Okay, so I’ve been trying to get my elementary school kids more into volleyball. But, you know, regulation volleyball is way too complicated for them. So, I started messing around with modified games, and it’s been pretty fun! Here’s what I’ve been up to:
First Steps: Getting the Feel of the Ball
First thing I did was ditch the regular volleyballs. Too hard, too intimidating. I got a bunch of those softer, lighter training balls – way less scary for little hands and arms. We started with just tossing and catching.
- Partner Toss: Kids pair up and just toss the ball back and forth. I encouraged them to try and get it high, like a volleyball pass, but no pressure if it wasn’t perfect.
- Self Toss and CatchI had them working on tossing to themselves.
I emphasized, over and over, just getting comfortable with the ball. No spiking, no serving, just feeling it in their hands.
Moving On: Basic Skills, Simplified
Then after that, the kids started to move on to introduce some actual volleyball-like movements, all still super simplified.
- “Bumping” Practice: Instead of perfect forearm passes, I just told them to try and “bump” the ball up in the air using their forearms. We did this in pairs, trying to keep the ball going back and forth.
- “Setting” Practice: Same idea, but with an overhand “set” motion. Again, no pressure for perfection, just getting the feel for pushing the ball up.
Lots of dropped balls, lots of giggles, but they were getting the basic idea.
Game Time! (Modified, of course)
Now for the fun part – actual games! But, you know, modified games.
- Beach Ball Volleyball: The classic! A giant, lightweight beach ball is the perfect “volleyball” for beginners. We just used a low net (or sometimes just a rope) and let them whack away at it. Rules were super loose – basically, just try to get it over.
- One-Bounce Volleyball: Same basic setup, but we allowed the ball to bounce once on each side. This gave them more time to react and made it a little easier to keep the ball in play.
- Four Square Volleyball: I marked out a big four-square court on the gym floor. Kids rotate through the squares, and the “server” (in the top square) has to serve the ball into another square. We used the one-bounce rule here too.
The key here was keeping it low-pressure and fun. No keeping score, lots of encouragement, and plenty of breaks for water and silliness.
Making Progress
It’s been a few weeks, and I’m seeing some real improvement! They’re getting more confident with the ball, their “bumps” and “sets” are getting (a little) better, and they’re actually starting to look like they’re playing volleyball – sort of! I started throwing in some more “challenging rules for the kids that showed greater interest, such as no bounces”
It’s definitely a work in progress, but it’s been so rewarding to see them get excited about volleyball. And hey, even if they never become pros, at least they’re having fun and getting some exercise!
