TABLE OF CONTENTS
KNOWLEGEMENTS ...... PREFACE ...... CHAPTER 1:- BEACH VOLLEYBALL HISTORY ...... 1 CHAPTER 2:- NATURE OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL AS A TEAM SPORT ...... 6 A. INTRODUCTION ...... 6 B. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SPORT ...... 7 C. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL ...... 9 D. MOTION ANALYSIS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL ...... 11 CHAPTER 3:- BEACH VOLLEYBALL PHILOSOPHY...... 15
A. THE SPIRIT OF BEAC H VOLLEYBALL ...... 16 B. WHY PLAY BEACH VOLLEYBALL...... 19 C. WHY COACH BEACH VOLLEYBALL ...... 21 CHAPTER 4:- COMPETITION SYSTEMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL ...... 22
I. BEACH VOLLEYBALL COMPETITION FORMAT ...... 22 A. Single Elimination Format ...... 23 B. Single Elimination Format with Consolation ...... 27 C. Double Elimination Format ...... 31 D. Pool Followed by Single Elimination ...... 35 II. BEACH VOLLEYBALL CONTINENTAL CUP SPECIFICATION OT THE COMPETITION FORMAT ...... 39 A. Summary of Beach Volleyball Continental Cup Competition Format ...... 40 B. Factors to Evaluate when Selecting a Tournament Format for any Phase (Sub-Zonal, Zonal, and Final) of the Beach Volleyball Continental Cup ...... 41 III. COMPETITION FORMAT OF THE FIVB BEACH VOLLEYBALL WORLD CUP OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION ...... 42 CHAPTER 5:- ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITES OF THE COACH ...... 45
A. A COACH MAIN FUNCTIONS ...... 48 B. SUMMARY OF CAOCHES’ CHARACTERISTICS...... 53 C. THE COACH IN THE ACTION ...... 55 D. FOURTEEN LEGAL DUTIES OF A COACH ...... 59 E. ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT ...... 61 CHAPTER 6:- HOW TO DEVELOP A TEAM ...... 62 A. INTRODUCTION ...... 62 B. SHORT TIME TEAM DEVELOPMENT PLAN ...... 62 C. MEDIUM TIME TEAM DEVELOPMENT PLAN ...... 63 D. LONG TIME TEAM DEVELOPMENT PLAN ...... 64 E. CASE STUDY...... 65 A. Example of the German Volleyball Federation ...... 65 B. Long Term Athlete Development Canada ...... 68 CHAPTER 7:- MENTAL ASPECT OF THE GAME ...... 75
A. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WINNER AND LOOSER ...... 75 B. WHY IS BEACH VOLLEYBALL SUCH A MENTAL GAME ...... 75 C. PROGRAM FOR UNDER 18/19 ...... 83 D. PROGRAM FOR UNDER 20/21 ...... 83 E. THE FINAL STEP FOR THE AGE GROUP OF UNDER 23 ...... 83
CHAPTER 8:- BASIC THEORY AND TRAINING ...... 84
A. FUNDAMENTALS OF COACHING ...... 84 1) Introduction ...... 85 2) Conditioning of Children ...... 86 3) Principles of Training ...... 87 4) Motor Abilities ...... 94 5) Periodization ...... 102 B. TRAINING PROCEDURES ...... 112 CHAPTER 9:- FITNESS COMPONENT ...... 117
A. WHAT ARE THE FITNESS COMPONENT ...... 117 CHAPTER 10:- PLANNING AND REVIEWING A TRAINING SESSION ...... 122 A. INTRODUCTION ...... 122 B. BENEFITS OF A WELL PLANNED TRAINING SESSION ...... 122 C. CONSIDERATIONS WHEN PLANNING A SESSION ...... 122 D. DECIDING ON THE GOALS FOR THE SESSION ...... 122 E. ELEMENTS OF TRAINING SESSION ...... 124 F. TIME LINE OF A TRAINING SESSION ...... 128 G. MANAGING THE EXERCISE ...... 129 H. SUCCESS OF THE EXERCISE ...... 130 I. SAMPLE OF SESSIONS’ SHEETS ...... 131 CHAPTER 11:- SAMPLE – BUILDING A FITNESS PROGRAM FOR BEACH VOLLEYBALL136 CHAPTER 12:- TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND DRILLS ...... 140 A. STRETCHING ...... 140 B. WARM UP ...... 152 C. SERVING ...... 160 D. SETTING ...... 168 E. SPIKING ...... 182 F. PASSING ...... 204 G. BLOCKING ...... 214 H. DIGGING ...... 228
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To the Beloved Volleyball Family All Over Africa, It is a great honor and pleasure to present to you our first ever Beach Volleyball Coaches’ Manual. This manual will be one of our integral tools for spreading beach volleyball knowledge and information which we believe will lead to the remarkable progress of beach volleyball in Africa. One of the greatest innovations of the CAVB during its 2015-2019 mandate was the establishment of the CAVB Online Academy which is our educational hub. Since its establishment, the Academy has continually contributed, supported and promoted the essential pillars of our game namely the coach, the teacher and the educator through its training programs which transcend from the national to the continental level. The Academy set up an innovative program, namely the continuous training program for beach volleyball coaches which prepares them to become more profes- sional. To this end, the CAVB Online Academy has successfully concluded putting in place the first ever “Beach Volleyball Coaches’ Manual”, which I am convinced will bring added value and great help to our coaches as they spread information and knowledge across the continent. I am convinced the manual will play an important role in their development. On this occasion, allow me to congratulate and thank the team behind this great achievement for their valu- able efforts through planning and hard work towards the development of this manual either directly or indi- rectly paying special tribute to: · Mr. Mohammed Benhamida, FIVB BVB Instructor & CAVB Online Academy Director · Mr. Sherif El-Shemerly, FIVB Instructor & CAVB Coaches Commission President I would also want to acknowledge the contribution of the CAVB secretariat Staff towards the production of this manual. It is a privilege and a chance to be able to draw and benefit from the experiences of these people dedicated to beach volleyball and to the development of the discipline, especially given the volume of work and re- search dedicated to beach volleyball compared to volleyball. I would also like to express my gratitude to the African volleyball and beach volleyball family at large without whose support and trust, we would not have had the opportunity to develop all the projects put in place during this exercise and in finalization of this manual.
Dr. Amr Elwani
FIVB Vice President
CAVB President
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Dear colleagues To all African volleyball family,
One of our big dreams becomes true. Our 1st manual born, and we have now the 1st CAVB Beach Volleyball Coaches manual. I would like to thank Dr. Amr Elwani and all the Board for the big support. I would like to thank The FIVB beach Volleyball Instructor and The Director of CAVB online Academy Mr. Mohamed Benhamida for his huge work to prepare this manual in a very professional and successful way. I would to thank all our colleagues in CAVB head quarter and Beach volleyball, Coaches, and development commissions and department for the valuable support. This manual has been written with the objective to be not only a reference manual but also an ongoing coach’s resource. It is intended to be useful to the coach on an everyday basis and not only during the Ad- vanced Coaches courses or training. For this reason, manual also goes into greater detail and explores issues and ideas that are not directly cov- ered in normal courses. Then you find all information have been written as unique sections with valuable information. All my best wishes for everyone to get the maximum benefits to build our future in Beach Volleyball our wonderful sport in Africa our beloved continent.
Sherif El-Shemerly
FIVB Instructor FIVB Technical & Coaches Commission Member
CAVB Coaches Commission President
PREFACE
The nature and practice of sports training is changing, and in order to support and train athletes, coaches need to have a better understanding of the theoretical and scientific principles of coaching and be able to apply them on a daily basis. Historically, we have considered the theoretical principles of coaching as the "tools of a kit" from which the coach can draw to carry out their mission. This can be seen as a mechanical and simplistic view of the work, but the coach is not able to apply all the principles all the time. It is important to know which tool to use at the right time. This is why, the CAVB Online Academy has developed several training and monitoring programs for beach volleyball coaches, but not only that. the Academy has developed also support and evaluation tools that help our coaches in their daily tasks. Beach Volleyball Coaches Manual fits into this perspective as the difficulties faced many coaches face in terms of logistics and internet connection are now known and taken into account. It was therefore normal and obvious to develop a tool to support them without having to use internet on a daily basis. Beach Volleyball Coaches Manual in its first version is a collection of information, studies, the result of a long work made by people who are truly dedicated to beach volleyball. In the near future, a second version will follow. It will focus on planning, management of training and ath- letes, as well as all the aspects of an athlete's lifestyle including doping, nutrition, injury management and so on, that will help the coach better understand their passion and improve their performance. I would like to take this opportunity to warmly thank those who have contributed directly or indirectly like Dan Doubroff who has developed extraordinary tools for the coach and athlete, Hayden Jones and Daniel Dalanhese for their worldwide contribution in developing Beach Volleyball Drill Book and e- Book Drills, Marco Pires for his valuable advice and guidance and of course the FIVB for all the platforms and tools made available to us in order to carry out our mission as FIVB instructors and coaches. Finally, I would like to thank the CAVB and at the head Dr. Amr Elwani, Sherif El Shemerly the president of the coaches’ commission and of course the entire African beach volleyball family whether they are in- structors, coaches, referees or managers.
Mohammed Benhamida
FIVB Beach Volleyball Instructor
CAVB Beach Volleyball Instructor CAVB Online Academy Director
CHAPTER 1
BEACH VOLLEYBALL HISTORY
A. How everything started In 1915 George David Center played volleyball with his friends on sand for the first time. He set up a net on Waiki- ki Beach in Hawaii and encouraged his colleagues to play a game of six versus six. Seven years later the Santa Monica Beach Club was founded and by 1927 five more clubs were established in Cali- fornia. As a result, Southern California was designated origin of beach volleyball. B. Beach volleyball finds its way to Europe In 1927 the new sport reached the "old world". Nudists from a Parisian suburb acted as pioneers. Beach volleyball was first played in a camp in Franconville. During the 1930s the first beach volleyball games could be noticed in Prague, Riga and Sofia. C. The first tournaments In 1947 the first tournament were organized. One year later in 1948 the winner received his first "trophy money" – a six-pack of Pepsi. During the early 1950s the first series of tournaments arose, consisting of five single tournaments. The connection between the sport, entertainment, sex appeal and the arising marketing trend became stronger and stronger – and "beachmania" was born. D. The 60s and 70s – sex, drugs and regulations The ever-increasing number of beach volleyball events soon emerged into giant parties. Although aiming to pre- serve the fun factor the California Beach Volleyball Association released its first regulations in 1965. This standard- ization of rules and superior entities was required to ensure the quality of the growing number of tournaments being held. In 1974 the first sponsored tournament took place. The Winston Company invested USD 1,500 which were used as prize money for a tournament held in San Diego. The Olympia Beer Championships at State Beach in 1976 attracted 30,000 spectators and this tournament is still considered to be the origin of the event concept as far as beach volleyball is concerned. E. The 1980s – the first professionals The most important element in sports are the athletes. In the early 1980s some promoters seemed to disregard this, instead focus on organizing tournaments poorly, neglecting the players’ needs and proposals. Therefore, the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) was founded in 1983. In 1985 that ‘Volleyball Trade union’ started organizing its own tours. The prize money for their tour equaled an amount of USD 275,000. In the mid-1980s more and more non-American teams participated in AVP tournaments – with players from Brazil trying to enter the US-domain. Then, in 1987 the International Volleyball Federation, the FIVB, established the World Tour, giving players a plat- form to play at the highest level around the globe in professionally organized events. Different regulations and battling for broadcasting times and sponsors’ funds caused a deep conflict between the FIVB and the AVP, leading to mutual suspensions for the players.
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BEACH VOLLEYBALL HISTORY
F. The 1990s – Beach volleyball boom Beach volleyball’s break through was in 1992 in Almeria (Spain), here a demonstration tournament was held as counterpart to the Olympic Games. The enormous interest led to a nomination as an Olympic discipline at the Games in Atlanta 1996. The number of international tournaments which took place on five continents, rose extremely in the mid-nineties and so did the prize money. The first Olympic beach volleyball gold medals were awarded to the United States; Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes in the men’s competition and Jackie Silva and Sandra Pires of Brazil in the women’s competition. In 1997 the first official Beach Volleyball World Championships took place. At this point the sport was being dom- inated by some brilliant Brazilians. Para/Guilherme won the men’s and Silva/Pires the women’s final. The champi- onship resulted in an international match between the USA and Brazil as both the women and men had four teams each within the best eight.
G. The Millennium Just in time for the new Millennium, the second Olympic beach volleyball championship took place in front of the breathtaking Sydney scenery. At this point beach volleyball was ranked second in the category of ‘the most loved’ Olympic disciplines. The story of success continued with the Olympic Games 2004 in Athens, 2008 in Beijing, and 2012 in London. Not only did the competitive nature of the sport increase so did beach volleyball’s popularity. At the 2012 Games in London, tickets for the beach volleyball tournament were among the most popular and matches were played out in front of packed crowds at the Horse Guards Parade.
H. Since 2015 The new Swatch Beach Volleyball Major Series, a joint venture between Red Bull and ACTS supported by the FIVB as governing body, was introduced with one big goal: to create a new series for the best athletes in the world and a great experience for fans whether on site or in front of the TV screens.
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BEACH VOLLEYBALL HISTORY
Playing a major role in the FIVB’s World Tour, the Swatch Major Series’ debut season of 2015 saw three tour stops in Croatia, Norway and Switzerland before the inaugural Swatch World Tour Finals tournament was held in Fort Lauderdale. If 2015 was heralded a success, then 2016 went one big step further. The Olympics were held on the iconic Copacabana beach and packed crowds roared on Brazilian team Alison/Bruno to win gold in the men’s tournament. Europe, however, celebrated with gold in the women’s competition as Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst claimed top spot on the podium. The Swatch Major Series expanded as well, adding Klagenfurt, Austria and Hamburg, Germany to the roster of tournaments. After the success of the Olympics came the Swatch World Tour Finals, which saw the curtain come down on a fantastic season on the sand with packed crowds and intense competition. Alison/Bruno and Ludwig/Walkenhorst claimed gold to cap an unforgettable season – perhaps the best in beach volleyball’s history to date.
I. KEY DATES https://www.fivb.com/en/beachvolleyball/thegame_bvb_glossary/history
2012 A total of 96 of the world’s finest beach volleyball players, 24 two-person teams per gender, artistically drove their way across their special stage at the fifth Olympic beach volleyball competitions in London. The beach volleyball sessions at Horse Guards Parade were very well attended, with the 15,000-capacity stadium nigh on full and attracting well-known fans such as Beat- les legend Sir Paul McCartney and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. In all, over 425,000 revelers enjoyed the most athletic beach party anyone has ever seen in one of the most historic and iconic venues imaginable. Throughout the tournament, Big Ben kept time in the background and the London Eye looked down on the action. The first Continental Cup was wrapped up in 2012. This new Olympic qualifying pro- cess, inaugurated in the lead-up to the London 2012 Games, offers countries another route to the four-yearly tournament. The five winners of Continental Cup competitions earned Olympic berths, with the two remaining positions still up for grabs among the second and third placed teams from each Continental Cup Final. Those second and third placed teams qualified for the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Cup Olympic Qualification tournament in Moscow, Russia. The top two National Fed- erations per gender from this competition took the final two berths to the Games, com- pleting the beach volleyball line-up.
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BEACH VOLLEYBALL HISTORY
2011 A successful edition of FIVB World Championships is held in the heart of Rome, at the spectacular Foro Italico stadium with 10`000 spectators for the final matches. Within the new re-branding of the FIVB, a Hero Campaign is launched with the focus on the athletes as the Centre of attention and stars of Beach Volleyball.
2010 The FIVB Continental Cup, a new Olympic qualifying process for the London 2012 Games is launched, offering countries another route to the four-yearly tournament. The sub-zonal continental phase begins ahead of the zonal phase and the Continental Cup finals in 2011 and 2012.
2009 The FIVB unveils a dynamic “gladiator-style” visual for the 2009 SWATCH FIVB World Tour. The innovative visual brilliantly encapsulates the drama, excitement and powerful image of Beach Volleyball by focusing on two of the stars of the sport cap- tured in spectacular action poses in front of a fan-packed coliseum.
2008 The fourth Olympic Beach Volleyball competition at Beijing 2008 again sees 24 wom- en’s and 24 men’s teams competing against each other, this time over 14 days (after six continuous days in Atlanta, 10 days in Sydney and 12 in Athens) of action-packed fun on the sand. The SWATCH FIVB World Tour sees a record USD 8.325 million distributed in prize money and bonus pool money. There are six Grand Slam events, 16 double-gender events, five men’s single-gender events and four women’s single-gender events.
2007 The 2007 SWATCH FIVB World Championships powered by 1to1 energy in the mountain resort of Gstaad, Switzerland, are a huge success, proving that Beach Volley- ball can be played not just by the sea. Tens of thousands flock to the weeklong USD 1 million event.
2005 The SWATCH FIVB World Tour features 31 events, including 16 steps for women and 15 for men, in five continents. A total of USD 7.28 million in Prize Money and Bonus Pool.
2004 A landmark season for Beach Volleyball sees 26 scheduled tournaments (14 men’s and 12 women’s events) in five continents with a total of USD 5.3 million in Prize Money and Bonus Pool and more than 750,000 spectators. -The Athens Olympics sees 24 men’s and women’s teams from five continents com- pete for 12 days. TV ratings are the best in the history of Beach Volleyball.
2003 Swatch becomes the international title sponsor of the World Tour. The SWATCH FIVB World Tour begins to include as “Grand Slam” events each carrying USD 600,000 in Prize Money and Bonus Pool. The FIVB World Championships presented by SWATCH returns to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with USD 800,000 prize money and the top 48 men’s and 48 women’s teams from five continents. TV distribution reaches more than 200 countries with over 100,000 spectators and 200 accredited media jour- nalists.
2001 More than 120,000 spectators attend five days of competition at the World Champion- ships at the lakeside in Klagenfurt, Austria 2000 Sydney Olympics: Beach Volleyball becomes a smash hit at Bondi Beach with 180,000 spectators and millions of TV viewers.
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BEACH VOLLEYBALL HISTORY
1999 The Men and Women's World Championships are organized in Europe for the first time, in Marseille, France. The event distributes USD 600,000 in prize money and is held in a special facility for 5,000 spectators. By the end of the competition the total number of spectators reaches nearly 50,000. Beach volleyball is included for the first time in the Pan American Games, which are held in Canada.
1997 There are 22 FIVB World Tour tournaments with USD 3,900,000 in prize money and FIVB bonus pool. Ericsson and Nike present the Men's and Women's Beach Volleyball World Champi- onships at the UCLA Campus in Los Angeles, USA. Both genders are rewarded equal- ly with a total of USD 600,000 in prize money. The event is broadcast in more than 120 countries.
1996 Beach Volleyball makes its first appearance (a hugely successful sell-out) at the Atlan- ta Olympic Games.
1993 International Olympic Committee decides to include Beach Volleyball in the Olympic program.
1992 Almeria, Spain: The first Olympic demonstration.
1987 The first FIVB World Championship is held in Rio de Janeiro. This was the start of the World Championships era held over a quarter of a century, initially on an annual basis in South America and starting from 1997 onwards on a bi-annual basis in North Amer- ica and Europe.
1986 The first international beach volleyball exhibition is held in Rio de Janeiro with 5,000 spectators.
1974 The first money tournament is held – the USD 1,500 San Diego Open with 250 specta- tors.
1948 The first tournament with prizes is played at State Beach, California, where the top teams are rewarded with a crate of Pepsi.
1947 The first official two-person Beach Volleyball tournament is held at State Beach, Cali- fornia, with no Prize Money.
1920 Beach Volleyball takes place on the beaches of Santa Monica, California.
1915 First recorded Beach Volleyball game in Waikiki in Honolulu.
5 CHAPTER 2
NATURE OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL AS A TEAM SPORT
A. INTRODUCTION
Beach Volleyball combines all positive aspects of team sports - ability to play the ball, speed and accuracy of movement, flexibility, deemed necessary to link individual actions and thinking of the teammates, etc. To these positive aspects we can add multilateral influence of the natural factors in outdoor sports. (Kuchukov & Antonov) (Кючуков & Антонов), (2004). Played outdoors on a sand surface with only two members per team, the goal of beach volleyball is to make the ball hit the ground on the opponent’s side of the court, or prevent its return to one’s own side of the court. The sport of beach volleyball underwent serious changes after the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Previous to 2001, the sport was played using the ‘side out’ scoring format. Teams only scored points when they were serving, and matches consisted of one game to fifteen points where the winner had to win by two points. The sport is now played with a ‘rally point’ system where points are scored on every play, regardless of which team possesses the serve. The court dimensions also changed from a 9x18m court to a smaller 8x16m court. Researchers have explored the effect of different scoring systems and court dimensions on the sport (Kountouris & Laios, 2000; Kontourris, Laios, & Katsi- kadelli, 2001; Giatsis 2003, Giastis & Tzetis 2003; Grgantov, Katić, & Marelić, 2005; Kroger, 2006). The popularity of beach volleyball is increasing, but it is a sport in the early stages of its development and it is necessary to introduce quality materials to support the development of players and coaches through practical advice (Jones, & Dalanhese, 2011). The basic requirements for beach-volleyball players are the same as those for classic volleyball. It is no coincidence that many of the beach volleyball players have previously been trained in traditional volleyball. (Hristova (Христова), 2012). The features of the sport games activities in beach volleyball have increased demands on the universal game preparation of athletes who should be well informed about reception, attacking, blocking and play defense. One could say the main objective of prepa- ring athletes in beach volleyball is versatility (Kostykov (Костюков), Chesnokov (Чесноков), & Timohin (Тимохин), 1996). The aim of this study is to determine the game performance of athletes in beach volleyball in Bulgaria during the last season in 2013. For achieving the goal we set our- selves the following tasks:
1. To correlate the indicators analyzed for the initial service, the reception and the attacking.
2. To correlate the efficiency of the analyzed elements of game technique.
3. To correlate the coefficient of efficiency of game activities of the player. 6 CHAPTER 2
NATURE OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL AS A TEAM SPORT
The research sample included 24 beach volleyball players from Bulgaria participating in all 4 Na- tional tournament circuits in beach volleyball. Organization and methodology of the research took place in the following order:
1. Video monitoring and recording of game actions of the players.
2. Processing the data using following mathematical - statistical methods:
To determine the gaming performance;
The program Data-Volley;
To determine the coefficient of performance ;
Expérimentation of the sector „Volleyball methodology;
B. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SPORT
Beach Volleyball is one of the most successful and popular competitive and recreational sports in the world. It is fast, it is exciting and the action is explosive. The Beach form of Volleyball com- prises several crucial overlapping elements whose complimentary interactions render it unique amongst rally games.
Competition taps latent strengths. It exhibits the best of ability, spirit, creativity and aesthetics. The rules are structured to allow all of these qualities. With a few exceptions, Beach Volleyball allows all players to operate both at the net (in attack) and in the back of the court (to defend or serve). The game’s early exponents on the sands of California would still recognize it because Beach Vol- leyball has retained certain distinctive and essential elements over the years. Some of these it shares with other net/ball/racquet games:
Service
Rotation (taking turns to serve)
Attack
Defense
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NATURE OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL AS A TEAM SPORT
Beach Volleyball is, however, unique amongst net games in insisting that the ball is in constant flight – a flying ball – and by allowing each team a degree of internal passing before the ball must be returned to the opponents. Beach Volleyball comprises several crucial overlapping elements whose complementary interactions render it unique amongst rally games.
Beach volleyball’s fundamental aim is to score a point by grounding the ball on the opponents' court, or you can also score a point when the opposition team commits an error. Teams can contact the ball no more than three times before the ball crosses the net (a block is counted as a contact), and consecutive contacts must be made by different players.
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NATURE OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL AS A TEAM SPORT
Major characteristics of beach volleyball are: Playing surface: Sand, which can vary greatly from tournament to tournament, in depth, consistency, color and softness/hardness. Team size: 2 players per team (no substitutions). The beach court measures 16m x 8m by playing area. A match consists of three sets. A set is won by the first team to reach 21 points. The first team to win two sets wins the match, and a third set, if necessary, is won by the first team to reach 15 points. Teams must win sets by two points. There are no substitutions.
C. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Blocker: An athlete whose primary role was to block at the net. After serving, they run up to the net and prepare to block the oppositions’ attack (Drakich, 2003). Defender: An athlete whose primary role was defending in the backcourt (Drakich, 2003). Universal Athlete: Team system where the athletes shared blocking and back- court defensive responsibilities (Drakich, 2003). Rally: Time duration from play initiation to play end. Serve: The action that initiated the rally. A jump spin consisted of a serve where an athlete tossed the ball in the air and contacted it after a maximal jump with the intention of producing topspin on the ball. A jump float was a ball contacted with a jump, with the intention of hitting the ball with no spin. A standing float was similar to a jump float, but the ball was contacted while standing on the ground. Reception: Most often a forearm contact of the ball (though other actions could occur due to the unpredictability of the opposing teams serve) after the serve. A midline re- ception consisted of a ball contacted between the knees; an outside midline reception consisted of a ball contacted outside the knees. Set: Second contact intended to allow a teammate to attack the ball. Two techniques existed; a forearm set (similar to a reception), and an overhead set (a ball contacted overhead with the hand and fingers).
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NATURE OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL AS A TEAM SPORT
Attack: A contact with the goal of scoring a point. Divided into spike, shot, pokey, and second attack (i.e. immediately after the pass). Spikes were defined as an attack with maximal power produced to hit the ball in a downward direction. Shots were softer contacts intended to direct the ball to the open court with a higher trajectory. Pokey were a tipping action where the ball was contacted with the knuckles, because opened handed tips are not allowed in the sport of beach volleyball.
Block: Perez--‐Turpin et al. 2009 defined a block as “A move performed at the net to prevent the ball from passing into ones court”. Blocking was divided into block, and peel. Though some researchers have added attack and shot blocks (attack block in- volved the blockers’ maximum penetration over the net, a shot block is one that includ- ed maximum height), these distinctions were not made. A peel block involved a retreat- ing movement from the net.
Dig: Any ball contacted by a defending player from an attacking player that continued the rally. Digs were divided into three categories. A dig in motion was a defensive con- tact where the athlete was moving. A dig in the ready position was defined as a ball contacted near the body of the defender (as long as they were motionless). A dig after moving was defined as any contact where the defender leaves their zone before .
Risk: Perceived ability of a team to use techniques and/or tactics that maximize both the chance of a reward (i.e. direct point) while also increasing the chance of commit- ting an error.
Freeball: A non-attack contact where the ball is sent over the net with a speed and tra- jectory that does not impose a time crisis on the opposition’s ability to successfully contact the ball.
10 CHAPTER 2
NATURE OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL AS A TEAM SPORT D. MOTION ANALYSIS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Human motion analysis has been performed since the early 1970’s (Mauthner et al. 2007). Be- fore adequate technology existed, most observational analyses occurred manually and accuracy in terms of observation reliability was consistently a limiting factor. In the early 1990’s, resear- chers used self made, video based systems to observe soccer matches (Erdmann 1992). With the advent and affordability of modern technology, methods based on the combination of video data collection followed by analysis through computer software became the preferred method (Spencer et al. 2005, Harley et al. 2010). Presently, there are many methods to analyze human motion and it is important to understand that there are various limitations to each video method used.
For example, biomechanists use markers on the body in order to digitize the data to determine optimum body angles, speeds and movements. These systems allowed for an in--‐depth three--‐ dimensional analysis of the athletes in question.
However, due to possible constraints of placing foreign objects on joints and muscles the mar- kers may influence the athletes’ behaviors. Since many sporting rules prohibit the use of film markers during competition the use of these techniques is a very limited practice (Mauther et al. 2007). Similarly, most biomechanical measurement systems provide extremely accurate data on human movement, but cannot effectively cover large areas (Pers et al. 2002).
With this said, the preferred method to analyze volleyball is the use of two synchronized came- ras; one at the baseline, and one on the sideline. However, the use of a single camera to record a beach volleyball match is an acceptable and standard method conduct video analysis (Koch & Tilp 2009b). The main advantages to a marker--‐less recording system is that it does not physi- cally limit the players’ movements and there are no concerns that markers could fall off, thereby limiting data collection; yet the trade--‐off is that human error can increase.
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NATURE OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL AS A TEAM SPORT
1. SERVICE AND SERVICE RECEPTION
The serve in beach volleyball is the playing action that begins all rallies. Athletes use a variety of serve techniques (standing float, spin, jump float) in attempt to limit the opposition’s attack (Kirarly 1999). The jump serve, particularly at the highest levels, allow teams to score a direct point or place a burden on the opposition to effectively attack the ball (Kiraly 1999). Lopez--‐ Martinez & Palao (2009) compared various serve techniques in both men and women’s beach vol- leyball.
Interestingly, results demonstrated similar outcomes for both genders. For example, jump serves produced a higher number of errors, such as a serve into the net, points (or the serving team and actions that limited the opponent. Serving the area between both receivers (interference zone/seam) was the most effective regardless of the serve. Furthermore, the preferred serving location for men was to the middle front of the court, while females served the middle back (Lopez--‐Martinez 2009).
When the frequencies of types of serve techniques used were compared, men preferred the jump spin, while females preferred the standing float serve (Koch & Tilp 2009a). Kiraly 1999 attested that controlling the serve ‘will win more games than any other part of the game, and the most fun- damental skill involved (in beach volleyball) is the pass’. However, this book was written before 2001, and research has shown that it was actually the attack that is the most influential skill in the game (Giastsis 2003). Nevertheless, in international beach volleyball, both men and women pos- sessed a high degree of skill in pass execution. 60% of receptions for females and 55% of re- ceptions for males were executed perfectly (Koch & Tilp 2009a, Koch & Tilp 2009b).
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NATURE OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL AS A TEAM SPORT
2. SETTING
Setting is the act of distributing the ball from one player to the other with intent of optimizing their ability to attack the ball (Kirarly 1999, Kulka & Dunn 2000). Techniques of men and women dif- fered greatly with respect to second contacts. Men used an overhead technique more frequently than women (Koch & Tilp 2009a). Research into this area could demonstrate concrete reasons for this discrepancy. However, one can only speculate as to reasons for this discrepancy. Since the rules using the overhead technique on beach volleyball are very strict, it is possible that women have limited the use of this technique to avoid penalization by the referee (Koch & Tilp 2009a).
3. ATTACKING AND BLOCKING
Research involving attacking and blocking encompasses a wide breath from skill--‐ based analysis to jump based comparisons. For example, when attacking patters were analyzed, Koch & Tilp (2009a) discovered that men used spike attacks 59% of the time compared to the women who used spike and shot attacks with similar percentages (50%). Women used the shot with increased fre- quency compared to men, and, perhaps because the best counter to defend a shot is to peel off the net (Kiraly & Shewman 1999) women used the peel block more than men (Koch & Tilp 2009a). When the peel block was used; the women succeeded 67% of the time, compared to males, 58% of the time (Koch & Tilp 2009a).
Both attacking and blocking involve a jump and an investigation into jumping ability on the sand was done by Riggs & Sheppard (2009). Their study was very unique as they observed squat and counter movement jumps on a soft surface, a surface similar to the sand that beach volleyball athletes competed on. Their results showed differences in countermovement and squat jumps in both male and female elite beach volleyball players. They discovered that the mean jump height measured by center of mass displacement, was 8.33 cm greater for males than females. It would be interesting to note the height of the athletes investigated as well to explore how this difference may affect the playing techniques used by both sexes.
