the start of camp. After that point, we accept only cash,
money orders, or cashier’s checks. More recently, we started offering credit card
payment options through our website, which has become the number one form
of payment for parents. The parent is notified before they begin the credit card
process that there is a credit card convenience fee added to the cost of camp.
Requiring a deposit when the camper reserves their spot and then requesting the
balance be paid 14 days prior to the start of camp is vital. Campers are less likely
to cancel if they have made full payment.
Advertising and Marketing

If you provide a great camp experience for a fair price, word of mouth will be
your best advertisement. Other things that you can do to market your camps are
to advertise in the annual summer camp sections in local magazines; advertise on
RichKern.com, AVCA.org, or other summer camp sites; print fliers and distribute
them to every junior high and high school in your city or county; send e-mail blasts
to clubs and players in your targeted area; and call high schools in your state and
invite them to give your camp a try. Sending camp brochures to junior high schools
and high schools in areas where there are strong recruits may pay off in the future.
One of the most important things you will do is create a website. You can hire
a company to create, host, and manage a site for you, however, this option can be
expensive. Your site should include camp descriptions and dates, sample schedules,
check-in and check-out information, a list of what to bring, pricing, online regis-
tration, answers to frequently asked questions, staff biographies, information on
your program and university, driving directions, and anything else you can think
of that will help sell your camp.
Hiring Staff
Choose energetic and enthusiastic staff since they will be helping you create a
camp culture that will attract campers back year after year. Personnel to consider
when building your camp staff are head court coaches, assistant court coaches,
administrative assistants, medical trainers, and residence hall supervisors.
Court Coaches
People who can serve as court coaches at your camp are other college coaches, club
coaches, college players, and high school coaches. Club coaches do a tremendous
job with skill camps because they are used to working with undeveloped athletes.
Find coaches who are good teachers and hard workers, and who enjoy the camp
setting. A lazy or negative head court coach can be a camp downfall. Put a lot of
thought into your group coach assignments, and try to match your coaches and
your groups according to their personalities and strengths. Although most coaches
may want to work with the top group in camp, some of your most important
groups are the beginners. You may want to assign some of your better coaches
to those groups. Having groups spend a session or two rotating through stations
gives campers the opportunity to work with multiple group coaches.
Administrative Assistant
The administrative assistant is an invaluable staff member. At many of the major
college programs, a director of volleyball operations staff member is responsible
for administering summer camps. If you do not have a director of operations, hire
an administrative assistant to handle check-in and check-out, room assignments,
residence hall staff supervision, payment collections, background checks, staff
contracts, and any other administrative duties that need doing.
Medical Trainers
Your head athletic trainer can usually arrange for camp athletic trainers. It is
important that you hire people who will be positive contributors to the camp
experience. They must be qualified to deal with injuries ranging from sprains to
sore forearms after passing sessions. The head trainer should be at registration to
confirm medical clearance forms (submitted online during registration) and check
for any allergies, medications, or other issues that may arise during camp. They
need to make sure there is a signed parental consent form giving permission for
medical treatment of minors in case of an accident. This should be collected at
check-in if it is not part of the online registration process.
Residence Hall Supervisors and Floor Monitors

Residence staff members are critical to the overnight camper experience. It is vital
that you hire people who are mature and generally care about the young people
entrusted to your care. The care of campers is a responsibility that your staff must
embrace and perform well. Develop a list of camp rules to distribute at registration
that covers issues such as expected behavior and curfews.
Training Sessions
Before you develop your camp training sessions, you need to explore the different
types of camps you would like to offer, group sizes, and coach to camper ratio.
Types of Camps
Colleges around the country offer a variety of camps including individual skills
camps, specialty skills camps, and team camps. Almost all colleges offer resident
and commuter options for their multiday camps. The camp length can be anywhere
from one 3-hour session that focuses on a particular skill, to a four- or five-day
all-skills camp. Basketball programs seem to run more competition camps (exist-
ing AAU and high school teams attend and basically play tournaments), with
some instruction and speakers thrown in here and there. Research the camps at
institutions near you, and then find your niche so that you create a unique camp
experience in your area.
All-Skills Camp
An all-skills volleyball camp usually consists of six to eight sessions in which all six
skills (underhand passing, overhand passing, serving, attacking, floor defense, and
blocking) are taught. If you choose to offer a tournament as part of your camp, I
recommend that you schedule the camp over seven or eight sessions. The goal for
this camp should be to introduce or refine the six basic skills necessary for playing
the game of volleyball. Quality demonstrations and accurate repetitions are vital
to the acquisition or refinement of each skill.
All Skills Camp: Sample Skills Camp Schedule —7 Sessions

Session 1 (3 hours)
Staff introductions and camp rules, gym culture, etc.
Ability grouping—Create a separate schedule for this—no skill instruction;
evaluation only.
Two periods in which two skills are demonstrated and drilled (underhand pass-
ing and serving)
End with a combination drill and cool-down. Every session should end with a
brief cool-down that includes stretching.
Sessions 2 & 3 (2.5 hours each)

Follow a similar time layout to session 1. Schedule review periods for each skill
taught in the previous session. Demonstrate and drill the four remaining skills:
overhand passing, attacking, individual defense, and blocking. End each session
with some competition, usually coach controlled.
Session 4 (2.5 hours)
Have groups rotate through stations that touch on each of the skills taught
previously. Keep the groups together and rotate them from court to court. The
stations refresh the campers since they get to work with new coaches. I find that
the stations provide an opportunity for coaches to be assigned to teach their best
skill which improves the training experience for the campers. This also provides
the opportunity for coaches to work with campers at a variety of skill levels. Each
court is a station, and the staff assigned to that court teaches and drills only the
skill assigned to that station. Examples include advanced underhand, overhand
passing and advanced attacking and blocking (tips, rolls, shots, team blocking).
Each group should rotate through five or six stations; work at each station should
last 15 to 18 minutes. After the stations are completed, offer 30 to 45 minutes of
competitive play.
Half of this session should be devoted to skill review within the groups; and the
other half, to team concepts such as offense and defense. Team offense includes
serve-receive patterns, coverage, and basic play sets. Team defense includes team
blocking, types of defenses, and transitioning from defensive to offensive (attack-
ing) positions. In younger groups, campers should learn multiple positions. Players
14 and older can begin specializing by position.
This session includes 40 to 50 minutes of skill review. The remainder of the session
is devoted to creating teams that play controlled 6v6 games.
Create a round-robin camp tournament in multiple divisions. I recommend timed
games so that you can start and end the session when desired. The session finishes
with camp awards and check-out.
Specialty Camp
Specialty camps are popular with players who want to refine one particular skill.
Because the high number of repetitions involved in specialty camps often results
in overuse injuries, make sure to build plenty of recovery time into your schedule.
Quality versus quantity is a good rule of thumb. An Internet search will turn up
very successful specialty camps committed to a single skill. Evening serving camps
are popular as well.
Team Camp
Team camps are for high school, club, and AAU teams who want to improve their
team skills such as offense, defense, coverage, transition, and camaraderie. Such
camps should not be just about tournament play; they should also provide competi-
tive training sessions to help teams improve all facets of their game. Team camps
succeed and grow based on their schedules, their competitive atmosphere, and the
willingness of their camp administrators to make changes each year to meet the
demands of repeat customers.
Team Camp: Sample Team Camp Schedule—8 Sessions

Prior to every training session, I have a staff meeting with all coaches and visiting
coaches to make sure everyone understands the schedule. I also meet with all the
campers prior to each demonstration so that we eliminate potential confusion
about where their team rotates to and what they will be doing when they get
there. Typically, a session consists of a five- to seven-minute information session,
a demonstration of each drill and an explanation of how it is scored, and court
assignments. You will need a staff of non-coaches to make sure each drill sequence
starts and ends on time. Planning and organizing are vital to the success of any
camp, but especially a team camp.

Out-of-System Training (the following schedule is for a pod of
six teams on two courts)
10 minutes Staff introductions and camp rules, gym culture, etc.
12 minutes Demonstration of the three progressions for out-of-
system training
Assign predetermined staff teams to demonstrate the drill,
and then provide a detailed explanation of the drill
during the staff meeting. Sometimes we choose
participating teams from the camp to perform the dem-
onstration to the rest of the camp.
1. Half court dig, set, approach, and catch
2. 5v5, no designated setter, attacker rotates out, fill
from the center back
3. 6v6, first ball initiated to the setter, play out the
points, first team to 3 points wins, then wave (bring
on new players) the players
18 minutes Teams break to courts and play three 6-minute time
periods of drill 1. Coaches follow a round-robin
schedule.
36 minutes Teams continue with drill 2, play six 6-minute time
periods
48 minutes Teams continue with drill 3, play six 8-minute time
periods
Note: Require teams to stretch and cool down at the completion of each session.
Session 2 (2.5 hours) Offense or defense theme

Session 3 (2.5 hours) Offense or defense theme
Session 4
(2.5 hours) 60 minutes of themed competition
(director determines and provides
a handout on the topic) and then 75
minutes of timed match play for the
seeding of the tournament
Session 5
(2 hours) Controlled competitive games touch-
ing on all previous themes
Session 6
(3 hours) First round of the tournament (all sets are
timed)
Session 7
(3 hours) Second round of the tournament (all sets
are timed)
Session 8 (3 hours) Bracket play and camp awards

Note: I suggest that you schedule a practice for each team during either the lunch or dinner break
over the first two days.
Group Assignments
Assigning groups is one of the most difficult tasks when preparing for an individual
skills camp. It is also the area in which most camps receive the greatest number of
complaints. Make every effort to group kids where they will be challenged, gain
confidence, and if possible, be happy. You will encounter many young campers and
their parents who are unrealistic about their skill levels. Your challenge is to meet
their needs as valued customers while maintaining the integrity of your groups.
When grouping kids for skills camps, assign them a starting group based on two
things: (1) the information they provided on the registration form (age, height,
high school, and club experience) and (2) basic research into their club experi-
ence (the strength of the club or team). Also, keep in mind that about 75 percent
of campers want to be grouped with their friends. Group assignments are made
prior to their arrival and give a starting point for the ability grouping session at
the beginning of the camp.
If you have a database program similar to FileMaker, you can sort campers by
many of the aforementioned categories, which makes it quite easy to assign group
numbers to each camper. Another suggestion is to assign your groups by the court
coach’s name so that the kids do not focus on the numbers of their groups. Many
database programs also allow you to print name tags for the opening sessions that
include the camper’s name and the group coach. The campers then report to their
assigned coaches and courts for the ability grouping session.
The ability grouping session is a 45- or 50-minute session in which staff members
adjust the groups based on observing the campers performing basic skills such as
passing, serving, setting, and attacking. The goal by the conclusion of the ability
grouping time block is to have groups of 14 to 18 campers at similar levels. In
many cases it is better to have a group of 18 with kids that fit than to move two
kids down a level to have 16 in each group.
Do your best to begin and end every session on time and display the time period
for every session on a clock that is visible to everyone. Schedule water breaks after
each session of 30 minutes or more to break up the sessions and make sure the
kids have time to recover. Prior to every session, conduct a staff meeting so that
all coaches are on the same page. It is also helpful to begin and end every session
with an entire camp meeting (only five to seven minutes) so that everyone knows
where to be and when. Each court leader should take attendance at the beginning
of each session. Make sure you have a plan for your administrator to check on any
missing campers—check their dorm rooms or call their parents.
The Residential Experience

Quality, tasty meals along with safe and comfortable housing are vital to the
camper experience. Food quality, taste, and variety are important ingredients for
successful camp mealtimes. Take an active role in the food service, and develop
a relationship with the director and staff. Meet with the director and ask about
the menu for each meal. Make sure there are options such as fresh fruit, a salad
bar, and ice cream available every day. Cafeterias make quite a bit of money from
camps, so make them aware, in a kind way, that a quality experience helps grow
not only the camps, but their income.
During the camp, walk around and ask campers if they have everything they need,
if the food is good, or if you can do anything for them. Also, talk to the directors
of the food service to make sure the campers are clearing their tables and behav-
ing properly. You may want to assign your staff members to supervise the camper
behavior during meal times. This goes a long way in creating a relationship with
the cafeteria workers, and they will be friendlier to the campers.
The quality of your residential facilities and supervision can either significantly
enhance or detract from the overall camp experience. Convince your admin-
istration (admissions and residence life) of the importance of providing clean,
air-conditioned rooms for athletic summer camps. The positive advertising that
summer camps provide for universities can be off the charts. Negotiate with the
campus accommodations office to make sure that your assigned housing is within
walking distance to the dining and competition facilities.
Room assignments are another critical part of the residential experience. Every
decision you make in the residence hall should be about the welfare of the campers,
while allowing for a fun experience. Take special care to meet campers’ roommate
requests. For example, if you have a group of three but your rooms have only two
beds, move a bed in. If you have six kids who have requested each other, assign
them to two or three adjoining rooms. The important thing for them is to be with
their chosen roommates. Some campers will not have a roommate request, so put
some effort into matching them with other kids their age and at their experience
level. Keep an eye on campers who are attending by themselves to make sure they
are having a positive experience; ask them to let you know if they need anything.
Residence hall supervision should be a top priority for your camp. Assign your
administrative assistant to oversee all of the residence hall operations, especially
the supervisors. One option is to require all collegiate volleyball players that you
hire to serve as floor and room monitors. Your players should be accountable to
you, and you should impress upon them how important this part of their job is.
The staff should conduct room checks each night. Encourage the hall monitors
to interact with the kids and be proactive in dealing with homesickness or room
problems. It is a good idea to perform bed checks each night to account for every
camper. You can also require your head resident (or administrative assistant) to
collect the room check forms for an added layer of accountability.
Another option to ensure the safety of your campers is to hire a campus safety
officer for three to four hours each evening to assist with the supervision and
security of the building. The off-duty pay is attractive to safety officers, and these
officers endear your camp to the entire security staff at your school, which pays
off in additional eyes and ears during the camp period.
You will need an emergency plan for your camp in general, but especially for
the residence hall. Have your floor monitors conduct a meeting during which
they go over the emergency exit locations, staff room locations, emergency phone
numbers, residence hall rules and violation consequences, and bed check proce-
dures. Then have the staff escort the campers on their floor down the stairwells
to simulate a fire drill.
Camp Store
Camp stores are a relatively easy way to supplement your camp earnings, but more
important, they provide after-hours snacks and drinks for campers and staff. Most
camps have dinner between 5 and 6:30 p.m., so the campers and staff are pretty
hungry by the end of the evening session. Pizza, bread sticks, fruit snacks, water,
and sport drinks are attractive items for your store. Try to limit or eliminate soda
sales because the sugar will keep campers wound up well past bedtime. Some stores
also sell volleyball-themed T-shirts, sweatshirts, and sweatpants along with knee
pads, socks, and sometimes shoes. These items can be ordered on consignment
from companies throughout the United States.
The Check-in and Check-out Experience

We are paperless; everything is listed on our website. Three weeks prior to camp,
we send a confirmation e-mail directing parents to the website for information on
when and where to check in, what to bring, a campus map, camp schedule, contact
information, and any unpaid balance.
The first impression campers and those in their travel parties have of your camp
will be set during the check-in process. Spend some time designing the steps for
check-in, including the flow from table to table. It is vital to greet them, direct
them to the starting point, and then process them as efficiently as possible. Let
them know how excited you are that they are there. During your staff meeting,
impress upon your coaches the importance of good customer relations. The more
organized, efficient, and friendly the staff is, the more reassured parents will be
that their children are in good, caring hands.
In addition to the staff members who are handling check-in, station your resident
staffers on their assigned floors to greet and direct campers to their rooms. Give
them a script to follow for greeting each family and providing all the information
they need when preparing their rooms. As mentioned previously, have the resi-
dence staff host a 10-minute floor meeting just prior to escorting their residents
downstairs for the walk to the courts or the cafeteria. Anything you can do to
reassure parents and campers that their well-being is your highest priority starts
the camp off on a positive note. If campers who have registered do not show up
to check in, call their parents immediately to confirm that they are not attending
the camp. Hiring a campus security officer to assist with traffic flow for drop-off
and pickup will also help make the process go smoothly.
The campers’ final impression of your camp will be their check-out experience.
Plan the process so that is as organized and efficient as the check in experience. Pro-
vide trash bags on each floor for the campers to use. Staff members should be
visible, checking each room to make sure kids aren’t leaving electronic devices or
sneakers behind, helping lug belongings to the elevators, and leaving them with a
memory of a smiling face as they head home to catch up on sleep.
Camp Guidelines
Provide your staff with a detailed camp manual that includes your philosophy,
camp goals, schedules, rules for staff and campers, emergency phone num-
bers, a campus map, a court layout, and a roster of assigned groups. The
following lists provide clear directives to everyone involved.
Staff Expectations
1. Be on time.
2. Work hard.
3. Give constant positive feedback! Recognize campers’ efforts as much
as or more than the result.
4. Keep track of your group (always have your roll sheet). Each session
begins with roll call. If anyone is missing, notify the directors immediately.
5. Have a practice plan for each session. If you do not completely under-
stand a session, please ask the directors to explain.
6. Keep volleyballs off the floor, and keep the playing area safe. Have
campers clear the ball to the end line, not sideways. Keep ball carts out
of the attack area during play.
7. Wear proper attire including proper shoes (no flip-flops).
8. Always stand while working. The campers will work hard if you do.
9. Let us know how we can make your experience better.
10. Shag all volleyballs in your court area, and count them at the end of each
session. Even out the numbers of volleyballs in each basket.
Staff Rules
1. No alcohol consumption while on campus. (Do not return to the dorms
intoxicated.)
2. Do not provide rides for campers in your vehicle.
3. Do not use physical means for punishing campers. Do not drive between
facilities.
4. Staff may not enter camper dorm rooms of the opposite gender unless
for emergency purposes.
Weather Rules
1. Light rain and no lightning: walk the campers to the facilities.
2. Heavy rain and/or lightning: stay inside under cover until you hear from
the directors.
General Camp Rules
These rules should be provided on the camper info sheet during check in.
1. No alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes allowed on campuses.
2. You may not drive your car anywhere during the camp.
3. Please do not leave valuables in your room while you are out.
4. You are allowed to be in only three places during camp: gym, cafeteria,
and dormitory.
Residence Hall and Cafeteria Rules
These rules should be provided on the camper info sheet during check in.
1. No visitors (except parents) are permitted in the dormitory.
2. The cafeteria food is all you can eat while in the facility. You may not
remove food from the café.
3. If leaving the cafeteria to use the bathroom, notify the attendant at the
front desk.
4. Bed checks are at 10:30 p.m.; lights out is at 11:00 p.m.
Bad Weather
1. In the event of lightning or heavy rain, please stay indoors or under cover.
2. Lightning alert: One long horn blast for alert; three short blasts for all clear.
3. Safety first, please.
Fire Alarm
1. If the alarm sounds, leave the building through the nearest exit.
2. Do not use the elevators.
Keys and Key Cards
1. Lost room keys are $125, and lost building cards (white) are $25.
2. Do not leave your room without your key. You will be locked out.
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Conclusion
Running a successful camp requires a lot of hard work from not only you, but by
your entire staff and the university personnel running the support services (food
and housing). The success from the camps can translate to positive marketing for
your program as well as your university. Put in the time, hire good people, be clear
on expectations, and have fun! There is no better feeling than getting the last key
turned in and sending the happy campers home, looking forward to a return visit
next summer.
chapter
9
Recruiting the Right Way
Sa lim a Rockwell
I have had the opportunity to both play and coach volleyball at Penn State Uni-
versity. I have also coached at several other universities at many levels from a
mid-major to a national championship team at the University of Texas, as well as
playing on the national team. I have seen and done recruiting from all sides, but
my recruiting philosophy is really simple: be honest, be exactly who you are, tell
the truth, and develop meaningful relationships with the recruit, the family, and
other coaches.
Determining Your Program Needs

The needs of volleyball programs change all the time. Dealing with an ever-
changing volleyball program and the unpredictability of very young recruits makes
recruiting a challenge. Figuring out what you need by position may be easy, but
predicting which positions will lack skilled players and what types of players you
will need to replace those who are graduating is a complicated puzzle. One out-
side hitter is not the same as another (e.g., is she a passing outside hitter or not?).
Needs also change based on the development of non-graduating players over the
years. Because you may have a different void on the team every year, putting a team
together is a very fluid process. Having a player who can play multiple positions
is ideal for filling some of the holes that may occur when you are recruiting so far
out. You need to consider players’ ball control and whether they can hit on the
right or the left side. Looking at setters and liberos is a little more specific. You
usually know what class you want those scholarships to fall into, whether they are
freshman, sophomores, or upperclassmen.
I keep track of all our players and potential recruits on a large whiteboard that
is in a cabinet in my office. I have used this method for years. I have all the current
players on it; those who are graduating are on the bottom and the top recruits (four
or five deep) are listed for every class and position. We revisit it regularly and make
adjustments as things change so we will know what it might look like next year.
101
Identifying Talent
In my coaching career at several universities with programs at various levels,
identifying talent has been a challenge. I learned a lot about identifying talent
and potential from a coach I worked with early in my career. The characteristics
he looked for were athletic ability and the drive and passion to play volleyball. It
didn’t matter if a player was 5 feet, 9 inches and an outside hitter if she had the
drive and passion. Everyone knows that players can succeed in many ways. If a
player was a competitive athlete who could fly around the court, that’s who this
coach was drawn to. I have the same attraction to such players.
Unfortunately, timelines in recruiting have changed as volleyball has become
more competitive and athletes are being recruited at younger ages. As coaches, we
have to look at different things because we are trying to project talent and ability
three or four years out. Now we look at size, athletic ability, the potential for more
growth, leg length, arms, even the size of feet and hands. We try to determine
whether an athlete is going to grow or has peaked. Our projections don’t always
pan out, but we hope they do.
Some players clearly have the drive, but the younger they are, the harder it is to
tell. Some young players seem disinterested or disengaged, but that may be because
they don’t quite know what they are doing or fully understand the game yet. Maybe
they don’t yet know how to show their emotion. I have seen such players several
years later who have the drive they were lacking earlier. We have missed out on
several athletes because they became comfortable in their own skins a little later
in the recruiting process. When we were recruiting athletes as juniors or seniors,
we knew what we were getting. Now that they are only freshmen in high school,
we’re not quite as sure. Sometimes their confidence develops a little later as well.
We film each recruit we are interested in with our iPads at tournaments and
high school and club practices. We also share how players are doing with any of
the other coaches on our staff who are not able to be on the road recruiting. This
is a great way to compare players we may be looking at for the same position. We
watch recruits on our list as many times as possible to see how they are progress-
ing or changing.
Roles of High School and Club Coaches

The best way for high school or club coaches to help athletes they are unsure about
is to e-mail or call collegiate coaches directly to ask for advice on these athletes’
levels. High school and club coaches should be familiar with as many levels of vol-
leyball as possible so they have an idea of whether they are working with a poten-
tial high Division I athlete or an athlete who would be more successful in a more
midlevel program. Collegiate coaches appreciate the honesty when a high school
coach asks; they are usually happy to help identify the best level for an athlete.
High school and club coaches should film short YouTube videos (six minutes
maximum) of their athletes. Mailing a hard-copy DVD delays the process of view-
Recruiting the Right Wayâ•… â•… 103
ing a video. E-mailing a short film clip is the fastest and easiest way to get a college
coach’s attention immediately.
When sharing video clips with recruiting coaches, make identifying the player
as easy as possible. Identify the player on the clip by providing her number, high-
lighting her with a circle or arrow, and identifying the team she is on, the color
of their uniforms, whether she is on the near or far side of the net, and where she
is starting on the court. Show a few minutes of actual game footage as well as a
few minutes of individual skills or brief highlights. The best view is from behind
the court so the coach can see how she moves around the court, her ball control,
whether she can read the opponents, and how she moves within the team system.
Remember, you are trying to get the college coach’s attention quickly, so show
the player’s strengths or her best moves early in the footage. This could be great
jumping ability, an awesome kill, a stuff block, a defensive save, or any other type
of move that will grab attention.
The objective of film clips is to help recruiting coaches determine whether ath-
letes will fit into their programs and whether they need to see them play in person,
either during the high school or club season. These clips can be made simply with
an iPad by coaches, friends or family members. They don’t need to be expensive
Hollywood productions with slow motion or fancy graphics. Just show the athlete
playing volleyball, and let that action speak for itself.
High school coaches should understand that they are an integral part of the
recruiting process. They may feel left out because of all the club volleyball teams,
but we have found more and more that high school coaches have good relationships
with the athletes we are recruiting. We always reach out to high school coaches
even if we don’t see them when we are recruiting at club tournaments. Another
critical part of the high school coach’s involvement in recruiting is making sure
the athlete is on track academically, taking the correct core courses and entrance
exams to be admitted to a university. Working closely with guidance counselors,
coaches can ensure that student-athletes get the best advice on initial eligibility
requirements for NCAA schools.
Both high school and club coaches need to know the recruiting rules of each
school that is recruiting their athletes. These regulations can be found on each
sport governing body’s website, which are listed at the end of this chapter. Because
they are always changing, coaches should review them each year as their athletes
are being recruited. Schools differ in many areas including contact and evaluation
periods, eligibility, financial aid, and their use of phone calls, texts, e-mails, and
letters. Many high school coaches, club coaches, prospects, and their parents do
not realize that some college coaches may not be allowed to return phone calls
to athletes or their parents, and as a result, assume that a coach is not interested.
All coaches need to know the rules and provide video clips to get the attention of
college coaches, although club coaches are usually more aware of the magnitude of
recruiting because they see coaches recruiting at their tournaments every weekend.
Club and high school coaches need to help their athletes do their homework
on each school and coach they are interested in or is showing an interest in them.
They should help athletes and their families navigate through what can be a very
intense process. Athletes in the 9th grade may be recruited by several high-level
programs and may get scholarship offers early. They could be pressured by some
programs to make an early commitment; however, if they are great student-athletes,
they need to know that those opportunities will not go away. College coaches
often pressure athletes and their families because they are afraid the athletes will
choose other schools and they want the process to be over. High school and club
coaches need to help their athletes understand that they do not need to accept the
first scholarship offer they receive. It is sad for everyone when young people are
pressured to make decisions when they haven’t taken the time or had the support
from coaches and club directors to look at academics, athletics, the college coach’s
style, playing time, their aspirations, and so many other variables that should be
important to them, such as visiting the college campus.
Club coaches should not act as agents and restrict communication between
universities and their athletes. It is important for athletes and their families to hear
from every program that may be interested in them because the decision is theirs.
Coaches would do better to educate them about questions to ask and the type of
research they need to do on each university and coaching staff.
If the prospect is overwhelmed and distracted with e-mails, letters, phone calls,
and texts, and needs to focus on the rest of the season, it may be time for the high
school or club coach to ask the collegiate coaches to back off until the end of the
club season. They may just need to focus on playing volleyball and enjoying the
rest of the season. University recruiters who honor that request are obviously
thinking about the athlete first and their programs second. If they don’t back off
from recruiting, the family will know that they may not respect their wishes in
the future.
Promoting Your University

and Volleyball Program
What is important to athletes at this young age? They want to feel special and
know that they are the one. You have to show them enough interest that they
know it is all about them, which it is. They are looking for interesting and new
things on social media sites and your school’s website. They like personal stories.
Is your marketing department doing cool things on Twitter? Can they follow your
program on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook? Somebody needs to be in tune with
all of this and keep it interesting—someone on your staff or from the marketing or
sports information office. The person or people in this role must understand how
important it is in recruiting and be all over it. The recruits know how to follow all
the programs they are interested in so they will get all the automated updates. You
can see the recruits all on their phones between matches, so you know it is impor-
tant to stay connected with them by providing as much information as they want.
You could even provide an online prospect questionnaire for any athletes who may
be interested in your university along with a summary of critical recruiting rules.
Recruiting Strategies
Phone calls and text messages are all allowed at certain times and may change.
In 2015, a college coach can call an unlimited number of times during a contact
period. The junior year is usually the heaviest recruiting time. It can get a little
crazy with unlimited texting and people wanting to be texted back immediately.
Top schools are the outliers because they recruit so young.
I have done only one home visit in the last eight years. In-person contact is
allowed after July 1, but the rules may change each year. Sometimes I wish we
could slow down recruiting by backing up home visits and official visits for a year
so they would occur during their junior year instead of their senior year. Maybe
the parents would be relieved not to have to pay to go to all of the universities on
their own; they could simply wait for official visits during their junior year, which
might slow things down a little bit.
Some athletes grow up wanting to go to a certain school. Perhaps it is nearby,
or the whole family has gone there. If these athletes want to decide early, I think
that is great. I worry about young players who haven’t seen a lot of schools and
are recruited by schools across the country where they have no real ties. These
athletes seem to transfer more. De-commitments don’t happen often, but they
are most likely when athletes get to a school and find out it is not at all what they
thought it would be.
Unofficial visits are very important now, but can be a challenge. Club volley-
ball is very time-consuming and expensive. Many parents can’t afford to go to all
the club tournaments, send their children to camps, and visit numerous college
campuses. A lot of players regionalize; that is, they attend colleges they already
know and feel comfortable with. However, they cannot make the most informed
decision when they can’t afford to visit all the schools that may be interested in
them. Unfortunately, the official visit, which the university pays for, has become a
formality during the senior year, after athletes have already made commitments.
Families need to think about visiting college campuses as they vacation while their
children are young. When they are driving around the country or flying to tourna-
ments and cities, they can take time to stop by nearby campuses and get a feel for
the schools. Athletes need to start early and see as many as colleges as they can.
Developing Trust
Once you have identified the athletes you are interested in, you should begin the
relationship by making sure athletes, their parents, and their coaches trust you.
They must believe that you are genuine in the recruiting process. I tell recruits
to call me anytime, even if it is not about being recruited to the university I am
working at. I tell them, essentially, that if they need help with anything about vol-
leyball, playing on a summer USA Volleyball team, deciding which camp to attend,
or anything at all, to call me.
As coaches, we need to open ourselves up as mentors to these young players.
Parents will start to lean on us if they can tell that we care about their children
as people. Every conversation isn’t about a hard sell, but about getting to know
recruits and their families. Witnessing the lack of honesty in some coaches is very
frustrating. We need to know where these athletes are coming from. We need to
put ourselves in their shoes and understand what they are looking for and what
they need, and understand the stress involved in trying to make the best decision
of where to go to school and play volleyball.
I learned to recruit from the head coaches I worked for. I was kind of a natural
recruiter because I love to talk to and help people, and that’s really what recruit-
ing is. The communication part was easy for me. Great recruiters have magnetic
personalities. People want to engage with them; they are trustworthy and honest,
and they love to talk about volleyball. They love the game and sharing their pas-
sion for it. Most great recruiters don’t have huge egos; generally speaking, they
just love volleyball and are outstanding people you want to hang out with. Since
recruiting is all about selling the university and the volleyball program, it is key
to have someone who the players can relate to on your staff. If coaches don’t have
that type of personality themselves, they may be the ones who stay back in the
office and take care of the tremendous paperwork with recruiting.
Offering Scholarships and Maintaining Commitments

Generally, we offer scholarships when we are 100 percent sure that an athlete can
help us, which could be as early as 9th or 10th grade. Letting an athlete know
that a scholarship is on the table is totally different from pressuring her to make
a decision.
The head coaches I have worked with don’t pressure anyone to make a decision
or give them a deadline, and neither do I. The offer is theirs until the bitter end.
Sometimes, during a junior or senior year when things are feeling a little tight with
our second or third choices, we have to let an athlete know that we are under some
pressure to make a decision. However, we want athletes who want to be here. We

want to make sure they are coming because they want to, not because we forced
them to make a decision.
After athletes commit to our school, we keep in touch with them. We do this
for the sake of the relationship, but also because other schools may not honor that
verbal commitment and continue to try to recruit them. We want to protect our
prospective athletes from this pressure. We may communicate less frequently at
this point and talk more about day-to-day things. We are getting to know them
personally, letting them know that they can contact us anytime, and staying engaged
with them. This helps athletes feels as though they have made the right decision
and will be comfortable at our school. It shows we care. It is also very important
to stay in touch with parents as well.
Tracking Recruits
It is critical that you identify a system for tracking all prospective recruits and where
you are in the process with them. We use University Athlete (www.universityathlete
.com) as a database to house most of our information. With this program you can
look up any athletes and learn more about them. It allows you to also add notes
under recruits’ names and look up their schedules at tournaments, which is very
helpful. A club that registers with University Athlete submits its schedules, which
are uploaded so you can find times and the number of the courts athletes will be
playing on. Every club gives its information to University Athlete, and university
coaches pay an annual fee to access the service. This has made the data manage-
ment side of recruiting much easier than it used to be.
International Recruits
I prefer to recruit domestically; I believe there is enough talent in the United
States for a lot of teams to be good. However, international athletes can be good
additions to your program if you are looking to move up quickly in the national
rankings. The opportunity to have a great athlete with playing experience who is
not afraid to compete because she has been there is hard to pass up. Most interna-
tional athletes want to play volleyball and get an education. It is sometimes tough
to determine whether an athlete is eligible to play on your program because of
that athlete’s professional experience. One recruiting service that can help iden-
tify international recruits is American Volleyball Scouting Report Global (www
.avsrglobal.com/coaches).
Is an Athlete Being Recruited by a School?

The definition of a recruited athlete is defined in the 2014 NCAA rule book as
follows: A prospect is considered a recruited athlete if the college takes one
of the following actions:
• Provides the prospect with an official visit.
• Has off-campus contact with the prospect or the prospect’s parents or
legal guardians.
• Offers the prospect a national letter of intent or an athletic scholarship
agreement.
• Initiates a telephone conversation with the prospect or the prospect’s
parents or legal guardians more than once.
Ironically, a college coach can have frequent communication (letters, e-mails,
texts, phone calls if the athlete initiates the call) with a prospect without that
person being considered a recruited athlete if the college coach does not
take any of the preceding four actions.
Recruited Walk-Ons
We have a number of recruited walk-ons. Russ Rose, women’s volleyball head coach
at Penn State, loves to have a nice-size roster. Some athletes love the program and
are super invested in what the school has and they are good enough to play and
contribute, but at the time they applied, there was no scholarship for them. They
are treated the same as athletes with scholarships in terms of academic services,
equipment, and meals on the road. You would never know who is on scholarship
by the way our athletes are treated. We have even had starters who were recruited
as walk-ons.
Negative Recruiting
Negative recruiting is my biggest pet peeve in the world, and it happens a lot. I
tell our recruits that if they ever hear anything negative about our program or
rumors about what one of us has done, they should ask us about it and we’ll be
happy to explain. We emphasize that we will always tell them the truth or give
more information on what they are hearing. We like to tell them this up front
before it happens so it puts the possibility on their radar. We do not negatively
recruit—never have and never will. It doesn’t help the recruit and it doesn’t put
the program in a good light. If an athlete you have recruited buys in to negative
recruiting against you, that’s OK; maybe that wasn’t someone you wanted in your
program to begin with.
Doing your best to sell your program is what you need to focus on. If someone
tells me she is looking at another school, I tell her how awesome that program is,
but here is what we have to offer. I let her know that there are other great programs,
but explain what separates our program and why she should come to our school.
If the negative recruiting by someone in another program is totally untrue and
can damage our reputation, we call the person to discuss it.
Conclusion
Recruiting is an essential part of every college volleyball program. Take time to
enjoy the process of meeting young players, their families, and other coaches. To
be successful, you have to identify the right type of recruit for your program. If
you are losing too many recruits to other schools, you may need to reconsider
how you are identifying the athletes you are recruiting. Remember, you want to
establish connections among your recruits, your school, your coaching staff, and
the athletes on your team. See you on the road!
Resources
NCAA I: www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/CBSA.pdf
www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/resources/recruiting-calendars?division=d1
NCAA II: www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/CBSA.pdf
NCAA III: www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/CBSA.pdf
NAIA: www.playnaia.org/d/NAIA_GuidefortheCollegeBoundStudent.pdf
NJCAA: http://www.njcaa.org/njcaaforms/140605_2_Prospective%20student
%20brochure%2014-15.pdf
NCCAA: www.thenccaa.org
chapter
10
Developing a Five-Year Plan
B ill Ferguson
When in the market for a new job, or your first job, it is important to align yourself
with an organization or athletic department that has the foresight and patience
to understand the benefits of a five-year plan. In many cases, five years will be the
term for your first contract. My plan had a three-pronged approach called the
three Ps: people, principles and process. In addition to allowing you the time you
will need to implement your principles, the two major strengths in your plan are
people and process. The people involved are your student athletes and staff. The
process is, quite simply, time.
If you are building a program from the ground-up, the five-year plan means
that you will have a longer period of time to build your brand with your chosen
people from the start. If you make an error or two, which is quite reasonable, you
will have time to make corrections in your recruiting approach for both student
athletes and your staff.
Let’s assume, for the purposes of this chapter, that you are taking over a program
that has struggled and you have been chosen to right the ship. This timeline will
allow you to weed out those people from the previous regime who will not buy
into your new set of plans. You will also be able to identify those possible gems of
people you may have inherited from the previous regime who are on board with
your plans. These people will meld with the new people you bring in to form the
core of your program. If you are establishing a program at a new school or taking
over for a great coach who is moving on, the content is still applicable, but with
a tweak here and there.
People, Principles, and Process

People, principles, and process are the three keys to your five-year plan for
establishing excellence. People and principles work hand in hand to establish the
process by which you establish excellence. Depending on how your brain works,
you may want to switch the order of people and principles. Your five-year plan will
mostly be set up by year 1; you will then tweak, improve, and maintain it through
year 2 and beyond.
111
Time Line
The men’s volleyball program I had taken over at the University of Southern
California had finished the season in 11th place (12 teams) in conference play for
four straight years, before moving up to 9th place the year before I took over (I
came on board as an assistant coach that year). Following is a time line showing
how our teams finished in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) tour-
naments in my first six years as head coach:
Year 1: 2007 MPSF Tournament (8th place)
Year 3: 2009 MPSF Tournament champions—NCAA Final Four
Year 5: 2011 MPSF regular season champions—NCAA Final Four
Year 6: 2012 MPSF regular season champions—NCAA Final Four
Year 2 is highlighted because it is the year that all the athletes who had been
coached by the previous head coach graduated. The team became completely my
team in year 3. I discuss the importance of that later in the chapter.
In the first two years of coaching, sleep is a luxury and holidays are for banks
and the post office. You will likely have an unhealthy love triangle with sleep,
energy drinks, and coffee. Holidays are your time to catch up on administrative
work. Are you ready to go now?
Year 1
This chapter focuses on year 1 because it is the year in which you will have to
collect the most information to assess the situation, find out what questions you
need answered, and triage those questions and answers. If you have a set of prin-
ciples, your question/triage process will be streamlined already. If your principles
are clear and you have executed your plans properly, you may find your five-year
plan reduced to a two- or three-year plan. Following are some of the questions I
asked when I was interviewing for my job and, quite frankly, some of the questions
I wished I’d asked when I got the job:
1. What is my message and vision for the team, and what kind of culture do
I want to create?
2. What is the current culture of the team?
3. Who am I? What type of coach am I?
4. What types of assistants and staff members should I hire based on question
1? (Based on questions 1 and 3, hire to your weakness!)
5. What type of system do I want to run?
Developing a Five-Year Planâ•… â•… 113
6. What are the skills of the team I am inheriting? What types of people do
I have?
7. What can we be good at immediately?
8. What types of players do I need to recruit?
The following sections address these questions.
What Is Your Message and Vision for the Team, and What Kind
of Culture Do You Want to Create?
Your staff and players have to know exactly what you expect of them. The program
I took over had had a ton of success, but not in the cognitive lifetime of those I
was going to recruit. The trick for me was to present a vision that would galvanize
players, staff, administrators, and, very important, alumni by conveying the ulti-
mate respect for those who had made the program so great in the past and inspire
them for the future. I came up with two teams: the current New York Yankees and
the 1980s San Francisco 49ers. Both teams very much mirrored the greatness my
school desired in the way they achieved and maintained their greatness and went
about their business. The Yankees were winning at the time, so the current players
and recruits could relate to them, and the staff, administration, and alumni could
relate to the 49ers.
Establishing and maintaining a team culture is crucial. Your message and your
team culture go hand in hand. You must envision a culture, make a road map to
get there, and maintain that map. That road map must be simple; its strength is
its simplicity. We articulated our road map as follows:
Be above reproach
Academically
Athletically
Socially
Once we devised our simple road map, we reinforced it using one of our uni-
versity’s established messages:
The ideal USC Trojan is
Faithful
Scholarly
Skillful
Courageous
Ambitious
One important factor in creating the team culture is getting buy-in from juniors
and seniors on the team. This is critical. They are unlikely to be on the team that
ultimately attains excellence, so you must make them feel like part of the solution,
rather than blaming them for causing the problem. Our message to the juniors
and seniors was twofold:
1. You will be the group that got the ship sailing straight.
2. You may not be on the team that makes it to the Final Four, but when we
do, it will be just as much because of you as it will be because of the guys
on the floor.
What Type of Coach Are You?

