Movement and Technical Skills & Drills for Youth Players

In volleyball, movement skills are the most important first skills to teach to young players. In this presentation, Cheryl Butler demonstrates how to incorporate movement and ball control drills into every practice in a short amount of time.

Coach Butler introduces a series of volleyball-specific movement drills that will not only get players warmed up, but will also teach the proper moving technique required to excel in volleyball. Although these movement drills are great for players of all ages, Coach Butler encourages introducing them to girls at a young age, even before they start to learn how to play volleyball.

Coach Butler uses two different age groups to demonstrate each drill. As players ages 11-13 are taken through the more advanced version of each drill, Coach Butler shows how to modify each drill for first through fifth graders. Modifying these drills for younger players establishes a great foundation at an earlier age.

Movement Drills for Warm-up
Coach Butler starts with warm-up drills using volleyball movements without a ball. This is the "active warm-up" technique that her teams use at the beginning of every practice. The series includes eight different shuffle drills that can be completed in less than 10 minutes; defensive posture, shuffle steps, directional movements and change of direction are covered. A blocking movement drill is also shown with a variation that can be used with very young players.

Use the techniques in this segment to help players simultaneously execute proper volleyball movements and warm up properly.

Ball Control Movement Drills
Many ball control drills are done while the athletes are stationary, which is unrealistic to the sport of volleyball. Coach Butler shares a series of movement drills that focus on ball control. These drills work on passing and setting while in motion. They require movement and many of them will work on controlling the ball outside the midline of the body.

Partner drills are shown (can be used with both platform passing and overhead passing) that require court movement in order to keep the ball alive. Serve receive movements are practiced during a drill that requires players to move forward to receive short serves, and drop and shuffle back to receive deep serves. Coaches who want to improve their serve receive passing will find these drills beneficial and easy to implement.

Defensive Movement Drills
The final section of the presentation focuses on defense and movement drills. These drills create fast-paced, chaotic situations that require players to stay under control and dig the ball to target. These are multi-player drills that will also require a high level of communication among players. The intensity of these drills will really help players prepare for the pace of fast action rallies in game situations.

Movement is the basis of all skills. Athletes who understand the proper way to move to a ball will be more successful in each skill. Coach Butler gives you many great drills to help you get your players moving.

Produced at the 2014 AVCA Spring Clinic in Chicago, IL.

"The great part is with every drill that she presents with talented 13U players demonstrating, she also uses a group of 1st-5th grade players to demonstrate a modified version of the drill so they can be successful as well. The skills and drills that are being worked on are things that even college players need to practice on a regular basis." - Shawn Stoliker

56 minutes. 2015.