Volleyball Skill Development Through Having Fun!
We’re getting close to the end of the club volleyball season and I can’t believe how fast it has gone by. It seems like just the other day I was so nervous about try-outs and if I was EVEN going to make a team.
Now, we’ve played 4-5 tournaments and been practicing a lot of hours each week. I’ve had so much fun getting to know the girls on my team, learning how to get better at volleyball and developing my volleyball skills.
My coach, Geoff, is awesome. He’s a lot of fun, but he’s also a really good coach. He takes video of us and shows us what we’re doing right and wrong. He does classroom time with us to explain why we are doing what we are doing. He encourages each of us to get better at specific skills and he is really very patient when we aren’t doing what we’re supposed to be doing. My mom says “He is a saint.”
In the last 4 1/2 months of playing club volleyball I feel like I’ve really gotten a lot better. My overhand serve has been awesome lately and I’m even starting to learn how to do a jump serve. It’s been a little frustrating because I just finally started doing great with my overhand and now when I try to do the jump serve some of my serves don’t go over. But when I think back to a few months ago compared to where I am now, I know that I’m getting better and I’m proud of myself.
This week at practice coach had the 18 Platinum team come over and play with us. It was crazy at first. My team and I were like, “What?” But it turned out to be a lot of fun. They played with us and helped us to learn how to boost our energy, encourage and cheer for each other and play some awesome volleyball. It was cool.
All About My Club Volleyball Tryouts
On Saturday, November 16 I had club volleyball tryouts. I tried out at Club 1 with 3 other of my best friends. I made the 12 blue team which is the second best team for twelve and under year olds, next to platinum. I am so happy and proud of my friends too because they all made a team. The only thing that stinks is that we’re all on different teams. Some of us are even at different clubs. We’ve all been playing together for a couple of years so it will be so weird playing against some of them. At tryouts I was really nervous but I gave 100% and tried really hard and I am glad I made the team.
Now that we have started practices I know everybody on the team and I have a couple of new friends. I am also getting to know the coaches. So far we have started working on the float serve, passing, and rover defense. I am looking forward to our first tournament and practices to come. Mostly I’m looking forward to getting our backpack with our all our uniforms, practice jerseys and sweats! They are so cool looking!
How to Do an Overhand Volleyball Serve
As you start playing more volleyball, especially in competitive leagues you will need to learn how to do an overhand volleyball serve. An overhand volleyball serve has more power behind it so it’s harder for the other team to return.
Here is a great video to show you the exact steps to do an overhand volleyball serve. I’ll add some advanced techniques you can use with this later, but this will help you get started.
The steps to doing this can be practiced without the ball in your house, or in your yard on your own. That way you can practice the steps and get good at them and add the volleyball later.
Getting Ready to Try Out for Club Volleyball
2 years ago I had not even heard of club volleyball and I had no idea what it was. In November, after playing for 2 1/2 years with NYS on my first recreational team and then with the YMCA on a competitive team for the last 2 years . . . I’m going to try out for the next level — Club Volleyball.
It’s kinda scary for a few reasons. First, I’m scared I won’t make it. Then, I’m going to miss my current team. I’ve been with the same team my entire time playing volleyball, which is really cool. I’ve made great friends and had some really good coaching. Thanks Coach Patrick, Dad, Coach Rich, and Coach Amber. And, of course, a big thanks to my mom who keeps track of my crazy schedule, gets me everywhere on time (10 minutes early usually), teaches me how to balance everything I have going on with being a kid and generally just ROCKS!
To help me prepare for Club Volleyball try-outs my mom has hired me a few different coaches for 1:1 instruction to give me different perspectives and influences and she’s enrolled me into every available clinic that my schedule will allow. She also lets me practice my jumping all over the house and has even given me some great ideas on ways to get better. I know I will eventually hit the spot on the ceiling she has given me as a goal. Most importantly she’s given me great encouragement and been there every step of the way. I love you mom!
If you have a goal — go for it! It doesn’t matter if it’s to try out for club volleyball or to just start playing volleyball or if it’s to learn to dance or be in a school play. My mom tells me that “yes, you’ll be afraid sometimes, but embrace the fear and do it anyway!”
I’ll keep practicing like crazy for the next few weeks and I’ll update you on how my club volleyball try-outs go once it’s over. Here’s a few pictures of one of my recent lessons. Oh, and one of the coolest things I learned on Sunday is how to do my jump serve – Thanks Coach Chad! “Left step, toss, gallop, jump then swing!” I’m working on it.
Serving a Volleyball – The Basics of An Underhand Serve
It seems like everyone is always excited to overhand serve, but what you really want to do is win games and serving in volleyball is the great equilizer! When you’re just starting out and learning to serve a volleyball, the underhand serve is the way to go.
