Transition, Transition, Transition

The drill begins with 6 players in base defense on one side of the net.  On the other side of the net in each hitting position (left, middle, right) a player stands ready with a ball in hand.  On that same side with the 3 players holding balls will be the coach with a cart full of balls.  To start the drill, the coach will give the side with 6 either a freeball or a downball.  The side of 6 will play out that ball.  As soon as the side of 6 hits the ball over, the player standing with a ball in that hitting zone, will immediately throw a ball into the side of 6.  The 6 will then play out that ball.  As soon as that ball is played out and hit over, another ball will be thrown in from the spot the ball was hit.  This will continue until there is a dead ball.  The drill will start again with the coach again initiating a freeball or downball.  The focus of this drill is to make sure players are having quick
transition from actual hitting / hitting coverage back into offensive hitting spots behind the 10 ft line and back again.  Compare to a beating heart or waves in the ocean that are continuously moving in and out or back and forth.  A team is done with this drill after they have a designated number of plays hit over the net.  Scoring will start at zero for everytime the coach needs to initiate a new ball.

Under the net Passing

Coach initiates the ball by bouncing it under the net from the opposite side where 2-3 players are in defensive position.  Players are forced to push forward and through the ball to direct it to the target.

Another variation:  Players shuffle under the net from side of the net.  Coach will toss a ball and player just lets the ball hit their platform

Stand short / Pass Deep

4-6 players are in the drill at a time, all others are targets, shaggers, handers, or coaches.    2 players stand on the 10 foot line or a designated spot that is about 10 feet from the coach tossing the ball.  When the coach slaps the ball, the 2 players will communicate and shuffle back in order for one player to get behind the ball and pass it up to the target.  For this drill, players can not use hands - they must use their forearm passing.  As soon as the ball is passed to the target, those two players will switch lines and the next two waiting will again enter the drill at the 10 foot line.  In order for the group in the drill to be done, they must have a designated number of balls passed to the target (usually 10-12).

WIN

6 on 6 freebal game
The team that wins any rally, receives the next ball.   For every time that they win a rally, they receive a letter in "W-I-N".  As soon as the other team wins a rally, the opposing team loses all their letters.  Therefore, a team needs to win 3 consecutive balls for the team to win the game or win a big point.

Dig or Die

5 on 5 with setter at the net, 3 back row players on left side hitter, and "extra player" stand outside of the court in right back.  Drill begins with a ball thrown in to one side, team plays the ball by passing to the setter who sets the outside and the left side hitter swings.  If the team receiving the attack digs the ball to their setter, the setter yells out the number of points her team has and they continue to play.  Each time the ball is hit or tipped over the net, the 3 back row players rotate to their left and the left side goes to right back (unless there are people waiting to come in - then they go in the line to wait).  If there is ever a ball that is not touched, the team receiving the attack loses whatever points they have and go back to a score of 0.  Play continues until one team has 15 digs.

D-up

6 on 6 in base defense.  Free ball is given to one side as a down ball.  Teams score points by transitioning a dig into a defensive kill.  The next ball is always initiated to the team that LOSES the rally.  Teams only score on a kill out of of a defensive play.

Golden Ticket

Wash Drill:
6 on 6 freeball or serve receive drill.  Score is kept as regular rally scoring to 15.  The coach will give each team a particular way of scoring and tell each team what that is.  For example: kill out of the 3 zone, back row attack, or tip to the deep corner...  When a team scores in the way the coach had determined, that team recieves the "golden ticket"  The golden ticket can then be used at any point to switch scores (team A has score of 14 and team B has a 10).  If a team B has the golden ticket, they can switch the score so they have 10 and team A will then have the 14.  A ticket can be cashed in at any time but there is only ONE ticket so if one team has it, the other team can steal it back if they score in their way as determined by the coach.  If a team is behind, they will want to be sure they use it before they lose it.

Timed Serving Zones

Divide the team into 3 different groups with equal number of players.  One group will serve, one group shags, and one group hands balls to servers.  Servers are on the end line of one court, shaggers collect balls on the other side of the court, and ball handers are on the 10 ft line of the serving side.  Coach gives a zone and one minute for servers to get as many serves in that zone as they can within the one minute.  As soon as a server serves a ball, she runs to the 10 ft line to get a ball from the ball handers, runs back to the end line, serves, and continues until the one minuute is up.  When one minute is up, servers become shaggers, shaggers become handers, and handers become servers.  Players can count their serves as a group and compete against the other two groups or work as individuals.

