7 Ways a Volleyball Coach Decides Playing Time

We've all been there. "Why am I sitting out?" "Why does Sarah start but I have to sub in?" "Why do I never get to serve?" These are all thoughts we probably had as players on one team or another. We usually chalked it up to Sarah being the favorite, or the coach not paying attention to us, or not knowing what they're doing... Yes, those are teenage thought patterns.

We didn't often think beyond ourselves, and our parents were (occasionally) right there with us. As a child, my dad was my coach for a lot of my teams, so I usually got to hear him talk through all of the possible game-day scenarios he could think of, and what he would do in each instance.

2 Hour Practice Plan Template

Busy coaches often find themselves heading to the gym without a practice plan. Yes, some of us can get by without a plan, but is that all you want? Just to get by? Take 15 minutes on your lunch break or just before you leave and come up with a plan! Heading to practice with a plan will give you confidence in the skills you're teaching your players. Not only will you run an organized practice, the parents will see that you've shown up prepared and they will place more trust in your coaching abilities.

A planned practice will make sure you are not wasting time between drills thinking of what drill to do next. No, practices do not have to be creative, but some thought into the drill progression definitely helps!

That's why I created a template for coaches to follow! This will give a quick prompt about the types of drills to run, and all you need to do is fill in the blanks.

End of Season Party Ideas

Wait... it’s over already!? It is amazing how quickly a volleyball season ends! One minute, you’re scratching your head trying to figure out how you could POSSIBLY have 2 more months left (or the 2-3 week range for high school) and the next minute, you’re giving your final “good game” and facing a group of parents wanting details on the end of season party. What do you do?

Volleyball Tournament Essentials

Tournament days can be looooong days. Whether you'll be in the gym from 7:00am to 7:00pm, or if you're only going to half-day tournaments, the time spent under the fluorescent lighting found in big warehouse gyms can take its toll on you.

As a coach, there are a few volleyball tournament essentials that, if forgotten, will definitely ruin your day. And even though it seems like a no-brainer to pack a water bottle, I can't tell you the number of times I've had to pay for overpriced water because I left my personal one at home (usually on the coffee table right next to the front door, of course).

Team Rules: A Free Printable for Your SCHOOL OR Club Team

Team rules can make or break a season. There are two important factors in whether or not team rules make an impact on your team:

1) Everyone has to know the rules, and

2) You have to enforce them.

While I can only encourage you to hold your players accountable and cheer you on for sticking to your guns, I CAN provide you with a list of broadly applicable team rules which any coach can implement.

The 3 C's Drill: Communication, Coverage, and Celebration

Is your team struggling to communicate, cover, or celebrate? Read how I run the 3 C's Drill (presented by Judy Green, video in article) and try it out for yourself! It seriously impacted my girls and we have been a different team ever since!

Not Teaching Your Team a Skill Because They're "Not Ready" Is a Disservice

"You're not ready for that yet." Have you caught yourself saying this to your team when they ask about more advanced skills? Plays, jump serving, swing blocking, etc? I heard myself say this exact phrase, and then had a small meltdown that I was not looking out for my girls.

Teach Your Volleyball Team to "Get the Pancake"

I realized something this weekend; I have not written a post which discusses my blog's namesake! So without further ado, here is how to teach your players to pancake a volleyball!

A pancake is one of the greatest game-changing moves which can be found in the sport of volleyball. When a team is able to execute this skill properly, a great deal of excitement is usually generated. Especially if you are able to sideout or win the point, your team's energy will spike, guaranteed!

5 Things You Need to Know About Coaching Club Volleyball

Thinking about coaching club volleyball? Get a better understanding of what you'll encounter by reading this article which compares and contrasts coaching school volleyball and club volleyball.

For many of us, the school season has just begun and we have only a few matches under our belts. We've finally gotten into a groove and are seeing our players grow and progress from those first hectic days of practice. Even though the end of the season seems ages away, it will be here before you know it. And that brings a scary realization: It's almost time to start coaching club volleyball!

Coaching PhilosophyWhitney BartiukSeptember 8, 2016Youth Volleyball, Club Volleyball, Coaching AdviceComment

Free Volleyball Stats Sheet Download!

Looking for a way to measure progress over the season? Stat sheets are the perfect way to measure not only strengths and weaknesses, but growth too!

