Tips from the Coach

From time to time the coaching staff would like to share our thoughts and opinions on a variety of Volleyball related topics. We hope our players and parents will find this information valuable.

Summer Plans  

Keeping your body healthy  

Performing Your Best at Tryouts          

Questions to ask when searching for a Volleyball Club

Summer Volleyball

Our thoughts regarding planning for a summer of volleyball training....

 In our opinion, the best thing you can do for the development of your daughter's volleyball game this summer is to have her play sand volleyball.  The north Texas region hosts tournaments and there are many opportunities for the girls to train for those tournaments.  There is a link on the NTX site, and we have information on ours as well  http://www.platinumvolleyball.com/Beach.htm  It is a great way to develop your volleyball skills. With only 2 players to cover the court, both experience a higher number of contacts, all volleyball skills are utilized and developed, and each player must contribute for their team to be successful.  There are also grass volleyball tournaments in the area.  Several girls that trained with PVS won a big grass tournament and several AVPNext beach tournaments last year.  It's a great experience and they really enjoy participating. The sand itself has the added benefit of improving their agility, quickness, and conditioning when they return to indoor. Simply put, beach volleyball is one of the best ways for a player to develop their overall skills needed at every position.

 There are also privates and camps.  Privates provide the girls 1on1 or 2on1 instruction that focuses on their fundamentals.   Camps are an opportunity to work with many different players and continue to work on your indoor volleyball game. Important: do your research on the coaches and program.  Confirm the number of kids accepted to the camp, and the coach to athlete ratio. It is difficult for any coach to give individual attention to your player when they are coaching 15-30 players by themselves.  As your athlete gets older, we recommend attending camps at the college(s) she is interested in attending.  This way, she can see the campus and work with the coach.  It's a great way to be seen and to see what they have to offer.  We can recommend several different camps if you like, just let us know.

 Enrolling your daughter in a fast twitch program or a speed, agility, and quickness program is also important.  The summer is a good time to do it because their bodies are not as worn out by playing every day.  As these girls head in to the older age groups, quickness and agility will be what separates the top teams from the second teams.  Everyone's skills become more refined and you have to find a way to separate yourself from the pack.

 Thanks!

 Coach Julie and Coach Tony

Keep your body healthy…

so you can play!!!

 Vaccination- Get a flu/pneumonia shot to help prevent bad colds.

Proper Sleep-  Figure out what is the best amount of sleep for your body and make sure you get it each night.  Manage your time and activities to insure this happens.

Healthy Diet-  Fuel your body with food filled with nutrients.  Drink at least 64oz of water a day. 

Regular Exercise- Exercise helps boost your immune system.  You should exercise at least 30 minutes a day to stay healthy.

Avoid Sick People-  Don’t increase your chances of exposure by hanging around people that are ill.  Distance yourself until they are healthy.

Wash Hands-  Washing your hands helps minimize the germs that are contracted from doors, rails, water fountains, etc.  Keep your hands away from your face too.

Make it a Great Day!

PVS Coaches

Performing Your Best at Tryouts

 With club tryouts just around the corner, what better topic to kick off this section, than “Performing your best at Tryouts.” 

The following commentary contains excerpts from an article published in the Spring 2003 issue of Volleyball USA by Kelly Bourne, as well as the thoughts and ideas from our coaching staff at PVS. With more than 21 years of combined club coaching experience (wow, does that make me feel old), we had plenty of input on what it takes to perform your best. 

Athletes always want to perform their best at tryouts.  It is an exciting time, yet can be stressful if they are not prepared.  Being prepared will help you to maximize your chance of being selected for the team of your choice.  Here are several tips to help you put forth your best performance:

 Be prepared 

·         People always say, “Do your homework.”  I can’t stress that enough as you prepare for club tryouts.  Attend information meetings and pre-tryout clinics.  This will allow you to find out more information about the coaches and the organization.  When you sign with a club, it is at least a 6 month commitment…isn’t it worth doing some leg work ahead of time?  www.ntrvolleyball.org has a listing of clubs by area.  You can find their websites or contact information on that listing.  See our comments at the bottom of the page in the article titled “Questions to ask when searching for the right club.”