Last Man Standing

Coach picks a serving zone (or could be a hitting zone).  Players continue to serve in that zone until they miss.  When a player misses, they are to do training work (push-ups, sit-ups...) on the side until all servers finish.  The last person left is the winner or "last man standing"  For younger kids you could just start with getting the serve in and add the zone serving with the last couple of kids left.
Option:  Coach could also allow players to stay in for set number of misses.  For example, players are not out until they miss the zone twice.

Pig

This game is much like Pig or Horse in basketball.  Servers work with a partner or with groups of 2-3 players.  The first server will call out a zone.  If the server who called the zone then does indeed hit that zone, the partner must also hit that zone.  If the partner misses, the partner receives the first letter (P for pig, H for horse).  If the player calling the zone does not hit that zone with their next serve, the partner will call a zone and try to hit it, forcing the other server to have to hit that zone.

Golf

Servers must serve in each of the 6 zones on the court and count the number of serves it took to hit each of the zones.  Think of each zone as a hole in golf.  Just like you count the number of hits you had to get the ball in the hole, count the number of serves it took to hit each zone.  The player with the least number of serves to hit all zones is the winner.  If you had a hole in one for each zone, you would have a total of 6 serves or a score of 6.

Option:  The highest score you can get for each zone is 4 so if she does not hit the zone after 4 serves, they would move on to the next zone.  Therefore, the worst score they could receive is 24.

Ace and Replace

3 players start on one side in the serve receive position.  All other players are at the end line.  One server will serve at a time trying to "ACE" on the serve receive players.  If the server does score an ACE on a player, they will replace that player while the serve receiver will go to the serving line.  The only way to score points in this drill is by passing a ball to the target.  For every pass that is to the target, she will receive 1 point.  Because the only way you can score points is as a passer, the servers need to work hard to serve an ACE and have the chance to be a serve receiver who can score points. First player to 5 points wins.

Serve / serve recieve WAR

Scoring variation of 10 before 20.
Set up servers on both end lines and 3 serve receive passers on each court.  Servers serve at the passers.  Servers get points for every ace and minus a point for each missed serve.  Passers receive 1 point for each ball passed to the target.

It is one side against the other.  The servers and serve receive from one side competes against the other side.  You could also add that the servers would rotate into the serve receive.  First team to 20 wins.  This will take communication on the part of each team so that each team keeps accurate score.  The opposing team will need to yell "out" or "net" when it goes in the net so that the other team subtracts a point while yelling "point" for every pass that goes to the target.

10 before 20

Set up servers on both end lines and 3 serve receive passers on each court.  Servers serve at the passers.  Servers get points for every ace and minus a point for each missed serve.  Passers receive 1 point for each ball passed to the target.  Passers need to get 20 passes to the target before the servers receive 10 points.

Dead Fish / Weiner

All servers line up with a ball on the endline.  After serving the ball to the other side of the court, the server will lay down in that spot.  Other servers work to hit the players laying on the floor.  If one of the players or "dead fish" is hit with a serve, they must go back to the serving line and serve again, trying to hit a player.  The last person to serve is the losing player.

Trick or Treat

Lay boxes or towels with small peices of candy on them (starbursts, tootsie rolls,..) at spots around the court.  Servers serve, trying to hit the boxes / towels.  If they hit the boxes / towels, they can grab a piece of candy.

Serve to 20

Lay a tarp in the middle of the court.  Servers aim for the zones around the tarp and earn no points for landing on the tarp.  Any system of points could be used.  I have used 2 points for in front of and behind tarp (short and long serves), 1 point for the sides of the tarp, and 4 points for each corner.  First player to 20 points wins.  This is usually run as a serve and shag game for conditioning as well.

NEW DRILLS

Please comment to this post with any and all drill ideas you have so they can be added to this page.  Thank You!

Timed Serving

• Group one: serving
• Group 2: at net with ball carts handing balls to running servers
• Group 3: shagging and counting balls that hit the marked area, like zone 6 (or just in)
• 1 minute per session

Hand Soccer

Purpose:  Fun way of getting kids warmed up and staying in low form

Set up two goals at each endline.  Play soccer as usual except that players can only use their hands to move the ball and are not allowed to pick up the ball, only hit it.  The ball must stay on the ground at all times.  Because the players need to contact with their hands and pass the ball quickly and often to teammates players will naturally be forced to stay low.

Swedish

Purpose:  fun communication

Losing Team: team that ends up with both balls dead on their side of the court

• equal number of players on each side of the court
• Each side needs to have one ball and one player who is designated as the "tosser"
• At go, each "tosser" throws the ball to the other side 
• Ball must go beyond 10 foot line and can not be thrown directly at the other tosser
• Game rules follow usual game rules like out of bounds...
• That play round continues until one team ends up with both balls dead on their side of the court
• Winning team gets a point and can play to any number of points.  Usually 5-10

Volleyball Style Dodgeball

·         Dodgeball: Start with one on one.  When a team wins a rally, a new player can come in.  First team to get all players from their team in wins.  If a player touches a ball without calling, they must go back out and wait for another rally win to come back in.  If a ball lands on the floor with no one touching it, everyone from that team is again out except for one player.

stand short pass deep

Stand short / pass deep:  two players stand on 10 foot line, coach tosses a ball in between the two players and behind them.  Players must communicate to pass the ball to target.  Must have 10 balls to target (one small step only) to be done with drill.

