Volleyball expertise identification – keys and challenges

In late 2023, in my position overseeing the English nationwide crew techniques, I fashioned a Juniors coaches group in England as a part of my efforts to tell and develop the coaches of Juniors gamers within the nation. In April 2024, throughout one among our month-to-month on-line conferences, we had two of our most skilled youth nationwide crew coaches because the headliners. Simply 3 weeks earlier there was a giant nationwide crew camp and I needed the 2 of them to share with the group their perspective on what we search for in athletes to deliver into the nationwide crew pathway. In different phrases, volleyball expertise identification.

In session beforehand, the 2 of them got here up with the next listing, which they shared with the group.

• Peak – peak of motion (can the participant leap?)
• Athleticism – agility, coordination, physicality and energy (produce and management)
• Sport sense – understands area, time and momentum
• Aggressive – psychological fortitude
• Ball consciousness/management – a superb relationship with the ball
• Adherence to job – ready to be taught and adapt
• Resilience – address the bumps within the street
• Workforce participant – may also help teammates get higher
• Self-regulation and private administration

The explanation I’m sharing this listing is that I feel it’s a superb reference level for coaches and gamers relating to expertise ID. There’s nothing a participant can do about their peak. Every part else on the listing may be developed, nonetheless. That features peak of motion.

I ought to converse to the “produce and management” parenthetical reference associated to energy. Producing energy might be self-explanatory. Management, nonetheless, was introduced primarily in reference to incoming energy. So balls hit arduous on the participant. That clearly has tie-ins with Ball consciousness/management.

We wish well-rounded athletes

Word that nowhere among the many bullets is there something to do with place. That’s as a result of volleyball expertise identification isn’t about particular positions. As an alternative, we would like gamers with well-rounded ability units. It’s one thing we attempt to emphasize within the youthful age group in how we construction our competitions. We additionally strongly discourage coaches – and youngsters and their mother and father – from pigeon-holing gamers into positions early.

I’ve heard a quote attributed to Doug Beal that claims, “We wish gamers who’re good at all the pieces, however glorious at two issues,” or one thing near that. As our sport turns into more and more dynamic and athletic, we want gamers who can do all the pieces.

Sure, by the point you get to about 15 or 16 you’re beginning to transfer within the route of positional specialization. Our England groups play in U17 worldwide competitions, so we do must put gamers in positions. That could be completely different from what the play for his or her membership, identical to a school coach could change a participant’s place as soon as they arrive on campus. And as a Senior worldwide they may play a unique place from what they play as a U17 or U19. That is why adaptability is so essential.

It’s not about the place they’re. It’s about the place they’re going

Overlaying all that is the thought of Potential. I’ve stated repeatedly to the coaches group the youthful the participant, the extra we’re potential over present capability. From an England volleyball expertise identification perspective, since we’re speaking within the context of future senior nationwide crew gamers, and we’re primarily targeted on youngsters, meaning potential is vastly at play right here. The common age of an Olympic volleyball participant is 28. We’re bringing children into the England Pathway at generally as younger as 13. That’s a very long time forward of their anticipated peak.

However it’s not only a nationwide crew factor to be trying forward. School coaches completely do that. They’re evaluating gamers at 16 with an eye fixed towards how they’ll be at 20 or 21. Even highschool coaches do it. The home windows at each these ranges are simply completely different.

In response to choice selections, I’ve typically heard one thing just like the next from the coach or dad or mum of a participant not chosen: However Participant X (the one not chosen) is healthier then Participant Y (one who was chosen).

That would very properly be true at that second in time. However what about in a couple of years? If we don’t anticipate both participant to develop, develop bodily, enhance their expertise, and so on. then Participant X is probably going the only option. The remainder of it issues, although, and peak of motion is extraordinarily essential in our sport (even for liberos being taller is advantageous). As I wrote beforehand, it doesn’t take so much earlier than having the ability play greater offsets a ability benefit.

The world is filled with very expert volleyball gamers who simply don’t play the sport excessive sufficient above the online to be efficient on the higher ranges of the game. The minority of youth volleyball gamers go on to play on the faculty and/or skilled degree, and even fewer nonetheless play for his or her nation. That doesn’t imply they’ll’t benefit from the sport and have lengthy, rewarding careers at a degree acceptable to their bodily constraints.

What does the participant’s path ahead seem like?

A difficult aspect on this volleyball expertise identification course of is assessing probably improvement. You’ll be able to in all probability have some sense of how tall a participant will probably be (there are some metrics to assist). You’ll be able to often gauge who’s an early developer vs. a traditional or late developer almost about bodily maturation. What about different components, although?

• What sort of teaching will they obtain?
• How typically will they prepare and/or play?
• What degree of play with they be concerned with?
• Will they be on an everyday energy coaching program?
• Are they concerned in another athletic actions?

We are able to make greatest guesses about plenty of this primarily based on the membership they play for, the college they attend, conversations with the athlete, and so on. We’re unlikely to get all of it proper, although. There are additionally components of their private lives that play into issues, and it’s arduous to anticipate developments round household, college, and so on. and the way they could play into somebody’s bodily and psychological development.

In different phrases, as a lot as expertise ID is essential, it’s additionally a great distance from exact. Luckily, on the nationwide crew degree we now have time on our facet. We don’t have to choose future Olympians at 15 years previous. In actual fact, it’s virtually inevitable that we’ll miss athletes for any variety of causes. Likewise, a few of these recognized at 15 received’t develop as hoped. That’s why the door has to at all times stay open for each those that could be a part of later and to let go those that not match the invoice.