The beginning of a volleyball season is an exciting time for Coaches and athletes. It is also an important opportunity to establish the foundation for the months ahead. Before the team gets caught up in competition, Coaches should take time to clearly communicate expectations, introduce the training plan, establish team standards and begin building the relationships and trust that will allow the team to grow together.
A successful season doesn’t happen by accident. The early weeks should be intentional and focused on developing athletes, establishing a team identity and creating an environment where players understand what is expected of them and how they can contribute.
Start With Clear Expectations
Once a team is selected, Coaches should schedule an early-season meeting with players and parents. While the player and parent meetings may be held separately, both should provide an opportunity to establish clear expectations for the season.
Topics Coaches may want to address include:
- Team and club expectations
- Practice attendance and punctuality
- Communication between Coaches, players and parents
- Playing time and player roles
- Tournament and travel expectations
- Team responsibilities
- Academic expectations
- Social media and technology
- Sportsmanship and behavior
- How players can ask questions or raise concerns
The goal isn’t to overwhelm families with rules. Instead, Coaches should create clarity from the beginning so players and parents understand how the team will operate.
An early-season meeting is also an opportunity to explain the team’s goals. While those goals may include competitive success, Coaches should consider establishing goals related to individual development, team culture, communication, effort and improvement as well.
Establish the Training Plan
The early portion of the season should have a purpose. Rather than simply moving from one drill to another, Coaches should identify the skills and concepts the team needs to develop and build practices around those priorities.
For many teams, the beginning of the season is an ideal time to emphasize fundamental skills and first-contact quality, including:
- Ball control
- Serving
- Serve receive
- Defense
- Movement and positioning
- Setting technique
- Attacking fundamentals
The specific priorities will vary based on the age and level of the team, but the principle remains the same: Identify what your team needs to become better at and design your training around those needs.
Early practices may move at a slower pace than practices later in the season. Coaches can use this time to establish good technique, introduce terminology, reinforce movement patterns and make sure players understand why they are doing something, not simply how to do it.
As the season progresses, training can gradually shift toward more complex game situations, team systems, competitive drills and tactical decision-making.
Evaluate and Communicate With Players
Player development should be an ongoing conversation throughout the season.
Coaches can establish formal evaluation points throughout the year to give athletes feedback on their technical skills, tactical understanding, physical development, effort, communication and overall contribution to the team.
A player evaluation doesn’t have to be complicated. What matters most is that the feedback is specific and actionable.
Instead of simply telling an athlete that they “need to improve passing,” Coaches can identify what needs to improve and provide a clear path forward:
What is the skill?
What needs to change?
What can the athlete do to improve?
Whenever possible, player evaluations should also provide an opportunity for athletes to ask questions and share their perspective. Creating that two-way communication early in the season can help Coaches build trust and help athletes take greater ownership of their development.
Build the Team, Not Just the Players
Technical development is only one part of early-season preparation. Coaches should also intentionally create opportunities for players to get to know one another and begin developing trust.
Team-building activities can be simple. A team lunch, outdoor activity, service project, problem-solving challenge or other group experience can give athletes an opportunity to interact outside of the normal volleyball environment.
The best activities require players to communicate, collaborate, listen to one another and step outside their comfort zones.
These experiences can be particularly valuable early in the season because players are still learning how their teammates communicate, respond to challenges and contribute to a group. The relationships developed away from the court can eventually translate into stronger communication and trust on the court.
Take Advantage of the Early Season
The beginning of the season can feel like it will last forever, but it goes quickly. Coaches have a limited window to establish the habits, standards, skills and culture that will carry the team through the remainder of the year.
Use those first practices intentionally. Teach the fundamentals. Communicate expectations. Give players meaningful feedback. Introduce the team’s systems gradually. Create opportunities for athletes to build relationships and trust.
Most importantly, remember that the goal of the early season isn’t simply to prepare a team to win its first tournament. It is to establish the foundation that allows athletes and the team to continue improving throughout the entire season.
The habits, relationships and standards established early can become the foundation for everything that follows.
Revised 8.28.2026
