Implementing a Volleyball-Specific Start to Your Practice: Team Warm-Up Drills

with Craig Skinner, University of Kentucky Head Coach;
9 Consecutive SEC Regular Season Champions (2017 - 2025);
2025 Final Four;
2025 SEC Tournament Champions;
2020 NCAA National Champions;
2021 AVCA National Coach of the Year;
2021 Volleyball Magazine National Coach of the Year;
5x AVCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year ;
7x SEC Coach of the Year;
2006 USA Junior National Team Head Coach (won Gold Medal in the Under-20 NORCECA Championships);
Nebraska Assistant Coach from 2000 to 2004;
2000 NCAA Championship (with John Cook as head coach):
Wisconsin Assistant Coach from 1994 to 1998;
Muncie Burris High School (IN) Head Coach from 1988 to 1989;
Munciana Volleyball Club, Director and Coach in 1988 and 1989;
played college volleyball (Ball State University) for Don Shondell

Craig Skinner shares his concept of time management and why the critical first 10 minutes of a practice help set the tone for the rest of the session. He shows how you can warm-up your players with a variety of over-the-net pepper drills that emphasize keeping players engaged.

Skinner believes in having a base of five core drills that can be used over the course of a week to promote improving a chosen skill. By incorporating the drills shown in this video, you'll find a way to break up any monotony that your players are getting sick of in practice.

Practice Drills

Warm-up drills should provide your team time to learn fundamentals while maintaining a competitive culture. Some of Coach Skinner's drills include:

• Columbus Drill - A co-op drill that incorporates thinking and control.
• Cover Drill - The defense goes into their coverage and then into transition, promoting offensive coverage.
• Many fundamental transition footwork and passing drills.

Skinner concludes the video with his philosophy of why progressing as a team is more important than trying to be perfect.

Coach Skinner displays many drills in this video that are functional for the beginning of your practices. There are also many ways you can adjust them according to your team's level of play or to make them applicable toward the focal point of a practice. These exercises will promote playing with energy, get your players' minds in the right place for the rest of practice, and incorporate a focus on fundamentals.

55 minutes. 2018.