This week we kick off our youth training sessions for Dalkey. I’m not supposed to be coaching them, but am in the interim while we recruit coaches for our U16W1 team.
The first session of the week is 2 hours and the second, on Friday, is 1 and a half hours long. Most of the players aren’t starting from absolute zero; many of them played in the league last year, and nearly all the rest played in our Foundations beginner group last year, so we’re lucky to be starting with a bit of a base.
The goal here is to work a lot on serving technique (the hall at Loreto is a typical Irish hall, which has about a foot of space beyond the service line when we use two courts, so we’ll have to train not to foot fault, for sure, down the line) and ball control. This is, essentially, for the U16 league, break phase (when we’re serving, how we’re going to get points), and sideout (when the other team is serving). If a team can serve well, they’re going to get a lot of points, and if they can pass, set, hit well, they’ll get the serve back, a lot.
Depending how this session goes, we’ll look to talk about positions and roles next week.
Dalkey Devils Training - U16W1 - 18/09/2023
Theme: Ball control & Intro to the Team
Introduction (with U16W3 an U16W1 together)
Call for parent participation and coaching help
Team parent
Coaches (assistant and head coach for W1, assistants for W3)
Expectations for the season
Show up at training and focus on the tasks at hand
No phones
Dalkey Devils and Volleyball Ireland Code of Conduct
Volleyball Ireland membership and Dalkey Devils membership
Warm-Ups when you get to the hall
Pre-net setup:
1 on 1 at the wall
Pass to each other off the wall, try to work up to pass to self, set to self, hit off the wall to partner
Net setup:
2 - 0 back and forth under the net
Start: One player (1) on the 3m line, one (2) at the net with the ball
Player at the net sets the ball to the player at the 3m line, then ducks under the net and goes to the other 3m line
Player 2 sets the ball over to the player at the 3m line on the other side of the net, and runs from the 3m line and ducks under the net
Player 1 sets to the player at the net, who sets the ball back, and then ducks under the net and runs to the 3 m line
Player 1 ducks under the net and returns to their original starting location at the net and repeat
1 on 1 plus 1 (if an odd number)
One player (1, 2) on each 3 meter line, one (3) at the net on one side (A, with player 1)
Start with player 2 with the ball, sets the ball to player 1, who sets to player 2
Player 3 ducks under the net, back and forth, setting to the player on the same side at the 3m line
Rotate positions after a short while so everyone gets to be player 3 at the net
Variation: After each touch, switch positions. Don’t tell the players how, but player 3 (at the net) should move after setting to replace a player at the 3m line, who should replace the player at the net after they set the ball, and so on. It’s a good exercise to let them figure out how to move after contacting the ball
AB Warm-Up - 5-10 minutes
Thermo:
Jog to the net and back
Backwards jog to the net and back
Shuffle to the net and back
Mobility:
Hamstring walk to net
Walking quad stretch to the end line
Shoulder circles skip to net & back
Shoulder hug skip to net & back
Activation:
Bent over Y & T
Reverse lunge reach to net
Lateral squats to end line
Jump/Land Prep:
Light approach to end line & back
Light blocking to end line & back
High intensity:
Net: touch the line, ready position, burst to end line, turn, ready position, burst to far end line
End line: touch the line, ready position, burst to net, NO TURN, ready position, burst backwards to end line
Skills & Strategy
Serving practice
Kneeling, right knee down, left knee up, at the 3m line, practice toss 10 times
Hit the ball 10 times into the net (if they miss, no big deal… working on contact)
Get a partner, hit the ball over to each other 10 times
Then stand, on left foot, 10 times over to each other.
Then stand, two feet, 10 times over to each other.
Step back, serve 10 more
3 on 3 (with a focus on attacking and defense)
3 start roughly even at the 6m line or so
Coach or player initiates ball over the net to one side, who are now on offense
Offense:
One player should run to a spot at the net roughly in the middle of the net or slightly to the right to set
Other two get ready to hit at either pin (antenna, left side and right side)
Setter pushes ball to either hitter, who attack
Defense
While the other side get ready to attack, form a triangle, with the point at deep middle back, two sides in short right back, short left back
Explain zones (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Watch the pass to the setter, the set to the hitter, and adjust, guess where the ball will be hit by the other player
Dig the ball, one person runs to the net (ask them who? Who when the middle person handles the ball? Who when the person on the left handles it? The person on the right?)
