Category: Teaching Tip

Tip of the Week

Basketball: What’s better than a low and aggressive defender? A low, aggressive and unpredictable defender! Teach that low and “active” defensive slide by adding a lunge-and-retreat element to your athlete’s game. Maintaining the same distance (even when it’s tight) from the offensive ball-handler might contain or even pressure the offensive player to some degree but it’s much more effective… Read more »

Tip of the Week

VB One quality every coach loves in a young volleyball athlete – his/her love for “getting dirty!” The wide base will help in lessening the fear of those who may be a bit timid to go to the floor. One thing parents and coaches can do – find a softer area to practice from the floor-UP! Start… Read more »

Teaching Tip

Volleyball – Ball*Tape*Spot*Back to Ball and SERVE!  Have you ever thought about what a server looks at prior to serve.  Watch the server’s eyes and attempt to discover his/her rhythm or pattern (if there is one).  A tip to include eye movement in the serving routine and in muscle-memory is to coach the athlete to… Read more »

Teaching Tip

Volleyball – Stopping the Whip!  The “whip” is the forward motion of the serving arm.  This is an additional movement that many young overhand servers can eliminate by practicing good throwing form.  It’s during the toss that the striking hand likes to whip forward.  By throwing that tennis ball against a gym wall, the young… Read more »

Teaching Tip

Volleyball – The volleyball serve has a certain rhythm to it.  Coaching the serve, from the routine to contact (even past contact – stepping into the floor) can be reinforced by strong muscle-memory training and by structuring the steps to a cadence or again, a rhythm.  An example would be; two dribbles, step back, ball… Read more »

Teaching Tip

Volleyball – Hitters! What do you do with that “off” hand (one not contacting the ball) at contact?  Most young players tend to just let it fly around and really not consider its placement!  This tip will help you!  As we consider the torque of the athlete (hips, shoulders, external obliques) when hitting the volleyball,… Read more »

Teaching Tip

Volleyball – Learning to Lengthen! While flexibility is extremely important for volleyball athletes, especially through the hips, many athletes are limited to their movement (to the ball).  With all that comes with growing, athletes of all ages should push the limits and practice lengthening!  One the muscles are heated, stretched both dynamically and with static… Read more »

Teaching Tip

Volleyball – Numbered or Color-coded “panels” on a volleyball will allow the athlete to WATCH THE BALL into her platform.  Take an older volleyball and identify the SIX panels.  The athlete will call out the color or number upon contact.  The athlete is not trying to guess which color/number contacted her/his platform BUT she should… Read more »

Teaching Tip

Volleyball – “Left foot parallel with the net!”  When a player is attacking/hitting and those final two steps (the step-close) of the 3 step hitting approach are coming in strong, have your athlete focus on her PLANT FOOT to complete the lateral momentum with her left foot (right-handed player) parallel, or nearly parallel with the… Read more »

Teaching Tip

Volleyball – One of the most common coaching “corrections” in youth volleyball with the Overhand Serve is ball/toss alignment.  Players tend to place the ball directly centered in front of them.  By simply adjusting the tossing hand/ball in front of the HITTING SHOULDER will allow for a more balanced and more accurate server. Basketball –… Read more »