The Volleyball Handbook Bob Miller HUMAN KINETICS Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Miller, Bob, 1945 Apr. 17- The volleyball handbook / Bob Miller. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-7360-5610-6 (soft cover) 1. Volleyball. 2. Volleyball--Coaching. I. Title. GV1015.3.M55 2005 796.325--dc22 2005014524 ISBN-10: 0-7360-5610-6 ISBN-13: 978-0-7360-5610-6 Copyright © 2005 by Bob Miller All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, and recording, and in any information storage and retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Notice: Permission to reproduce the following material is granted to instructors and agencies who have purchased The Volleyball Handbook: pp. 208 and 217. 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Box 300 226 Albany 800-465-7301 (in Canada only) North Shore City e-mail: [email protected] Auckland Europe: Human Kinetics 0064 9 448 1207 107 Bradford Road e-mail: [email protected] Stanningley Leeds LS28 6AT, United Kingdom +44 (0) 113 255 5665 e-mail: [email protected] This book is dedicated to my family—Margie, Julie, Brian, Heidi, and Brent—for the sacrifi ces, support, and encouragement over the years that allowed me to continue working with athletes in the sport of volleyball, and for the feedback they provided during the writing of this book. CONTENTS Foreword vii Preface ix Acknowledgments xi Key to Diagrams xiii 1 The P Principles of Success 1 2 Player Development 19 3 Team Selection and Cohesion 31 4 Offensive Skills 43 5 Defensive Skills 79 iv 6 Offensive Systems 113 7 Defensive Systems 135 8 Transitioning to Score 159 9 Physical Conditioning 169 10 Practice Sessions 197 11 Match Preparation and Tactics 213 Index 227 About the Author 233 v FOREWORD Having been involved in the sport of volleyball for over 30 years, a few things have become clear to me. It is a fairly complex sport from a skills standpoint, and the perfection of the requisite skills can be diffi cult and time-consuming. Moreover, learning all of the rules, systems, and sequences that go along with the game can be overwhelming at times. Bob Miller, the consummate educator and coach, has worked hard to develop a very comprehensive and easily understandable instructional model of the game. This is what you would expect from a coach considered by many to be a pioneer of the sport in Pennsylvania, who has established winning programs with both male and female volleyball players. Within the handbook, he has broken down this sport to a level that allows him to share his passion with new players and coaches alike. While instructing and coaching his athletes from the classroom and the sidelines for 35 years, he has continued to be a student of the game. He is constantly searching for new information to add to his comprehensive know- ledge of the sport, and he shares all of this with you. This book should fi nd itself on every volleyball enthusiast’s desk as it encom- passes all of the concerns that a coach or player could encounter, from conducting tryouts and developing a coaching philosophy to game tactics, contest manage- ment, and goal setting. Well known for his competitive nature, high expectations, and ability to draw the most from his athletes, Coach Miller provides instruction for mastering the physical skills and the mental and emotional aspects of the game. He conveys his belief in serving and receiving as the core skills of the game, from the middle school level to the Olympics, and in individual and team defense. One of the key features of the book is Coach Miller’s use of his “P Principles of Success.” Applying these principles, he approaches all facets of running a pro- gram, incorporating players’ viewpoints and especially coaches’ viewpoints to address each area. He discusses Preparing, Polishing your Philosophy, Planning, Participating with Passion, Practicing, Performing under Pressure, accurately Processing observations, and the ability to Promote the game. I sincerely believe it was his attention to all of these items throughout his career that allowed him to achieve such tremendous levels of success, and I feel confi dent that you will benefi t from his experience if you incorporate his approach to volleyball into your own game or program. Combining these P principles with skills, drills, game strategies and tactics, and advice on handling other day-to-day concerns, this book will help players and coaches put together a high-quality program. vii viii Foreword Probably the greatest endorsement I can give Coach Miller is to say that I would have been proud to have had him work with my children. He not only talks the talk but also lives his philosophy on a daily basis, and the players who have played for him and the coaches who have worked with him have all been the winners! Russ Rose Head Women’s Volleyball Coach, Pennsylvania State University PREFACE Volleyball for male athletes has a short history in the United States when compared to team sports such as football, basketball, and baseball. Pennsylvania, which has sponsored a state championship since 1936, has been one of the leaders in boys’ volleyball across the nation. And although the history of volleyball for boys and men dates back to 1936 in our country, it was played by only a small percentage of schools until the past few decades. Title IX, the federal educational amendment approved in 1972, provided the impetus to develop female athletics in the United States. This gave volleyball a huge boost; it is now played by legions of girls and young women nationwide, in scholastic and in collegiate venues and in the Junior Olympics. Volleyball for the male athlete also experienced a surge in the number of participants with the increase in scholastic programs, starting in the 1980s and continuing today. My playing experience in high school was limited to the instruc- tion and games played in physical education class. My college experience was expanded to include competition in a fraternity league as well as participation in a co-ed league made up of students in teacher training for an education degree that featured physical education as a component. Student-athletes today have considerably more options. From an early age I aspired to be a teacher, motivated by the guidance, sup- port, encouragement, and positive role modeling provided by my high school teachers. During my 35 years as an educator, I was fortunate to have two modes of instructing young people—as a teacher in the classroom and as a coach on the volleyball court. I always considered coaching a team to be an opportunity to teach “an advanced placement” type of curriculum for the highly skilled, motivated, and self-disciplined athlete. The game of volleyball in the 1960s was dominated by the basic skills that defi ned the sport in that era and could be considered developmentally primi- tive when compared to the fast moving, explosive rally score game of today. In fact, our early promotion of the sport emphasized the term “power volleyball” to distinguish it from picnic or gym class play. The word “power” was meant to indicate that each play was based on three contacts, with the fi nal contact being a spike. Little did we anticipate at that time the evolution the sport would undergo to become today’s game of quickness, fi nesse, dynamic defense, and explosive attacks. Then as now, older, more experienced coaches took on leadership roles to promote the sport and help young coaches develop, providing demonstration ix x Preface clinics and individual instruction for both players and coaches. Each year, even today as I volunteer coach, my continued development stems from watching other coaches and teams, attending clinics and camps, asking questions, and monitoring the strategies and techniques taught by others to see what might be applied to raise the level of play. The skill and movement of the game have increased dramatically since the 1972 Olympics. The defensive techniques and offensive attack speed were upgraded by the play of the Japanese Olympic teams. Rule changes that permitted penetration of the net while blocking, as well as the block not counting as a touch, had a huge impact on net and transition play.