Email Campaign Archive

Please Note:  The "members only" version of
Dave's "What's It Gonna Be" article that was
released last week has been posted in the
members area article section.


Teaching With Stations

-By Tom Houser

A Note From Dave: If you would like more info
on any of the station drills Tom mentions here,
please drop him an email and ask and he will get
back to you shortly.


A Question for Coach Houser:

I’m not happy with how I direct practice. I want
everyone to learn everything possible, but it
seems as if while I’m teaching, most of the girls
and the assistants are standing around. Then, when
practice is over, sure, I taught 10 things, but I
feel like only 10 players learned one thing each.
At this rate, it’ll take forever, and my season
only lasts 3 months. Any ideas?  


Coach Houser's Reply:

I’ve mentioned a few of the following to you
before. But now, let’s tie them all together and
put a bow around them.

#1) The 10-Second Rule

If it takes more than 10 seconds to explain
anything to a player, then assume none of the
girls in her position know it. (And if she missed
it because she missed a practice, then it’s her
responsibility to make up what she missed, just
like she was in a class at school.)

So, the only “team” thing to do is to put all the
girls in the same position into stations and have
them all learn it together.  


#2) Stations

What you can accomplish in stations? Every single
skill that your players need to know.

Take ten minutes, twenty minutes, forty-five
minutes, etc. to ensure that the fine skills of
positions are known. At STAR camps, I place the
campers in stations about once a day, learning the
skills of their position, away from the other
positions.  

I have no patience with coaches who tell players
during a match the same thing month after month,
year after year. Obviously, either the player
hasn’t practiced it enough, or doesn’t care
enough. If she doesn’t care, then sit her down
awhile. She’ll start caring more. But if she hasn’t
practiced it enough, then fix it in stations.  

Do Stations Correctly! I have attended practices
of a well-regarded coach. One day the coached
wanted the MB to work on hitting slides. So, the
setters and MB’s did that for 15 or 20 minutes.
Fine. But, even though the coach had assistants,
the liberos, DS’s and OH’s did nothing but pepper,
take water breaks, pepper some more, etc. They
began to talk among themselves, “We have that
history project due on Friday. How is yours
going?” I’m like jeeeeeze. What a waste!  

What should you do in stations? ANYTHING that a
certain position needs to know/practice that the
other positions don’t.  

Here is a list of what you can teach your players!
And I imagine Dave and the Gold Staffers can add
dozens of activities to this list:


a) Setters Alone

-Jump setting;

-Jump setting to all locations, back row as well;

-Setting the bad pass with forearms to front row or
back row players;

-Setting back row players on both good and bad
passes;

-Making a decision on the 2nd hit: “I GOT IT,” or
“JENNY TAKE IT!!”

-Dumping as both a back row and a front row player;

-Making all the “fancy” sets: 61, 72 - 92, 31, 32,
low outside;

-Advanced: Becoming a hitter when a teammate takes
the 2nd hit.


b) Setters and Rights

-Think when you set the block;

-Limit being tooled;

-Using the left hand on a tight pass;

-Working together; transitioning correctly so that
confusion is limited;

-Advanced: Rights move toward the normal target
location when setters have to take the unexpected
free ball.

-Rights only: Hit the tight pass.

-“Sliming” the opponents by taking the 1st ball
over.


c) Setters and Rights and MiddleBlockers

-MB’s “handshake” the setter;

-Setting the slide to the MB as the MB does her
footwork;

-MB’s following the setter when hitting a 51, but
don’t run her down;

-MB’s hit a set when the setter is off the net;

-MB’s sliding on a dug ball; MB’s sliding when
setter is off the net;
 

d) MB’s Alone

-Correctly dealing with the overpass: terminate or
give the ball to your setter;

-Correct hand position;

-Limit being tooled;

-Using hands on first contact;

-Blocking the back row attack;

-Practicing turning and find the ball after jumping

-Blocking footwork;

-Slide footwork;


e) DS’s and Liberos

-Pass and cover;

-Reading the hitter;

-For Liberos: attack the good set without a
violation;

-When playing the deep back, move over to the
1-zone when the defense shifts;
 

f) Outside Hitters Alone

-Set the block;

-Limit being tooled;

-Tool the double block;

-Double blocking the opponent’s MB;

-Save the play vs. a big block when given a tight set;

-Advanced: Tip into the double block for the sole
purpose of passing the blocked ball back to the
setter and running the offense again;

-Seeing the hole in the block and attacking through it;


g) DS’s, Liberos and Outside Hitters

-Roll, sprawl, pancake, etc;

-Playing the position correctly; proper footwork
when the opponents set middle or outside;

-Using hands on first contact;

-Make the first hit, then get up and be ready for
the 3rd hit or to cover. Don’t stay down!

-Who takes the seam pass, who takes the seam dig,
and who takes the campfire ball;

-If she’s the keep back digger, does she dig the
hole in her block? Or dig the line?

-Covering;

-Staying out the shadow of the block;

-What to do when a teammate is serving;

-When setting, practice another hitter;


Finally: The coach above has assistants! This
makes stations even more doable! And more
mandatory!  

When you see a deficiency in any part of your
game, and you believe that all the girls in a
position are similarly lacking, teach them in a
station.  



-Tom Houser
Director, STAR Volleyball Camps
Author, “I Can’t Wait” Drill Collection and Ebooks
Head Coach, 2009 Roanoke Junior 16 Nationals,
Old Dominion Region Champion.
Junior National Participant-2006, 2009
www.coachhouser.com  
coachhouser@yahoo.com