As a head coach, you must have a clear idea of what your strengths and weaknesses
are. Better yet, you need to know what you are willing to delegate if you can. We
are all control freaks, I know. Are you a fierce motivator, or the quiet scientist?
Are you a CEO/big picture/recruiter/administrator type, or a total hands-on nuts-
and-bolts nerd in the gym?
In my case, I had to do a little of everything. As a junior club coach for both
boys and girls, I was comfortable training any technique, position, or system. I
had also trained coaches and handled administrative duties. As a collegiate men’s
assistant coach on two occasions, I had acquired a broad base of experience. Under
my first head coach, I had trained the setters, yet ran our block and defense during
matches while also helping spearhead recruiting and assisting with the adminis-
trative duties. My second time around, I had been almost a chief of staff–type of
assistant, overseeing almost every aspect of the program. Now, as head coach, I
had to decide which way to go with my first two hires.
What Types of Assistants Should You Hire?

My big decision with my coaching team was to hire an assistant coach who had
been through the rebuilding process. I wanted my assistant to have a very differ-
ent personality than I did, so that our athletes would have a choice of coaches to
connect with.
The other major factor in choosing my coaching team was my home life outside
of volleyball. I was on my way to getting married and starting a family, so I looked
for assistants who were a little younger with more flexible schedules. Because your
coaching team will play a huge part in determining the success of your team once
you are off and running, you should do what you can to ensure that you comple-
ment each other.
Lastly, give some thought about whether the people you are considering
hiring are people you can live with every day and rely on in a foxhole. You
have to get along—not always, but mostly. You are going to share office space,
buses or vans, airplane rides, and possibly hotel rooms. You need to like and
trust these people.
What Type of System Will Your Team Run?

Pat Riley’s Los Angeles Lakers ran the fast break and were “Showtime.” The Phil
Jackson Lakers ran the triangle offense. Oklahoma University’s football teams
coached by Barry Switzer ran the option. Bob Stoops’ Oklahoma teams find suc-
cess with the spread offense. The Dodgers were all about speed, finesse, and player
development through their farm system. The New York Yankees were all about
power baseball and were built through free agency.
What Is Your Team Identity?

You have to make a decision about your team identity and go with it—choose a
staple, a principle. In a huge twist of irony, I chose flexibility. I wanted the best
volleyball players available to fit our university. Some would be power players.
Some would be finesse players. We were always going to plug a system that fit our
personnel and allowed us to run a game-plan offense and a game-plan defense no
matter what. This decision helped our program accelerate our time line by about
a year and a half.
What Are the Skills of the Team You Are Inheriting?

Eventually, you will have your fingerprint on the entire program and be running
the system you think works best. At our program’s zenith, we were a very big,
powerful team—skilled, but big and powerful. On either end of that period of
time, we had a little bit of finesse in there too. In years 1 and 2, our best attacker
was a 6-foot, 2-inch ultra-fast jumper with a quick arm. We needed to set him
everywhere (three positions) on the court, and we did. In year 2, we added a 6-foot,
8-inch high-ball hitter, but we didn’t have a reliable third attacker, so 6-2 and 6-8
had to hit three spots on the court…all at sets of different tempos. It wasn’t until
midway through year 3 that we had reliable attackers at all three pin positions. If
we had established a high-ball offense, we would have been killed in years 1 and 2.
If we had run a fast offense, we would have been killed in year 1 and mediocre in
year 2. The moral of the story is to maximize the personnel on hand, which helps
to answer the question, “What can we be good at immediately?”
What Types of Players Do You Need to Recruit?

Recruiting is and always will be the most important part of coaching sports. Dwyane
Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James all recruited each other.
Our recruiting had to be driven by academics, admissions, and the cost of
attendance along with athletic excellence. Having a smaller pool of athletes to
draw from drove our decision to be flexible when it came to our team identity.
If we were ever unsure about which person to recruit, we always fell back on our
road map: Be above reproach academically, athletically, and socially. That would
break ties and settle discussions. If there was still a tie after that, we would bring
both athletes in!
Once we had our people and principles in place, we were able to move forward
with our process.
Year 2
The honeymoon is now over. You now have some athletes on your roster that you
recruited with your vision in mind. Year 2 is often the most rewarding for coaches,
because the team is beginning to take the shape they intended.
Remain steadfast with the implementation of your culture at this time. Last
year’s juniors are deciding whether you are for real, and whether to buy in one
more time. If you are not resolute, they will turn into lame ducks, and you will
have to decide whether you want them around. Recruiting will continue to be at
the top of your list. If you can secure back-to-back, solid recruiting classes, your
program will be set for several years.
The second year is critical for your coaching team as well. You will begin to
see how the team gels. Sometimes coaches begin to excel at certain tasks while
drifting away from others. Maintain solid communications with your coaching
team as preferences shift.
Year 3
Year 3 may be an up-and-down year. Remain steadfast. This is the third year of
the same message for some who may be finding it a bit old. Your program may
take a bit of a step backward as the higher-level players from the previous coach
depart, and your younger, less-experienced players take over. These bumps in the
road will test the team as players naturally begin to think that success should be
here by now.
If you have hit it out of the park recruiting, you should see the fruits of your
labor pay off in year 3. In 2009, my year 3, we had lost three 4-year starters—one
a team captain and two our best attackers. We lost some matches that were abso-
lutely maddening, but ended up in our first Final Four. Things began to click for
our team. Our coaching team had changed by one. Our starters consisted of one
freshman, three sophomores, one junior, and one senior.
Years 4 and 5
As you move into years 4 and 5 of your plan, beware! Little things can turn big
at this point. Make sure to continue to recruit winners. At this point, the success
of your team will attract players who believe they can belong without having to
prove themselves—these are known as attachers. Attachers arrive on the upswing
of the program, when things are already good. There is really no way for them to
personally feel the blood, sweat, and tears of those who were with you from day
one. It will be your responsibility to protect the team when you recruit during
year 3 and beyond. Once those athletes are on campus, you must also make sure
they fully understand what is at stake and what has been built. The attachers will
have the largest impact on your team in years 6 through 8.
Success with a young group can also lead to some issues. Our early success led
our juniors to be attachers, not to our team, but to winning. They had lost sight
of the process that enabled them to win.
Also, keep in mind that you will not always be able to attract the best of the best
for every spot on your roster. You will have to pay much attention to the quality of
the players who are your backups. These backups, or support players, sometimes
end up being better at tearing a team down than the superstars are at building it
up. The bottom line is to recruit character, not characters!
Additional Considerations
When you become the coach at another school, you will need to take some time to
learn the past culture of the program, seek out a mentor who can help you through
some tough adjustments, and respect the coach who was there before you, whether
that person was successful or not.
Culture of Your School or Organization

When I accepted the head coach position, I recognized that some of the practices
at other universities where I had coached wouldn’t fly at this one. To learn about
the school or organization culture, seek out a stalwart coach from another sport
at your organization or a former coach. What are the traditions, nuances, sacred
cows? Depending on where you place yourself in the organization (yes, I said place
yourself—you have a ton of control in this process), the school or organization may
have established traditions or cultures that can help you deliver your message. Use
them to your advantage instead of looking at them as dark clouds or pressure.
Finding a Mentor
Look outside of volleyball for some of your answers. There aren’t as many vol-
leyball programs and coaches that have been around long enough to be resources
as there are football, basketball, baseball, and soccer coaches. There are many dif-
ferent coaches at many different institutions and professional organizations who
will have relevant information that can help you. I would suggest asking them for
advice as often as it is relevant. Remember, they were most likely in your shoes
at one point in their careers. Make sure you present them with direct questions.
Though sometimes the best information may come from free-flowing conversation
with these coaches, getting to that point must be earned by being organized with
the questions you ask. You must respect their time. In my case, I would research
those coaches’ careers, their teammates, and the coaches they played under to find
out how their experiences were relevant to my situational need or curiosity. All of
these people were more than gracious with their time. Remember, when your team
is doing well, it reflects well on the other teams in your athletic department. I am
fully aware that such a cadre doesn’t exist at every institution, but there are bound
to be countless people who have insight and have had success at your institution
and in the surrounding community.
Following a Legend
If a great coach is leaving your program and the torch is being passed to you, it is
very important that you stay true to yourself, be yourself, and not try to imitate
your predecessor. That being said, you still have to honor existing traditions and
cultures as long as they are productive. If you must institute any kind of funda-
mental change, tread lightly and do it slowly and respectfully.
Overall Five-Year Program Plan

Following is table 10.1 with many items to consider in your five-year program
plan. It can be very rewarding to plan ahead and check items off as you accomplish
them. Certainly, you will need to adapt this chart to your program by adding or
deleting items as needed at the end or beginning of each year.
Table 10.1â•… Mapping Out a Five-Year Program

Program Areas Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Coaching staff Paid assistant(s)
Volunteers
GAs
Interns
Fifth-year athletes
Future staff
Athletes
Support staff Director of
operations
Administrative
assistant
Secretary
Statistician
Videographer
Athletic trainer
Strength coach
Academic adviser
Nutritionist
Sport psychologist
Facility—practice Availability
and competition Maintenance needs
Seating
Flooring
Facility—ancillary Weight room
areas Locker room
Training room
Academic area
Equipment area
Laundry
Equipment storage
Office space Furniture
Conference room
Whiteboard
Technology
Equipment Apparel contract
Sport equipment
Office equipment
Computers,
laptops, iPads
Team roster— Current athletes by
recruiting position and year
Needs by year
Recruiting travel List of tournaments
School visits
Practices
Budget
Recruiting services
Budget Current budget by
line item
What you need to
be successful
Schedule Conference
RPI
Out-of-conference
Off-season
Team travel Mode of travel
Travel party size
International trip
Camp Objectives
Facility
Staff
Recruits
Schedule
(continued)
119
Table 10.1â•… (continued)

Home events Event staff
Promotions
Marketing
Setup
Half-time activities
Match
management
Officials
Contracts Annual or multiyear
Salary
Benefits
Courtesy car
Country club
membership
Bonus
Camp
Apparel
Other benefits
Technology Software
Statistical programs
Video review
Consultants Sport psychologists
Specialists
Annual training Current plan
plan What do you want
to be doing next
year?
What do you want
to be doing five
years from now?
Booster support Fan support
group Education
Travel party
Fund-raising Needs
Responsibility
Plans
Endowed
scholarships
Naming
opportunities
Community service Athletes
involvement volunteering
Coaches
volunteering
Annual charity to
support
120

Communication Newsletters
Websites
Blogs
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Other social media
Speaking
engagements
Team-building Preseason
activities Weekly activities
Ropes course
Ethnic dinner
Others
Conclusion
Surrounding yourself with the best people and remaining steadfast with your prin-
ciples will allow you to create a five-year process that will help you earn success at
any level. Such a process will give you flexibility for growth and growing pains.
There will undoubtedly be bumps in the road, but a five-year timeline will allow
you to remain steadfast with your approach and application of your plan without
having to resort to shortcuts. If you are fortunate to have five years to implement
your plan, stay the course. There will be many opportunities to “jump the gun”
and get greedy. Stay with your plan. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Part three
positional training
strategies
chapter
11
Training Middle Hitters
B e n Bodipo- M em ba
We’ve all heard stories about choosing middles, or been in the situation ourselves:
Who should play middle? How about that player over there? She’s tall. Hopefully, we
have moved past that type of thinking. As tempting as that solution may be, the
tallest players do not always make the best middles. Although being tall definitely
helps, many more characteristics and attributes make up good middles. Even more
important, however, is how they are trained.
Name for the Position

Before we get into what to look for in an athlete to play middle, you must identify
what you are trying to get out of that position. It’s interesting that there are four
predominant names for the middle position. Sometimes what a coach or a player
calls it (e.g., middle blocker, middle hitter, quick hitter, middle attacker) provides
insight into what that person believes is the primary responsibility of the posi-
tion. Your name for the position sends a message (maybe even subliminally) to the
players as to their primary role on the court. My college coach used to say, “You
are a middle blocker, so it is your job to shut down their hitters. Any kills you get
are gravy.” Of course, I was more concerned with getting kills!
Expectations for Middles

Middles’ primary focus should be blocking, because the team will not always be
in system (i.e. passing or digging close to the setter) and able to set the middle up
offensively. That being said, offensive effectiveness is critical. So what exactly are
the expectations for middles?
Offensively, middles need to be able to score in many ways through a variety
of sets: quick sets, slides, shoots, pushes, and step-outs. They should also be able
to use a variety of swings: power, cross-body, wrist-away, pinky-down (no look),
and tips (short and deep).
125
Defensively, you obviously want your middles to stop or slow down the opposi-
tion with blocks. This requires a lot of skill and knowledge. First and foremost,
these players must be able to read the play (see the game) as it develops, move
laterally quickly, and get their hands across the net at the right time. All of that
requires coordination, discipline, and patience.
Characteristics of Effective Middles

Now that we have identified what you want out of your middle, it’s important to
look at the characteristics that constitute an effective middle. Some skills you can
train and improve, but some . . . well, you know how the saying goes: You can’t
teach height! Not all good middles are 6 feet, 4 inches tall, and not all 6-foot,
4-inch players are good middles, but height obviously helps. Two features that
may go unnoticed are arm length and hand size. Being a good blocker requires
getting one’s hands across the net far and fast. A player can make up for a lack
of height with long arms, and take up more space with big hands. Being quick
is more important, in my opinion, than height. I would recruit a quick, 6-foot,
1-inch middle over a slower, 6-foot, 4-inch middle any day. Speed wins games. The
middle should be able to close the block. Coaches prefer a fast arm swing that can
frustrate opposing defenses with expertly placed shots over a straight downswing
from a taller, slower middle.
Middles should have fast-twitch muscles and be easy jumpers. They need to
be able to change direction and cover ground quickly. Most important, they need
to work hard. If you have an athlete who is looking for the glory position, middle
is not for him. Middles are expected to be up in the air and ready to hit a ball on
every offensive rally and to block on every opponent attack. They are not always
going to get set on a perfect pass, but they will often be set when the pass is a
little off the net. Great setters are taught to “force” the middle. A strong transition
(getting back off the net and back in to hit) is what separates great middles from
good ones, and this all requires a lot of hard work.
From an offensive perspective, middles are primarily responsible for hitting the
quick set. All sets are given a tempo that correlates to how high or how quickly a
hitter attacks a ball (figure 11.1). Most of the middle attacks are at a zero tempo
(the hitter is in the air with his arm extended as the ball is in the setter’s hands, as
in figure 11.2) or a first tempo (the hitter is leaving the ground as the ball is being
set). Slides are considered a second tempo.
Net zones 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Tempo:
1st Steps
2nd Steps 2
¾ Steps 3 Push/L Hook Slide
Zero Quick A
Figure 11.1â•… Middle hitter sets and tempo.

E6283/AVCA/fig11.01/513740/alw/r1
Figure 11.2â•… The hitter is in the air with his arms extended for a zero-tempo set.
127
Training Middles for Offense

Let’s look at how to train specific attacks, starting with the quick. I encourage you
to train your middles to hit a zero-tempo ball, knowing that most middles, in real-
ity, hit first-tempo sets. Training middles to be good hitters requires a progression
from arm swing work to transition footwork. The great thing is that you can always
come back to certain drills (e.g., nonjumping, spacing, timing) to fine-tune their
skills. The components of a good quick attack that we address in this section are
arm swing, spacing, tempo, and timing, which includes watching the ball from the
passer or digger to the setter.
Arm Swing
Because of its importance, the arm swing should be practiced every day. A middle’s
arm swing is very different from an outside hitter’s swing—outside hitters have time
to wait for the set to get to them; middles are not afforded that luxury. Middles are
all about speed, so it is imperative that they make their swings compact. They can
practice speed in a drill as simple as hitting back and forth with a partner.
Encourage middles to focus on each swing and pay attention to what they are
doing. The swing starts with the toss: they should always toss the ball up with two
hands. This forces the nonhitting hand to go up as well, which is a simple, but
often overlooked practice. The toss should be out in front of the hitting arm, so
that the player can take a step and swing at the ball. Middles should also try to toss
low to simulate a first-tempo attack. Most important is that they keep the elbow
of their hitting arm high. We coach players to keep the elbow back instead of up.
Too many players put the elbow up; the result is that the hand is lower than the
elbow, defeating the purpose of getting the elbow high. When players pull the
elbow back, the hand stays high. As a result, they pull the nonhitting hand down
(instead of just letting it fall), which helps rotate the torso and takes pressure off
the shoulder. (The abdomen is a bigger muscle—use it!) Middles need to let the
hip of the hitting-arm side (i.e., right hand, right hip) lead naturally; then finish
with the elbow so that the arm follows through naturally. The partner catches the
ball, then hits back, repeat for time or amount of reps.
Another good way to train the arm swing is to stand on a sturdy, padded box. The
drill starts with a toss from the coach to the hitter on the box and then progresses
to a set from a setter off a toss from the coach. Coaches stand as close to the setter
as needed to ensure an accurate toss with minimal movement by the setter. This
is a great time to emphasize keeping the nonhitting hand up and open, as a target
for the setters. The middle hitter’s goal should be to exchange the nonhitting hand
with the hitting hand.
Box work is a great way to get more repetitions while saving the legs. Hitters
should start with both arms already up and ready to swing. This focuses on the
exchange move (nonhitting arm, then hitting arm). Then progress to driving their
arms up and swinging to work on timing and the exchange. Using a cell phone,
Training Middle Hittersâ•… â•… 129
iPad, or video camera and a playback system, you can film players swinging a few
times, let them watch themselves, and then have them swing a few more times to
make any necessary corrections.
Spacing
Correct spacing (from the net and from the setter) is an essential part of being a
good middle hitter. Being too tight (too close) to either will hamper the ability
to terminate the ball. Players should progress from hitting on the box to working
on the last two steps of an approach. This forces them to work on proper spacing.
A simple “hit off the toss” drill can help players focus on arm swing and spac-
ing at the same time. In this drill, the middle stands on the left leg with the arms
in front, ready to be thrown back. The coach tosses the ball to the setter, and as
the ball crosses over the middle’s shoulder, the middle pushes off the left foot to
create the last two gathering steps of the approach (a quick right-left step). The
player should be at a 45-degree angle to the net and an arm’s length from the
setter and the net.
The more attention you give to detail on your middles’ technique during the
early training sessions, the better off they will be when the speed of the game
takes over. Make sure to give focused feedback (e.g., keep the elbow back, left
arm up). Spacing from the setter takes priority over (and solves the problem
of) net spacing. A general rule is to have middles be an arm’s length from the
setter and the net (on a perfect pass). Staying off the net (or keeping the setter
in front of them) is essential, and visually tracking the ball from the pass aids in
accomplishing that. Tracking the ball also determines the middle hitter’s timing
of when to start the approach to hit.
Tempo
Most coaches are always telling their middle hitters to get up early. Players hear
this (all hitters, actually) all the time, but if you were to ask them what early means,
or when they should be in the air, you would probably get a wide range of answers.
Train your hitters to think in terms of what step they are on when the setter is
touching the ball. For example, outside hitters who are hitting a fast, or go, tempo
set should be on the second step (of a four-step approach) when the setter is touch-
ing the ball. If they were hitting a higher (hut) set, you would want them to be on
the first step as the setter is touching the ball.
The same concept applies for middles. To determine timing for the quick set,
however, you must first decide what tempo you want to run your quick attack
while considering the skill level of your players. The three basic tempos for a quick
attacker are zero, first, and one-and-a-half; the choice should be based on your
preference as well as the ability of your middles. Experiment with all three and see
which ones work best for your athletes. Also, have them continue to train at least one
of the other tempos, because they may become better at it after more repetitions.
We see all three tempos run with success at high-level NCAA Division I pro-
grams. Zero tempo means that the middle is in the air right before the setter
touches the ball, forcing the setter to shoot the ball up to the hitter’s hand. In
a first-tempo attack, the middle is on the last step, or close step, as the setter is
setting the ball and, essentially, rising up in the air as the set is leaving the setter’s
hands. This is the most common quick-attack tempo. Even though teams strive to
run a zero-tempo quick attack, in reality most middles (even at the international
level) attack at first tempo. There are many reasons for this, but mostly it has to
do with ball control and, of course, the comfort or trust between the middle and
the setter. The advantage of zero-tempo quick sets is that the hitter is in the air
before the opposing blocker jumps and therefore has the advantage of hitting
against no blocker or one blocker jumping late. That being said, it is not a bad
thing to be working on zero tempo even if it becomes first tempo. It’s a lot easier
to slow down than to speed up.
A one-and-a-half-tempo quick set is not seen much at the high levels, but it is
very effective if done properly. St. Mary’s University, an NCAA Division I volleyball
program in Moraga, California, uses this tempo and consistently gives opposing
teams’ defenses fits of frustration. Assuming that the middle is using a three-step
approach (left, right, left, step close), then the middle is on the second step as the
setter is setting the ball. This is a higher set and works well with middles with
good jumping ability and vision.
Timing
Regardless of which set tempo you use, the key to timing is tracking the pass and
approaching at the correct time. Get the middles to open up to where the pass is
coming from and track (watch) the pass from the passer toward the setter, instead
of glancing over their shoulders. This helps them find the pass, which alleviates
timing issues. Advise them to wait for the volleyball to cross the plane over their
shoulder before they start their approach. They should be chasing the ball to the
setter. This is a very important concept. One of the biggest mistakes middles make
with timing is starting the approach too early. Remind them that they are faster
than the ball and don’t have very far to travel. Not watching the ball being passed
or dug and leaving early are the most common problems that are easily corrected.
Tell them to be patient; then slow to fast on the approach and small to big on the
steps. You want your middles to be dynamic, explosive, and fast twitched.
Situational Arm Swings

Because middle hitters need to rely on their quickness and vision to hit the ball by
the block, they should develop a variety of swings. We have already discussed arm
swing warm-ups on the ground (i.e., hitting back and forth). Middles should now
practice a variety of situational swings and then advance to box hitting and then
to live hitting. They need to focus, once again, on using the whole body (nonhit-
ting arm up, hitting elbow pulled back, hip leading, hip of the hitting arm moving
forward to create torque before finish-

ing with the swing) while now varying
the contact points. Have them practice
swinging straight ahead to where they
are facing, while also developing no-
look swings. A player hitting a quick or
a shoot set (3) will be opened up to the
setter at about a 45-degree angle (see
figure 11.3).
The Wrist-Away Swing

Middles should practice a wrist-away
swing (the wrist-away swing is one
form of a no-look swing) by approach-
ing and swinging as normal. They
should be striking the middle to top
of the ball (see figure 11.4). If hitting
right-handed, they pull with the left
arm and lead with the right hip, but on
the swing, they finish with the thumb
down, following through outside the Figure 11.3â•… Player hitting a shoot set.
body (parallel to the side). Another way
to think of it is to finish with the right
hand in the right pocket. It is critical
to stress good control and solid contact
over power. The power will come as
they get more comfortable swinging.
This is a good swing to teach advanced
or older players; it may cause a little
more stress on the shoulder, so don’t
overdo it with younger players.
The Cross-Body Swing

Another no-look swing is the thumb-
up, pinky-down, or cross-body, swing.
Players use the same approach as in
other swings, but stay opened up to the
setter the entire time. This swing can
be used only when the set is pushed a
little past the middle’s hitting arm or
in front of the nonhitting shoulder.
Contact should be made on the top or a
little on the right side of the ball (at the Figure 11.4â•… Player using a no-look swing.
1 o’clock position). On the swing, the Photo courtesy of Don Feria/goldenbearsports.com
hitter should finish with the thumb up

(or pinky down), and the finish should
be across the chest and not much lower
than the shoulder (see figure 11.5). This
is another swing that requires good
control and contact over power. The
power will come as players get more
comfortable swinging. This is another
swing probably best taught to more
advanced players; it may overstress the
shoulders of younger players who rely
on the shoulder muscles, rather than
the abdominals, to propel the ball.
Off-Speed Hits
Well-placed tips and off-speed hits
are also important to have in middles’
tool boxes. An open place on the court
is usually right over the block, in the
deep corner, or out toward the sideline. Figure 11.5â•… Player performing the cross-
body swing.
Players must understand that a kill is a
Photo courtesy of Don Feria/goldenbearsports.com
kill is a kill. The crucial issue is not how
hard they swing at the ball, but whether the ball hits the floor in the opponent’s
court! With all tips it is essential that they approach thinking swing first! Teach
them to tip the good sets as well as the ones they have to because of poor timing
or an inaccurate set. They should use the same mechanics, focusing on keeping
the elbow up. Again, hitters need a variety of swings or “shots” at their disposal.
Slide Attack
Another popular swing used primarily in girls’ and women’s volleyball is the slide.
This is an exciting attack to hit and very tough to defend against if done correctly.
Many of the swing mechanics are the same, but the approach and finish are very
different from those used in swings that have a traditional two-foot takeoff. Like
the quick set, the slide can be run at a variety of tempos. With this attack, the
player either chases the set or has the set catch up to her (the latter is faster). The
approach is what makes the slide attack unique. It is parallel to the net, and the
player jumps off one foot (the left) as in a basketball layup. This is tough for the
block to defend against because blockers’ natural tendency is to drift out toward
where the hitter is going. The hitter, meanwhile, has various points of contact from
which to attack. The two types of approaches commonly used in the slide attack
are explained in the next section.
Slide Footwork
The slide is used primarily to beat a team either by speed or misdirection (or
both) depending on the tempo. Although both approaches are interchangeable
(with misdirection and speed), one is better suited for misdirection. In the first
approach, the middle makes a plant step toward the setter with the left foot. This
makes the blockers think that the middle is attacking in front of the setter. The
middle then pushes off with the left foot going parallel to the net. Then, with a
quick (and big) right then left step, the player launches into the air (off one foot,
as in a layup) to attack the ball. The approach is basically in the shape of an L and
is usually used on a set in which the hitter catches up to the set. It is possible to
use a faster tempo in which the hitter is past the setter before the set is made, but
that requires a very fast middle and a very accurate setter.
The other approach forgoes subtleties and is used primarily for pure speed.
The footwork is similar except there is no jab step toward the setter. The middle
goes directly toward the pin as fast as she can. I like to tell my middles to aim for
the pole, which helps to keep them from getting too tight to the net. As a result,
their pattern is more of an arc, and the left-foot plant is usually on or one step
behind the setter.
With both approaches, the player’s natural momentum carries her laterally. The
key is to transfer as much lateral energy as possible to vertical energy. A couple of
things that help lessen floating are driving the right knee up while planting the
final left step, and turning the right knee around in the direction opposite to the
direction of travel. This not only helps slow down the float, but also allows players
to use torso power to hit crosscourt and line.
Slide Swing
Because middles have more time to swing on a slide, they must focus on keeping
the left arm up and the hitting elbow up and back. The tendency is to drop the
right elbow for a longer swing, but doing so gives the blockers more time to set
up and adjust. Middles want to swing quickly, and a high elbow helps them also
swing deep (a very tough swing to stop). As in the quick set, middles should use
tips to keep the defense guessing. The tip down the line in the deep corner and
the tip back inside to the middle of the court are generally the most effective. The
progression used for a quick set should be used for slide attacks. The third basic
attack for middles is the shoot set in front of the setter. The approach is the same
as in a quick set, as is the timing, generally using a zero- or first-tempo set. Other
sets middles can hit are step-outs, slides directly behind the setter, slides halfway
between the setter and the antennae, and slide footwork in front of the setter.
These are all fun to experiment with, but I recommend that players perfect two
or three attacks before getting fancy.
Blocking Keys
Blocking is an essential part of a middle’s game. As we alluded to earlier, they are
called middle blockers for a reason. Blocking is also one of the skills that takes the
longest to develop. Some of this can be attributed to limited practice time at the
high school and club levels, but a lot is attributed to poor technique and “the ends
justify the means” type of thinking, which is negatively reinforced. How many times
have we seen blockers slap or swing their arms to get the big “kaboom” block, and
when they send that ball back faster than it was hit, the crowd goes wild? Middles
like this and will to continue to block like this. The block looks great, when they
get it. As such, they are rewarded for poor technique.
Blocking is one of the most, if not the most, frustrating skills in volleyball.
Middles want to block every ball—which is a good thing, don’t get me wrong.
The problem is that, if not trained properly, players sacrifice technique for result.
Slapping at the ball, reaching, guessing, and truncated footwork result in general
frustration when they don’t block every ball. Even before you start teaching tech-
nique, sit your blockers down and explain two concepts: (1) they are not going
to block every ball and (2) you would rather they be late and right than guessing
and occasionally early.
Telling your blockers to try to block everything and then saying that they can’t
block everything may seem like contradictory messages. However, this will help
them put things in perspective. I once coached a middle blocker who was one of the
hardest workers I’d ever coached. She was not the most skilled, definitely not the
most talented, but she worked hard. She believed that she was supposed to block
every ball and was very disappointed when she didn’t. She trusted her technique,
as I like to say, so it was a good type of determination. One match, she made her
rounds in the front row; then the libero came in to serve for her. She came to the
bench (she was coming in hot!), sat beside me (we had many of these meetings),
and started freaking out: “What am I doing wrong? I missed that last block! Is it
my footwork? Eyes? Hands? I don’t know what I’m doing wrong!” I turned to her
slowly and said, “Um . . . it’s 2 to 1.” The match had just started, and the girl had
taken a good swing, but she wanted to block everything.
Break it down for your blockers in practice. The NCAA Division I team block-
ing leaders blocked 3.06 balls a set. The individual leader blocked 1.81 balls a set.
That does not constitute a lot of the 25 points needed. Help your players accept
that they’re going to miss some.
Reading the Situation

The most important blocking skill for a middle (and actually for all volleyball
players defensively) is the ability to read the situation. This is yet another reason
blocking can be frustrating and tedious. Many hours must be devoted to block-
ing, especially the reading part, for a person or a team to become great blockers
(figure 11.6). The basic mantra of suc-

cessful blockers is, “Know before you
go.” Players must study and read instead
of guessing.
To be good readers, players must
read the correct cues at the correct
time. Let’s break that down a bit fur-
ther. When reading, blockers should
follow a pattern: passer, setter, ball,
hitter (PSBH). There is a difference
between looking and seeing when it
comes to blocking. Looking is short, a
glance—picking up information such as
trajectory, direction, and speed quickly
and moving on to the next skill. Seeing
is longer; it involves studying cues
such as a hitter’s approach angle and aâ•‰
setter’s tendencies.
We use a drill called PSBH to train
reading. This is a great drill for the
whole team because everyone needs to Figure 11.6â•… Players put blocking training
get better at reading. The number of to the test.
players in the drill is up to you; it works
with 12 people or 2. The focus is on the eyes, making sure players are watching
the right cues, but you can add other components as you see fit (e.g., eyes and first
step, arms across the net). I recommend having the setter start setting pin to pin
and then adding a middle. Designate another coach to focus on one blocker, in
this case the middle, from the end line so you can see the blocker’s eyes. As a ball
is chipped into a passer, the blocker calls out “on,” “off,” or “over” based on the
platform angle and the passer’s body position (looking). This gives you feedback
about what the blocker is seeing. It’s very important to stress that it is OK to be
wrong on the call. In fact, there is no wrong or bad call (as long as the blocker
recognizes an overpass in time to adjust). An “on” call just means that the blocker
needs to stay in the middle longer because of the middle attack potential. The
purpose of this drill is for you to see what your players are watching and train
them to get better at reading cues.
By looking at the passer, the middle immediately sees the setter. This step is
crucial. The tendency for blockers is to watch the flight of the ball, whereas pick-
ing up the setter is much more important. As soon as they have determined that
it’s not an overpass (which should happen a few seconds in), they need to find the
setter and, more specifically, the setter’s arms. Good setters can fake out opponents
with their body language (e.g., leaning back or forward); however, faking with
the arms and wrists is very difficult. Train your middles to see those parts of the
setter. Basically, if you were to draw a box for where to focus on the setter, it would
encompass the hands down to the shoulders or elbows, whichever is lower. Con-
stantly remind your middles to find the setter as they are going through the drill.
Blocking Balance
Just as important as watching the correct cues is staying balanced. Once your
middles have seen the setter, they will be very tempted to lean one way or the other
based on what they have read. Get them used to anticipating then reacting. If they
start leaning or, even worse, moving, for example, to their right, you immediately
give the advantage to the setter. Good setters can see or feel this movement and will
capitalize on it by setting the other direction. This is when you need to hammer
home the message: Better late and right than guessing. Get them to understand
that on a perfect pass the setter has the advantage; it’s OK to be late, especially on
fast-tempo sets to the pins.
Blocking Vision
Your middles have now looked at the passer, seen the setter, and maintained their
balance. Now they need to look at the set. This requires a very quick glance. All
they need to determine is the trajectory of the set. Making sure it’s not set over,
mainly, but also determining the speed of the set will also influence the type of
blocking footwork to use. Once again, stay on your middles and keep them from
spending too much time on the ball in flight. One way to remedy this is to change
PSBH to PSH—take the ball right out of the equation. Yes, there will be an occa-
sional set over, but you will find that the majority of the information the blocker
gets comes from studying the setter and hitter. In fact, I have sometimes changed
the name of this drill to passer, setter, ball, hitter, hitter, hitter!
The sequence is: passer (look), setter (see), ball (look), hitter (see). After a
quick glance at the ball, the middle needs to pick up the hitter. Let’s assume that
the ball is set to the left-side hitter. The middle needs to make a dynamic block
move toward the hitter. Studies have shown that the majority of hitters hit in the
direction they are facing and approaching. Middles need to study that approach,
go where the hitter is going, and get the ball. If you can get your middles to
understand the concept of surrounding the hitter’s shoulder, they will progress
as blockers quickly. After the middles do one rep, they shuffle back to the middle
and repeat for a certain number of balls. You can also make this a continuous drill
in which both sides are going for kills; or semi-continuous in which the hitting
side is going for kills, and when the defensive side transitions, the players just
free ball it over the net. Continue for a certain number of balls. Again, the key
to coaching this is to focus on the blocker, be a stickler for detail, and praise as
well as critique (e.g., “Good eyes; now stay balanced”; “Find your setter earlier,
but great footwork”).
Blocking Footwork
As mentioned in the characteristics section, fast middle blockers who may be a
little shorter can be more desirable than slow-footed tall players. Put those two
preferable qualities together, though, and such a player would obviously have a
great career and make you look like a great coach! However, being a fast middle
is about much more than getting from A to B. It’s going from A to C and then to
B back to A, changing directions quickly, being relentless, and patrolling the net
from antenna to antenna. This requires discipline in eye sequencing and, just as
important, in footwork.
Many types of footwork can be used in blocking: swing blocking, shuffling,
crossover, turning and running, and numerous combinations of all those. Which
ones are best? It depends on the situation, and all middles should practice and be
comfortable using all of them. In the end, it’s about getting to the hitter as fast as
possible and being dynamic enough to penetrate across the net. We train swing
blocking because we believe that it allows our players to be the most dynamic, but
also because we start in a bunch block (closer to the middle of the court). However,
we also want our middles to shuffle to defend against certain sets. The basic rule
we use is: If the set is higher or slower, use a big, dynamic swing block. The faster
the set, the less time blockers have, so they have to shorten their arms or use a
crossover or shuffling footwork technique.
We train blocking going both left and right, but the percentages are 60/40 to
70/30 for right and left, respectively. The majority of sets are made to the right,
so we play percentages and make sure we close to the outside. Our players train
with static footwork and coach-initiated drills, which we combine with game-type
drills that incorporate more random blocking.
Regarding footwork, it’s important to get a big push in the first move. I prefer
to use the word push instead of step in training. I find that when I say, “Take a
step” or “You need a bigger step,” all I get is a big lift of the leg (maybe 3 inches,
to prepare for the big step) or a backward (negative) step. So when players are
blocking right, I tell them to push with the left foot; this helps them cover more
ground. This concept can be used with both shuffle and swing blocking footwork.
Both shuffling and swing blocking require getting to the hitters quickly. When
shuffling, players must make numerous quick shuffles while staying square to the
net in a crouched, or loaded, position so that they can jump fast when they get to
the hitter. In swing blocking, the middle uses a crossover footwork technique (in the
same crouched, or loaded, position). The basic swing move is a three-step pattern
similar to a hitting approach. Going to the right, the player pushes off with the left
foot (creating a step with the right foot). The blocker should be perpendicular to
the net at this point. They then make a big push with the right foot (arms should
draw back now, as in a hitting approach). Planting the left foot at a 45-degree angle
(this is the braking step and important to keep from drifting), the player pivots on
it, squaring up to the net and finishing the block with their hands over the net.
Blocking Strategies
In addition to the many types of blocking footwork, various strategies are used in
blocking. It’s up to you to develop one that fits your style. Obviously, you would
like your players to block every ball straight down, but in reality . . . well, you know.
Do you want your blockers funneling the ball to an area? If they are late to close,
do you want them to reach into the gap or press straight over (allowing defenders
to fill the gaps)? There is no correct answer; it comes down to the system. The
only absolute is getting their hands across the net. We want our blockers to seal
the net low and tight. Reaching up high at the ball gives the hitter more angles to
attack and makes it harder for the back row to defend. A block straight down is
always good, but forcing a hitter to hit a shot they don’t like to hit, making them
hit out, funneling a swing to your best defender, slowing down a swing with a block
touch—these do not show up in the box score, but they are all what I like to call
positive blocks, and they are just as good.
Blocking can be very frustrating (perfect pass = advantage hitters) and requires
discipline and repetitive training in technique. The great thing about training is
that the players can (and should) work on footwork daily, even without a coach.
Taking 10 minutes out of practice daily goes a long way in becoming an effective
middle blocker.
Conclusion
Playing middle requires a unique mind-set. These players should have more of
a workhorse mentality (steady, consistent, relentless) and value team glory over
personal glory. These traits combined with great physical tools are essential for
becoming a great middle.
chapter
12
Training Outside Hitters
E r in M ellinger
In our volleyball program, we train the whole athlete. In the case of outside hit-
ters, we train them to be six-rotation players in any offensive system so they will
contribute in every rotation. Ideally, we want to be able to use them in both the
frontcourt and the backcourt during serve receive, defense, attacking, and serving.
Characteristics of Effective
Outside Hitters
The ideal outside hitter jumps well, is dynamic and athletic, and has good arm
speed and ball control. We like our outside hitters to have a jump approach in the
9-foot, 7-inch range or higher. We are constantly recruiting athletes who work
well or can be trained to work well against a big block. Height can vary based on
the jump approach. Obviously, the bigger or taller the athlete the better, but jump
reach and speed are more important than size.
Good foot speed in both offense and defense is also crucial for an outside hitter.
A player who can transition quickly to dig a ball and then move out and back in
to hit the ball makes an ideal outside hitter. Coaches are always looking for speed
and athleticism—that is, for players who can move quickly forward, backward,
and laterally. Correct footwork, knowledge of the game, and agility training can
increase foot speed.
Importance of Ball Control