·         Arrive early to tryouts. Plan for traffic and know how to get to the tryout location. Walking in late will certainly help you to stand out, but I wouldn't suggest it. There may be a long line at registration, and you want to give yourself enough time to put on your shoes (Side note-do not decide to “break in” your new court shoes on tryout day.), knee pads, hair ties, tryout number, etc so that you are not rushed.

·         Get a good night’s sleep the night before and eat a nutritional meal prior to the tryout (don't skip breakfast).  Your body will need fuel to get you through the 2-3 hr session.  It is good to bring a water bottle with you so that you don’t have to stand in line at the water fountain.

Stand out in a crowd

·         Wear bright colors. If the club gives you a t-shirt, be cautious before you go put it on…is everyone else doing that…remember, you want to STAND OUT. However, you will always stand out wearing a Platinum Volleyball Shirt...coaches will know you've received quality instruction. :-)

·         Feel free to introduce yourself to the coaching staff…especially the ones that are coaching your age group.  Note, I said staff…not just one coach.  Coaches get input from fellow coaches at tryouts, and you want to catch the eye of as many coaches as you can in addition to the head coach.  

·         Ask intelligent questions to show a genuine interest.

Be loud and energetic

·         Being loud and energetic communicates to the coach that you are excited to be at their club and you really want to play for him/her.  Volleyball is a quick and exciting game that is full of momentum shifts.  It is great to have an athlete on a team full of energy and excitement. Every coach I've ever known has told their players to "call for the ball" while on the court so save the coach on your court the time of asking, and be the first to call for the ball.

Have a great attitude and be coachable

·         Having a great attitude will make a good impression on a coach.  Coaches want someone on their team that is  positive and encouraging to their teammates.  Keep a smile on your face and be friendly.  If you make a mistake, do not get down on yourself or start talking negatively. 

·         Being coachable is important. The coach needs to know that you are open to their teachings and philosophies.  If a coach instructs you, make eye contact with them and visibly communicate that you do or do not understand what they are saying.  Do not automatically say, “Yes, I understand.”  If you do this and then do not make the adjustment that the coach was trying to communicate, you may appear to be un-coachable or head strong.  It is ok to say, “No, I’m not sure I know what you mean.  Can you help me?”  

Be well conditioned

·         During our 21 years of coaching, we have been to a lot of tryouts.  One thing that all of those tryouts has in common is that “bubble players” were picked during the last hour.  This means, the last kids to make the team were picked during the last 15-20 minutes before they announce the results.  Your conditioning can be the difference in making the first or second team, or even the difference maker in being cut. 

·         It is important that you do conditioning activities each day between now and tryouts.  Give yourself a few days rest prior to the actual tryout date, but that's it. You want to make sure that you perform at your highest potential and that you don’t walk away from tryouts saying, “If only it had been a 1 hour tryout…I did really well at the beginning before I got tired.”

Be a team player

·         Indoor club volleyball requires 6 players on the court at any given time.  As Donovan McNabb said last season, “One player cannot win a game, but a team can win a game without one player.” 

·         Coaches are looking for athletes that work well together and make each other better.  Do your best at tryouts to perform good skills, which will make the other athlete’s jobs easier.  High five them when they do perform well.  Compliment them them when they do well, and encourage them when they make a mistake.

Be a leader

·         Successful teams all have something in common…they have leaders.  Coaches want to have successful teams, so they have to look at tryouts for athletes willing to step up and be leaders.  During drills, step up to the front of the line and be willing to try the skill first.  Be a vocal leader by encouraging the other athletes and communicate constantly when playing on the court.

 Be serious

·         Club is extremely competitive.  Coaches are looking for players for their team that are focused, intense, and are committed to the team.  They can only select a limited number of players, so be sure you show you are serious about this sport.  Demonstrate your competitive spirit through your relentless pursuit of every ball. Don’t show up in street shorts/tops, jewelry, or outrageous clothing.  In other words, look like a volleyball player.

Be confident

·         If you’ve read this list of tips and put them in to action, you should be completely confident that you are giving yourself the best chance at being selected for a team.  If you have practiced hard to sharpen your skills and worked hard to make sure you are in good shape, you should be confident when you step on the court.  Relax and let your hard work show.

·         If you are confident inside, people will see it on the outside!

Thanks and Good Luck!

PVS Coaches

We'd love to hear from you. Please send us any comments or suggestions regarding this article, or other topics you would like to see discussed.