13 CHAPTER 2
NATURE OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL AS A TEAM SPORT
Finally, block jump techniques can be further divided into a vertical jump and a 45--‐ degree jump/ sideways jump (Kiraly & Shewman 1999). At the time this paper was written, no academic litera- ture was found examining the technique and forces involved in a sideways jump. This tactic is used to “show and take away”.
For example, if a blocker appears to be blocking the line shot, the hitter may chose to hit the open cross court shot. By jumping sideways (at or about a 45 degree angle), the blocker is now taking the open shot away (Kirarly & Shewman 1999).
4. DEFENSE
Cortell--‐Tormo et al. (2011) defined a defensive contact in beach volleyball as ‘any move per- formed to save the ball in a clear attack by the opposing team and prevent the opponent from win- ning a point.’ Perez--‐Turpin et al. (2009) determined that defensive movements (block, reception and actions of defense) were used less frequently than offensive movements (attack, attack ap- proach and placement). In terms of actual technique, Koch & Tilp (2009a) discovered that male athletes were able to defend attacks more often without any movement (digs in the ready position) while women often performed defensive actions after moving.
14 CHAPTER 3
GOOD REASONS TO PLAY AND COACH BEACH VOLLEY-
I know that I am only at Level 1, and young to be a coach, but the chance to make this my ca- reer…to coach full-time is just so exciting. I just love to coach. Working with these young players is so rewarding. Being a full-time coach would be my dream and make me even keener to go on and get the next level of award. It’s an investment in me and my ability to coach football.
(Bill Taylor, 2008) (a candidate newly qualified from FIFA courses, Level 1 coach)
Every day around the world, tens of millions of children, players, athletes and adult participants run, jump, throw, catch, swim and take part in other individual and team sports. And every day around the world millions of coaches guide the improvement of these participants in line with their needs, dreams, goals and capabilities. These coaches may work with a strong performance orienta- tion of with a greater emphasis on participation. (International Council for Coach Education 2010). For example, in UK, 1.1 million coaches deliver sport to over 10 million participants every year, while the sport of football alone has as many as 268 million players worldwide. (International Sport Coaching Framework, 2012, p 5)
Since the beginning of sport competition, athletes have sought to acquire the skills and knowledge of sport in order to become “champions.” As sport evolved into organized activity, coaches began working more closely with athletes on sport skill development. Education and training programs have been created, over the past 30 years, in an effort to assist coaches and athletes with the devel- opment of methods and strategies for achieving peak performance. When designing a coaching ed- ucation program, however, one must ask what do coaches need to know; what are the essential ele- ments of athletic coaching? (The Sport Journal, Source, website)
In the last decade, amateur sport organizations have had to become much more businesslike in how they manage their affairs. Marketing, sponsorship, risk management, and dispute resolution are is- sues that demand an increasing amount of attention from volunteer directors and administrators. Likewise, the coaching profession has evolved significantly in recent years. Today’s coaches are no longer exclusively volunteers, and many have access to extensive training and professional de- velopment opportunities. Coaching is a viable career, and many individuals now make their living coaching in amateur sport, either as employees of sport organizations or as self-employed coaches offering their services for a fee. (Canadian Professional Coaches Association)
15 CHAPTER 3
BEACH VOLLEYBALL PHILOSOPHY
One of the best-know studies of talent development (Bloom, 1985) found that coaches are central to the development of the expert performer. An appreciation of coaches athletic and coaching pro- files, the reasons why they become involved in coaching, the influences of their coaching, the sup- ports they need and the reasons why they stay or leave coaching in central to understanding the long-term development of coaches. Sports coaches are a very important part in the development of all sports. In sport the most im- portant coaches are usually those working at grassroots level and in most cases they are volunteers giving up their own time for the love of their chosen sport. Coaches are seen to be those of knowledge and are well respected figures in all sports.
A. The Spirit of Beach Volleyball
16 CHAPTER 3
BEACH VOLLEYBALL PHILOSOPHY
Beach Volleyball is a benchmark for sports events in terms of entertainment, fan engagement, sponsorship activation, music and hospitality.
Played outdoors, barefoot, on a sand court, with a ball, by teams of two people
Not just about entertainment, it is highly professional and technical
Established Olympic discipline
It’s also
Upscale and young audience profile Sporting excellence, sun and wonderful locations Innovative sport that adapts to various needs Remarkable global media exposure and brand awareness Drug free sport and excellent physical condition Attracts tourism (in mountain resorts, cities, ocean, lakes...)
More than a Quarter of a Century of Success
17 CHAPTER 3
BEACH VOLLEYBALL PHILOSOPHY
FIVB Beach Volleyball Events Pyramid
FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour (FIVB WT) is a circuit of professional international beach volleyball events, recognized by the FIVB, and held seasonally (might also fall across 2 years) and is crowned by the FIVB World Tour Finals defining the FIVB World Tour Finals Champion. The new 5-star event categories, under the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, aim to grow the sport based on a sustainable business model with flexible commercial rights. All FIVB Beach Vol- leyball World Tour events benefit of FIVB’s endorsement and pave the “road to Tokyo 2020” in the Olympic Qualification period (a year before the Olympic Games).
FIVB Beach Volleyball Age Group World Championships in categories Under 19 and Under 21 are staged every other year in alternate years. Next edition of the U19 category shall take place in 2018, while U21 shall be held in 2017. Universality principle applies for the qualification system allowing all five FIVB Continental Volleyball Confederations qualifying equal spots to each gen- der’s tournament. Age Group World Championships serve as a spring board for the new talent of beach volleyball.
18 CHAPTER 3
BEACH VOLLEYBALL PHILOSOPHY
B. Why Play Beach Volleyball
1. Psychological Break It’s tons of fun; Relaxed environment; Attractive locations; More freedom; Always play (No subs); Part of each rally; No coaches (During play) 2. Injury Recovery Soft Sand; Less strenuous on; - Shoulder – Knee – Ankle - Back 3. Physical Conditioning Aerobic fitness; Anaerobic lactic system; Jump; Core strength; 4. Get Ball Contacts Keep skills sharp; Play every rally;
More practice contacts 5. Develop Mental Tough- Strengths minimized; ness Weaknesses magnified; Nowhere to hide; Focus, self-control;
6. Improve Weaker Skills Setting - Serve Receive – Attack – Block - Defense; Ball Control; 7. Defense Reading the play; Reacting to the ball; Pursuit of ball; Attitude; 8. Improvisation Broken play; Abnormal conditions; Develop creativity; 9. Court Awareness Ball & Non-ball cues; Spatial awareness; 10. Tactical Adjustments Self-coach during match; Offense & Defense;
Plan B; 11. One on One Blocking Game plan; Deception; Vision; Decision making; 12. Pull Self Out of Tank No substitutions; No hiding; Refocusing; Simplify techniques; Execution under pressure;
19 CHAPTER 3
BEACH VOLLEYBALL PHILOSOPHY
13. Pull Partner Out of No substitutions; Tank No hiding; Supportive; Non-verbal communication; 14. Mediation Must work things out; Listening skills; Communication; Objective assessment 15. Decision Making Skills Block or not; Spike or shot & where; Hand set or bump set; Depart from strategy; 16. Transition Next responsibility; Consecutive skill execution; 17. Self Reliance Nutrition, sunscreen; Shelter, hydration; Travel, accommodations; Schedule; 18. Communication Verbal; Non-verbal; Hand signals; 19. Teamwork Skills Trust; Sharing responsibility; Working together; 20. High Performance Op- Provincial Team; portunities Domestic Pro events; National Team; Pan Am Games; FISU Games; FIVB World Tour; Olympics;
20 CHAPTER 3
BEACH VOLLEYBALL PHILOSOPHY
C. Why Coach Beach Volleyball
1. Enjoyable Environment It’s mainly a Nature sport
2. Tactical Sport Interesting tactics; Scouting important; New challenges; 3. Teach Players to be Independ- Teach players to self-coach
4. Good Workout More physical practices; 5. Coaching Opportunities Grass Community/Club Coaching High Performance; Roots Provincial; National; International; Olympics 6. Enhance Recruiting Enhance your volleyball program
21 CHAPTER 4
COMPETITION SYSTEMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL I. BEACH VOLLEYBALL COMPETITION FORMATS There are several competition formats that may be applied at a Beach Volleyball competition. In the section we have tried to encompass concepts of each Beach Volleyball competition format. The best fit for your tournament will depend on the conditions enforced by the sanctioning entity and/ or promotional needs and/ or available courts and/ or available days of the competition and/ or number of participating athletes / teams, and finally the goal / concept of the given Beach Volley- ball event. For example, if the given Beach Volleyball event serves a development purpose, the participating teams / athletes should be given a chance to play as many matches as possible, for which the double elimination or pool play format would suit the best. All technical aspects of a competition are correlated and are crucial to be considered and should be put in an equation when committing to a competition format of a Beach Volleyball event (i.e. number of courts, competition days, participating athletes, matches played, available sun light during the day determining sched- ule, etc.). It is very important to establish well in advance a competition schedule and promote it through all possible communication means. There are four main competition formats that may be used for a Beach Volleyball event:
Single Elimination
Single Elimination with Consolation
Double Elimination
Pool Play followed by a Single Elimination.
A competition format of Single Elimination only may also be implemented in case of a large num- ber of participating teams and/ or in case of many consecutive events in a calendar. This format had been tested by the FIVB during a World Tour Open event in Marseille, France in 2009. Unfortu- nately, the test results and the survey conducted did not confirm the continuation with the Single Elimination format in 2010. This was mainly due to the existing agreement with the organizer and difference in opinion of the players and the organizers. However, in future this competition format may still be evaluated to fit major events.
GOOD TO KNOW Flexible competition formats and schedules may increase media exposure as well as meet the expectations of the audience!
22 CHAPTER 4
COMPETITION SYSTEMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL
A. SINGLE ELIMINATION FORMAT The single elimination format is a very simple and basic Beach Volleyball competition format as the team plays until it loses once. Once the team has lost, it is out of the tournament. This competi- tion format is easy to understand for the public and media, and in addition it eliminates any chance of possible manipulation. To apply a Single Elimination format for a Beach Volleyball tournament requires the fewest number of competition days and competition courts. The Single Elimination format is the most dramatic format, as it only guarantees a minimum of one match will be played by each team. This dramatic format might be seen as a disadvantage by some teams as well as teams might not want to travel long distances faced with the possibility of playing only one match.
Another important consideration needs to be emphasized - the seeding of the teams has to be very accurate with a single elimination tournament. Before the tournament you need to determine the quality of the teams that will take part at the given Beach Volleyball event. Here the Individual technical ranking might come in handy and help you determine the technical level of each athlete / team.
23 CHAPTER 4
COMPETITION SYSTEMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL
A. BEACH VOLLEYBALL CONTINENTAL CUP - SINGLE ELIMINATION FORMAT 8 NATIONS FORMAT
SPECIFICATIONS - BEACH VOLLEYBALL CONTINENTAL CUP
24 CHAPTER 4
COMPETITION SYSTEMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Each National Federation is made up of two teams (Team A and Team B) and each Country vs. Country Match-up (in brackets) is a best of five matches with the 5th and deciding match being a Golden Set (GS). Any two players from Team A or Team B can participate in the Golden Set (GS). Coun- try vs. Country match-up results can be 4-0, 3-1 or 3-2.8 Participating National Federa- tions (16 teams) Single Elimination over 3 days (2 courts required per gender) Teams Final Ranking = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5 In the first round, the seeds of the two teams have to sum/add up to a 9. See example in red!
GOOD TO KNOW
For a double gender event four (4) courts are required and the match schedule is the same for each gender.
B. BEACH VOLLEYBALL CONTINENTAL CUP - SINGLE ELIMINATION FORMAT - 8 NATIONS SCHEDULE BY DAY BY COURT - SINGLE GENDER
DAY TIME COURT 1 COURT 2
08:00 (1) NF-1A vs NF-8A (2) NF-4A vs NF-5A
09:00 (1) NF-1B vs NF-8B (2) NF-4B vs NF-5B
11:00 (1) NF-1A vs NF-8B (2) NF-4A vs NF-5B
12:00 (1) NF-1B vs NF-8A (2) NF-4B vs NF-5A Day 1 13:00 GS (1) NF-1 vs NF-8 GS (2) NF-4 vs NF-5
13:30 (4) NF-2A vs NF-7A (3) NF-3A vs NF-6A
14:30 (4) NF-2B vs NF-7B (3) NF-3B vs NF-6B
16:30 (4) NF-2A vs NF-7B (3) NF-3A vs NF-6B
17:30 (4) NF-2B vs NF-7A (3) NF-3B vs NF-6A
18:30 GS (4) NF-2 vs NF-7 GS (3) NF-3 vs NF-6
25 CHAPTER 4
COMPETITION SYSTEMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL
DAY TIME COURT 1 COURT 2
Day 2 08:00 (5) W1A vs W2A
09:00 (5) W1B vs W2B
11:00 (5) W1A vs W2B
12:00 (5) W1B vs W2A
13:00 GS (5) W1 vs W2
13:30 (6) W4A vs W3A
14:30 (6) W4B vs W3B
16:30 (6) W4A vs W3B
17:30 (6) W4B vs W3A
18:30 GS (6) W4 vs W3
Day 3 08:00 (7) L6A vs L5A
09:00 (7) L6B vs L5B
11:00 (7) L6A vs L5B
12:00 (7) L6B vs L5A
13:00 GS (7) L6 vs L5
13:30 (8) W5A vs W6A
14:30 (8) W5B vs W6B
16:30 (8) W5A vs W6B
17:30 (8) W5B vs W6A
18:30 GS (8) W5 vs W6
GOOD TO KNOW 1. Format can be played over four (4) days on one (1) court with match-up (1) and (2) being on Day 1 and match-up (3) and (4) being on Day 2.
2. Day 2 and 3 matches can be played on two (2) courts per gender with the match schedule as follows for each court: 12:00, 13:00, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00 (GS)
26 CHAPTER 4
COMPETITION SYSTEMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL
B. SINGLE ELIMINATION WITH CONSOLATION The Single Elimination with Consolation format is similar to and starts as the Single Elimination where the seeds of teams being matched up must add up to total number of teams plus 1. The dif- ference is that the winners advance to the right side as for a usual Single Elimination tournament, but the losers advance to the left side and play another match or matches which allows determining the exact positions of the losing teams in the final event`s ranking.
The advantage of the Single Elimination with Consolation format is that it guarantees a minimum of 2 matches for the athletes to be played and better determines the final positions / ranking for the teams in the losers` bracket.
On the other hand the disadvantage is similar to the one for the Single Elimination format, the de- termination of the seeding is extremely important, because if two strong teams are put together to compete in the first round, they will eliminate one another from the competition in the first round. Therefore you have to know the quality of the competing teams to distribute the teams already in the first round appropriately.
27 CHAPTER 4
COMPETITION SYSTEMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL
A. BEACH VOLLEYBALL CONTINENTAL CUP - SINGLE ELIMINATION WITH CONSOLA- TION FORMAT - 8 NATIONS
SPECIFICATIONS - BEACH VOLLEYBALL CONTINENTAL CUP
28 CHAPTER 4
COMPETITION SYSTEMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Each National Federation is made up of two teams (Team A and Team B) and each Country vs. Country Match-up (in brackets) is a best of five matches with the 5th and deciding match being a Golden Set (GS). Any two players from Team A or Team B can participate in the Golden Set (GS). Coun- try vs. Country match-up results can be 4-0, 3-1 or 3-2.8 Participating National Federa- tions (16 teams) 8 Participating National Federations (16 teams) Single Elimination with Consolation over 3 days (2 courts required per gender) Teams Final Ranking = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (First round losers can finish 5th). In the first round, the seeds of the two teams have to add up to a 9. See example in red!
B. BEACH VOLLEYBALL CONTINENTAL CUP - SINGLE ELIMINATION WITH CONSOLATION FORMAT - 8 NATIONS - SCHEDULE BY DAY BY COURT - SIN- GLE GENDER
DAY TIME COURT 1 COURT 2
Day 1 08:00 (1) NF-1A vs NF-8A (2) NF-4A vs NF-5A
09:00 (1) NF-1B vs NF-8B (2) NF-4B vs NF-5B
11:00 (1) NF-1A vs NF-8B (2) NF-4A vs NF-5B
12:00 (1) NF-1B vs NF-8A (2) NF-4B vs NF-5A
13:00 GS (1) NF-1 vs NF-8 GS (2) NF-4 vs NF-5
13:30 (4) NF-2A vs NF-7A (3) NF-3A vs NF-6A
14:30 (4) NF-2B vs NF-7B (3) NF-3B vs NF-6B
16:30 (4) NF-2A vs NF-7B (3) NF-3A vs NF-6B
17:30 (4) NF-2B vs NF-7A (3) NF-3B vs NF-6A
18:30 GS (4) NF-2 vs NF-7 GS (3) NF-3 vs NF-6
29 CHAPTER 4
COMPETITION SYSTEMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL
DAY TIME COURT 1 COURT 2
Day 2 08:00 (5) W1A vs W2A (7) L2A vs L1A
09:00 (5) W1B vs W2B (7) L2B vs L1B
11:00 (5) W1A vs W2B (7) L2A vs L1B
12:00 (5) W1B vs W2A (7) L2B vs L1A
13:00 GS (5) W1 vs W2 GS (7) L2 vs L1
13:30 (6) W4A vs W3A (8) L3A vs L4A
14:30 (6) W4B vs W3B (8) L3B vs L4B
16:30 (6) W4A vs W3B (8) L3A vs L4B
17:30 (6) W4B vs W3A (8) L3B vs L4A
18:30 GS (6) W4 vs W3 GS (8) L3 vs L4
Day 3 08:00 (11) L6A vs L5A (9) L8A vs L7A
09:00 (11) L6B vs L5B (9) L8B vs L7B
11:00 (11) L6A vs L5B (9) L8A vs L7B
12:00 (11) L6B vs L5A (9) L8B vs L7A
13:00 GS (11) L6 vs L5 GS (9) L8 vs L7
13:30 (12) W5A vs W6A (10) W7A vs W8A
14:30 (12) W5B vs W6B (10) W7B vs W8B
16:30 (12) W5A vs W6B (10) W7A vs W8B
17:30 (12) W5B vs W6A (10) W7B vs W8A
18:30 GS (12) W5 vs W6 GS (10) W7 vs W8
GOOD TO KNOW 1. For a double gender event four (4) courts are required and the match schedule is the same for each gender.
2. If four (4) courts are available per gender then only one match-up is required per court with the match schedule as follows for each court: 12:00, 13:00, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00 (GS)
30 CHAPTER 4
COMPETITION SYSTEMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL C. DOUBLE ELIMINATION FORMAT Double Elimination format is often used in Beach Volleyball tournaments, as it creates more matches to be played by the athletes. Double Elimination format, composed of two half brackets - the winners half of the draw (Teams with no loses) and the losers bracket (Teams with one loss). From technical point of view, Double Elimination is a simple format as the teams play until they have lost twice. However, from the spectators, audience or Media point of view it is a complicated scenario to understand as to a teams next opponent, what is a quarter final match, etc. This format is used in FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Open events with a slight modification called Championship Semi-Finals where ultimately there are four teams left from the Winners and the losers brackets which then play in a simple cross over format with a Semi-Final 1 and Semi- Final 2 to determine the Bronze, Silver and the Gold medalists. This, however, is not a pure double elimination format. The usual double elimination format foresees the winner of each bracket meet- ing at the Double Final where the team has to win only once for the Gold Medal. For more information about the implementation of this competition format, please refer to the 2012 Beach Volleyball Handbook, Chapter 9. The advantage of this competition format is that it creates a lot of matches played and teams have a true chance (several matches) to fight for their position in the final ranking.
The disadvantage of the double elimination format is that the team coming from the winner bracket has played less matches than the team coming from the loser bracket. The fatigue of the team from the losers may cause cramps or other physical effects at the final match. Another disadvantage of this competition format is that there might be a slight chance of manipulation as teams might want to lose to a stronger team in the first round only because, the members of that team see that in the opponent is weaker and their team might have a better chance when they meet a team from the looser's bracket.
When determining the competition schedule, an important consideration is to play two rounds of winners` bracket first, due to the way the losers drop in the loser bracket afterwards. That is, the team dropping from the winners bracket should get more rest then a team advancing from an earlier round of the losers bracket.
Double Elimination format, however, requires playing a lot of matches, which might cause a tight schedule, as per the FIVB regulations, a team cannot play more than 3 matches per day unless there is a force majeure. The tournament schedule will have to reflect this fact - it will have to be played in more days and will require more competition courts.
31 CHAPTER 4
COMPETITION SYSTEMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL
A. BEACH VOLLEYBALL CONTINENTAL CUP - DOUBLE ELIMINATION TOUR- NAMENT FORMAT - 8 NATIONS
SPECIFICATIONS - BEACH VOLLEYBALL CONTINENTAL CUP
32 CHAPTER 4
COMPETITION SYSTEMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Each National Federation is made up of two teams (Team A and Team B) and each Country vs. Country Match-up (in brackets) is a best of five matches with the 5th and deciding match being a Golden Set (GS). Any two players from Team A or Team B can participate in the Golden Set (GS). Country vs. Country match-up results can be 4-0, 3-1 or 3-2. 8 Participating National Federations (16 teams) Double Elimination over 5 days (2 courts required per gender) Teams Final Ranking = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (Losers of (1) to (6) can finish 1st).
DAY TIME COURT 1 COURT 2 DAY TIME COURT 1 COURT 2
Day 1 08:00 (1) NF-1A vs (2) NF-4A vs Day 4 08:00 (13) W5A vs W10A
NF-8A NF-5A
09:00 (1) NF-1B vs (2) NF-4B vs 5th 09:00 (13) W5B vs W10B NF-8B NF-5B Place 11:00 (1) NF-1A vs (2) NF-4A vs 11:00 (13) W5A vs W10B
NF-8B NF-5B 12:00 (1) NF-1B vs (2) NF-4B vs Semi- 12:00 (13) W5B vs W10A
NF-8A NF-5A Finals 13:00 GS (1) NF-1 GS (2) NF-4 13:00 GS (13) W5 vs
vs NF-8 vs NF-5 W10 13:30 (4) NF-2A vs (3) NF-3A vs 13:30 (14) W6A vs W11A (12) L10A
NF-7A NF-6A vs L11A 14:30 (4) NF-2B vs (3) NF-3B vs 14:30 (14) W6B vs W11B (12) L10B
NF-7B NF-6B vs L11B 16:30 (4) NF-2A vs (3) NF-3A vs 16:30 (14) W6A vs W11B (12) L10A
NF-7B NF-6B vs L11B 17:30 (4) NF-2B vs (3) NF-3B vs 17:30 (14) W6B vs W11A (12) L10B
NF-7A NF-6A vs L11A 18:30 GS (4) NF-2 GS (3) NF-3 18:30 GS (14) W6 vs GS (12)
vs NF-7 vs NF-6 W11 L10 vs L11
33 CHAPTER 4
COMPETITION SYSTEMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL
DAY TIME COURT 1 COURT 2 DAY TIME COURT 1 COURT
Day 2 08:00 (5) W1A vs W2A (8) L3A vs L4A Day 5 08:00 (15) L13A vs L14A
09:00 (5) W1B vs W2B (8) L3B vs L4B Finals 09:00 (15) L13B vs L14B
11:00 (5) W1A vs W2B (8) L3A vs L4B 11:00 (15) L13A vs L14B
12:00 (5) W1B vs W2A (8) L3B vs L4A 12:00 (15) L13B vs L14A
13:00 GS (5) W1 vs W2 GS (8) L3 vs L4 13:00 GS (15) L13 vs L14
13:30 (6) W4A vs W3A (7) L2A vs L1A 13:30 (16) W13A vs W14A
14:30 (6) W4B vs W3B (7) L2B vs L1B 14:30 (16) W13B vs W14B
16:30 (6) W4A vs W3B (7) L2A vs L1B 16:30 (16) W13A vs W14B
17:30 (6) W4B vs W3A (7) L2B vs L1A 17:30 (16) W13B vs W14A
18:30 GS (6) W4 vs W3 GS (7) L2 vs L1 18:30 GS (16) W13 vs
Day 3 08:00 (10) L6A vs W7A
09:00 (10) L6B vs W7B
7th 11:00 (10) L6A vs W7B Place 12:00 (10) L6B vs W7A
13:00 GS (10) L6 vs W7
13:30 (11) L5A vs W8A (9) L8A vs L7A
14:30 (11) L5B vs W8B (9) L8B vs L7B
16:30 (11) L5A vs W8B (9) L8A vs L7B
17:30 (11) L5B vs W8A (9) L8B vs L7A
18:30 GS (11) L5 vs W8 GS (9) L8 vs L7
GOOD TO KNOW
1. For a double gender event four (4) courts are required and the match schedule is the same for each gender.
2. If four (4) courts are available per gender then only one match-up is required per court with the match schedule as follows for each court: 12:00, 13:00, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00 (GS)
34 CHAPTER 4
COMPETITION SYSTEMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL D. POOL PLAY FOLLOWED BY A SINGLE ELIMINATION Another competition format often applied at Beach Volleyball tournaments is the Pool Play fol- lowed by Single Elimination format.
Two pools are created in a serpentine system - Pool A and Pool B. Serpentine system means teams seeded 1 goes in Pool A, and Seed 2 and 3 goes in Pool B, then Seed 4 goes in Pool A and etc.
EXAMPLE - 2 POOLS OF 4 TEAMS / COUNTRIES EACH
35 CHAPTER 4
COMPETITION SYSTEMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL
4 POOLS OF 4 TEAMS / COUNTRIES EACH
Within the pool every team plays the other teams in their pool once, so for a 4 team pool, it takes six matches to complete a 4-team pool. The match order is very important as you should have the top team play with a higher level opponent as the matches go on. See the example below: Matches set-up in the Pool Phase. MATCHES SET-UP IN THE POOL PLAY PHASE - 8 COUNTRIES
POOL A POOL B
Seeds 1 - 4 - 5 - 8 Seeds 2 - 3 - 6 - 7
PAIR 1 Seed 1 vs. Seed 8 Seed 2 vs. Seed 7 Seed 4 vs. Seed 5 Seed 3 vs. Seed 6 PAIR 2 Seed 1 vs. Seed 5 Seed 2 vs. Seed 6
Seed 4 vs. Seed 8 Seed 3 vs. Seed 7
PAIR 3 Seed 1 vs. Seed 4 Seed 2 vs. Seed 3
Seed 5 vs. Seed 8 Seed 6 vs. Seed 7
It is important that the teams play in pairs, as it will decrease the possibility of manipulation. The teams will know the exact set/ point ratios that the teams having played before them will have. To be able and play in pairs will require 2 competition courts in the following schedule:
ORDEROF PLAY POOL / PAIR :- Court 1 & 2
1 Pool A Pair 1
2 Pool B Pair 1
3 Pool A Pair 2
4 Pool B Pair 2
5 Pool A Pair 3
6 Pool B Pair 3
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Maintaining the above schedule will also help, as the top two teams will be playing the first and the last round and competing the first round of the Single Elimination Play Off. In this given example (2 Pools of 4 nations) 3 teams then advance to the Single Elimination Play Off.
The same serpentine system may be applied if there are 16 teams participating in a tournament sep- arated in 4 pools.
POOL A POOL B POOL C POOL D
Seed 1 Seed 2 Seed 3 Seed 4
Seed 8 Seed 7 Seed 6 Seed 5
Seed 9 Seed 10 Seed 11 Seed 12 Seed 16 Seed 15 Seed 14 Seed 13
MATCHES SET-UP IN THE POOL PLAY PHASE - 16 COUNTRIES (4 Competition Courts)
POOL A POOL B POOL C POOL D
Seeds 1 - 8 - 9 - 16 Seeds 2 - 7 - 10 - 15 Seeds 3 - 6 - 11 - 14 Seeds 4 - 5 - 12 - 13 PAIR 1 Seed 1 vs. Seed 16 Seed 2 vs. Seed 15 Seed 3 vs. Seed 14 Seed 4 vs. Seed 13
Seed 8 vs. Seed 9 Seed 7 vs. Seed 10 Seed 6 vs. Seed 11 Seed 5 vs. Seed 12 PAIR 2 Seed 1 vs. Seed 9 Seed 2 vs. Seed 10 Seed 3 vs. Seed 11 Seed 4 vs. Seed 12
Seed 8 vs. Seed 16 Seed 7 vs. Seed 15 Seed 6 vs. Seed 14 Seed 5 vs. Seed 13 PAIR 3 Seed 1 vs. Seed 8 Seed 2 vs. Seed 7 Seed 3 vs. Seed 6 Seed 4 vs. Seed 5
Seed 9 vs. Seed 16 Seed 10 vs. Seed 15 Seed 11 vs. Seed 14 Seed 12 vs. Seed 13
ORDER OF PLAY POOL / PAIR :- Court 1 & 2 POOL / PAIR :- Court 3 & 4 1 Pool A Pair 1 Pool C Pair 1 2 Pool B Pair 1 Pool D Pair 1
3 Pool A Pair 2 Pool C Pair 2
4 Pool B Pair 2 Pool D Pair 2
5 Pool A Pair 3 Pool C Pair 3
6 Pool B Pair 3 Pool D Pair 3
Top 2 teams (nations) in each pool advance to a single elimination playoff.
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GOOD TO KNOW
For a double gender event four (4) courts are required and the match schedule is the same for each gender.
Advantage of this combined competition format is that the quality of the seeding of the teams is not that important, as the Pool Play will sort it out.
To decrease the manipulation in the Single Elimination phase, a suggestion may be to draw the po- sitions of the teams, so that the teams qualifying for the Single Elimination Play Off will not know their position in advance, and will not set themselves up for playing the opponents they would want to compete against.
Pool Play followed by Single Elimination format is the tournament format that the teams play at the most important Beach Volleyball tournaments in the world, i.e. the Olympic Games, FIVB Sen- ior World Championships, FIVB Junior and Youth World Championships and the FIVB World Tour Grand Slams, to name a few. For more information about this competition format, please re- fer to the Beach Volleyball Handbook, Chapter 9.
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II. BEACH VOLLEYBALL CONTINENTAL CUP - SPECIFICATION OF THE COMPETITION FORMAT In Beach Volleyball Continental Cup each National Federation is made up of two teams (Team A and Team B) and each Country vs. Country Match-up (in brackets) is a best of five matches with the 5th and deciding match being a Golden Set (GS). Any two players from Team A or Team B can participate in the Golden Set (GS). Country vs. Contry match-up results can be 4-0, 3-1 or 3-2.
DAY TIME GENDER COURT 1
Day 1 08:00 Female (1) NF-1A vs NF-2A
09:00 (1) NF-1B vs NF-2B (or Male) 11:00 (1) NF-1A vs NF-2B
12:00 (1) NF-1B vs NF-2A
13:00 GS (1) NF-1 vs NF-2
13:30 Male (1) NF-1A vs NF-2A
14:30 (1) NF-1B vs NF-2B (or Female) 16:30 (1) NF-1A vs NF-2B
17:30 (1) NF-1B vs NF-2A
18:30 GS (1) NF-1 vs NF-2
GOOD TO KNOW
1. If a single gender event then the match schedule is as follows on one (1) court: 12:00, 13:00, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00 (GS)
2. If two (2) courts are available for a double gender event then only one match-up is required per court with the match schedule as follows for each court: 12:00, 13:00, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00 (GS)
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A. SUMMARY OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL CONTINENTAL CUP COMPETITION FORMATS The below table is meant to summarize the technical limitations and advantageous qualities of each of the Beach Volleyball competition formats applied for the Beach Volleyball Continental Cup. The below comparison may also be applied for any given Beach Volleyball event considering
teams` participation instead of countries/ nations` participation.