Ball control is the number one priority in our system. For this reason, we consider
passing the most important skill in volleyball and spend much time and energy on
serve-receive and ball-control drills. Athletes must understand that ball control
leads to good setting and hitting. Serve receive and passing are not only physical
139
skills; they also involve a mind-set. Outside hitters need to have a mind-set that
they are passers before they are hitters. Outside hitters who want to be six-rotation
players need to serve receive well in every rotation. This is especially true for the
player in the O2 position. This player must be able to serve receive, must play
dynamically, and must not be afraid to take control of the tri-line in conjunction
with the libero.
Defense
Outside hitters are constantly playing defense in both the frontcourt and back-
court. The constant transitions from serve receive to hitting, hitting to defense,
and defense back to hitting require mental toughness. In our offensive system,
our outside hitters play defense in middle back, although we do switch it up when
specific players warrant a change. However, the majority of the time, the outside
hitters play middle back and are used in the offense as attackers from the backcourt.
Outside hitters attack from the back row using the BIC set. The BIC set is a
two-height, or second-tempo set about a foot inside the attack line towards the
net. The hitter is on the second step of the approach as the setter is setting the
ball. In the middle-back defensive position, outside hitters are responsible for deep
corners and lateral movement, but have free rein to move to where they read the
hitter. Understanding the movements of the game and focusing on hitters instead
of the ball helps outside hitters defensively. Outside hitters who are six-rotation
players can be good defenders and also assist in the offense from the back row.
Offensive Systems
We like to keep our outside hitters on the court for a complete match to contribute
not only physically, but also mentally as a result of the consistency they develop.
The more they pass with one another, the more comfortable they are and the
more consistent their passes become. A few offensive systems that can be used are
the 5-1 and 6-2 systems.
5-1 Offensive System

The O1 and the O2 have different roles in the 5-1 system. The O2 should be a
low-error player—someone who is really good at tooling hands (using the block),
swinging line, and mixing up attack shots. In the 5-1 system, the O2 has to be a
Training Outside Hittersâ•… â•… 141
six-rotation player with good ball-control

skills who can serve receive as well as RS M2 01
attack well out of the back row. The O1
is a more physical player who can be an
offensive threat. The O1 hits a heavier
ball, could have a higher jump, and is con- 02 M1 S
sidered a go-to player who can terminate

in one-on-one situations. It is critical that
the O1 be able to score points when given
an opportunity.
If the setter (S) is in right back, the O1
Figure 12.1â•… The 5-1 offensive
starts in right front (figure 12.1). The O1 system.
E6283/AVCA/fig21.01a,b/519436-437/alw/r1
is in front of the setter because she will
be in the front row with only two hitters (M1) and the setter for two rotations.
The M1 starts in middle back. The O2 starts in left back, opposite the O1, and is
in the front row with the right-side hitter (RS) for two rotations. The RS starts
in left front opposite the setter. The M2 starts in middle front opposite the M1,
which means that the O2 is only in the front row with the M2 and the setter for
one rotation.

The O1 and O2 may have different
roles in a 6-2 offensive system, but it S/H M2 01
really depends on the makeup of the
team. The player who has more ball
control for serve receive and plays better
defense would be the one staying in for 02 M1 S/H
six rotations; outside hitters or right-side

hitters. There are many options with a
6-2 offense. You can substitute middles
for setters instead of right sides or run
a standard 6-2 and substitute right-side
Figure 12.2â•… The 6-2 offensive system.
hitters for setters (figure 12.2).
E6283/AVCA/fig12.02a/519438-439/alw/r3
Either way, we like outside hitters to play six rotations. Given the makeup of
our offense, running a 6-2 gives our outside hitters more opportunities to score;
hence, we keep three hitters in the front row at all times.
Creating Scoring Opportunities

for Outside Hitters
Our team uses more of a middle and right-side hitter–driven offense, so the major-
ity of the sets go to the middle and right-side players. This obviously puts the
outside hitters in more one-on-one situations against the block so they can score
often. It is interesting that when you look at many rosters, players are listed only
as outside hitters. We have specific players that play right side. Sometimes there
are players that can play all three positions (O1, O2, and right side), but we like
the right side to be successful hitting off one foot.
Sets for Outside Hitters

The sets we use in our system for outside hitters are: hut, hut-go, 32, gap, and BIC.
The hut set is about a three-tempo set that should land in the last panel of the net
inside the antenna (see figure 12.3). The hut-go is about a two-and-a-half-tempo
set (the antenna height and a half), which means the ball goes through the last
panel of the net (five panels away from setter) and would land outside the court
if the hitter did not contact the ball (see figure 12.4). This ball is very different
from a shoot or a faster ball to the outside. The setter should hold the set in the
last panel (fifth panel of the net) and create a lift on the ball so it does not die out
before it reaches the last panel.
5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1
S S
Figure 12.3â•… The hut set. Figure 12.4â•… The hut-go set.
E6283/AVCA/fig12.04/513743/alw/r2 E6283/AVCA/fig12.04/513744/alw/r3
The 32 is an inside set that is mostly

used when the outside must play defense 5 4 3 2 1
on a tip or roll shot ball from the oppo-
nent (figure 12.5). It gets its name from
being in the third panel of the net (three S
panels away from setter) at about a second
tempo (the height of an antenna). The
gap set uses a one-foot takeoff approach
between the third and fourth panels of
the net. It is a ball that is set in the third
panel (three panels away from setter) at
a two-and-a-half-tempo set and is posi-
tioned just inside the opposing middle
blocker’s left hand. The outside hitter
should be able to swing hard crosscourt Figure 12.5â•… The 32 inside set.
or cut back toward area 1 (figure 12.6). E6283/AVCA/fig12.05/513745/alw/r3
The last set for the outsides is the BIC set, which is used when the outside hitter
is playing back row and in middle back. The BIC is a two height or second-tempo
set about a foot inside the attack line (figure 12.7).
5 4 3 2 1
S S
BIC
Figure 12.6â•… The gap set. Figure 12.7â•… The BIC set.
E6283/AVCA/fig12.07/513747/alw/r3
E6283/AVCA/fig12.06/513746/alw/r3
Sets for Right-Side Hitters

The sets we use in our offensive system for right-side hitters are A, black, red,
C, swing, zone, and D. The A set is similar to a back 1 (one panel behind setter,
see figure 12.8). The black set is two panels behind the setter as a second-tempo
ball (see figure 12.9). The C set is the highest right-side set, which is pushed to
the antenna at a two-and-a-half-tempo set (see figure 12.10). The red set is also
a second-tempo set, but instead sets two
panels in front of the setter (see figure
12.11). The swing set is a one-foot
takeoff ball that is pushed to the C zone
(to the antenna) at about a two-and-a- 2 A B C
half-tempo set (see figure 12.12). The
zone is set in the middle of the net at a
two-and-a-half-tempo set (the height of S
an antenna plus half) (see figure 12.13).
The zone set is used as an outlet ball to
keep the right-side hitter involved in the
offense when the setter is pushed out
of the setter position. The D set is the
back-row attack for the right-side hitter
who plays right-back defense (see figure
12.14). The D set is about a foot inside
the attack line at a two-and-a-half-tempo
set (the height of an antenna plus half). Figure 12.8â•… The A set.
E6283/AVCA/fig12.08/513748/alw/r2
2 A B C 2 A B C
S S
Figure 12.9â•… The black set. Figure 12.10â•… The C set.

2 A B C C
S
S
Figure 12.11â•… The red set. Figure 12.12â•… The swing set.
Note:E6283/AVCA/fig12.11/513750/alw/r3
The net is divided into five panels out E6283/AVCA/fig12.12/513752/alw/r2
to the outside hitter position and three panels
behind the setter.
D
S S
Zone
Figure 12.13â•… The zone set. Figure 12.14â•… The D set.

145
Transition
Transition is a very crucial part of an outside hitter’s game. A deep and wide transi-
tion allows an outside hitter to evaluate a set, see the block, and make the necessary
adjustments before swinging at the ball. Ideally, an outside hitter should transition
10 feet outside the court and 12 feet deep off the net. The transition from serve
receive to attacking a ball has two possible options:
1. Serve receiving the ball: The outside hitter must perform three large shuffles
to try to get outside the court to the 10-feet-deep or 12-feet-deep range.
2. Not serve receiving the ball: The outside hitter must perform five large
shuffles and must get outside the court to the 10-feet-deep or 12-feet-deep
range.
Transitioning from a serve-receive position to attacking a ball is different from
transitioning from defense to attacking a ball. In serve receive we train to have
specific footwork, whereas in defensive transition we train to turn and go. Turn
and go means opening up to the court, tracking the ball, and running to transition
to the 10-feet-deep or 12-feet-deep range.
We spend a significant amount of time each week training outside hitters in
transitioning. More important, we use a specific drill that can be modified or used
as a progression to help in that training. This drill can be used out of serve receive,
during defense, while using the block, and while working various shots.
Training Outside Hitters

Learning to hit a variety of shots is an important part of an outside hitter’s offen-
sive training. Examples are the roll shot (shallow or deep), open-handed tip, hard
crosscourt shot, tooling blockers hands high and tooling the outside hand (right
hand of the outside blocker if hitting from left side) of the opponents, hard line
shot, and high, deep ball to area 5. The most important shot we train is the tooling
of the opponent’s hands. When training to “tool the block,” outside hitters obvi-
ously must first locate the block. After locating the block, they must decide what
to do with the arm swing to manipulate the blocker’s hands. For example, when
attacking the block or swinging line, the outside hitter looks to use the outside
hand of the opponent. Repetition is the key to training tooling the block. Athletes
sometimes want to avoid the block, but training them to manipulate the block
is more effective. When training to hit a hard line shot, we teach athletes to use
shoulders, hips, and abdominal muscles. The whipping of the hips speeds up the
arm swing and allows a full range of motion and the use of the abs, shoulder, and
hips, which is more effective than using just the shoulder.
To train the high over-the-block shot to area 5 deep, outside hitters practice
aiming just above the block and finishing the middle finger through the top of
the ball to create more topspin on the ball so that it drops. When attacking sharp
crosscourt, our outside hitters finish thumb down toward the net. The roll shot
requires a wrist motion starting from the bottom of the ball and finishing through
the top simulating a popping sound. Most important when mixing up shots is the
ability to approach with the same speed, have the same arm swing, and change
only the wrist or hand at the end. The following drill can be used to train outside
hitters in all shots.
Outside Hitter Drill: Various Shots

Purpose
This drill can be used to train outside hitters to work various shots on the court.
Setup
Place one or two players on the sturdy box with their hands in a blocking posi-
tion.
Execution
Using the same footwork explained S S
in figure 12.15, the OH either
passes and transitions or transi-
tions and hits a hut or hut-go
set. Coaches give instructions on
the focus of the drill (e.g., tool hands
[swing high off the hands or use the
outside hand of the blocker], hard
line, roll shot deep, roll shot short, Box
tip area 1 deep or area 2 short,
swing high over the block to area
S
5, or swing hard cross).
Coaching Points
We also add floor markers and have
hitters aim for those areas. There is
always a focus in this drill.
OH L
OH, OH
Box = Place one or two persons on the sturdy box

with their hands in a blocking position.
Figure 12.15â•… Outside hitter drill: various shots.
E6283/AVCA/fig12.16/513756/alw/r1
Training Right-Side Hitters

In our offense, right sides may be more dynamic in their ability to hit several tempo sets.
Their transitions are significantly different from those of the outside hitters: they are
2 feet behind the attack line and lined up inside the court near the T of the attack line
and the sideline. Right-side hitters must choose a set based on the position of the pass.
Several sets move with the setter, which is how sets are implemented into the
offense. In an ideal situation, a black set is set in the B panel of the net, which is
two panels behind the setter. However, if the setter moves forward toward the 3
panel on the net, then the right-side hitter must position herself two panels from
where the setter will set the ball. When the setter is pushed back two panels from
the target position, the right-side hitter must position herself to attack two panels
in front of the setter for the red set.
The right side is always lined up with the setter and square to the net. In our
offense, right-side hitters approach straight forward, not at a diagonal. The move-
ment in the right-side offense allows the right side to attack regardless of the pass.
Blocking Expectations
Ideally, we like our players to defend opposing hitters with just blocking; however,
channeling balls to our defense is just as important. An outside hitter’s base block-
ing position is two arm’s lengths from the middle blocker. The outside hitter is
responsible for blocking in every offensive scenario except when the opponent’s
outside hitter is attacking. Most important is defending the hitter directly in front
(i.e., the opponent’s right-side hitter or setter) or any hitter that crosses into the
blocking zone (e.g., middle hitter hitting a slide). In addition to blocking in their
own zones, outside hitters are also responsible for blocking with middle blockers
on a quick (i.e., 1) attack as well as a crossing X play. A crossing X play is when the
opponent’s right-side hitter leaves her immediate zone and enters into the middle
of the court; the outside hitter must follow the opponent’s right-side hitter to set
up a double block with the middle blocker.
Figure 12.16 shows the base defensive position for the outside hitter and right-
setter. Lines are showing primary responsibility for the blocking area on the net.
The right-side hitter’s primary concern is to defend the opponent’s outside
hitter. This player’s base blocking position is one arm’s length from the antenna or
pin. However, the right-side hitter is also responsible for assisting middle blockers
with blocking. The right-side blocker must consistently set a block in the correct
position along the net so the middle blocker can close the block.
Hand positioning for both outside and right-side hitters is very important. In
blocking, one hand is considered the fronting hand; the other hand is the direct-
ing hand. The fronting hand must be in front of the ball. The directing hand
directs or redirects the ball into the opponent’s court. For pin players (outside
and right-side hitters), the hand closer to the antenna is the directing hand. If
the directing hand is not strong at holding its position, then pin players usually
are “tooled” (when hitters hit the ball into the block and score for a point) by the
opponent’s hitters.
Antenna
X X X= OH/RS Base blocking position
Figure 12.16â•… OH and RS blocking responsibilities.

E6283/AVCA/fig12.18/513758/alw/r2
Pin players (outside and right-side hitters) are very important in the blocking
scheme. Pin players have full responsibility for setting the block in the correct
position along the net, staying there, and allowing the middle blocker to close
shoulder to shoulder. It is just as important for the block to funnel balls to the
defense as it is to have a stuff block (a ball that is blocked for a point).
Serving
Serving is a crucial tactical part of the game of volleyball. Tough serving helps
manipulate the opponent’s offense. We use a variety of tactics to manipulate certain
positions or opposing players. Serving is another important duty for outside and
right-side hitters. Repetition is the best way to develop good serving skills. We
work on serving every day for at least 20 minutes of practice time. Jump serving
has changed the pace and the speed of the game. A great server can be a tactical
point in the game by manipulating the other team’s serve receive with her serve,
which makes it easier to play defense.
We practice serving into the last two feet of the court using mats. To briefly
demonstrate the importance of serving seams, put three chairs out on the court
with mats between them. The objective is to hit the mats and not the chairs. Hit-
ting the chair simulates serving directly at the serve receiver; players should instead
try to serve in the seams.
Video
We use video for various reasons in our program. Video gives athletes the oppor-
tunity to truly evaluate themselves. We use video to evaluate athletes’ serve receive
and defensive postures, offensive and defensive transitions, and hand positions for
blocking. Visualization can sometimes be a helpful tool for improving and adjusting
technique. The spring season gives us more opportunities for individual training
and video evaluations.
Scouting
Scouting opponents is also an important tool for helping our outside and right-
side hitters. We focus on several things when scouting: how to assist hitters in
manipulating the defense, opponents’ weaknesses, how to control go-to players,
and serving tactics. Focusing on these four things prepares our athletes enough
without overwhelming them with too much information. We watch films as a
team. Our athletes complete their own scouting reports, and then we discuss the
opponent’s weaknesses. The coaching staff obviously spends more time scouting
opposing teams than the athletes do. We try to keep it simple by providing enough
information to help them without overwhelming them.
Statistics
Statistics plays a large role in the game of volleyball. It is important to record
statistics in both practices and matches. Statistics help both coaches and athletes
evaluate performance. As a coach, I expect certain numbers from certain positions.
I like primary passers (outside hitters, right-side hitters, and the libero) to be pass-
ing at 75 percent or higher. That means that 75 percent of serve-received balls are
a three-option pass (i.e., give the setter the option to choose to set middle hitters,
the right-side hitter, or the outside hitter).
Not only do we have serve-receive statistical numbers for passers to reach, but
we also have hitting percentages for the O1 and O2. The O2 ideally is expected to
hit in the .250 range to be consistently contributing to the offense. More important,
the O2 has to be a low-error player—a player who keeps the ball in play and hits
shots. The O2 should also be able to use the opponent’s block to score. The O2
is expected to terminate for a point, but ideally mixes up shots and commits very
few hitting errors. We look for the O1 to hit in the .350 to .400 range. The O1 is
continually contributing to the offense as a go-to player. The O1 is expected to
score, especially because that position is in the front row with the setter for two
rotations if we are playing a 5-1 offense.
conclusion
We recruit to have four or five outside hitters on our roster each year. Depth creates
competitiveness and challenges each athlete to constantly improve. Our program
has won several national championships, and depth is the reason. Creating a com-
petitive atmosphere in which players develop, improve, and push one another is so
significant to their training. The main reason we won a national championship in
2013 is that we had good athletes who challenged themselves and their teammates.
Our outside hitters help us win in a variety of ways. Most important is their
ability to play all six rotations, which creates consistency. We train outside hitters
to score in one-on-one situations and to be low-error players. They are not just
front-row hitters in our offense; they also serve as hitters in the backcourt which
in turn obviously creates more offense. Outside hitters play significant roles on
the volleyball court.
chapter
13
Training Setters
Wayne Kreklow
The setter is arguably the most important player on any volleyball team. Not only
does the setter touch the ball more than anyone else on the floor, but she also
decides who attacks the ball, what kind of ball they are attacking, where along the
net they are going to attack, and how often they are going to attack. The setter
controls the tempo of the match and has a more influential role in the outcome
than any other player on the floor. All great teams in any team sport have one
thing in common: a great facilitator. Championship football teams all have great
quarterbacks—Brett Favre, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning. Championship basketball
teams all have great point guards—Magic Johnson, Tony Parker, Maurice Cheeks.
Championship volleyball teams, likewise, all have great setters—Lloy Ball, Lindsey
Berg, Robyn Ah Mow-Santos, and Courtney Thompson just to name a few from
recent U.S. Olympic teams. All of the great athletes and players have one thing in
common: They make those around them better players. They are facilitators. By
virtue of the physical, technical, tactical, and leadership skills they possess, they
make it possible for a collection of talented individuals to become a great team.
In this chapter we take an in-depth look at how we can identify and train setters
to be the facilitators and leaders that are so critical to the success of our teams.
We must be knowledgeable about the offensive systems we can run and what is
required of setters in those systems. We must also be aware of the physical attri-
butes needed to be a great setter and also be well schooled in how to train them.
In addition, we must also examine leadership qualities and determine the activities
and drills we can use to help our setters develop into the leaders our teams need.
We address the question, “Are leaders truly born that way, or can we develop
them?” Finally, we discuss how to prepare setters for competition—performing in
the heat of the moment when all eyes are on them and the outcome rests squarely
on their shoulders.
151
Offensive Systems
The two basic systems of play that most teams use are the 5-1 offense and the
6-2 offense. A brief explanation of each is helpful because the process of choosing
and developing a setter depends on what is asked of that player. We need to know
what physical and mental characteristics are essential and what setting skills are
required to implement your offensive system.

The 5-1 offensive system simply means that one setter plays both front row and
back row. Because the setter is on the court all the time, this player must be not
only proficient in setting, but also reasonably good at all the other skills. The 5-1
setter has to block and defend (and sometimes attack) just like your other front
row players.

The 6-2 offensive system uses two setters, each normally rotating into the back
row and out of the front row. They can rotate in for any front-row player, but most
teams normally rotate them in and out with front-row players who usually play right
front, or position 2. Some teams rotate their setters in and out with their middle
blockers. Because setters in a 6-2 system do not usually play across the front row,
it allows for a well-skilled but smaller setter to be a significant contributor because
she does not have to worry about blocking against a much larger opponent. There
are a number of teams, however, that choose to keep one of their setters in across
the front row because she might also be a very effective attacker.
Choosing a System
Knowing the basics of these common systems, how do you decide which is right
for your team? This million-dollar question does not always have an easy answer.
However, looking closely at the skills setters need in order to do well in either of
these systems should help you understand what to look for in setter candidates
and how to train them.
The advantage of running a 5-1 offense is that you have one setter (one quarter-
back) to facilitate play. This promotes consistency in terms of tempo and rhythm on
offense. Also, from a coaching standpoint, working and communicating with only
one setter during play can be easier than working and communicating with two
setters. The most often-cited concern with running a 5-1 is that a setter may not
be big enough to put up a good block. Using a 6-2 offense allows you to substitute
a smaller setter for a bigger block, but your hitters will have to get used to hitting
off two setters. Also, using two setters could potentially disrupt your tempo and
rhythm on offense. In addition, two setters require more practice time (which is
often limited) for setter training and hitting repetitions.
Training Settersâ•… â•… 153
When making the decision to run either a 5-1 or a 6-2 offense, ask yourself,
“What does our team need to do to win?” At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter
what the U.S. national team does or what the Chinese are doing or what the Bra-
zilians are doing. What matters is what will put your players and your team in the
best position to win.
At Mizzou, we look very closely at what other successful teams do offensively.
What are they doing that makes them good? What are they doing to beat other
teams, and why are those things working? What we have discovered has been very
helpful in putting together our own philosophy of offense and working with setters.
Over the past several years, there has been a push to make the game of vol-
leyball more exciting and appealing to fans. Making the switch to rally scoring,
lowering game scores from 30 points to 25 points, and loosening ball-handling
rules have all had the effect of shifting the focus from defense to offense. If you
look at team statistics in the NCAA Division I conferences, you will usually find
that the league leaders almost always either lead or are very near the top in some
key statistical categories: team hitting percentage, kills per game, assists per game,
or service aces per game. They are also usually at or near the top in fewest recep-
tion errors per game. What also jumps out when looking at team statistics is that
the best blocking teams are not always at the top of the league standings, unless
they are also very proficient in one or two other offensive statistical categories.
Knowing these trends helps us choose our offensive system and understand what
type of setter we need.
Whether you choose a 5-1 or 6-2 system, your team must be an efficient offen-
sive team. Your players must be able to terminate play at a high level and side out
at a high level. To do so, your team must be able to handle the ball well and your
setters need to be able to put your attackers in a position to be successful. Know-
ing the importance of offense over defense, we focus more on becoming the most
efficient offensive team we can be and less on becoming the best blocking team.
At Mizzou, we made the choice to go with a 5-1 system because our setters have
been outstanding at running our offense and getting our hitters great swings. In
the 2013 season, Mizzou led the nation in team hitting percentage, kills per set,
and assists per set and committed the fewest attack errors per set. Our setters have
not always been the best blockers or the best defenders, but they have been among
the best facilitators, and that has allowed our Mizzou teams to consistently win at
a high level and succeed.
Some great teams employ a 6-2 offense because they want to generate more
offense. Traditionally, teams have used a 6-2 offense because they had two small
setters who were a liability at the net blocking. Bigger players were brought in
to block. With the current emphasis on offense, more teams are running a 6-2
offense to use more attackers. The strategy is to have more attackers, more speed,
and more points of attack along the net. Teams that employ a 6-2 offense always
have three hitters in the front row and can always attack the opponent’s left-side
hitters, traditionally the weakest blockers.
Take an honest look at the personnel on your team and consider which system
would give your team the best shot at winning, not what is currently most popular
or even what you would prefer to use. Consider not only what your setter is capable
of doing, but also how many attackers you have and what they are capable of doing.
One of the keys to winning is fitting your system to your players’ strengths, not
trying to make your players fit a particular system.
Characteristics of Setters
No two setters are exactly alike, but when we are evaluating setters, we find it
useful to examine certain characteristics we feel are most important. We separate
those key characteristics into four main areas: physical skills, technical skills, tacti-
cal skills, and leadership skills.
Physical Skills
Physical skills are those unique physical traits that setters are simply born with.
Over the years, there have been many debates about what physical attributes help
to make great setters. We all want tall, quick, agile setters with great hands who are
strong leaders and straight-A students! Unfortunately, because such players are few
and far between, most of us have setters who have only a few of those attributes
and it is our job to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.
When deciding on a setter, consider again what your team needs to do to suc-
ceed. Because we already know the importance of being a great offensive team,
we focus on the physical attributes that facilitate an efficient offense. We need a
setter who can get to errant passes and keep us in system as much as possible. This
means that we need someone who is quick and agile. Obviously, we are going to
look for someone who can, first, consistently deliver a hittable ball and, second,
run an efficient offense.
If you are a high school coach with limited time to train setters, keep it simple.
Identify a player who can get a ball to the same place consistently and let your
hitters go to work. I have often seen high school and club teams beat themselves
with errors because they were trying to do too many tactical things that their
players were not skilled enough to execute. Remember the adage, “Don’t attempt
to do tactically what you can’t execute technically.”
Our teams have competed against many great setters of all sizes, shapes, and
levels of athletic ability, and all have been very good. The key is that they were
all really good at something, and that was, more often than not, setting the ball.
We have competed against tall, great blocking setters who were not particularly
quick or agile, but had great hands and could put a ball anywhere. We have also
competed against shorter, slower setters who were likewise great because of their
ability to consistently get their hitters great swings. In addition, they usually had
great coaches who recognized their limitations and knew how to play around
them. Slower setters had ball handlers who put the first balls higher to give them
time to get there, or the team played a rotation defense so that the slower setter
did not have to cover as much court.
Technical Skills
All good setters must be technically proficient. This requires the investment of
a lot of time on the part of both the setter and the coach. The time required to
develop a really good setter, more than anything else, is what makes a great setter
so hard to find. Most high schools and clubs simply don’t have the time to train a
great setter. Even college coaches, who are restricted by NCAA by-laws governing
allowable practice hours, have difficulty training setters.
Knowing that we have limited time to train setters, we again need to ask our-
selves as coaches, “What are the most important things my setter needs to be good
at for our team to succeed?” Most of us would answer—setting the ball! Thus,
we should use every allowable minute we have in the gym to train setters to set
the ball. We must organize and prioritize our setters’ training so we don’t waste
precious time in the gym.
In training, regardless of position, I believe in progressions. We start with the
fundamentals and work toward more advanced techniques. That doesn’t mean that
we never expose players to more advanced techniques before they master the basics,
but making sure players feel confident and good about themselves is important.
We never want them to walk out of the gym feeling bad about themselves.
In training our setters, we focus on front sets, back sets, and jumps sets every
day. It is very important that every setter master these three basic skills. Once the
setter feels comfortable with them, we incorporate movement. We all know that
setters spend more time chasing down errant passes than setting from perfect
passes, so they must spend time training those movements. We do this for 30
minutes before practice, every day! At the NCAA Division I level, we obviously
train more than simple front sets and back sets, but the principle of concentrated
repetitions is the same regardless of level.
During the individual setting sessions, we rarely spend time on blocking, serving,
or defense. We save that for regular team practice. During these 30-minute blocks,
we often have to remind our setters of the concept of mindful repetition—paying
attention to what they are doing and striving for perfection even when the task
seems mundane.
Tactical Skills
We obviously look for setters who understand the game of volleyball. This under-
standing takes the longest to master, and you could argue that it is never fully
mastered because the game is continually evolving. A high-level setter needs to
be thoughtful and have a desire to really dig into the game on a deeper level than
other players. Much like NFL quarterbacks, setters need to understand not only
their own team and what each player is doing, but also the opponent players and
tendencies. Once again, extra time is required to really study videos, digest the
stats, and process the information.
Leadership Skills
Leadership in a setter is extremely important to the success of the team. Again,
just like the quarterback, the setter needs to be respected and trusted by the entire
team. Leadership and trust, however, are concepts that players can misunderstand,
particularly younger players. In my opinion, leading means showing the way rather
than pointing the way. Leading means being out in front, not bringing up the rear
and telling everyone where to go and what to do. To garner the trust of the team, a
player must first prove himself trustworthy in both what he says and what he does.
When evaluating setters, watch them setting, but also watch their interactions
with teammates and coaches. Setters need to be steady and consistent, both mentally
and physically. I have never been a fan of loud, emotional, and intense setters (the
only exception has been when they were incredibly positive). Players look for the
setter to be under control and steady at all times—not too crazy when the team is
on a roll and not too down when things aren’t going well. I have often compared
the emotional requirements of a setter to those of a ship captain. When things are
going well, no one needs the captain. When the ship is sinking, though, everyone
looks to the captain to save them. They need to see a calm, composed person in
charge and giving direction, not someone who is panicking!
Training Setters
When training setters, addressing the four skill areas just discussed (physical,
technical, tactical, and leadership) is crucial. Training in some of these skill areas
can be done separately; some can be done in combination. As with all training,
one of the most important things you can do as a coach is to be sure that your
setter is clear on exactly what is being asked of him or her and exactly how you
would like it done. I highly recommend using video as often as possible. Nothing
is more powerful than your setter being able to “see” what you’re talking about
rather than trying to “imagine” what you are talking about. There are countless
studies that show learning is greatly enhanced through seeing and doing, rather
than simply listening.
When addressing the physical training of our setters, we focus intensely on the
physical demands and movements required in the position. We do this through
direct observations of our own setters and others as well as by watching a lot of
video. If you do this, you will find that setters repeat many movement patterns.
Knowing these patterns makes it much easier to design drills that will help your
setters become better at getting to the ball and thereby delivering better sets. We
separate our physical training into generic strength, quickness and agility work,
and setter-specific movement training.
In our generic physical training, we focus on developing quickness, agility, speed,

and vertical jump. These are all obviously explosive movements so they must be
trained accordingly. Explosive movement in sport requires strength. Strength alone,
however, does not really help setters be quicker, faster, or more agile. At Mizzou,
we focus not on how much setters lift, but on how fast they can move what they
are lifting. We monitor the weight they lift to make sure they can move fast and
explosively. We also have them lift as often as possible from upright or unstable
positions rather than from a bench, while seated, or from a machine. Again, the
primary purpose of our strength training component is to make sure the body
is strong enough to exert the force necessary for moving explosively and also to
prevent injury.
Along with strength training, we obviously must focus heavily on the speed,
agility, and quickness (SAQ) of our setters. All of our generic SAQ activities are
in the confines of a 30- by 30-foot area, the same dimensions of the volleyball
court we compete in. Again, thousands of drills are available in print and video,
but I urge you to look at the movements your setters make on a regular basis and
be creative in designing your own agility drills. What we find is that our setters
tend to repeat patterns of movement over and over. Through direct observation
and more often, video analysis, we identify those patterns and look to create drills
that replicate those patterns.
Setters must be able to accelerate quickly. They are generally stopped in right
back and must cover no more than 10 to 15 feet in reacting to a transition oppor-
tunity. In addition, while they are accelerating to the setting position on the net in
anticipation of setting a pass or dig, they must quickly change direction to pursue
an errant play on the ball. Setters must train for movement in all directions! In
addition, they must be trained to use a variety of footwork patterns. In this case,
I’m not talking about specific footwork patterns when setting so much as I am
about generic agility. Being proficient in a variety of movement patterns in multiple
directions, such as shuffling, sprinting and moving into a shuffle, shuffling into
a sprint, and performing a crossover step into a shuffle and then into a sprint, is
critical. Visualize a great tennis player moving during a rally. Tennis players have
some of the best footwork and agility in the world of sport.
Technical Training
We have our setters come in every day for 30 minutes of training before practice.
This allows us to give them the concentrated repetitions they need to become
proficient in their role. There are many philosophies out there pertaining to
training setters. Some coaches use thousands of very controlled and scripted rep-
etitions with a coach tossing; others advocate a more random approach. I believe
that each method has merit, and we tend to take a more balanced approach in our
setter training.
Our setters spend the first part of every 30-minute training block setting a
weighted volleyball against a wall to develop strength. They usually do no more
than five minutes of this, but we believe it builds skill-specific strength.
When our setters move to the net, they normally progress from simple to more
difficult drills. I have always been a big believer in creating a feeling of competence
in players by starting with simple drills that provide a lot of touches and a high
success rate and gradually making them more difficult and more challenging.
We use hundreds of drills during these sessions, but the most important thing to
remember when working one on one with setters is to recreate movements and
situations that they will encounter in live play. For example, we usually start with
a coach tossing to the setter because we can control how fast we move and where
specifically we want the setter to set from. Determine the skill your setter needs to
get better at and have her repeat it. It might be using a simple setting technique,
finding the ball after she blocks, setting a tight ball, or moving a ball off the net
to set. We’ve encountered all of them over the years!
Our staple drills include having our setters set multiple balls from multiple
spots in a series. A sequence example is (1) on the net, (2) forward along the net
to zone 4, (3) turn and run back to the setter position on the net, (4) off the net to
finish—four balls in a row all set to zone 4 (left front). You can create any combi-
nation of movement patterns for your setter to move through while tossing balls
for him to set. All great setters need to be comfortable being uncomfortable and
to be able to deliver a hittable ball.
We spend a lot of time making sure setters are comfortable receiving balls from
all spots on the court, not just from the middle of the court where most coaches
toss from. We make sure to toss from left front and left back as well as right back.
In addition, we have our setters set balls that are tossed very high in the air so
that they have to wait for them. Likewise, we also toss flat, fast balls to set. Setters
should also be required to set balls that are spinning (topspin, backspin, sidespin).
In short, be creative and look to recreate what your setter is doing during live play.
Tactical Training
Learning the tactical part of the game is arguably the toughest part of training for
a setter. There is no shortcut; a certain amount of exposure to situations is required
to consistently recognize them and respond correctly. Seeing what the other team
is doing and making the right decision in a split second is not easy. The fact that
there are very few great rookie quarterbacks in the NFL or junior-aged setters
leading their national teams in the Olympics speaks to the difficulty of learning
the tactical part of the game. This is why great young setters from clubs that train
and play at high levels are so valued: there is no substitute for the number of games
they have played and the amount of experience they have had. Those of us who
are not fortunate enough to have one of these young, elite setters can close the
experience gap with training.
A combination of seeing and hearing is required to develop the tactical part of
the game for setters. Coaching feedback is great, but without actually seeing what
the coach is talking about, the setter’s learning is limited. Video feedback is very
effective in training setters in the tactical aspects of the game.
When we look at videos with our setters, we ask that they pay attention to
specific things. First is to look at themselves as they are setting. We ask them to
notice whether they are giving their set away early through poor ball position or
body posture. We also point out situations that often occur during games: do they
have a favorite hitter or set that they always use in certain situations? Do they
tend to attack second balls on only certain passes or in certain rotations? When
they run a play set, do they always run the same option? We also ask them to
watch the opponents to see how they react to what they are doing. Did the play
set have the desired effect? If not, why? Did they get the right hitter against the
right blocker? Being able to see what happened and how their decisions affected
the game is priceless.
In addition to watching videos, we also give our setters strategies for creating
opportunities for our hitters to score. Following are some examples:
Going against the flow. This simply means that the setter tries to set away from
the direction in which she is moving to get the ball. If she is moving toward left
front, she sets to right front; if she is moving toward right front, she sets to left
front. The idea is that the opposing middle blocker will tend to follow the setter;
if the setter sets against the flow, the opposing middle will not be able to close the
block to the outside hitter.
Overloading. This involves bringing multiple hitters into a zone on the net to
have more hitters than blockers.
Creating movement. Moving hitters either into or out of another zone is another
great way for setters to create scoring opportunities for the team.
Creating movement and setting away from that movement. Creating movement
by having attackers move into and out of different zones along the net requires
blockers and defenders to make decisions and communicate assignments. This
preoccupation with movement often gives an uninvolved attacker an opening at
the net to score. An example of this is an X play, in which a middle hitter runs
a slide and the opposite hitter attacks in front of the setter. However, instead of
setting one of the two obvious choices, the setter sets the ball to the outside hitter.
All of these strategies are based on the idea that the more defending players
have to think and the more decisions they have to make, the more slowly they will
react, thereby creating more gaps to score from. This concept is very similar to a
football team using misdirection and movement to freeze defenders, opening gaps
and creating opportunities to score.
Leadership Training
Your setters have to be leaders on your team. By virtue of the position and the
fact that the setter is so heavily involved in directing the team, she must gain the
trust and confidence of her teammates. We have discovered many types of leaders
over the years, and they all have strengths and weaknesses. However, some traits
and behaviors that we have noticed lend themselves to effective leadership more
than others do.
To lead, setters must earn the respect of their teammates. Notice the word earn.
Respect cannot be given—it must be earned. To earn respect, a setter must be one
of the hardest-working players on the team. He must consistently show that he
will bring it every day for the team.
Your setter needs to be a positive influence in your gym. This does not mean
that the setter does not hold teammates accountable for lack of effort, focus, and
so on, but any feedback to them must be delivered in a nonjudgmental manner.
We as coaches need to work with our setters so that they understand how to give
feedback in a positive, nonthreatening way rather than in a negative, destructive
way. At Mizzou, we tell all of our players that their job is to encourage each other
and compliment great play and great effort. No player likes to have a teammate
telling him what to do and how to do it—that is the coach’s job. The only exception
to that rule at Mizzou concerns effort. I believe that a teammate calling another
out because of a lack of effort is fair game, because effort (or lack of it) is a choice!
We want our players to choose wisely.
You can develop leadership skills in your setters by allowing them to practice
leading and giving feedback on how they are leading. Put them in situations in
which they have control of the team or activity, and then give them feedback on
how they interacted with the team. For example, having your setter lead warm-ups
or stretches gives her an opportunity to direct the team in a nonstressful activity.
Directing the team to huddle up periodically during drills and scrimmages, calling
a time-out during a scrimmage, and choosing the team’s practice on a certain day
are all ways setters can practice leadership. Don’t make the mistake of assuming
that your setter knows how to lead! There are countless ways to help your setter
solidify her place as a leader on a daily basis. As a result, when the team gets into a
stressful match environment, the players will trust the setter and follow her with
confidence.
Developing Tactical Skills

