C A P I I C L I P B O A R D Court management by Hannah Ross | CAP II, Badger Region
ANY TEACHER WILL TELL you that good classroom man- agement is crucial for an effec- tive learning environment. Nu- merous books, programs and tutorials have been designed to help teachers develop best practices. In volleyball, factors like players’ love of the game, desire for self-improvement and dedication to a shared goal somewhat mitigate the need for this skill set. Still, in settings outside of formal club volleyball – pro- grams that are large, co-ed, elementary-aged, multilevel or some combination of these qualities – coaches may need to develop their own set of “court management” skills in order to create an efficient, focused environment. The mixture of skill levels, ages and temperaments, coupled with the lack of formal competition to motivate and unify players, can make these programs seem intimidating or unappealing. However, with the right ex- pectations and organization in place, they can offer a unique opportunity for playful skill development and unlikely collaboration.
Keep players busy This can seem a tall order at first when there are 20-some kids on
one court with one coach, but it’s an essential first step in good court management. Equally important to giving players an activity is giving them a purpose – they should feel like each ball contact is a chance to make progress towards a certain end, and that every ball contact matters. For this reason, drills that conclude with goal completion rather than time are typically more effective. The more engaged your kids are in vol- leyball activities, the less energy or desire they’ll have to squabble or get into mischief. To begin with, look for situations and drills where players can be the ones tossing the ball to initiate play. This is a great way to give more touches and independence to the kids. With newer players, this can become chaotic at first, so it might be good to begin with partner work and drills that are otherwise familiar and simple. Explain up front that tossing a ball is another element of hand-eye coordination, and that part of the challenge of the drill will be for the tosser to get the ball to a certain location, and for the passer to react quickly and “better the ball” in the event of an off-target toss. Another way to maximize practice time is, when splitting a large number of players into smaller “on” and “target/shagging” groups, consider adding a third “ball-handling” group. Give this group a list of skills to practice, either individually or paired, that is longer than they’ll possibly be able to finish before you rotate the groups. Also, make your target/shagging group as much a part of the drill as possible. Make points scored contingent upon them setting the ball, or just touching the ball, or maybe passing it to a teammate for a third contact. The main idea is for everyone to be working toward a concrete goal at all times, rather than mindlessly waiting in line or shagging idly until
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it’s his/her turn to be the center of the drill. Challenge yourself to design your practices so that, unless a player is recovering his/her breath from an intense pit drill, no one is waiting off-court for longer than 20 seconds.
Choose groups strategically The more volatile your team is, the more important pair and group selection becomes. Get to know your players and how they interact. Who are the peace-makers? The instigators? The workhorses? The chatterers? It is human nature to gravitate toward like- minded people, but this does
not always create the best learning environment. Rather than leaving your groups to chance, plan ahead to arrange players in a way that will minimize conflict and maximize growth. The method behind your pairings will depend on personal philoso- phy and the developmental stage of your team. With a new or highly combative group, your goal might be to maintain a calm, focused envi- ronment. Keep an eye out for confident, even-keeled leaders who will serve as a buffer between the more aggressive and the meek kids. Put the socializers with more disciplined partners to encourage them to concen- trate on the skills at hand. Or, perhaps the players have reached the point where they’re ready for a push. Maybe it’s time to give two goofballs a chance to prove that they can keep each other on task, or to challenge two enemies to overcome an obstacle through each other’s support. Thoughtful grouping can also be a powerful tool to handle a team with a wide range of skill levels. Maybe you want to put players with others at a similar level, varying the difficulty of the drill for the different groups. Or maybe you want to partner a more experienced player with a newer player. The new player will get better tosses and solid feedback, while the more experienced player will get the challenge of chasing down the wilder tosses and passes that often come from novices. There are no universal rules for partnerships; the important thing is to make deliberate choices and keep a keen eye out for combinations that tend to maximize growth. Also, don’t wait until there’s a problem with conflict or lack of focus to start picking partners – that will feel like a punishment. Rather, set up the expectation right from the start that, regardless of classroom friendships, everyone will get a chance to work with a variety of partners each practice in order to learn different styles and build new working relationships.
Don’t try to solve every conflict Even if you keep the kids as busy as possible and group them for maximal success, inevitably conflict will arise. With younger or more volatile groups, you might find yourself swamped with conflicts before practice has even begun – everything from, “He kicked my ball away from me,” to, “She was spreading rumors about me at lunch.” If you take responsibility for getting to the bottom of all of these petty disputes
PHOTO: WALLY NELL
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