Learning Volleyball Defensive Skills

Shelly Francis: Today on Clubhouse Gas, we’re feeling a little defensive, so pull up those knee pads and dig this edition. We’re back at McCleskey Middle School with Coach Burt Weller on our last show, Burt and class of Junior Chagrins Volleyball Team, showed us some basic offensive skills and today we’re going to get the low down on how defense wins batches. Burt, thanks so much for joining us today. Burt Weller: You’re welcome Shelly. Shelly Francis: When working with younger athletes, defenses weigh, what are the most important skills for them to develop? Burt Weller: Well, we come back to footwork again. The ability to see ball from 30-40 feet away and then decide where to actually pass that ball, it’s not easy in the beginning, we spent a lot of time working on the lower part of the body, the footwork. We want them to have very fast feet to the ball and then we want their feet to go real quiet and center that ball and pass that ball somewhere between their hips and their knees. As you’ll see in this drill, sometimes the passes start at the chest level and go above the head, every week, we try and get a little lower to the point where they’re passing right around their knees, where they need to be real competitive. This drill right here is a servicing line or a passing line. We’re doing the forearm pass and what we’re asking to do is first call for that ball to let the other teammates know that they clearly have that ball. After calling the ball, you need to anticipate where the ball is going to hit the court and move behind it and attempt to pass that ball as low as possible. We try and get them to pass below somewhere below the hips and the knees. It doesn’t always work out that way, but that’s what we coach them to do. The arm swing is a very short snap of the arm, it’s not a big arm swing to control that ball. Shelly Francis: How importance is confidence in a good pass at this age? Burt Weller: It is everything, right now we want every girl to want that ball. We want them to be the ball hug but to do it politely and call for that ball. The confidence comes from knowing that you can handle a tough server with confidence and put that ball it the centers hand, and the more practice they get, the more confidence they gain. Shelly Francis: We hear them calling “Mine,” “I got it,” how important is communication is server safe. Burt Weller: Well, it’s extremely important, without it, a team cannot function. Calling a ball does a couple of things, it lets the rest of the team know that that ball is handled and the rest of the team. The other five member all have jobs to do. They can open up and be ready to help if the pass is not where we want it. They all have positions and responsibilities on the court. But they don’t know what those are until—and they cannot release until that ball is called for. So, communicating constantly about what we see and what is happening is an absolute requirement. A lot of times, we involved movement. We intentionally make the girls moved left or right, front or back and then they get into their passing position as quickly as they can, quiet their feet down and pass. So, they’re passing the ball right now to a portion of the court where our center would normally would stand, who takes that second ball. And then they’re running under the net, coming around and taking a look at the dark camera and then there will be a coach there that normally helps them understand what they’re liking to move better. They return to the digging line and repeat it again. And over about 15-20 minutes, we start to see some very basic changes that occurring. Shelly Francis: With your most advanced players, I see more of a combination, you’ve got to pass, a set and a hit, how important is that a combination? Burt Weller: What we’re trying to do is encourage three touches on that ball, in things of three. Our drills are centered around three so, there is the pass coming over the net, more game-like situations. Our setters have to react to whatever that pass is, forcing our centers to mover in more game like situations, and then the hitters, you need to place themselves behind the ball regardless to where that sets is. Sometimes the set is not where they want it so they’ve got to learn to make that adjustment as they approach the ball. Shelly Francis: We hear coaches talk about play defenses wining matches or winning championships, how is that true in the sport of volleyball? Burt Weller: Well, with six people on the court and attackers are attempting to put that ball where you’re not in defense, if it’s done correctly, it makes it look very easily, the girls are actually in position, ahead of one the attack occurs and they make it look easy. In reality they have to have read the offensive attack ahead of time and moved in from what we call a base position where they’re standing and watching to a defensive position which is just a half-second to a second before the ball comes across the net. So they make it look easy sometimes. But if you can good defensive dig up, you usually can put it away before the other team has managed to transition from their attack to their defense, so that’s why it said alot that defense wins games. Shelly Francis: Burt, thanks once again for your time today. Burt Weller: You’re welcome Shelly. Shelly Francis: It’s been a pleasure. Burt Weller: Welcome Shelly Francis: Thanks for watching this edition of Clubhouse Gas, we’ll see you next time.