As coaches, we need to work very closely with our setters to help them develop a
good understanding of tactics. They need time, on-court practice, and meaningful
feedback to see the game as we see it. You and your setter must be on the same
page about what you are trying to accomplish and how you want your team to
play. Every coach has a philosophy that dictates how the team plays; setters must
understand that philosophy. At Mizzou, we play an up-tempo offense and we want
attack options in multiple positions. When thinking in terms of tactics, our setters
must account for the impacts of their decisions not only on our opponents, but
also on our team. Once again, setters need to remember the adage, don’t attempt
to do tactically what you cannot execute technically.
The two main activities that we use to help our setters gain a better grasp of
game tactics and strategies are video analysis and game-like drill work. Video
analysis gives the coach and setter time to really pick things apart, whereas game-
like drill work involves replicating game situations in practice so that setters are
better prepared come match time.
Spending time with your setters watching videos of practices and matches is
essential for helping them develop a grasp of effective tactics. Getting a clear sense
of what the opponents are doing and how they are responding to the setter’s choices
is very difficult during live play. Video is a great way to help your setter understand
the effects their decisions have on play and whether those decisions are getting
the team the desired results. When we watch videos with our setters, it is a very
two-sided exercise. We ask lots of questions to get them to think through all of
the scenarios they are faced with during competition. For example, we ask them
to pay attention to what the opponent blockers are doing in each rotation. Are
they committing with certain hitters? Are they shading one side? Are they rotating
defensive players a certain way? How did the blockers and defenders respond to
the play set you called? Did they move the way you wanted? If not, why? We ask
lots and lots of questions!
Setters need to think about what they are doing offensively as well—what each
attacker does best and how that fits into the framework of the offense. A major
part of the setter’s job is knowing the type of set each hitter needs to be a good
attacker. Attackers have different sets they can hit well. When calling play sets, the
setter must understand which attack options are available and what types of sets the
attackers are proficient at attacking. Our team is often in a situation in which we
would like to run a particular play set, but we don’t because it does not optimize
the strength of our available attacker. In that case, we defer to the attacker’s best
swing; we would rather have our attacker take her best swing, even if it is against
the opponent’s best blocker.
Situational Training
On-court practice in gamelike situations is best for helping setters develop a clear
understanding of tactics and strategy. As in most of our other drills, we progress
from simple to more complex to give both our setter and our hitters a chance to
feel good about what they are doing and how they are connecting.
Our first priority is making sure our setter and hitters are comfortable execut-
ing the play sets we like to run. We also want to be sure that setters and hitters
understand why we run certain play sets and what we hope to gain. This helps
them understand why certain hitters get set more than others do. We have found
that it motivates the hitters who don’t get set to really sell their fakes because they
understand their role in the larger play set. Working with the setter and hitters
off a simple toss allows coaches to focus on the spacing and timing needed for
running the play well. Once our players understand what we want, we practice
the same play set off a free ball pass and work our way to a pass off a live serve
or dig—once again, moving from simple and easy to more difficult and complex.
Even using this type of progression, we often have to return to simple and easy
drills if the players are struggling. Again, we want them to feel good about what
they are doing rather than frustrated and angry.
Setters also need to feel comfortable working with multiple attackers when play
is moving pretty fast. To do this, we use what we call our three-ball, three-hitter
drill. We use this drill quite a bit, even in pregame warm-ups to get our setters
and hitters moving and thinking. It is very basic, but initially very difficult for our
setters. In this drill the setter has to set three consecutive balls, passed from our
defensive specialists, to any of three hitters (LH, MH, RH) who are attacking and
transitioning. A coach tosses the balls over the net to the defensive specialist to
pass. The three hitters stay until after the third ball is attacked and then rotate
out as a group. What makes this drill particularly difficult for the setter is that the
coach is sending the next ball over as the previous ball is being attacked; hitters
are calling out what set they want, and things are moving pretty fast. Our intent
is to make things chaotic for our setter so she can practice making good decisions
under pressure.
We also find it very helpful to use drills that create blocking situations that we
commonly see, to help our setters make good decisions. For example, we add block-
ers to our three-ball, three-hitter drill to slow it down a bit. We ask our blockers to
make a series of obvious overloads and commits to, again, give our setter practice
at making the right decision. When we do this, we quietly but constantly ask our
setter questions such as “Why did you set that hitter? Are you attacking a certain
blocker, and if so, why?” No matter what our setters set, we want to be sure they
always have a plan!
Another exercise that has worked well for us in developing setters who think
tactically is weighting scoring in drills to either reward or penalize the outcome
of the setter’s decisions. We use bonus points in drills to reward things such as
getting an attacker a one-on-one situation or scoring with a particular play set we
have been practicing. Likewise, we also assess a penalty point if, for example, the
setter sets a middle hitter into a double block. The bonus, or penalty point, scoring
works well because it allows us, the coaches, to focus on a particular part of the
game during live play and it can be easily used for just about any drill.
Conclusion
Your setters are arguably the most important members of your team. Just as all
great football and basketball teams have great quarterbacks and point guards, all
great volleyball teams have great setters. As coaches, we must be heavily invested
in our setters and be willing to spend the time and energy needed to help them
develop into the great players every great team needs. By focusing on their physical,
technical, tactical, and emotional development, we can prepare our setters for the
physical and emotional challenges they will face during competition. Patience is
a key! Training the setter is a complicated and slow process, but also an extremely
rewarding one that forges a bond between setters and coach that lasts forever.
chapter
14
Training Liberos
Er ik Sullivan
What do great liberos look like? Most coaches would agree that they are strong,
athletic, and explosive; they can move around the court easily and quickly; they
have a great touch when they contact the ball and can control it to the spot of
their choosing; and they can communicate at a level that demands the attention
of everyone on the court. Most players excel in one or, if they are lucky, maybe a
few of these areas, but finding players who are great in all of them is very difficult.
The question then becomes how to help athletes grow to excel in all of these areas.
Passing
We use passing as the example of how to train for all the skills a good libero needs.
The other skills are discussed more specifically later in the chapter, including how
to train them. It may be best to first explain how I think about passing and my
philosophy of training athletes to accomplish this skill, as well as the mechanics
behind it.
At the end of the day, controlling the ball is a physics problem. How do we take
a ball in space that has some direction and velocity and redirect it to a particular
area of the court without catching and throwing it? If you think about it, every
skill in volleyball can be addressed in this manner. Once we have figured that out,
the next issue is how to repeat the mechanics of this skill over and over at a high
level. The best way is to make the mechanics and movement of the skill as simple
as possible. We have a tendency to overthink and overcomplicate things.
Players who can create a large, flat platform with the forearms and hold it in
space at the right angle can redirect the ball to where they want it to go. Problem
solved! Great ball controllers can do this while keeping the platform still, or quiet,
relative to the angle they are trying to create to redirect the ball—regardless of
how much movement there is in the rest of their bodies. We spend a lot of time
in practice trying to calm players’ platform movements down. Most of the time,
the ball has enough energy to take it where it needs to go. A libero can take away
or give some energy in subtle ways, but most of the time, the platform should be
fairly still. It should not be swinging in either the vertical or horizontal plane.
163
Above the Waist in Passing

Let’s start by looking at what is happening above the waist as we analyze the
mechanics of passing and playing defense. At the time of contact, the posture
should be forward and slumped. The back should be rounded both vertically and
horizontally. Imagine sitting comfortably at the dinner table, just before your
parents yell at you to sit up straight. This is the correct posture: shoulders forward
and relaxed, elbows straight and locked, and hands held together with fingers
overlapped and thumbs together in the middle. This is the most common and
probably the easiest way to hold the hands when putting the platform together.
However, it is not the only way.
The shoulders should be shrugged forward and pushed out away from the body.
This brings the elbows closer together to create a nice, flat surface. The player
can also rotate the thumbs out, thus rotating the radial bones out and exposing
the less boney parts of the forearms to create a flatter, softer platform. Once the
platform is formed, there should be fairly little movement at the point of contact.
There should not be any swinging in the vertical plane while pivoting from the
shoulders. The angle of the platform to the torso should remain fairly constant,
and any movement to give energy or take it away from the ball should come in a
bunting motion, not a swinging motion. The same goes for the horizontal plane:
the platform should not swing across the incoming path of the ball. Players who
create the proper angle with their shoulders and platform do not have to swing
the platform to get the ball to go where they want it to go.
This swinging motion is probably the most common mistake we see during
passing. It also leads to the most catastrophic errors, typically ending the play or
not allowing the team to run its offense. When players swing the platform, they
increase the amount of motion and add a timing element to passing mechanics
that makes the skill much more difficult to perform consistently. The best analogy
is that of a baseball swing: batters who swing hard make contact, but they have a
hard time controlling where the ball goes and hit a lot of foul balls. When they
want to make sure to control the ball, they bunt. I want our passers to bunt!
How players get to this passing position is just as important as the position itself.
The movement used to establish this position should be minimal, or as quiet as
possible. There is no reason to be flailing all over the place. More movement creates
more chance for error and less chance for repeatability. Remember, players have
to be able to do this over and over and over. Their movements should be quick,
concise, and mechanically efficient. They should begin in a position that closely
resembles the final position. (This is described in more detail in the following sec-
tion, Below the Waist in Passing.) The shoulders should be relaxed and forward,
and the arms should also be relaxed and almost straight. It is a mistake to have the
elbows bent and tucked up next to the body. The motion to get the platform out
should begin by straightening the elbows and reaching the arms out to the proper
position and angle to deflect the ball to where it needs to go (see figure 14.1).
This is followed by putting the hands together to finish the motion of creating
Training Liberosâ•… â•… 165
the platform. This should happen with

one move, without much motion or
swinging of the platform. Again, more
motion equals more chance for error.
The head should be still, with the
chin up and eyes forward. The player
shouldn’t look at the ball contact-
ing the platform, but rather, see it in
peripheral vision without moving the
eyes. It is OK to play the ball in many
positions relative to the body. The ball
does not have to be between the knees
or played at the midline, as long as it is
in a plane that is away from the body
so the player can create angles with
the platform by dropping a shoulder
and rotating around their trunk (see
figure 14.2).
The ability to create this angle
without lifting the platform is instru- Figure 14.1â•… Good forearm platform.
mental. If the player’s platform rises
and becomes more parallel with the
floor, there is a greater chance for the
ball to skip off to the right or left. With
the right angle, the ball will deflect to
where the player wants it to go. Again,
very little movement is necessary when
the angle is right.
Below the Waist in Passing

Now let’s look at what is going on with
the lower body during passing. Being in
a good position of balance helps play-
ers create the proper mechanics above
the waist. The most ideal position is to
have the feet a little wider than shoul-
der width and the toes pointed slightly Figure 14.2â•… Creating a good angle by
dropping a shoulder.
in (pigeon toed); the knees and hips
should be bent, and the back should be
at about a 45-degree angle relative to the floor. One way for players to easily get
into this position is to place their hands on their knees and rest their weight on
their hands (see figure 14.3). As the ball is being served, they take the pressure off
the hands and let the arms relax in front of the body.
This position is very close to the

desired final position when contact-
ing the ball. From here, players can
accomplish the mechanics of this skill
with very little movement.
Unfortunately, not all balls are
served right to passers. The question
then becomes how to move to get into
position to pass the ball. When play-
ers are moving around the court, they
should be able to maintain a balanced
position. They should shuffle their feet,
moving them in unison to keep a wide
base, so that when they do contact the
ball, they can quickly be in a good posi-
tion without a lot of extra movement.
Their weight should be slightly forward
and on the balls of their feet; keeping
the feet slightly pigeon toed helps keep
the posture forward and the body bal-
anced. After determining where the
Figure 14.3â•… Resting position, ready to serve is going, passers should try to
receive a pass.
establish a good, balanced base with
the feet, legs, and lower body before the ball gets there. Once there, they should
use the mechanics described earlier in a concise move with their platform. If they
create a proper angle and hold it true at the point of contact, the ball will deflect
to its desired position.
What if the passer is unable to establish a position of balance relative to the ball?
The player can still pass successfully by maintaining the mechanics above the waist.
It becomes much more difficult, but good passers can hold the platform still and
create good angles in unbalanced positions or when having to move through the
ball. The ability to move quickly around the court obviously reduces the occur-
rence of these situations and helps passers be more constant. However, even the
best players in the world have to play some balls from unbalanced positions.
A big point of emphasis in training passing is quieting down players’ movements.
Passers should be quick, concise, and mechanically efficient. Adding movement to
the mechanics of the skill (e.g., swinging the platform, bending the elbows, moving
the head) increases the chance for error and makes the skill much more difficult
to repeat at a high level.
Defense
The mechanics used when playing defense are very similar to those used when
passing. The platform mechanics and movement to the ball are the same. Again,
athletes should be trained to be calm and still. Often, the increased speed of the
ball when someone is attacking tends to cause defenders to be more aggressive

in their movements. The concept of being quiet with movements and creating a
good angle with the platform is the same for defenders as for passers. Defenders
should be trying to deflect the ball back to the target with the platform. Typically,
we ask our players to be a little more conservative with their ideal targets when
playing defense, and we want their digs to be a little farther off the net and a little
higher than what we would classify as the ideal pass. The posture when playing
defense should be slightly lower than when passing, but again, the idea of having
a solid, balanced base with the weight slightly forward is the same.
Above the Waist During Defense

During defense, players’ shoulders and arms should be relaxed and hanging in
front of the torso. They should have the slumped posture used when passing. If
they are in the proper ready position, the platform should be almost formed. The
defender should be stopped and balanced when the attacker is contacting the
ball to have the best opportunity to react and be in the best position to play the
ball. The motion to dig the ball should begin with the elbows and then the hands
making one move to the ball. Players need to be ready to dig a ball driven hard in
their direction as well as to move and pursue balls that are not hit directly at them.
Below the Waist During Defense

When moving, players should be able to control the platform from an unbal-
anced position (see figure 14.4). They should also be able to get to the floor easily.
There has been a lot of discussion about the technique for getting to the floor in
the men’s game versus the women’s game. Historically, men tended to dive and
sprawl, and women tended to roll. Today, the way of getting to the floor is less
defined between the sexes because many women dive, sprawl, and pancake. We
don’t prefer a specific way; we just want every player to have a couple of safe, quick,
and efficient ways â•‰to get to the floor and get back up quickly. Our players work
Figure 14.4â•… Moving to the floor to dig a ball up.

on four or five ways to get to the floor, so that they are comfortable with these
options as situations arise.
Serving and Setting

In some situations, it makes a lot of sense for the libero to set the second ball when
the setter digs the first. Typically, the libero is the best ball handler and may create
the best opportunity to generate offense in out-of-system situations for the team.
A libero with this duty as part of the job description must be efficient at setting
both with the hands and with the platform. Good court position awareness is also
crucial, so that the libero knows when to set with the hands (behind the attack
line) and when to set with the platform, bump set or setting with the platform (in
front of the attack line). When bump setting, liberos should square up to the target
when possible and use the mechanics they would use when passing (i.e., keep the
platform fairly still, do not use much platform movement or swinging, and use
the legs and body to move up through the ball to shape the set). We expect them
to set the ball high off the net, so the attackers have the best chance to generate
a good swing out of it.
Liberos are also allowed to serve under certain rules and should be part of the
evaluation process to see how they fit into the team’s serving rotation.
Training Liberos
Before we address how to train liberos, you should consider the merits of coach-
driven repetitions versus learning to play by playing. Coach-driven repetitions
allow you to increase the quantity and quality of the contacts of all players on your
team; however, because you are initiating most of the contacts, your players have
fewer opportunities to read and see the game. On the flip side, drills initiated by
the athletes have some inherent inefficiencies that diminish the quantity and quality
of contacts, but they will learn to see the game better through their experiences.
Some coaches firmly believe in one training method over the other and train
their teams accordingly regardless of age or skill level. I do not. I believe that
there is a time and a place for both training methods. I tend to believe that with
younger athletes the coach should be more involved, and as players get older and
more skilled, the training method should shift to more of a playing style.
For example, players who are just beginning to pass need a lot of contacts and
feedback in a controlled environment, off a coach’s toss, to learn proper mechanics
and the fundamentals to build the proper motor skill patterns. As they get more
comfortable and efficient in their mechanics, they should transition to passing from
a tossed ball to a server. There is a definite advantage to players learning to pass
the way they will pass during a match. Last I checked, not too many matches are
played with a coach initiating the first ball. These skills are developed by seeing
the server and recognizing things about body position, ball contact, and slight
variations of the skill, which allows passers to read, or feel, where the ball is going
before it is even in motion. These skills become more important as the level and
speed of the game increase.
Unfortunately, I do not have any magic ball-control or special drill that creates
the perfect libero. This is why I thought it was important to explain my philoso-
phy. The following sections describe the activities I do with beginners as well as
players at the highest level.
Beginner Training
With players just beginning to play volleyball, we try to separate the mechanics
above the waist from those below the waist. We work first on simple platform
formation, hand grip, straight elbows, contact point, and so on. At this point we
introduce a ball from a coach’s toss about 5 to 6 feet away. Players should have
good posture with the lower body, and the ball should come right at them so they
do not need to use any lower-body movement. We then have them move without
introducing a ball, to get an idea of necessary posture as well as foot movement
patterns. Then we bring back the ball and move them around with the toss.
As the movement increases, it is important to stress good fundamental mechanics.
As movement and variability increase, mechanics tend to break down, so players
must create patterns that are desired and mechanically efficient. As they get more
comfortable, you can add more unpredictability and maybe have them pass back
and forth.
The concept of teaching simple, isolated mechanics and then adding movement
and variability can be used at every level, but the starting point is more advanced
for higher-level players. The same concepts apply for teaching defense, serving,
setting, and so on. As players progress, you can increase the distance of the initiated
ball, progress to a served ball, and add other players to increase unpredictability
and variability. Eventually, the progression would lead to more live playing situa-
tions, live serves, passing with multiple players, and passing serve-receive situations.
Advanced Training
As players develop and begin to show some mastery of skills, more repetitions
should come from actual servers. Passers need to learn to pass off a live serve so that
they can learn to see the game. The server gives a lot of subtle cues as to where the
ball is going before and during contact that are important for the passer to identify.
The only way a player can begin to identify these cues is with live repetitions.
On our team we create situations that put the passers at a disadvantage, such
as positioning servers on a stable box a few feet into the court. Even though it is
not gamelike, the passers are still getting repetitions from live servers. Putting the
servers on a stable box makes the passers have to receive tougher serves because
they are contacting the ball from a higher point and the trajectory of the ball tends
to be flatter and therefore more difficult to pass.
Digging Training
When training digging, we also progress from coach-driven repetitions to more
live repetitions as players develop. We like to separate what is going on above and
below the waist for players who are just beginning. At the lowest level, we hit balls
right at diggers, so that they are not required to move much and they can focus on
platform formation, position, body posture, and good platform angle formation
to deflect the ball. Players also practice some movements without the ball: shuf-
fling out of base position to other desired defensive positions, sprawling, rolling,
and pancaking (see figure 14.5). As they get more comfortable with mechanics,
we combine the two training methods by adding movements to coach-driven
repetitions and changing where the ball is hit relative to players’ body positions.
Figure 14.5â•… A player uses a pancake move to play the ball up.
Proper Stance for Diggers

Like passers, diggers need to have quiet, concise movements. Very often, players,
especially young ones, have a lot of movement going on that is unnecessary. At the
point of contact, the feet should be stopped and on the floor, the shoulders should
be relaxed with a forward posture, and the elbows should be relatively straight and
hanging in front of the body. Again, as in passing, players’ platform movements to
the ball should begin with locking the elbows, moving the arms to the desired posi-
tion (good angle) in one motion, and then locking the hands together to complete
the platform. A common mistake is locking the hands together first and swinging
the platform to the desired position. This can lead to a lot of variability in ball
contact, especially as the speed of the game increases because it creates timing
and extra motion issues. Diggers need to be still for as long as possible to be able
to see the game. We see many players who are moving a lot but not really going
anywhere when they are defending. Players should be still, see the play develop,
read the attackers, and then react.
Advanced Digging Skills

As diggers progress, so should live repetitions. The ability to see hitters and read the
mechanics and body positions of attackers are very important skills for defenders
and are very often undeveloped. At the higher levels, diggers should still get some
coach-driven repetitions, but only for a short period of practice. There is some
value in refining skills in a controlled environment (e.g., off a coach-driven ball),
but the majority of training should be in more live situations with a full defense
on the court because diggers need to be able to function within the team defensive
systems and concepts.
Although this chapter is not about training setting and serving, both can be
parts of liberos’ duties. When this is the case, both should be trained extensively.
Liberos in Training Sessions

Liberos should be part of every drill and active throughout team training sessions.
There are always ways to incorporate them into drills even if the focus is not part
of their required duties. For example, when we are doing an out-of-system hitting
drill, we may have our libero set the ball to create the out-of-system situation,
or we may have her contact the first ball and control it to a position on the court
that allows us to function within the drill parameters. If it is impossible to involve
liberos in practice, make sure they are active, maybe peppering among themselves
or getting repetitions from a coach in another part of the gym.
Mental Training
Liberos also need to develop their mental game. This can be a very big asset not
only for them, but also for the team. If your libero is the best ball controller on
your team and you can teach her to be aggressive and take more balls in a bigger
area on the court, this can dramatically increase your first-ball contact results. Also,
if you can teach your libero to share your mind-set in terms of what you would
like to see from your passers and defenders, she can be a court coach for you and
your team. A libero who can help direct traffic in the back row and in serve receive
can be invaluable.
Conclusion
Great liberos are huge assets to their teams, although they are often overlooked
because they typically do not score a lot of points. However, more often than
not, great teams have great liberos who prevent a lot of points from being scored
against them. These players can be the ball-control glue that holds their teams
together. Many act as back-row coaches on the court directing traffic during the
game. Spending time and effort on training your libero can definitely make your
team better.
Part f ou r
Match preparation
and strategy
chapter
15
Deliberate Practice Concepts
Gyl ton B. Da M atta, PhD
Considered by many to be the ultimate team sport, volleyball is very challenging

to teach, learn, and play. The skills and fundamentals of the game—such as jump
serving, passing a 60 mph ball, setting with high accuracy, spiking using advanced
shots, triple blocking, and digging using a dive or roll—require complex instruc-
tion. As such, practice must be deliberate. Anyone can learn volleyball skills, but
exceptional performance requires a systematic teaching regimen through clinics,
camps, classes, or courses. Players and coaches must plan for the deliberate practice
of prioritized tasks and skills to achieve their goals (Ericsson, 1996).
Practice is the key wherever volleyball is taught. Applied, deliberate practice takes
place at schools, clubs, and national development centers to develop fine motor
skills, volleyball-specific speed, and the motor ability to perform in game situa-
tions. This chapter introduces deliberate practice theory as applied to volleyball.
Volleyball Development and the Role

of Practice
Over the past 20 years, some countries have consistently performed well in world-
class volleyball competitions. The key to their success has been a commitment to
quality and quantity in terms of practice (FIVB, 2014). For instance, from 1992
until the present, the Brazilian Volleyball Federation has been ranked one of the
top in the world. Deliberate practice has been a primary reason.
In the early 1980s, the former USSR team as well as the U.S. men’s team showed
the world that expertise could be maintained using scientific training principles and
a strong social support system. High levels of commitment, effort, resources, and
practice (both quantity and quality) explain the gold legacy of volleyball teams in
the past and present. The literature shows that deliberate practice can positively
affect the development of volleyball across all ages and levels.
Volleyball athletes reach their peak performance at approximately age 26. Thus,
the volleyball community needs to understand that winning a national champion-
ship at age 12, although fun, is not as meaningful as developing a player who can
175
play for a lifetime. Also, because the neuromuscular system determines the outcome
of motor performances, more practice is only helpful if it is quality practice.
I recommend intensive training for young players who express a willingness to
put in the effort, time, and resources to work toward playing on national volleyball
teams. All volleyball players should practice no less than three times per week, and
additional physical conditioning and technical practices should bring their total
commitment to five times per week. This is important to acquire the physiological
adaptations for fine motor skills (Ericsson, 2000). Also important to consider are
critical windows of learning, maturational factors, and balancing other variables
such as social life and schooling (Knudson & Morrison, 1997).
What Is Deliberate Practice Theory (DPT)?

Scientific evidence suggests a direct relationship between practice and expertise. To
achieve expertise, a performer must engage in many years or thousands of hours
of practice specifically designed to enhance performance. Such practice requires
a substantial commitment of resources and effort as well as inner motivation.
Performers must also balance their active practices with proper rest to prevent
injuries and maximize their neurophysiological adaptations.
Expert coaches consistently develop elite athletes (e.g., John Wooden and
Dean Smith in basketball). According to Bloom (1985) and Ericsson, Krampe, and
Tesch-Römer (1993), expert coaches use a deliberate practice theory framework.
Many say that coaches coach the way they were coached; however, expert coaches
produce expert players consistently by adopting effective teaching strategies from
a motor development and motor learning stand-point.
In the volleyball community, a common term related to expertise is effective
coaching. Coaches view it as coaching that results in outcomes related to win–loss
records (or percentages), individual player development, or success at the national
or international level. In deliberate practice, however, long-term athlete develop-
ment is a major focus. Positive psychological responses such as a perception of
good court skills; high self-esteem; personal best scores at elite competitions;
intrinsic motivation to practice for long periods of time; and high levels of enjoy-
ment, enthusiasm, and satisfaction are considered deliberate practice achievements.
An important educational notion is that play requires skills. To develop motor
skills, athletes need to learn them properly and in the context in which they will
perform them. So, teaching volleyball skills requires planning, changing the envi-
ronment, providing simulations, and creating situations that elicit the acquisition
of those skills. Elite players should experience a process best described as play-
practice-play:
1. Play: Athletes develop intrinsic motivation through playing the game.
2. Practice: Athletes embrace the commitment to practice smart and to refine
sport-specific skills.
3. Play: Athletes enjoy greater abilities at play throughout their careers.
Deliberate Practice Conceptsâ•… â•… 177
The Link to Teaching Games for Understanding

One way to develop game literacy in students is to use the Teaching Games for
Understanding (TGfU) model. Steeped in constructivist approaches to teach-
ing, the TGfU curricular model was originally introduced to address concerns
expressed by Bunker and Thorpe in 1982 surrounding student illiteracy in
games (Werner, Thorpe and Bunker, 1996). In this approach, students learn
games by playing them rather than learning isolated skills and sport-specific
tactics. Using tactical problems and solutions that transcend a variety of games
as the backbone, this model helps students learn not only what they need to
succeed in games, but also, and perhaps more important, when and why to
make certain decisions in dynamic game contexts. The TGfU model creates
better and more knowledgeable game players, but also motivates participants
as they take part in a variety of games.
According to DPT in volleyball, play-practice-play should also be the structure

of one practice session aligned with the goals and objectives planned by the coach.
We know that playing volleyball without the proper skills is not ideal. More expo-
sure to the game enables children to understand it and develop a passion to play
the sport for a long-term (Lund & Tannehill, 2010).
Players who acquire the confidence to perform through practice are the ones
who succeed at high-performance camps and national tryouts. They are the ones
recruited to play in college, at the international level, and professionally (Côté,
Baker, & Abernethy, 2003).
Skill acquisition requires motor prerequisites and fundamental motor skills. Play-
ers without a proper motor foundation have difficulty learning skills and therefore
playing the game. Skill learning that is not stored in long-term memory is often
forgotten after short periods of time without practice. Many expert coaches believe
that teaching skills randomly (e.g., technical circuit training) increases retention
(Newell, 1986; Morrow, Jackson, Disch, & Mood, 2010). Technical circuit training
presents the most critical tasks, from simple to complex, in practice sessions that
involve 9 or 10 tasks at 12 to 15 stations. Following is an example:
1. Footwork for spiking, transitioning to block, and going back to play defense.
2. Footwork for passing, transitioning into a player’s hitting line, and approach-
ing to spike.
3. Side landing on a mat after simulating digging a volleyball using a side lunge.
4. Stationary arm swings in an 8-inch box using a tennis racket to elicit maximal
reach and the midline follow-through.
5. Footwork for blocking, with and without jumping, as a progression for
dynamic blocking; landing on a mat to practice safety and accuracy.
6. Passing simulation with elastic bands while keeping the body leaned forward
and maintaining proper forearm position.
7. Dynamically catching and pushing a medicine ball (3 lb) to simulate setting.

8. Catching and pushing a basketball while focusing on finishing the follow-
through position of hands and body extension.
9. Serving a volleyball from an elevated plane or safe box to develop tossing
accuracy and contact accuracy for a floater serve.
10. Hitting a ball hanging from elastic (adjusted to the player’s reach) while
landing on a mat.
11. Acquiring advanced shots; hitting mini-volleyballs in and out of the midline
to spike around blockers.
12. Passing forward against a wall with and without a bounce.
An example of applying deliberate practice to a volleyball situation involves
teaching players how to perform dynamic blocking without drifting. The players
execute the dynamic blocking movement and land on a mat. Another example
addresses problem solving for hitters spiking against a blocker. Coaches teach their
players the advanced skills of hitting across or outside the lines of their bodies
so they can hit around blockers. Some coaches believe that players are born with
certain cognitive and psychomotor abilities; however, according to deliberate
practice theory, those who do not learn the skills of hitting will not be able to hit
around blockers (Da Matta, 2004).
Coaches have not succeeded at teaching a given task or skill until their athletes
can perform it consistently. When a player is learning, for instance, how to set
properly, the coach must use the deliberate practice strategy of having the player
repeat the skill in different ways (variability of practice). Balancing the frequency
and intensity of practice to optimize learning can be difficult. Elite coaches often
use breaks in their practice sessions to control the dosage and intensity of effort
(Ericsson, 2000; Morrow, Jackson, Disch, & Mood, 2010).
Rest, both during and between practice sessions, is an important factor in long-
term athlete development.
Expert Coaches Develop Expert Athletes

One of the tenets of DPT applied to volleyball is that athletes learn through
observation. For volleyball players, learning and improving relies on the ability to
see important details on a player’s own technique as well as in the playing styles
of other role models. They learn from watching each other, but primarily from
modeling, for instance, seeing experts playing, even by closely observing their own
coaches. A smart and expert coach creates an environment in which performance
with proper form is visible to all learners. If seeing is believing, then doing is
practicing! The specific motor skills of volleyball are acquired through practice
that engages multiple senses. People learn motor skills by doing, repeating, and
engaging in meaningful, effortful, and specific movement tasks.
Ideally, coaches should modify the environment for their athletes. In volleyball,
each skill (serving, passing, setting, attacking, blocking, and digging) is unique;
however, many other abilities are required to play the game well. For instance, a
player must understand the game, have body and ball control, and avoid making
unnecessary mistakes (i.e., unforced errors). Sport fundamentals, physical abilities
(e.g., vertical jump, agility, coordination, timing, dexterity), and mental (or cogni-
tive) skills are critical at all levels of performance. The practice environment should
elicit motor responses that directly transfer to the motor skills in volleyball. For
this reason, coaches must create practice situations that best resemble the game
(Morrow et al., 2010).
Spiking a ball in a closed skill situation might help young and late-maturing
players acquire proper spiking form. The environment can promote finesse and
expertise by having posters of top performers exhibiting excellent technique. Proper
modeling and video feedback are highly recommended when teaching both elite
and beginner players.
Brazilian Model of Training

In Brazil, very experienced athletes teach youth so that young protégé athletes
can emerge. The athlete pool in women’s volleyball is very limited in this country,
where soccer and social roles represent two huge constraints on women’s sport
participation. Nonetheless, Brazil has one of the top volleyball programs in the
world. It has embraced deliberate practice that focuses on (1) early initiation and
late specialization, (2) assigning elite coaches to develop athletes at the grassroots
level, (3) compensatory movement training, (4) volleyball-specific injury preven-
tion, and (5) an elite system of training based on sport science principles and sport
pedagogy (Da Matta, 2004).
An example of how Brazilian coaches start players early and specialize them
late is the age at which players serve. Players at the U12 level underhand serve
only; those at the U13 and U14 level use overhead serves only, and jump serves
are allowed only for players 16 and older. Brazilian gold medalists revealed that
they had experienced the compensatory development of motor skills and special
physical abilities programs designed for volleyball. In this sense, “compensatory”
means that when a late-maturing player commits to his or her process of train-
ing, practice represents a “catch-up” process. Therefore, coaches must assess what
motor patterns or motor skills are missing in order to teach them in a timely
manner. As a result of constant testing and self-improvement, most elite players
in Brazil understand the importance of reviewing their basic skills both in prac-
tice and competition. Moreover, the same gold medalists reported being trained
under developmentally appropriate systems of play (e.g., nine players on a club
team with equal playing time, using varying net heights for younger players, no
jump serves under 14). In fact, the acquisition of proficient skills such as timing,
full body extension in the air, and understanding the flow of the game represent
some of these building blocks in athletes’ physical and cognitive repertoire. One
example of cognitive skills is an athlete’s ability to understand the game, know
about tactics, and develop critical thinking skills under pressure. Thus, the bal-
ance between practicing and playing (tactical development) is the key concept in
deliberate practice in volleyball (Werner, Thorpe & Bunker, 1996).
Elite Brazilian players reported that when learning volleyball, they proceeded
through a sequence of phases that represented stages of tactical development (Da
Matta, 2004). With its simple-to-complex approach, deliberate practice exposes
players to the game on day one, during which they learn some critical volleyball
fundamentals. Following are the five levels of learning proposed by the FIVB
through mini-volleyball.
Five Levels of Mini-Volleyball
1. Catch and throwing game (1v1; 2v2).

