4th - 7th

This session is for athletes that are just starting out up those athletes with 1 or 2 years of volleyball experience.  We will train all of the basic skills and movements used as building blocks for higher level play. This will include, Ready position and movement, Underhand serving, Underhand passing (bump) and Overhand passing. Our goal is to continue to cover the basics in this session with the addition of harder and faster paced drills for Overhand and Underhand passing. We will add overhand serving for those athletes that are physically strong enough to achieve success. There will be some team concept training with drills that use 2 ,3 and 4 people on the court at once. There will be no direct competition amongst athletes.

General

This next level of training should include athletes with 3 to 5 years of experience or those that have attended the Advance Basic Sessions. We will still cover the basic fundamentals of passing and movement with challenging drills and  techniques like diving and rolling. More team-like drills will be used such as serve receiving patterns and defensive sets. Also covered will be the Overhand serve, setting, down balls (overhand swing) and of course everyone’s favorite; attacking (hitting). The basics of blocking will be part of this session. Eventually, this session will evolve into higher level drills and more detailed explanations of techniques and thought processes. Attacking will be expanded to include the different types of attacks utilized by some teams. This will include the quick attack, 2^nd tempo and back row attacking. Various types of overhand serves will be taught as well as an introduction to jump serving. More blocking techniques will be added. There will be no direct competition amongst athletes.

Advanced

This Advanced session reaches new levels of intense drills for passing and digging. More emphasis will be placed on serve receive patterns and responsibilities for playing defense. Several defensive sets will be trained to add to the athlete's knowledge and understanding of the game. More attacking patterns will be taught along with plays and play sets used by college teams. Serving tactics and jump serving techniques will continue to be trained. This will be the highest level of training and will encompass all of the skills previously trained. High intensity and competitive drills will be utilized to continue reinforcing proper techniques. Athletes will be challenged both mentally and physically to perform at levels they have not achieved before. The coaches at Advance will evaluate and suggest what each athletes opportunities may be in the next step of there career. By doing this, if agreed upon by the individual athlete, we can concentrate on that players direction and adjust their individual training accordingly.

SETTER's PROGRAM:

This program is for the athlete that wishes to concentrate on the Setting position.  Training will consist of court movement, footwork, hand position, decision making and general setting tactics and techniques. The athlete will learn proper techniques to make consistent sets to all areas of the court.  Also included in the training will be the various offensive systems used at all levels. The focus will be on the maximum number of repetitions possible for all of the skills. Advance Volleyball training will maximize learning through individual correction and consistent cues and demonstrations of the complex techniques needed to be a successful setter. 

HITTER's PROGRAM:

The hitters program will train athletes to use proper footwork for their approach as well as breakdown each element of the attack. The athlete will also learn the many other important skills that hitters use. Attacking in transition, the slide, offensive systems and all middle and outside attacks. Additionally proper arm swing will be taught for maximum power and injury prevention. Blocking, overhand and underhand passing and defensive positioning will be included. The focus will be on the maximum number of repetitions possible for all of the skills. Advance Volleyball training will maximize learning through individual correction and consistent cues and demonstrations of techniques needed to be a successful attacker.

 ADVANCE POINTS OF VIEW ON 

SERVING & BLOCKING

SERVING

For our younger players, one of the big misconceptions is the desire to serve overhand. Since there is not a written rule to use the overhand serve, players just assume that since their friends are doing it, that they should. At Advance, we feel just the opposite! Advance coaches understand that all athletes gain strength and mature at different stages of their careers. It is important and easier for younger athletes to conquer the underhand serve, utilizing the proper stance, footwork and arm swing that will be the foundations of a more correct overhand serve when she is physically ready to make that transition. With this being said, parents and coaches should encourage technique and consistency over the pressure of forcing a child to serve overhand.

BLOCKING

A number of skills and strength needs to come into play before Blocking should become a priority.  Proper Blocking technique takes good Strength, Quickness, Peripheral Vision and an good sense of reading attackers and sets from the opponents court.  Advance coaches agree that a number of other skills need much more attention to give the athlete the opportunity to participate in the earlier stages of her volleyball career.  As the Athlete progresses, blocking then may become a part of her skills. The techniques of blocking are developed through proper movement and agility. These skills are acquired from many of the other techniques used in our training. We concentrate on these other skills and save blocking for those that we know can learn it safely and with success.