Popcorn

Popcorn:  3-4 players sit on the back line with backs to the coach.  As soon as the coach slaps the ball, the players need to stand up, turn around, and get the ball over the net.  The players score a point per number of contacts before the ball is sent over the net.  If the ball never gets over the net, there are no points scored.  Can keep score individually or make up teams.

Tips & Ideas for One Coach Many Kids

Tips & Ideas for One Coach and Many Players:

• ·         Count any time you give a task so time is not wasted doing small tasks like shagging balls or putting up nets.  Penalties for missing time limits.
• ·         Give every player a job:  motivator, shagger, coach to another player in the drill, keep time, toss in balls…
• ·         Whenever possible, have the coach just coach and have players initiate balls.  This takes some time for players to get but once they do, the job of the coach becomes just a coach and not the one who runs the drill and the coach.
• ·         Run drills Quickly.  Players will learn to keep up to the pace of the drill.
• ·         Don’t stop the drill to talk to a couple of players.  Coach and walk throughout the drill to coach without stopping the drill.  As coaches we like to have too much control so we like to stop the drill often to talk to all of the players which slows down practice time.
• ·         Only spend 5-15 minutes with each drill and then switch to different drill or skill.  Attention spans are short and we want to teach kids to be able to easily and quickly transfer one skill into the next.
• ·         Set small goals like 5-10 or set time instead of numbered goals.  Must have 8 passes to target in 2 minutes…

Serving Progression

Serving Progression:  ball sandwich, draw, toss, contact  (use much of the same arm work as hitting progression)   Contact above head and slightly in front so serve is between top of antennae and net

·         12 traps on the wall

·         5 at 10 foot

·         5 at 20 foot

·         5 at 30 foot

·         As season progresses and when players finish, add zone serving and can play with jump serving 

Hitting Progression

Hitting progression (5 of each)  Always use guide hand and Hitting Hand MUST be above the head.  Think about putting thumb on top of head. 

·         Both hands up & just snap

·         Guide hand up and elbow to ball

·         Open hips, elbow pointing back to opposite wall, guide hand up

o   Pull with guide hand, elbow comes around and hitting hand goes up and snaps

·         Loaded legs position with palms of hands to the ceiling, come up to a load position and finish progression as in last step

·         Do 12 approaches at the net from 10 foot line to net (start in low athletic position, arms out, left, right, left)

o   4 with footwork and freeze in load position with palms to ceiling

o   4 with arms laoded

o   4 with full swing through

Platform & Overhead Passing progression

     One knee passing

• ·         Right knee up / left knee down
• ·         Shoulders over knees over toes (do not sit on back leg)
• ·         Platforms at shoulder height
• ·         Tosses need to be at shins
• ·         Call ball as soon as it is tossed
• ·         Transfer weight to pass ball NOT swinging of arms
• ·         Freeze at the end by saying “raiders”
• ·         Must have 10 balls to the forehead of her partner before partners switch
• Standing Pass with partner under net  (12 passes)

10-20-30 passing

One Knee Overhead passing

10-20-30 overhead passing

Dynamic Warmup

Dynamic Warm-up (all will take place from endline to net and the WHOLE gym will do together)  All will be done forward to the net and backward back to the end line

·         Jug (x2)

·         Skip (x2)

·         High Knee steps (x1)  (quick and knees at 90 degrees)

·         High Knee jumps (x1)  (focus on height not distance)

·         Karaoke quick fee with all facing the same way (x1)

·         Karaoke high knee with all facing the same way (x1)

·         Lunges

·         Side lunges

·         Side shuffles (no cross over)

·         Forward shuffles (right foot always forward)

·         5 -10 real pushups – could start the first day with 3-5 and build up to 10-12 by the end of the season, adding 1 every week (no knee push ups)  (hands at shoulders, back straight, eyes focused out in front of them) (push-ups should be done slowly and with good form)

·         10 V ups

·         Sidelines (20 secs) x2

·         Forward / backward jump over line (20 secs) x2

·         30 secs. to get partner, jog 

arm swing progression

1.  snap
2.  elbow to ball, hand above head
3.  hips open, elbow to back wall, hand above head
4.  load legs, palms to ceiling,