Coaching PhilosophyWhitney BartiukAugust 20, 2016 Comments

Reverse Engineer Your Volleyball Season

Create your personal volleyball coaching goals through my reverse engineering template! I give my own goals as examples to help you out.

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I'm getting ready for tryouts, and I know a lot of you are too! While I think it is important to know who will be on your team before you come up with team goals, coming up with coaching goals for yourself will help you focus on what you're actually looking for during tryouts!

A Book for Volleyball Coaches That Goes Beyond The Court

Are you a new volleyball coach who doesn't know where to start? Instead of looking through more drill books, check out "Coaching Volleyball: A Survival Guide for Your First Season." I explain all of the ACTUAL work you have to do! There's more to volleyball than just running a good butterfly drill.

3 Reasons to Encourage Failure

If a player knows you will support them through the learning process and their failures, they will reward your trust by exceeding expectations. All volleyball coaches should read this! It will help you develop your coaching philosophy.

My First Coaching Experience

No mater how much volleyball experience you have, there's no learning curve steeper than your first year of coaching volleyball. Read about my experience and the three "pearls of wisdom" I share, then add your own to the discussion!

While I "coached" at most of my high school's volleyball youth camps over the summers as a player, my first real coaching experience didn't happen until I was 21. I was given the opportunity to coach a 14 and under team in my hometown for a club that had only just started two years before.

Prior to this club, there were a few sporadic club teams which would pop-up over the years, but players would typically have to drive 45 minutes to an hour away for the closest club team (my 12 year old self included).

Volleyball Tryout Checklist: 5 Overlooked Qualities

While a few of you are just now wrapping up your season (hello, Nationals!), many of us are enjoying our summer break from coaching, either by simply relaxing, watching the AVP tour, or playing in summer volleyball leagues for some much-needed me time. But as we all know, this break ends sooner than we expect, and open gyms and tryouts will soon be upon us!

Even though I know you are probably enjoying your break from the gym, the excitement of a new season is sure to hit you soon. So while you're daydreaming about a fresh start, here are a few tips to save for August.

10 Uncommon Quotes About Volleyball to Share with Your Team

Share these quotes at practice and watch how motivated your players become!

One of my favorite ways to find motivation FAST is to read quotes. They fill me with a desire to go out and work harder, be better, and overcome the challenges in my way. This is especially true when it comes to volleyball. But a lot of times when I am searching for new motivation, I reread the same quotes over and over again.

4 Questions to Ask When Picking an Assistant Volleyball Coach

Having the right assistant coach is a real lifesaver! Make sure to ask these four questions before you choose who will help you manage your volleyball team for the year.

Moving into the role of head coach is an exciting time. You've likely spent a year or two as an assistant yourself and are ready to put your skills to the test as a head coach!

While you've probably spent weekend tournaments pondering what you would do differently if you were head coach, or jotted down a few notes for yourself when your head coach overcame a difficult obstacle, you've likely got a pretty solid game plan when it comes to coaching.

Volleyball Practice Planning

Volleyball Coaches: Ever find yourself scrambling to come up with a plan for practice just before you begin? Check out my format for volleyball practices and you'll always be prepared!

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You're exhausted, but it's only Tuesday. Too many things came up throughout the day, which meant you couldn't take the time during lunch to plan out volleyball practice for tonight. You make it to practice on time, but you're scrambling to write down a few drills in order to just LOOK prepared.

All of the drills are drills you've done before, and there's no real rhyme or reason to any of your plan other than you know you at least need to work on serving for a while, and some passing would be good too.

Volleyball Captains: How Should You Choose Them?

Before you pick captains for your volleyball team, you need to know the different ways you CAN pick captains! I list four ways, do you have any others?

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As a player, one of the most exciting recognitions you can receive from your coach is to be team captain. As a coach, one of the most nerve-racking decisions in the beginning of your season is determining who is going to be your team captain.

How are you supposed to decide who is going to be team captain? Are you going to have more than one team captain? What are their actual responsibilities going to be, and who will carry those out best?

Setting Goals for your Volleyball Team

My first year of coaching volleyball had its fair share of ups and downs, and despite my years of playing both club and high school volleyball, coaching my first team required an entirely different thought process.

No matter how strategically you were thinking as a player, different components enter the picture as a coach (think motivation, organization, playing moderator, etc.). One major area I overlooked was goal setting.

A LOT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED ON THE COURT IF YOU ENTER THE GYM WITH A PLAN.