Because it's there???

It started with this: http://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/individual-roll-ball-drill-with-genny-volpe/

Looking at this “drill” it’s hard to see the value for a volleyball player. If your player is running for balls in a match that are being rolled to them, have them take a full physical or better yet, introduce them to lawn bowling. Yet this kind of content gets spewed out weekly by volleyball entities just needing to fulfill a promise that they made to their subscribers: weekly content.

How about this one with similar value: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UYtVG7je1s

Using buckets instead of arms. How much more time do you have implanting hardware items into your practices as a way of teaching passing then…say…you know....passing?

Here is another one that got the volleyball world talking a bit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciqYyspR6Mg

The very solid “Coach Your Brains Out” podcast featuring LMU Beach Coach John Mayer dissected this drill in their podcast: Creative (Crazy) Drills released December 3, 2015. They had the same opinion as many of you did.

There are programs like this which have so little to do with the sport you would be hard pressed to know it was a volleyball practice unless the balls weren’t visible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDkCMfQY9ag

As coaches, we are obsessed with finding the “new thing,” the thing that will separate our team from the one across the net. Maybe this way of training, or this drill will do it!

Beware Coaches. None of these are going to help your athletes play volleyball better. They might be better at holding a cone or picking out buckets at the local Ace Hardware, but none of these are going to make your players better.

These are the example of the shiny thing. Many years ago, a volleyball magazine published an article about a two person serve receive. Predictably, the upcoming high school season saw several teams in a two man serve receive and just as predictably, they were shredded up by good serving teams.

This drill, these machines, those video series and yes, these volleyball sites that send weekly volleyball tips and drills: they all have one thing in common. None are non profit companies.

Young, beginning coaches or parents volunteer coaching at the local Y or Park and Rec, might think, “Wow, this college coach says she uses this drill so it must be good for my girls too.” This is the idea that is passed on as these companies send out their steady stream of content. But are they useful?

Motor learning science is adamant about Game-Like Reps in practice; better skill acquisition, better transfer and better retention. Chasing rolling balls across the floor while 10 girls stand and watch doesn’t come up a whole lot in the game. So why?

In the 1920’s George Mallory was asked why he was going to climb Mount Everest. He said simply, “Because it’s there.” A video drill or tip that doesn’t translate to the game, that goes against your motor learning practices or doesn’t fit the make up or age of your team doesn’t need to become part of your practice regimen “just because it’s there.”

Be selective with what you give to your athletes in practice and they will be just as selective giving back to you and the game.