2. Setting and passing with a bounce (1v1; 2v2).
3. Serving, setting, passing, and spiking with and without a bounce (3v3).
4. Same as level 3 with no bounce, but adding rotation. When the ball is over
the net, players rotate.
5. Underhand serve, all skills, no bounce (4v4 up to 6v6).
The skills of a volleyball player can be compared to those of a violinist or piano
player. If a young piano player misses a note, would it be appropriate to slap the
child’s hand? Would it be effective to punish him by making him run the steps of
a stadium? The answer is clearly no. Coaches should reflect on the consequences
of punishment in elite volleyball training. More than 8 out of 10 expert athletes
reported that they had never been punished for making a mistake during a game.
Their coaches likewise reported that they found corporal punishment unneces-
sary and obsolete.
Brazilian volleyball teams have been successful in the past two decades for a
variety of reasons. Both athletes and coaches have reported success with using
sport-specific movements during training along with analysis and technical and
tactical assessments. Volleyball programs also use a coach development program
that is aligned with physical education. Adult programs have become privatized
and professionalized with corporate support, and children’s volleyball programs
have been created at the grassroots level.
Deliberate Practice in Action

In essence, volleyball players who want to achieve greatness must practice a lot.
Practice improves performance. A player learning how to set needs to perform
setting tasks that rely on the whole spectrum of setting skills, all possible situa-
tions, and all possible modified equipment such as a volleyballs, lighter volleyballs,
basketballs, medicine balls, and trainer volleyballs.
Quality of Practice
Variable practice, skills assessments, individualization, and customized approaches
are some of the basic DPT principles for volleyball. For instance, to develop a
follow-through at the midline, players use dumbbells and tennis rackets to create
the desired outcome (elbow high, contact at maximal reach, and follow-through
at the midline). Practice quality is directly related to teaching practices that result
in the permanent learning of correct (effective and efficient) movement patterns.
Good planning is one characteristic of a quality practice. Other characteristics
are appropriate coach-to-athlete ratios, enough equipment, quality space, enough
time allocated to optimal practice, and an atmosphere that promotes learning.
Volleyball is an ideal sport for elementary, middle, and high school age children.
Good coaches are good teachers, but to achieve excellence, coaches must be experts
in designing practice sessions. I have asked 12 top coaches to design 10 practice
sessions that they would recommend for clubs and for schools.
The following are some examples of lessons plans in a very condensed format.
Teaching Volleyball with Expertise in Mind

(10 practice sessions)
Practice Session 1
Show a master’s volleyball video
History and development of the modern volleyball game
Ball-handling and manipulative drills for setting with a basketball: mimic
setting (catch/throw)
Ready position game floor ball (strike in low position)
Coordination, body posture, and footwork for spike approach without a
ball (moving dynamically)
Macro game (attention “change” focus) warm-up with spike approach
sequence with tennis balls
Arm swing progression: volley balls against a wall
Setting form and technique progression with a basketball
Multiple-contact setting (add pressure from a partner)
Sitting: pass with a partner (lying and sitting)
Constantly moving or changing positions
Talking aloud what they do
(continued)
Teaching Volleyball with Expertise in Mind (10 practice sessions)â•… (continued)
Practice Session 2
Sitting sets from a partner: Placement-draw-hold-push
Setting on knee from a partner toss
Setting back and forth with a bounce
Mini-volleyball: 2v2 Changing positions and focusing on talking aloud
Video on mini-volleyball
Warm-up: review spike
Review setting and establishing parameters. Setting from P3/P2 facing to
P4S1: Multiple contacts from various points close to the center court,
squared to P4:
–â•fiS1::Multicontacts
–â•fiS2: Catch and throw a basketball
–â•fiS3: Set back and forth with a bounce and set to
Practice Session 3
Introduction to passing
Video on passing: Show the whole skill
Ready position: Describe and explain preparation phase, execution, and
follow-through
Run-through; catch volleyball before it goes off court
Catch tennis balls on the floor
Teach grip pattern, arm positions, shoulders, and base of support
Practicing platform without a ball; then self-passing with a bounce and
then self-passing with no bounce
Passing against a wall I: Multiple contacts close to the wall
Passing against a wall II: Passing off the wall, but let it bounce once
Passing against a wall III: Passing 10 feet away from the wall, no bounce
Mini-volleyball 2v2: setting only three bounces
Warm-up: blocking, attacking transition routes
Passing and setting I, II, III
Pass-set: Pass it over triangle drill. A back row player passes the ball to
the setter, who sets to an attacker, who passes the ball over the net; the
coach initiates this ball control drill will a toss, a downball, or a serve
Play 2v2 doubles
Practice Session 4
Underhand serve progression: Base of support, hitting arm fully extended
back, contact the ball with hands open, follow through with hitting arm
pointed at the target
Play, play, and play class: A whole practice dedicated to playing volleyball
(Play 1v1 with modified rules; play 2v2 like beach volleyball, play 4v4
and then play 6v6)
182
Mini-volleyball: 3v3 bounces, use motivational fun scoring system (1
point for opponent’s mistakes, 2 points for aces, 3 points for three hits
followed by a kill, 4 points for blocking, and 5 points for exceptional
plays such as long rallies)
Practice Session 5
Warm-up: Shadow drill routes and movement training (no balls)
Blocking and attack routes
4v4: Setting and following the ball (passing)
Ball control drill: Pepper with a pass, set, spike; Pepper using tips, roll
shots, then ball control with down balls and finally with a jump at the
moment of the spike
Hitting lines off a partner’s tosses
Ball control drill over the net, playing in half-court
Mini-volleyball: 4v4, one bounce
Three touches
Underhand serve, then serving from the ground, then jump-serving
Center front sets and blocks
Practice Session 6
Warm-up: Arms
Butterfly drill
Ball control I, II, III
Pepper 2 v 2, three hits mandatory
Mini-volleyball
Right-side sets
Only left front hits
Practice underhand serve on targets
Cool-down, homework, official rules
Practice Session 7
Warm-up: History of volleyball
Arm warm-up against a wall (focus on reach and snapping the wrist)
Overhead floater serve, then overhead jump-floater serves
Hitting lines: 2s and 4s followed by playing queen of the court 3v3
Mini-volleyball: 5v5 right-side sets, left-front hits
Practice overhead serve
Cool-down: relaxation
Health-related fitness: Aerobic resistance and cardiorespiratory founda-
tion for fitness and for life
(continued)
183
Teaching Volleyball with Expertise in Mind (10 practice sessions)â•… (continued)
Practice Session 8
Warm-up: Video on 6v6 (teaching the 4-2, 6-2 and 5-1 systems)
Hitting review: Focus on reaching the ball at the peak of the jump and
landing properly
Setting sequence I, II
Passing sequence I, II
Pepper 3v3 I, II
Volleyball game: 6v6, center-front sets
Homework: Compare beach and indoor volleyball
Conditioning for volleyball: Muscular strength, muscular endurance, flex-
ibility, and body composition
Practice Session 9
Warm-up: 6 × 6 shadow drill
Front-row block and off blocker cover
Pepper I, II, III
Triples: King of the court
4v4 motivational scoring system
6v6 modified game, situational training, lower net/higher net, and special
scoring (3 points for stuff blocking or 5 points for winning long rallies)
Homework: Volleyball website research (Visit www.usavolleyball.org)
Self-assessment
Practice Session 10
Warm-up: Playing triples; back row exchange or queen/king of the court
Volleyball tournament or volleyball festival
Assessment, rules, strategies and technique, theoretical test
Video or rubric: Assessment process or product
Health-related fitness: Volleyball for a lifetime; why is volleyball a lifelong
sport?
Strategies to Prevent Injuries

Proper equipment is crucial for preventing injuries; mats can be used for tumbling
and practicing landing and rolling, and a blocking net can prevent balls from coming
under players. Using easy tasks, progressing to more difficult tasks, and using
analysis from simple to complex leads to permanent learning and build players’
confidence as they move toward learning tough skills such as emergency landing
on defense. When doing extensive jump sessions in practice, it is recommended

to use mats or simply implement the randomized training approach.
Redefining Fun in Volleyball

Using clean, colorful, and purposeful equipment that is safe and facilitates learn-
ing is highly recommended in applied deliberate practice in volleyball. Attention,
finesse, and good decision making are required in deliberate practice tasks. Good
coaches use their training, but they also use common sense during their practices.
Variability of practice, creativity, and science can go hand in hand. Practice tasks
must be challenging and realistic enough to be translated into game situations. A
whole technical circuit can be implemented at low cost by using typical middle
school physical education equipment.
The organization of practice depends on the available space, equipment, time,
and personnel. At national-level practices, many volunteer coaches might be avail-
able to create one-on-one deliberate practice tasks in the gym. However, both in
colleges and clubs, normally one coach or a coach and an assistant must deliver
all training sessions. Redefining fun also means that it can be fun to learn chal-
lenging skills. Volleyball is a sport that requires a high level of proficiency in order
for players to have fun. Practicing complex skills may not always be fun, but the
fun can only last so long without those skills. Coaches can explain to players that
learning new skills is a new way to define fun.
Practice Variability and Task Specificity

Volleyball is a fun and complex sport to learn, but this does not mean that it is
difficult. According to modern sport principles, athletes should experience game-
play situations in which they can succeed during the first day of practice. When I
asked the top four coaches in Brazil which skill they would teach first, they were
unanimous: spiking! For expert coaches, motivation and readiness to learn are
keys to success. When a player demonstrates high motivation to learn a skill, the
coach can associate other skills to that one and create deliberate practice tasks in
which the player can succeed in the whole spectrum of content.
For instance, from a tactical approach, a coach can show a player who loves
spiking (the motivational task) that without a good set and a good pass, a good
spike is unlikely. The practice can present the chain of skills that happen before
and after the motivational task, which can then be translated into a game situation.
From a technical development approach, all prerequisites (e.g., understanding the
whole skill, moving toward the ball, properly using the arms to jump, mastering
timing, contacting the ball with the hands open, and landing safely) are critical
in spiking situations. The association of spiking with other skills becomes the
next building block based on the fact that spiking is highly fun and motivational.
When planning practice, coaches must list all content they intend to teach and
then organize the content in a way that the athletes can easily assimilate and
apply. Expert coaches understand the importance of teaching volleyball skills

adopting a “random training” versus a “block training” approach. However, the
combinations of skills can be organized in a logical order that directly represents
game situations and can be presented according to their complexity. In DPT, task
presentations can be very specific to the performance context, therefore it is better
to associate the skills in the order they happen in the game than in a scattered
way. For instance, in a randomized approach, it makes sense to prescribe a player
to serve-receive, attack a ball, and move into a home-base position (complex 1)
or to serve, then get onto the court to perform a defense and after that, attack a
ball from the back row (complex 2). Other skill associations could be: spike, block,
defense; serve, serve receive, set, and spike; or block, transition off the net, dig,
and spike. These associations of skills characterize the situational training in DPT
applied to volleyball.
In a research study in which I interviewed 18 experts players about how they
learned to play volleyball, 60 percent answered that they played with physical edu-
cators at the age of 11 to 14 using the following sequence: catching and throwing
concept games; floor ball (low body posture and striking game); change (inclusion,
movement, and attention game in dynamic volleyball settings); introduction of
the spike; serve and manipulative skills using highly organized progressions; and
introduction of setting, passing, and ball control in modified games that allowed
long rallies (Da Matta, 2004; FIVB, 2014).
To understand the process of learning a complex skill, let’s consider the spike.
Every volleyball player wants to spike, but being an all-around player is the new
volleyball standard. A player learning to spike must understand the relationships
among all skills, movement patterns, and situations. A single analysis of a complex
skill can be deceiving. When teaching volleyball, coaches must understand that
open skills require control and reduced parameters. Closed skills, however, require
task extensions toward teaching progressions. In the case of spiking, coaches often
design tasks with too much information for the nervous systems, making them far
too difficult for learners. When beginners see a single picture of a spike movement,
they often store that picture in their minds. To learn the appropriate movement
patterns, however, they should see the whole skill. So, it is highly recommended
that coaches use video clips instead of still shots when teaching complex skills.
Pictorial analysis and posters showing the whole sequence of movements are also
adequate. The FIVB (International Volleyball Federation) in collaboration with
USA Volleyball has issued a series of posters depicting all fundamental skills. These
graphic instructional materials are powerful tools for beginner and intermediate
level players. As players move into higher levels of expertise the use of e-tutorials
(electronic video clips) and the use of videos become more appropriate. The
advancement of video technology accessibility allows coaches to use e-tutorials
to provide a better model for learners because they show the whole movement as
it really happens in the game.
Biomechanics and Motor Learning Theory

Teaching analysis, skills acquisition, and knowledge of performance must be fol-
lowed by an assessment to document improvement (Robertson, Caldwell, Hamill,
Kamen, & Whittlesey, 2014). That means that after a sequence of three-four weeks
of practice, athletes should be assessed on their level of improvement. Therefore,
coaches and athletes can use any video devices such as smartphones, tablets, or
mini-cameras to film practices and games in the beginning of the season and
then film it again at the end of the season. Technology becomes an essential tool
to facilitate learning. In DPT, coaches use video technology to provide visual
feedback and to prime learners to acquire new concepts and skills in the near
future. In order to better understand the use of video clips in assessing athletes’
performances, expert coaches adopt rubrics or checklists for fundamental skills
(Gabbett, Georgieff, & Domrow, 2007). The following checklists can be used
to assess players’ performances on a few skills. They can be helpful in tracking
players’ progress throughout the season and in planning practices (Robertson,
et al, 2014).
Assessment Rubric: Floater Serve
Skill performance
Name: _________________________________ Score: _____/ 36 points
E-mail: ___________________ Phone: ______________________
Evaluator: ___________________
Task: _________________________________________________
Preparation phase: goal setting, imagery

• Base of support (wide, feet staggered) ______
• Body leaning back (weight back, ready to shift forward) ______
• Holding ball at chest level; elbow of holding arm extended;
hitting arm open; hands pronated (facing out) ______
Execution phase: hip action, javelin, palm out

• Simultaneous lift and hip extension; inhalation ______
• Lift ball toward forehead ______
• Shoulder rotation (fully) ______
• Compact contact at the midline, in front of the body ______
• Freeze and continue arm action at the midline ______
Follow-through phase: midline, extension

• Finish weight transfer ______
• Exhale; extend body to target ______
• Get low and relax for next action ______
• Move into court (go to base) ______
0 = absent; 1 = inconsistent; 2 = consistent; 3 = proficient
188
Assessment Rubric: Passing (Underhand or Overhead)
Skill performance
E-mail: ___________________ Phone: ______________________
Evaluator: ___________________
Task: _________________________________________________
Preparation phase: tracking and anticipating

• Ready position (good judgment of server; wait to get low) ______
• Tracking and staying calm; confident! ______
• Lock out early and watch ball ______
Execution phase: finesse, square to target

• Wide base of support ______
• Hunch back, shoulders shrugged ______
• Elbows completely extended ______
• Heart-shaped grip ______
• Contact at forearm; looking at target ______
Follow-through phase: freeze and transition

• Push to target ______
• Move forward ______
• Hold platform 2 seconds ______
• Transition into new action (prep to spike, cover) ______
189
Assessment Rubric: Setting
Skill performance
E-mail: ___________________ Phone: ______________________
Evaluator: ___________________
Task: _________________________________________________
Preparation phase: read, track, relax

• Tracking ball—reading pass ______
• Shape ball with wrists in dorsiflexion ______
• Ready position (coiled) ______
Execution phase: see and analyze (whole picture)

• Get under ball and hold ball ______
• Bend elbows and knees ______
• Square to target ______
• Spring into action (extend knees and elbows) ______
• Finish with hands wide open (pancake) ______
Follow-through phase: freeze and transition

• Freeze 1 second ______
• Step in target direction ______
• Relax ______
• Transition ______
190
Assessment Rubric: Spiking
Skill performance
E-mail: ___________________ Phone: ______________________
Evaluator: ___________________
Task: _________________________________________________
Preparation phase: see, anticipate, relax

• Pass, get ready ______
• Shuffle, shuffle, read the set ______
• Relax, balance forward ______
Execution phase: relax and relax

• Approach: foot pattern (right, left, right-left) for
the right handed player or (left, right, left-right)
for the left handed ______
• Wide backward arm swing ______
• Breaking step (heels, toes) ______
• Upward arm swing, hands out, telescope, karate, snap wrist ______
• Maximal reach, shoulder upward ______
Follow-through phase: relax and finish

• Snapped wrist ______
• Arm at midline ______
• Land softly ______
• Transition into new action ______
191
Assessment Rubric: Blocking—Dynamic Action
Skill performance
E-mail: ___________________ Phone: ______________________
Evaluator: ___________________
Task: _________________________________________________
Preparation phase
• Watch pass, setter, hitter ______
• Front projection of hitter’s approach ______
• Load and delay (explode if late) ______
Execution phase
• Extend and mark quick set ______
• Giant step outside ______
• Close step, jump, and arm swing ______
• Front net; penetrate block ______
• Push to middle of court ______
Follow-through phase
• Keep arms high ______
• Outside hand turned in ______
• Land softly and balanced ______
• Transition into new action (base) ______
192
Assessment Rubric: Defense
Skill performance
E-mail: ___________________ Phone: ______________________
Evaluator: ___________________
Task: _________________________________________________
Preparation phase
• Base, read, release ______
• Low posture ______
• Body balanced forward ______
Execution phase
• Move forward ______
• Heart-shaped grip ______
• Crown (cross thumbs back) ______
• Dig ball up to middle of court ______
• Good use of shoulder roll or side landing ______
Follow-through phase
• Continuity of movement ______
• Base to release ______
• Talking ______
• Relax; be cool on hard-driven spikes ______
193
Conclusion
Volleyball players have achieved a level of performance never seen before. The
technical training, physical conditioning, and technology adopted by top teams
in the world have established a new paradigm as well as new standards that top
coaches have adopted, adapted, and incorporated into their practices. Teams that
invest in research, technical development, and long-term athlete development will
advance their performances and stand out from their opponents and counterparts.
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Related Links
www.fivb.org
www.fivb.ch/EN/Programmes/minivolleyball.asp
www.volleyballadvisors.com/volleyball-blocking-drills.html
Related Articles
Mandigo, J.L. (2003). Using problem-based learning to enhance tactical awareness in
target games. In J. Butler, L. Griffin, B. Lombardo, & R. Natasi (Eds.), Teaching games
for understanding in physical education and sport: An international perspective (pp. 15-28).
Oxon Hill, MD: National Association for Sport and Physical Education.
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games to enhance teaching effectiveness. Teaching Elementary Physical Education, 14
(1), 8-11.
Mandigo, J.L., & Holt, N.L. (2003, October 17). A practitioners guide to Teaching Games
for Understanding. Oral presentation at the Ontario Physical and Health Education
Conference, Orillia, Ontario.
Mandigo, J.L., & Holt, N.L. (2000). The inclusion of optimal challenge in teaching
games for understanding. Physical and Health Education Journal, 66 (3), 14-19.
Mandigo, J.L., & Sheppard, J. (2003, October 25). Putting the “U” back into games:
Pedagogical principles in Teaching Games for Understanding. Oral presentation at the
Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, & Dance Confer-
ence, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Mandigo, J.L., & Sheppard, J. (2003, December 12). Children’s affective experiences in
TGfU game environments. Presentation at the Second International Conference on
Teaching Sport and Physical Education for Understanding, Melbourne, Australia.
Sheppard, J., & Mandigo, J. L. (2003, December 11). Understanding games by play-
ing games: An illustrative example of Canada’s Play Sport program. Presentation at the
Second International Conference on Teaching Sport and Physical Education for
Understanding, Melbourne, Australia.
chapter
16
Scouting Opponents
the Right Way
Joe Tr insey
Over the course of a season, volleyball coaches make thousands of decisions about
their teams. They instruct players on the fundamental skills, teach strategy, plan
practices, and handle administrative duties. At many levels of play, coaches have
two other important tasks: scouting opponents and preparing game plans. At its
core, a game plan is a simple thing; it’s a statement of what your team needs to do
to maximize its chances of defeating an opponent. Some challenges are involved in
scouting and game planning, but a coach must always remember to go back to
this basic definition.
What Is a Game Plan?

The three main aspects of scouting an opponent and preparing a game plan are
gathering the scouting information and building the game plan, presenting the
game plan to the team, and executing the game plan in a match. This chapter
addresses all of these aspects. It also addresses one of the most important, yet
often forgotten, parts of scouting and game planning: analyzing the results of the
match and the effectiveness of the game plan. After reading this chapter, coaches
who are new to scouting and game plans should have an idea of how to start the
process, and coaches who are experienced scouts should have a new idea or two
that can help their teams win one more point in the next match.
A good game plan considers both teams involved in the matchup. Some coaches
get so caught up in the opponent that they forget to consider what their own team
can and cannot do. For sure, things such as gathering statistical information on
opposing passers, charting serving and attacking tendencies, analyzing rotations
(and all of the other things discussed in this chapter) are very important. Yet all
of them go out the window if the team doesn’t execute the game plan properly,
or if the plan doesn’t mesh with the system the team has been playing all year.
197
A game plan, then, is not just preparation for an opponent, but an expression of
what you have worked for and what you value as a coach. The way you prepare
for your toughest opponents should reflect the things you value in the game of
volleyball as a whole.
Building a Game Plan

Putting together game plans can be intimidating for some coaches. As in all
things, the best way to improve is through experience. Most coaches who are
skilled at putting together game plans have a system that evolves over time, both
by specific planning and natural evolution. It’s often best to start simple and add
to the process over time, adding and subtracting things as you notice what works
and what doesn’t work. The three foundational tasks for building a game plan are
gathering the information, deciding what’s important and relevant, and putting it
all together into a cohesive plan.
Gathering Information:
What’s Important and What’s Not?
It’s a great idea to have a checklist to run down every time you begin to scout an
opponent. Splitting this checklist into these four sections is helpful: serve and pass,
opponent offense, opponent defense, and lineups and matchups.
Sample Serve and Pass Scouting Checklist
◆âŠƒ Who is their overall weakest passer?
◆âŠƒ Do any passers have a strong preference to pass float serves with their hands?
◆âŠƒ Do any of their passers struggle to pass on their left or right?
◆âŠƒ Do they have any rotations with a seam between two weak passers?
◆âŠƒ Do any of their outside hitters struggle to pass and hit?
◆âŠƒ Do they have any jump spin servers, and what are their tendencies?
◆âŠƒ Will any of their servers hit a short serve? Will they do it on their first time
up or after they have made a serve?

Sample Opponent Offense Checklist
◆âŠƒ What is their general offensive scheme?
◆âŠƒ Do they set quick in the middle? Do they run slides? How much back row
do they set? How fast is their tempo to the outside?

◆âŠƒ Who is their best hitter, and what is his or her tendency?
◆âŠƒ Who are their secondary hitters, and what are their tendencies?
◆âŠƒ Do any hitters like to tip or hit an off-speed shot? In what situations? Do
they give it away?

Scouting Opponents the Right Wayâ•… â•… 199
◆âŠƒ Does their setter have any tendencies?

◆âŠƒ Will the setter set middle only on perfect passes, or from other locations?
◆âŠƒ Will the setter repeat a set after making an error or getting blocked?
◆âŠƒ Does the setter make the long set backward or forward when running in
the other direction?

◆âŠƒ How offensive is the setter in the front row? Does she or he hit or dump
the ball?
Sample Opponent Defense Checklist
◆âŠƒ What is the best option when our outside hitters have to take a tough swing?
◆âŠƒ Does their line digger cheat up, thereby becoming susceptible to a roll
to the deep corner?

◆âŠƒ Does their middle back rotate over, thereby becoming susceptible to the
roll to shallow zone 6?

◆âŠƒ Does their line digger play back, or is their off blocker a little lazy on
defense, thereby becoming susceptible to tipping short?

◆âŠƒ Are any of their wing blockers susceptible to being tooled on a hard, high
swing?
◆âŠƒ What do their middle blockers do?
◆âŠƒ Stay neutral and read?
◆âŠƒ Follow the pass or setter?
◆âŠƒ Front the quick hitter?
◆âŠƒ Do their wing blockers help in the middle or stay wide and just block the
outside attackers?
◆âŠƒ Do they have any servers who are weak defenders? Some middles do not
play the tip well after serving and can be beat short for an easy point.
◆âŠƒ Can this team be beat on a setter tip?
Sample Lineups and Matchups Checklist

◆âŠƒ Do they start in the same rotation every time? If so, what is it?
◆âŠƒ If they lose a game, will they spin to a new rotation or stick with the same
one?
◆âŠƒ If they lose a game, will they flip their outsides or middles (or both) to get
different matchups?
◆âŠƒ What are their most common substitution patterns? Do they substitute only
when losing, or will they substitute with a specific goal in mind? (Example:
bringing in a defensively minded outside hitter who they will not set as
much).
◆âŠƒ Based on their trend of rotations they start in, and the rotation I like to start
my team in, what will the matchups be for each hitter?

◆âŠƒ Are any of these matchups especially good or bad? Should we think about
spinning our rotation to get better matchups for our hitters or to neutralize
an advantage they have?
These sample checklists are by no means exhaustive. At higher levels of play,
checklists will be significantly longer and more detailed, and cover a much wider
range of situations. On the flip side, a high school or club coach of a young team
probably doesn’t need to worry about all or even most of that information.
Information Quantity and Quality

When scouting, you need to remember that you have only recorded what hap-
pened; there is no guarantee that the pattern will continue. When scouting an
opponent, try to find matches in which they are playing teams similar to your own.
The best way to do that is to analyze your own match against that opponent! Of
course, you may not always have this luxury, so just keep in mind the qualities of
the team across the net from the opponent you are scouting. Think about how
their skills and system compare to yours. For example, if you are scouting a team
that sets its outside over and over, consider whether this is a tendency or a strategy
for attacking a short setter or weak blocker on the other side of the net. Also, if
you learn of any lineup changes, consider how they might affect your opponent’s
strategy. A setter who loves to set quick sets may not be so eager to do so after her
best middle sprains her ankle and is out of the lineup. Finally, remember that it is
better to have no information than wrong information. If you see only two swings
by an opposing hitter, don’t assume you have that player’s tendency figured out.
When in doubt, just play your system and be prepared to adjust in-game.
Putting It Together
After you have watched as many live matches and as much scout video as possible,
and gathered as much statistical data as possible, it’s time to turn this information
into a game plan. You must decide what your team is capable of implementing,
and what, if any, changes or deviations you want to make from your base system.
The following sections provide a few things to consider.
Skill Level
Many smart coaches have said, “Never attempt tactically what you cannot execute
technically.” Players may not have the skill level to execute a sophisticated game
plan. A rule of thumb is that if you haven’t executed something well in practice,
don’t expect to win any games using it, no matter how good the matchup is.
Training Time
How much training time do you have? How much training time do you want to
dedicate to preparing for a specific team? If you think a particular combination
play is the key to attacking another team’s defense, but you only have one practice
before the upcoming match, you might not have enough time to train this play
well enough to execute it in competition. Depending on the age of your team and
the phase of the season, you might want to ignore any specific preparation and
instead focus on strengthening your system.
Preparing for a Game Plan

Preparing for a game plan can be a good teaching tool. For example, if you have
an outside hitter who relies solely on his crosscourt shot, telling him that the team
you are playing this weekend has a weak right-side blocker who can be attacked
down the line can increase his motivation to work on his line shot. These sorts
of discussions can also get your players to start thinking about different ways to
attack the opponent, raising their volleyball IQ.
When putting your game plan down on paper, start with the most important
things. Don’t get so caught up in minor details that you forget about more criti-
cal parts of the game. Here are the five things that can have the greatest impact:
1. How are we going to win the serve/pass battle?
Sample: Their outside hitter #10 is a weak passer and really struggles when he
has to pass with his platform, so all of our servers will target him when possible.
When he is having a tough time, they will sometimes move him out of the
passing formation and try to pass with two passers. If they do that, our servers
will look to serve hard in the seam. They have two good jump spinners who
hit across their bodies from zone 1 to our 1/6 seam. Our left-back and middle-
back passers will take a step to their right, and the coaching staff will stay on
our passers in practice to clarify their seams prior to each serve.
2. How are we going to stop our opponent’s best hitter?
Sample: Their best hitter is their middle hitter #7, who plays next to the set-
ter. They set her a slide any chance they can, and she loves to hit it back sharp
crosscourt. Our left-side blockers need to stay inside and not drift out with
her. Our middles are free to trap (leave early) toward her, especially if the pass
is perfect.
3. What does our opponent like to do in each rotation?
Sample: In any rotation in which their outside hitter #8 is in the front row, they
will look to set him the ball whenever possible. Middle blockers must be aware
of this and work hard to get a double block up.
In rotation 6, they run the middle on a slide but almost never set him; our
middle blockers should cheat toward the outside to stop that. In rotation 2,
they sometimes like to run an X play; blockers need to make sure to see it hap-
pening early and communicate if the hitters are changing zones.
4. Do we have any matchups to exploit on our offensive end?
Sample: Their outside hitter #4 is a small, undisciplined blocker, so we will
look to backset the right side or the slide as much as possible when she is front
row. Their middles are poor defenders, so our setter is free to dump whenever
they serve.
5. Who are their secondary offensive options, and do we need to
prepare specifically for them?
Sample: Middle hitter #8 is a good quick hitter, but only when he gets a perfect
set. When the pass isn’t perfect, we won’t worry about him, but we may com-
mit (jump with the quick hitter) on a perfect pass. The opposite (right-side hit-
ter) #11 will tip every set that isn’t perfect, so our off blocker will come across
to play for tip on him. Their setter almost never dumps.
The final thing to remember when building your game plan is that everything
should be linked to an action your team will take on the court. Don’t become a
journalist, describing the other team without any thought of what your team will
do to counter. Determine a few specific things to do, and make sure your team
can do them well.
Presenting the Game Plan

Once you have gathered all the necessary information and formulated a reasonable
game plan, it is time to transfer that game plan into a material scouting report that
will help the players when the day of competition comes. Although coaches have
a variety of tools at their disposal to accomplish this, the two most common are
paper scouting reports and video study meetings.
Two-Part Plan: Part I

Coaches can use a variety of scouting report formats, from a simple one-page
outline of the game plan to a more in-depth multipage report. I have found that,
for many teams, a simple two-part scouting report can present all of the necessary
information without overwhelming players. Part I should be a general description
of the game plan, including some or all of the following points. See the special
element, Sample Game Plan: Part I, for notes on a game plan.
Serving Target
Will you try to serve one player consistently the whole match, or will it change
depending on the game situation, such as serving the front-row outside hitter or
into a seam in a specific rotation? This is probably the most important part of
your scouting report. See the special element, Sample Game: Part I, for examples
of the serving target.
Passing Notes
You may or may not want to include specific notes on their servers for your pass-
ers. Remember to focus on the actions you want your passers to take, instead of
simply describing the servers.
Hitter Tendencies
It is good to include information about their hitters—specifically, how you want
your blockers to line up and any adjustments you want your backcourt defenders
to make. If time is limited, just pick their one or two main hitters.
Setter Notes
You may want to include some notes on their setter(s), describing any tendencies
they have and how much you want your blockers/defenders to read and respect
the setter attack. See Sample Game Plan: Part I for sample scout rotations based
on setter locations.
Offensive Game Plan

Although you will discuss this more with your setters than anybody else, you may
want to include some notes on how you want to attack this team offensively. Also,
it can be good to let your hitters know where they can hit an off-speed shot to
when they get in trouble.
Keys to Victory
Although presenting keys to victory can seem cliché, sometimes listing three to
five simple keys can help the players focus on what is most important. The best
keys are often not opponent specific. They can simply be reminders of the most
important parts of your system, so the players have them in mind before they
study the specifics of the opponent. See the bulleted list of sample keys in Sample
Game Plan: Part I.
Sample Game Plan: Part I
Serving Target Player #1
• We want to serve #12 as much as pos-
Pla
1
4
sible, especially short.
r#
ye
ye
r
• If they hide #12, attack the deep seams 4 10
Pla
#1
0
between two passers.
Passing Notes 12 3
Pla
3
r#
ye
• #10 likes to short serve on her second 5
ye
#1r
Pla
time up.
2
• #12 hits a hard jump-spin that moves Player #5
from left to right. Passers communicate
early in the seam. Note: Serving target.
E6283/AVCA/fig16.04A/513763/alw/r2
12 L 10 12 L 10 L 12 10
5 3 5 1
3
3
1 2 3
E6283/AVCA/fig16.04c/513765/alw/r2
E6283/AVCA/fig16.04b/513764/alw/r2 E6283/AVCA/fig16.04d/513766/alw/r2
3 3 3
L 12 10 10 L 12 L 10 12
1 1
5
old
4 5 6
!!!
Note: Scout rotation numbers are based on where the setter is located. Indicate where each player
E6283/AVCA/fig16.04e/513767/alw/r2E6283/AVCA/fig16.04f/513768/alw/r2 E6283/AVCA/fig16.04g/513769/alw/r2
will pass and attack for each rotation.
204
Keys to Victory
• Communicate: Passers communicate in the seams and call out their short serves
early.
• Deep Corners: Hitters look to go deep to their corners, especially if we’re out-of-
system.
• Pursue: Watch the tips and rolls and pursue them relentlessly. Nothing hits!
Two-Part Plan: Part II

Part II should be a rotation-by-rotation breakdown. It can be one or two pages
long, depending on how big you want to make the rotation charts. The following
sections outline important information to include. See the special element, Sample
Game Plan: Part II, for sample hitter tendencies and notes.
Serving Target
Highlight or otherwise emphasize the serving target in each rotation, even if it
is the same one. This is so important that you should mention it over and over
throughout the scouting report.
Hitter Routes
What plays do they run in each rotation? Do they change, or do they run the same
thing in each rotation throughout the game?
Setting Trend
Do they prefer to set one hitter more than the others in a particular rotation?
Blocking and Defensive Adjustments

List any adjustments your blockers and defenders should make for each rotation.
For example, against a hitter that likes to tip, you may want to tell your line digger
to stay up at the attack line in that rotation.
Scouting Meetings
Somewhere along the line, you probably had a class in which you sat in your
chair trying not to fall asleep while the teacher read the lecture notes in a boring,
monotone voice. Don’t let your scouting meetings be like this! If you remember
that the laws of learning still apply even when you’re off the court, your scouting
meetings will be much more productive. The following sections provide some tips
for making your scouting meetings more productive.
Sample Game Plan: Part II
#12 OH: Block her crosscourt from both the #10 OH: Block her line on the outside, and line
E6283/AVCA/fig16.03a/513762/alw/r4
outside and the right side. Watch the tips on diggerE6283/AVCA/fig16.03b/525901/alw/r2
stay deep. Right-back watch her cut-
a bad set. ting the ball back to deep 1 where she hits the
back row.
#3 Opp: Block her line on the outside and

E6283/AVCA/fig16.03c/525902/alw/r2 #1 MB: Almost always hits off one foot, either
E6283/AVCA/fig16.03d/525903/alw/r2
crosscourt on the right side. Line digger play on a wide slide or a back quick. Get in front of
for tip on the right side sets. her and drop your hands in on the angle.
206
#5 MB: Prefers to hit a tight quick and almost
E6283/AVCA/fig16.03e/525904/alw/r2 # 15 Backup OH: Watch the tips and rolls on
always hits sharp to zone 5. Middle blocker line any set.E6283/AVCA/fig16.03f/525905/alw/r2
Off-blockers come across the middle
up with this angle, and left-side blocker help out. to help out with this.
Note: Dotted lines refer to ball direction. Dots refer to tipped or rolled balls.
General Offensive Plan

• Their setter #4 is a good blocking target to go after. Outsides look to swing
high off her hands when you are in trouble.
• Their wing blockers don’t help much in the middle, so middle hitters look to
get available, especially in transition. You can score on the angles.
• They cover the short tips well, so if we are in trouble, look to roll deep to the
corner, rather than tip short.
Setter Notes
• Loves to make the long set, so be ready for her to set back when she is run-
ning forward and set forward when she is moving back into zone 2.
• Almost never dumps, so if she is jumping near the set, it is usually to jump-
set the quick. Blockers wait on the setter, and then go up on the quick.
• When the game is tight, or after we’ve scored a couple of points in a row, she
will look to go to #10. Make sure we get a double-block up on her.
207
First and Last

Your players will remember the beginning and end of the scouting report, and
probably lose quite a bit of the middle. Make sure you address the most impor-
tant things first (serving target, how you will stop their best hitter, and what your
hitters can do when in trouble), and then finish your report with the same things.
Involve the Players

Ask your players what they remember from the last time they played this team, or
whether they’ve seen this team play. If the opponent has a good jump server, ask
your players what you did the last time you faced a server like that, and to consider
whether they want to do the same thing or something different this time. Feel free
to quiz players, and make it clear that it’s ok to be wrong at first, because everyone
will work together to learn the game plan. Get any misconceptions cleared up in
the meeting so they don’t carry them into the match.
Use More Than One Coach

