So I posted a previous entry on an uber-top secret coaching/training forum--it's about the advantages of game-like training over old-fashioned drills. The conclusion was that game-play fares no worse than drills in terms of results--but the surprise conclusion was that since making the switch, my team's games lost to injuries have dropped by SEVERAL HUNDRED PERCENT.
One of the coaches there was a young woman I met while working for USAV's High Performance camps this summer. She asked if I could give an example of a two-hour practice that emphasized/worked only with game-like drills, and I thought--"Hey, what better way to procrastinate on company business and a novel that's got me stuck than blog about volleyball practice! WOOT!"
(NOTE: The 'woot' was mental. I did not say it, nor was there any arm pumping....really)
Since all y'all reading this haven't been in my gym, a big influence on me as a coach was Jim Stone. I don't think in the three years I worked for him that he ever blocked drills or segments to take up a specific amount of time. Ohio State worked on things as long as they were productive--if something wasn't working and wasn't helping, OSU moved on. If something was going great, we kept going, extending the teachable moment.
What that means is--I don't 'time' my practices. I've put some times below as a rough guideline, but don't mimic them for the sake of imitation, for God's sake! I've also put comments in with what I am thinking for each part of the plan.
SAMPLE PRACTICE PLAN
USAV Shoulder Pre-Hab We alternate days for this. I freely admit to 100% stealing this out of the High Performance manual...just as important, our trainer at LLCC says it's great, too.
USAV Dynamic Warmup We rotate through with the three different versions. Combined with the Shoulder-Pre Hab, it gives us six different warm-up combinations.
TIME BUDGETED FOR WARMUPS: 20 minutes (this is done before our gym time starts whenever possible)
50-50-50 Variation on the butterfly drill...ball is thrown from 10ft line (Zn4) to Zn1, passed from there to target (if roster is big enough, setter will set to target, passer and setter move to cover target).
After 50 good passes (target is 5 feet off the net, NOT right on top of the net), thrower backs up to 20 ft from net. At this point, thrower becomes server and serves from 20ft. This is repeated from the end line. The intention of the 50-50-50 is to get passers to move/read the ball coming over and gradually warm up arms. Since all serves must go to Zn1, it also works on serve accuracy)
TIME BUDGETED FOR 50-50-50: 10-15 minutes...depends on the number of people in the drill, or sometimes we go 0-50-50 or reduce the drill length.
SERVE-RECEIVE: (15-30 minutes, depending)
*Serves going both ways, two or three passers, target (or setter+target), rotating every 60 seconds or so...servers are working on serving passing seams or specific zones, passers are reading server, setters are getting reps--and target will switch set of emphasis as well.
*Servers, three passers, non-setter setting+target. More passing practice and setters need to know how to pass, non-setters need to ball-handle.
*Serve, passer/hitter, setter. Serve comes over, whoever passes must also hit the set. (We will also do this where the passer cannot be the hitter)
*Serve, pass/hit/defender, setter. Competition--rotate after 3/5/10 points. Score a point for an ace OR a kill. Kill = hitter hits it and three defenders on other side cannot get two touches total. Hitters now have to think passing AND hitting, but also need to think defense immediately, work on reading a hitter's approach, judging the set, etc
SPEED BALL: (15-20 minutes)
I won't describe this. If you don't know it--think Queen of the Court on steroids...then go find examples of Speed Ball. You get something like 60% more contacts with SB than QotC.
We play games for time OR to certain point totals. Rules change with every game--they are explained once only; I want players to pay attention (yeah, good luck with that).
*Variation 1: Net serves = back to 0.
*Variation 2: No setting allowed, contacts must be forearm OR attacks
*Variation 3: Can not hit with dominant hand
*Variation 4: Aces count 3 points
*Variation 5: Tips to a specific location count extra
HITTING AROUND/OFF BLOCK:
This can also be done with live blockers. With the coach putting it over the net, we get a pass, set, swing, and players covering. You can have a player serve it over, but we do it this way so the focus is on the hit/cover, etc. I want balls put in certain places to start the drill and my players don't have the skill (and we don't have the time for them to get it) to do it. ...and sometimes I don't have enough players tall enough to put up a serious block...
This will take 10-15 minutes--more if it is going well.
ROTATIONS: We will play 6-on-6, working on our six rotations--this will include serve-receive, as well as defense. A coach will toss a ball in, the player immediately free-balls over to the other team...we want aggressively placed freeballs, not just lollipops to the middle where it's easily played.
15-30 minutes daily for most of the season. In the week before play starts, we'll spend more time on this. At the end, we'll spend less.
BASKETBALL (named because the eventual scores look like an NBA game *and* because you score 1-3 points per play): This is a game with two full teams, played in either two 10-minute halves or four 6 (or 8) minute quarters. Ball is entered by coach to Team 1 who freeballs it to Team 2 to play it out. This will happen for the first two quarters. At the half, teams switch sides and Team 2 freeballs to Team 1.
Points are scored differently each day we play... Variations:
*After 6 hitting errors in a quarter, your opponent is in the bonus and receives 2 points for all further hitting errors the rest of the quarter (or half if you wish)
*After 6 hitting errors in a quarter, your opponent is in the bonus and receives 2 points for all further hitting errors the rest of the quarter (or half if you wish)
*3 points for quick set kills / 2 points for tips landing in Zn 1 / 1pt for all others.
*3 points for RS kills / 2 points for tooling the block / 1 pt for all others
*3 points for BR attacks / 2 points for setter dumps / 1 pt for all others, bonus 1 pt each time someone on the other team dives unnecessarily instead of remaining on their feet.
Players get a drink break at the half.
The drill really works on transition and provides a ton of contacts. We play this about 75% of the days. At the proper pace, this drill also serves as great conditioning--players don't get time outs, they don't sub...they are out there the full length of the quarter, so if they are struggling--the other team gets to take advantage of that. It can add quite a bit of 'chaos' and the unexpected--good things in my opinion.
Basketball usually takes 30-40 minutes to play, depending on length of quarters and how long you give for the halftime break.
And that's a two-hour practice.
When it comes to picking teams for Speed Ball or Basketball, I don't pick the teams. I choose two players and they pick their teams. I like seeing who they believe is playing well--or who prefers to pick friends instead of players who will win them games.
Just as important from a coaching standpoint, I try and design practices which limit the 'control' of the coach--I don't hit a ton of balls because I don't get to during games.
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