Okay, so I’ve been trying to spice up our volleyball practices lately. Just running drills can get kinda boring, you know? So, I started looking into “lead-up games” – basically, mini-games that focus on specific volleyball skills.
First, I tried this game I found called “Pepper.” It’s super simple, just two players. One person starts with a pass, the other sets, and the first person attacks. Then you just keep it going. We did this for like, 10 minutes. It’s supposed to help with ball control and quick reactions. My players seems had fun.
Setting Up the Court
- I divided the team up into pairs first.
- Made sure they had plenty of space so no one got smacked in the face.
- Gave everyone a ball.
Then, to work on serving, We moved to a game with one player tossing the ball to themself and then serving it over the net. The rest of us lined up to catch, with a quick shout of “mine!”. This helped the servers, the other player also practice on their receiveing skill. I emphasized aiming for different zones on the court. After few rounds, the players improved accuracy!
After that, we played “Newcomb.” This one’s basically volleyball, but you catch and throw the ball instead of passing and setting. It’s good for learning court awareness and positioning. I had to remind everyone a few times to throw the ball over the net, not just roll it under, haha.
The “Newcomb” Rules (as best as I could remember):
- Regular volleyball court setup.
- Catch and throw instead of pass/set/hit.
- Three “touches” allowed per side.
- You gotta throw it over the net.
Finally, we did a quick game I just made up on the spot, “King/Queen of the Court.” One team of two starts on one side, and teams rotate in one at a time from the other. If the challenging team wins the point, they become the new “royalty” and stay on. My players got surprisingly competitive with this one! It forced them to adapt quickly to different opponents, and I saw some really creative shots.
Overall, I think throwing these lead-up games into practice was a hit. It kept things fresh, and I could see my players focusing on specific skills without even realizing they were “drilling.” Will definitely be doing this more often!
