Philomath High School Volleyball - 2008: My Site News
Tuesday, January 6INCOMING 9TH GRADERS
If you’re planning on playing Warrior volleyball next season, here are some suggestions to help you experience success during tryouts and 3-A-Days:
1. Play club volleyball during the offseason (good advice for players aged 11and up).
2. Attend Open gyms (see the calendar on our web site for dates and times).
3. Play Doubles volleyball (see the calendar on our website for dates and times).
4. Attend Warrior Volleyball camp during the summer.
If you can’t do these things, then you’re going to have a harder time making the team:
Front row players:
A.) If someone holds a volleyball up above the net on the other side, are you able to jump up high enough to reach across the net and snatch a volleyball out of the air and bring it back to your side without touching the net? How many times in a row can you do this (without touching the net any of those times)?
B.) Be able to hit a quick hit, or be coached to hit one.
C.) Bonus: Serve consistently, to any spot on the court, with velocity.
D.) Be able to do 25 pushups, consecutively.
E.) Be able to do a 6 touch in less than 17 seconds.
Back row players:
A.) Be able to pass to the setter’s hands at the net, consistently, no matter how tough the serves are. Passing is your most important skill.
B.) Be able to dig to the setter’s hands.
C.) Bonus: Serve consistently, to any spot on the court, with velocity.
D.) Be an excellent communicator. Team passing and defense are a big part of the back row player’s repertoire.
E.) Be able to do 25 pushups, consecutively.
F.) Be able to do a 6 touch in less than 17 seconds.
Most of all, to impress the coaches at tryouts you must:
A.) Play for the team first—your own playing time takes a back seat to the needs of the team. You can tell who players are playing for pretty easily by watching how they act while sitting on the bench. Volleyball is a team sport. Try an individual sport, or find an individual activity, if playing for your team first is too much to ask, but if you decide to play volleyball then you will play for the team first. Success is sweeter and failure less painful when shared.
B.) Be respectful of your team, your coach and yourself by: 1) attending all practices and matches, 2) listening without speaking while a coach is addressing the team or teams, and 3) behave with class toward your opponents, referees and the crowd during matches, whether you agree with what they do or not.
C.) Work hard, or learn to work hard. Your success is only limited by how hard you’re ready to work during practice each day. This is the overall goal of our volleyball program, to equip our players for life by learning this one lesson above all others. We can accomplish anything as a team, depending on how hard we’re willing to work. Accomplishing something special is something no one can take away, something that you’ll carry with you the rest of your life. How would you like this next season to be remembered in the years to come?
Finally, what can I do to prepare if I can’t play club ball or attend open gyms in the off-season?
At a minimum, do pushups, run sprints, and pepper with a friend or pass/set back to someone who tosses the ball at you.
Front row players: Minimum, play catch with someone. Armswing is a critical aspect for hitting. Girls do not play enough "catch" while growing up compared to boys. Playing a simple game of catch can help your hitting immensely. No one to play with? Throw a tennis ball against a wall.
Back row players: No one to play with? Wall set or wall pass. Bumping and setting the ball against the wall hundreds of times a day gives you valuable touches. Contacting the ball gives you a better feel which will help you better control where you pass and set the ball during the season.