* By allowing teams the opportunity to overcome an early round loss, the Double Elimination format does ensure that the two best nations are playing in the gold medal final regardless of the tournament seeding.
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B. FACTORS TO EVALUATE WHEN SELECTING A TOURNAMENT FORMAT FOR ANY PHASE (SUB-ZONAL, ZONAL AND FINAL) OF THE BEACH VOLLEYBALL CONTINENTAL CUP The following considerations are specified to be considered for the Beach Volleyball Continental Cup, however may be also beneficial if adapted when choosing the format of any given Beach Vol- leyball competition. The criteria below may help to find the best fit between the concept of the event, the resources available and the competition days allocated for the tournament.
- Single or double gender tournament (A double gender tournament requires double the courts and matches listed above) - Number of participating nations (National Federations) - Number of competition days available (Length of tournament) - Number of competition courts available - Desired minimum number of guaranteed country vs. country match-ups - Quality of tournament seeding (Accuracy of draw) - If tournament seeding could be wrong then the top nations may play in early rounds - The "Double Elimination" format can safeguard against errors in tournament seeding - Number of nations to advance to the next phase of the Continental Cup from the tournament - If top 2 nations advance from 4 or 8 - "Double Elimination" format is ideal - If top 3 or 4 nations advance from 4 - Both formats are OK - If top 3 nations advance from 8 - All formats are OK - If top 4 nations advance from 8 - All formats are OK - If top 5 nations advance from 8 - "Single Elimination" are not suitable - If top 6 nations advance from 8 - "Single Elimination" is not suitable - If top 7 nations advance from 8 - Single Elimination is not suitable - If all 8 nations advance from 8 - All formats are OK
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III. COMPETITION FORMAT OF THE FIVB BEACH VOLLEYBALL WORLD CUP OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION At the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Cup Olympic Qualification tournament, continuing the com- petition format implemented for the Beach Volleyball Continental Cup, the participating countries are always competing with two teams per gender per country in a Country vs. Country format and in a "best out of three matches". In case of tie, one decisive match or as an alternative a Golden Set until 15 points (with a 2 point lead) can be played by the registered athletes designated by each country.
10 (ten) or 12 (twelve) countries participating will play in 2 pools (A and B) of 5 or 6 countries ac- cording to a round robin system. The best 2 countries of the 2 (two) pools will play against each other as follows: A1 vs. B2 and A2 vs. B1. The country of the winning teams of these matches (3 out of 5 match format) will qualify directly to the Olympic Games.
If the organizing country is not qualified to this phase, it will have the right to take part with 2 (two) teams per gender. In the case of 12 (twelve) participating countries, the 12th and the last country participating shall be allocated by the FIVB from outside the host country's Confederation.
FIVB BEACH VOLLEYBALL WORLD CUP OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION - SAMPLE MATCH-UP SCHEDULE WITH 10 COUNTRIES PARTICIPATING
Country vs Country Match-up Daily Match Schedule 09:00 Match 1
10:00 Match 2
11:00 Golden Set
11:30 Match 1
12:30 Match 2
13:30 Golden Set
14:00 Match 1
15:00 Match 2
16:00 Golden Set
16:30 Match 1 17:30 Match 2 18:30 Golden Set
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SPECIFICATIONS - BEACH VOLLEYBALL CONTINENTAL CUP
Each National Federation is made up of two teams (Team A and Team B) and each Country vs. Country Match-up (in brackets) is a best of three matches with the 5th and deciding match being a Golden Set (GS). Any two players from Team A or Team B can participate in the Golden Set (GS). Coun- try vs. Country match-up results can be 4-0, 3-1 or 3-2. 12 Countries (2 x 6-Country pools) per Gender on 4 Courts
DESCRIPTION DAY WOMEN'S POOLS MEN'S POOLS COUNTRY VS
Pool A Pool B Pool C Pool D COUNTRY MATCH-UP DU-
60 Day 1 A1 vs B1 vs B6 C1 vs D1 vs 9:00 to
Prelimi- A6 C6 D6 11:30 A2 vs B2 vs B5 C2 vs D2 vs 11:30 to nary Round A5 C5 D5 14:00 A3 vs B3 vs B4 C3 vs D3 vs 14:00 to Country vs. A4 C4 D4 16:30 Country A1 vs B1 vs B5 C1 vs D1 vs 16:30 to Match-ups A5 C5 D5 19:00 (Pool Play) Day 2 A2 vs B2 vs B4 C2 vs D2 vs 9:00 to
A4 C4 D4 11:30 A3 vs B3 vs B6 C3 vs D3 vs 11:30 to
A6 C6 D6 14:00 A1 vs B1 vs B4 C1 vs D1 vs 14:00 to
A4 C4 D4 16:30 A2 vs B2 vs B3 C2 vs D2 vs 16:30 to
A3 C3 D3 19:00
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DESCRIPTION DAY WOMEN'S POOLS MEN'S POOLS COUN-
Pool A Pool B Pool C Pool D TRY VS COUN- TRY MATCH- UP DU- RATION
Day 3 A5 vs A6 B5 vs B6 C5 vs C6 D5 vs D6 9:00 to 11:30
A1 vs A3 B1 vs B3 C1 vs C3 D1 vs D3 11:30 to 14:00
A2 vs A6 B2 vs B6 C2 vs C6 D2 vs D6 14:00 to 16:30
A4 vs A5 B4 vs B5 C4 vs C5 D4 vs D5 16:30 to 19:00
Day 4 A1 vs A2 B1 vs B2 C1 vs C2 D1 vs D2 11:30 to 14:00
A3 vs A5 B3 vs B5 C3 vs C5 D3 vs D5 14:00 to 16:30
A4 vs A6 B4 vs B6 C4 vs C6 D4 vs D6 16:30 to 19:00
4 Final Day 5 1st A Women vs 2nd B Women 9:00 to Country vs. Country 1st B Women vs 2nd A Women 11:30 to Match-ups
1st C Men vs 2nd D Men 14:00 to
1st D Men vs 2nd C Men 16:30 to
X. COMPETITION FORMAT OF THE FIVB BEACH VOLLEYBALL WORLD CUP FINAL Countries are always competing with two teams per gender in a Country vs. Country format and "best out of three" matches. In case of a tie, one decisive match or as an alternative a Golden Set until 15 points (with a 2 point lead) can be played by the registered athletes designated by each country.
The competition format can be agreed upon between the FIVB and the organizers within all possi- ble options (i.e. pool/round robin, double elimination, single elimination, etc.). If the organizing country is not qualified to this event through the Continental Cup Final, it might be possible to ne- gotiate with the FIVB its eventual participation with 2 (two) teams per gender.
The five winner countries of the Beach Volleyball Continental Cup and all the countries that have secured maximum two Olympic Places through the Olympic Ranking will take part to the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Cup Final. 44 CHAPTER 5
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COACH
Understanding the Coach’s role, their responsibilities, duties and moral norms are very important for the perfecting and the development of Volleyball in general, as well as for improving the tech- nical-tactical skills and results of the players and teams as a whole. The official FIVB statistics states: There are over 500 million people participating in organized Volleyball and beach volley-ball. Organized Volleyball means – regular training and participation in any competition. It can be real- ized only under the leadership of the coach (a Volleyball instructor, a school teacher, a physical education tutor). There can be school teams, university or college teams, beach volley pairs, na- tional teams, club teams and children’s teams. The role, the responsibilities, the duties and the level of mastery of these groups of coaches differ greatly. If we assume that one coach is working with a group of 25 players it means there is an ac- tive army of 10 million coaches. Within the framework of this lesson it is practically impossible to, even partially, touch/dwell upon all main problems about the coach’s role. This is why the only key-points will be stated. What are the coach’s main roles and functions? Two following diagrams will help to answer these questions.
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This first diagram is a very general one. In each concrete case, in any country, in any team, a/the scheme and any interactions can be altered. For instance, in children’s / colleges teams only one coach and the doctor are needed. On the contrary, for a national team a large number of staff is required.
The second diagram will specify the main directions of coach’s work.
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Certainly all these functions are closely interconnected and interrelated. The differences between these functions are often obscure. Now let’s try to answer the question, What is a coach? Looking at these diagrams, one can say: A coach is a teacher and an educator. This is correct especially for a coach who is working with children and Youth/ Junior teams. A coach is a sport specialist. He works on the development and popularity of Volleyball in his own country, in a club, in a university, etc... A coach is an organizer. One of his main duties is coordinating the work of all his assistants by keeping in touch with management and the National Federation. These above-mentioned definitions of coach’s role are true. But taking, as a basis, the major task and the most essential sign which is the preparation of the team and the achievement of result the correct definition of ‘what is a coach’ may be the follow- ing: The coach is a professional head of a team who is responsible for the preparation and performance of single players and of a/the team as a whole. A coach is a person who is responsible for the results.
Of course it must be said that this definition is correct for coaches of average and high level teams. The specific feature of the coaches' work consists of the following circumstances: in comparison with other leaders of small groups of twenty-five to thirty people, a coach is a leader who must an- swer two questions: 1. “What is he to do?” This defines the main goal and those problems which must be solved in order to get the result. This means an analysis of the whole activity of a coach. 2. “How is he to do his work?” These are the means and methods which help in solving training problems in order to get the results. This means the individual mastery of a coach, his creative work.
by Mr. Yuri Chesnokov, former president of Coaches Commission (1933 - 2010)
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A. A COACH MAIN FUNCTIONS
1. Development of personality : This task is very important in the coach’s work. The problems of development cannot be put within the framework of one team. A coach deals with young people – very often with school children. Usually, they work together from eight to ten years. The coach’s influence on the molding of young players characters is very often more than in school or in the family. In general, the coach partly decides the question of the development of the whole generation of our future. What can be more important and crucial than this task?
Here are the main aspects of the coach’s development of personality work/duty:
Moulding of character (from the psychological point of view) Courage: strong will, persistence Moral qualities of the personality Patriotism and devotion to the country and to the team Fair play, - honesty
The question of developing personality is an important topic. In our discussion we need not dwell upon details of pedagogues, but I would like to make some important remarks about the coach's work in this respect.
1. The process of the development of a player as a personality and a citizen is not any different from the general process of a team’s work. It is absurd to say that from ten until twelve a coach teaches tactics and techniques, and from four until six he develops patriotism and honesty in his players. On the contrary, the process of development progresses with the help of sport, with the aid of sport training, through the permanent practical work of a coach and the activity of the whole col- lective.
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2. Each of the coach’s words, his jests, every training team meeting, is an act of development.
From a pedagogical point of view, the process of development is realized through the following system :
Educator (coach) – group (team) – pupil (player)
It is very important that the team fulfils its development functions.
It is absolutely necessary that a coach, as an educator, should be well brought up and educated themselves. His appearance, behavior, actions and decisions must be an example. There is a saying. “Personal example is the best teacher”.
2. Social function (social activity of a coach):
The great social role of sports in the modern world is well known to us. Sports are one of the big- gest social phenomenon. This is enhanced by the fact that sport is a sphere of knowledge, develop- ment and improvement of the individual man/person , their physical and psychological qualities. Sport is practically the only means of strengthening one’s health. Sport is practically the only means to save the young generation from the deadly invasion of nar- cotics, alcoholism, HIV/AIDS. Nowadays, sport in general, is in the phase of the universal globalization. Sport has no equal in the number of people involved – athletes, fans, T.V. and MM. Sponsors and Companies. Sport is a policy, financial successes, the national idea on the winner’s pedestal. FIVB is one of the leading sports international organization in the general social activities. Just “no comments” facts will confirm this statement: 500 000 000 Volleyball players 220 National Federations affiliated (FIVB is the most large international sports federation) 4 sets of Olympic medals –VB and beach volley (all other team’s sports have only 2 completes of the Olympic medals) annual commercial competitions for the best national teams including, the million’s prize mon- ey for teams and best players (World League, Grand Prix, Beach volley world championship), annual development PROGRAMS and PROJECTS for coaches, referees, managers etc.
Volleyball for everybody and forever: Volleyball (indoor):- a. Beach Volleyball – b. Mini Vol- leyball - c. Park Volley – d. Veterans and disabled Volleyball .
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But all coaches need to understand a big importance of their social activates and not to pay atten- tion only to technical – tactical aspects and to a team’s performance. In particular, each coach has to consider his close relations with television and mass media as one of the most important and essential part of his professional work. Coaching team’s preparation and management, is the most important and the most difficult func- tion of the coach’s work. The major issues concerning these matters are included in the program of the course as separate topics. So, there is a sense to present now the general schema of the coach’s functions.
Comments:
The coach makes a decision while determining the main goal.
As a rule, the rank of his team is the result. In order to make the right decision he needs to make an objective analysis of the situation.
This analysis consists of:
Tendencies in the development of the game. The time given to the coach to get the main goal.
Establishing the intermediate result which gives the coach an opportunity to check the correct- ness of his decision.
Correlation of the team’s level, his own team and the main opponents.
A coach must be very active.
He must have the right to choose his assistants and players. It is very important that the coach should make sure his players hold the same views for they are the people who play a creative part in the development of major decisions.
Questions of planning, preparation and competition must be under constant objective analysis (statistics, medical examination, videotapes).
The modern facilities (VIS, own statistics, video-tapes, computer programs) give many possibilities to be completely informed about the modern Volleyball.
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As a conclusion it is very useful to mention one very important remark.
Never accept any opinion and recommendation with blind eyes – even if it was done by the most competent Volleyball authority.
Never put into practice any idea or model of the team mechanically.
Never copy any style of play automatically.
Each lesson and article, any advice and experience, have to be very seriously analyzed (preferable with players) and adapted creatively for the concrete team, players and conditions.
Tips for the Coach by Mr. Yasutaka Matsudaira Japan 1. Prior to coaching players, a coach must have a basic doctrine or philosophy (hereafter, philoso- phy) about coaching. In particular, the basic philosophy of coaching beginners must involve steps and efforts in which the players learn that Volleyball is fun and enjoyable, not difficult, painful or mentally hard.
2. A coach must not place impossible skill targets on players but rather set many targets that can be relatively and easily achieved by anyone if they work hard. This will lead to beginners being surprised by their significant progress, which occurred without their notice. 3. No matter how small the target is, when it is achieved, the coach should be unstinting in en- couraging the player with praise and enjoy the moment with the player. This attitude will short- en the distance between the beginner and the coach at once and build a sense of unity and rela- tionship of trust between the coach and player.
4. When you scold even once in a while, make sure that you should not criticize everything the player is doing and that you should not be overly emotional. Your scolding must be formed around a belief in the beginners’ abilities and future. For example, “You have the ability to do it as long as you try hard. Don’t give up. Try again!” or “There is no way you would give up after something like that!” In this manner, your scolding needs to be encouraging the beginner.
5. Young beginners always have dreams. These could be becoming a start player or something that is very innocent. However, that is important because dreams and longings have power. Hu- mans are able to draw forth courage, energy and motivation to overcome any difficult or sad period by pursuing their dreams.
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6. To draw out these dreams in beginners, it is essential for a coach to provide them with opportu- nities to watch international matches of top level national teams and official matches of profes- sional teams along with visiting the practices of such. Coaches must skillfully stimulate begin- ners and work to heighten their motivation.
7. It is important to adopt a “principle of competitiveness” to have the players learn, within prac- tices and team compositions, the principal that different results must naturally come out from two types of players, i.e. ones who approach matters with earnest preparation and others that approach it with negligence. 8. The standard approach for improving skills of beginners is to first begin with players copying a good player. As the players mimic and practice they will soon naturally demonstrate a person- ality that matches their character, physique and rhythm. It is important to refrain from reckless- ly molding this personality and character. It is this unique personality that is indispensable for beginners to possess in order to mature and succeed. 9. As a rule, practices for beginners should avoid exercise that places an enormous burden espe- cially on the heart and lungs as the bodies of the players are still developing. The training should be focused more on agility of the players, in particular, drills such as well-skilled han- dling of the balls, rather than on stamina based training.
10. As for the training methods, it is vital to respect traditional methods, but it is most important for the coach to create his/ her own original and unique ideas as the training methods that are not a copy of others. This not only prevents practices from becoming simple habit or mannerisms but is also proof of the coach’s expertise. Thus this becomes an important element for players to respect and trust their coach.
11. In particular, it is important for the coaches of beginner players to deal with their players in many ways: sometimes as an instructor for developing Volleyball skills, or as a parent, and oth- er times as a sibling or friend. A coach must be a good advisor to all aspects of the beginner’s personality. 12. The ultimate target of a coach is to guide his/her beginners to wonderful individuals who will be a part of a better society through Volleyball.
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B. SUMMARY OF COACHES CHARACTERISTICS
1. Skills of the Coach Organise – Observe – Analyse – Adapt – Communicate - Im- prove performance
2. Coaching Philosophy Develop a set of personal guidelines on how you will operate as a coach, including: how you will communicate level of participant responsibility dealing with behavioural issues coaching for all, irrespective of ability or background dealing with winning, losing and cheating respect for others 3. Qualities of a GOOD Coach Be enthusiastic and show enjoyment of coaching Be self-confident, consistent, friendly and fair Have a sense of humour and make things fun! Dress appropriately Be a good role model for the participants Maintain discipline throughout the session Be well organised Include all participants, regardless of ability, disability, age, gender and ethnic background
4. Ethical issues in Coaching Sportsmanship Doping in sport Cheating Respect for officials Discrimination Harassment Playing injured athletes 5. Child protection Coaches need to: Understand what is acceptable and appropriate behaviour Be aware of the signs of abuse or neglect Know who to report to if they suspect abuse or neglect Understand and comply with the child protection legisla- tion in their state/territory Understand and comply with relevant codes of conduct
6. Doping in sport Ethical and health implications of doping in sport Coaches can influence attitudes of athletes Coaches should be good role models Know where to access anti-doping information (www.wada- ama.org/)
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7. Inclusive coaching Adapting and modifying coaching practices and activities to ensure that every participant is included Consider: - cultural diversity – disability – age – gender - abil- ity level 8. Working with parents Explain your coaching philosophy Provide information and communicate regularly throughout the season/program Encourage their help and participation — give them a role, for example, linesperson, scorer Encourage parents to give positive feedback, rather than de- structive criticism Be prepared to listen when parents have concerns or issues to raise. 9. Working with officials Coaches can help to minimise the abuse of officials by develop- ing positive relationships with officials Coaches should display professionalism in their behaviour to- wards officials, and encourage participants to do the same 10. Developing coaching Attend coach education and accreditation programs. skills and knowledge Work with a mentor coach Read books, magazines, newsletters and the internet Contact organisations such as: National Sports Commission National and state sporting organisations State government departments of sport and recreation National Sports Anti-Doping Authority National Sports Medicine
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C. THE COACH IN THE ACTION
1. Giving feedback Feedback should be: positive, constructive and corrective clear and concise delivered as soon as possible after the action for which it is being provided Use the ‘sandwich’ approach: 2. Active listening Stop — Pay attention and do not interrupt Look — Make eye contact and get onto the same level as the per- son Listen — Focus on what the person is saying Respond — Restate what has been said and use open questions to prompt for further information 3. Communication barriers Different perceptions of words and actions Only hearing what you want to hear Using jargon Not responding to questions Judging too quickly Looking for personal agendas Allowing emotions to blur the message Assuming ‘I’m right’ and not being open to other views Asking antagonising questions 4. Including Everyone Environment: -Can all the participants see and hear you? Are there any distractions in the background? Physical: - Do all the participants have good vision and hearing? Intellectual: - Can all the participants understand what you are saying? How long can the participants pay attention? Background: - Do all the participants speak English? Are there specific cultural considerations? 5. Difficult people Try to stay calm and distance yourself personally from the issue Keep your voice quiet and calm, this may encourage the other per- son to do the same Do not argue back or trade insults (no matter how unreasonable they seem) Try to see past the emotions to define the actual problem and work at addressing this Use active listening skills to address the problem.
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6. Stages of learning Early Stage: - Parts of the movement are missing, and does not use all the necessary body parts Rhythm, coordination and control are poor Performance is inconsistent. Intermediate Stage: - Learning to detect and correct own errors The movement produces reasonable results, but some parts are performed incorrectly Performance becomes more consistent Final Stage: - Automatic performance of the skill Can solve more complex problems 7. Learning styles People have a sensory preference to obtain and remember knowledge. The senses include: visual sense auditory sense kinaesthetic sense tactile sense olfactory sense 8. Developing sports skills Select basic techniques, skills and tactics for beginner participants to learn Break techniques and skills into parts, and provide key coaching/ safety points Allow adequate time for practice and observing participants’ per- formance Progress the activity in a sequential manner Ensure that the session is fun and provides variety
56 CHAPTER 2
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COACH
9. Game sense Game sense is a coaching method that uses game-like activities as the focus of the session Participants respond to challenges through activity, solve problems and con- tribute to what is done in a session Traditional coaching sessions have focused on practising techniques. The game sense session focuses on the game and on learning ‘why’ before ‘how’ A. The coach’s role in game sense:- • The coach facilitates rather than directs “the guide on the side, not the sage on the stage”. • Using questions and challenges encourages participants to solve prob- lems • Questions/challenges will generally relate to a particular tactical as- pect as follows:
Time: When will you (run, pass, shoot, etc.)? Why? Space: Where will you move to? Where will you aim? Risk: Which option will you take to pass to? Will you run or stay? Will you attack or defend? Why? B. How to modify activities Coaching style — for example, demonstrations or use of questions, role models and verbal instructions How to score/win Area — for example, size, shape or surface of the playing environ- ment Number of participants Game rules — for example, number of bounces or passes Equipment — for example, softer or larger balls, or lighter, smaller bats/rackets Inclusion — for example, everyone has to touch the ball before the team can score Time — for example, ‘How many … in 30 seconds?
C. Game sense tips for coaches
Let them play: - Most children find ‘drills’ boring. Play a game — NOW! Inclusion: - Use the CHANGE IT options to modify the activity to suit varying ability levels Improving Skills: - Conduct a ‘discrete’ coaching session off to the side on a needs basis ‘Freeze-frame’ the action using role models to highlight skill and tactical coaching points It’s not working: - If it is not working, have an alternative Try conducting the same activity in smaller groups Is the activity too easy/hard?
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10. Group management Engage the participant through: voice and expression eye contact signal for attention asking questions praise and compliments quality instructions notice board 11. Formations and rou- Safety is the main consideration for group formations tines Establish routines for warm ups and cool downs, as well as ‘set up’ and ‘put away’ Use markers 12. Groupings Place individuals in groups of similar ability Assign responsible individuals to help the younger or less-able players during training Participants can work at different levels within the same program Give all participants: Equal opportunity to participate in practice and games Feedback, rewards, and leadership opportunities A consistent coach attitude 13. Self-management Discuss the effects of poor individual behaviour Show the connection between behaviour and consequences Acknowledge players who go out of their way to assist others Rotate or share responsibility for captaining Encourage participants to contribute to organisation and planning 14. Managing behaviour Help participants establish team rules with consequences for breaking them Focus on the behaviour, not the individual. Do not publicly insult or embarrass someone Avoid punishing a group for an individual’s poor behaviour Be firm, fair and consistent Avoid using punishments, such as running laps Use rewards, praise and acknowledgment to reinforce desired be- haviours Ensure programs are fun, with variety and high rates of activity
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D. FOURTEEN LEGAL DUTIES OF A COACH
1. Duty to Plan A coach must demonstrate awareness of the maturity, physical development and readiness of athletes with appropriate plans for instruction, conditioning and supervision. 2. Duty to Supervise A coach must be physically present, provide competent instruc- tion, structure practices that are appropriate for the age and ma- turity of players, prevent foreseeable injuries and respond to in- jury or trauma in an approved manner. This duty requires super- visors to make sure facilities are locked and that students are de- nied access when a competent staff member cannot be physically present to supervise. This duty may also require coaches to con- trol reckless player behaviors. Supervision responsibility also pertains to athletic administrators who are expected to be able to supervise coaches competently. 3. Duty to Assess Athletes Athletics administrators and coaches are required to assess the Readiness for Practice health and physical or maturational readiness skills and physical and Competition condition of athletes. A progression of skill development and conditioning improvement should be apparent from practice plans. Athletes must also be medically screened in accordance with state association regulations before participating in practice or competition. 4. Duty to Maintain Safe Coaches are considered trained professionals who possess a Playing Conditions higher level of knowledge and skill that permits them to identify foreseeable causes of injury inherent in defective indoor and out- door facilities or hazardous environments 5. Duty to Provide a Safe Courts have held athletic supervisors responsible to improve un- Equipment safe environments, repair or remove defective equipment or dis- allow athlete access. 6. Duty to Instruct Properly Athletic practices must be characterized by instruction that ac- counts for a logical sequence of fundamentals that lead to an en- hanced progression of player knowledge, skill, and capability. 7. Duty to Match Athletes Athletes should be matched with consideration for maturity skill, age, size and speed. To the degree possible, mismatches should be avoided in all categories.
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8. Duty to Condition Properly Practices must account for a progression of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal conditioning regimens that prepare athletes sequentially for more challenging practices and competitive activities. 9. Duty to Warn Coaches are required to warn parents and athletes of unsafe practices specific to a sport and the potential for injury or death. This warning should be issued in writing and both ath- letes and parents should be required to provide written certifi- cation of their comprehension. 10. Duty to Ensure Athletes Athletics administrators and coaches must screen athletes to are Covered by Injury In- ensure that family and/or school insurance provides basic lev- surance el of medical coverage. Athletes should not be allowed to par- ticipate without injury insurance. 11. Duty to Provide Emergen- Coaches are expected to be able to administer standard emer- cy Care gency care (first aid, CPR) in response to a range of traumatic injuries. 12. Duty to Design a Proper Coaches must design plans to ensure an expedited response by Emergency Response Plan EMS and an effective transition to the care and supervision of emergency medical personnel. 13. Duty to Provide Proper In general, bonded, commercial carriers should be used for out Transportation of town transportation. Self or family transportation for local competition may be allowed if parents have adequate insur- ance coverage for team members other than their family mem- bers. (follow School District guidelines) Administrators have responsibility to ensure that appropriate 14. Duty to Select, Train, and Supervise Coaches skill and knowledge levels exist among members of the coaching staff to ensure appropriate levels of safety and well being among athletes.
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ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COACH E. ATHLTES DEVELOPMENT
1. Coaching children Young children need opportunities for unstructured creative play, and a broad range of activities Early specialisation is not recommended for children Children’s sport should be fun! Children value the social aspects of sport Focus on skill development, rather than winning Children’s skill and fitness levels can vary greatly All children deserve time and attention, not just the most talented. 2. Why do children play Physical reasons: - for example, to develop new skills, improve fitness. sport? Social reasons: - for example, their friends are playing, to make new friends Psychological reasons: - for example, to have fun, sense of achievement 3. Children’s growth and Physical changes may affect sporting performance development Coaches should appreciate children’s developmental stages and set goals and plan sessions accordingly Coaches should be aware of exercises which may place undue stress on growing bones. 4. Adolescence The timing of puberty can vary dramatically, resulting in wide varia- tions in size and strength Issues related to early and late developers Girls reach puberty earlier than boys, and experience higher gains in body fat during this stage During puberty an increased self-awareness occurs. Behaviour and peer group issues emerge
5. The ageing athlete Maintaining physical activity is important for health Longer warm-up and cool-down periods are needed for older athletes Provide alternatives to reduce the intensity of activities Include longer recovery periods between activities Endurance capacities slowly decrease between 25-65 years Strength decreases with age, but can be improved with training
6. Coaching athletes with Fitness levels may be lower than the general population disability Coaches need to individualise training programs Use a range of communication strategies (for athletes with sensory im- pairments) Modify activities to include everyone
7. Hydration and nutrition Heat affects children more dramatically. Ensure that children: drink adequate fluid regularly during activity take rest breaks dress appropriately use shaded areas where possible Encourage healthy, balanced eating habits, with recommended amounts from each food group Breakfast is important, especially before sport Snacks should be healthy — discourage junk foods
61 CHAPTER 6
HOW TO DEVELOP A TEAM
A. INTRODUCTION – KNOW YOUR TIMELINES Developing a Beach Volleyball team (s), requires considering several aspects and influencing factors. This section will give you a few basic recommendations that may help Team development. These suggestions have been put forth by the German Volleyball Federations and an example will be made of the detailed team development program being implemented by the Volleyball Federations to set their Beach Volleyball athletes for success. A strong National team development program is a key, and for more details about a global Growth Plan of a National Federations, please also refer to Growth Plan. Obviously, each National Federation is different, therefore the information provided in the below section should be considered as an inspirational guideline to be adapted to ones needs and resources. One of the main factors to determine is the timelines. If you start from zero, you will want to set ap- propriate deadlines, for example the next editions of the Olympic Games, and/ or of the FIVB World Tour events and / or Continental events and/ or a National events and/or Junior / Youth events. Knowing the time you have, you will approach developing a team differently.
Short term range 2-3 years
Medium term range 6-7 years
Long term range 10 years
B. SHORT TIME TEAM DEVELOPMENT PLAN Below you will find main recommended steps to a possible Beach Volleyball team development in a short period of time – 2-3 years. As team development is based on a set program developed by the respective Volleyball Federation, 2 to 3 years might not be enough, but may be viewed as a starting point. Shorter plan of 2-3 years may be conceived to achieve satisfactory results at Continental level. The length of a program will depend also on the existing knowledge of the athlete for this sport. For example, a Volleyball athlete making a transition to Beach Volleyball, or athletes starting a program having basic experience from physical education class at school or from Beach Volleyball at leisure level.
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C. MEDIUM TIME TEAM DEVELOPMENT PLAN
To obtain National Ranking points, athletes/ teams should take an active part to the National Tour in their country and also possibly abroad to gain experience. For example, during the winter season many European teams travel to countries like Brazil to take part to their National Tour (for participa- tion regulations of foreign teams to a National Tour please refer to the FIVB website) to benefit from the weather conditions and the competitive technical level of Brazilian teams to train their skills.
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Continental Ranking points should be seen as the next level to be broken into. At this time, some of the Continental Confederation`s tours not only grant Continental Ranking points, but also, if homol- ogated by the FIVB, also FIVB Ranking points. Please refer to the regulations of the respective Beach Volleyball Continental Tour regulations. Making a smart plan to get FIVB World Ranking points for the athletes includes: 1) playing Satel- lites and Challenger events; 2) playing Continental events granting FIVB ranking points; 3) playing World Tour Open events which follow World Tour Grand Slams, because the best teams in the world after a Grand Slam event might take a rest; 4) putting all the efforts and focus in the end of the season of the World Tour, as less teams usually take part. To qualify and be able to enter the World Tour events and to establish a team in the World Tour, the first year after the Olympics is very important, and if you are in the Main Draw once the Olym- pic Qualification starts, it is a good sign that the team might be able to qualify an Olympic place.
D. LONG TERM TEAM DEVELOPMENT PLAN Long period of time allows developing a long term plan focusing on the young generation athletes who may be developed into Olympians. The below recommendations place emphasis on creating event opportunities for the athletes to gain valuable “game” experience.
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When looking for the young talent, there are three main considerations to be made: one`s physical characteristics (i.e. tall, fast, etc.); mental skills which may also be trained through a dedicated mental program which helps developing a stable mental ability of an athlete; and athletic skills which also may be developed with a dedicated practical training.