As brilliant and engaging as you may be, listening to anybody talk for an extensive
period of time can be difficult. In your scouting meetings, have one coach discuss
the offensive strategy and another discuss the defense. Or have one coach go over
the general summary, and have another run through the rotations, or have a player
read part of the report. The more the scouting report seems like a cooperative
effort, the more engaged the players will be.
Keep It Simple
When in doubt, say less. If you cover only two or three things in the scouting
meeting, but your players know them inside and out and can execute them at a
high level, you will have an excellent chance to win. If you overwhelm your players
with too much information, you risk their losing all of it.
Incorporating Video
One of the best ways to engage players and enhance the scouting report is to use
video. Collegiate and professional teams use sophisticated scouting software that
can tag every contact, which makes it easy to call up anything the coach needs for
a scouting meeting. If you have the ability to create video montages of all swings
by a particular opposing hitter, or to go through and pull out all of the opponent’s
side-out opportunities in a particular rotation, then please do so! Hearing or read-
ing about it is one thing, but seeing what the opponent does on video is incredibly
helpful to players. If you don’t have access to this sort of scouting software, a good
replacement is to simply go through the video and find a number of plays to watch.
Record the time they took place in the video and write down a note for each play.
You can then skip to those plays in the scouting meeting.
Implementing the Game Plan

After you have gathered all the important information, developed it into a game
plan, and gone over the game plan with your team, it’s time to focus on the most
important aspect of the game plan: executing it in the game! This is where the
rubber meets the road, so remember that even the best game plan will fail if your
players do not understand how to execute it properly. If you have done your best
to gather the right information and present it in a way that makes sense, then you
have given your players the best chance to succeed.
Know What the Keys Are

When teaching your players how to perform fundamental skills, you probably
developed a list of keys for how to teach those skills. Keys are short phrases that
condense a detailed concept into a few important words. The same idea can be
applied when teaching and implementing your game plan. You already know that
keeping things simple makes the scouting report easier to read, so stay consistent
and keep your verbal coaching simple when the match starts. Remember that keys
don’t have to be unique to every opponent—something like, “Dig the ball high
and off the net” will be a key in almost every match you play. If it’s important, feel
free to remind your players about it constantly. In this way, the game plan becomes
less about creating a new way of playing for every opponent and more a statement
of how you want to play, with some adjustments for each match.
In developing your game plan, you will have already defined your keys and
presented them in the scouting meeting. Now it’s just a matter of reinforcing them
during the match. Following are some suggestions to keep in mind.
Pregame Communication
Your scouting meeting could have been hours before the match started, or even
at a previous day’s practice. Given the distraction of warm-ups, introductions, and
nervousness, your players may have forgotten some important things. Use a short
pregame huddle to quickly remind them of the important keys. If you have done
your homework, you will have a good idea of their starting rotation, so tailor your
comments to what will likely happen at the start of the match.
Frontload
Find a player on the bench who is getting ready to enter the game, and remind him
of what he needs to execute on the upcoming points. He can also be responsible
for carrying information to his teammates. This is much more effective than trying
to shout out onto the court, especially in a loud arena!
Know Their Rotation

Know what rotation the opponent is in, and coach for what is coming up. If they
have been killing you on the slide, but their setter just rotated into the back row,
make a note of it, and come back to it when you are likely to see that play again.
If you stay focused on the next play, so will your players.
Reinforce
Use your time-outs to deliver short bursts of information. This is not the time to
get into detailed explanations of why you devised a particular strategy (hopefully,
you’ve already done that in practice and your scouting meeting). Now is the time
to keep things simple and give players one or two things they can focus on to help
them win the next point.
Call and Confirm

The players should constantly remind each other of their responsibilities for the
next point. Wing blockers can give a visual 1 or 2 behind their backs to indicate
whether they are blocking line or cross, the libero can call out whether the setter is
back row or front row, the setter can let the hitters know what shots are open, and
so on. Get your players in the habit of confirming with their teammates (e.g., the
right-side blocker signals to right back that she is blocking line, and the right back
responds with “yes”), and they will stay on the same page throughout the match.
Know When to Adjust

Sometimes your scouting is perfect and the players execute the game plan like a
well-oiled machine. You roll through the other team and win the match with ease.
Unfortunately, these matches are few and far between. The fact is that coaches
often need to adjust the game plan on the fly. You want to remain flexible enough to
adapt, while not abandoning your game plan because one play went differently than
you expected. Because this is not always easy, you need to have ways of monitoring
what is happening during the game so you have some information on which to
base your decisions. Following are some good in-game evaluative measures to take.
Statistics
If your team is fortunate enough to have a dedicated statistician during the match,
this person can record valuable information. You can track the success of your
rotations (and theirs), track which hitters are hitting with the highest efficiency,
and see which passers are struggling. However, one thing to keep in mind is that
statistics are not valid until you are well into the match; studies have shown that a
player’s first five passes of the match do not predict how that player will pass the
rest of the match. A rule of thumb is to witness at least 10 attempts (whether it’s
passing, hitting, or serving) before basing decisions off statistics. This may mean
that statistics don’t come heavily into play until the third set of the match.
Charting From the Bench

A good practice is to have somebody charting the opponent’s rotations as the match
goes along. This coach (or staff member) can record what plays the opponent is
running and what they are setting, based on the quality of the pass. She should
have a copy of your rotation game plan from the scouting report and should be
comparing the in-game chart to that, to see whether or not your opponent is doing
what you expected. She should also be responsible for knowing what rotation the
opponent is in during every time-out to keep feedback focused on the upcom-
ing rotations, rather than giving instructions on a situation that won’t occur for
several points.
Coaching Eye
Statistics are often superior to the human eye for charting long-term trends, but
the human eye can be superior at spotting a pattern from a small amount of data.
The key is to observe not the result as much as the process behind it. For example,
if you scout a team and notice that they don’t rely much on their middle attack and
they score on two quick sets early in the game, you need to consider a few things
before deciding whether to make an adjustment. If both kills were on medium-
speed hits that your defenders just mishandled, you might want to keep everything
the same and expect your team to just execute better next time. However, if the
setter–hitter connection is perfect and their middles thunder the ball to the floor
in a way you hadn’t seen previously, then maybe they have changed something in
their game. You may want to make an adjustment to match it.
Player Feedback
Using player feedback is helpful, but it has to be done carefully and respectfully.
Your players should feel empowered to pay attention to the game situations and
suggest changes as the match goes on. These adjustments might be best made
between sets, when you all have a little more time to discuss them.
As a coach, you will develop your own style regarding when to make changes.
Some coaches prefer to base changes on certain statistical criteria, whereas some
like to use their eye. Some coaches like to adjust during the match, and some adjust
only after losing a set. With each match you will gain more experience and improve
in your ability to implement a game plan and adjust it as the match goes on.
Analyzing the Game Plan: What Worked

and What Went Wrong?
After the match, one of the most important things you can do is debrief. Sit down
by yourself (or gather your staff) and look at what your team did well and not so
well in the match. A great way to do this is to view the match through the eyes of
your game plan. To do this, you will need the following information:
◆âŠƒ Serve and pass statistics
◆âŠƒ Attacking statistics
◆âŠƒ In-system (after good or perfect passes)
◆âŠƒ Out-of-system (after poor passes)
◆âŠƒ Transition
◆âŠƒ How the top attackers on each team performed and how the other team
defended them
◆âŠƒ The lineups each team started with any changes they made and the match-
ups they created

◆âŠƒ The trends and tendencies in each rotation
You can gather this information from several sources. Hopefully, you have some
way to record statistics for your matches. Statistical software programs, ranging
from simple to advanced, can help you track stats during a match. However, at
many levels, simple statistics recorded on paper can be very effective. Tables 16.1
and 16.2 are examples of ways to tally your results after a game.
Table 16.1â•… Rotation Chart

In-System Out-of-System Transition
Kill Attempt Error Kill Attempt Error Kill Attempt Error
Rotation 1 IIII IIII IIII â•›III IIII â•›I IIII IIII â•›II
Rotation 2 IIII â•›IIII â•›I â•›I â•›IIII â•›III IIII â•›I â•›III
Rotation 3 â•›III IIII â•›III â•›III â•›I â•›III IIII â•›I â•›IIII
Rotation 4 â•›IIII â•›IIII â•—I â•›II â•›II â•›III IIII â•›IIII â•›II
Rotation 5 â•›II â•›II â•›I â•›IIII â•›I â•›IIII IIII
Rotation 6 IIIIâ•›I â•›II â•›II â•›II â•›I IIII â•›I IIII â•›I â•›IIII
Total IIII IIII IIII IIII â•›IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII â•›IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII
IIII IIII IIII IIII â•›II IIII â•›II IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII
â•›IIII â•›I IIII IIII IIII
IIII IIII â•›II
24 21 4 12 17 4 25 42 15
Table 16.2â•… Post-Game Percentages

Passing (% In-System) 49/(49 + 34) = 59%
In-System Hitting % (24-4)/49 = 41%
Out-of-System Hitting % (12-4)/33 = 24%
Transition Hitting % (25-15)/82 = 12%
In addition to statistics, you should use your eyes to add qualitative information
to the evaluation. You can do this from your memory of the match, but the best way
to do this is to use video. Many computer programs allow a coaching staff to code
and tag video to record and recall specific events, but even without that, you can
still go through and watch the match video and write down observations. Watch
some attacks by your opponent’s best hitter and see how your team defended them
and how well it worked. Just as important, look at how your opponent defended
your best attacker. If they were able to slow her down, understand that another
team, whether through scouting or just as part of its system, will use the same
strategy, so be prepared to deal with that in the future.
After reviewing this information, an important task is to translate this into
teachable moments for yourself, your staff, and your players. Usually, the match
will fall into one of the following four categories:
1. The team executed the game plan and played well. This is always the hope for
all coaches! After a match like this, point out what the team did well and
emphasize the importance of continuing to do so.
2. The team did not execute the game plan, but still played well. This is not a bad
result at all, because it means that you are teaching your team enough
fundamental skills to win without executing a specific game plan. These
types of matches are important for the staff to review to figure out how to
improve the game plan. You may need to adjust the way you scout (to give
your players more accurate information) or change the way you present the
information to players.
3. The team executed the game plan and played poorly. After a match like this,
decide whether the game plan was incorrect, or whether the problem was
with fundamental skills execution.
4. The team did not execute the game plan and played poorly. Review the match and
decide whether the team would have done better by following the game plan
more attentively, or whether the issue was more related to a lack of skill.
Conclusion
Many of these teachable moments are just as important for the coaching staff as
they are for the players. Keep in mind that the goal of scouting and game plan-
ning is to help the players be as successful as they can in the match, not to follow
something because it sounds good on paper. Consider what you could have done
better as a coach to prepare your players. Did a situation occur in the match that
you didn’t see coming? Add that to your scouting checklist. Were you able to slow
down their best hitter? Write down that note and come back to it the next time
you play a similar hitter. Did your players struggle to retain the information in the
scouting report? Think about a better way to present the information, or simplify
things so you don’t overload them. By constantly reviewing your decisions, you can
improve your process and continue to get better at scouting and game planning.
In time, you will be able to consistently put your players in position to win, even
against your toughest opponents.
chapter
17
Statistics for More
Effective Coaching
Todd Dagenais
I was lousy at math growing up. I could never conceptualize the importance of
numbers and how they worked. It’s really ironic how important math has become
to my career as a volleyball coach and educator.
Sports give us the ultimate opportunity to use statistics to train our teams and
shape the environments they compete in. Of course, in many situations the out-
come of an athletic battle simply comes down to who has the most talent. However,
when the talent level is reasonably close between teams, the understanding of
math and statistics can tip the scales in favor of one team. Just look at the baseball
phenomenon chronicled in the film Moneyball. How could an unheralded team
of nobodies possibly contend for the Major League Baseball championship? The
answer is simple: math. A tightly contested volleyball game can be decided by 2
points, and I believe that understanding math can be worth at least 5 points.
On the other hand, statistics lie. There, I said it. It’s always the elephant in
the room when making a presentation about volleyball statistics. No chapter on
volleyball statistics would be complete without this disclaimer. Numbers can be
manipulated to create any story you are trying to sell. So why use them? The fol-
lowing four sections answer this dilemma.
Asking Better Questions

All too often, coaches depend on statistics to provide the answers to difficult
questions. Statistics can answer simple questions, but they can’t always answer the
deeper questions involving who, what, and how. Kevin Hambly, head volleyball
coach at the University of Illinois, says his main reason for using statistics is not
in the answers they provide, but in the questions they force him to ask. Statistics
can clearly tell us that we had only five kills in a set and that our attacking game
is weak, but five kills isn’t the answer. Knowing we had only five kills allows us to
ask the most important question: Why? Is it our attacking? Is it our setting? Is it
215
poor passing leading to low-quality attacks against a triple block? These are the
real questions that need to be answered. An example later in this chapter illustrates
how statistics force us to look deeper and ask the right questions.
Evaluating Skill Levels Objectively

Two coaches often see the same event two different ways. Our emotions, preju-
dices, and subjectivity creep into every evaluation and decision. Statistics can be a
valuable check and balance for our subjectivity. They can be used when an athlete
comes to you and asks, “What do I need to do to get better?” Statistics are also
your best friend when parents pull you aside and want to talk about playing time
for their child. There is nothing better than a set of objective statistics to fall back
on when you have to explain your decision.
Comparing Performances
to Statistical Goals
Every team has statistical goals; I like to call ours performance axioms (ours are
listed at the end of this chapter). Each year we try to take a close and honest look
at the makeup of our team. From there, we decide what type of statistical marks
we need to hit for maximal performance. We take a look at each of our statisti-
cal measurements during drills and competition and then compare them to our
performance axioms to determine our team’s progressions and regressions. We all
know that practice time is very valuable. Smart use of statistics maximizes a team’s
time in the gym and ensures that players are working on the areas in which they
need the most improvement.
Scouting Opponents More Effectively

Teams with higher levels of talent only start with the advantage. Volleyball is still
a game of strategy and execution. This opens the door for teams with less talent
to have an opportunity to win a 25-point set. Having a clear understanding of an
opponent’s makeup can give a less talented team an ample shot at the upset. Even
the most powerful teams have weaknesses on the court, but those weaknesses
aren’t always evident at first. Statistical trends in specific situations can create an
advantage that may not be plainly apparent. For example, even the greatest passers
can have a weakness passing high or low or on a certain side of the body. Certain
attackers may experience a drop in hitting percentage after passing a serve, even
an easy serve. These are some of the things statistics can reveal when scouting
opponents. Chapter 16 covers scouting opponents in more depth.
Statistics for More Effective Coachingâ•… â•… 217
Issues With Using Statistics

Coaches should be coaching; they need to spend as much time as possible in the
moment and not with their heads down writing on paper. One of the greatest issues
with keeping statistics is that the process of recording them can keep coaches from
doing their primary job—coaching. But if the coach isn’t recording statistics, who
should be? As the head coach on the bench, I have a sheet of paper on which I
keep track of only the one or two statistics I believe are important to win the cur-
rent match. These often change from opponent to opponent. Everything else is
delegated to someone else who can quickly give me information as needed.
Statistics are only as valid and reliable as those recording them. It’s often a
challenge to find a reliable bench player, parent, or team manager who can keep
accurate statistics. I love to have the backup setter keeping track of my team’s
passing and attacking statistics. It keeps her mind in the game, and it helps her
understand what is working out there on the court. The same could be said for
other players such as backup middles, outsides, and defensive players.
One of the greatest weaknesses of statistics is what many people call paralysis
by analysis. A coach could easily make the mistake of taking numbers at face value
and not using them to ask deeper questions. Some coaches spend too much time
diving into the numbers and ultimately lose their coaching instincts. A coach who
makes decisions completely based on numbers is just as susceptible to coaching
mistakes as a coach who depends completely on instinct and subjective evaluation.
The ideal situation is somewhere in the middle.
Statistical programs can be very expensive, or their complexity can make them
very time-consuming. However, the recent development of tablet and iPad applica-
tions is making it very easy and inexpensive to track basic statistics. Several current
programs include iVolleyStats, Volleyball Ace, and Rotate 123. The devices and
applications will continue to change, so pay attention to new developments and
use the right one for your program.
Tracking Statistics
It’s really easy to say that detailed statistics should be taken during every practice
and every competition. At the NCAA Division I level, a full staff and coaches are
dedicated exclusively to the Data Volley statistical program. More often than not,
recording statistics is the job of an assistant coach, bench player, or parent. I firmly
believe that coaches should put coaching as their first priority. Coaches who have
difficulty taking statistics and providing real-time feedback to their athletes should
delegate the statistics to someone else. Those with limited options for statisticians
are better off video-recording the match or practice and recording statistics from
the video later.
The summer USA Volleyball High Performance teams often have a limited
number of staff members. Obviously, the Olympic pipeline for USA Volleyball is
extremely important, so recording quality statistics is as well. Following are some
methods that can be used with a pen and paper and a limited staff.
Box Chart
Using a box chart, a coach can record multiple statistics at one time. The follow-
ing box chart (table 17.1) shows who executed the serve receive, the rating of the
pass, and what happened after the pass was set.
We can gather a great deal of information from this chart. First, Jocelyn had 25
total passes for 43 total passing points. That means that her passing efficiency was
1.72 (43 passing points divided by 25 passes). We also know that 6 of her passes
resulted in a first-ball kill, 10 passes resulted in a ball kept in play, 4 passes resulted
in a first-ball error, and she was aced 5 times. We also can determine that 9 of her
25 passes were perfect (36 percent). This box chart can be used to track multiple
stats for several players. The data can also be used to extrapolate areas of strength
and weakness in a particular skill.
Table 17.1â•… Serve Receive

Player First-ball kill Ball in play First-ball error Aced
Jocelyn 332323 2133322111 3311 00000
Luc
Reece
Emily
Stat Line
Using a stat line also works very well when a coach doesn’t have enough time to
chart events. With this method it’s quite simple to keep track of many statistics at
once. Following is a stat line chart for attacking, passing, and defense.
Luc: K 3 3 D 0 B A 3 2 D A B K E E
The translation of Luc’s stat line would read like this from the first stat entry:
kill, three pass, three pass, dig, zero pass, block, attack attempt, three pass, two
pass, dig, attack attempt, block, kill, attack error, attack error. From this stat line
we can determine the following about Luc’s performance:
2 kills + 2 attack errors + 2 other attack attempts = 6 attempts
2 kills out of 6 attempts = 33% (kill percentage)
2 kills – 2 errors out of 6 attempts = .000 (kill efficiency)

5 serve-receive attempts for a total of 11 passing points = 2.20 (passing efficiency)
2 digs and 2 blocks
Most Important Statistics to Track

This subject is up for a great debate. The answer may lie in the type of team you
have. If you have a team that scores at a very high level, then you are likely tracking
the major offensive statistics. If your team depends on defensive skills to equalize
matches, then you should be focusing more on serving, blocking, and defensive
strategies. Let’s have a quick refresher on the basic statistics in volleyball.
Basic Offensive Statistics
Kill: When an attack attempt leads directly to a point
Attack attempt: When an attack attempt results in neither a kill nor an error
Error: When an attack attempt is blocked for a point, hit in the net, or hit out
of bounds. Balls that are blocked are considered forced errors, whereas balls
hit in the net or out of bounds are considered unforced errors.
Basic Defensive Statistics

Block: A block is awarded to a player or players who score a point for their team
by blocking an opponent attack. As many as three players may receive a block
if they are all part of an attempt to block an attack.
Block solo: When a player is the only one blocking a shot
Block assist: When more than one player blocks an attack, all players receive a
block assist regardless of whether they were the player who blocked the ball
Block error: When a referee determines that a blocker has made illegal contact
with the net
Dig: When a player stops an opponent’s attack attempt from being a kill
Cover: When a player digs a teammate’s attack after it has been blocked by an
opponent
Basic Setting Statistics

Set attempt: When a player attempts to set to a teammate for a kill
Assist: When a player sets to a teammate and the attack is a kill
Ball handling error: When a referee calls a player setting the ball for a lift or
double contact
Basic Serving Statistics

Serve attempt: When a player attempts a serve
Ace: When a server’s attempt is not passed and directly results in a point
Serve error: When a player’s attempt is served in the net or out of bounds, or a
player commits a service line fault
Basic Serve-Receive Statistics

Reception: When a player attempts a serve receive
Reception error: When a player’s poor serve receive leads to a direct point for
the serving team
The following table 17.2 illustrates the two primary measurements of team
system success, how those statistical measurements are determined, the best way
to track the systems, and some goals your team might try to achieve.
Table 17.2â•… Team System Statistics

Easiest way
Team system Determined by Goal to track Scoring
Side-out Number of Team goal of Plus and minus 6 out of 10 =
percentage side-out points 62% side-out system 60% (SO%)
(SO%) divided by
number of
opponent serves
Point-scoring Number of Team goal Plus and minus 4 out of 10 =
percentage serving points of 43% point system 40% (PS%)
(PS%) divided by scoring
number of team
serves
Serve-Receive Statistics
One of the most common ways to determine the success of your serve-receive
game is to grade each serve reception.
Passing Average (3-Point Scale)

How to most accurately rate this statistic is up for great debate. Many coaches use
a traditional 3-point scale ranging from 0 for an ace or overpass to 3 for a perfect
pass. Figure 17.1 represents the value of each pass based on where the ball would
have landed on the court. The team goal is to achieve a 2.30, or a 60 percent 3 pass.
Passing Average (4-Point Scale)

There is a statistical problem with the 3-point passing scale. Statisticians will tell
you that anything with an odd number of data points is not statistically valid or
reliable. Therefore, many higher-level programs use a 4-point scale ranging from
0 for an ace or overpass to 4 for a perfect-perfect pass (see figure 17.2). The team
goal is to achieve 2.70, or a 60 percent 3 and 4 pass.
4 pass
3 pass
3 pass
2 pass 2 pass
1 pass 1 pass
Figure 17.1â•… Passing average, 3-point Figure 17.2â•… Passing average, 4-point
scale. scale.
Passing Average
(Weighted Scale)
Recently, I had a conversation with
Jim Dietz, who is the very numbers-
savvy head coach for Lincoln Land
Community College in Illinois. He
has been working with a passing scale
that is weighted to include an expected
success outcome based on the quality 5 pass
of a pass (see figure 17.3). It’s fair to say
that a 2 pass is twice as likely to yield a
2 pass
point as a 1 pass. A 5 pass is 5 times as
likely to yield a point as a 1 pass. The
team goal is to achieve 3.30, or a 60
1 pass
percent 5 pass.
Figure 17.3â•… Passing average,

weighted scale.
E6283/AVCA/fig17.03/513772/alw/r2
Offensive Production Statistics

There are several simple calculations to quantify and evaluate an attacker’s perfor-
mance. The two most common are calculating kill percentage and kill efficiency.
An attacker’s errors factor into the kill efficiency making it a more complex, but
more accurate, reflection of the attacker’s rate of success.
Kill Percentage (K%)

Kill percentage is the simplest statistic for evaluating attacking. This is important
because kill efficiency can give the coach an idea about the number of points that
are being given to the opponent. Both calculations and a simple method of keep-
ing track of each is listed in the following table 17.3.
Table 17.3â•… Determining Kill Percentage and Kill Efficiency

Easiest way
Team system Determined by Goal to track Scoring
Kill percentage Kills divided by Team goal Plus and 5 kills on
(K%) total attempts of 43% minus system 10 attempts = 50% (K%)
Kill efficiency Kills minus Team goal Plus and 5 kills + 2 errors on
(Effic) errors divided of 24% + minus system 10 attempts = 30% (effic)
by total attempts or better
First-ball side- First-ball kills Team goal Line tracking 4 kills on 10 passes =
out percentage divided by of 42% system 40% (FBSO%)
(FBSO%) total number or better
of passes
attempted
Dig to swing Number of Team goal Line tracking 7 swings on 10 digs =
percentage transition of 85% system 70% (DS%)
(DS%) swings divided or better
by total number
of digs
Dig to kill Number of Team goal Line tracking 3 kills on 10 digs = 30%
percentage transition kills of 32% system (DK%)
(DK%) divided by total or better
number of digs
Dig opportunity Digs divided Individual Plus and 15 digs on 20 attempts =
percentage by total attacks and team minus system 75% (D%)
(D%) into a player’s goal of 80%
defensive area or better
Kill Efficiency (Effic)

Kill efficiency is the most commonly used evaluation of attacking. It takes into
account attacking errors and is expressed by a decimal number to the 1/1,000th.
An example is 5 kills − 2 errors on 10 attempts = .300
First-Ball Side-Out Percentage (FBSO%)

First-ball side-out percentage means that a ball that is terminated on the first
attempt leaves the opponents no opportunity to score. An example is 4 kills on 10
pass attempts = 40% FBSO.
Dig to Swing Percentage (DS%)

A dig is important, but being able to get a quality swing after a dig is even more
important. An example is 7 swings on 10 digs= 70% (DS%).
Dig to Kill Percentage (DK%)

After stopping opponents’ first-ball kill attempt, a dig to kill is your first oppor-
tunity to score. An example is 3 kills on 10 digs= 30% (DK%).
Dig Opportunity Percentage (D%)

Tracking dig opportunities is very simple, but it also has an element of subjectivity.
A defensive player has the responsibility to dig each attack that enters her area.
We can easily calculate her success rate using the following method.
If 20 attacks are hit into a defensive player’s area of responsibility, and the player
digs 15 of those attacks, then the dig opportunity percentage is 75%. An example
is 15 digs on 20 attacks into a player’s area = 75% (D%).
Defining Team Rotations

Before we can begin to discuss anything involving floor rotations, we need to clarify
how rotations are named. When using a traditional five-hitter, one-setter offense
(5-1 offense), and the setter is positioned in the right back, the team is considered
to be in rotation 1. When the setter is positioned in the middle back, the team is
considered to be in rotation 2, and when the setter is positioned in the left back,
the team is considered to be in rotation 3. When the setter is positioned in the left
front, the team is considered to be in rotation 4, when the setter is positioned in
the middle front, the team is considered to be in rotation 5, and when the setter is
positioned in the right front, the team is considered to be in rotation 6.
Table 17.4â•… Analyzing Rotations Using the Plus and Minus System
Rotation Plus and Minus Plus Minus Overall
1 + - - - + - + - - - + + - - + + + - - + +9 -11 -2
2 + + - - + - + - + - + + - - + + + + - + +12 -8 +4
3 - - - - + - - - - - + + + - + + + + - + +9 -11 -2
4 + - - - + - + - - - + - - - - - + - - + +6 -14 -8
5 + - - + + - + - - - + + + - + + + - - + +11 -9 +2
6 + - - - + - + + - - + + - - + + + - - + +10 -10 +0
Explanation: positive (points scored in a rotation) minus (points given up in a rotation)
The line grid (table 17.4) tells a coach that rotation 4 needs the most work in
practice, rotation 2 is the best rotation, and the other rotations are slightly positive
or negative. They would warrant attention, but not as much as the weakest rotation.
Determining Plus and Minus in the Serve

and Serve-Receive Split
The preceding grid clearly shows that rotation 4 is very weak, but we do not know
which phase of the game the team is weak in. We can take our line grid to the next
level to determine the issue as shown in table 17.5.
By analyzing rotation 4, we can see that the serve and the serve-receive phases
are both –4 in points. All rotations in the serve phase are negative, which is not
uncommon. So, we have identified the culprit, but we still don’t know why this is
happening. Let’s add up the point-scoring percentage (PS%) and side-out percent-
age (SO%) for each rotation.
We have already identified that our goal for side-out percentage (SO%) is 62
percent, and the goal for our point scoring (PS%) is 43 percent. Taking a look at
our problem rotation 4, we can see that the serving phase is below our goal, but
not enough to cause such a poor performance for the rotation. However, when we
compare the serve-receive phase of rotation 4 with all the other serving rotations,
we can instantly see our issue. A side-out percentage of 30 percent is significantly
lower than our goal of 63 percent. We have our answer: We are struggling in the
serve-receive phase of rotation 4. OK, but why? It’s time to do a terminal point
analysis on the serve-receive phase of rotation 4.
Determining Plus or Minus in Each Rotation Using

Terminal Points
Terminal points refer to the skill that was being performed at the time the rally
terminated. These skills may be kill (K), service ace (SA), service error (SE), attack
error (AE), first-ball kill (FBK), first-ball error (FBE), block (B), or ball-handling
Table 17.5â•… Determining Plus and Minus in the Serve
and Serve-Receive Split
Rotation 1 Serve + - - - + - + - - - -4 It’s not uncommon to be +0,
or slightly minus in Serve
Phase
Receive + + - - + + + - - + +2 We want to be positive in
Serve Receive, but +2 isn’t
enough
Rotation 2 Serve + + - - + - + - + + +2
Receive + + - - + + + + - + +4 We can see that Rotation #2

was a total gain of 6 points

Rotation 3 Serve - - - - + - - - - + -6 Our Rotation #3 Serve is
killing us, find out why later.

Receive + + + - + + + + - + +6 Our Rotation #3 Serve
Receive is great , helping
make-up for Serve
Rotation 4 Serve + - - - + - + - - - -4
Receive + - - - - - + + - - -4 A total of -8 for Rotation #4

could cost us the match

Rotation 5 Serve + - - + + - + - - - -2 A normal average for the
Serve phase

Receive + + - - + + + + - + +4 A normal average for the
Serve Receive phase

Rotation 6 Serve + - + - + - + - - - -2
Receive + + - + + - + - - + +2 We can see Rotation #6 was

a net gain of ZERO overall

225
error (BHE). The following table 17.6 is the same as the preceding, but the plus
and minus points are on different lines, and the terminal point is recorded instead
of a plus or a minus.
Table 17.6â•… Determining Plus or Minus in Each Rotation Using

Terminal Points
Rotation 4 +: FBK SE K
Serve-receive phase –: AE SA SA AE SA SA SA AE
Our statistics are helping us to ask the right questions. The answers to those
questions are now becoming a bit clearer. Of the eight points we are losing in the
serve-receive phase of rotation 4, five of them are service aces. Our rotation 4
passing is terrible! Now we must go to work in practice to determine whether it’s
the result of a receiving footwork issue, a body position issue, or a passing platform
issue. Most important, we have to determine which players are causing the issue.
We can use the same plus and minus grid for individual players.
Tracking Player Pluses and Minuses

Explanation: positive (points scored by a player) minus (points given up by a player)
Teigan: + + + – – + + + – +
The preceding stat line tells us that Teigan scored 7 points and conceded 3
points to her opponents. Therefore, Teigan is +4.
The following table 17.7 tracks Betty’s terminal points. As you can see here,
Betty is basically a neutral player in the serving phase; however, she is a major
liability in the serve-receive phase. She had 7 errors in this phase alone, and given
that she was aced 3 times, you can bet we will be working on serve receive in the
next practice!
Table 17.7â•… Tracking Player Pluses and Minuses Using Terminal

Points
Serve phase +) K B
–) SE
Serve-receive phase +) FBK K B
–) SA SA SA FBE FBE AE AE
Earlier, we discussed our goals for side-out percentage (62 percent) and point
scoring (43 percent). If you add these two percentages together and the total is
over 100 percent, you will never lose. If you have a weak serving, blocking, and
defense team, then you had better be above average in the serve-receive, setting,
and first-ball kill game. I can tell you that it is much easier to increase the percent-
age of the serving phase than it is to increase the combined percentages of the
serve-receive phase. However, it’s important to accept the identity of the team you
coach. Accentuate the positives and continue to work on the negatives.
Statistics Without a Direct Correlation

to Winning and Losing
Coaches have done many statistical studies at all levels of volleyball. The common
consensus is that some stats correlate very little to winning or losing. It’s highly
likely the best attacking team is near the top of the conference standings, but the
best blocking team, the team with the most service aces, and the team with the
most digs could be the last-place team. I’m not saying these three statistics are not
important in the game of volleyball, but it would be unwise to use an overabun-
dance of practice time in these areas.
Who Do You Want as Your Starter?

We have already determined that statistics are important for determining the most
deserving players. Be cautious, however; statistics may not be as dependable as you
think. Consider Reece and Emily, who are two outside hitters competing for the
final starting position on your team. Let’s say that you have decided they are equal
in passing and defense. Therefore, you are going to give the position to the best
attacker. Reece is hitting .200 kill efficiency. Emily is hitting .100 kill efficiency.
Easy decision, right? Reece is the best hitter . . . or is she? Let’s look deeper.
Reece’s stat line: 7 kills + 5 errors + 10 attempts = .200 kill efficiency
Emily’s stat line: 1 kill + 0 errors + 10 attempts = .100 kill efficiency
You need to ask yourself whether errors matter. Some teams can overcome the
errors of a player with a 70 percent kill percentage, whereas others may need to
use the player with only a 10 percent kill percentage, but an extremely low error
rate. Are all .200s the same? Let’s look. Kenadie is hitting .200 kill efficiency, and
Teigan is hitting .200 kill efficiency. On paper they are the same hitter, but are
they really?
Kenadie’s stat line: 6 kills + 4 errors + 10 attempts = .200 kill efficiency
Teigan’s stat line: 2 kills + 0 errors + 10 attempts = .200 kill efficiency

Once again, does your team need the kills to get to 25 points, or do your players
need to make sure it’s not too easy for the other team to get to 25 points? Jocelyn
and Luc are each passing a respectable 2.20, but we need to look into the details.
Jocelyn: 3 3 1 0 0 3 3 3 3 3
10 passes / 22 pass points / 2.20 / 70% perfect / 20% error
Luc: 2 3 2 3 2 3 1 1 3 2
10 passes / 22 pass points / 2.20 / 40% perfect / 0% error
Jocelyn is passing over the team goal for perfect passes, but 1 out of every 5
passes scores a point for the opposing team. It’s a bit harder to run your offense
from Luc’s passes, but he isn’t giving any points directly to the opponents.
Axioms
This section presents our team’s statistical goals, or axioms, in each phase of the
game. These numbers are based on studying hundreds of matches, asking advice
from coaches at all levels, and examining the number marks achieved by teams
that win at all levels. You may adjust these numbers up or down based on the level
of competition you play.
Serve-Receive Phase
Side-out percentage (SO%) 62%
Passing efficiency 2.30 (3-point pass scale)
Perfect pass percentage (PP%) 55% or more
Medium pass percentage (2P%) 30% or less
Poor pass percentage (1P%) 12% or less
Aced or overpass percentage (0P%) 3% or less
Kill percentage on a 3 pass 53%
Serve Phase
Point-scoring percentage (PS%) 43%
Opponent’s pass efficiency 2.00 or less
Opponent’s perfect pass percentage 45% or less
Our aces per game 1.50

Opponent’s first-ball kill percentage 35% or less
Blocks per game 2.6
Transition Phase
Dig to kill percentage 32%
Dig opportunity percentage 80% or better
Transition attacking error percentage 12% or less
Transition kill percentage 35% or better
Transition kill efficiency 22% or better
General Offense
Team attacking efficiency 24% or better
Middle blockers 33% or better
Outside hitters 23% or better
Right-side hitters 28% or better
Team kill percentage 42% or better
Team attack error percentage 12% or less
Kills per game 15 kills
First-ball kills 9 kills
Transition kills 6 kills
General Defense
Team digs per game 17 digs
Opponent kill percentage 33% or less
Opponent kill efficiency 20% or less
Other Guiding Axioms

Free-ball or down-ball kill percentage 85%
Unforced errors per game 6 errors (ball handling, attacking,
serving)
Consecutive side-outs 7 side-outs in a row
Runs of 3 points 3 per set
Opponent runs of 3 points 1 or fewer per set
End of the set 0 unforced errors after 20 points
Serving Never have 2 serving errors in a row
Statistical Correlation to Victory

(2004 Olympics Study)
To offer a final visual of the importance of some statistics over others, table 17.8
presents the results of a study that was done on the women’s volleyball tourna-
ment at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The results of the 2004
Olympic statistics can help guide a coach toward the most important statistics to
consider when evaluating their team’s performance. These results illustrate what
coaches should be considering when evaluating their teams’ statistics.
Table 17.8â•… 2004 Olympic Statistical Rankings (12 Teams Participating)

