JVA Training Curriculum - 17U / 18U | Junior Volleyball Association

17U/18U Curriculum

Overview

This is the Elite Phase, also nicknamed the “The Full Bloom Stage” when the focus is on the development of advanced team play. The goal of this phase is to expose the players to a playing and training culture that extends their mental, physical, tactical and technical capabilities to the limit.

Athletes should have an understanding of the games’ principles and concepts, and should show emotional stability when confronted with pressure situations. Demanding and challenging training sessions and matches are recommended.

The essential 3 goals for each athlete’s success at the 18U level are:

Be able to work on their own game in a mindful manner.
Be in charge of their own confidence
Mastered 1st contact skills

Coach Description, Requirements and Role

An ideal 18U Coach is a teacher who is well-informed and up-to-date on the landscape of junior volleyball and college volleyball. In addition, the coach should have experience coaching at a high level, with knowledge of advanced volleyball concepts and training methodology. It is important for an 18U coach to be articulate, as well as a disciplinarian with no doubts about his or her authority. Having managerial know-how will allow an 18U coach to be organized and command a team, as well as lead other coaches and teams from a leadership standpoint.

An 18U Coach has the important role to demand excellence and train at a speed that meets match competition conditions. Individual skill training can be covered during warm-up and competitive situations in practice. There is minimal individual skill breakdown during practices and more game systems and reading the game development.

Skill Development

Serving

Technique
- Able to demonstrate all types of serves (standing float, jump float, jump top spin), but should focus on one.
- Have success using a jump serve

Mentality
- No back to back errors as a team or individual
- Make the opponent pass after timeout (don’t miss a serve after timeout)
- Serve the sub
- Recall the scouting report prepared on the opponent’s passers and your team’s serving strategies
- Have the ability to serve aggressively in a pressure situation without fear

Result
- Able to effectively execute a serving scouting report and attack specific zones either standing or jumping.
- Serve all 6 zones effectively (80%)
- Serve ball at 40 mph

Serve Receive/Passing

Technique
- Players should be expected to have excellent technique and execute both linear and non-linear passing forms.
- Players should be able to demonstrate the ability to routinely run through errant passes and short serves, move to (lateral, oblique, etc.) and adjust their platform (on-line and off-line) efficiently on all balls.
- Players should be able to demonstrate the ability to serve receive, free ball, out of system set and defend with their hands.

- Eye Work
  - Demonstrate the ability to read a serve coming off the hand before it crosses the net
  - Consistently say short, mine or deep as the ball is coming to them or their teammates
- Touch
  - Consistently be able to PUSH faster with shoulders on a slow ball to speed up the tempo of the pass and drive it to the net
  - Consistently be able to PUSH slower with shoulders on a fast ball so it is not overpassed
  - Consistently be able to cushion the ball for a soft pass and have a “quiet” platform
- Angels
  - Consistently create an angled platform when needed to get the pass to target
Mentality
- No ball hits the ground without effort
- No fear to pass the serve, want the ball

Result
- Consistently forearm pass free balls to target (95-100%)
- Consistently forearm serve receive to target (75-85%)
- Consistently overhead pass (with hands) serve receptions to target (80%)
- Consistently overhead pass (with hands) free balls to target (95-100%)
- Pass grade goal = 2.4 on a 3.0 scale

Setting

Setters should run the offense and become floor generals! Players should have a firm understanding of play-sets and combination sets and how they impact the offensive system. Jump setting should be a mainstay in practice at this point. Emphasis placed on the setter being offensive.

Technique
- Variety: Setters should be able to perform all 3 tempo sets (including all 3 backrow options/tempos) standing or jumping. Should be a capable attacker.
- Consistency: Should be able to set all 3 tempos and backrow options with consistency to a set target (mitt/setter’s eye) with proper pace.
- Transition: Ability to transition to the net from defensive position (multiple defensive alignments) and all serve receive release slots.
- Athleticism: Ability to reach with their feet and not hands…feet to ball. Should understand and be able to “better the ball”. Pursuit skills should minimize the number of terminal passing errors a team commits.