E. CASE STUDY
1. EXAMPLE 1: THE GERMAN VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION
During the past years, German Beach Volleyball athletes have won a lot of titles in the internation- al Beach Volleyball competitions. What constitutes to this success? Below, we are sharing with you a structure of the development that the German Volleyball Federation has put in place, mak- ing sure that the young generation German Beach Volleyball athletes are given the opportunities to rise and grow next to the professional Junior and Senior athletes. This structure applies several layers allowing athletes to benefit from professionally built-up opportunities. Obviously, to create such a detailed structure takes time and resources, therefore this example is presented as an exam- ple to strive for in the future, and as an example that might be taken as a starting point to build up a Beach Volleyball event structure / development team program in one`s territory.
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LONGTIME DEVELOPMENT IN GERMANY
7 A - NATIONAL TEAM
Olympic Games, FIVB-World-Tour, DBM, 6 Olympic training centers WM, EM CEV-Tour Smart-Beach-Tour
B - NATIONAL TEAM National training centers 5 Beach Volleyball DBM, CEV-Tour, FIVB-World-Tour and Sport Soldier Smart-Beach-Tour
NATIONAL TEAM U23 National training centers 4 Beach Volleyball FIVB-Challenger, DBM, U23 EM and Sport Soldier CEV-Tour Smart-Beach-Tour
National training centers JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM Beach Volleyball 3 FIVB-Satellite, DBM, U21 WM, U20 EM U20 U21 FIVB-Challenger Smart-Beach-Tour
National training centers YOUTH NATIONAL TEAM Volleyball/Beach Volleyball
Beach Volleyball 2 Smart-Beach-Tour, talent Regional tours cat. U19 WM, U18 EM U18 U19 1, DBM - Nachwuchs
REGIONAL TEAMS Regional training centers and club 1 Volleyball talent teams Regional tours cat. 2, BuPo U17, DBM U17
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SUPPORT TO THE TOP TEAMS
Top teams usually do not succeed alone – a strong support system or a team of people may facili- tate the performance. Should the budget allow a big group of people may be involved to assist a Beach Volleyball team on all necessary aspects. Smaller budget might force to be creative and combine some or ALL the roles in one person.
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2. EXAPLE 2 : LONG TERME ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT CANADA
a. FUNdamentals:- Males: 6-9 years Females: 6-8 years
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b. Learning to Train:- Males 9-12 years Females: 8-11 years
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c. Training to Train:- Males: 12-16 years Females: 11-15 years
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d. Learning to Compete:- Indoor Males: 17-19± yrs. Females: 16-18± yrs. Beach Volleyball Males: 16-20± yrs. Females: 15-19± yrs
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e. Training to Compete:- Indoor Males: 20-21 Females: 19-20 ± yrs. ± yrs. Beach Males: 18-24± yrs. Females: 17-23± yrs.
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f. Learning to Win:- Indoor Males 22-25± yrs. Females: 21-24± yrs. Beach Internation- ally Males: 22-28± yrs. Females: 21-27± yrs.
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g. Training to Win8 Internationally:- Indoor Males: 26+ yrs. Females: 25+ yrs. Beach Males: 26+ yrs. Females: 25+ yrs.
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MENTAL ASPECT OF THE GAME
A. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WINNER AND A LOSER Teams are becoming more and more competitive in Beach Volleyball as their technical abilities are being trained on a daily basis. In this section, we will highlight the importance of the athlete`s mental stability to win a match.
Imagine, a 3rd set and a result of 13:13
B. WHY IS BEACH VOLLEYBALL SUCH A MENTAL GAME? There are several aspects that influence a Beach Volleyball game, a Beach Volleyball team and a Beach Volleyball athlete.
1. TWO INDIVIDUALS PLAY AS A TEAM Usually the two team members travel together the whole year; They spend together a lot of time, more time than with their families – the same plane, same hotel, and same hotel room.
2. ONLY ONE TEAMMATE TO BLAME So when the results are not as expected, the only person that can be blamed is the team member. Despite that the communication must continues if the team continues to compete. Issues have to be resolved immediately.
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3. NO COACHING IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL During the game the players are their own coaches as there is no help from the outside Players do not have to only control their own game as they also have to keep an eye on the opponents’ tactical changes in game scouting.
4. NO HIDING AND NO SUBSTITUTES IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL Sometimes the best player wins the game, but most of the time the weakest player loses the game. It is always the “do or die” attitude, because if you don‘t side out, you will get the ball again, as there is:
5. THE OPPONENT TEAM
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It is very difficult at a Beach Volleyball match, as with the opponent team there is no physical contact, but a lot of psychological contact.
6. THE COURT Another consideration that has to be made is the playing area – the court. There are only two players on each side of the court providing a lot of opportunities and zones free to score points. Team members have the pressure to cover the entire side of the court.
7. CONCENTRATION/ STAMINA
A mistake would be to think that the most spectacular play decides the game. On the top level one error might make the difference in the result of a set or a match.
GOOD TO KNOW
After the Beach Volleyball Commission`s decision to stricter enforce the rules in 2011 FIVB World Tour season, to shorten the game and avoid unnecessary delays, the following results
have been recorded:
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Men Main Draw match / 3 sets: Women Main Draw match / 3 sets:
Tournament Average duration Tournament Average duration
2010 Brasilia 58 min 20 sec 2010 Brasilia 56 min 05 sec
2011 Brasilia 53 min 50 sec 2011 Brasilia 50 min 45 sec
2011 The Hague 49 min 50 sec 2011 The Hague 48 min 05 sec
The level of concentration has to be very high during the entire game, and in addition there are several games/ matches per day, as a tournament has several games per day. Usually three matches per day per team. This pressure requires an efficient resource management.
8. EMOTIONS
Beach Volleyball is a very emotional game. And after a spectacular play or after a mistake there are only 12 seconds to calm down and concentrate for the next rally. In this moment rituals are important and help one concentrate on the routine and what needs to be done.
In 2010 and beyond a study conducted by the FIVB showed that athletes try to use every possibil- ity to delay matches, usually through Medical Timeouts (MTO), to rest or collect themselves after an emotional play. In 2010 Beach Volleyball Commission decided to stricter enforce the rules ap- plied (for example, the 12 seconds rule) and to allow only 2 Medical Timeouts per athlete per 12 months period (unless traumatic injury occurs during the match) and sanction any other requests for a Medical Timeout as of 2011. With the strict application of the rule, athletes have to train from the very young age the endurance throughout the entire match.
9. PERCEPTION Perception is a key aspect in Beach Volleyball. Under the stress of a match, stress perception is the first to disappear. The view gets narrow and the perception of what is happening around the player changes dramatically: partner and referee.
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10. TECHNICAL ASPECTS Beach Volleyball is a very technical and a very fast game: each play has to be very precise and in a short time span. There are also tight rules in ball handling: setting and defending.
11. BEACH VOLLEYBALL IS AN OUTDOOR SPORT As for an outdoor sport, there are several aspects depending on the weather conditions at each and every competition. Athletes have to adapt.
12. REFEREES The relation with referees also impacts Beach Volleyball athlete`s mental stableness during the game. Judging the rules may be slightly different due to a perception of the referee. Especially the judgment of the over hand set is not easy, as it changes from tournament to tournament, from ref- eree to referee or even during a set.
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13. THE BEACH VOLLEYBALL SEASON
A Beach Volleyball season (here referring to the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour season usu- ally from April to November) might be a very difficult experience for an athlete. As the tourna- ments are scheduled back to back, the travel is continuous, and requires athletes / teams staying away from home for long periods of time. The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event`s sched- ule requires teams starting to play mostly on Tuesday with the Qualification tournament until Sun- day, leaving a couple of days for the travel to the next tournament.
Sometimes pressure might arise, if a team is out already on Tuesday and the team has to wait until Sunday to continue travelling to the next tournament. This “layover” then requires finding practice courts, weightlifting rooms to keep fit and to keep up the training until the next tournament, when in the meantime the team witnesses the other fellow athletes/ teams play, win, make points and money.
14. THE BEACH VOLLEYBALL SEASON
A Beach Volleyball season (here referring to the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour season usu- ally from April to November) might be a very difficult experience for an athlete. As the tourna- ments are scheduled back to back, the travel is continuous, and requires athletes / teams staying away from home for long periods of time. The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event`s sched- ule requires teams starting to play mostly on Tuesday with the Qualification tournament until Sun- day, leaving a couple of days for the travel to the next tournament.
Sometimes pressure might arise, if a team is out already on Tuesday and the team has to wait until Sunday to continue travelling to the next tournament. This “layover” then requires finding practice courts, weightlifting rooms to keep fit and to keep up the training until the next tournament, when in the meantime the team witnesses the other fellow athletes/ teams play, win, make points and money.
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Before getting the status of a main draw team in very competitive events, athletes must learn to minimize the impact of lost matches and/or the negative consequences of being eliminated from an event. It is very important for such teams to identify the areas of improvements and train hard to be competitive. The capacity of a team to turn the frustration of a negative result into a positive energy may determine the difference between a winner and a loser pair.
DISSAPOINTMENT FRUSTRATION
15. PSYCHOLOGICAL SKILLS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL
To train the required psychological skills in Beach Volleyball, first you need to distinguish the three categories: Basic and Advanced skills, as well as Crisis intervention, which each have metal requirements to facilitate the three skills categories.
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16. AN EXAMPLE OF THE GERMAN VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION What the German Volleyball Federation tries to do is to define three levels of athletes per their age, where each age group benefits from an applied program.
The Three step program caters for the following age groups:
under 18/19 under 20/21 under 23 Within the program, the following people work with the players:
For the basic skills: a coach For the advanced skills: a mental coach
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C. PROGRAM FOR UNDER 18/19 As for the first step in athlete training for the age group under 18/19 the following skills are being trained:
BASIC SKILLS ADVANCED SKILLS Team building: rules Deal with pressure Learn to regulate the activation Learn to set goals (activation & basic relaxation)
D. PROGRAM FOR UNDER 20/21 Moving on to the next step for the age group of under 20/21, the following skills are being trained:
BASIC SKILLS ADVANCED SKILLS Rituals during a game Believe in abilities and your own skills Team building: communication Self-motivation Dealing with fear
E. THE FINAL STEP FOR THE AGE GROUP OF UNDER 23 Follows the basis covered in the first two steps and focuses on the following skills:
BASIC SKILLS ADVANCED SKILLS Mental recovery training Advanced relaxation (Progressive Mus- cle Relaxation (PMR) & anchoring) Mental coaching = self coaching Visualisation
83 CHAPTER 8
BASIC THEORY AND TRAINING
A. FUNDAMENTALS OF COACHING From the Athletics Omnibus of Richard Stander, South Africa Training programs are designed to improve performance by developing the appropriate energy sources, increasing muscular structures, and improving neuro-muscular skill patterns. Sports medicine professionals must be familiar with the basic principles and processes of training, so that they can evaluate training programs and determine their adequacy in maintaining an ath- lete’s health and preventing injury.
Training theory encompasses all aspects of fitness knowledge, including social, psycholog- ical, and scientific. The coach uses this information, along with knowledge about the athlete as an individual, to devise the most effective training program. The scope of training theory is illustrated in Figure-1.
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I. INTRODUCTION The physiological aspect of training is very important in coaching. However, physiological conditioning cannot be dealt with in isolation. Many factors will have a direct impact on the effectiveness of the physiological preparation of the athlete. The diagram shows proportional- ly the amount of time spent on physical training on an average day.
The diagram shows propor- tionally the amount of time spent on physical training per day. All athletes have only 24 hours available each day of which ± 13% are spend on physical training.
During the remaining “non athletics” part of the day, the athlete will sleep, go to school or work, study, travel, eat and taking care of personal hygiene. Each of the “non athlet- ics” activities will also require a certain amount of energy.
The coach should give guidance to the athlete on how to prioritize his or her athletics activ- ities and “non athletics” activities.
If the athlete’s “non athletics” activities are not prioritized, the physiological training of the athlete will be- come just another bur- den for the athlete to carry. The greatest single “non athletics” factor that will influence the athlete is the athlete’s per- sonal financial situation.
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The greatest single factor that will influence the athlete’s physiological and psychological growth is the athlete’s geographic location. If the athlete stays far away from the training venue, the club or the coach, the athlete may have to stand up very early in the morning and return very late at night.
Too little sleep will diminish the capacity of the athlete to develop both physiologi- cally as well as psychologically. The coach will have to assist the athlete in making alternative accommodation arrangements closer to the training venue, the club and coach.
II. CONDITIONING OF CHILDREN Coaches working with children must keep in mind that both the body and the mind of the child are not fully developed and are continuously changing.
Any form of physiological and psychological conditioning should be avoided during infancy, childhood and puberty phases. Physiological and psychological conditioning should at the earliest be introduced at the adolescence phase of growth development.
Puberty is regarded as the golden age of skill learning and mental capacity growth. During this period the child wants to learn skills and the word “why” will appear in almost every sentence. The child is now more capable of learning then any other development phase in the live of the child.
Because of the child in the puberty phase’s natural willingness to learn new skills, it is tempting to subject the child too physiological and psychological conditioning in preparation for highly competitive competitions.
Specialization, both physically and psychologically must be avoided during puberty to avoid the suppression of the development of basic athletics skills of a wide variety. There is suffi- cient scientific evidence that athletes specializing too young, are injury pruned and suffer regularly from staleness during the adolescence period.
Athletes that developed a wide variety of skills, and are allowed to play with little external physiological and psychological pressures during puberty have 500% better chance to achieve success in later developmental phases than athletes specializing during puberty.
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III. PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING The general reason why people train is to raise the level of fitness. The reasons for becoming fit may not include excellence objectives and will not require intensive training. It is there- fore important that the coach establish why the athlete wants to get fit because the answer will influence the way the athlete will approach any form of physical or psychological activi- ty. If the reason for training is excellence driven, the coach must establish if it is:
Intrinsic e.g. to master new skills, to compete and win, to make friends, to become fit, etc.
Extrinsic e.g. to win medals, trophies, money, etc.
If the novice athlete provides reasons of an extrinsic nature, the coach should encourage the athlete to become involved in athletics for intrinsic reasons first e.g. in the initial stages of training, the athlete should try to improve on his or her personal best performance, rather than try to win the gold medal at the IAAF World Championships or Olympic Games.
THE 7 SPECIFIC PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING For the athlete to excel in athletics with measurable and predictable results, it is important to subject the athlete to a systematic training process which will prepare the athlete for the chosen event in athletics.
The duration of systematic conditioning may take years and this must be pointed out to the athlete on a regular basis. The process of conditioning should consist of training program which specific objectives to achieve. A successful training program should be based on the following specific principals:
4.1 The principal of OVERLOAD To improve the fitness level of the athlete, the athlete will require a specialised train- ing intensity higher than the current fitness level of the athlete. The increased training loads will cause the body to fatigue to a level lower than the normal level of fitness. Due to the level of fatigue in the body, a period of sufficient rest must follow the spe- cialized training.
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During the rest period, the body will recover and the fitness level will rise higher than the original level, provided that the training load was neither too great nor too little. This bio- logical reaction of the body to training is called overcompensation. For an athlete to peak at the right time, the tendency of the body to overcompensate must be well planned.
If the training load is not intensive enough little overcompensation will take place. If the training load is too intensive, the body will recover to slow and will merely return to normal. This condition is called over training.
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3.1.1 What factors will influence the overload curve ? The more balanced the training program in the early part of development, the more effective the compensation curve will be when needed.
The athlete’s fitness level, e.g. training load capacity and rate of recovery will determine the performance level and duration of the peak.
The more advanced the skills, the better the performance will tend to be.
The athlete’s physical maturity, e.g. age, experience in the sport, capacity for effort and performance. A higher maturity level will lead to a more effective control of the per- formance.
The athlete’s Heath Status.
Personality type. A too high level of tension can reduce the effect of overcompensation.
Body build. Stronger muscles will cope better with the increased energy level.
Sexual differences, especially during puberty. Males and females react differently to training.
If the athlete do not clearly understand the goal and reason for each training session. The goal to achieve must be as vivid as possible. Use audio- visual aids, such as vid- eotapes of the athlete’s performances. The feedback is required in setting the goals.
3.2. THE PRINCIPLE OF REVERSIBILITY The training ratio (training with a higher load followed by a recovery phase) has a direct in- fluence on the increase or decrease of the performance level of the athlete.
As the level of training intensifies, the overcom- pensation of the body progressively increases and the fitness level will improve as demonstrat- ed in the diagram.
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Once the body has adapted to a particular training load, adaptation ceases. The level of loading can be increased by means of:
Number of repetitions
Faster repetitions
Heavier weights
Shorter recovery
If the rest periods are too long between repetitions, the athlete’s fitness level will increase very slowly or might even drop.
However if the training load is repeatedly too much or rest periods continuously to short, the ath- lete will not recover sufficiently to cope with the next training load, causing overtraining and a subsequent decrease in performance. When this happens, the training load must be reduced and an active rest phase is suggested.
3.3 THE PRINCIPLE OF SPECIFICITY The training loads must be specific to the event the athlete is preparing for, to ensure an increase in the performance level. The marathon athlete must do predominantly endurance training to in- crease the performance level, while the Shot Putter must do predominantly strength training to increase the performance level.
However, specific training will be of very little value, without a proper general training prepa- ration period. The greater the volume of general training, the greater the capacity of the athlete to cope with specific training will be and the risk of overtraining are significantly smaller.
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3.4 THE PRINCIPLE OF INDIVIDUALISM Each individual will respond differently to training. Factors that cause athletes to respond differ- ently to training are:
3.4.1 Gender
The gender of the athlete will determine the physiological and psychological capacity of the ath- lete.
Generally, men have a larger physiologi- cal capacity then women, and women have a larger psychological capacity the men.
3.4.2 Age
The chronological age of the athlete will determine the level of physiological and psychological development of the athlete.
The physiological and psychological capacity of the athlete will determine the level and inten- sity of the conditioning.
3.4.3 Developmental age All athletes do not develop according to their chronological age. Some athlete develop the physi- ologically and psychologically faster than other athletes. The physiological and psychological age differences can be as much as 4 years.
3.4.4 Training age The fitness level of athletes will vary according to the length of time that the athlete was training in the past. The number of years that an athlete has been training will determine the level of fit- ness.
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3.4.5 Heredity
Athletes inherit physical, mental and emotional characteristics from their par- ents.
The characteristics can be changed but with limited success.
The body will always have a tendency to favour the inherited physical, mental and emotional characteristics from their parents.
3.4. THE PRINCIPLE OF VARIETY
Due to the intensity of, and need to recover from training, variety must be build into the training program. The intensity of the training will cause mental rather than physical strain. A change of environment or an entirely different type of physical activity for a period of time might be needed for recovery.
Achieving success in athletics can be a long term process. For the athlete to remain interested, moti- vated, and to enjoy athletics, the coach must change the training environment regularly. This can be done by:
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Varying the training methods Change the surroundings · Change the training intensity Change the time of day Change the training group
3.6 THE PRINCIPLE OF ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT
For the relationship between the coach and the athlete to work, the re- lationship should be based on a com- bination between the athlete’s effort and coach’s skill. A skillful coach will convince the athlete to:
Remain active in the sport
· Willingly participate in the sport · Become educated in the sport
· Make the skills of the sport his or her own
· Take responsibility for his or her own actions
4.7 THE PRINCIPLE OF REST Athletes needs more rest than non-athletes. The body repairs its own tissues, but it requires it’s “off’ time every day. The average athlete requires 8 - 10 hours of sleep each day to recuperate sufficiently for the next training session.
Rest plays a very important role in the training program. For an athlete to improve on his previ- ous best performances, or to peak at the right time, the athlete will have to plan the rest periods constructively. The duration and frequency of rest periods will depend on how the principles of training were applied.
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The following 3 points should be considered when a rest period is planned:
To avoid serious injuries, moderation must always be kept in mind during training. The human body can take far more stress than it is generally given credit for.
However, it needs to adapt to heavier stresses gradually, by making use of sufficient rest periods.
Consistent training on a reasonable level should be done every day. If a few days of training are missed, the body loses its form.
A day or two of extra-hard training does not make up for the loss, and will lead to inju- ry and illness due to a lack of rest.
More training loads create extra physical stress, which calls for more recovery time. The body makes its adaptation to stress when the body is at rest, rather than during stress.
This is a part of the principle of overloading. Peak performance can only be achieved after a moderate, constant increase in training load, followed by sufficient rest.
VI. MOTOR ABILITIES A balanced training program of an athlete will consist of 5 types of exercises. Each of these exer- cises will develop specific biomotor abilities and which are called speed, endurance, strength, flexibility and co-ordination.
None of the 5 biomotor abilities can be developed in isolation. When one of the biomotor abilities is developed, the other biomotor abilities will also develop in pro- portion with the intensity and dura- tion of the exercise.
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When an athlete does training that require running at maximum speed regularly, the maximum speed of the athlete will increase. If the maximum speed exercises consist of several repetitions, speed endurance will also be developed. Because of the frequent accelerations required during the repetitions, elastic strength will also be developed.
If the athlete runs long distances frequently, the aerobic endurance of the athlete will in- crease. Because of the many times that the knees must be lifted during long distance run- ning, the athlete also develops strength endur- ance. Because long distance running requires maintaining speed over long distances, speed endurance will also develop.
If the athlete picks up weights at maximum ca- pacity regularly, the athlete’s maximum strength will increase. If the athlete picks up weight at maximum weight several times, strength endurance will develop. Because of the jerking actions required to do weight train- ing, elastic strength will also develop.
4.1 SPEED Speed in athletics means the rate of change of the athlete’s position. The capacity to move fast is not a natural motor ability and needs to be developed on a regular basis. The various athletics events require different types of speed.
There are generally 4 different types of speed that are used in the different events:
4.1.1 MAXIMUM SPEED For an athlete e.g. a sprinter, maximum speed refers to fastest time the body move from start to finish e.g. in the 100m.
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4.1.2 MAXIMUM CONTROLLABLE SPEED
For an athlete e.g. a jumper, it will mean the maximum speed during take-off with- out losing control of the limbs. For a thrower it will mean the speed of a limb dur- ing the delivery of an implement.
4.1.3 SPEED ENDURANCE
For the athlete e.g. the distance athlete, it will mean the longest period of time the athlete can maintain a specific speed during a race e.g. 1500m.
4.1.4 REACTION TIME
The reaction time in an event can be the deciding factor between winning and los- ing. The sprinter is very dependent on the reaction time between a stimulus and the first movement of the body e.g. the firing of the starter’s gun and the athlete’s movement out of the starting blocks.
The reaction time of the athlete when dipping over the finish line can also be the deciding factor between winning and losing. The timing of releasing the implement in the throws e.g. the javelin, will determine the delivery angle of the implement and the distance the implement will travel between delivery and landing.
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4.2 ENDURANCE Endurance, also referred to as stamina, is defined as the athlete’s ability to sustain a work tempo at a given intensity over a period of time.
Endurance forms the basis for the development of all motor abilities. Without endurance it will be difficult to do many repetitions of exercises required to master a specific motor ability, technique or skill.
There are 2 basic types of endurance:
4.2.1 AEROBIC ENDURANCE
Aerobic endurance is a muscular work tempo at a pace that requires predominant- ly oxygen as “fuel” for muscle contractions. This oxygen based “fuel” manufac- turing process is generally needed in slower muscle contractions over longer peri- ods such as the Marathon.
4.2.2 ANAEROBIC ENDURANCE
Anaerobic endurance is a muscular work tempo at a pace that requires “fuel” that is not oxygen based. Anaerobic endurance is an oxygen free “fuel’ manu- facturing process generally needed during quick, explosive contractions e.g. in sprints.
Anaerobic endurance allows the athlete to tolerate the lactic acid build up in the body during high intensity training such as weight lifting and sprints.
The main differences between aerobic and anaerobic endurance are:
Intensity 50%-75%
Duration
Distance 80m-400m
Repetitions 3-20
Recovery between reps 2-10 mins
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4.3 STRENGTH Muscular strength is defined as the ability of the body to exert force. All events in athletics rely on the muscular strength of the body. The body require muscular strength to execute the tech- nique of the event effectively and economically.
Muscular strength also enables the muscles to respond more effectively to impulses from the central nervous system.
There are generally 3 types of muscular strength training:
4.3.1 MAXIMUM STRENGTH
For an athlete e.g. the throwing events the development of the maxi- mum weight an athlete can lift is im- portant.
Maximum strength enables the athlete to exert enough force in a contracting muscle to throw heavy weights e.g. a 7.27km shot over large distances.
In the development of maximum strength the speed the weight is lifted and the time it takes to lift the weight is not as important as the weight lifted.
4.3.2 ELASTIC STRENGTH For the athlete e.g. the jumper the development of elastic strength is important. The development of elastic strength requires the muscle to operate quickly against heavy but not maximum force.
Elastic strength enables the athlete to execute explosive movements at critical phases of the movement e.g. the take-off in the jumps, the delivery in the throws, driving out of the start- ing blocks, etc.
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4.3.3 STRENGTH ENDURANCE Strength endurance is the combination of strength and the duration of the move- ment. For the endurance athlete e.g. the 5000m athlete, strength is required when the body is exhausted.
Due to the nature of distance races the muscle requires muscle strength that can re- main functional over long periods of time rather than executing large force.
4.4 FLEXIBILITY Flexibility is sometimes also called suppleness or mobility. The range of movement that a joint in the body can do is referred to as the flexibility, mobility or suppleness of the joint or limb. The greater the flexibility of the joint or limb, the more effective the muscles will be able to apply force on the joints and bones. Poor joint or limb flexibility are the most common cause of poor technique and performance.
Flexibility of the joins or the limbs will significantly reduce the injury risk during training or com- petition. Flexibility can be improved with regular flexibility exercises and can slow down the loss of flexibility as a result of aging.
There are 3 recommended ways to develop the flexibility of the joints:
4.4.1 ACTIVE FLEXIBILITY Active flexibility of the joints is done when the muscles are not assisted in any way. During active flexibility exercises the joint limb is stretched slowly until max- imum resistance is experienced in the joint muscles and ligaments.
Active flexibility ex- ercises are recom- mended during the beginning stages of a warm-up and stretch- ing session.
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4.4.2 KINETIC FLEXIBILITY Kinetic flexibility takes place during the fast movements of body limbs. The weight of the limb will apply the momentum of the limp under stress until maxi- mum resistance is experienced in the joint muscles and ligaments.
Active flexibility exercises are rec- ommended during the final stages of a warm-up and stretching ses- sion when the muscles are warm and the blood circulation in the body is faster.
4.4.3 PASSIVE FLEXIBILITY Passive flexibility exercises are applied with the assistance of external force. A partner, equipment, etc. are used as external force on the joints until maximum resistance is experienced in the joint muscles and ligaments.
Active flexibility exercises are recommended during the final stages of a warm- up and stretching session when the muscles are warm and the blood circulation in the body is faster.
Passive flexibility exercises are done after training sessions or after recovery of in- juries or long periods of inactivity. Passive flexibility exercises are applied in an attempt to regain the mobility of the joint, or to try and push the joint beyond its normal range of movement.
Passive flexibility exercises are never applied prior to competition. The muscle takes to long to recover from passive flexibility exercises and will not be fully re- covered by the time the competition starts.
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5. COORDINATION Coordination must not be confused with flexibility. Coordination can be defined as the capacity of an athlete to execute technically advanced movements fairly easily. Flexibility refers to the range of movement of the joint or limb.
Athletes with good coordination will master new skills much faster and with less time delay, less effort and lower injury risk.
The best time to develop coordination is during puberty (between the ages of 8 to 13). Puberty is regarded as the golden age of skill learning and the development of coordination. During this peri- od the child wants to learn skills. The child is now more capable of learning then any other time in the career of the athlete.
Specialization must be avoided during puberty to avoid the suppression of the development of coordination associated with basic athletics skills of a wide variety. There is sufficient scien- tific evidence that athletes specializing too young, are injury pruned during the adolescence period. Athletes that developed a wide variety of skills during puberty have 500% better chance to achieve success in later development phases than athletes specializing during puberty.
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V. PERIODIZATION
To ensure that the athlete is systematically prepared, it is important to periodize the condition- ing of the athlete. Periodization will help the athlete to:
Optimize the improvement of a performance
Utilize competitions in preparation for peak performance
Peak at the right time
Periodization may consist of various phases or cycles of training leading up to either one or two peaks in one calendar year.
Generally it is better to have only one peak per year. It is however from time to time necessary to peak twice in on season. The reason maybe because of the athlete is:
Returning from an injury and need to test if he is capable of optimal performance
If the technical soundness of the technique needs to be tested
Preparing for other competitions linked to event where peak performance is required, e.g. to qualify for the Olympic Games.
Double periodization is very taxiing on the resources of the body. The body will be subject- ed to high intensity training for a large part of one year which increase the injury risk and overuse symptoms.
Double peak should be used sparingly and should to be repeated for more than 2 years in a row.
The following athletes should not attempt double peaking:
The novice athlete
Athletes that is not well conditioned
Athletes that recently changed events
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5.1 THE PROCESS OF PERIODIZATION The process of periodization will go through the following phases of preparation: 5.1.1 OBJECTIVE An objective is a statement, in writing, with a firm date fixed to it, describing some change, gain or achieve- ment.
The athlete must discuss with the coach what he or she wants to achieve and when they would to achieve the objective.
With the help of the coach, the athlete’s objective must be formalized and writ- ten down. The coach must remind the athlete on a regular basis of the objective to be achieved.
5.1.2 PLANNING Nobody hands you excellence on a silver platter. You earn it through planning, preparation and persisting in the face of all obstacles. The most accurate way to predict when and how the objective must be met is to plan it.
Between the start of the first training session and date the objective is achieved, the coach and the athlete must plan together the conditioning of the athlete up to the point the objective is met.
The planning should specify the type of training, the intensity of the training, in- termediate objectives that lead up to the ultimate achievement, etc.
5.1.3 IMPLEMENT Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. It is important that the athlete execute training program with enthusiasm. The challenge however is not only to pursue excellence but to do so without de- stroying the rest of your life.
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5.1.4 EVALUATION The ingredients of success consist of a healthy balance between productivi- ty, good management and good leadership.
During the evaluation process the productivity of the athlete must be evaluated, e.g. where the set objectives met. Reasons must be identified why the objective were not met, e.g. where the volume of the repetitions or the intensity of training correct; was the training sessions regular, was the athlete injured, etc.
5.1.5 MODIFICATION It is only through making mistakes one can learn and grow. If objectives were not met, and there is a clear understanding why the objectives were not met, be pre- pared to change the objectives or the training program.
Good leadership on the part of the coach will guide the athlete in resetting ob- jectives if necessary.
5.2 THE CYCLES OF PERIODIZATION The training program of the athlete will be compiled in cycles of varying duration. The macro cycle will be the longest and the micro cycle the shortest. The cycles relate to each other like a gig-saw puzzle. They can be dealt with independently but will only form a complete picture once all cycles are completed.
5.2.1 THE MACRO CYCLE
The macro cycle will have objectives measured over one year, one Olympic Cycle (4 years), the adolescence phase 14 – 19 years, etc. A macro cycle will consist of a series of meso cycles.
5.2.2 THE MECO CYCLE (MESO CYCLE)
The meso cycles will be 4 – 6 weeks but can be as long as a few months depending on the length of the macro cycle. The msco cycles are identified as:
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5.2.2.1 A PREPARATION CYCLE
The preparation cycle consist of 2 sections:
A. GENERAL PREPARATION ALSO CALLED THE CONDITIONING PHASE
During the preparation cycle the conditioning of the athlete is gradually phased in. Initially, the training intensity will be low and will gradually be increased until the athlete is ready to cope with the high volume and intensity of the training in the Specific Preparation phase.