The underhand serve is pretty simple and can be very powerful if you do it right! This video shows you the basics so you can get started, then you just have to practice, practice, practice.
Remember, an accurate in bound underhand serve is much better than a fancy out of bounds overhand serve, so don’t worry about doing overhand serves right away. I’ve been playing volleyball for 2 years and I’m just now starting to overhand serve consistently. And, when we are in a clutch game situation, I don’t want to let my teammates down so I often rely on my predictable, killer underhand serve.
Hey, it won me “Best Server” on the team for 4 seasons in a row!
Improve Jumping Height for Volleyball Players
I’m working on my skills a lot more these days since I will be trying out for a club team in October. One of the things I need to get better at is jumping higher. I found this video and exercise which hurts like crazy when you first start doing it, but I can really see a difference after just a little bit.
I’m doing these on my own and sure hope that my coaches don’t read my blog because if they add these into our weekly practice – ouchy! If you start doing this exercise I think you will see that you can start to jump higher too. It’s all about building up the right muscles.
How to Set A Volleyball ~ A Basic Volleyball Skill
One of the first things you have to learn when you play volleyball is how to set a volleyball. It’s kinda one of those basic skills that you need to learn early on. The pros make it look super easy and it is kinda easy, but it’s not as easy as it looks. There is more to setting a volleyball than first meets the eye.
For one, it looks like you would just kinda flip it up, but if you don’t have your wrists set in a strong position then the ball won’t really go anywhere and well, it can bend your wrists back and hurt. So learn how to hold your wrists strong and not to bend them. My coach calls them strong hands.
Also, if you learn to put your hands the right way it will really help you direct exactly where you want the ball to go which, of course, is a good thing.
It’s taken me about a year and a half to get really good with my setting so don’t expect to get it overnight, but you’ll want to work on it.
This video will show you some good hand movements and suggestions on how to learn to set a volleyball. The guys voice is a little boring, but I think it shows the best way to learn how to set a volleyball with your hand placements and all that. It’s only about 3 minutes so watch closely then practice. Probably outdoors would be best!
How to Spike A Volleyball
This summer I took a couple different clinics and volleyball camps and each one of them taught me how to spike a volleyball just a little differently. They all kind of had the same techniques but some places stress starting with your left foot, some with your right foot. It was a bit confusing at first.
My mom explained to me that there are technical volleyball skills and then there is how you actually do it. She said that you need to know the right way to do it and then you can make it more your own. So after 2 volleyball camps and several clinics I started looking for other ways to get better at spiking a volleyball and I found this video on YouTube that really helped me a lot.
I thought I would share it so you can learn from it too. I watched it over and over and practiced in the house just up and down the hallway for a long time. Then, when I felt more comfortable, I took it to the court. I felt way more comfortable then. I hope you like it too . . .
My Favorite Volleyball t shirt and other volleyball apparel
It seems like in the last couple of years volleyball for girls has been getting more popular. Of course, it could just be that I started playing and so my whole life revolves around volleyball which makes it seem like it’s everywhere!
Like most girls, I like to show off things that I think are fun. It kinda helps me show a little of my own personality to the world. My absolute favorite volleyball t shirt is one that my mom got me at one of my favorite websites – zazzle. They have all kinds of volleyball apparel, volleyball gifts, volleyball sweatshirts and more.
I love this shirt because it’s super soft, it doesn’t shrink when my mom washes it and it’s a thick t shirt so you can’t see right through it. Plus, it has a great saying on it . . . “Peace, Love and Volleyball” It comes in other colors and there are other designs that you might like better, but this one was my favorite volleyball t shirt.
Last year we even got our team coaches gift there too, which was a funny volleyball t shirt that said, “Anyone Can Coach Boys but it takes a Real Man to Coach Girls!” We designed it with pink lettering because that is our team colors. He loved it and wore it all the time.
They have everything from volleyball keyrings, posters, pictures, to volleyball phone covers, and this very fun volleyball sticker.
If you love volleyball too then they have all kinds of very cool ways for you to show the world just how much!
Strength Training to Get Better at Volleyball
Attention Volleyball Players: Want to win more games? Wouldn’t it be cool to be the star player on your team and the one that everyone counts on? I’ve been getting better each session by building up my strength, speed and the way I move. This training really helped me.
If you want to . . .
- Increase your jump for spiking and blocking
- Increase your strength and power for spiking harder
- Increase setter quickness and stability for getting in position
- Increase serving power and consistency
- Increase first step quickness for making defense easier
You’ll want to check out this very cool volleyball strength conditioning program. It can help you increase your strength, jump higher, get better at volleyball and be the girl that everyone counts on to win games. I love scoring the winning point and feeling like I really helped out my team and I love winning games! Click Here! to read more
