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Post by ohiovalley on Aug 16, 2007 12:47:40 GMT -5
Is the coach attempting to tell you how to do your job? I think there are plenty of good reasons to put blocking on the back-burner for an 8th grade team. Blocking has to be the 8th or 9th most essential skill to learn in the development process. It is mostly unnecessary at the middle school level and it will allow the team to focus more on more crucial skills like passing, defense, setting, hitting, etc. I would keep my nose out of this issue.
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Post by azvb on Aug 16, 2007 13:36:29 GMT -5
I mentioned in my previous post I coached my daughters 8th grade team. I was actually a volunteer. The coach was a Industrial Arts teacher (shop) who knew nothing. My daughter asked if he would mind if I helped. He was thrilled. I walked in the first day, the girls were playing. My daughter went up and absolutely crushed an over pass. I thought, "Wow-she's gotten better." As I got closer to the court, I realized the net was 6 feet high. Then went over to the coach and introduced myself. He thanked me for helping and showed me his tryout list. I asked what the numbers next to "bumping" were. He said he timed them "bumping" against the wall. He wanted to find out who the fastest bumpers were. Oh my. First game we were up by a lot and I suggested he put someone in for my daughter-she was serving aces and it was getting embarrassing. He said, "I think it's illegal to put someone in for the server."
Poor guy-he meant well. No one else would do it so he volunteered. To his credit, he accepted help. I have lots more stories of my encounters with referees that season. Save them for another time or thread.
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Post by INcrediBall on Aug 16, 2007 14:46:30 GMT -5
Thanks, all. I appreciate the replies. As always, agree with some of it, but not all. Have taken all into consideration.
Got my EZboard account working!
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Post by pogoball on Aug 16, 2007 19:29:35 GMT -5
A coaching friend of mine has been a highly successful middle school coach for years, having won numerous city championships in a highly competitive league involving over 100 schools.
He runs only one blocker, the setter, and no transition. Many of his players serve underhand. Most of the offense consists of setting the kid playing middle up on the 10' line hitting a down ball. Sometimes successful high school coaches moonlight in the league and run all sorts of high level systems. His teams regularly beat them with less talent.
These are not kids who cannot play. The players run sophisticated systems in club. However, there usually are a few players with less experience that need to work into the team.
His school feeds the most successful high school in the area, so his unsophisticated systems haven't stunted the development of the players. I think one of the primary reasons that his players go on to have such success is that after they finish playing for him, they all love volleyball.
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Post by baywatcher on Aug 17, 2007 0:00:30 GMT -5
As a practical matter, in what would be a "normal" eigth grade match out here in California there would be little blocking actually accomplished, and when the middles do actually block the ball, it drops on their own side of the court, or, more often, dribbles over and off the blockers hands and drops for a point for the other, hitting, team in the exposed middle of the court. If I really had to win I would retreat back in a freeball type defense nearly everytime and take away the "black hole" in the middle. However, that defense doesn't work in any really sophisticated game and blockers need to learn to read and react. Can't see abandoning blocking altogether. It's kind of like a just get serves in, and return everything, without trying to get a spike, game plan. You will win lots in 8th grade doing that, but eventually you need an offense.
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UJ
Freshman
"Ain't it grand the wind stopped blowin?..."
Posts: 96
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Post by UJ on Aug 17, 2007 11:49:26 GMT -5
I think one of the primary reasons that his players go on to have such success is that after they finish playing for him, they all love volleyball. Develop the Love and the other skills will follow... There's nothing like seeing the light go on with a 7th or 8th grade kid.... It's awesome!!! Then sometimes they go on to play in HS and college.... What a reward!!!
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