To avoid injury or overtraining, the intensity of training during the conditioning phase is very sel- dom higher than 80% of the maximum capacity of the athlete.
It is also during the conditioning phase while the training volume and intensity is low, that lots of time is spend on the development of motor abilities such as co-ordination and the technique of the event.
B. SPECIFIC PREPARATION
During the Specific preparation phase the focus of the training gradually changes from quantity to quality. The intensity of training during specific preparation will be more frequently more than 80% of the maximum capacity of the athlete.
The intensity of the training increases to prepare the athlete for high intensity training during the competition cycle.
5.2.2.2 A COMPETITION CYCLE During the competition cycle the intensity of the training will be significantly higher and more frequent. Due to the frequent high intensity training during the competition cycle, the rest phases will also be much more frequent to allow for recovery.
Because of the high intensity of the training during the competition cycle, it will be short- er than the preparation cycle.
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5.2.2.3 THE PEAK CYCLE
The intension of the peak cycle is to get the body to overcompensate to ensure peak per- formance during the targeted event e.g. the Olympic Games.
The peak cycle will consist of 3 main ingredients: Event specific training of high inten- sity, lots of rest at strategic times, and a well balanced diet.
The duration of the peak cycle will not be longer than 4 – 6 weeks to avoid injuries and overuse symptoms.
5.2.2.4 TRANSITION CYCLE
The transition cycle serves as a well deserved rest after an intensive competition season. The length of the transition cycle will depend on the length and intensity of the competi- tion season, but should not be shorter than 2 weeks but can be as long as 3 months.
During the transition cycle, the athlete should avoid any form of physiological and psy- chological activities that will challenge the biomotor skills of the athlete. The transition cycle is generally an active rest period where the athlete trains without testing his or her physical abilities.
In the beginning of the transition cycle the athlete are most likely to be emotionally unsta- ble as a result of the physiological and psychological strains of the competition season.
The coach and athlete should delay the planning of the new season towards the end of the transi- tion cycle when the athlete has sufficiently recovered and are more objective.
Each of the abovementioned meso cycles will have specific objectives to achieve as re- flected in the graph. How the body overcompensates as a result of the increase in the quality and the reduction of the quantity of the training is illustrated in the graph below:
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5.2.3 THE MICRO CYCLE The micro cycle will have objectives measured over one week and can be as short as one training session.
The training volume of each micro cycle on average must be more than the previ- ous micro cycle to ensure a continuous increase of the fitness level.
Of all the cycles, the micro cycles must be the most detailed and the most time should be spent in preparing it.
The motor abilities should be developed in accordance to the athlete’s individual talents.
Each event will have its own needs for en- durance, speed, strength, speed, co- ordination and flexibility.
The diagram demonstrates how the motor abilities for jumpers are developed.
It illustrates that all motor abilities are not all developed at the same time.
While the intensity and volume of endurance training is high, the intensity and vol- ume of speed training is low.
Likewise, the volume and intensity of elastic strength and bounding is low, the focus is on technique training.
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5.3 THE PLANNING OF EACH TRAINING SESSION IN A MICRO CYCLE The training session is the most basic form of conditioning in the training program. How many training sessions per week the athlete will do, will depend on the training age of the athlete.
The novice athlete will train only 3 - 4 days per week with one training session per day in the initial stages. The more advanced athlete may train 5 – 7 days per week with one training session per day.
The elite athlete may train up to 12 times per week, which means on some days 2 training ses- sions per day will be done.
Each training session, irrespective the volume or intensity will consist of a:
Warm up session
Stretching session
Skills session
Fitness session
Warm down session
The diagram shows the training program of a novice athlete in the preparation period. The line graph reflects a heavy training session on Monday, a light training session Tuesday, a medium training session on Wednesday and finally a light training session on Thursday.
Finally the graph reflects 3 days rest to allow for the novice athlete’s muscles to recover from muscle pains as a result of the training.
The diagram shows the training program of an advanced athlete in the preparation period.
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The line graph reflects a heavy training session on Monday, a light training session Tuesday, a high training session on Wednesday, a medium training session on Thursday, and a light training session on Friday. On Saturday, a medium training session will take place and the training week will be rounded of with a rest day.
The diagram shows the training program of a novice athlete in the competition period.
The line graph reflects a medium training session on Monday, a light training session Tuesday, a heavy training session on Wednesday and finally a light training session on Thursday. Friday the athlete will rest and on Saturday the athlete will compete. Finally, Sunday is a rest day to allow for recovery.
The diagram shows the training program of the advanced athlete in the competition period.
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The line graph reflects a high training session on Monday, a light training session Tuesday, a heavy training session on Wednesday, a light training session on Thursday. Friday the athlete will rest and on Saturday the athlete will compete. Finally, Sunday is a rest day to allow for recovery.
5.4 INFORMATION NEEDED FOR ACCURATE PERIODIZATION A record of previous performances
The training history (commitment) of the athlete
The biological age of the athlete
The training age of the athlete
Day to day record of athlete’s previous training
The competition program for the next year
Injury record
Illnesses record
Growth record
Weight record
Menstruation record
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5.4.1 RECORDING TRAINING An example of a training diary is shown below. The following information must be completed on a weekly basis:
Name and Surname of athlete
Name of the coach of the athlete
Name of the manager that take care of the athlete’s competitions
Macro cycle e.g. 2nd year
Meco cycle e.g. preparation
Micro cycle number e.g. week 3 of 6
Next objective e.g. 10.55 in 100m
Macro Cycle objective: 10.40 in 100m at National Championships
Comments – Warm up and Stretching e.g. hamstring is saw
Comments – Skill session e.g. 5 x 5m “wind sprints”
Comments – Fitness: 5 x 150m “hollow sprints” x 3 sets, rest 5 min between sets
Comments – Warm down: Nagging pain in ham spring
Comments – Health e.g. menstruation started today
Comments – Weather e.g. very hot
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B. TRAINING PROCEDURES
Systematic development of the individual components of sports training is a long-term dynamic process, which has a predetermined logical relation. The processes of learning and development components of sports training can be divided into three areas. Physical component is developed in the processes of morpho-functional adaptation. Technical component is learning the processes of motor learning and psychological component is shaped in the processes of psychosocial in- teraction. A special place is occupied by tactical component which interferes into processes of both motor learning and psycho-social interaction.
In very simplified form we can talk about the process of morpho-functional adaptation to in- creased physical activity (the creation of energy reserves and energy distribution, the activity of various organs, etc.). At the same time you need to learn many new moves, but their acquisition is necessary to rely on principles of motor learning. Psycho-social aspects of sports training interac- tion are determined by real relationships of the participants in training and competition depending on their individual psychic condition. Sports training as a part of morpho-functional adaptation.
1. Sports training as a process of motor learning To a significant extant, sports skills condition the level of the resulting sports performance. It is hard to imagine an athlete javelin thrower, who is perfectly prepared to force the site, but has not mastered the technique of the javelin. It can reach peak performance? The answer is simple: it can- not. The required quality of the javelin throw has not been acquired.
Skill is defined as learning acquired prerequisite for the implementation of a given motion task. Specific process in which there is a skills-acquisition process is called motor learning.
Theoretical background of motor learning is knowledge about nervous government and movement regulation which reflect mainly the activities of the organism. Nervous system receives processes and stores information from both outer and inner environment and based on this information it governs motor activity. This system includes the following parts: afferent (towards the center), central, efferent (away from the center) and feedback. In the central part, the supplied piece of in- formation is processed and a corresponding motor program for solving the task is created. Through motor system, the efferent part implements the selected solution program. Feedback part has checking and regulative function while controlling motor activities.
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The process of motor learning takes place in several stages: Phase 1: gross coordination Creating the initial ideas about the movement task, design flaws, the movement is very demanding on the mental and visual inspection, the result is generally imperfect movement with many errors. A high degree of mental and sight check. Phase 2: fine coordination The overall structure of motor skills gradually strengthens the proportion of conscious mental and visual inspection, the movement becomes more economical, temporal and dynamic parameters are stabilized, the individual begins to realize the movement as a whole. Phase 3: stabilization (automation) There is a stabilization of performance, the individual is able to perform movements without con- scious control sequence of the resulting acts of physical movement, coordination of movements is a high-level, temporal and dynamic parameters are aligned, the result of movement in terms of performance is high. Phase 4: variable creativity High-acquired skills to creatively apply even in complex changing conditions. Some literature re- fers to the degree of sports mastery. This phase is achieved after many years of systematic train- ing. In order to perform, Beach Volleyball has established a serial of training process, which will be developed as follow:
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1. Ball Handling Some principles to follow: Avoid static situations, To facilitating conditions, Promote volume. The players live balls in groups of 2 or 3, but they can also do it alone. Example : Classic, two face-to-face, sharing ball goes headline or attack / defense, By three in the process and using the same procedure as above follows The attack phase to the net, Etc ...
PERMITS Identify the technical element Assess the Player
Learning, Discovery
Read trajectories
2. Range (Variety) : - Work with or without ball
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3. Series: - Develop a technic (Skill) and stabilize it by a range of high repetition
4. Circuit Fitness development, Not time shares game, Working without the ball game, Search for continuity, Quitting a job to anticipate another action, Avoid stereotyping
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BASIC THEORY AND TRAINING 3. Sequence of Tasks :- Game Time Shares Search for continuity, Technical work related to the possibilities of the player, Search automation in compliance with the logic of the game. Example : Sequence Reception / Attack Sequence Defense / Attack Line, Sequence Block / Attaque / Support, Etc …
4. Game Training
5. Opposition
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The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its constitution of 1948 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity".
Fitness is the ability to meet the demands of a physical task. a. WHAT ARE THE 11 FITNESS COMPONENTS Tancred (1995) believes that: "One of the misconceptions in the sports world is that a sports per- son gets in shape by just playing or taking part in his/her chosen sport. If a stationary level of per- formance, consistent ability in executing a few limited skills is your goal, then engaging only in your sport will keep you there. However, if you want the utmost efficiency, consistent improvement, and balanced abilities sportsmen and women must participate in year round conditioning pro- grams. The bottom line in sports conditioning and fitness training is stress, not mental stress, but adaptive body stress. Sportsmen and women must put their bodies under a certain amount of stress (overload) to increase physical capabilities."
1. Agility – The ability to stop, start, and change directions quickly. Agility is a skill-related com- ponent of physical fitness. One’s agility can be increased by doing specific footwork drills on an agility ladder, staggered tire formation, or any other type of obstacle course that requires the indi- vidual to adjust body position, speed, and direction quickly. Pictured below is a good example of an agility sprint test. Agility can be tested by timing individuals running through a series of stag- gered cones or obstacles for a predetermined distance. Examples of agility: A football player cut- ting across the field, a gymnast doing a floor routine, a hockey player bringing the puck down the ice maneuvering around defenders, or a soccer player dribbling the ball around defend- ers.
2. Balance – Controlling body positions while standing still or moving. Balance is a skill-related component of physical fitness. Balance can be tested by standing on one leg with eyes closed for 30 seconds on each leg or by performing the Y-Balance Test. Balance can be improved by increasing one’s overall core strength. Specific training techniques using exercise equipment such as balance discs, Fit-Balls, BOSU, or standing on one leg while performing an exercise can help to improve one’s balance. Examples of balance: A gymnast jumping and landing on a bal- ance beam, a surfer on a surfboard riding a wave, a one leg deadlift pictured above, equestrian events, or simply jumping around on one foot.
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3. Body Composition – The ratio of muscle to fat in the body. Having a high percentage of body fat compared to lean muscle has shown to increase risk of heart disease, certain cancers, strokes, and diabetes. Doing daily cardiovascular exercise and strength training, along with a healthy diet, will help to reduce body fat and increase lean muscle mass. Body Composition can be measured by skinfold calipers, waist-to-hip ratios, circumference measurements, bioelectric impedance, and hy- drostatic weighing. Hydrostatic weighing is the best way to determine one’s body fat percentage, followed by skinfold calipers, and bioelectric impedance. Body composition is a health-related component of physical fitness. In addition to body composition, individuals should know their body mass index (BMI) as well.
4. Cardiovascular Endurance – Engaging in physical activity for long periods of time. Cardiovascular endurance can be measured indoors by performing a 3 minute step test or by stress tests on a treadmill or stationary bike. Cardiovascular endurance can also be measured by field tests such as Cooper’s 12-minute Run, the 1.5 Mile Run, the 600 Yard Walk/Run, or a Shuttle Run. However, some disadvantages to outdoor field tests include wind, humidity, and temperature. Cardiovascular endurance is a health-related component of physical fitness. In order to improve cardiovascular endurance, one must be consistent with dailyaerobic exercise while reaching appro- priate target heart rate zones. Examples of cardiovascular endurance: A cross-country running race, running a marathon, jumping rope, high-intensity circuit training, or manipulating your way through an obstacle course.
5. Coordination – Making movements work together smoothly. This usually consists of upper and lower body movements being performed at the same time. Coordination is a skill-related compo- nent of physical fitness. Coordination can be improved by performing exercises that require the individual to use upper body muscle groups and lower body muscle groups at the same time. Coor- dination can be tested with a variety of manual dexterity tests and hand/eye coordination tests. One example of such test is balancing on one leg and throwing a tennis ball against a wall and catching the returning ball in the opposite hand. Examples of coordination: Performing a squat on a BOSU while doing a shoulder press, a baseball pitcher throwing a pitch, a pole vaulter or a high hurdler in track and field, or jumping rope..
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6. Flexibility – Moving specific joints or a group of joints through a wide range of mo- tion (ROM). Flexibility is a health-related component of physical fitness that plays a very important role in the functioning of all individuals especially athletes. Examples of flexibility include: a gymnast doing a leg split, a hockey goalie reaching with arms and/ or legs to save a goal, someone doing yoga, or bending over to touch your toes. The most common tests for flexibility include the Sit-and-Reach Test and the Shoulder Joint Reach Flexibility Test. There are three techniques that can be used to increase one’s flexibility: ballistic stretching, static stretching, and proprioceptive neuromuscular fa- cilitation.
Ballistic stretching is a short-duration, high-force stretch that uses bouncing movements to stretch muscles. Ballistic stretching is a high-risk injury type of stretching and is not recommended to the general public. Bring It Home Per- sonal Training does not teach this stretching technique.
Static stretching is the most common type of stretching that uses slow and steady movements that takes a muscle to a point of slight tension and then force is slowly applied to produce a greater stretch.
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching is more ad- vanced and requires force applied against the stretching muscle while incorpo- rating an isometric contraction on either the muscle being stretched or its op- posite. This advanced type of stretching should be done with a professional fitness trainer or physical therapist.
7. Muscular Endurance – Using muscles repetitively without fatiguing for an extended period of time. Muscular Endurance can be measured by a 60 second push-up test or 60 second half sit-up or crunch test. Muscular endurance is a health-related component of physical fitness. Long-distance cycling, using a rowing machine or crewing, or doing push-ups until fatigue has been reached.
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8. Muscular Strength – Producing force using muscles. Muscular strength has also been defined as the maximum pull or push that can be exerted one time by a muscle group. Muscular Strength is a health-related component of physical fitness. Muscular Strength can be measured by performing a 1 repetition maximum (RM) test or a 10 RM test on a chest press in order to test upper body strength. Other ways of testing strength can be done by using a dynamometer, cable ensiometer, load cells or strain gauges, or various strength exercises, such as how many pull-ups, push-ups, or biceps curls an in- dividual can do. Examples of muscular strength exercises: Performing a bench press, squats, pull-ups, biceps curls, or lunge pictured below. Examples of muscular strength in sports: An NFL lineman blocking defenders from the quarterback, kicking a soccer ball as hard as possible, or in Track and Field the Shot-Put Event.
9. Power – The ability to use muscle strength quickly. Power is a skill-related compo- nent of physical fitness. How can power be improved or increased? Power can be in- creased by three general ways: increase the force-producing capabilities of muscles; de- crease the time it takes to move across a distance due to faster speed; and increase the distance a force acts on one’s body. Total body strength training, increased flexibility through stretching, sport specific training and improved technique, sharp mental focus, and increased reaction time are many ways to improve overall power. Power can be test- ed by performing a vertical jump test or standing long jump. Examples of pow- er: Plyometric training (such as jump squats or box jumps), jumping exercises, or in track and field- the running long jump or high jump.
10. Reaction Time – How quickly an individual responds to a stimulus. Reaction time is a skill-related component of physical fitness. Reaction time can be tested in a variety of ways. A simple test is a Reaction Time Ruler Test or a Reaction Time Tester found at TopEndSports.com . Examples of reaction time: playing tennis or table tennis, a base- ball player swinging at a pitch, sprinters starting a 100 meter sprint, or a soccer goalie saving a ball kicked at the goal.
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11. Speed – Performing a movement or covering a distance in a short period of time. Speed is a skill-related component of physical fitness. Speed can be measured by timing a 40-yard dash, 30 meter sprint, or the Illinois Agility Test. Individuals can increase speed by sprinting down hill or wearing a small parachute or weighted vest on your back while sprinting. Examples of speed: the Summer Olympics 100 meter sprint, swimming 50 meters as fast as possible, or speed skating.
The 5 components of physical fitness that are directly health-related and the 6 compo- nents of physical fitness that are skill-related (or sports-related) should be incorporated into your daily exercise routines. Combining all 11 components of fitness into your ex- ercise program will certainly make you stronger, faster, improve your balance and in- crease your flexibility. Improving upon all the components of physical fitness will help you to perform daily routine tasks without fatigue and exhaustion.
121 CHAPTER 10
PLANNING AND REVIEWING A TRAINING SESSION
A. INTRODUCTION Good training sessions don’t happen by chance. If you are to have a productive training session you have to ensure that you have everything you need for a training session (e.g. appropriate train- ing area/facilities, necessary equipment, enough helpers/ assistants, and players).
B. BENEFITS OF A WELL PLANNED TRAINING SESSION Each training session should be planned carefully so that all players are able to learn/acquire new skills and build confidence. This means being aware of individual differences among the players and appreciating that all people develop at different rates. The emphasis at training should be on improvement and enjoyment.
Planning each training session: - assures maximum use of the available time assures efficient/comprehensive coverage of all phases of the game leads to improved skill development maintains better player interest by ensuring there is a variety of drills and less time is wasted allows for evaluation at the end of a session and aids in planning for future sessions ensures that each session is progressive, safe and fun C. CONSIDERATIONS WHEN PLANNING A SESSION When planning a training session you need to consider the following: time available for training number of players and assistants available type and quantity of equipment required age and ability of the players physical condition of the players condition of the playing field/area D. DECIDING ON THE GOAL(S) FOR THE SESSION The first step in planning a training session is to decide on the goal or goals no more than two or three) for the session. What is it that you would like to achieve from the session? What should the players be able to do by the end of the session (or a series of sessions)?
Your goals should be SMART:
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ITEM EXPLANATION
Specific Clear not vague
Measurable Can be measured in terms of quantity and /or time
Achievable Challenging but achievable and . The 'A' in SMART can also stand for 'Agreed'. If the players agree it is a worthwhile goal, then they will work harder
Realistic Realistic in terms of time and resources available as well as the ability level and experience of the players. Time-bound Specify when the goal should be achieved by–e.g. the end of the session, by the end of the week or by the end of the program?
The goal or goals for the training session should take into account the players’
skill levels
their own motivations for being involved (is it to have fun, make new friends, learn new skills, something else?).
Some goals may be achievable in one session, others may need several sessions to realize.
Be flexible and be prepared to adjust the goals if they are too difficult or too easy for the players or if required equipment is not available or the environment presents a safety hazard (e.g. a slippery surface due to rain).
The primary goal of a training session will be to develop some aspect of fundamental beach volley- ball skills or team play but there are a number of secondary goals to be considered when planning a training session.
These may relate to some aspect of fitness, knowledge of the rules, working together as a team (team-work ), developing a positive self-image/ self belief /self confidence in the players or having fun/enjoyment.
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EXAMPLE OF NON EXAMPLE OF SMART GOALS SMART GOALS
To improve fundamental To put 10 over 12 serves in zone “x” by the end of the session skills To increase knowledge To explain the simultaneous contact in the block by the end of the of rules session
To improve fitness To incorporate conditioning activities within the skill activities dur- ing each training session
To make new friends To develop friendships with 3 children who have similar interests
E. ELEMENTS OF A TRAINING SESSION The traditional training session plan should be completed before the actual training session. A traditional training session plan has six elements. Some of these are necessary for every training session while others may be excluded according to the needs of the team based on :-
skill level of the players time/phase of playing season time and space available the facilities being used objectives of the session The elements of a traditional training session and the suggested duration of each element are: Warm-up (…min) Skill development (…min) Game application (…min) Conditioning/recreation (…min) Cool down (…min) Review and evaluation (…min)
The duration of each element is designed to provide sufficient time to achieve the objectives of the element. You should vary the duration according to the age, fitness level and ability of the players eg. shorter duration for younger children or players with low levels of fitness or ability.
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a. Warm-up The warm-up is a vital part of any training session or game. The warm-up serves two basic purposes: helps prevent injuries by raising the temperature of the muscles and increasing the blood flow around the joints prepares players mentally for the training session or game in order to improve overall effectiveness through concentration A proper warm-up includes: a general body aerobic component (eg., jogging) to increase body temperature through increasing blood circulation. A good indication of an adequate warm-up is light sweat flexibility i.e., stretching exercises to stretch major muscle groups and mobilise major joints (you might just use range of movement activities for very young players, rather than formal stretching.. simple beach volleyball (or other sports) activities “Using games as part of the warm-up will help make the sessions more fun and enjoyable for chil- dren. Select games that when played, will achieve the desired outcomes of the warm-up. Don't choose games that have stop-start activities or long periods of rest”.
Examples of suitable games that will develop agility, flexibility, speed and strength are: Fox and the Geese Divide the group (if you have a big one) into subgroups of four or five. One is the fox, the others are the geese. The geese must be linked by holding the waist of the person in front. The front goose tries to protect the others by blocking the path of the fox, who is attempting to tag the last goose. After a few minutes, rotate posi- tions so that there is a new fox.
Progressive Relay Form groups of four or five. The first member sprints to a marker and back to the team, collects the second player and, linking arms, they sprint to the marker and back. This continues until the last team member is collected.
Donkey All players jog inside an area, (e.g. a diamond) until the coach calls out a des- ignated target, e.g. 2nd Base. Players run and line up behind that target. The last three to arrive are each given a letter of a word. The object is not to be the player who gets all the letters (note: the coach can control this activity by calling out a target close to one of the slower players.)
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b. Skill Development This element has two components – revision/consolidation of previously acquired skills and/or strategies, and introduction of new skills and/or strategy.
Demonstrate the skill (break the skill down into parts, starting from the simple and gradually becoming more complex) and progress at the appropriate time
Ensure each child can see clearly and understand Group children according to ability level Organize to ensure realistic training i.e., a related training activity that has the new skill as its focal point. Each skill situation should be put into a miniature game as soon as possible so the players can see its relevance
Allow repetition (have sufficient equipment to form more groups with small numbers of players to reduce waiting time rather than a small number of large groups)
Observe Praise good technique Correct fundamental errors, concentrating on self-improvement Set tasks to boost confidence Make the activity more challenging
c. Game Application The goal of this element of the training session is to have the players perform the new skill(s) in game situations by setting up activities which simulate the part of the game to which the new skill is applicable .
Follow these basic steps: Identify the game situation (s) where you will apply the skills List the activities you will use and their progressions Increase the competitive aspect of the activity in gradual steps
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Players will play and react in a game situation directly relative to what they have been practicing and the more closely coaches simulate game conditions in their training sessions, the better the players' performance in the game will be.
As the level of arousal increases (competition stress) the more important the principle of specificity becomes. This is because, under stress, the response that has been trained (dominant response) will be even more likely to occur i.e., the player will revert to automatic reactions. Thus, be sure that the automatic reactions / reflexes that you instill in your players through training are the reactions that are required in the game situation
d. Conditioning / Recreation If conditioning is included, it should occur after skill training and there should be some progression from training session to training session. If recreation is the goal, use games or competitions to stimulate interest.
For younger children, the emphasis at training should be on learning the basic skills. Developing fitness through the enjoyment of learning skills will establish a platform on which more formal conditioning can take place in the future.
Conditioning can be developed by a vigorous, skill-oriented session that builds the fitness base of the player. Intensive skill training sessions will in themselves ensure that an adequate level of fit- ness is achieved without emphasizing any one physical element. As the player matures and pro- gresses, the coach can develop a conditioning program to match their capacity of performance. If speed training is included in a training session, this needs to be done immediately after the warm- up, before the players get tired.
e. Cool Down A proper cool down allows a player's body temperature and heart rate to decrease slowly and helps clear the lactic acid that is built up in muscles during vigorous activity.
Like the warm-up, the cool down should be fun but not too active – you need to select activities which will relax the group, not get them excited. Stretching, walking or gentle jogging are suitable activities.
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An effective cool down consists of a gradual reduction of activity levels for 5-10 minutes followed by a comprehensive stretching program (or 'disguised stretching' – range of movement activities – for young children).
f. Review and evaluation
After a training session you must review the activities and results with your players. This allows you to check/assess how well the objectives were achieved and to reinforce points or ask questions to ensure players understand what was covered. This should occur either during or immediately after the cool down. The information gained during this time contributes to the planning of future practice sessions.
F. TIME LINE OF A TRAINING SESSION a. Before the session Stimulate attention (placement relative to the group, the players). Focus attention on what is important. Check understanding/comprehension of instructions Stimulate engagement/interaction
b. During the session Briefly introduce the session, explain what is going to happen and establish a few basic rules.
Get things moving quickly. Spend the first few minutes on the warm-up — make sure this becomes a habit and is fun to complete.
Allow plenty of time for game play and select a range of games that will develop skills, using questions and challenges to assist the participants to learn.
Use skill demonstrations at key points to assist participants to understand techniques that may assist them to perform better.
Ensure that techniques are shown in the context of how they will be performed in com- petition and not in isolation.
Provide lots of opportunities to practice and learn to master a skill. Making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process.
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c. After the session Conclude the session properly. Include a slower game activity, or a slow walk if the ses- sion has been particularly strenuous.
Encourage stretching at the end of the session as it can be beneficial for developing flexibility, as well as reducing muscle soreness
Talk to the participants as they cool down and revise the key points of the session through questioning. Provide lots of praise. Feedback
Remind participants of the time and venue of the next practice session or competition.
Distribute any flyers, information or other items that you may have for them. d. Reflect and review Evaluate the session by asking yourself:
was it fun?
did the participants enjoy themselves?
what might be done to improve the session?
did everyone participate enough?
If you do not work on the player you animate but you
G. MANAGING THE EXERCISE To vary in Quality: Refine realization, to the sequence of actions harder or easier while keeping the same quality. Disrupt, asking one or two very specific among others who are less shares.
Increase the percentage of success, use of contracts : Exercise stops only if the contract is made (X successes regardless of the number of repetitions necessary), which should cause a major effort of the players on the mental (stress resistance, winning spirit in the face of difficulties,…
You can use three types of contracts: Technical contract where the emphasis is on the quality of the action. Contract where success is related to the outcome of the action Contract in the form of opposition, duel, where the objective is focused on the mental aspect.
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H. SUCCESS OF THE EXERCISE
Some Evaluation Marks
Less than five out of ten balls:- The task is too complex. We must simplify the situation
Five balls out of ten:- We must stabilize
Seven ball and more out of ten:- We must complicate the situation
The coach must identify the performance of the Exercise
A good session in my opinion, is a session that would go a basic exercise to move to a small group or duel game with a tactical plan
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Sample of Sessions’ SHEETS
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PLANNING AND REVIEWING A TRAINING SESSION
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PLANNING AND REVIEWING A TRAINING SESSION
135 CHAPTER 11
SAMPLE:- BUILDING A FITNESS PROGRAM FOR BEACH VOLLEBALL
With the beach volleyball season just getting underway, volleyball athletes are chomping at the bit to get on the sand. Whether it is your first beach season or your 15th, a workout program with the basic elements I’m about to outline will help you get into your best beach shape. In order to have that successful season we’re all working toward, maintaining excellent overall physical condition is crucial. By working out with on-the-court performance in mind, we are not only setting ourselves up for success, but preventing injury as well. It can be easy to neglect our bodies in the offseason, but trust me, the harder you work in the gym, the stronger and more explosive you’ll be when it’s time to shine.
When training for beach volleyball, you want to make sure that you are covering all the principles of exercise programming specific to the sport. There are four principles that are critical for volley- ball performance: power, strength, performance endurance, and muscle balance.
Beach volleyball players should perform power exercises rapidly in order to generate large amounts of force. This is important because we want to be explosive both horizontally and vertical- ly.
You should perform 3-4 sets of each power exercise, with 3-6 repetitions in each set. Examples of power exercises are plyometrics, Olympic lifts, and resisted movements such as box jumps, hang cleans, and push-ups.
The strength training part of your workout will consist of compound movements that stimulate large amounts of mass to move the resistance. It is important for us to strength train in order to hold our athletic positions for prolonged periods of time. Strength training helps us to be more efficient in digging, jumping, and hitting, but most importantly it gives us the ability to cover the court.
For strength training exercises, you should perform 3-5 sets of each exercise with 3-10 repetitions in each set. These exercises might include squats, leg curls/extensions, rows, bench presses, etc.
Performance endurance will improve as your strength and power improve. The point of these ex- ercises is to delay muscular fatigue for as long as possible, while the muscle is stressed for a pro- longed period of time. These exercises really pay off during rallies that seem like they are never going to end—and I don’t know about you, but I refuse to lose those rallies because my legs got tired!
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When targeting performance endurance, do power and strength training movements but perform only 2-4 sets of each exercise, with 12-25 reps in each set and only minimal rest between sets. Make sure, when doing these exercises, you work the same muscle group at least two times per week.
Muscle balance is arguably the most important component of your workout plan because by keep- ing our bodies in balance, we will not only make faster gains, we will also prevent injuries.
There are not really any specific exercises for muscle balance; rather you must recognize your are- as of weakness and use more resistance in these areas to correct the imbalance. Another way to in- corporate muscle balance into your workout routine is to superset exercises, i.e., perform one right after the other with no rest in between, alternating sets until all are complete. This works by engag- ing agonist vs. antagonist muscle groups. For example, doing a bicep curl with a tricep extension superset or a leg curl with a leg extension superset—engaging opposing muscle groups and keeping the back of your body just as strong as the front and vice versa.
As mentioned, beach volleyball is a very explosive sport, but it is also very technical and dynamic, and we need to be able to imitate those movements in the gym in order for muscle memory to oc- cur on the sand. For example, use resistance bands when performing sprints, practicing arm swings, or doing jump exercises. This places stress on the body’s ability to react during a specific move- ment, which enhances neural efficiency (our brain’s ability to manage specific forces while under stress). By doing these movements over and over, our bodies will learn to react with control during competition.
Take weighted lateral lunges as a prime example of how this phenomenon works; if you have strengthened those muscles in the gym, when you have to make a lateral move to get to a hard driven ball, your body is familiar with the movement and is able to perform it with control and not collapse.
There are many variables to consider when planning your workout routine, such as personal needs, area of weakness, position (blocker/defender), etc. But no matter what, the more often you can ap- ply stress to these areas, the faster you will see improvements. Also make sure you mix up your workouts. By keeping variability in your routine, you ensure that your body never hits a fixed state. If the body is continually trained with new perceived stresses, the physiological system will have to adjust and improvements will continue to happen.
