Training the Lost Art: Competitive Team Drills that Create Culture

with Mike Lingenfelter,
Co-Director of the Asics Munciana Volleyball Club and Munciana Samurai Head Coach;
2024 Triple Crown Volleyball 'Heart of Sport' Award;
2021 AVCA Club Coach of the Year;
2023: AAU Open Championship (18s);
2022: AAU Open Championship (18s);
2021: AAU Open Championship (18s);
2017: AAU Open Championship (18s);
2011: AAU Open Championship (18s);
2009: AAU Open and JVA National titles (18s);
Coached HS volleyball at Wapahani HS in Selma, IN;
3x Indiana State High School Champions;
3x Indiana State Coach of the Year;
Coaching at the college level (Cincinnati Head Coach - 5 years, Memphis Head Coach - 2 years);
played college volleyball at Ball State University

Mike Lingenfelter has earned his reputation as a great teacher of the game of volleyball. He's found success through the use of competition drills, which are the cornerstone to his coaching mastery. In this video, Coach Lingenfelter displays shares a collection of some of the key drills he uses with his own program so you can take them and implement them in your own practices.

Competitive Drills

Understand how culture is born of consistency! Lingenfelter showcases seven competitive drills that will allow your players to perfect their skills in a pressurized game environment.

Team drill '32' forces your players to think about attacking the ball with every play. The goal of the drill is to cut down on free balls, which make it too easy for the opposing team to score points. The 'Prove It' drill requires athletes to show they can complete actions right more than once. The game escalates and your team will learn to say what they see and what they're going to do as they complete the drill.

'Low Ball' is a game that will add to your players' speed and retaliation rate. This game is especially great for teams that don't have many players at practice. Every rally requires the ball be kept below the height of the antennas. The ability to think and move fast in this competitive drill is essential!

If you really want your players to improve, they need to be taught to chase the ball with urgency. The competitive game 'Wipe Out' will help you find out which of your athletes will hit the floor when it matters. This drill encourages extra effort by resetting the team's score to zero if the ball lands on a side of the net without touching the floor.

Cooperative Drills

The 'Setter Go' game requires small teams to keep the ball going as long as possible. Your players will learn to communicate with each other as they work toward reaching a shared goal. Another competitive drill that Lingenfelter shows forces teams of three athletes to work together to complete a bump, set, and gentle attack going side-to-side in unity.

Coach Lingenfelter is a master of the game of volleyball, and in this video, he shows you how to create competition and a sense of urgency in your athletes at practice. This approach will transfer into live matches, translate to wins, and turn your athletes into relentless competitors!

57 minutes. 2020.