Out of System Setting
- Platform set a ball 5 feet off of the net and 5 feet inside the court
- Understand when to utilize the back row attack out of system when pass it pushed to right antenna and how to lead the attacker

Mentality/Decision Making
- Leadership: Should understand and exemplify the term servant leadership. Be willing and able to take the heat/pressure from failing attackers.
- Captain of the offense
- Court Awareness: Must be able to “trust their eyes” …. look over the floor and know where their advantages may be located.
- Exploit weaknesses. Need to be able to manipulate and “hold” the opponent’s middle.
- Understand the value of establishing middle and know ALL hitters’ preferences and strengths
- Understand the value of getting your attackers a one on one situation for your attackers (one blocker vs two blockers)

Result
- Jump set all in system passes
- Provide attackers with a one on one blocking match up on nearly all in system passes
- Team attack percentage at .250 or higher

Attacking

Players should know how to score and should be able to attack with a varied repertoire. Players should be able to attack effectively off serve receive, free or down ball, and transition.

Technique
- Players should be able to demonstrate the ability to attack all sets (and score), including out of system attacks
- Players should be able to attack at various speeds and direct their shots.
- Middle hitters must be able to attack a variety of sets to both the power and setter sides of the court
- Ability (under game situations) to attack all tempo sets, back row sets and for the middle to consistently use a slide approach behind the setter
- All transition is executed flawlessly including the middle attacker being able to transition into a first tempo attack after blocking anywhere along the net
- See the block and use numerous tools (i.e tip, roll shot, throw down the line, high hands, etc.)

Mentality
- Efficiently respond from an attack error
- Have an understanding of defenses on other teams and what shots will work well against certain defensive systems; recognizing this on their own by taking an active role in scouting while line judging or score keeping.

Result
- Consistently attack line to seam on out of system ball
- Effectively attack with thumb/pinky down techniques on both pins

Defense

Players should be able to demonstrate the ability to effectively control hard driven, off speed and tip attacks. Players should be able to use platform and hand defensive techniques equally. Players should be able run multiple defenses.

Technique
- Demonstrate the ability to effectively control hard driven, off speed and tip attacks.
- Use platform and hand defensive techniques equally
- Understand and be able to run multiple defenses (perimeter, rotation, middle up)
- Read the attacker’s line of approach and shoulder

Mentality
- Pursuit-Relentless Pursuit! An attitude that NO ball is impossible to retrieve. Never judge whether a ball is playable during play.
- An attitude that “every ball is coming to me.”

Result
- Consistently dig balls to a target position just inside the 10’ line/middle of the court (60%)
- Consistently keep the ball in play using emergency floor techniques.

Blocking

This is the skill you can spend the least amount of time training and focusing on, however it is still important for the players to learn the proper technique and understand the basic goals of blocking.

Technique
- Able to front attackers, give and take line, know back row attack blocking assignments
- Understand shuffle, step cross hop and sprint to hip blocking footwork patterns.
- Utilize anchor foot blocking to close the block
- Understand commit, spread and bunch blocking schemes
- Recognize key players and systems and set solid blocks, always doubling an attacker.

Mentality
- Attack the attacker. Aggressively pursue the block.
- On every ball either dissuade, disrupt or deny the attacker

Result
- know if the setter is back row or front row
- be able to find your hitter
- be able to do proper footwork to get in front of your hitter
- understand a stuff block isn’t the only successful block
- teach slowing ball down is equally as helpful

Team Systems Development

Be able to execute a basic scouting report.
Should play with defined team tactics to advance teams overall play.
Early on, train and focus on individual skill development and techniques. However, team tactics become a priority at this age.
Teams should strive to run multi tempo offenses and multiple defensive schemes.
Players should have an awareness of statistics and their impact on the outcome of the match. Team results are now paramount, but the athlete needs to understand that skill acquisition is still critical to development.
Recommended System –
- Serve Receive – 2 or 3man reception pattern. Understand and execute pre-pass, pass and post pass communication skills.
- Offense – 5-1 and 6-2
- Defense – Perimeter or Rotation (focus on holding pinch position)
- Out of System – Have a designated out of system setter (libero).

Mental Development

Psychological development is critical at this age. The following characteristics should be emphasized and developed. Players should be held accountable for these characteristics by their coaches and teammates.