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Sample Exercise Program
Note: The example workouts that follow will get you started with your beach volleyball training plan. This plan is very basic,
DAY 1 DAY 2 Warm-up Warm-up
Elliptical 3-5 minutes Jump rope 4 minutes
Dynamic stretches Dynamic stretches
Core and ab exercises Core and ab exercises Power Power
Hang cleans 3x6 Dumbbell thrusters 4x6
Box jumps 4x6 Bounders with resistance bands 4x5 each leg
Medicine ball slams 4x6 Kettlebell hip swings 3x6 Strength Strength
Back squat 3x8 Lunge to step-up 3x5 each leg —Superset: Swiss ball leg curls 3x10 —Superset: Calf raises 3x10
Bench press 3x8 Pull-ups 3x6 —Superset: Inverted row 3x6 —Superset: Lat pull-downs 3x10 Muscular Endurance Circuit Muscular Endurance Circuit
3x through with 30-60 seconds rest between 2x through with 30-60 seconds rest between each completed circuit each completed circuit
Resisted burpees x15 Dumbbell split jumps x15 each leg
Resisted step-ups x12 each leg Burpee to lateral step-up x12 each leg
Mountain climbers x50 Lateral cone hops x20(over and back Cardio is one rep) Cardio Treadmill sprints: 3 30-second sprints, 30- 45 seconds rest between Aerobic interval biking 6 minutes (sprint 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds)
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SAMPLE:- BUILDING A FITNESS PROGRAM FOR BEACH VOLLEBALL
Sample Exercise Program
Note: The example workouts that follow will get you started with your beach volleyball training plan. This plan is very basic,
DAY 3 Warm-up
Agility ladder (5 different patterns, 2x the length of the ladder for each)
Dynamic stretches
Core and ab exercises Power
Deadlifts 4x5
Approach jump to box 4x6
Full body press 3x6 Strength
Front squat 3x8 —Superset: Good mornings 3x10
Military press 3x10 —Superset: TricepS dips 3x10 Muscular Endurance Circuit
3x through with 30-60 seconds rest between each completed circuit
Bosu ball shuffles x15 (over and back is one rep)
Medicine ball side passes x15 each side
Push-up to renegade row x12 Cardio
(30 second rest interval between sets)
Resisted sprints 3x15
Resisted side shuffles 2x10 each side
Resisted pulling footwork 2x10 each way
139 CHAPTER 12 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES & DRILLS
A. STRETCHING
During a round of volleyball you perform various movements that put a considerable amount of strain on your joints. The repetition of movements such as spiking, squatting, lunging, and digging can be stressful on your ankles, fingers, back, and shoulders. The stress from the repet- itive motions not only increases your chances of injury, but can also easily aggravate an old injury. But by warming up and stretching properly, you can successfully prepare your body for some beach volleyball action.
Nobody likes to be injured, but you can decrease your chances of injury and improve your athletic performance at the same time by warming up and stretching before you play. This is essen- tial for every beach volleyball player, as having an effective stretching routine can help improve your performance, prevent injuries from occurring, and can also help minimize any muscle imbal- ances. The repetitive motions in volleyball often lead to muscle stiffness, as well as overuse inju- ries, but with proper stretching techniques, you can help counteract any flexibility problems you may receive from performing these repetitive tasks. If you are new to volleyball, or just in need of a refresher, check out our beach volleyball stretching guide to learn how to properly prepare your body.
Warm Up Before You Stretch Before you do any type of stretching you should first warm up your body. You can do this by warming up with at least five minutes of cardio. This can be done by pedaling on a stationary bike, going for a jog, doing jumping jacks, or even jumping rope. Remember, the best time to stretch is when your muscles are relaxed and warm!
The Differences in Stretching Since beach volleyball is a dynamic sport, you will need to do both dynamic and static stretches. Dynamic stretches are done as part of your pre-workout/pre- game warm up, while static stretches are generally done afterwards during cool down. Dynamic stretching is best for activating your muscles for game play, and will help prepare both you and your muscles for the action. While on the other hand, with static stretches you will hold the stretch in order to help increase the range of motion in your muscles.
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A. STRETCHING
Dynamic Stretches Since volleyball is a dynamic sport, you should use dynamic stretches before you play to help warm and wake up your muscles. Dynamic stretches simply means that you are moving with the stretch. This type of stretching is beneficial to volleyball players because it uses movement as the way to train and condition your muscles, and it combines both flexibility training with mobility since it moves your muscles through a familiar range of motion. A few examples of dynamic stretches include, shoulder rolls, hand-walks, walking forward/backwards lunges, bar ducks, as well as forward and side leg swings. This type of stretching can also be combined with light cardio. For example, during your warm up jog you can continuously swing your arms, or jog while per- forming butt kicks or high knees. The Rules:
Warm up with some light cardio FIRST, then stretch while your muscles are still warm. However, you can combine the two.
As you move through your range of movement, it is important to keep control of the movement of your muscles. Don’t ever allow momentum to take control by “throwing” or “flinging” the parts of your body around. Be in control and aware of how you are moving your muscles.
You should NEVER feel pain, only a light resistance in your muscles. Stop training and see your doctor if you experience pain while stretching.
Begin dynamic stretches by doing slow, low intensity movements. Only once you begin to warm up should you increase your speed. Start slow and gradually progress to full- speed movements.
Static Stretches This is the stretching you do after a game, practice, or workout. This is typically done dur- ing the cool-down phase to help improve your flexibility. At this point, your muscles are fully “warmed” up and are able to be stretched beyond their usual range of motion by using the reach- and-hold technique of stretching. This will also help improve the flexibility of your shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle joints. However, in order to avoid over-stretching and injuring the muscle, it is vi- tal that you avoid abrupt bouncing, as well as quick, repetitive movements.
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A. STRETCHING
The Rules:
Only do static stretches once your muscles are warmed up. This can be after a workout or practice, or even during resting periods.
Once again, you should never feel pain, only a slight resistance.
Slowly take your muscles to the end of their range and hold the stretch. Make sure while you are holding the stretch, you are not making any abrupt movements or bounc- ing.
You will want to hold each stretch for at least 20 seconds, and repeat each stretch 3-4 times.
A. INTRODUCTION
If you are a professional athlete, a pro in the making, a weekend athlete or someone who gets a sore back, neck and shoulders from your daily work – a few of the incredible benefits gained from stretching your entire body correctly on a daily basis are:
GOOD TO KNOW
Feel free to add different stretches BUT make sure that you follow the following principles.
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A. STRETCHING
The following are the stretching principals that have yet to fail us or the people we teach them to:
The descriptions are written as though you are stretching at the beach, on the sand, next to a Volleyball net and pole - thus the words 'sand' and 'pole' are being used.
Calf Stretch Interchange the word 'floor' for 'sand' and the word 'wall' for 'pole' when stretching
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A. STRETCHING
B. CALF
Push a small "hill/mound" of sand up against the pole – place your right heel at the bottom of the "hill" and your toes at the top of the "hill" / against the pole.
Keeping your right leg straight (don't bend your right knee) lean forward while bringing your right hip toward the pole. Then, slowly rotate your right foot side to side.
Make sure that you remember to:
Repeat for your left calf.
Foot Flexion and Shin Stretch
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A. STRETCHING C. FOOT FLEXION AND SHIN
Place your right foot about 2 cm - 6" away from the pole – (flat surface).
Bend your right knee into the pole and rest your knee against the pole while mak- ing sure that your right heel stays flat on the sand.
It usually takes a few times to find the correct distance between your end of your toes and the pole. Make sure that you keep your heel flat on the sand AND your toes are as far away from the pole as possible AND your knee is touching the pole.
Repeat for your left Shin and Foot Flexion.
Quadriceps Stretch – side view
D. QUADRICEPS
Stand with both feet together. Keep your left foot on the sand, and fold your right foot behind you, grab hold of the top of your right foot with your right hand and completely 'fold' back the lower half of your right leg behind the upper part of your right leg.
Do your best to balance only on your left foot without holding onto anything with your left hand – if you are unable to balance yourself, hold onto
145 CHAPTER 12 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES & DRILLS
A. STRETCHING
Stand up straight with your shoulders back - do not lean forward or sideways. Bring your knees together and lightly squeeze them together. Make sure that you remember to:
E. FULL BODY
Lie flat on your back with your legs flat on the sand. Point your toes away from your body. Lay both arms flat on the sand above your head, keep your hands open and close together.
Reach your hands as far as possible above your head, while also pointing your toes away from your body, as far as possible – (Pretend someone is pull- ing your feet and hands in opposite directions.)
F. HAMSTRING AND LOWER BACK
Lie on your back with your legs straight out and flat on the sand, put a strap, belt or towel around your right foot.
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A. STRETCHING
Then pull your right leg upwards toward your upper body as far as possible, make sure that both legs remain straight / your knees must not bend!
After holding the stretch for about 15 seconds:
Make sure that you remember to
G. BACK OF LEG
Kneel with both knees on the sand, "standing" as tall as possible
Keep your left knee on the sand and stretch your right leg straight out in front of you and put your right heel in the sand – keep your left leg in the shape of a 90 degree angle and your right leg straight.
Point the toes of your right foot forward. From your waist only, bring your right shoulder toward your right knee - KEEP YOUR RIGHT LEG STRAIGHT, DO NOT BEND YOUR RIGHT KNEE.
When you get your shoulder as close to your knee as possible, flex your foot / bring your toes back toward your knee and then flatten your foot out – keep flexing your foot back and forth while bringing your right shoulder closer to your right knee.
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A. STRETCHING
H. BACK OF LEG Kneel with both knees on the sand, "standing" as tall as possible
Keep your left knee on the sand and stretch your right leg straight out in front of you and put your right heel in the sand – keep your left leg in the shape of a 90 degree angle and your right leg straight.
Point the toes of your right foot forward. From your waist only, bring your right shoulder toward your right knee - KEEP YOUR RIGHT LEG STRAIGHT, DO NOT BEND YOUR RIGHT KNEE.
When you get your shoulder as close to your knee as possible, flex your foot / bring your toes back toward your knee and then flatten your foot out – keep flexing your foot back and forth while bringing your right shoulder closer to your right knee.
Make sure that you remember to:
I. HIP
Sit on the sand with your shoulders back, your hands on the sand – (shoulder width apart and slightly behind your hips), with your knees bent and feet flat on the sand. Push up off the sand so that your arms / hands are supporting your body and your butt is not touching the sand. Place the outside of your right foot / ankle on your left thigh right 'above' the left knee (where you would place your foot if you were 'crossing your legs' when sitting in a chair). The only parts of your body that will be touching the sand will be your 2 hands and your left foot. While pushing forward with your right knee (attempting to 'flatten out' your right leg) bring your butt closer to your left calf and slightly sway your hips from side to side.
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A. STRETCHING J. GROIN AND SHOULDER
Kneeling on both knees, keep your feet touching each other and spread your knees as far apart as possible – (you will be in a 'frog' position)
Sit back onto your heels – keep 'pushing' your knees further apart through out the stretch. Bend from the waist only (try to keep your butt as close as possible to your heels throughout the entire stretch)
Place your left elbow in front of your left knee as far as possible and lay your left forearm on the sand straight out in front of your left knee (in a straight line forward off of your left knee).
Reach your right hand out and place it on the sand as far out as possible in front of your left hand – (your left knee, left forearm and right hand will all be in a straight line forward and your right elbow will not be touching the sand).
GROIN & SHOULDER STRETCH
Remember to keep your butt as close as possible to your heels, now rotate your shoulders so that most of your right arm touches the sand and your right shoulder is as close as possible to the sand and flatten out your entire back and shoulders.
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A. STRETCHING
Then rotate your shoulders the opposite way so your right shoulder is as high as possible off the sand and the only part of your right arm that is touching the sand is your right hand. Switch arm and hand position so your right elbow and forearm are straight forward in front of your right knee and your left hand is in front of your right hand.
SHOULDER & BACK STRETCH K. SHOULDER AND UPPER BACK
Stand about 1-2 feet away from the side of the pole. Raise your right arm up to the level of your right shoulder. Bend your arm at the elbow, (raise only your forearm/hand so it is pointing straight up). Place your right elbow, forearm and hand on the pole and step forward so that you square up your hips to the pole while keeping your elbow, forearm and hand on the pole. Repeat for you left shoulder.
SHOULDER & BACK STRETCH #2
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A. STRETCHING L. SHOULDER AND UPPER BACK - #2 Stand about 2 feet in front of the pole – place both hands on the pole as high as you can reach. Lean forward / push your hips in toward the pole, while keeping your shoulders back. While keeping your neck and head vertical – slowly push your neck and head toward your left and right shoulders.
O. KEY POINTS There are many other stretches that can be done, feel free to add them to the stretches demonstrated - BUT make sure that you carefully follow the following principles:
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B. WARM UP
The function of the warm up is to prepare the body for high-level performance, reduce the chance of injury and also to allow the athletes to get a feel for the current conditions. The warm up does not necessarily need to be Beach Volleyball related. Sometimes a random fun but safe movement activity is a great way to start a training session. Activities with a ball will be better however as they allow the participant to get a feel for the current wind conditions. Most importantly – get moving – have fun! Beginners Improving beginning athletes’ ability to maintain a rally and enjoy the game will be largely related to the athletes (young or old) ability to move through the sand and correctly anticipate where the ball will need to be played considering the wind conditions. Obviously teaching them the basic skills of the serve, pass, set, and spike is important but this should not be at the detriment of the athletes learning about general game concepts and how the environment affects the ball. With this in mind, drills or games where the ball is tossed and caught or passed over certain distances / heights are great for developing body awareness in the sand and will enable the development of the skill of anticipating ball movement in the wind. The feedback from a bad throw or pass to a partner is not as clear and fast as the feedback that you receive from not being able to catch your own pass, so invent some fun ball related challenges that provide the ath- lete instant feedback on their success. Games using a larger and lighter ball which exaggerates the effects of the wind may help to promote quicker learning and are a fun way for very young athletes to be introduced to the game. The more opportunities beginning athletes get to become students of the environment the better. Remember: One training in the wind is worth three in the calm! Intermediate Assuming that intermediate athletes have the basic skills of the game and have developed an ability to ad- just to the wind, warm-ups could move towards focusing on the development of specific skills. Advanced Preventing Injury is important at all levels of the game but perhaps it takes on even more significance at the professional level where staying healthy is vital to the livelihood of the athlete. Some aspect of the warm up should be dedicated to paying special attention to those areas of the body that are tight and have a potential to flare up.
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B. WARM UP INTRODUCTION
The key to warm-ups is to warm-up the specific skills that are performed in a game.
This means being mentally and physically disciplined in all your thoughts and actions during the warm-up time.
Absolutely focus only on the exact techniques that make up each skill.
Ricardo (BRA) makes and explosive move to get to the ball Make sure that what you are warming-up are not bad habits, bad habits will cost you points during the game.
Being able to make explosive, balanced, start-stop movements in the sand is the foundation of beach volleyball. Because of this, warming-up foot movement in the sand before each game is critical.
This means that when you are warming-up passing, setting, digging, and your arm swing - EVERY TIME you are about to contact the ball – (even if the ball is coming directly to you and you think you don't have to move) you will ALWAYS move your feet.
DO NOT warm-up being flat footed, with your weight on your heels and waiting for the ball to come to you
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B. WARM UP A. UNDERHAND PASSING DO NOT stand in one spot and pass the ball back and forth to your partner because that that just doesn't happen in a game Warm up underhand passing of a free ball by always moving your feet, getting them balanced and in perfect position with your knees bent, arms flat and straight out in front of you. Then as you contact the ball – stand up and shift your balance forward up onto your toes and to- ward the exact direction you want the ball to go in, without swinging your arms. B. OVERHEAD PASSING Another skill that needs to be warmed-up is overhead passing. There are two main overhead pass- ing techniques.
Two handed overhead passing/digging is when the ball is contacted slightly above and in-front of the forehead, with the outside edge of both hands and little fingers.
One handed over head passing where you reach as high as possible above your head with one hand and lightly push or poke up at the ball with the area between your 2nd and 3rd knuckles on the index, middle and ring fingers. This technique is also called the "pokie".
C. DEFENSIVE BODY POSITION
Every time your partner is about to make contact with the ball, get into this position →
DO NOT be flat footed, standing upright and waiting for the ball to come to you
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B. WARM UP D. UNDERHAND AND OVERHAND DIGGING Warm-up digging the ball with your hands together/arms flat when the ball is approximately at waist level or below. Also, warm-up digging the ball with your hands open when the ball is moving fast and at chest level or above. Because the ball rarely comes exactly to you in a game situation, make sure to warm-up moving move from side to side, forwards and backwards to dig the ball. GOOD TO KNOW The skills and techniques that you don't warm-up effectively before a game will generally cost you a few points or more during the game
E. ARM SWING Once again, make sure that you are practicing what you want to do in a game, not a mistake or a bad habit. When warming-up the arm swing while standing on the sand and hitting the ball to your partner - it is not necessary to warm-up swinging your hitting arm downwards after you make contact with the ball above your head Focus on performing the entire discipline of attacking the ball above your head EVERY time you are about contact the ball with an open hand.
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B. WARM UP
Reaching high above the head, eyes on the ball and up on your toes when warming-up the arm-swing with your partner
GOOD TO KNOW In-spite of the emotions that are commonly elevated before a game, be mentally and physically dis- ciplined so you can precisely perform each technique that is being warmed–up
Warm-up both a fast and powerful spike arm swing but also warm-up the shot arm swing, because you will need to use both in a game. Seeing and feeling your whole hand make contact with the ball is a key part of warming-up the arm swing. Warming-up the shot arm swing can actually be more difficult than warming-up the spike arm swing. The shot arm swing takes as much or more body control than the spike arm swing – warm-up both! Make sure that you see and feel your entire open hand make contact with the ball high above your head; and DO NOT swing your arm downwards or look at your target – know the target location in your mind and focus on the ball. F. PEPPER' DRILL Combine all the passing, digging and arm swing skills together into a drill called pepper. Be mentally and physically disciplined so you can perform every technique of each of the skills correctly rather than just "going through the motions".
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B. WARM UP
EVERY time your partner is about to swing at the ball, get into this position – hands up above your waist, shoulder width apart, - knees bent,- shoulders back and behind your knees,- feet bal- anced and weight up on the balls of you feet - DO NOT be flat footed, standing upright and waiting for the ball to come to you.
G. SETTING THE BALL
Warm-up setting the ball from all the common area's that a pass or dig may go to – DO NOT just stand by the net and warm-up only one set from one location.
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B. WARM UP
Warm-up setting from off the net Have one partner toss the ball to different areas of the court so that the setter has to move to get behind the ball, face the exact target location and set the ball. By doing this you will become accustomed to the weather condi- tions – do not wait until after the game has started to adapt to the weather conditions.
GOOD TO KNOW DO NOT warm-up spiking the ball straight down / inside the 10m line – these types of spikes al-
most always get blocked if you are competing against quality opponents
H. THE APPROACH AND ATTACK OF THE BALL Remember that the attack starts with the approach – warm-up a disciplined, explosive and balanced
approach. WARM UP WARM
Attack arm swing warm-up Warm-up line shots and cut shots, not just hard spikes.
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B. WARM UP
Understand and adjust your serving techniques to how the ball moves in the current weather conditions.
When warming-up serve receive passing, do the same as you did when serving the ball.
Warm-up serve receive passing from both sides of the net and from both sides of the court (but mostly from the side of the court you play).
Go through all the mental and physical serve receive techniques before and throughout each warm-up serve receive – intently focus on performing the skill of serve receive passing correctly.
Understand and adjust your serve receive passing techniques to how the ball moves in the current weather condi- tions.
I. KEY POINTS
WARM UP WARM
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C. SERVING
The serve is the only time when you have complete control over the point due to the fact that the ball begins in your hand. Teams that put strong serving pressure on their opponents generate more scoring opportunities than teams with easy serves and as a result have more success.for this reason considerable time should be spent developing the serve. Make sure you get practice serving in different wind conditions and when the wind is blowing in different directions across the court. Beginner For beginners an important concept to reinforce is the act of transferring weight from the back foot to the front foot. Initially to encourage this you can get a server to lift up their front foot prior to serving to ensure that all their weight is on the back foot. Reinforcing the correct motor pattern regularly by completing a significant number of serves. Just be aware that repeated serving with poor technique can exac- erbate a rotator cuff injury caused by a weak or imbalanced shoulder. Intermediate Because the game does not consist of repeated serves (unless you get on a sizable roll) practicing small numbers of serves regularly will be more beneficial and more ‘game like’. Try to break up serves with a run to the net to block or a defensive play of an attack before returning to the baseline to serve again. At this level you may want to discuss the idea of strategic serves and work on spe- cific serves that in particular wind conditions will be most effective. Using the wind becomes an important factor in creating opportunities to win points off serve. Advanced At the advanced level serving is all about creating opportunities to score. Because the receiving team has the first attack and a statistically higher chance of putting the ball down onto the sand, winning points off the serve is extremely valuable. Aces are nice but even the best servers only average about 1 per game. Serving strategy and ‘creating opportunities’ often revolves around creating a less than perfect pass and set, or influencing the likelihood of the opposition playing a particular shot. For example, if you serve deep are they more likely to hit or shoot? ... What about if you serve short? …
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C. SERVING
INTRODUCTION Serving starts the Play. Serving is a very unique skill in Beach Volleyball because:
no one else contacts the ball before the server
the server doesn’t have to rely on anyone else
the server has full control of the ball before they contact it.
The quality of the serve is a major factor in whether or not your team has a realistic chance of earning the point for each play.
The location of the serve is far more important than the speed of the serve.
Consistent serving takes focused attention on the exact thoughts and movements needed to perform the skill of serving. The goal of the serve is to create a poor serve receive pass, which then most likely will create a difficult ball to set and attack.
A major part of creating a poor serve receive pass is to force the passer to move at minimum of 1 large step to get to the ball.
GOOD TO KNOW
The location of the serve is far more important than the speed of the serve
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C. SERVING
A. WHERE TO SERVE THE BALL 1. TARGET AREAS The target areas for where to serve the ball are: Less than 60 cm / 2’ from the side lines Less than 60 cm / 2’ from the end line Within 2 m / 6.5’ of the net Within a 1 m / 3’ wide area down the center of the court between the net to the back line. A slower moving serve that is not traveling in a straight line and makes the serve receiver move at least 1 large step IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO PASS than a fast moving serve that is travel- ing in a straight line directly at the serve receiver.
GOOD TO KNOW
Serves that cross the net less than 30 cm / 12” above the net are generally the most effective.
2. TYPES OF SERVES: There are the following types of serves: 1. Spike Serve or Jump Serve 2. Standing Float
3. Jump Float 4. Underhand – (rarely used in competition) 5. Sky-ball – underhand – (rarely used in competition)
GOOD TO KNOW
Serving the ball out wide or long is not desired but far better than serving the ball into the net.
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3. WHERE TO SERVE THE BALL FROM The server can stand anywhere along the back line. The best position to start the serve along the back line are at either of the 2 corners or directly in the middle – the wind direction and personal preferences dictate where to start your serve.
GOOD TO KNOW
Use the direction the wind is blowing as a key strategy for how and where to serve the ball.
4. HOW TO SERVE THE BALL
GOOD TO KNOW
The ball needs to be contacted within 5 seconds of the whistle sounding
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5. HOW TO FLOAT SERVE
STEP 1: Start with one foot forward, one foot back, your front foot will be about 15 cm / 6” behind the end line – if you are right handed, start with your left foot forward; if left -handed, start with your right foot forward. STEP 2: Put the ball in the palm of your non-hitting hand, outstretched in front of you at shoulder height.
Andrea Gonzalo (SPN) focuses on the ball before a float serve
If you are right handed, your hitting hand is even with and slightly above your right ear, your right elbow is at shoulder height – if left-handed, visa versa.
STEP 3: Toss the ball up without any spin, approximately 60 cm / 24” straight up or in a slight arc toward yourself – do not toss the ball up too high, out in front of you, or put unnecessary spin on it.
Practicing the toss without attacking the ball is very important – this allows you to develop a consistent motion and rhythm in contacting the ball.
STEP 4: Step forward with your back foot as you are making contact with the ball – by doing this you will use your entire body to direct the ball rather than just your arm and hand.
Using your entire body in a controlled manner throughout the serving motion allows you to con- sistently control the direction of the ball – there is no consistency to the direction the ball travels if only the arm is used during the serving motion.
STEP 5: Contact the ball at approximately the same level as the top of your head, with the palm of your open hand/ fingers spread apart – do not turn or snap your wrist over. Make sure the palm of your hand moves in and remains in the exact direction of your target location.
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C. SERVING
6. HOW TO JUMP FLOAT SERVE
STEP 1: Start about 1 m / 3’ behind the end line, one foot in front of the other. STEP 2: With 2 hands on the ball, toss the ball up without any spin, approximately 1 m / 39” high but slightly in front of you. STEP 3: When your back foot lands on the sand as you are stepping forward to make contact with the ball, lightly jump forward. Contact the ball at either the same level as the top of your head or slightly above your head with the palm of your open hand/ fingers spread apart – do not turn or snap your wrist over. Make sure the palm of your hand moves in and remains in the exact direction of your target location.
Linyin Xu (CHN) Spike serves
The best float serves have little to no spin on them as they travel through the air – they can move up and down and from side to side making them very difficult to get into position to pass – attempting to pass a good float serve is similar to attempting to catch a feather blowing in the wind.
7. HOW TO SPIKE SERVE
The Spike serve involves a much higher toss than the float serve – the toss is approximately 2 to 3 m / 6.5 – 10’ above your head and at least 2 m / 6.5’ in front of you. The toss can be made with ei- ther hand or with both hands – it all depends on your preferences. The ball spins when being tossed for a spike serve. Practicing the toss without attacking the ball is very important – this allows you to develop a con- sistent approach and rhythm in contacting the ball. The approach for a spike serve is very much like the 2 step approach when attacking the ball when you are being set by your partner.
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C. SERVING
Please Note: The 2 major differences between the spike serve approach and the attack ap- proach are: The depth of your crouch when you land on both feet during the spike serve approach - you don’t have time to get into as deep of a crouch as you do when being set - so modify the depth of the crouch. The direction of the jump: Jump FORWARD when attacking the ball during a spike serve and land inside the court rather than jumping almost straight up when attacking a set ball. STEP 1: Keep your eyes on the ball throughout the entire motion, see your hand make contact with the ball; STEP 2: Drive up with both arms when jumping, STEP 3: Reach above your head with both hands while twisting your shoulders, STEP 4: Keep the elbow of your hitting arm above the level of your ear. STEP 5: Contact the ball as high above your head as possible, STEP 6: Snap your wrist as you are making contact with the ball in the direction you want the serve to go in.
Do not touch or go under the back line before you make contact with the ball – after you make contact with the ball it is not a foul to step on the line. It is not a foul to land inside the court after making contact with the ball or to make contact with the ball inside the court if your feet are not touching the sand inside the court.
8. SERVE ROUTINE Create a specific routine to follow every time you serve, just as a golfer does before hit- ting the ball or a basketball player does before attempting a free throw.
No matter what just happened or what the circumstances are - Calm your mind and calm down. Let go of ALL the emotions and thoughts from the previous play.
Focus on the next play.
Decide on the defensive strategy and blocking instructions – understand your responsi- bilities.
Pick the exact location where you want the serve to go / where you want to make the other team move to attempt to pass your serve.
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C. SERVING
After the whistle blows go into your serving motion and focus only on the ball – see your hand make contact with the ball. If you are the server and blocker - after contacting the ball – sprint to the net so you are balanced and at the net before the other teams setter makes contact with the ball. If you are the server and back-court defender - after contacting the ball – get balanced and into your initial defensive location before the other teams setter makes contact with the ball.
GOOD TO KNOW 1. There is only one attempt allowed to serve – you cannot catch the toss. 2. Your foot cannot touch or go under the back line before contacting the ball.
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D. SETTING
On the beach we do not need to be deceptive. If you pass the ball – you get to spike (unless of course your partner decides to attack on 2 but that is the topic of another discussion) therefore a great set is one that your partner is comfortable hitting. If the set has a predictable and consistent trajectory with a simi- lar height /arc it will be easier to hit. One obligation of the setter on the beach is to also help out his/her partner on the attack by calling the area of the court that is open. It is very important that as you approach the ball you take into account the direction the ball is likely to move in the wind and the same after it leaves your hands. The more time you spend training in the wind the faster you will develop this skill. A low body po- sition during setting is beneficial on the beach for the same reason as described for the pass in that a lower body position allows you more room for last second adjustments. Rotation on a ball set by the hands is legal indoors but beach volleyball players often bump set because the rules regarding rotation on the ball are sig- nificantly stricter on the sand. Deciding when to bump set and when to handset is a learned skill but generally you will see more bump setting as the wind gets stronger. If bump setting in the wind you may want to add a little spin to the ball as a ball that has spin on it will generally travel in a more predictable manner and be easier to hit. Where and how the ball is set is determined by the attacker’s personal preference and the oppo- nents’ defense. Things to keep in mind are that right handed athletes will hit better when a set is delivered to the right side of their bodies and left handed athletes when the ball is set to their left. How close you set to the net will depend on the defense. If the opponents are not blocking or are incapable of penetrating on a block, you should take full advantage of this and set the ball close to the net. If on the other hand the blocker jumps high and penetrates well then it is better to set the ball slightly away from the net.
A. Beginner Moving the feet to face the target is the most important concept to get through to beginners on the sand. Make them aware of the wind – if you ask them to throw a ball into a hoop from half court where will they face? ... Most will face directly at the hoop as that will give them the most accuracy. Translate this un- derstanding to setting. Setting up and down – discuss why a set that goes up and down is so much easier to hit than one that goes across.
B. Intermediate Once an athlete has grasped the basics of bump or hand setting the next step is to challenge the ath- letes by putting them in positions where they need to work harder to get in position to set the ball. In windy conditions training athletes to learn to put a little spin on the bump set will give them another asset to draw upon on windy days.
C. Advanced Often off a tough jump serve the ball will come off the passers arms with a lot of spin. An advanced skill is being able to set these spinning balls with the hands. Training athletes to set a spinning ball will be beneficial when they come up against the best topspin jump servers.
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D. SETTING
A. INTRODUCTION Setting is equally as important as the pass and the attack. A great set can enhance a good pass or make up for a poor pass and, a bad set will almost always result in your team loosing the point.
Setting, like serve receive passing, is all about body control – setting takes as much or even more physical effort and mental energy than passing does.
Court position, foot position, body balance, body control and a disciplined mind is the foundation of consistent setting – just like all the other skills in beach volleyball.
B. TYPES OF SETTING There are 2 primary ways of setting: Hand (or overhand) setting, and Bump (or underhand) setting There are specific rules that are strictly enforced that apply to hand setting which make the perception of the hand set to be superior to the bump set – this is merely a perception, not a fact - when either the hand or the bump set are performed correctly, both are equally effective and efficient.
C. WHERE TO SET FROM The target for the player passing the ball IS NOT their partner (who is the setter for that specific play) – the target is 1 to 2 m away from where the passer wants to attack the ball from. Therefore the setter should in no way expect the ball to be passed to them. The initial goal of the setter is to do everything possible to get their body into the best possible position to set the ball to where their partner can best attack it – no matter where the pass goes.
If the pass is on target, the setter must keep the rhythm of the play moving forward by giving their partner a well placed set to attack.
If the pass is not on target, the setter should in no way - give up on the play but must do everything possible to make the play better by setting the ball toward the best possible location for their part- ner to attack it from.
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D. SETTING
D. COMMUNICATION
GOOD TO KNOW The set can enhance, fix, or destroy the rhythm of the play.
