JJVA Travel Coaches Learning Goals

JJVA Travel Teams Learning Goal Proficiency by Age Group

By the end of the club season, players in these age groups should be proficient in these areas of development.

12 and Under

Individual Skill Goals

1)      Throwing mechanics – Elbow as in a bow and arrow, hip and shoulder rotation, weight transfer from back foot to front foot

2)      Forearm passing platform – Arms are straight before, during and after contact

3)      Four step approach footwork – Right, left, right left (for right handers

4)      Serving hand contact for a floater – Stiff wrist, palm facing target and no spin.

5)      Attacking hand contact for spiking – Wrist “snaps” over the ball creating a top spin

6)      Defensive posture for digging – knees over feet, shoulders over knees

7)      Passing posture for serve receive – relaxed athletic stance with knees slightly bent

8)      Setting footwork – “left-right” during contact with weight transfer

Team Goals

1)      Serve receive patterns passing with five – three front row and two back row. Front row passers at or behind the 10’ line

2)      Running a 6-2 – setter is always back row, knowledge of rotations and overlaps

3)      Base defense – three blockers at the net, right back and left back 5 feet in from side line and 5 feet behind 10 foot line. Middle back five feet in from base line in middle of the court

4)      One blocker defense vs the left, middle and right-side attacks. Other blockers cover tips, back row stays in “base defense”

5)      On court communication: “Calling mine, name of teammate, and action they need to perform” Ie. “Mine-Susie-set!”

6)      Running a free ball offense with the setter in net zone 6. There are nine net zones starting with left front as zone 1. Each zone approximately three feet apart. Net zone 6 would be about 6 steps in from the left antennae.

7)      Beginning volleyball IQ  - Knowing where to place balls where the defenders aren’t standing.

13 and Under

Individual Skill Goals

1)      Hitting standing down balls with top spin – able to self-toss and hit a top spin over the net.

2)      Passing platform angles to net zone 6 – approximately 6 steps in from the left antenna

3)      Transition attacking footwork for left, middle, and right – “left-right-left” for right side and middle. “right-left-right”. Steps are dynamic enough so that the attackers “second step” is at or near the 10 foot line.

4)      Setting ball shaped hands with forehead contact – Setting hands should be similar to the ball shape, before, during and after contact.

5)      Setting footwork and squaring to left side target – “head, shoulders, knees and toes”

6)      Digging hard driven balls that stay on own side of the net

7)      Blocking hands taking space away over the net – better known as blocking penetration.

8)      Serving to zones 1, 5, 6

Team Goals

1)      Serve receive patterns passing with three – understanding passing lanes and seam responsibilities.

2)      Running a 6-2 and a 5-1

3)      Rotation defense to left and right side attacks – back row “rotates” to the direction of the set by the opponent.

4)      Free ball offense with a middle attacking a quick set – hitter should be “planted” and ready to jump when the ball hits the setters’ hands.

5)      Liberos taking over first contact – free balls, down balls, cover balls, and balls that may have touched the block

6)      Intermediate volleyball IQ – Hitting down balls to opponent’s side where there are holes. Setters setting choice priorities of “good set” as number 1, “smart set” as number 2, “tricky set” as third and last priority

14 and Under

Individual Skill Goals

1)      Ball/hand contact with the “thumb up” and “thumb down” to attack away from the body and across the body.

2)      Serving zones 2, 3, 4

3)      Jump float serving – “right-left” toss, “right-left” jump. Arm should have a “throwing” elbow (shoulder and elbow back)

4)      Serve receive passing “outside” of body line – platforms should be able to cover an expanded area outside of passing lanes

5)      Digging balls to the “well” of the court (10’ off and 25’ high)

6)      Swing blocking footwork – three steps – right-left-right to the left side attack, and left-right-left to the right side attack

7)      Back setting – setting hands start above the forehead and finish to the attacker while turning toward the net.

8)      Hitter timing – Left side and right side should be on their “second step” when ball is in setters’ hands

Team Goals

1)      Perimeter/Read defense to left and right side attacks – Off blockers cover tips and off speed.

2)      Blocking eye sequencing – Ball (is pass on or off the net), Setter (is the setter setting front or back, Ball (where along the net and how far off is the set), Hitter (identifying where the attacker is hitting)

3)      Formed double blocks on all attacks – blockers jump at the same time, just after the opponent attacker jumps

4)      Fast tempo sets to the left side – Time sets to the left side from net zone 6 to attackers’ hand should be from .9 to 1.0 seconds

5)      Back row pipe attacks

6)      “2” set to pin attackers

7)      “31” set to middle attackers – Attackers should be in their “plant” when ball hit the setters hands

15 and Under

Individual Skill Goals

1)      Serve receive passing to net zone 5 (one step in front of the setter)

2)      Pin attackers hitting “undiggable” kills off blockers hands

3)      Middles hitting wide slides – Approach is left-right-left  to the left antennae. Left step plants when the ball hits the setters hands.

4)      Liberos 2nd setting – 20 feet high, five feet off the net and five feet from the side line

5)      “drop” and “drive” serving – slowing arm to drop, speeding arm to drive

6)      Independent hand blocking awareness – Hands take different shots with independent hands.

Team Goals

1)      Serve receive passing at 2.0

2)      Serve point scoring at 35%

3)      Attack efficiency at .200

4)      Kill percentage 25%

5)      Side out efficiency 50%

6)      Scoring 14 points per set (kills, blocks, aces)

7)      Advanced volleyball IQ – Understands and follow game plans verses different opponents.

16 and Under

Individual Skill Goals

1)      Serve receive passing hard driven float serves – Having a pass rating verses difficult serves of 2.0

2)      “No look” jump floaters – approaching toward one zone, but serving another

3)      Ability to attack line or angle – using hip and shoulder rotations to “drive balls inside the middle blockers trail hand and outside the pin blockers lead hand.

4)      Ability to take net space away between the arms and the net – reducing the amount of space the back row needs to cover by penetrating the net

5)      Passing skills that can handle free balls, block touch balls and down balls to net zone 5 – working transition point scoring when there is the opportunity

6)      Jump setting off serve receive and transition – using “step-hop” foot work and “spin setting”

Team Goals

1)      Serve receive passing at 2.1

2)      Point scoring at 40%

3)      Side out at 55%

4)      Attack efficiency at .220

5)      Kill percentage 30%

6)      Scoring 15 points per set (kills, blocks, aces)

17 and Under

Individual Skill Goals

1)      Serve receive passing hard jump spin serves – Keeping at least 2 options on these serves

2)      Jump floater serves from all along the baseline to all zones

3)      Disguising tips and roll shots from all attacks

4)      Block touch and control all attacks that are hit into the block

5)      Digging hard driven attacks to net zone 5

6)      Setting all tempos to all attacks to left and right side – Left side timing from setters hands to attack .7 to .8 seconds

Team Goals

1)      Serve receive passing at 2.2

2)      Point scoring at 45%

3)      Side out at 60%

4)      Attack efficiency at .250

5)      Kill percentage at 35%    6) scoring 16 points per set (kills, blocks, aces)