Opponent Opponent’s
Attack attack Kill Opponent’s Passing passing Perfect First-ball
Finish Team efficiency efficiency % kill % average average pass % kill %
1 China 1 2 2 3 2 1 2 2
2 Russia 4 8 4 8 3 9 3 4
3 Cuba 5 9 5 9 9 4 9 3
4 Brazil 3 6 1 2 1 7 1 1
5 USA 7 4 8 6 11 3 11 7
5 Japan 8 10 7 7 4 6 7 8
5 Korea 9 5 11 5 7 12 5 6
5 Italy 2 1 3 1 5 8 6 5
First, it’s easy to see why China won the gold medal. They were in the top three
of each important category. How was Cuba able to overcome the fact they were
poor passers and defenders? The answer is offense—more specifically, first-ball
kill in serve receive. Despite not being very strong in serve receive, they were
able to get a first-ball kill on 42 percent of their passes. Opposing teams had few
opportunities to score in transition on them. Russia was in a similar situation, but
they were able to overcome poor defense with a lethal offense. Although it’s not
shown on the graph, Japan and Korea made it to the quarterfinals because they
are very low-error teams that simply forced their opponents to score all of their
own points.
Conclusion
Understanding and using statistics will likely make you a better coach. However,
it is important to remember that players should stay focused on playing the game
while you worry about the statistics. While there are numerous areas in volleyball
that can be statistically quantified, analyzed, and ranked, it’s always important to
keep statistics as simple and meaningful as possible. Coaches should only track and
calculate those statistics they actually intend on using to determine team weak-
nesses, team progressions, and for individuals earning playing time.
chapter
18
Offensive Tactics
Bill Neville
Every volleyball team should have an offensive philosophy and a system of orga-
nization that reflects it. Further, it must be organized by rotation because each
rotation is a new situation. There are important elements to be considered. An
offensive philosophy should consider the following items:
◆âŠƒ Players
◆âŠƒ Ability to control the first contact (free, down, attacked balls, and serves)
◆âŠƒ Rules
◆âŠƒ Training time
◆âŠƒ What is required to beat an opponent
Players
Regardless of the offensive system a team uses, it must have the personnel to run
it. Coaches will always try to take advantage of rules. In the United States, where
rules allow anywhere from 12 to unlimited substitutions and several game entries,
coaches can specialize to maximize individual players’ strengths and hide their
weaknesses. Volleyball was originally designed to develop athletes to play the whole
game, which requires a high level of competency in each skill (this is still the case
at the international level). In the United States, beginning at a young age, players
specialize based on presumed physical attributes. Descriptions permeate coaches’
discussions of players (e.g., Is she a 3 rotation player or a 6 rotation player?).
Coaches must determine the philosophy that drives their system decisions.
Many traditional assumptions influence systems design. Following are two of the
most common:
◆âŠƒ It is preferable to have three front-row hitters.
◆âŠƒ Setters are often small, can’t hit, and are weak blockers.
233
But what are the trade-offs? Do you really use three front-row hitters or do
they get in the way of each other reducing the potential of a good approach and
swing? The assumption is that a short setter is a liability as a blocker. How often
is the setter really exploited as a blocker? Do offenses function with two setters in
a 6-2 system? If setters were given a choice, would they rather play in a 5-1 or a
6-2? Does having three front-row hitters outweigh the premise that setters require
constant involvement to maintain a rhythm, considering that they will always have
one of the three contacts in a play sequence? Is it possible that in every rotation
there can be five hitters, considering the back-row potential? A majority of setters
would want to stay on the court for all six rotations if given the choice. Other than
the obvious selfish reasons, most setters likely feel that they lose their rhythm and
end up setting the ball less consistently and less accurately when they play half the
time. Also, the setter is often the leader, or at least one of the leaders, of a team. It
is tough to lead from the bench.
Shorter setters are often assumed to be liabilities as blockers. Therefore, the
United States’ extravagant, liberal substitution rules allow coaches to sub a big
right-side hitter/blocker in for a small setter and bring in another setter in the
back row. This does seem logical. The question is, how much of a liability is the
small front-row setter? Does that liability outweigh the consistency and leadership
the setter brings to the court? Does a rotational analysis of how points are scored
show that the three rotations with the setter in the front row lose points over how
many points are gained? Analyze your six rotations. In a 5-1 scheme, the setter is
in the back row in rotations 1, 2, and 3, with three attackers at the net. The setter
is at the net in rotations 4, 5, and 6, with two attackers. Comparing the first three
rotations with the last three, which ones score the most and which yield the most
points? And how often does the opponent take advantage of the small setter?
Finally, are there blocking schemes that can hide the setter?
When the Japanese men’s national team reigned supreme in the early 1970s,
its setter was Katsutoshi Nekoda. He was short (5 feet, 9 inches) and had dif-
ficulty jumping over a painted line. But, oh my, could he set! It can be argued
that he was the greatest setter ever to play the game. However, he was a pathetic
blocker in a relatively pathetic blocking team. The Japanese decided that having
Nekoda on court all the time was more advantageous than sitting him. Therefore,
they created blocking schemes that moved him around so that the opponents
had to focus their attack on seeking him out, which took them away from their
normal attack.
Ability to Control the First Contact

The ball comes over the net from the opponent in four ways: as a free ball, a down
ball, an attacked ball, or a serve. Even though there are various types of serves,
the movement of the served ball is the most predictable because it begins play
and all passers are in position. At younger ages, the serve generally dominates the
Offensive Tacticsâ•… â•… 235
receiving team because (1) the server is in control of the event and can dictate the
terms of engagement and (2) it is easier for players to master the serve than the
more complex serve receive. As players mature and play more, their serve-receive
abilities begin to catch up, although at the highest levels of play, players still find
it a challenge.
Free Balls
A free ball usually is the easiest of the first-ball contacts—or at least it should be.
It is usually a saving play because the opponent is merely trying to keep the ball in
play. The ball often comes over in a rainbow arc. In Japan, a free ball is translated
as an “opportunity ball” because it is a ball that should be easy to control, and the
receiving team should be able to counterattack with a full complement of weapons.
This ball should be controlled overhead to maximize the speed of the counterat-
tack. However, many coaches prefer that players always pass with their forearms.
Down Balls
A down ball is often described as a ball that goes down. Actually, the term refers
to a down block. The ball comes across in a flat trajectory with some heat and
often with topspin. It is often sent across the net from deep in the court or hit
from a standing position. The block determines whether it is not hit hard enough
or is hit from too great a distance to block. Therefore, the blockers yell “down!”
because the flat trajectory of the down ball is usually handled with a forearm pass.
Attacked Balls
An attacked ball has a number of personalities. The one consistency is that the
attacker gets an approach and jumps. There are a variety of approaches as well,
but generally they lead the hitter to jump. Attacks range from a tip (the softest of
contacts) to an all-out swing. Moreover, attackers hit a mix of angles and spots.
In general, approximately 80% of attacks are hit in the direction of the approach
angle. The better the attacker, the wider range the attacker can hit. Much like a
good pitcher in baseball, the volleyball attacker can vary the velocity and loca-
tions. An attacker who is very consistent with her velocity and angles is easy to
defend. However, the attacker with a good mix of velocities and angles is difficult.
Serves
The serve is the most common first ball. It is arguably the toughest of the first-
ball opportunities because the server (if good) has complete control. Even though
it seems that the hard-hit attack is the toughest, it doesn’t happen as often as the
serve. Statistics show that the winner of the serve-and-receive game often wins
the match.
Rules
The U.S. substitution rules are different from those used in the majority of other
countries. International rules restrict each team to six substitutions per set with
only two entries per player. The United States has several rule adaptations; the
most significant has to do with substitutions. (Note: The FIVB, the governing body
of international volleyball, is considering some changes in the substitution rules:
six free subs, allowing players to go in for any other players, and expanding to
eight substitutions per set.) The U.S. substitution rules range from 12 to 18 per
set with no limit on entries per player.
A historical perspective is in order here. When the FIVB adopted rally scoring
and soon followed with the libero rule, the six-substitutions-per-set rule remained.
With the side-out game history and rally scoring in play, the use of six substitutions
plus the libero opened up the game to increased specialization without completely
compromising the original intent of volleyball (i.e., to discourage specialization and
encourage all players to master all the skills). The rally-scoring game was intended
to make the sets and matches more predictable in terms of time, mostly to attract
television viewers (it hasn’t quite worked out as predicted).
The United States traditionally plays by its own rules. Applying 12 to 18
substitutions in a 25-point rally-scoring set means that a coach conceivably can
formula-substitute without worrying about running out of substitutions. This leads
to specialization as well as discontent among parents who wonder, “If you have
all those subs, why isn’t my child playing more?” On paper it appears that a coach
can put in big hitters in the front row and smaller ball handlers in the back row.
The liberos most often replace the middles in the back row. Much of this decision
making is based on assumptions such as these: middles can’t play back-row defense;
short(er) players can’t play effective front row; setters can be double-subbed so
that a bigger hitter/blocker can replace the setters in the front row because (as you
know) setters are short, usually can’t jump, and are not good blockers, especially
against the opponent’s left-side hitters.
Are these assumptions proven by reality? Does having setters, middles, and
opposites play half the time benefit the ultimate set and match outcomes? Does
the reduction of rhythm caused by having a basic unit on the floor cause a team to
play inconsistently? Does the shuffling of players in and out stifle the hot-handed
hitter or knock a setter out of a groove? Are there players who need to be on the
floor because of the force of their personalities, players who, just by their pres-
ence on the floor, elevate the play of those around them? Just because rules allow
virtually unlimited changes doesn’t mean that a coach should use them.
Another U.S. volleyball consideration is that players are being specialized at
young ages. Without saying it out loud, we are implying that they can’t perform
particular skills. By taking a middle hitter out of the back row, we send the message
that the player is not good enough to play in the back row. Sadly, at far too young
an age, players begin to believe these messages. This leads to recent common
queries from recruiters, such as, “Is she a 3 or a 6 rotation player?” Ideally, the
answer should be, “She is a volleyball player!”
Offensive System Design by Principles

The more complex an offensive system is, the more training time is required. The
age and abilities of the players are also significant. What do your players need to
do to win? It can be argued that the level of your competition determines the
systems you use. However, it is critical that your system not exceed your players’
ability to play. Otherwise your win–loss record will be on paper only.
Prior to designing an offensive system, you need to list important considerations
(as noted earlier). The next step is to establish a set of guiding principles to follow.
Here are some examples:
◆âŠƒ Simple is better.
◆âŠƒ Attempt tactically only what you can execute technically.
◆âŠƒ Go only as fast as you can control.
◆âŠƒ Make sure the offensive system accommodates each rotation.
◆âŠƒ Expose your strengths.
After choosing your guiding principles, design the rotational organization.

Most people refer to offensive systems as 4-2, 6-2, 5-1, and so on. Actually, these
are rotational organizations because teams play defense in these organizations as
well. Generally, people think in offensive terms. When organizing an offensive
system, this thinking makes sense. However, volleyball is the consummate transi-
tion game: once the ball is put into play, there will be a conclusion resulting in
a point. Coaches must consider the rapid transition from offense to defense and
vice versa when designing systems. When the opponent attacks, can the players
recover to play good defense? If the opponent uses a certain type of defense, can
the players get into a counterattack quickly?
Charting Offensive Schemes

As offensive systems are charted, terms and symbols need to be defined. Also,
each scheme must be reflected in each rotation. Different programs use different
descriptions for routes, set positions, tempos, and combinations. Jargon, audibles,
and system names are ultimately at the coach’s discretion. The basic organization
outlined in this section is based on one that the late Jim Coleman developed. Dr.
Coleman was one of the greatest innovators in volleyball. To simplify the offensive
designs he created the following:
◆âŠƒ Since the court is 9 meters wide, he divided it into 9 equal zones, numbering
them from left to right beginning with 1 and continuing through 9.
◆âŠƒ He also identified the height of a set by number approximating the height
of a set at its apex estimated from the top of the net. Therefore a 4 set would
be approximately 4 feet at its apex above the top of the net.
◆âŠƒ Then he combined the two numbers to specify location, height, and speed
of the net. Therefore a 14 would be a set 4 feet above the net at its apex
located in the 1 zone. The first number always designates the zone and the
second number is the height.
◆âŠƒ The speed of the set is determined by the height. (The lower the set, the

faster it is.) An example of a relatively fast combination of potential sets to
three front-row players would be: 13–51–93.
The numbering system is excellent at describing sets and locations but is cum-
bersome for audibles by the attacker or setter. Therefore, nicknames emerged
over time for quick communication. Most of the audible nicknames are hard,
one-syllable words, easily said and easily understood. The following list contains
the most prominent definitions of these nicknames.
Definitions
BIC: A back-row quick attack behind the front-row middle attacker (how quick
depends on the coach and the players’ abilities).
Pipe: Coined by 1984 men’s USA Olympic team captain, Chris Marlowe, a back-
row attack slower than a BIC but hit right down the middle.
Gap: A quick–set between the outside set and the middle; also called a 31 (3-zone,
one foot above the net).
Push: A variant of the middle quick (51) that the setter sets just beyond the
opposing middle blocker’s right hand. A 51 is vertical, but a push is angled
toward the 4 zone.
Fade: Similar to the push, although a little wider and a little slower.
Back slide: An approach in which the spiker begins in front of the setter and
slides to the back of the setter; most often, a one-foot takeoff much like a
basketball player shooting a layup is used.
Front slide: The opposite of the back slide. The spiker begins the approach from
behind the setter and goes in front. It is most comfortable for left-handers.
Front quick: Also known as 1, quick, or 51, a hit directly in front of the setter
(noted above).The hitter is either above the setter as the ball is in the setter’s
hands (quick quick) or in the final step (slow quick)
Back quick: A quick set hit directly behind the setter; also known as back.
Double quick: Two players up for quick sets in any combination of inside loca-
tions (e.g., front gap and back 1, front 1 and gap).
Slow quick: A quick hit in which the hitter is in the last step of the approach.
Quick quick: A quick hit in which the hitter is in the air above the setter with
the ball in the hands.
Naked quick: A quick hit in which the hitter faces no outside hitting threat.
Hut: Set to the left side and about 2 1/2 to 3 feet inside the antennae and 4 to
6 feet at its apex above the net.
Go: Usually, an audible calling for a fast left-side set; actually, an audible modi-
fier for any set to go faster.
Red: A set on the right side; named after the favorite set of 1984 men’s gold
medalist, Steve Timmons, who has red hair and was nicknamed Red.
Left inside: A left-side hit in which the hitter approaches inside the gap hitter
and hits a slow quick.
X series: Any combination in which one player crosses another’s approach path.
Audibles: Voice signals indicating where a hitter is going and at what tempo.
Audibles should be one-syllable, hard-sounding words that are easily uttered
and easily heard. An audible can be given by the setter or hitter.
Series: Several plays organized to feed off the options in a preconceived attack
plan.
Pattern: The organization of the plays within a series including routes and
tempos.
Option: The individual attacker’s role in the pattern.
Tempo: The speed of the attack; also referred to as step tempo to indicate the
step the attacker is in when the setter touches the ball.
Attack Zones
In this section Jim Coleman’s symmetrical zone system is used to illustrate series,
patterns, and options. Certainly, other systems are used including the U.S. women’s
national team system, which identifies with letters the attack zones in front of and
behind the setter.
In Coleman’s system the front-row zones are designated with numbers 1 through
9, reading left to right, each a meter wide. The back row is divided equally in four
“corridors” and designated with the letters A, B, C, D, reading left to right. See
figure 18.1 for a representation of attack zones.
Attack Series and Patterns

Series and patterns are not art forms. They each have the purpose of pressuring the
opponent’s defense to wear it down and create scoring opportunities. The diagrams
depicted here are not necessarily found in one team’s arsenal, but rather, constitute
a menu from which to choose. Coaches must decide what series and patterns best
fit their teams, their players, and their offensive philosophies.
Following are explanations of how the numbers and symbols are used in the
charts:
◆âŠƒ Numbers refer to the set location and relative tempo based on the height
of the set at its apex above the net. For example, 14 is attacked in the 1 zone
and is 4 feet at its apex. The common audible is “Hut.”
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
A B C D
Pipe
Back-row attack corridors
BIC
Set Lexicon: the first number is the zone the set is attacked.
The second number is the height of the set at its apex above the net.
Each set has a one syllable nickname and corresponding hand signal.
Number Nickname Hand signal Comment

13/14 Hut Closed fist “GO!” modifies the speed.
32 Lob 3 fingers Modification to 31.
31 Rip/Gap 3 fingers Is called or audible.
51 Quick Index finger
53 Two Index and middle in V Index and middle in V.
43 × (2) Index and middle tight 2 feet at its apex above net.
71 Back Index finger laid on back of hand Play-set crossing behind 51.
92/93 Red Little finger Off one or two feet.
95 Five Five fingers 95
Figure 18.1â•… Attack zones and examples of sets and signals.
◆âŠƒ Number sequencesE6283/AVCA/fig18.01/518310/alw/r3

designate which hitter has what set. For example,
14-51-43 (D) reads from left to right to back row. The left-front (LF) hitter
gets a 14; the middle hitter (MF) gets a 51; and the right-front hitter (RF)
gets a 43 (even though the RF hits in the 4 zone; this would signify an X
route). The designated back-row hitter would hit out of the D corridor.
◆âŠƒ Lowercase letters refer to the blockers: rb = right-front blocker; mb =
middle blocker; lb = left-front blocker.

◆âŠƒ Abbreviations for hitters in designated roles are as follows: R = release
hitter, designated as a hitter expected to hit an out-of-system set when other

options are not available; PS = play-set hitter, usually assigned to the second
tempo of a play; QH = quick hitter, usually the middle hitter; BRH = back-
row hitter; SW = swing hitter used in a swing offensive system. In most
standard systems the left-side hitter is designated as the outside hitter (OH).
Not all options are included in the following charts. For example, although
several back-row attack options are included, the BIC is not. The BIC is seen pri-
marily in international men’s volleyball, where big, high-, and long-jumping human
beings can launch from behind the 3-meter line and hit at the net. If you have a
13-year-old girl who can execute such a play, please include it in your offensive
package. The push and fade are not included either. They would be adjustments
within any of the quick options based on the unfolding situation.
Key
1st # Left-side hitter
2nd # Middle hitter
3rd # Right-side hitter
BR Back-row hitter
BSW Back-row swing hitter
PS Play-set hitter
JS Jump setter
QH Quick hitter (middle)
R Release hitter (left)
SW Swing hitter
LB Left-side blocker
MB Middle blocker
RB Right-side blocker
Opposing blocker
E6283/AVCA/fig18.02/525876/alw/r4
â•… X Series
S S
R QH R PS
PS QH
(14) (51) (14) (43)
(33) (51)
x−1 x−2
E6283/AVCA/fig18.04/525854/alw/r1
E6283/AVCA/fig18.03/525853/alw/r1
S
S
QH QH
R (51) PS R PS
(51)
(14) (63) (14) (73)
x−3
E6283/AVCA/fig18.05/525855/alw/r1
x−4
E6283/AVCA/fig18.06/525856/alw/r1
QH PS
R
(51) (93)
(14)
x−5
E6283/AVCA/fig18.07/525857/alw/r1
242
â•… â•…X Series Notes
Tactical goal Pattern Tactical goal Play Tactical goal
Create piston effect; 14-51-33 Isolate on right-side 14 Line shot
bunch blockers in (X-1) blocker; force mb to
middle; attacking take a step and reach
reading and/or small away from the middle;
middle blocker pick lb on mb
51 Seam between mb and lb/rb
33 Seams straight to middle
back
14-51-43 Pressure rb to pin in 14 Line shot; cross-court seam
(X-2) (opening up 14); catch
mb indecisive and
flat-footed; screen lb
on mb
51 Cut back
43 Both angles; seams
between lb/rb
14-51-63 concentrate attack on 14 Line shot; cross court seam
(X-3) or mb (small mb, poor
tandem blocker); force lb and
rb to pinch in opening
spread plays later
51 Cut back
63 Flat trajectory either angle
14-51-73 Mirror image of X-2; 14 Line shot; cross court seam
(X-4) or best after establishing
fake X X-1and X-2; needs
good jab step fake;
will force lb to jump
to their left opening
seam between lb
and mb
51 Seam between mb and lb
73 Line or seam between mb;
faking lb
14-51-93 Best after establishing 14 Line shot; cross court seam
(X-5) or X-1 and X-2; with
flare out good deal fake lb will
fade trying to catch up
with ps; 51 is one on
one; 14 should be one
on one with rb
51 Seam between mb and lb
93 Line and off lb; sharp cut
back
243
â•… Spread Series
S S
QH QH
(31) (31)
R PS PS
R
(14) (93) (42)
(14)
31−x5 31−x2
S S
QH QH
(31) R (31) PS
PS
R (51) (14) (71)
(14)
Double quick Double quick

QH
R (31) PS
(43) (93)
Left inside
E6283/AVCA/fig18.12/525862/alw/r1
244
â•… Spread Series Notes
After bunching 14-31-93 Primarily opens up X5; 14 Line is best shot
block inside spread (31-X5) with QH going away
patterns will force from the mb more
blocker to chase ball away from X5 set; set
outside; also good selection should to
against big, slow mb primarily to X5
31 Primarily angle toward
opponent position 5
93 Either angle or line
(off fooled blocker)
14-31-42 Best after 31 - X5; PS 14 Line
(31-X2) fakes to X5 taking lb
out; then PS comes
back into 42; mb with
QH and 31; best option
is PS hitting 42
31 Angle toward position 5
42 Straight ahead toward
position 1
14-31-51 Blocking reduced to 14 Angle toward 31 with
(double guesswork if pattern split block
quick) is run correctly; 1 on 1
is guaranteed on each
option; opens up 14 for
big hit
31 Angle to position 5
14-31-71 Same as above; 71 is 14 Angle toward 31 with
(double suited for left hander; split block
quick) spread out even more
43-31-93 Misdirection play; 43 Straight ahead toward
(left inside) based on establishing position 6
others first; primary set
is to 43 hit by R; good
against commit block
93 Line
245
â•… RX Slide Series
S S
QH QH
PS (51/71) PS (51/71)
R R
(33) (43)
(14) (14)
X1 slide X2 slide
E6283/AVCA/fig18.13/525863/alw/r1
E6283/AVCA/fig18.14/525864/alw/r1
S S
QH PS
PS (51/71) (72) QH
R R (51)
(53)
(14) (14)
X3 slide X4 slide
E6283/AVCA/fig18.15/525865/alw/r1
E6283/AVCA/fig18.16/525866/alw/r1
QH
PS (51)
R
(93)
(14)
X5 slide
E6283/AVCA/fig18.17/525867/alw/r2
246
â•… RX Slide Series Notes
Will hesitate before 14-33-51/71 Forces lb to block 14 Line or angle (reverse
going if QH is (X1 slide) quick quick from right side)
lined up on right
and PS is in the
middle; gives mb a
different look with
QH coming from
different angles
33 Shot to position 1 corner
or cut
51/71 Straight to position 1
past lb
14-43-51/71 Should open up PS 14 Line or angle based on
(X2 slide) if mb chooses to go rb position
after QH; if timed right,
piston effect is on
43 Shot to position 1 corner
51/71 51 hit either angle; 71 hit
angle to position 1
14-53-51/71 Puts pressure on mb 14 Line or angle based on
(X3 slide) and lb; piston effect; it rb position
does not work if set is
too high
51/71 Cut back to position 5
14-72-51 Scissor pattern picks 14 Line or angle based on
(X4 slide) mb on lb; good after rb position
X1 or X2; if used as a
change up it can open
up 1 or 0 blockers
72 Position 5 corner
14-93-51/71 A wider version of X4 14 Line or angle based on
(X5 slide) slide; a good opener rb position
of series; lb goes with
sliding QH; picks mb;
PS open
93 Down line to position 5
51/71 Either angle
247
â•… Double Quick Swing Series
S S
QH QH
SW (31) PS SW (31)
PS
(14) (51/71) (93)
(51/71)
DQSS 1 DQSS 2
S S
QH QH
SW (31) (31) PS
PS SW
(42) (51/71) (51/71)
(33)
DQSS 3 DQSS 4
E6283/AVCA/fig18.21/525871/alw/r2
E6283/AVCA/fig18.20/525870/alw/r2
QH
(31)
SW PS
(53) (51/71)
DQSS 5
E6283/AVCA/fig18.22/525872/alw/r2
248
â•… Double Quick Swing Series (Setter Back Row) Notes
To isolate either 14-31-51/71 Open up quick 1 on 1; 14 Line off fooled blocker
outside blockers; to isolate SW on weakest
split rb and mb with blocker; this pattern
simultaneous quicks and next one are main
options with others to
mix it up
31 Either angle, but best to
positon 5
51/71 Either angle, but best to
positon 5
93-31-51/71 Disappear-reappear 93 Line off fooled blocker
behind quicks; same
as above, good swing
movement important
31 Either angle
51/71 Best angle to position 1
42-31-51/71 Best used after above 42 Straight to position 5
has been established;
then come inside
31 Hit to corner in position 5
51/71 Best to go to 71; opens
up 42 hit
33-31-51/71 Intended to overload 33 Either angle
blocker taking 31;
great play if they
are a slow blocker
31 Either angle
51/71 Either angle
53-31-51 Same except focus 53 Either angle
is on blocker going
after 51
31 Either angle
51/71 Either angle
249
â•… Back-Row (BSW) Swing Series
JS JS
QH
QH (51)
(51) SW
SW (93) BR
(14) (BA)
BR
(BD)
BD BA
S
QH
(31)
SW
(14/93) BR
(BR Pipe)
Pipe
E6283/AVCA/fig18.25/525875/alw/r2
250
â•… Back-Row Swing Series (Setter at the Net) Notes
Threatens with 4 14-51-JS It is critical to success 14 Line or different angle if
attackers (QH, SW, BD for SW to go inside rb fades
BR, setter); spread before swinging back
blockers forcing out to hit 14; rb must
them to move inside follow inside and then
to outside; open up choose; BR goes B
seams inside and or opposite of SW;
forces block to reach having all the attackers
or fade outside moving is the key
51 Either angle
JS Dump behind block; lefty
hit position 5
BD Line to position 5 corner
or deep position 1 angle
93-51-JS Fake is to 14 then 93 Line or angle if block
BA swing right to 93; goal fades
is to force blocker
inside then chase SW
outside; lb/rb pull away
from mb opening up
quick; best option is to
get blocker to chase
SW hitters outside
opening middle
51 Either angle
JS Dump behind block; lefty
hit position 1
BA Line position 1 corner
14/93-31-JS Swing hitter going 14/93 Line or angle if block
Pipe wide to either side will fades
occupy mb and open
up middle for BR
31 Either angle
JS Dump straight over
B
Pipe Position 1 or 5
251
Conclusion
Offenses can be very complex or very simple and anything in between. It is up to
the coach to determine what the team’s personnel can effectively execute and what
is needed to be successful at their level. As indicated earlier offensive systems are
not art forms but rather tools to give a team the best chance to win.
chapter
19
Serving Strategically
S helton Collier
Perhaps the best thing a coach can do to increase a team’s ability to score 25 points
and ultimately win matches is to develop a strong tactical serving team. The serve
is the most immediate and direct way to score a point as well as a great way to put
the opponent at a disadvantage. Very significant is the fact that a team with less
experience, less height, less athletic ability, and yes, even less experienced coaching
can be competitive in a game in which they seem to be overmatched. This is pos-
sible with a successfully implemented tactical serving plan. In the case of evenly
matched teams, serving is often a key factor in determining the winner.
Developing an excellent serving team occurs in three phases: (1) formulating
a serving philosophy that is clearly understood by every coach and player in the
program; (2) creating practice drills and practice environments in which players
can rehearse the application of the serving philosophy; and (3) teaching the team
how to gain an advantage by executing tactical serves.
Formulating a Serving Philosophy

Formulating a serving philosophy is an essential first step in creating a great serv-
ing team. It should be a philosophy the players can understand and apply in both
practices and matches.
What rules will you have with regard to not missing a serve? Will you have a
conservative approach or an aggressive approach? Will you be signaling zones from
the bench areas where to serve to, or will the players be on their own to choose a
serving target? Will you allow some players to use higher-risk serves such as jump
serves or serves from deeper behind the end line? Will the rules for these players
be different? How will you enforce your philosophy in practices and matches?
A key concept to address in a sophisticated serving philosophy is that of a
good miss and a bad miss. For example, missing a serve just long or slightly out
of bounds on the sideline is preferred to serving it in the net. Why? Because the
passers may attempt to pass a serve that is over the net and out of bounds past the
253
end line, and such a serve will certainly create some indecision and pressure on
the opponents. A serve in the net does none of this. Therefore, a good miss must
be openly accepted, and a bad miss should draw some criticism.
Some coaches consider a 1:1 ratio of aces to errors to be a reasonable goal.
Recently, however, more coaches have evolved to accepting a higher error ratio
because more difficult serves are necessary to put the receiving team at an imme-
diate disadvantage and to get them out of system (i.e., unable to run a good team
offense). The scoring rate per serve (e.g., 40 to 50 percent) seems to be a better
reflection of a server’s impact than an ace-to-error ratio.
Communicating Your Philosophy

One of the most common errors or limiting factors when developing a serving team
is giving players a mixed message. In the pregame pep talk, the coach may indicate
that “serving tough” and “serving aggressive” are crucial in the match. Then, when
players miss serves, the coach may react negatively with facial expressions, body
posture, or verbally. In the postgame meeting, the coach may then indicate that a
reason for the loss was missing too many serves. Then, in the match the following
week, players on the court and from the bench are saying, “Just get it in” as the
servers prepare to serve, because they do not want to be the reason for negative
feedback from the coach. Coaches must understand that mixed messages keep
teams from developing into top-notch serving units.
Another problem is the mixed message sent by a coach who stresses the impor-
tance of getting every serve in the court. This coach has a conservative serving
philosophy. After a loss, this coach might say, “They outserved us” or “They got
more aces than we did—that was the difference.” A coach with this philosophy
must communicate to the players that they should improve their passing, block-
ing, or defense to win. This is because the serving philosophy stresses keeping the
ball in play; this team is not about outserving the opponent. It is doubtful that the
coaches’ desired response from the postgame talk is for the players to attempt to
serve more aces in the next game, thus risking the inevitable result of more missed
serves. Consistency in applying and reinforcing a serving philosophy is critical.
Determining Players’ Abilities

Can all or some of your players control their serves well enough to be an asset
in carrying out a game plan? Do certain players have difficulty with some serves,
and should those serves not be used even if a game situation lends itself to them?
Suppose the opponent’s weak passer is in the left-back position, but your server is
not comfortable serving down the line. In some cases, allowing a player to serve
her best serve anywhere on her own will result in more points per serve than if
you directed her to serve a specific zone each time. Evaluation and analysis are
needed to make these determinations.
Serving Strategicallyâ•… â•… 255
Scouting Report
Scouting reports can range from a detailed video analysis of previous matches
to watching a team play once and taking notes to walking by a court on which
the team is playing and making a mental note or two. All versions provide some
information to work with.
One of the best ways to raise the confidence level of your team is to provide
some information about an upcoming opponent’s weaknesses. Some teams have
an assistant coach or manager keep a rotation-by-rotation chart of the opponent
and monitor the types of serves that are effective and which players are passing
poorly in each rotation. Some coaches can notice specific players having difficulty
passing or structural weaknesses in certain formations. That can be taken advan-
tage of as well.
A common method of tactical serving is for the coach to signal the zone in which
she wants the ball served. Figure 19.1 indicates the serving zones.
The coach simply holds up the
number of fingers (often hidden
1 6 5
behind a clipboard) that corresponds
to the appropriate zone. A fist is used
to designate zone 6, the serve directly
down the middle. An advanced method
is to flash two zones to indicate a ball 2 3 4
served in the seam between the two
zones signaled. For example, flashing
three fingers and then four fingers
indicates that the player should serve
a short ball directly between the oppo-
nent’s left front (zone 4) and middle FigureE6283/AVCA/fig19.01/513773/alw/r1
19.1â•… Serving zones.
front (zone 3).
Handling Criticism
When using an aggressive serving plan, one of the most difficult issues is the reac-
tions of fans and parents following a serving error. A coach can dedicate weeks
to developing a tough serving team in practice and invest a large percentage of
practice time to serving each day. Then, as the team is executing the plan in a
critical match and upsetting a longtime rival, some parents are yelling “Just get
it in” before every serve or some football players in attendance are yelling “No
more missed serves.” After the match, these people may approach the coach and
say, “Coach, you really need to work at not missing so many serves.”
It is extremely important to educate fans and parents about the risk–reward con-
tinuum of an excellent serving team. This helps them understand the importance
of accepting a certain error ratio and keeps them from intruding on the team’s
focus as players perform challenging serves. Players can help by explaining the
serving philosophy to their parents and friends. A helpful analogy is that a good
tennis player will never beat another good tennis player simply by serving easy in
the court every time. With such an explanation, the crowd may be more supportive
of your teams’ point-scoring effort, and your players will feel more at ease about
serving aggressively for points.
Creating Practice Drills

Once a philosophy has been established and communicated, it is time to create
practice drills to teach and reinforce the appropriate serving behaviors. Obviously,
it is important to first deal with technique. Without question, the main reason for
service errors and inaccuracy is a poor toss. As you initially evaluate your players’
serving abilities, emphasize the importance of a consistent and efficient toss or
placement of the ball. Coaches often chastise a player for missing a serve when a
simple adjustment of the toss would solve the problem. Tossing the ball directly
in front of and in line with the serving shoulder is key, as is having the height at
an ideal location for consistent contact. “Step to target” and “palm to target” are
good reminders.
The degree to which you implement and enforce your serving philosophy in
practice will directly correlate to your team’s ability to follow through with it in
matches. Don’t expect your team to serve great under pressure or pick apart an
opponent’s weaknesses if the extent of their serving in practice is standing on either
end line and serve back and forth for 5 to 10 minutes.
When designing drills for any skill or situation, creativity is important. Clarify
the outcome you desire, score what you value, and create a drill to enhance the
likelihood of this happening. Following are examples:
◆âŠƒ To develop the server’s ability to hit specific areas with a serve: Have
creative contests (with winners and losers) in which players must serve to
specific zones or targets.
◆âŠƒ To develop the ability to serve under pressure: Create pressure! Have
players who miss serves do sprints or push-ups. Instruct the whole team
to watch or make noise when a player is serving. Mandate that servers get
a certain number of serves in the court in a row without a miss to avoid
consequences.
◆âŠƒ To develop tougher serves in games: In a scrimmage, award two points
instead of one point for an ace.

◆âŠƒ To develop consistency in serving: Give the opponent a side-out plus a
bonus point if a serve is missed.

◆âŠƒ To help players get a feel for their limits: Have players serve at 60 percent,
then 80 percent, then 100 percent so they begin to sense the percentage at
which they are most effective.
◆âŠƒ To enforce your serving rules: Take a point away from a team that breaks
a serving rule in a scrimmage in practice.