Communication before the ball is passed during the serve is crucial to the skill of setting. The instant you or your partner calls “Mine” or “Yours” as the ball is in the air, the passer and the setter for that part of the play are clearly established.
As soon as the setter for the play is established, the setter needs to start to get into position so they can make the play better with their set. Unless both players communicate clearly and simply before and during the serve receive there is no chance of consistently executing well placed sets.
E. SETTING APPROACH Your first physical movement when setting is to get your feet and body moving in the direction to where you expect the pass to go to. No matter if it is a serve receive pass, a free ball pass or a dig of a hard driven spike or shot, the expectation of your team is that: the ball should be moving towards the net; up in the air, usually at least 1 m / 3’ higher than the net; on the side of the court of the player who is passing or digging the ball. This means that your first step should be made with the foot that is furthest away from your part- ner, across your body and toward the side of the court your partner is on. you then open up your body to your partner so you are between them and the net / your body will be facing the sideline rather than the net.
DO NOT:
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D. SETTING
Stand up before you move - (stay low all the way to the ball)
Wait to see where the pass is going to go before you move - (move as soon as you know who is passing).
Step straight forward – (step across your body and forward toward your partners side)
Pay close attention to the direction of your first step when setting – it makes a huge difference in whether or not you can consistently get into the best possible position to set the ball.
F. BODY POSITION The next part of setting is to get directly under the ball before you make contact with the ball and then use your entire body to set the ball to your target rather than just your arms.
The ball will move in the direction that your body and balance is moving in, not the direction of your arms and hands..
You need to be balanced, with your knees bent, with your weight on the balls of your feet, not your heels, with your shoulders back and over your hips rather than leaning forward with your shoulders over your knees and facing the exact location you want to set.
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D. SETTING
Because setting is done with your entire body and not just your arms, your body needs to slightly or sometimes forcefully move toward the exact direction that you want to set the ball to.
When setting with your hands you must have your hips and shoulders directly facing the location you want the set to go before you make contact with the ball – if they are not, your team will al- most always lose the point because you will miss-handle the ball.
Said in another way, when hand setting, your hands, arms, shoulders and hips all need to move in the same direction at the same time – which means you need to have your feet balanced and as close to facing the target location as possible before making contact with the ball.
One of the advantages of bump setting is that while you are making contact with the ball you can also be rotating your hips, shoulders and arms in the exact location or your target.
GOOD TO KNOW As you contact the ball, push up with your feet.
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D. SETTING
G. HAND SETTING If you get your body into the correct position first, what you do with your hands and arms is fairly simple.
1. HAND SETTING PRACTICE Like all the skills in beach volleyball, hand setting takes countless hours of focused practice.
The practice must be disciplined so that the exact movement is being practiced, thus developed into a habit.
Practicing with and without a partner is very important.
2. INDIVIDUAL PRACTICE You can practice your arm and hand movement even if you are inside sitting on the floor or on a chair - practice all of the follow techniques:
Get your head directly under the ball
Your elbows are out wide and at shoulder level or higher;
Your fingers are spread wide apart and in basically the shape of the bottom half of the ball,
All or parts of all of your fingers and thumbs of BOTH of your hands contact the ball at the same time above the level of your chin.
The moment your fingers contact the ball your entire body, arms and hands move upward – the ball MUST NOT continue to move downward or noticeably come to rest / stop once your fingers make contact.
Your arms completely stretch up and the ball leave leaves BOTH of your hands at the same time.
Your hands stay in the shape of the bottom half of the ball throughout the entire motion.
You don’t need to set the ball too high – this is a great drill to help you get used to the feeling of the ball contacting your fingers and leaving your fingers at the same time.
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3. HAND SETTING DRILLS When practicing on the sand make sure that you ALWAYS: 1. Face the target location. The target location is approximately 0.5 m / 1.5’ from the net and in line with the attacker’s approach. 2. Use your legs and push your entire body in the exact direction of the target. 3. Breathe out as you are contacting the ball. Your feet must be balanced, with your weight on the balls of your feet – do not be flat footed or have your heels in the sand during the setting motion
Practice facing and setting to the target location from all areas of the court, not just right by the net The further you are off the net, the more you will be facing the net, and the clos- er you are to the net, the more you will be facing the sideline. Practice setting balls that have side spin, front spin and back spin on them. Practice moving from different areas of the court, getting balanced under the ball, facing the tar- get location and setting the ball.
4. HAND SETTING RULES
Just because a hand set ball rotates a little doesn’t mean it was a fault and just because a hand set ball does not rotate doesn’t mean it was not a fault.
GOOD TO KNOW As you contact the ball, push up with your feet.
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6. BUMP SETTING Bump setting is one of the most underestimated skills in beach volleyball. The value of a consistent bump setter is immense because unlike hand setting, if there is not enough time to face the target location, a bump setter can fully rotate their hips and shoulders in the exact direction of the target location while they are making contact with the ball. This allows the skillful bump setter to create well placed sets from poorly placed passes and digs that a hand setter could not get into the correct position to set.
7. BODY POSITION If you can control your feet, body and balance, you can control the ball. When contacting the ball:
Feet can be parallel to each other, Feet can be staggered (one in front of the other) Weight is on the balls of your feet No weight is on your heels. Knees are bent. Shoulders are back and lined up behind your knees so you are not leaning forward. Arms are outstretched in front of you.
GOOD TO KNOW
When bump setting, as the ball makes contact with the wrist area of your arms, lightly open up both your hands as you are breathing out through your mouth.
Hands are relaxed and together, thumbs are pointing to the sand. Body is balanced. Watch the bottom of the ball contact the wrist area of your arms. Breathe out through your mouth while making contact. Move your balance and entire body toward the exact target without swinging your arms. Make sure that your entire body follows through and faces the exact target location as the ball leaves your arms.
The lower you can keep your body as you make contact with the ball, the better. If at all possible you want to have your butt lower than the level of where the ball contacts your arms.
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The more you move your feet, legs, hips, torso and shoulders, and the less you move your arms, the better you will set the ball / control the ball. If you want the set to go straight up and down, you move your entire body straight up (in the exact direction of your target) while keeping your arms, still, flat and parallel to the sand with your hands relaxed. If you want the set to go forward, you move your entire body forward (in the exact direction of your target) while keeping your arms, still, flat and parallel to the sand with your hands relaxed
8. ARM POSITION Your arms need to be almost parallel to the sand – this means your arms will be completely under the ball / contact the bottom of the ball. Your arms need to be very still, flat and relaxed. Do Not: Swing your arms at the ball – (keep them still) Have your arms angled to the sand - (keep them parallel to the sand)
9. HAND POSITION No matter how you put your hands together to create flat even arms for the ball to contact, your hands must be:
GOOD TO KNOW
When bump setting there is a time to put spin on the ball, but first, learn how to set the
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The different ways you can put your hands together are: interlocking fingers with thumbs together; closed hands put next to each other; cupping both hands with thumbs together, one hand under the other; or both hands open, one hand on top of the other, with the thumb of the lower hand lightly griping the upper hand.
The more open your hands are when you bring them together, the more surface area there will be for the ball to make contact with.
Pointing your thumbs to the ground will help keep your entire arm surface flat / keep your elbows from bending.
10. PRACTICE – WITHOUT THE BALL Using weights while going through the exact motions of a skill greatly helps the mind and body connect and understand what to do to perform a specific movement. Hold light weights in both your hands - 0.5 kg / 1 lb is enough - (You can also use 2 small bottles of water or can of food – anything that you can easily hold onto and has some weight to it). Move through all the steps of bump setting, but without a ball, just with the weights in your hands – keeping your hands out in front of you just like if you where bump setting a ball. This reinforces the feeling of getting balanced, keeping your arms flat, still and parallel to the sand and feeling your body do the work of moving in the exact target location – without swinging your arms. Do this practice drill slowly as well as at regular speed - making sure you carefully follow all the steps that go into bump setting.
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11. BALL CONTACT
The ball should contact the wrist area of both your flat, relaxed arms – not on the hands or the heel of the hand.
12. PRACTICE WITH THE BALL
1. Hold the ball in both hands, arms outstretched in front of you.
Toss the ball straight up in the air less than 2 m / 6’ high.
As soon as the ball leaves your hands: put your hands together and point your thumbs to the ground; feet can be parallel to each other, feet can be staggered (one in front of the other); weight is on the balls of your feet; no weight is on your heels; knees are bent, shoulders are back and lined up behind your knees so you are not leaning forward; arms are outstretched in front of you; hands are relaxed and together, thumbs are pointing to the sand; body is balanced; watch the bottom of ball contact the wrist area of your arms and breathe out through your mouth while making contact.
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If you do this correctly the ball will bounce straight up and down on the wrist area of your arms. If you are not balanced correctly or you move your arms, the ball will bounce off to the sides, for- ward or backward. Do this until you can get the ball to consistently bounce straight up and down on the wrist area of your arms.
DO NOT MOVE YOUR ARMS OR YOUR BODY when the ball makes contact with the wrist area of your arms during this drill.
2. Do the exact same drill but toss the ball in the air at least 3 m / 10’ high.
This time you will have to move your feet a lot more to get directly under the ball with your knees bent, body balanced and your arms parallel to the sand.
If you do this correctly the ball will bounce straight up and down on the wrist area of your arms.
If you are not balanced correctly or you move your arms, the ball will bounce off to the sides, forward or backward.
Do this drill until you can get the ball to consistently bounce straight up and down on the wrist area of your arms.
3. Now do the same 2 drills (low toss and high toss) but this time when the ball contacts the wrist area of your arms – stand up while keeping your arms relaxed and parallel to the sand.
If you do this correctly the ball will move straight up and down and will barely rotate.
If you are not balanced correctly or you move your arms, the ball will bounce off to the sides, for- ward or backward and will most likely be spinning a lot.
Do this drill until you can get the ball to consistently move straight up and down and not be spin- ning.
4. From various locations next to and off the net, toss the ball in the air at least 3 m / 10’ high with lots of spin on it, bump set the ball so it lands within 0.5 m / 2’ of the net and reaches a height of at least 2 – 3 m / 6.5 – 10’ above the net. Also, make sure the ball has very little if any spin on it after you contact it.
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13. SHOT CALL – BLOCK COVER After the setter sets the ball their responsibilities are not over. As soon as the ball is set, the setter must take their eyes and focus off the ball and their partner and now do 2 more skills very quickly.
First Responsibility: focus on the defensive backcourt player so you can help the attacker see / un- derstand what the defense is doing. The setter will call out the area of the court of that is open for a shot.
Note: the setter calls out the area of the court that is open to hit a shot, not the area where to spike the ball.
THE MOST COMMON CALLS THE SETTER WILL CALL OUT ARE: “line, line, line”, if the line shot is open “cut, cut, cut” (angle, angle, angle) if the cut / angle shot is open “NO ONE” if the blocker pulls off the net / is not blocking The calls are to be clear and repeated at least 2 – 3 times.
The call “no one” gives the go ahead to the attacker to spike the ball without any concern of being blocked.
It is very possible that the setter may have to change the call if the backcourt defensive player moves or the blocker pulls off the net – there are many variations of this – some are:
“line, angle, angle”, “cut, line, line” (angle, line, line) “line, no one, no one” Second Responsibility: while the setter is calling out what area of the court is open for a well- placed shot, they are also moving into position to get the ball if their partner gets blocked.
The location to be in is slightly behind and to the side of the attacker – this is one of the many rea- sons the setter and the attacker need to stay fairly close together.
This skill is called covering the block.
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KEY POINTS
Before and during the play communicate with your partner as to who is passing the ball.
Your first step as a setter is with the foot that is furthest away from your partner and across your body toward your partners side of the court.
Open up body to your partner, get in front of them and on their side of the court before or as they make contact with the ball.
Get balanced and under the ball.
Face your target.
Your weight and balance is on the balls of your feet.
Move your entire body in the direction of your target.
Breathe out while making contact. WHEN HAND SETTING: Both hands make contact with the ball at the same time, above the level of your chin and then release the ball at the same time. WHEN BUMP SETTING: Your arms are flat, out in front of you and parallel to the sand, your hands are not tight
You watch the bottom of the ball make contact with the wrist area of your arms.
Your arms stay still and you use your body to move the ball in the exact direction of your target.
As soon as you set the ball, you look at the back court defensive player; call out the open area of the court for your partner to place a shot while also moving into position to get the ball if your partner gets blocked.
You did everything possible to keep the rhythm of the play moving forward by giving your partner the best possible set to attack
GOOD TO KNOW
When a pass hits the net, to set the ball get your body parallel to the net and below the level of the net, get your arms as low to the sand as possible and allow the ball to come down to your arms before you move your body and arms upwards
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Spiking in the sand is quite different from that of the indoor game. The sand absorbs a greater amount of the force that you direct towards it to propel yourself upwards and as a result you will not jump as high as indoors. Your timing will change. Try to get from the sand to the ball as quickly as possible. Jump later and try not to hang in the air. Unlike basketball you don’t want to float before making the shot – because while you are hanging in the air the ball is likely to float/drift out of position by the wind. Attacking indoors is largely about power. Attacking on the beach however is more about finesse. You still need to be able to hit the ball with power as it keeps the defense locked down in- side the block but great beach volleyball players have a large variety of shots - many of which are never seen in the indoor game such as the knuckle, the ‘pokie’, the jumbo shrimp, the baby angle, etc. Taking a quick look at the defender on the other side of the net between the time the pass is made and the spike is hit is a skill that is not used indoors. Beach volleyball athletes are known to shoot which means to place the ball with a soft shot. In indoor Volleyball these shots would not work – with 4 defenders playing behind a 2 per- son block, a soft shot would be easily dug. On the beach however these shots can earn valuable points. Playing the ball over on the second shot is also a tactic that is used on the beach but not as much indoors except when the setter dumps. Remember … tipping is illegal on the beach. Beach Volleyball is all about strategy. You look at the positions and capabilities of the different athletes and decide what the best options are – sometimes several actions ahead of time. The better athlete will begin to recognize certain patterns and will almost instinctively know how to respond as a point unfolds. A. Beginner The correct spike approach and arm swing which results in a consistent hand contact and wrist snap on the ball and control in spiking are the first skills that should be worked on. If an ath- lete can develop a correct spike approach to the point that it is spontaneous (which means that they do not need to think about it) their success in spiking will dramatically increase. It seems obvious but it is vital that the athlete is moving towards the net while attacking the ball – this way they are in a better position to see what is happening on the other side of the net and play the ball away from the opposition. B. Intermediate Assuming that the footwork is automatic, athletes at the intermediate level should focus on developing the ability to change the direction of the ball at the last second with the wrist. C. Advanced For advanced athletes, spiking against different defensive arrangements will be beneficial.
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INTRODUCTION Attacking the ball is one of the most exciting skills in Beach Volleyball to watch and one of the most enjoyable or frustrating skills to perform. Whether it is a spike or a shot, the words "attacking the ball" are a very accurate description of the mental attitude and the physical ac- tions needed to effectively hit the ball.
GOOD TO KNOW Attacking the ball in Beach Volleyball is one of the most intricate and /intense movements that is per- formed by an athlete in any sport.
The unparalleled physical and mental demands of performing a sport in soft deep sand that requires an athlete to use their entire body with balanced explosive precision makes the sport of Beach Vol- leyball remarkably unique from every other sport, including indoor 6 person/ aside from volleyball.
Seconds before the attacker makes contact with the ball they are 2 to 9 m / 6 to 30' away from where they would like to attack the ball from - and may be on their feet, knees, side or stomach. The attacker also has to rely on their partner to set the ball within 60 cm/ 2' of where they would like to attack the ball from and then needs to time their approach, jump and swing based on their partner’s set.
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The attacker performs these series of explosive movements all while being perfectly balanced, and in full control of their body. Attacking the ball in Beach Volleyball is somewhat similar to the 'alley-oop' dunk play in basketball, but with many more variables and a much higher degree of difficulty. The Attack is made up of the approach, and the actu- al contact of the ball - which is also called the hit. The Approach is the foundation of contacting the ball and must be performed with disciplined, ex- plosive and balanced movements that look the same each and every time the ball is attacked. The contact of the ball during an attack will either be considered a spike or a shot.
A spike is when the attacker contacts the ball with a great deal of power, the ball moves with a lot of speed and has a downward trajectory. A shot is when the attacker contacts the ball with much less power, thus the ball travels a lot slower compared to the spike. The ball usually has a slight looping or arcing trajectory to it. When contacting the ball for either the spike or shot, the ball is attacked as high as possible above one's head with an open hand.
A. TARGET AREAS
The most common target areas for where to hit either a spike or a shot are #1, AWAY from the back- court defender, and:
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B. APPROACH The approach is the foundation of attacking the ball. Whether the attacker wants to spike the ball or make a shot – the intensity, explosiveness and overall look of the approach must be con- sistent. If the approach for a shot looks any different than the approach for a spike, a quality opponent will quickly know what the attacker is able to do or not do on any given play. Without a consistently explosive approach and jump, it is not possible to successfully attack the ball with any degree of consistency.
GOOD TO KNOW A powerful arm swing is useless without a balanced and explosive approach. Invest as much time into the approach as you do into the arm swing.
The approach, like every other skill in Beach Volleyball starts with your feet – it is a very specific movement that takes incredible power, explosiveness, balance and concentration.
1. “2-STEPS” APPROACH The most efficient approach in Beach Volleyball is a 2 step approach – this means that as the set- ter is making contact with the ball you will only need 2 steps to be almost directly under the ball. The steps are not regular steps that are taken when walking or running – the approach com- bines a step, a lunge and a squat.
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2. SKILLS BREAKDOWN :- 2 Footed Plant
Start with your feet parallel and shoulder width apart. Get down into a 'chair depth' squat, Keep your arms straight; put them back behind you as far as they can go with the palms of your hands facing up. Keep your arms close to your body. Your arms should be at shoulder level behind you. Feet parallel and arms back. From this position stand up while at the same time swinging both your arms up as high as possible above your head; keep your hands shoulder width apart. a. Land on Both Feet at the Same Time – Part I GOOD TO KNOW Make sure your feet are parallel rather than staggered (1 Most right handed players initially prefer to foot in-front of the other). If your feet are staggered it is lunge forward off of their left foot; most left very difficult to control the direction of your handed players initially prefer to lunge for- ward off of their right foot. jump. When your feet are parallel you can jump both straight up and forward.
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b. Land on Both Feet at the Same Time – Part II When you get the feeling of Part I, do the exact same thing but now:
c. Land on Both Feet at the Same Time – Part III As you get used to Part II, do the exact same movement, but this time when your feet contact the ground, land in a chair depth squat with your chin and eyes pointed upwards. Landing on both feet in a chair depth squat with your eyes and chin pointing upwards is a very different feeling and balance than landing with your eyes pointed forward.
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d. Jab Step
The next part to the approach is adding the jab step to the movement. The jab step is a quick step forward in the direction that the set is going. When the foot that you stepped with (left or right foot) contacts the sand, lunge forward off that foot and land on both feet in a squat position - as you have already practiced.
GOOD TO KNOW Most right handed players initially prefer to lunge forward off of their left foot; most left handed play- ers initially prefer to lunge forward off of their right foot.
Practice the jab step part of the approach in the same way you practiced all the other parts – slowly walk through it at first and then make the movement more and more aggressive.
If you were lunging forward off of your left foot while practicing to land on both feet at the same time during the previous drill, then make the jab step with your left foot / quickly step forward with your left leg, land on your left foot and lunge forward, etc.
If you were lunging forward off of your right foot while practicing to land on both feet at the same time during the previous drill, then make the jab step with your right foot, land on your right foot and lunge forward, etc.
C. MOVE FORWARD / OR BACK
One of the many differences between 2-person Beach Volleyball and 6-person indoor Volleyball is that in Beach Volleyball, the player passing the ball always needs to also put themselves into po- sition to approach / attack the ball. In indoor Volleyball, the player passing the ball is rarely the player who is also attacking the ball. What this means is that in beach volleyball the player passing the ball not only has to focus intently on passing the ball perfectly, but also must instantaneously change their focus to become the at- tacker the moment after they pass the ball.
Therefore, as soon as a player passes the ball they need to quickly move forward or back- wards so that they are about 2 large steps away from where they expect the set to be placed – before the setter makes contact with the ball.
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Practice getting into position to approach a set by passing the ball up toward the net and on your half of the court from many different areas in the court and then going through the ap- proach. Make sure that you are about 2 large steps away from where you expect the set to be placed – before the setter makes contact with the ball. In this drill the setter does not set the ball, they will just catch it. This drill is specifically for the attacker to practice getting into position to attack the ball and then go through the approach without having to think about jumping and swinging at the ball.
D.HAND WEIGHTS Using light hand weights (less than 1kg / 2 lbs) when practicing your foot work and arm move- ments is a fantastic way to help your mind and body learn certain skills. Holding a light weight in each hand when practicing the approach movements will allow you to better feel exactly what your arms are doing as well as how balanced your body is. Make it a daily priority to carefully practice each part of the approach with and without hand weights – perform the movements at game speed and at half speed, paying close attention to all the details.
E. ARM SWING The final part of the arm swing is the actual contact of the ball. Open your hand wide open when contacting the ball. Make sure that the palm and fingers of your hand make contact with the ball.
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Many times when contacting the ball you will want your hand to turn over / your wrist to snap in the direction that you want the ball to go in. The ball will travel in the direction you turn your hand / snap your wrist in if you get your entire hand to contact the ball.
Get very comfortable and confident in the feeling of contacting the ball with the palm and fingers of your wide open hand.
GOOD TO KNOW The approach and arm swing used in 2 person Beach Volleyball is significantly different that the approach and arm swing used in 6-person Volleyball.
E. SEE YOUR HAND MAKE CONTACT WITH THE BALL When contacting the ball in Beach Volleyball, the attacker is not looking at where they want to ball to go, the attacker is focused on / looking at the ball. A common habit to overcome is: looking at where you want the ball to go - rather than focusing on making contact with the ball.
You must train your mind and body to create the new habit of actually seeing your hand make contact with the ball. A soccer player needs to see their foot make contact with the soccer ball, a baseball player needs to see the bat make contact with a baseball, a tennis player needs to see their racket make contact with a tennis ball. A Beach Volleyball player needs to see their hand make contact with the volleyball. Keep your chin up and your eyes focused on the ball when making contact with the ball!
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The #1 reason why a ball is incorrectly contacted by only part of the fingers or palm, or the wrist is because the attacker did not see their hand make contact with the ball. If the ball is not correctly contacted with the entire palm and fingers of the hand every swing, there is no chance for the ball to consistently go where you want it to go. When practicing the arm swing without the ball make sure that as you finish each swing you are looking up at the palm of your hand, high above your head before you drop your eyes.
GOOD TO KNOW Keeping your head, eyes, chin, elbow and shoulders up (rather than dropping them) helps you contact the ball as high as above your head as possible.
F. WRIST MOVEMENT When the ball is contacted with an open hand, the direction the wrist turns will greatly affect the direction the ball travels in. Turning the wrist to the left, right or straight ahead when contacting the ball with an open hand directs the ball to go to the left, right or straight ahead. Turning the wrist to the left, right or straight ahead naturally creates top spin on the ball. Top spin helps the ball move in a straight line as well as drop to the sand sooner (rather than 'floating' in the air).
GOOD TO KNOW Top spin will occur naturally if the ball is contacted correctly – there is no need to force top spin or try to create top spin on the ball.
G. SHOULDER MOVEMENT Shoulder movement during the attack is when the attacker twists / rotates their shoulders as they are making contact with the ball.
Twisting the shoulders during the arm swing creates a great deal of power in the hit. Twisting the shoulders during the arm swing incorporates the entire upper torso (back, stomach chest and shoulders) into the hit rather than just swinging at the ball with your arm and part of the shoulder. Twisting the shoulders occurs during the jump:
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H. NON HITTING HAND MOVEMENTS (ALSO CALLED "OFF-HAND" MOVE- MENTS)
The Non-Hitting Hand and Arm: 1. PROVIDES BALANCE AND EXPLOSIVENESS FOR THE JUMP: - Swinging both arms upward as fast as possible all the way above the head helps the attacker jump higher because they are using their entire body to jump, not just their legs. Swinging both hands all the way up above the head also provides balance to the upper body because it allows the attackers head and shoulders to move upward without tilting / leaning to one side or the other. 2. HELPS THE SHOULDERS ROTATE BACKWARDS : - Swinging the non-hitting hand high above the head significantly helps the shoulders rotate backwards (left hand above the right eye, if right handed; right hand above the left eye, if left handed) – which allows the entire upper body to be engaged during the arm swing. 3. HELPS THE HITTING HAND CONTACT THE BALL HIGHER : - When the attacker sees their off-hand high above their head, it makes it much easier for them to locate and contact the ball as high as they can reach above their head. 4. CONTROLS HOW MUCH POWER THE UPPER BODY ADDS TO THE ARM SWING
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The speed that the shoulders rotate forward is controlled by how quickly the off-hand/arm is pulled down.
As soon as the off-hand reaches its highest point high above the attackers head, the off hand and arm folds straight down to the attacker's side. When the off hand/arm folds down to the attacker's side it rotates the shoulders forward, which en- gages the upper torso into the arm swing.
The faster the off hand /arm folds down to the attacker's side, the more power the upper torso adds to the arm swing – (this is what to do when spiking the ball). The slower the off hand/arm folds down to the attacker's side, the less power the upper torso adds to the arm swing – (this is what to do when making a line or cut shot). When folding the off-hand/arm down, make sure to keep it controlled and close to the body.
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I. ELBOW HEIGHT The elbow height of the attackers hitting arm is a critical component of the arm swing.
The higher the elbow of the hitting arm is, the higher the attacker will contact the ball. The low- er that the elbow of the hitting arm is, the lower the attacker will contact the ball.
After the elbow of the hitting arm gets above the level of the ears, the forearm and hand can pull back / cock back.
When the attacker pulls back / cocks back their forearm and hand, they keep the elbow height of their hitting arm above the level of their ears. Keeping the elbow height of the hitting arm above the level of the ears while pulling back the hit- ting arm and contacting the ball:
simplifies the arm swing, and
allows for a consistently high contact point.
GOOD TO KNOW
The elbow of the hitting hand should be pointing straight up at the ball just before the hand contacts the ball.
The use of hand weights while correctly performing the approach and arm swing help speed up the process of making these movements a habit.
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J. HAND WEIGHTS Using light hand weights (less than 1kg / 2 lbs) is a great way to practice the arm swing (and ap- proach) without the ball. Holding light weight in your hands when practicing the arm swing and approach movements will help bring your full attention to what your entire body is doing.
Make it a daily priority to carefully practice each part of the arm swing and approach, without the ball - with and without hand weights.
K. BREATHING
GOOD TO KNOW
Unless all the correct movements of the approach and arm swing are a habit, as soon as the body or mind becomes slightly tired during a play, the approach and arm swing movements will not be performed correctly.
Just as when weight lifting, breathe out through the mouth during exertion.
The jump is the most explosive part of the attack – breathe out through your mouth while jump- ing and then, push any air remaining in your lungs out, as you make contact with the ball.
Breathing out while you jump not only helps you jump more explosively, it also helps loosen your body up so that you can whip your entire upper body at the ball.
Whipping your entire upper body at the ball is far more effective and efficient than contacting the ball with a tight / rigid upper body.
L. ATTACK THE BALL AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE It doesn't matter if you are going to hit the ball as hard as you can or if you are going to make a shot, you must attack the ball as high above your head as possible.
Plant your feet, jump explosively and reach as high as possible every time you attack the ball.
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J. HAND WEIGHTS Using light hand weights (less than 1kg / 2 lbs) is a great way to practice the arm swing (and ap- proach) without the ball. Holding light weight in your hands when practicing the arm swing and approach movements will help bring your full attention to what your entire body is doing.
Make it a daily priority to carefully practice each part of the arm swing and approach, without the ball - with and without hand weights.
K. BREATHING
GOOD TO KNOW
Unless all the correct movements of the approach and arm swing are a habit, as soon as the body or mind becomes slightly tired during a play, the approach and arm swing movements will not be performed correctly.
Just as when weight lifting, breathe out through the mouth during exertion.
The jump is the most explosive part of the attack – breathe out through your mouth while jump- ing and then, push any air remaining in your lungs out, as you make contact with the ball.
Breathing out while you jump not only helps you jump more explosively, it also helps loosen your body up so that you can whip your entire upper body at the ball.
Whipping your entire upper body at the ball is far more effective and efficient than contacting the ball with a tight / rigid upper body.
L. ATTACK THE BALL AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE It doesn't matter if you are going to hit the ball as hard as you can or if you are going to make a shot, you must attack the ball as high above your head as possible.
Plant your feet, jump explosively and reach as high as possible every time you attack the ball.
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GOOD TO KNOW Tossing the ball up above your head with 2 hands, following the ball straight up above your head with both your hands and rotating your shoulders back - replicates what your arms do will jump- ing to attack the ball.
HOW TO TEACH YOURSELF TO ATTACK THE BALL AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE
STEP 1: Hold the ball with BOTH hands at waist level and toss the ball up above your head.
STEP 2: Let your hands follow the ball so they both end up straight up above your head.
STEP 3: As your hands get to the level of your shoulders, rotate your right shoulder back if you are right handed, left shoulder back if you are left handed.
STEP 4: Keep your eyes up on the ball with your chin up and your head facing FORWARD - (DO NOT rotate your head when your shoulders rotate).
STEP 5: Leave both your hands up above your head and simply let the ball drop to the sand.
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When you get confident tossing the ball up with 2 hands and having your arms and shoulders go through the entire motion just described in steps 1 -5, (while keeping your body balanced and your head still) – It's time to start practicing making contact with the ball.
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GOOD TO KNOW Hitting the ball / swinging at the ball as hard as you can actually makes your arm swing and timing worse until you learn to consistently contact the ball with your entire hand as high as possible above your head in full control of your body – without jumping
M. HOW TO PRACTICE THE TIMING OF THE ARM SWING → Practice the exact same techniques as you just did with the ball but this time stand within 3 m / 3' of the net; → now add a few more pieces to the drill, including hitting the ball over the net;
Although both hand techniques need to be mastered, FIRST learn to face the direction you want the ball to go in and make solid contact with the back of the ball.
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N. LINE SHOT If you are right handed, start on the right side of the court, shoulders square to the net. If you are left-handed, start on the left side of the court, shoulders square to the net. To hit the ball down the line, as you contact the ball with your open hand, simply turn your hand over / snap your wrist forward / straight in front of you.
Keep your hand high above your head – do not drop it / swing your arm down to your side.
The target to have in mind for where you want the ball to land when doing a line shot is:
1. within 60 cm / 2' of the side line and 2. 60 cm / 2' of the end line; (this is where the side line and the end line connect straight in front of you.)
O. CUT SHOT If you are right handed, start on the right side of the court, shoulders angled to the net / 45° to the net, so that you are facing cross court. If left-handed, start on the left side of the court, shoulders angled to the net / 45° to the net. To hit the ball cross court / make a cut shot, as you contact the ball with your open hand, simply turn your hand over / snap your wrist straight in front of you, which is cross court.
(This is the same hand and wrist motion you used for the line shot but this time you are facing cross court)
The target to have in mind for where you want the ball to land when doing a cut shot is so the ball lands cross court within:
1. 3 m / 10' of the net and 2. within 1 m / 3' of the cross court line You are now learning how to face the direction you want the ball to go in and make a line shot or a cut shot - while developing timing, a consistent arm swing and contacting the ball high above your head.
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P. TIMING OF THE ATTACK You have been practicing contacting the ball without jumping and without a partner – now it's time to add the jump into the arm swing – with or without a partner.
