5th Grade Boys Volleyball

[rvrkids 0]

Hello - I'm new to this forum mainly b/c I'm new to coaching. I played in highschool (almost 20 years ago) and just this year started playing in a fun adult league.

I have agreed to coach my son's 5th grade team. They played last year but from what I saw their basic play was just bumping the ball back over the net. I don't remember them even hitting 3 times.

What skills/knowledge of the game should I teach them this year (i.e. bump,set,spike, various formations, target serving, specific setters, etc.)?

From what I remember, I used to play mostly with a 3-1-2 lineup and always had the same 2 setters (I apologize that I don't remember all the correct terms).

Please help me.

Thanks.

[Juniper1299 0]

Welcome to the forum!! Let me first say that that age, I believe you said 5th grade, it is important to concentrate on the basics... bump, set, hit. I think a 3-1-2 as you called it is the best idea for players at that level. It is not confusing and through it, they are able to leard the roles of all the different positions: Hitters, setters and back row players. Serving at that age can be a bit of a challenge, so I usually just concentrate on the players getting the mechanics right, i.e. not throwing the ball in the air to serve underhand, stepping into the serve to put some power behind it and making contact with the balll at teh underside of your wrist.

From your post it seems like you have the right idea. Don't forget the most important thing to teach them is TEAMWORK!!

[rvrkids 0]

Thank you Juniper...

What about the hitting/spiking part? I don't think the boys will be able to spike/hit yet so what should I teach them to do on the third "hit"?

Also, should I teach them all to set and then just always have the person in the center front be the setter?

Last year they all seemed to be able to serve the ball overhand pretty well....I think we'll work on perfecting that and maybe targeting a little?.?

Thanks again.

[fmfjohn 0]

rvrkids,

Like Juniper says, teach'em TEAMWORK! and I'll add, solid fundamentals. If they leave your coaching able to forearm and overhead pass, and have a functional serve, underhand or overhand, and have an understanding of proper footwork, then you've done a great job, and a real service to anyone who coaches them later.

The question of whether or not to teach spiking usually answers itself, as the boys will start trying it by themselves. It would really be beneficial to them if you had already walked them through it. But if not, that's the time to introduce it. I usually try to get a headstart on it by teaching them how to floor spike, and then demonstrate the footwork necessary to turn it into a "real" spike. Like a lot of skills at that age, your players may not be able to do them successfully from deep in the court, or from behind the endline, so get them as near the net as lets them be successful. They will work their way back on their own, and you will have given them the correct technique, which makes everyone happy

(floorspike tips upon request-from any of us)

I like the idea of having all of your players being "setters". It will be training that helps them forever.

Again, focus on the fundamentals of overhead passing, and they can become "setters" later.

One unrelated idea: Either take them to a college or high school game, or show them a good game video. Let them see the big kids doing the skills that you are teaching. They'll get alot better alot faster. (and pay more attention to your coaching too:)

Well, that's enough of me for now.

john

[Bert 0]

Thank you Juniper...

What about the hitting/spiking part?  I don't think the boys will be able to spike/hit yet so what should I teach them to do on the third "hit"?

Also, should I teach them all to set and then just always have the person in the center front be the setter?

Last year they all seemed to be able to serve the ball overhand pretty well....I think we'll work on perfecting that and maybe targeting a little?.?

Thanks again.

Hello rvrkids,

I always play with my setter on position 2/3, so not in the middle but just left of the middle position. There are many reasons for this, but the important reason is that it's easier to pass from left to right, for most of the people. The second season is that it's now now possible to play the third ball on three net positions.

Why do you think that the boys are not able to spike the third ball? I think kids, and perhaps specially boys (but this idea is maybe dangerous????) must learn the spike veru early, scoring with a spike is like scoring in soccer or hitting a homerun in baseball, it's the fun of the game

You wrote that they serve a overhand serve pretty well. I think it's very easy to learn to spike on short and fast set ups. These are the most easy ball to spike on. This is, not very common, when I learn volleyball my self the first ball I learn to spike on, were the high ball outside the court, the 43 and 53. If you know what I mean. These balls are very difficult, just because of the high downwards velocity of the ball. When you learn the boys to spike it's a good idea to use backwards shaping method. You start with the last part of the technique, and then every time a earlier phase. This is a easier way to learn.

By the way, I agree with John that it's a good idea to watch a game on a much higher level or a vdeo game, the key's to succes of the FIVB is such a good video tape to use for this reason. Perhaps you could even find a very good player to help in you're lesson's perhaps only for one time, but when this player can help you to show some perfect techniques it will be great.

but .................... the most important thing they must learn is: FUN! Volleyball must be fun, and when they have fun, the rest come later, but it will come!

Bert