Okay, so I’ve been trying to get better at volleyball, and a big part of that is just playing more, right? But not just full-on games, which can be intimidating. I found that lead-up games are way more chill and help you focus on specific skills. So, here’s what I did this past week.
Warming Up and Getting Started
First things first, I got a group together. This was the hardest part, honestly! I just texted some friends and people I know from other sports, and surprisingly, a bunch were interested. We met up at the park – they have a sand court there, which is perfect for beginners like us.
We started with some basic warm-ups. Nothing crazy, just some jogging, arm circles, and some light stretching. Gotta avoid those injuries!
Focusing on Serving
- We spent a good 20 minutes just practicing serves.
- I have divided the players into two groups.
- The rule was simple: you got one point for every serve that landed in bounds.
- It’s amazing how much you can improve when you’re not worried about the whole game, you know?
- I focused on make the serve over the net.
Practicing Passing (Bumping and Setting)
After serving, we moved on to passing. We did a drill where one person would toss the ball, and the others would practice bumping it to a designated setter. Then, the setter would try to set it up for a (very gentle) spike.
Modified spike ball to reduce the hitting and to focuse on passing and receiving.
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No one worried about score in this drill.
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I just focused on getting the form right, getting my feet in the right place, and making a good, clean pass.
Mini-Games
Finally, we ended with some super short games. We played to, like, 5 points, and we rotated positions a lot. This was great because it gave everyone a chance to try everything. I even got to try setting a few times, which is something I’m usually too nervous to do in a real game!
Cool Down and Thoughts
We finished up with some more stretching, and everyone seemed pretty happy. It was definitely less pressure than a full game, and I feel like I actually learned a lot more. I’m going to try to make this a regular thing, maybe once a week. Focusing on these lead-up games really seems to be helping my overall game, and it’s just plain fun!
