I’ve been coaching volleyball at the competitive league level for almost two years now. I coached rec before that and am up to about 3 and a half total years now. I’m getting ready to send one of my kids into club. I helped out with a high school team for a season. I’ve seen it at many levels.
The league I coach in now has 3 levels as I know I’ve mentioned before. The Torreys are 9-11, the Grays are 11-13 and Blancas are 13-15. There is overlap because they try to do it based on both age and skill level there. Nobody wants to hold a kid back and nobody wants to force a kid into a situation they are not ready for.
For only the 2nd time, I have been asked to coach at the Blancas level. The first time was a complete disaster. It was hard enough coaching older girls that had a more set view on everything and have had more experiences with other coaches. It was even harder because I had one girl who had an attitude beyond belief about everything and liked to bring the team down with her. It was difficult to get too far into anything with that and then they had too many coaches the next season so I couldn’t continue where I left off with any of them.
Now they have me back. I was scared to do it again because of what happened last time but I knew I could get over the hump if I went about it the right way. I started with a WHOLE new team (except for my daughter who came back to play for me) so it was going to be interesting. The top teams in the league have been playing together for a while now. I know a couple other teams should be progressing because this their 2nd and 3rd seasons together. None of my players had every played together before and half of them had just found out they didn’t make the freshman team as the season was starting.
I got a team of nice girls though! They are all so nice and sweet and they all want to work and they all want to play and they all listen and they all try. It is fantastic! And they still have knowledge that they share with each other but always in a nice, respectful, team friendly type of way.
This week, we played a team that is consistently one of the top, if not THE top team. On top of that, one of my players older sister plays for the team. They were undefeated up to that point. Hadn’t lost a set, more or less a game. The first set, we had a hot start and then went cold. Got beat pretty good. The 2nd set, we beat them almost as bad as they beat us the first set! It was so exciting. And the girls knew what they had accomplished and wanted it again. They did end up dropping the 3rd set in a hard fought game but it was good.
That team still hasn’t lost another set. I’m happy with how hard they are playing and I know exactly where our issues lie and so do they and that’s what is the best part. They knew how they got beat and weren’t disappointed in themselves or any of their teammates, they just knew we had to work on it at practice.
After the game, though, I was talking to a fellow coach. Somehow it got brought up that I had never played before. That was completely insane to her with how much success I’ve had with the teams I’ve coached. I always apologize to my girls when I screw something up and say “those who can’t play, coach”. I can teach it, I just am not always the best at doing it myself. But as I was explaining that to her, I explained that is why I have the hardest time coaching older girls. I can teach how to dig, pass, set, spike, hit, serve, block, play the net, talk, move just from reading, watching videos and being around the game. I have a really hard time fully grasping the systems and how to teach the transitions.
And, at that level in the league, that’s what is the next step; teaching different systems and defenses and offenses. I don’t have those down but my girls still always compete! I knew the 6-2 and 5-1 were the most commonly used systems so I’ve been studying them for about a year now. I’ve got so many different versions of them printed on how to set up the offense, serve-receive, defense and everything and when to transition. I’ve watched videos but never to the point I’ve been comfortable enough to explain it to my team.
So as we were talking, she told me she uses a 6-3. I had never heard of that. I essentially use a 6-6, everyone plays the position they rotate into; everyone does everything.
As I was preparing practice, I did some research on a 6-3. Very rare, apparently. That would be why I never heard of it. But it really is the perfect system for a league like this. Perfect. Everyone still gets to play all around, but the 3 best setters on the court are designated setters. The best part, after I finally found some information on it (it wasn’t as easy as the other ones!) is that it is MUCH easier to understand and figure out how to teach. I was very excited by this. And, I’m hoping that turns these girls from a competitive team to a team that can take a few unexpectedly.
My other two teams are still doing well, too. They have some work to do, no doubt, but they’re working. Both are at 3-1 right now. But, I am extra excited for practice tonight!
The league I coach in now has 3 levels as I know I’ve mentioned before. The Torreys are 9-11, the Grays are 11-13 and Blancas are 13-15. There is overlap because they try to do it based on both age and skill level there. Nobody wants to hold a kid back and nobody wants to force a kid into a situation they are not ready for.
For only the 2nd time, I have been asked to coach at the Blancas level. The first time was a complete disaster. It was hard enough coaching older girls that had a more set view on everything and have had more experiences with other coaches. It was even harder because I had one girl who had an attitude beyond belief about everything and liked to bring the team down with her. It was difficult to get too far into anything with that and then they had too many coaches the next season so I couldn’t continue where I left off with any of them.
Now they have me back. I was scared to do it again because of what happened last time but I knew I could get over the hump if I went about it the right way. I started with a WHOLE new team (except for my daughter who came back to play for me) so it was going to be interesting. The top teams in the league have been playing together for a while now. I know a couple other teams should be progressing because this their 2nd and 3rd seasons together. None of my players had every played together before and half of them had just found out they didn’t make the freshman team as the season was starting.
I got a team of nice girls though! They are all so nice and sweet and they all want to work and they all want to play and they all listen and they all try. It is fantastic! And they still have knowledge that they share with each other but always in a nice, respectful, team friendly type of way.
This week, we played a team that is consistently one of the top, if not THE top team. On top of that, one of my players older sister plays for the team. They were undefeated up to that point. Hadn’t lost a set, more or less a game. The first set, we had a hot start and then went cold. Got beat pretty good. The 2nd set, we beat them almost as bad as they beat us the first set! It was so exciting. And the girls knew what they had accomplished and wanted it again. They did end up dropping the 3rd set in a hard fought game but it was good.
That team still hasn’t lost another set. I’m happy with how hard they are playing and I know exactly where our issues lie and so do they and that’s what is the best part. They knew how they got beat and weren’t disappointed in themselves or any of their teammates, they just knew we had to work on it at practice.
After the game, though, I was talking to a fellow coach. Somehow it got brought up that I had never played before. That was completely insane to her with how much success I’ve had with the teams I’ve coached. I always apologize to my girls when I screw something up and say “those who can’t play, coach”. I can teach it, I just am not always the best at doing it myself. But as I was explaining that to her, I explained that is why I have the hardest time coaching older girls. I can teach how to dig, pass, set, spike, hit, serve, block, play the net, talk, move just from reading, watching videos and being around the game. I have a really hard time fully grasping the systems and how to teach the transitions.
And, at that level in the league, that’s what is the next step; teaching different systems and defenses and offenses. I don’t have those down but my girls still always compete! I knew the 6-2 and 5-1 were the most commonly used systems so I’ve been studying them for about a year now. I’ve got so many different versions of them printed on how to set up the offense, serve-receive, defense and everything and when to transition. I’ve watched videos but never to the point I’ve been comfortable enough to explain it to my team.
So as we were talking, she told me she uses a 6-3. I had never heard of that. I essentially use a 6-6, everyone plays the position they rotate into; everyone does everything.
As I was preparing practice, I did some research on a 6-3. Very rare, apparently. That would be why I never heard of it. But it really is the perfect system for a league like this. Perfect. Everyone still gets to play all around, but the 3 best setters on the court are designated setters. The best part, after I finally found some information on it (it wasn’t as easy as the other ones!) is that it is MUCH easier to understand and figure out how to teach. I was very excited by this. And, I’m hoping that turns these girls from a competitive team to a team that can take a few unexpectedly.
My other two teams are still doing well, too. They have some work to do, no doubt, but they’re working. Both are at 3-1 right now. But, I am extra excited for practice tonight!