There are endless creative ideas that can enhance a player’s ability to serve. As
with any skill, the return that you see in matches corresponds to the specificity of
effort devoted in practice.
Serving Strategies
Coaches should have extensive lists of serving strategies to help their teams win.
Developing a group of players who can control the accuracy of their serves is
obviously step one, but the critical second step is identifying weaknesses in the
opponent’s reception patterns that can be exploited. Following are several tactical
possibilities.
Directing a serve to an area near the player you believe is the weakest
passer. This is an excellent strategy and can serve the dual purpose of put-
ting the opponent at a disadvantage while creating confidence in your team.
The key, however, is to make the weak passer move and pass a tough serve,
rather than merely serving an easy ball to this player.
Serving tough to primary hitters who are exposed in the passing forma-
tion. Front-row attackers are becoming increasingly responsible for more
area as serve receivers. The primary hitter has a harder time passing a tough
serve than approaching to attack. Serves directed at this passer can be short,
deep, directly at the passer, or to the side opposite the direction in which the
passer intends to approach.
Serving short around the middle hitter who is preparing to hit a quick
set or slide attack. This is an extremely effective serve because it can take
that middle hitter out of his offensive rhythm or causes confusion among
the primary passers.
Serving down the line. This is one of the most difficult serves to pass accurately
to the setter position.
Serving to the right-front position (zone 2). This forces the setter to receive
the ball over her shoulder as opposed to straight on, limiting her ability to
get set up and survey the offensive options.
The short–deep combination. A server with a good one-two punch is extremely
valuable. This is a “take what they give you” strategy. If the receivers are deep,
a short serve can cause great difficulty. When the passers adjust and move in
closer to guard against the short serve, a deep serve is then even more effective.
Serving to force passers to receive the ball on their right side. Volleyball
serve reception is traditionally left to right in orientation. Passers generally
pass much better from the left side than from the right side.
Immediately serving again to a player who has just been aced. After being
aced, a player’s confidence is reduced, and a server’s confidence is boosted. This
favors the server in a major way and should be immediately taken advantage
of. This should be enforced in practice as well for two important reasons.
First, servers need to rehearse this important strategy, and second, passers
who have just been aced need to be aware that well-coached teams will go
right back after them. They must learn how to respond with good passes.
Look for the cover-up. A particularly good passer may adjust his court position
to cover up for a passer who is struggling. Sometimes, the good passer will
stray too far from his own court responsibility and leave an area vulnerable
or unprotected.
Serving in a Critical Fifth-Set Situation

In the fifth set, it is critical that the team understand the coach’s philosophy. Is
it the same as in a normal game? Is it considerably more conservative because a
missed serve seems to carry more weight in the shortened game? Whatever strategy
you choose, it is crucial that your players understand it and embrace it. This will
provide the confidence they need to serve and play well. Because players are more
nervous in a fifth set to begin with, any uncertainty about their serving strategy
and assignment will compound their anxiety.
I suggest against the “just get it in” approach in a fifth set. There is no better
way to break open a final game than to run a string of unanswered points. This
can create tremendous momentum and allow a team to build what could be an
insurmountable lead. A well-coached, disciplined group of servers can have a tre-
mendous advantage in a fifth-set situation.
Serving Recipes
Developing a serving recipe is similar to, and as important as, developing a recipe
for a meal. First, you must assess exactly what ingredients you have to work with;
then organize them for the best results. Competing coaches, like cooks, can have
similar ingredients to work with, but making the best use of the ingredients yields
the better product.
After assessing the abilities of your starting six servers, you can begin to plan
accordingly. Following are some serving recipes:
◆âŠƒ Three tactical zone servers (to be given signals by the coach) and three
players serving their most comfortable serves
◆âŠƒ Two players serving from deep behind the end line, two players serving
the short–deep combination, and two players serving a standard low, hard,
flat serve
◆âŠƒ Three players serving conservatively to get all serves in, two players serving
to areas signaled by the coach, and one player using a high-risk jump serve
◆âŠƒ Six players serving to areas signaled in by the coach on every serve
Obviously, many combinations are possible. The key is to determine the

strengths, weaknesses, and abilities of your players. After your players have done
some strategic serving, consider distributing a questionnaire in which they rate
their favorite serves and list any serves they felt particularly uncomfortable using.
Ideally, a high-level server will be able to serve several influential serves that can
affect point scoring and pressure opponents. You may want to have each server have
one signature serve that he masters, practices every day, and feels a special pride
in executing. This will give your servers ownership of specific serves and increase
their confidence when they are serving under pressure in matches.
Serving Rules
At critical times in a match, it is important not to miss a serve. Serving rules must
be clearly communicated and enforced in matches as well as in practice. Following
are some times when it is important to get the serve in:
After the teammate who served before you misses. This is important because
you don’t want to throw away two consecutive opportunities to score on
your opponent.
After the opponent has just missed a serve. Following an opponent miss, the
momentum shifts to your team. Perhaps their coach, their team, and their fans
are a little uneasy at this point. The worst thing you can do is immediately
return the favor.
After an opponent time-out. You have forced the opponent into a stressful
time-out situation. You likely have the momentum in the game. To maintain
the momentum, force the opponent under pressure to play the ball as opposed
to being let off the hook with a missed serve.
At the beginning of a set. All players are keyed up at the beginning of a set.
Missing the first serve can be extremely deflating to the serving team and
allow the receiving team to get off to a fast start.
After the opponents have scored several points in succession. It is important
not to miss at this point because your serve-receive unit has just struggled
and finally earned the right to serve. You need to give your point-scoring unit
an opportunity to break the opponent’s string of points.
After your team wins a long, inspired rally. It is often said that after winning
a long rally with a lot of great defensive plays, a team has earned not only
that particular point, but several more immediately following because of the
momentum factor. It is important not to lose this opportunity for an inspired
string of points with a missed serve.
Conclusion
Volleyball is a complex, multiskilled game. Developing proficiency in all skills in
all players is at times an insurmountable challenge. However, it is quite possible
to develop a high-level serving team with a commitment of time and focus. An
excellent serving team may be able to score 25 points against an opponent even
if overmatched in every other skill area. There is a difference between coaching a
team to simply play volleyball and coaching a team to win points. Investing time
in serving and developing a sophisticated serving strategy can be a key element in
helping your team win matches.
chapter
20
On-Court Decision Making
Jennifer Petr ie
On-court decision making—exactly what does that mean? As coaches, we know

how arduous it can be to address every detail before every match. It starts with the
details that only a coach can control, such as the starting lineup, time-outs, substi-
tutions, and matchups with the rotation order. Some of those decisions are made
prematch, and others are game-time changes. During game time our focus is on
time-outs, rotational matchups, substitutions, and midgame strategic adjustments.
Those adjustments could be as minor as implementing the back-row attack or as
major as changing the offensive or defensive system. The team should be prepared
to make adjustments in serve-receive patterns and defensive base positioning, and
possibly switches in blocking assignments.
Although table 20.1 does not cover every situation that may occur in a volleyball
match, it should give you a start in thinking about decisions you may need to make
quickly during a match. Spend some time thinking through game scenarios and
come up with decisions, patterns, and players you will use to make adjustments.
Making changes is much easier when you have them in your notebook ready to
refer to when your team needs help to win the next point.
Time-Outs
Aside from venting frustration for losing or for the team’s lack of focus, the
information disseminated during a time-out should be the same regardless of
whether the team is winning or losing. The strategic information must continue
to be communicated. The team should always be clear on the game plan, and they
need to feel the trust and belief of the coaching staff. One of the important deci-
sions during a match is when to call a time-out. Should it be used early in a game
to spark change, or saved until the end of a set to focus on crucial point-scoring
opportunities?
Use the flow of the game to determine when to call a time-out. You can identify
both lethargy and focus in your team by the level of communication on the court.
Communication breeds confidence, and the more constructive information that is
shared between the players on the court, the better their performance will be. In
261
Table 20.1â•… Possible On-Court Decisions

On-court adjustment Purpose
Time-out • Relay a strategic change in offensive or defensive system.
• Interrupt the momentum of the opponent.
• Refocus as a team; increase intensity.
• Disrupt the rhythm of a strong opposing server.
Substitutions • Address poor performance.
• Create a better matchup.
• Review the game plan.
• Rest players when you are ahead.
• Give experience to young players who may need game
time at the end of the season.
• Out of time-outs.
• Routine substitution such as a defensive specialist for
a front-row hitter.
Matchup or rotation order • Create a better matchup between your offense and their
change defense, or vice versa.
• Start in a rotation with your best point-scoring attacker in
left front during a fifth set.
• Start a set in the rotation in which you successfully finished
the last game.
Serve-receive pattern change • Address poor individual passing performance.
• Stack or spread your offense for better production.
• Allow your libero to make more first contacts.
Offensive system change • Use audible play calls versus set offensive plays.
• Focus on the hot hitter.
• Use the back-row attack.
Defensive system change • Change to rotation defense.
• Create a perimeter defense.
• Counter the rotation defense.
• Change the base positioning.
• Change block matchups.
the best-case scenario, your team came ready to play and a motivational time-out
is not needed early on. You may need an early time-out, however, if the game plan
in place does not match the opponent’s current strategy.
Time-outs can be used strategically toward the end of a well-played set when you
need to slow down the opponent, change defensive positioning, or run a particular
offensive play. The team needs to know exactly what rotation the opponent is in
and the corresponding defensive response. Setters need to know where the offense
has been successful and what may be open as a late-game option.
Who speaks during the time-out depends greatly on the reason for calling it.
If the team is not performing well because of a lack of effort, concentration, or
chemistry, then the leaders of the team should have an opportunity to encourage,
On-Court Decision Makingâ•… â•… 263
demand, and inspire their teammates. Most of the information relayed during a
time-out should relate to game-time adjustments—what is working for the team
and what changes need to be made.
Certainly, a time-out can help to change the momentum of a game. A coach
deserves a pat on the back when the opponents miss a serve after a time-out.
Sometimes, a team just needs a chance to refocus and concentrate on the game
plan. Other times, a time-out can be used to increase the intensity on the court and
encourage maximal defensive effort. Perhaps coverage is the focus, giving multiple
opportunities to attack. Patience is a big key during a match, and in particular
during a long rally. A time-out should allow a team to respond as a unit, putting
into action the new game plan, an increased intensity, and the determination to
win the match.
Substitutions
Important game-time decision making most certainly includes substitutions. The
question, ultimately, is whether a player on the bench will positively affect the
outcome of the match if given the opportunity to perform. The reasons for the
change can be poor performance by a starter, different player-for-player matchups,
or the development of backup players on the bench.
I am not known for substituting much during a match, perhaps to a fault. Over
the course of a week in practice I gain trust in a lineup, its chemistry, and the
production of players. Playing time is earned outside of competition. However,
every coach has a limit to the depths of a slump. Plenty of players on the bench
deserve an opportunity to make a change in the game. I believe that not making
quick substitutions allows players to relax and play without the stress of being
taken out. Psychologically, I want confident players who know that their coaches
believe in them. When a substitution is made, the player must understand that her
teammate is there to help win the match.
Matchups and Rotation Order

The best matchup scenario depends greatly on the opponent. Do they have a weak-
ness in their block, a short setter, or a slow-closing middle? Perhaps they have an
all-American outside or a middle who runs only slides. Determine the matchup
based on how you think you can beat your opponent, or better yet, on how you
think they might beat you.
On our team, if the opponent has one player who we believe merits our primary
focus, we try to match our best blocker against that player. When our offense is
strong, their blockers are less important than running our plays well. At times we
want to attack certain zones on the court depending on where their blockers line
up or what type of blocking system they are running. If they are pinched in for
their blocking base, we run our offense wide to the pins. Often, you can hold a
blocker in the middle by running one attacker as a decoy right at her, and then
set over her. If the opposing team is spread in its blocking base, the middle of the
court is freed up to run quick attack or combination sets.
Matchups can change as the game progresses. Keep your eye on the opposing
team’s most current point scorer and the plays it is running most often in each
rotation. Both the player and the system will help you determine your best block-
ing matchup.
Rotation Order Changes Between Sets

At times, the matchup of blockers versus attackers will dictate whether to rotate
your lineup between sets. For us, most of the time, our comfort level starting in a
particular rotation is the most important factor. The starting rotation in the fifth
set is a crucial decision. Some coaches like to have their biggest point scorer start
in the left front to get the team off to a fast start. Again, the option of lining up
your strongest defense against their best attacker is a consideration going into the
final set. Either way, a pattern is established during the flow of the match, and you
need to identify where your team is strongest in the rotation order.
To determine your strongest rotation, keep track of the points your team scores
and the points scored against you in each rotation. Those statistics will not only
help you during the match, but also give you a focus in practice. It is good to
know which rotations need extra work in practice; on the other hand, perhaps
new offensive patterns are needed for players to be more effective in siding out.
Serve-Receive Pattern Changes

The libero plays a very important role in the smooth function of the team’s serve
receive. Hopefully, the team trusts the libero to shift the serve receive based on
what is best in the current situation. There are several reasons to change a serve-
receive pattern. The first is the most obvious: one passer is out of sync and the
opponent has broken her down. Short of a time-out, it works well to drop that
passer out or push her up toward the net depending on whether she is in the front
or back row. Because passing is all about the player’s current confidence level, in
practice passers should get used to stepping in and out of serve receive when a
weakness has been exposed.
The second reason for changing a serve-receive pattern is to stack the offense on
the right or left side of the court for a better attack. The block may be weaker on
the left than on the right, and flexibility is important in positioning your attackers
for the best offense. Another reason to make a change in the serve-receive pattern
is to give the opposing server something to think about and hopefully disrupt her
serving routine.
On most teams, the libero is the strongest passer on the squad. This player
should be allowed to position herself to receive the highest number of serves.
If the opponent is consistently serving to a certain area of the court, the libero
should pinch a passer toward the sideline to take more area. The libero needs to
be extremely vocal and confident in serve reception.
Whatever terminology you choose as a coach, your team needs to know exactly
what you are requesting in an instant. At any point you should be able to tell the
passers to push up, push out, pinch, stack, or spread, thus changing the look of
your serve-receive pattern.
Offensive Systems
Some teams are extremely predictable in their offensive patterns. At times, those
teams have had great success. An effective, yet limited, offensive system allows
teams to perfect the plays that they run. The key to a limited offense is making
sure to set each of the players in the system somewhat equally. If your pattern is
a hut-1-5, but you set only the hut, then the opponent will begin to release their
middle on your outside hitter. But if your setter can diversify the offense by revers-
ing the flow of the pass, setting pin to pin, or jump setting to hold a blocker, then
a simple offensive system can be very successful.
With a veteran team, a more varied offensive system can be difficult to defend
against. If you have a team with good ball control that remains in system most
of the time, then diversifying the offense is easier. When running many patterns
and plays, the hitters must know when to call out of a pattern by simply running a
release set (i.e., a safe set). In addition, the setter must always have a release set in
the back of her mind. No matter how advanced or complicated the pattern is, the
setter should know that, when in trouble, a set option is always available.
Setting the Hot Hitter

Any attacker on your team can be the hot hitter as opposed to a go-to player who
has established herself over time by consistently putting balls away at crucial points
in the game. During a time-out, you can privately relay to the setter the attack
percentages over the last several points. If the setter does not already know who
the point scorer is at a particular time, this information will guide her in her on-
court decision making. Our setter will go to a hot hitter during a match, setting
her several times over a course of points as long as she continues her streak of
scoring. When a team needs a side-out or to score the last point in a tight match,
in most cases the go-to hitter is used.
Using the Back-Row Attack

The back-row attack should always be a set play or option in your offensive system.
The setter should provide the call to the back-row attacker in serve-receive, but
it should be an audible call from the back-row players in transition. It is very
important that the passers pay attention to the pattern being run, so they do not
step into the approach lane of the back-row attacker.
When the pass is pushed to the left side of the court, and the opponent’s block-
ers are releasing to the outside hitter, this is a good time to drop off the pipe (set
to middle back) behind the setter. This option is important to hold the blockers
when the passing is not accurate.
In transition, the back row should consistently call for the set and be available
for the attack. When the setter is front row, she needs to be able to hear the audible
call from her middle and use the appropriate back-row player in conjunction.
For example, if the middle hitter is running a slide, then the pipe hitter would be
an option. If the middle hitter is running in front of the setter, then the D (right
back) hitter is an option.
Defensive Systems
There are many defensive systems, and it can be advantageous to use a couple
of them during a match. The basic systems are rotation, counterrotation, and
perimeter.
Rotation Defense
To use the rotation defensive system, release your right-back defender up for tips
and deflections and pull your off blocker to the 10-foot line to defend sharp cross
while the left back digs the hard angle; the middle back plays high seam to the
line (see figure 20.1). This defense works best for teams that tip a lot from their
outside attacker. It allows the setter to be quick to the net in transition, and she
can start her base defense up for the dump.
Base position Rotation defense
LF MF RF MF RF
LF RB
LB RB
MB
MB LB
Figure 20.1â•… Base position and rotation defense versus a left-side attack.
E6283/AVCA/fig20.01/513774/alw/r2
Counter Rotation Defense

With the counter rotation defensive system, instead of releasing the right-back
defender for tips and deflections, your team rotates in the other direction placing
Base position Counter rotation defense
MF RF
LF MF RF
LF
LB RB LB
MB RB
MB
Figure 20.2â•… Base position and counter rotation defense versus a left-side attack.
E6283/AVCA/fig20.03/513776/alw/r2
the off blocker into the court and making her responsible for all tips and deflec-
tions (see figure 20.2). The right-back defender plays deep on the line, while the
left back has all attacks in the angle and the middle back has high seam through
the block. If your team has a strong block, then you will force the opponent into
tips and deflections from hard-driven shots. Counter rotation allows your outside
hitter, with good ball control, to make the first contact allowing your setter to run
the offense on the second contact. Counter rotation, in opposition to rotation,
frees up the setter to run the offense if the ball is tipped.
Perimeter Defense
The perimeter defense system positions all of your defenders on their respective
lines (perimeter of the court) for the attack. When playing against a team that does
not hit shots or tip well, it is best to defend deeper in the court (see figure 20.3).
If your team is good at reacting to the ball and to the deflection, then a perimeter
defense may serve you well.
Base position Perimeter defense
MF RF
LF MF RF
LF
LB RB
LB
RB
MB
MB
Figure 20.3â•… Base defense and perimeter defense versus a left-side attack.
E6283/AVCA/fig20.02/513775/alw/r3
In addition to defensive systems, the base positioning of the defenders in a match

will vary with the given opponent. If the opponent’s setter attacks the second ball
often, then you may want to designate a defender to start her base in that attack
zone. When the opponent has three attackers in the front row, with a back-row
setter, the base defense can be deeper for the entire defense. Where the ball is
passed along the net will also dictate the position of the base defense. If the pass
is pushed closer to the defender, then her base will move with the pass. These
decisions made by the defense must become instinctual.
Audible Versus Set Plays

and Free-Ball Plays
Determining what type of offense to run depends heavily on the experience of
the setter. With an experienced setter, the offense can run audibly, meaning that
the hitters can call their attacks when the ball crosses to their side of the net. If
the setter is comfortable making quick decisions during a rally, then it is possible
to run audibles. If the setter is unfamiliar with the team or the offense, she may
want to have a set play in place during the rally. Consistency in the offense makes
it much easier for a setter to make the best decisions during the rally. It is possible
to start a match with an audible offense, and then finish with only set plays. As a
coaching staff, if you like the predictability of a set offense, knowing who and where
the ball will be set, then a set offense at the end of the match is a good choice. In
an audible offense, the setter’s on-court decision making is crucial. She needs to
be able to read and process the defense during the rally to best isolate her hitters.
Establish set patterns in serve receive and play short scoring games in practice
so that those patterns are run during crucial points in the game. Be sure that either
the setter is organizing in-system plays or the players are comfortable running
audible plays. It is very important for hitters to identify out-of-system passes quickly,
and to know what sets to run in a release situation. You don’t want to eliminate
attackers because the pass is not accurate.
On-Court Decisions Made

by the Coaching Staff
Each coaching staff functions in its own unique way. The information gathered
and disseminated is determined by the head coach. A large staff can divide the
game into sections. For example, one coach can focus solely on the opponent’s
offense to create valuable strategic changes for your defense. Another coach could
concentrate on the patterns your own setter is running. This information is crucial
so that the setter knows which player is scoring well and out of which zone the
offense is strongest. If your staff is limited, it can be very difficult to focus on what
is most important at a particular moment.
Conclusion
Remember that the role of the coach is to keep the team unified in its strategy,
be it offensive system, defensive system, or blocking schemes. A successful team
plays under control and with confidence. Limit the confusion by communicating
all systems prior to the match, during time-outs, between sets and then again after
the match. The best decisions and adjustments come to light after the match has
concluded. There is a lot to be learned by examining those decisions together as
a staff and then sharing them with the team.
About the AVCA
The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is dedicated to the

advancement of the sport of volleyball with AVCA coaches at the epicenter of
leadership, advocacy, and professional development. With a membership of over
6,400 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for those individuals
and companies dedicated to enhancing and promoting the sport. Members include
collegiate, high school, club, youth, and Olympic coaches as well as volleyball club
directors. The AVCA provides education to volleyball coaches, recognition of elite
players and coaches, promotion of volleyball competitions throughout the world,
and networking opportunities for volleyball products and service providers.
271
About the Editor
Cecile Reynaud, PhD was the head coach of the

Florida State University (FSU) volleyball team from
1976 until her retirement from coaching in 2001,
compiling an impressive 635 wins in her 26 years at
the helm. After her coaching career, Reynaud was a
research associate professor at Florida State Univer-
sity, where she taught both graduate and undergradu-
ate classes in the sport management department.
During her illustrious coaching career, she won
seven conference championships and was twice
named Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year
(1992, 2000). She was inducted into the FSU Athletic
Hall of Fame (2009) and the USA Volleyball Florida
Region Hall of Fame (2011). She is a member of the
USA Volleyball Board of Directors and the AVCA Board of Directors. Reynaud is
also a USA Volleyball CAP clinician. Reynaud has served as color analyst for col-
legiate volleyball matches on various networks. She earned her doctorate degree
in athletic administration from FSU in 1998. She is a 1975 graduate of Southwest
Missouri State University (SMSU), where she enjoyed an exceptional volleyball
career and was twice named among the Outstanding College Athletes in America.
In 1983, she was inducted into the SMSU Women’s Athletics Hall of Fame. She
has filmed numerous volleyball DVD’s for Coaches Choice and published several
books with Human Kinetics: The Volleyball Coaching Bible, Vol. I, She Can Coach!,
and Coaching Volleyball: Techniques and Tactics.
272
About the Contributors
Ben Bodipo-Memba enters his fourth season as assistant coach

with the California volleyball team and his 19th season overall as
an NCAA Division I coach. For seven seasons, Bodipo-Memba
served on the Georgia Tech coaching staff as both assistant and
associate head coach. During his time in Atlanta, Bodipo-Memba
helped guide the Yellow Jackets to three NCAA Tournament
appearances, two Atlantic Coast Conference regular season
title wins, an ACC tournament championship, and two top-10
national hitting percentage rankings. In 2008, he was an assistant for the U.S.
Women’s National A2 team that captured gold at the U.S. Open Championship,
and in 2005 he assisted the U.S. National Team joining head coach Jenny “Lang”
Ping’s staff for the Pan-American Cup and helped the team qualify for the 2006
World Grand Prix. Bodipo-Memba played at San Diego State and earned a silver
medal at the 1990 U.S. Olympic Festival. Bodipo-Memba also played profes-
sionally in Finland for Raison Loimu in 1996 and has served as a mentor in the
AVCA Coaches Mentoring program for the past four years. He spent six years
representing the ACC on the AVCA Assistant Coaches Committee and is also a
member of the AVCA Education and Publication Committee, representing all
assistant volleyball coaches.
Chris Catanach has been the head coach for the University of
Tampa volleyball team for 31 seasons. In that time, he has led
his teams to 24 Sunshine State Conference titles, 29 NCAA
appearances, 17 trips to the NCAA Elite Eight, four national
runner-up finishes, and the 2006 and 2014 NCAA Division II
national championships. He currently has a career record of 972-
167, averaging 31.3 victories per season while ranking among
the all-time leaders in both victories and winning percentage.
Nationally, Catanach’s .853 career winning percentage ranks third among the win-
ningest active NCAA II coaches while his 972 total victories rank second among
active NCAA II coaches.
Shelton Collier has a long history of proven success at the

NCAA collegiate level as well as with the USA national team
program. He has posted a career winning percentage of .788
with three universities in over a 30-year career. Collier started
his head coaching career in 1981 at Pittsburgh, securing 296
wins in nine seasons. From there he was named assistant coach
for the USA women’s national team. He then accepted the head
273
274â•… â•… About the Contributors
coaching position at Georgia Tech, building the team from scratch into a top 20
program. As the head coach at Wingate University, he was named 2013 NCAA
Division II National Coach of the Year, and amassed over 400 wins and a .840
winning percentage. He is also active as a top coach in the USA High Performance
program, and was the head coach of the USA youth and junior national teams
from 2002 to present.
Danalee Bragado-Corso was hired by Florida State in 2012

to begin a premier collegiate sand volleyball program and has
since produced seven All-American honorees, advanced to
three consecutive AVCA National Championship Final Fours,
and collected a 46-3 mark in regular season dual match com-
petition. Corso is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University,
Los Angeles, where she majored in business and played indoor
volleyball from 1989-92. After graduating, she went straight to
the women’s pro-beach tour for one year prior to 13 seasons excelling in several
professional double tours. In 1989, Corso played professional court volleyball in
Paris for Racing Club de Villibeon. In 2004, Corso received a Brazilian Pro-Beach
Coaching Accreditation and helped coach the United States National Beach Vol-
leyball Team from 2004-07 with team members Rachel Wacholder and Tyra Turner.
She has also coached 2008 Summer Games Olympian, Nicole Branagh, as well
as top professionals Makare Wilson, Michelle More, and Suzanne Stonebarger.
She won the 1995 Motherlode Open in Aspen. Corso and her family moved to
Tallahassee after she spent 20 years in Los Angeles. Her husband, Brian Corso,
has a master’s degree in sports science and coaches with her as the assistant coach
of the FSU sand volleyball team. They have two children, Camryn and Asher.
Dr. Gylton B. Da Matta is an adjunct professor of education,

sports management, and sports pedagogy at Colorado State
University. Currently collaborating with the USA Volleyball
coaching education program, Dr. Da Matta owns a center for
excellence in volleyball, YOSA, The Youth Sports Academy
in Fort Collins, CO. In 2013, during the Men’s U23 World
Championship and in 2014, during the Senior Men’s World
Championship in Poland, Dr. Da Matta worked as a technical
evaluator and as a member of the control committee. Since 1986 he has coached
volleyball at all levels. In 2005, he earned the USA women’s volleyball national
championship title at the Open Division. Dr. Da Matta has several publications on
skill development in volleyball, the impact of rule change in practice, and the role of
technology and visual feedback in motor skills acquisition, as well as best practices
across the spectrum of expertise. He has presented at dozens of volleyball clinics,
camps, exchanges, and workshops across the United States and internationally.
About the Contributorsâ•… â•… 275
Todd Dagenais enters his eighth season in 2015 as head coach

of the UCF women’s volleyball team. He has amassed a 127-95
record and has been named the American Athletic Conference
Coach of the Year. In 2014, he led the Knights to an American
Athletic Conference title and the program’s first NCAA Divi-
sion I Tournament appearance since 2003. Dagenais has coached
five American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Americans
and seven AVCA All-Region selections. He coached the U.S.
Women’s Junior A2 programs in 2011 and 2012 and was the head coach of the
2007 USA White Selection National Team that won the silver medal at the USA
Volleyball High Performance Championships. Dagenais has served as a member of
the staff for the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryout and was a part of the
U.S. volleyball women’s national team coaching delegation to the 2004 Olympic
Games in Athens.
Randy Dagostino has always been an athlete. As a high school

student, he competed in three different sports and played
baseball at the collegiate level for the University of Illinois,
Chicago. After college, Randy became a coach in Chicago for
baseball, golf, and basketball. To escape the harsh winters, Randy
moved to Florida and became the head girls’ volleyball coach
for Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa. Since then, his girls’
volleyball teams have won 15 state championships and boasted
a postseason record of 96-10 making 17 FHSAA Finals appearances. He won the
Gatorade Coach of the Year honors 4 times, and his career coaching record of
829-161 helped him receive the Coach of the Year honors from the state of Florida
seven times, an induction into the FHSAA Hall of Fame in 2008, and the main
court in the Straz Family Field House was named in his honor. Randy started
the first club volleyball program in 1984 and served as a member of the FHSAA’s
Volleyball Advisory Committee. Presently, he and his wife, Lauri, run large-scale
volleyball tournaments up and down the East Coast of the United States. Not
surprisingly, both of their children play collegiate volleyball, daughter Mackenzie,
for the University of Florida and son, Kyle, for Stanford University.
It took ninth-year USC men’s volleyball head coach Bill

Ferguson just a short time to put the Trojans back on the
volleyball map. He has a 140-96 career record at USC, with
three trips to the NCAA Championships, two MPSF regular
season crowns, and an MPSF tournament title. He has gone
11-6 against crosstown rival UCLA, has twice been named
AVCA National Men’s Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2012,
and in 2011 was the MPSF Coach of the Year.
John Kessel has been playing or coaching volleyball for over

half a century and is an AVCA Hall of Fame coach. As an FIVB
International and USAV CAP instructor, he has taught coaches
and players in over 50 nations and all 50 states in the United
States. Starting in 1984, he has worked every Summer Olympics
and Paralympics except one. In over 25 years with USA Volley-
ball he has directed the grassroots, beach, coaching education,
Paralympic, and now sport development departments. Since
1995 he has also been involved in the Paralympic side of vol-
leyball, currently serving as the World ParaVolley director of development. He
also has been secretary of NORCECA’s and the FIVB Technical, Coaches, and
Development Commissions for over 25 years.
Wayne Kreklow, the 2013 Southeastern Conference Coach of

the Year and 2013 Southeast Region Coach of the Year has built
the Mizzou volleyball program into a national power over the
past 15 years. Wayne and his wife, Susan ( 2000 Big 12 Coach of
the Year), took over a historically downtrodden Mizzou program
in 2000 and led the Tigers to eight consecutive NCAA Division
I Tournament appearances and 11 total NCAA Tournament
appearances in the past 15 seasons, advancing to the second
round four times, the Sweet 16 in 2010, and Elite 8 in 2005. The 2013 season saw
the Tigers finish 34-0, winning the school’s first ever SEC Championship, and
leading the nation in team hitting percentage, kills per set, assists per set, wins,
and points per set. Kreklow has also been involved with the USA High Perfor-
mance Programs, including being selected to serve as one of the head coaches for
the 2012 A2 College National Team that competed in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to
taking over the Mizzou program in 2000, Wayne and his wife, Susan, won two
consecutive NAIA National Championships in 1998 and 1999, and they were also
both named NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1998 and 1999.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) depart-

ment of intercollegiate athletics recently hired Todd Lowery,
who won two national championships as the head coach of the
University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB) volleyball team, as
the new head coach of the UTRGV volleyball team. He holds
a career record of 416-36 to go with four NAIA national cham-
pionships. In 2014, Lowery led University of Texas at Browns-
ville to a 34-5 record and the No. 2 ranking in the nation after
reaching the national championship match. His student-athletes have included
31 NAIA All-Americans, three NAIA National Players of the Year, six Region
III MVPs, and six Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) MVPs. Lowery has
racked up the personal accolades as well, earning the 2006 NAIA National Coach
of the Year award, two NAIA National Tournament Coach of the Year awards, six
RRAC Coach of the Year awards (2009-14), and one South Dakota Associate Press
Coach of the Year award (2002). Lowery earned his master’s degree in education
administration in 2002 from Chadron State. He completed his bachelor’s degree
in physical education with minors in athletic coaching, chemistry, and health and
wellness at Black Hills State in 2000.
Erin Mellinger finished her third season as head coach at Blinn

College with an overall record of 106-11. The Buccaneers won
back to back NJCAA Division I National Championships in
2013 and 2014, appeared in three Region 14 tournaments and
won two consecutively. Mellinger was named the AVCA Two
Year College National Coach of the Year in 2014. She was also
named the NJCAA Division I District K Coach of the Year and
AVCA Two Year College Southwest Region Coach of the Year
two times. She has coached a NJCAA “Betty Jo Graber” Female Athlete of the
Year and seven NJCAA/AVCA All-Americans. Prior to Blinn, Mellinger was an
assistant coach at the College of Southern Idaho (2007-2011), where she helped
guide the Golden Eagles to the 2009 national championship. Prior to her stint
at CSI, Mellinger spent two seasons as head coach at Lewis-Clark State College
(2005-2006), an NAIA Division I program. She was also the head coach at Inde-
pendence (Kansas) Community College (2003-2004), where she led the NJCAA
Division I/II program to a 62-21 record and was named NJCAA Division II District
K coach of the year.
Jamie Morrison is entering his 10th season working with the

USA men’s and women’s national teams. While serving as
both a technical coordinator and assistant coach, Morrison
helped lead the Men’s Olympic Team to a gold medal at the
2008 Olympic Games, as well as helped the 2012 Women’s
Olympic Team to a silver medal at the 2012 games in London.
Morrison has served as an assistant coach with the UC Irvine
women’s volleyball coach for the past two seasons, in addition
to serving as director of training at Newport Beach, CA. based Prime Volleyball
Club. Prior to UC Irvine, Morrison was part of the U.S. Men’s staff as techni-
cal coordinator from 2005-2008 and assistant coach/technical coordinator for
the U.S. Women from 2009-2012. In 2010-2011, Morrison was the head coach
of SVS Post Volleyball Club in Vienna, Austria. The professional club, which
had six Americans including 2012 Olympians Courtney Thompson and Tama
Miyashiro, won the Austrian Championship and the silver medal in the Middle
European League. Morrison spent one season as an assistant coach at the Univer-
sity of Southern California working with both the men’s and women’s volleyball
programs immediately before his tenure with the U.S. Men’s National Team.
He assisted the Women of Troy to the semifinal round of the NCAA Division I
Volleyball Championship in 2004.
Bill Neville is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable

volleyball coaches in the world. He was the assistant coach for
the 1984 USA Men’s Olympic gold medal team and has served
as an assistant coach or head coach for many other successful
teams for USA Volleyball. He was the head coach at the Uni-
versity of Washington for ten years and now owns Nevillizms
Volleyball Coaching Gym in Bellevue, Washington. He is also
the USA Volleyball National Commissioner for Coaching Edu-
cation. In 2012, he was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame and was named a
USA Volleyball All Time Great Coach. He has published various books and videos
throughout his stellar career.
Jennifer Petrie has done an outstanding job directing the for-

tunes of San Diego volleyball since taking over as the Toreros
head coach in 1999. Petrie has guided the Toreros to the NCAA
Division I Tournament in 13 of her 15 years at the helm, includ-
ing taking the team to the Sweet 16 in the 2004, 2006, and 2013
seasons. In 2013, Petrie helped lead USD to perhaps its best
season in program history when USD defeated four top-25
teams. USD then shot up to No. 2 in the national polls, mark-
ing the highest ranking of any team at USD in the Division I era. USD went on
to win the WCC championship for a second consecutive season, and reached the
Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. For her efforts in 2013, Petrie was selected
as the AVCA Pacific South Region Coach of the Year. Petrie has led the Toreros to
a total of seven WCC championships, and has produced 12 AVCA All-Americans,
five WCC Players of the Year, three WCC Defenders of the Year, three WCC
Freshman of the Year, and 34 All-WCC first-team selections. Coach Petrie has
also been recognized as the WCC Coach of the Year four times.
Former Penn State All-American, Salima Rockwell, re-joined

the Penn State sideline in 2014. Widely regarded as one of
the nation’s top assistant coaches, Rockwell returned to Penn
State as an associate head coach for the Nittany Lions after
spending five seasons at the University of Texas as an associate
head coach. In her first season back, Rockwell helped guide the
2014 Nittany Lions to their seventh NCAA Division I national
championship title in program history and sixth in the last eight
years. She also mentored 2014 AVCA National Player of the Year, Micha Han-
cock, and Penn State’s starting setter and multi-year All-American, Alisha Glass.
While with the Texas Longhorns, Rockwell helped guide Texas to three NCAA
Division I national semifinal appearances, including a national championship in
2012. Rockwell was the recipient of the 2013 AVCA National Assistant Coach of
the Year Award. During her collegiate career at Penn State, Rockwell was a three-
time All-American from 1991-94, picking up four All-Big Ten honors, including
three first team selections and Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 1993. She also
earned back-to-back NCAA Tournament All-Tournament team honors at the 1993
and 1994 national finals. She played for the U.S. National team from 1995-99 and
was an alternate for the Olympic Games in 1996. Rockwell and her husband, Jeff,
have two sons, Logan and Rylan.
Becky Schmidt made her mark on Hope volleyball as a student-

athlete and now is doing the same as a head coach. Schmidt
guided the 2014 Flying Dutch to their first national champion-
ship with a 6-0 run during the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Schmidt’s 11-season Hope record is 302-73 (.805), which ranks
her among the nation’s elite. In November 2008, she was elected
the NCAA Division III representative to the board of directors
of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and
has published articles in “Coaching Volleyball.” She regularly presents at coach-
ing and player clinics across the country. A 1999 Hope graduate and kinesiology
major, Schmidt played middle blocker and ranked among the NCAA leaders in
several statistical categories. She was voted the most valuable player in the Michi-
gan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) as both a junior and senior. As a
senior, she became the first Hope volleyball player to receive NCAA Division III
All-American honors. She was also awarded an NCAA postgraduate scholarship.
After graduating from Hope, she was a graduate assistant volleyball coach at Miami
University of Ohio while completing her master’s degree in sport behavior and
performance. Becky is married to David Fleece, the announcer at Hope volleyball
matches for several years.
Charlie Sullivan will enter his 17th season as head coach of

the men’s volleyball team and assistant professor of physical
education at Springfield College. In 16 previous years at the
helm, Springfield has established a pedigree of championship
success, producing eight national titles, including three-straight
NCAA Division III Championships. One of the most recogniz-
able names in men’s volleyball, Sullivan was chosen to receive
USA Volleyball’s All-Time Great Coach award in the Donald
S. Shondell Contemporary Division for 2015. In addition to his role as the men’s
volleyball coach at Springfield, Sullivan has also had several stints with the U.S.
national team, including the summer of 2014, when he guided the U.S. men’s Pan-
American Team to the silver medal of the IX Men’s Pan-American Cup.
Erik Sullivan just marked his fourth year on head coach Jerritt
Elliott’s Texas Volleyball staff. Sullivan joined the Texas staff
after making two previous Big 12 coaching stops at Nebraska
and Colorado. On the Forty Acres, Sullivan works with the
Horns’ liberos and outside hitters, while developing Texas’ team
defensive systems and scouting reports. Sullivan, a two-time U.S.
Olympian, brings a wealth of playing experience into the Texas
program, including eight years with the U.S. national team. He
started for Team USA as a libero at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games and served
as co-captain of Team USA at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Sullivan’s
playing experience has also stretched to the professional ranks in Europe, playing
five seasons abroad. A two-time All-American at UCLA, Sullivan led the Bruins to
a pair of national titles during his four-year playing career (1992-95). He graduated
from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in physiological science in the spring of 1995.
Joe Trinsey was hired as the technical coordinator for the U.S.
Women’s National Volleyball Team in spring of 2013 and helped
the program to a 25-6 record in his first season. Recently, he
was part of the staff of the 2014 World Championship team that
captured gold in Milan, Italy- the first Women’s World Champi-
onship title in USA volleyball history. Trinsey is responsible for
match video analysis and statistics for the squad and implements
the data into training session plans and match-time decisions.
Trinsey served as a coach with the Brandywine Volleyball Club in Wilmington, DE
from 2009-2012 where he worked with athletes from 8-18 years old. His teams
qualified for the Girl’s Junior National Championship all three years. Trinsey also
served as the second assistant coach during the 2013 FIVB Women’s U23 World
Championship Team that was led by Karch Kiraly and volunteer assistant coach
with the Loyola Marymount University women’s volleyball program in 2012.
You’ll find other outstanding volleyball resources at
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Volleyball Coaching Bible II PDF

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The

Cecile Reynaud, Editor

The volleyball coaching bible / Cecile Reynaud, editor.

Chapter 2 Defining Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Chapter 3 Developing a Positive Team Culture . . . . . . 25

Chapter 4 Growth Mindset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Program Building and Management

Chapter 6 Building a Successful College Program . . . 63

Chapter 7 Starting a Sand Volleyball Program . . . . . . 71

Chapter 8 Running a Successful Volleyball Camp . . . . 85

Chapter 9 Recruiting the Right Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Chapter 10 Developing a Five-Year Plan . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Positional Training Strategies

Chapter 12 Training Outside Hitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Chapter 13 Training Setters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Chapter 14 Training Liberos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Match Preparation and Strategy

Chapter 16 Scouting Opponents the Right Way . . . . . . 197

Chapter 17 Statistics for More Effective Coaching . . . . 215

Chapter 18 Offensive Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Chapter 19 Serving Strategically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

Chapter 20 On-Court Decision Making . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

About the AVCAâ•… 271

The sport of volleyball, invented in 1895 at a YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts

Primary Versions of Volleyball

A Sport for a Lifetime

You Will Be a Better Player if You Coach

An experience I had teaching volleyball taught me much about the importance

One of the secrets to helping newcomers love our sport is to stop

Volleyball Around the Globe

Playing 1v1 over a tree limb in the Cook Islands.

Adapting Existing Facilities

â†œæ¸€å±®â†œKâ†œ. Chris Drury 11. Pitched in the Little League World

Drill to Foster Team Communication

Overall Rules to Live By

Three Objectives of Statistics

Balance of Challenge and Skill

Table 3.1â•… Training to Encourage Peak Performance

instance, we do a crosscourt ball-control exchange drill in which players try to

Balance of Criticism and Encouragement

Balance of Trust and Accountability

versity of Southern California) refers to the entire team of coaches, nutritionists,

Balance of Fun and Focus

It is important to acknowledge (and I do this with my team) that I find the

Balance of Team and Individual

Creating a Culture of Growth

Admit You Aren’t Good Enough

Realign Your Thoughts

Fifth-Graders and Learning

test and they would perform similarly.

What You Can Learn From These Tests

What You Can Learn From This Test

Table 4.1â•… Feelings and Behaviors of Fixed

Consistency of Your Message

Repeat Your Message

Table 4.2â•… Giving Praise

As a former student who committed many errors during practice and

resources of your competitor’s program, instead of using this as an excuse, focus

The Power of Mistakes