GOOD TO KNOW 1. Because there are so many different moving parts to the attack – Be patient with the process of learning each individual technique.
2. Practice ALL of the basic techniques individually and collectively, in slow motion and at game speed.
R. STANDING APPROACH In this drill, you can practice with your partner or individually. If you are practicing individually (without a partner), do everything that you were doing when prac- ticing the line and cut shot without a partner, but this time toss the ball up even higher (at least 2 m / 7' above the net) and jump up while going through the arm swing motion. You will not have any approach – all you are going to do is toss the ball up, adjust your feet to get under the ball, squat down into a chair depth 2 footed plant, jump up and attack the ball high above your head. If you are practicing with a partner, one partner starts with the ball - they can hand set or just toss the ball straight up about 2 m / 7' above the net, and so the ball would land within 1 m/3' away from them and within 1 m/3' of the net. The attacker is not going to have any approach – the attacker slightly adjusts their feet to the direc- tion that their partner tosses or sets the ball, gets into their chair squat depth, 2 footed plant, jumps up, and sees their hand make contact with the ball high above their head - following all the tech- niques that have already been practiced.
Get used to attacking the ball as high as you can without any approach because it is part of the game.
There are times in a game that the attacker will not be able to get a full approach so they must be confident in their ability to jump aggressively out of the sand and contact the ball as high as possi- ble above their head without stepping into the jump / the approach.
When the attacker is able to aggressively jump up without an approach and contact the ball solid- ly with their entire hand high above their head, the next step needs to be added.
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S. FULL APPROACH DRILL The best way to learn the full approach and arm swing is with a partner (although it can be prac- ticed without a partner).
For this drill, the setter starts with the ball, the setter can either hand set or toss the ball straight up - about 3 m / 10' above the net so the ball lands within 1 m/3' away from the setter and within 1 m/3' of the net.
GOOD TO KNOW It takes approximately 10,000 repetitions of a specific technique to develop a true habit – by consciously practicing the correct technique; the best possible habit will be developed – by consciously or uncon- sciously practicing a bad technique, a bad habit will be developed.
The attacker starts about 2 large steps away from where they expect the set to be placed. As soon as the setter tosses up or sets the ball, the attacker:
jab steps in the direction that the set is going, then lunges forward and lands on 2 feet directly under the ball in a chair squat position, aggressively jumps up and goes through the entire shoulder twist and arm swing motion contacts the ball with their entire hand as high as they can reach above their head. This is exactly how to learn the timing of the attack – start with standing and hitting the ball, add a jump without an approach, then add the approach – practice each of these parts every day, with or without a partner. As the attacker becomes more efficient with the timing and techniques of attacking the ball when the setter starts with the ball, there are many more practice drills that can be added to replicate the variables that occur in specific game situations.
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KEY POINTS Move forward or backwards so that you are within 2 - 3 m / 6.5 – 10' away from where you ex- pect the set to go - before the setter makes contact with the ball.
After the setter makes contact with the ball, take a quick step (jab step) in the direction the set is going.
Make an explosive lunge step forward off of the foot you land on so that you land almost di- rectly under the ball.
Land on both feet at the same time in a deep squat /crouch with both arms straight behind you as far back as they can go, and with the palms of your hands facing up and your body balanced.
Keep your eyes up on the ball.
Explosively jump upwards while swinging both arms up as quickly as possible and breathing out through your mouth.
As the arms are swinging upward and are reaching the level of the shoulders, twist the shoul- ders so that the right shoulder (if right handed, left shoulder if left handed) is rotated back.
Keep your head up, still and your eyes looking up at the ball (don't rotate the head with the shoulders or drop the head).
Bring both hands up above the head as high as possible, get both elbows above the ears before cocking back the hitting hand and forearm
If right handed, reach the left hand as high as possible above the right eye - (if left handed, reach as high as possible above the left eye).
As soon as the non-hitting hand reaches its highest point above the left or right eye, pull that hand down / fold that arm down to the side.
As the non-hitting arm is folding, point the elbow of the hitting arm straight up at the ball while rotating the shoulders forward/whipping the upper body, arm and open hand at the ball - as high as possible above the head.
Contact the back or side of the ball with an open hand while snapping the wrist in the direction you want the ball to go in.
See your hand contact the ball
Breathe out any remaining air in the lungs as contact with the ball is made.
The only difference between attacking a shot or a spike is how quickly and with how much power the upper body, arm and open hand is whipped at the ball.
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F. PASSING
Passing is arguably the most important skill in Beach Volleyball, as it sets up the play for the team receiving the ball. If your pass is bad you start at a disadvantage from which it is hard to recover. The key to passing is to be able to pass a ball so that it can be set easily by your - partner
For those athletes transitioning from indoor to the beach the major difference is that in beach the ball is not passed to position 2 ½. In Beach Volleyball, the ball should be passed to a position that is relative to where the pass was made from the beginning. (Often referred to as the moving trian- gle theory of passing) The general rule is that the ball should be passed to a forward position and slightly towards the middle of the court. If however the ball is passed from the middle of the court the ball should be directed in a straight line towards the net.
Be aware that the wind is likely to create more movement than you are used to indoors. As the wind gets stronger you need to pass the ball lower – in fact in some cases when there is a very strong wind you should try to keep the ball as low as possible off the serve - your partner may not be able to hand set the ball but a bump set is a better option in these conditions. If there is no wind you can push the ball further up towards the net which will help create a better set by making it easier for the setter as they can see the net in their peripheral vision.
Always keep in mind that a lower stance allows you a greater ability to adjust at the last second. Where you stand to receive serve depends on a number of factors and will vary slightly every serve but a basic rule of thumb is to stand slightly towards the back of the court with each athlete cover- ing roughly half the court. Normally each athlete is responsible for approximately half the court and the athlete that is diagonal from the server calls the serve and is responsible for the middle area.
Position yourself deeper rather than closer to the net when receiving the serve to avoid being forced to make an overhead pass from the opponents serve. Standing further up is ok indoors but disadvantageous on the sand. If for some reason you find the ball high it will be necessary to adopt a tomahawk technique to play the ball as you cannot play the ball with the fingers.
Remember to talk to your playing partner!!! Keeping the pass between you and your partner. As the wind picks up, keep the ball low and always move to the ball with your arms apart.
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Beginner
One important concept to get through to beginners is that they should treat each serve like it is theirs to pass and always make a movement towards the ball. Take 2 steps towards the ball even if not passing. Also passing forward is a very important concept to reinforce. Many beginners pass the ball towards their partners and the ball ends up going backwards or across the court. Passers should also focus on keeping the ball ‘lower’ ‘closer’ and ‘smaller’ than indoors.
Intermediate
For intermediate athletes who have the basics of passing down but are not consistent, passing for- ward and slightly towards the middle of the court, up and down (in a parabolic trajectory) is a good idea. Imagine two perpendicular lines to the net made from the two passers - the first who plays the ball should always be placed between these two lines. A ball that goes outside of these two lines is out of control or ‘out of system’ – balls kept inside these two lines are ‘in system’.
Advanced
As you become a more proficient athlete you will come up against athletes with better serves. These serves will come at you faster and will move you around the court more. As a result of this any weaknesses in your passing will be exploited. Being able to maintain a good platform when passing the ball outside of your body becomes vital as the serves become tougher.
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A. INTRODUCTION The importance of the serve receive pass is critical. How consistently the serve is passed can great- ly impact all other mental and physical aspects of your own and your partners performance. Although the ball is contacted at the wrist area of both arms – the foundation of the pass is done with foot movement, body control, a disciplined and focused mind and minimal or no arm move- ment.
B. FOOT MOVEMENT If you can control your feet, body and balance, you can control the ball.
GOOD TO KNOW The serve receive pass is considered by many to be the most important skill in Beach Volleyball.
No matter where the serve goes, (even if it is coming straight to you) you must move your feet as much as possible so you can get your body and balance in the best possible position to make con- tact with the ball. The more you move your feet and the less you move your arms, the better you will pass the ball / control the ball.
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C. HAND POSITION No matter how you put your hands together to create flat even arms for the ball to contact, your hands must be: 1. Relaxed / not tightly griping each other, and 2. Your thumbs pointed downwards toward the sand.
Pointing your thumbs to the ground helps keep your entire arm surface flat / keep your elbows from bending.
D. ARM POSITION When receiving a fast moving serve or a serve with a low trajectory, your arms need to be pointed at an angle toward the sand – this means your arms will be behind the ball. This allows the ball to move not only upwards but also forward. When receiving a serve that is going to land close to the net, your arms need to be almost parallel to the sand – this means your arms will be completely under the ball. This allows the ball to move up in the air but not forward.
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E. ARM MOVEMENT The only arm movement needed when passing a serve is when passing a serve that is moving very fast. If you have relaxed hands and move your arms slightly backwards it will help slow the ball down and keep the ball from exploding off your arms in many different directions.
GOOD TO KNOW 1. The serve receive pass is considered by many to be the most important skill in Beach Volleyball.
The ball will move in the direction that your body is balanced in.
F. START POSITION The position to start the serve receive pass is basically in the center of your half of the court and approximately 1.5 – 2 m / 5 - 6.5’ from the back line. Depending on the different variables you can adjust the start position approximately a half step for- ward, backwards, and/or to either side.
G. BODY POSITION The body position you want is the following: weight is on the balls of your feet, knees are bent and feet are about shoulder width apart, shoulders are back and lined up behind your knees so you are not leaning too far forward, arms are outstretched in front of you and hands are at about waist level, palms up – but - not together.
The lower you can keep your body throughout the pass- ing motion, the bet- ter. If at all possible you want to have your butt lower than the level of where the ball contacts your arms
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H. TARGETS & COMMUNICATION TARGET LOCATION The serve receiver passes the ball within 1 - 2 m / 3 – 6’ of the area they want to attack the ball from – not to the setter.
To attack the ball from near the antenna, pass the ball within 2 meters of the antenna and within 1 – 3 m / 3 – 10’ from the net.
To attack the ball in the middle of the court, pass the pass within 2 m of the middle of the court and within 2 m / 6’ from the net.
If you don’t consistently pass the ball within 2 meters of where you want to attack the ball from and within 1 – 3 m / 3 – 10’ from the net it makes it extremely difficult to:
Get a consistent set, See the court and ball at the same time Have an explosive approach and attack swing.
GOOD TO KNOW When having problems passing the ball, forget about attempting to pass the ball up towards the net, just focus on getting the ball up in the air and on your half of the court.
I. COMMUNICATION Communication with your partner before and during the serve is critical to having good team work. The first part of the communication is to decide which player will pass the ball. In most cases the player that decides who will pass the serve is the player who is on the angle from the server / not directly across from the server.
If the server is serving from the middle of the court, the player who decides will be based on weather conditions and the server’s tendencies. In many cases, the player who decides who will receive the serve will also have the responsibility of passing serves that are traveling down the middle of the court. The communication sounds like this: One of the partners will say something similar to this: “my center, my call” or “my middle, my call”. If the serve is going to the player that called out “my center, my call” or down the center of the court, they will loudly say “Mine, mine, mine”. Their partner will be calling out: “good, good, good” if they think the serve is in bounds;
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“out, out, out” if they think the serve is out of bounds;
“I don’t know” if they can’t tell if the ball will land in or out. If the serve is going to the player who didn’t call center and the ball; FIRST the player who is call- ing center and middle will loudly say “Yours, yours, yours”; the partner that the ball is going to will then call out “mine, mine, mine”. Then the player who is calling center and the ball will also call out “good, good, good” if they think the serve is in bounds, “out, out, out” if they think the serve is out of bounds, or “I don’t know” if they can’t tell if the ball will land in or out.
Clear simple communication before and during every serve will greatly minimize unforced serve receive errors.
I. DRILLS & KEY POINTS DRILL – STAY STILL Practicing how to pass the serve starts with: moving your feet, staying on the balls of your feet, keeping your butt as low as possible, getting your body balanced, keeping your arms still, dropping your chin and watching the bottom of the ball contact the wrist area of your still, flat arms, breath- ing out as the ball makes contact with your arms, relaxing your body and face, keeping your arms still and shifting your weight and balance in the exact direction you want the ball to go in.
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This is the foundation of serve receive – develop the discipline of keeping your arms still and get- ting your body in the best possible position.
GOOD TO KNOW A calm and focused mind is a key component to a consistent pass.
J. DRILL – STAND UP Do everything mentioned in the drill called “Stay Still” – and this time as the ball is making contact with your arms, stand up. Shift your balance and weight / move your body in the exact direction you want the pass to go in. Make sure you keep your arms from swinging at the ball.
GOOD TO KNOW Without a consistent pass, it is very difficult to win a game.
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G. BLOCKING Defense on the beach is significantly different to that of indoor. The main reason of course is that there are only 2 individuals covering the court as opposed to 6 for indoor. Generally what is found in adult and older youth teams is that one athlete will specialize in blocking and the other in de- fense. The way in which the blocker and defender work together to cover the court is somewhat complicated and a detailed explanation will not be given in this document. However … the basic conventions for signaling blocking intentions involve holding the hands be- hind the back with the left hand representing what the blocker is going to block on the left side at- tacker and the right hand represents what the blocker is going to take away for the attacker on the right. It is vital that the blocker and defender communicate with each other regarding which area is going to be ‘taken out’ at the net. Normally the blocker will either choose to take out the line (most frequently indicated by the dis- play of 1 finger) or angle (indicated by the display of 2 fingers). It is then the responsibility of the defender to position oneself in the undefended area to dig the hard driven spike or chase down the soft shot. When serving as a defender it is important to see your partner’s blocking call, as this de- termines what area of the court are you responsible for. One thing to think about is which shots are more likely than others given the blocking formation. What transpired in the past that gives you information about what is likely to happen next. Beginner At a beginners’ level it is not necessary to do a lot of block training with a defender behind because athletes will simply not be at a level of skill (or height) for it to be effective. However, introducing the basic hand positioning and technique along with the theory of blocking and defense may be useful in the development of beginners’ understanding of the game. The technique for retreating should be taught because even though a lot of young athletes who are not yet tall enough to be ef- fective will often start up slightly further in front of their normal defensive positions just in case the ball is bump set or hand set over the net on the second contact. Intermediate Athletes at an intermediate level will begin specializing in either blocking or defense. From this point on their training will shift from a broad focus to one that involves a higher percentage of time working on their area of expertise. Advanced Athletes at an advanced level will develop synchronicity between the blocker and defender includ- ing advanced tactics such as double faking on defense and transitioning after making the dig. Fak- ing involves trying to ‘show’ a false defensive arrangement to the hitter and this can be done just by the blocker or defender or both.
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G. BLOCKING
A. INTRODUCTION
The blocker is the pivotal part of the defense. What the blocker does or does not do, impacts the success or failure of the defense more than any other aspect of the defense
An out of position or undisciplined blocker makes it almost impossible for the back court defender to be able to read the play. Only when the back court player can trust that the blocker will perform their responsibilities cor- rectly, can they in turn also perform their responsibilities correctly.
The blocker must also be an excellent setter because whenever the back court player digs a spike or shot, the blocker must be able to consistently set the ball to the optimum attack location - no matter where the dig goes.
B. TYPES OF BLOCKS
There are two main types of blocking, spike blocking and shot blocking.
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GOOD TO KNOW 1. A major factor in spike blocking is that the blocker reaches across the net as far as possible with both hands before the ball crosses the net. 2. A major factor in shot blocking is that the blocker is reaching as high and or as wide as possible as the ball crosses the net.
C. HAND POSITION
GOOD TO KNOW When spike blocking, angle the palms of both hands back toward the attackers side of the court to help keep the ball from being hit off the hands, going sideways and out of bounds.
Depending on how high the blocker jumps, there are quite a few different variations that they can execute regarding how they move their hands and arms.
GOOD TO KNOW The hand and arm mo- tion used when shot blocking is very much like the hand and arm motion used when try- ing to block a shot in basketball.
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G. BLOCKING D. BLOCK JUMP
E. BLOCKING DRILLS
The following drills are to help learn how to have your body and hands in the correct position when blocking.
1. HAND AND ARM POSITION – DRILL
One player stands on a bench and holds a ball a minimum of 15 cm /6” above the net and a mini- mum of 15 cm /6” away from the net. (Adjust to the jumping ability of the blocker) On the opposite side of the net, the blocker gets into a chair squat position about 30 cm / 12” away from the net, shoulders square to the net, elbows close to the body and hands open and below chest level. While jumping upwards as explosively as possible also shoot both hands and arms up and over on- to the other side of the net as quickly as possible. The hands should be onto the other side of the net before the rest of the body has stopped moving upwards. As the body is reaching the peak of the jump, the blockers hands should be ‘wrapped around” the ball Also practice hand and arm position for shot blocking and sets that turn into joust situations by having the player on the bench move the ball to different locations
Remember to keep the thumbs up, fingers open, outstretched to the side and the hands angled back into the court
2. CONTROLLED BLOCKING DRILL
The blocker starts in the same position - chair squat position about 30 cm / 12” away from the net, shoulders square to the net, elbows close to the body and hands open and below chest level.
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G. BLOCKING The player on the bench tells the blocker where the specific area that they are going to hit the ball – for example the attacker will tell the blocker they will 1) either spike the ball toward the line or make a line shot; or they will 2) either spike the ball cross court or make a cut shot. The blocker’s responsibility is to block the spike or shot and will learn to adjust their arms and hands to either spike block or shot block positioning based on the shoulder movement and arm swing of the attacker. 3. BLOCKER COURT POSITION
GOOD TO KNOW If a blocker is not within an arm length of the net before the setter makes contact with the ball,
When the blocker is NOT serving, the blocker lines up within an arm’s length away from the net. When the server is also the blocker, the blocker must get to the net before the setter makes contact with the ball. When the server is also the blocker they must be very accurate as to where they serve the ball so that they can give themselves enough time to get to the net before the setter makes contact with the ball. The blocker will adjust their court position along the net to:
4. SHOULDER POSITION
It is VERY important for the blocker to keep their shoulders square / parallel to the net when they are jumping up to block. If one shoulder is back off the net back and the other one is forward both hands will not get across the net, resulting in many missed blocking opportunities.
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G. BLOCKING 5. BLOCKING HAND SIGNALS
Before each play, hand signals are used to designate the responsibilities of both of the defensive players.
If the back court player is serving, the blocker will be up at the net and will show the hand signals be- fore the ball is served.
If the blocker is serving, the back court player will show the hand signals to the server / blocker be- fore they serve the ball
A. 1 Finger pointing downward Although there are other hand signals used, the most common signals are: one finger pointing downward and two fingers pointing downward. It designates that: the blocker will block spikes that go to the line side of the attackers approach, or force the attacker to spike the ball cross court of their ap- proach.
B. 2 Fingers pointing downward designates that:
the blocker will block spikes that go to the cross court side of the attacker’s approach, or force the attacker to spike the ball to the line side of their approach When a second hand signal with fingers pointing down- wards is shown, it designates what direction the blocker will pull off the net if needed.
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F. DEFENSIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
1. BLOCK LINE When the defensive strategy is to block the line, this means that the blocker’s first responsibility is to block all spikes that go to the line side of the attacker’s approach. The blockers next responsibility is to force the attacker to spike the ball to the cross-court side of their approach, or, make a cut or a line shot. The backcourt player’s responsibilities are to dig the cross court spike, cut shot and deep-line shot. Therefore the backcourt player will be on a cross court angle from the attacker.
2. BLOCK CROSS-COURT / ANGLE When the defensive strategy is to block cross court (angle), this means that the blocker’s first responsibility is to block all spikes that go to the cross court side of the attacker’s approach.
The blocker’s next responsibility is to force the attacker to spike the ball to the line side of their approach, or, make a cut or a line shot.
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G. BLOCKING
The backcourt player’s responsibilities are to dig the line spike, cut shot and deep-line shot. 1. If the digger sees the attacker approaching quickly and jumping explosively then the dig- ger needs to quickly move from the middle of the court and dig the line spike. 2. If the digger sees the attacker approaching slowly or not jumping aggressively, the digger needs to stay in the middle of the court and wait for a cross-court or line shot. 3. If the digger moves too soon they will leave too much of the court available for the attacker to hit the ball into.
G. TRANSITION SETTING
When the blocker does not block the ball, before both of their feet land from the jump, they must turn their head back in the direction that the ball went. Now, the blocker’s #1 number 1 responsibil- ity is to set any ball that their partner digs. When the head turns it also will turn the shoulders and hips - when done correctly one of the blockers feet will now be facing away from the net as they land. Landing with one foot turned back into the court gives the blocker a better chance to get to ball and set it when their partner digs it. H. BLOCKER TRANSITION SETTING DRILL
Practice a block jump, turning your head, finding and getting to the ball and setting your partner.
GOOD TO KNOW
The blocker’s ability to consistently set a ball dug by their partner is one of the most underrated but highly valuable skills in Beach Volleyball.
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G. BLOCKING H.BLOCKER READING THE PLAY
There are many different variables that influence where the blocker should position them self to make their block jump.
Fundamental points The blocker’s abilities A major factor that impacts the defense is that the blocker gets to the net and waits for the setter to contact the ball before they decide if they will stay at the net and block or pull off the net to be a backcourt digger. Regardless of the location of the pass or setter, the blocker must be at the net when the setter is making contact with the ball! If the blocker pulls off the net before they should or stays at the net when they should have pulled off they make it very easy on the offence and very difficult on the backcourt digger.
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G. BLOCKING I. DRILL - WATCH THE SET - BLOCK OR PULL
The attacker passes or tosses the ball toward the setter; the setter either will push the set up to the net (1 m/3’ or closer) or will set the ball off the net (more than 1.25 m / 4’).
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G. BLOCKING J. BLOCKER PULLING OFF THE NET
Depending on how long partners have been playing together, there are 2 ways for the blocker to tell their partner what direction they will be pulling off the net.
1. Hand Signals before the serve – the hands signals will include a second signal show- ing 1 or 2 fingers – this method is the most common. 2. During the play adjustment – the blocker pulls off the net in the direction that they feel will al- low their team the best opportunity to dig the attacker. The direction is based on what the at- tacker’s tendencies are considering the specific circumstances. The backcourt player adjusts their court position to any direction that the blocker pulls back in.
1. PULLING LINE
2. PULLING ANGLE
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G. BLOCKING The exact area that the blocker pulls when pulling line or angle depends on what the blocker believes the at- tacker’s tendencies will be for that spe- cific attack.
GOOD TO KNOW
The blocker’s ability to consistently set a ball dug by their partner is one of the most underrated but highly valuable skills in Beach Volleyball. As always, the backcourt player must be patient as the blocker is pulling off the net and not guess where the attacker will hit the ball.
Depending on the exact direction that the blocker is pulling the digger must stay in the middle of the court as long as possible before they move because the middle of the court is the easiest place for the attacker to hit the ball when a set is off the net.
K. DRILL – PULL OFF THE NET AND DIG
L. DRILL – PULL OFF THE NET AND SET
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G. BLOCKING M. OFFENCE TO DEFENSE TRANSITION
When the offences attack is not successful and the defense digs the ball, the offence needs to im- mediately transition to the exact defensive positioning that they would be in if they had just served the ball. This requires one of the players to become the blocker and without delay get within an arms length of the net before the setter makes contact with the ball. The blocker will also give the back-court player a hand signal to show what the blocking and back- court responsibilities are.
Combine these basic strategies (and more) to create more scoring opportunities.
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G. BLOCKING
GOOD TO KNOW
The blocker’s ability to consistently set a ball dug by their partner is one of the most underrated but highly valuable skills in Beach Volleyball.
225 CHAPTER 12 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES & DRILLS
H. DIGGING
INTRODUCTION The goal of each player in defense is the same goal that the offence has – score /gain /win Earn Points. Before points are earned/won on defense, there is a great deal of strategy, focus, discipline and ef- fort that is required. Great defense begins with not giving up points on offence.
GOOD TO KNOW
If you don't make mistakes on offence, it allows you more mental and physical energy to adjust to the tendencies of your opponents.
If the serve is difficult to pass and the pass is difficult to set, then playing defense becomes less complicated. After the serve, defense is all about getting to the correct court position, being in the correct body position and then understanding and reacting to the tendencies of the setter and the attacker.
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H. DIGGING
Understanding and reacting to all of these seven variables is called reading the play and it's a critical component of playing great defense.
Consistent point scoring opportunities are created when the blocker or back court player touches every ball that the offence contacts. Capitalizing on the mistakes that the offence makes puts more and more pressure on the attacker to place the ball perfectly. This mental pressure usual results in the setter and the attacker making even more mistakes. Another very important aspect of defense is maximizing the abilities of both defensive players. This means knowing what the blocker does well and what the back court player does well, then putting the offence into the situations that best suits the strengths of the defense. Defense is not at all about guessing what you think the offence will do – instead, defense is all about putting the offence into difficult situations and then, understanding and adapting to what the offence actually does
A. BACKCOURT DEFENSE – COURT POSITION
The starting body position when playing backcourt defense is:
227 CHAPTER 12 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES & DRILLS
H. DIGGING
Body position - back court player To be able to run down a shot or dig a spike your balance and weight must always be on the balls of your feet GOOD TO KNOW
It is impossible to play consistent backcourt defense if your weight is on your heels and/or you are 'flat-footed' in the sand.
The starting court position is to be in line for a cross court spike and about two steps and a dive from where a well-placed line or cut shot will land. This means the back-court player will be about 2 meters / 7 feet ' from the back line of the court. How far away from the side lines the back-court player will need to be will depend on what the blocker is doing and what the tendencies of the attacker are.
A. DIGGING TECHNIQUES
There are three major techniques used to dig the ball:
Two-handed overhead, passing or digging is when the ball is contacted slightly above and in front of the forehead with the outside edge of both hands and little fingers.
One-handed overhead passing is when the ball is contacted with one hand above the head on the area between the second and third knuckles of the index, middle and ring fingers.
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H. DIGGING The critical key to all of the digging techniques is body balance and controlled arms. Any exces- sive movement or tightness of the hands or arms will at best result in a poorly controlled and very difficult dig to set. 1. ARM SWING READ
This drill is to help learn how to be patient on defense while reading the attacker's arm swing - ra- ther than guessing where the ball will go. STEP 1: Have a player stand on a bench that is about 1 m from the net. On the other side of the net a player gets into position to defend against the cross-court spike and a line or cut shot. STEP 2: The player on the bench will be attacking the ball and will act as if there is a blocker blocking the line spike. STEP 3: The player on the bench must make sure to toss the ball the height of a normal set and also make contact with the ball as high above their head as possible. STEP 4: The player on the bench will make a cut shot, a line shot or spike the ball cross-court. STEP 5: The backcourt digger will do everything possible to dig every ball that is attacked, if they can't dig the ball they must at least touch the ball. This drill can be done with a setter and/or blocker to help further simulate game situations. Not only is this drill great practice for the defensive player but it is also great practice for the at- tacker If the attacker's arm swing is consistent, it will be very diffi- cult for the defensive player to read where the ball is being hit to. If the attacker's arm swing significantly changes with the target location, the defensive player will be able to easily read and dig the majority of the attacks made.
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H. DIGGING 2. DIG, APPROACH AND ATTACK – DRILL
To practice the dig approach and attack of the ball, also called transition defense, STEP 1: Start with the backcourt defensive player lined up to dig a cross-court spike. STEP 2: The other player stands on the same side of the net as the digger the same spot as if they are blocking a line spike, but with the ball, and facing the defender. STEP 3:
The player at the net, the attacker: -does NOT jump – and either -spikes the ball directly at the back court player, or -makes a cut or line shot .
The back court player: -digs the ball up into the air, -up to the net and -keeps the ball on their side of the court and in front of them. DO NOT dig the ball back to the hitter .
The attacker (now setter): -Gets behind the ball -Sets the ball up to the net -Moves their entire body in the direction of the set -The digger approaches and attacks It is very im- portant that the attacker tosses the ball high in the air, goes through the entire arm swing motion and makes contact with the ball as high as possible above their head so that they give the defensive player the oppor- tunity to read their arm swing.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY AND READING LIST
1. Basic Coaching Manual - I.A.A.F., 3 Hans Crescent, Knightsbridge, London SWIX, England. 2. Beach Volleyball, Karch Kiraly, Byron Shewman 1999 3. Beach Volleyball California E-Drill Book, Hayden Jones, Daniel Dalanhese 4. Beach Volleyball Drill-book, FIVB, Hayden Jones, Daniel Dalanhese 5. Burgomaster KA. et al (2008) Similar metabolic adaptations during exercise after low volume sprint interval and traditional endurance training in humans .J Physiol 6. But First - B.A.F. 225A Bristol Rd, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7UB. 7. Club Coach Coaching Theory Manual, British Amateur Athletic Board, Edgbaston House, 3 Duchess Place, Birmingham B16 8NM. 8. Coaching Theory Manual, British Athletic Federation, 225a Bristol Rd, Birmingham B5 7ub 9. DAVIS, B. et al. (2000) Training for physical fitness. In: DAVIS, B. et al. Physical Education and the study of sport. Spain: Harcourt Publishers 10. Discus throwing, Max Jones, - B.A.F. 225A Bristol Rd, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7UB. 11. FIVB Coaches Manual Level I 12. FIVB E-BOOK, Dan Doubroff 13. GODFREY, R.J. et al. (2005) The detraining and retraining of an elite rower: a case study. J Sci Med Sport 14. HAWLEY, J. (2008) Specificity of training adaptation: time for a rethink? Journal of Physiology 15. Long Jump, Malcolm Arnold, British Amateur Athletic Board, Edgbaston House, 3 Duchess Place, Birmingham B16 8NM. 16. Manual of Training, Weineck 17. Peak When It Counts - William H. Freeman Tafnews Press, Book Division of Track and Field News, Box 296, Los Altos, California, 94023, U.S.A. 18. Periodization Theory and Methodology of Training, Tudor O. Bompa, G. Gregory Haff 2009 19. Race Walking - Peter Markham - British Amateur Athletic Board, Edgbaston House, 3 Duchess Place, Birmingham B16 8NM. 20. Shot putting, Max Jones, - B.A.F. 225A Bristol Rd, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7UB. 21. So You Want To Start - Winter Enterprises, 1430 Cherrydale Drive, San Jose, California 95125. 22. SUNI, J. H. et al. (1996). Health-related fitness test battery for adults: aspects of reliability. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation 23. TANCRED, B. (1995) Key Methods of Sports Conditioning. Athletics Coach, 24. Thirteen Attributes of Success, Dr Brian Jude, Zebra Press, P.O. Box 5563, Rivonia, 2128 25. Training Theory, Frank Dick - British Athletic Federation, Edgbaston House, 3 Duchess Place, Birmingham B16 8nm 26. Volleyball / Beach Volleyball, Volleyball Australia, Advanced Coaching Manual, Mark Lebedew 2009
WEBSITES
1. http://www.alexandravolley.com/
2. http://www.beachvolleyballtoday.com/
3. https://www.fivb.org/EN/Development/Document/FIVB_Beachvolley_Drill-Book_final.pdf
4. http://www.ffvb.org/index.php?mduuseid=Mw%3D%3D&dsgtypid=37&page=actu&actid=MTY zNw%3D%3D
5. http://cluster006.ovh.net/~fbwone/clients/beta/fivb/web/index.php?pn=downloadable-documents- and-fivb-resources&l=en
6. https://www.cavbacademy.org
7. http://www.brianmac.co.uk/conditon.htm
8. https://www.icce.ws/
9. https://thesportjournal.org/
10. http://www.sports-training-adviser.com/sportstrainingprinciples.htm
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