Setter sets one of the two hitters, play it out
After playing it out, then the other side gets a ball
Three more wash on in their place after each side gets a ball, repeat
Feedback:
On Hitting: footwork, arm swing, in transition from defense, get to your spot to hit quick
On Setting: push to the antennas, hold the platform
On Defense: stay low, positioning, guide the ball to the target
On Serving: Lift the ball, ‘Elbow your brother’, strong hand
Variation: Once we’ve gone through the groups a few times with free balls, add serves to introduce the ball rather than a free ball
Monarch of the Court
Doubles monarch of the court to finish
Dalkey Devils Training - U16W1 - 22/09/2023
Theme: Ball control
Warm-Ups when you get to the hall
Pre-net setup:
1 on 1 at the wall
Pass to each other off the wall, try to work up to pass to self, set to self, hit off the wall to partner
Net setup:
2 - 0 back and forth under the net
Start: One player (1) on the 3m line, one (2) at the net with the ball
Player at the net sets the ball to the player at the 3m line, then ducks under the net and goes to the other 3m line
Player 2 sets the ball over to the player at the 3m line on the other side of the net, and runs from the 3m line and ducks under the net
Player 1 sets to the player at the net, who sets the ball back, and then ducks under the net and runs to the 3 m line
Player 1 ducks under the net and returns to their original starting location at the net and repeat
1 on 1 plus 1 (if an odd number)
One player (1, 2) on each 3 meter line, one (3) at the net on one side (A, with player 1)
Start with player 2 with the ball, sets the ball to player 1, who sets to player 2
Player 3 ducks under the net, back and forth, setting to the player on the same side at the 3m line
Rotate positions after a short while so everyone gets to be player 3 at the net
Variation: After each touch, switch positions. Don’t tell the players how, but player 3 (at the net) should move after setting to replace a player at the 3m line, who should replace the player at the net after they set the ball, and so on. It’s a good exercise to let them figure out how to move after contacting the ball
AB Warm-Up - 5-10 minutes
Thermo:
Jog to the net and back
Backwards jog to the net and back
Shuffle to the net and back
Mobility:
Hamstring walk to net
Walking quad stretch to the end line
Shoulder circles skip to net & back
Shoulder hug skip to net & back
Activation:
Bent over Y & T
Reverse lunge reach to net
Lateral squats to end line
Jump/Land Prep:
Light approach to end line & back
Light blocking to end line & back
High intensity:
Net: touch the line, ready position, burst to end line, turn, ready position, burst to far end line
End line: touch the line, ready position, burst to net, NO TURN, ready position, burst backwards to end line
Ball Warm-Up
Bagherone
2 players on the court, 1 touch and over and next player washes on
Skills & Strategy
Setting with Partners
Partners in a triangle, two near the net, one off
Partner away from the net tosses the ball to the right-most player at the net), who sets it out to the left side, left side can set it back to the tosser, who catches it (or passes it to the setter, if they’re able)
Rotate players when setter has set 15 balls
Variation: Reverse the flow: have the tosser toss to the left-most player, back set to right-side
Cueing:
“Moose antlers,” “Supergirl setting,” “Diamond”
Setting Weave
Two lines, two people in each line (at the corners) - 1 ball
Set the ball to the other side, follow the ball, get to the other end line
Then…
Form a conga line, set backwards
Set, then run to the end of the line, make it back to the original end line
Passing to a target
Player on the 3m line, player on the opposite side of the court in 5, another at the net as the target, as in the ‘baby’ butterfly drill below
The tosser then follows the ball to the passing line, passer to the target line, target to the ‘tossing’ line on the same side of the net as them.
Feedback: “Guide the ball to the target”
3 on 3 Wash Through Drill
Coach feeds the ball, first player to touch washes under, then the second, then the third, next group washes on, original group tries to play the ball back, wash off as second group washes on, and repeat
Scrimmages:
6 on 6 scrimmage with 6-6 offense (setter in 2)