Transitioning from the Indoor Game to the Sand Game - Quickly!

Athletes often underestimate the demands of their new playing field - particularly the transition of body mechanics from court to sand. They need to accommodate the physical demands of technique and athleticism as well as the weather conditions of sand volleyball. Head Sand Volleyball Coach at Florida State University Danalee Corso discusses and demonstrates several factors and drills that will help your indoor players progress quickly on the sand.

Coach Corso, an excellent sand player in her own right and a master technician, will help you ensure your players are using nothing but the most efficient movements during her drills. Teaching and understanding the rhythm of the outdoor game is paramount to being a successful sand player and coach. If not coached properly, players new to the sand game will quickly tire of being unsuccessful and quite frankly, tired.

This video will help you to understand the process and time it takes for a player to develop their "sand legs" and it gives you several important drills that can help new sand players to be successful. The drills include Four Corners, Digging Drill, High Pepper Drill and Triangle Setting. These drills will help players the develop fundamental skills needed in playing on sand.

Understanding what is possible for an athlete on the sand and how that is different from what is possible for an athlete indoors is clearly defined in this video. For example, Coach Corso touches on staying balanced on defense and how to dig effectively in the sand game. Being off-balance in the sand game causes inconsistencies in passing and often results in shank passes on defense. While in indoor, players need to dig to the pocket, beach players need to simply dig up, so an adjustment needs to be made in hand digging technique.

As the sand game continues to emerge as a sport at the college level, more and more coaches will need this knowledge.

Produced at the 2012 AVCA National Convention in Louisville (KY).

61 minutes. 2013.