Summer Training and Camps

With summer right around the corner many people are looking for summer volleyball camps. I receive many phone calls and emails from parents asking which camps and training programs are the best. With so many camps; high school, college, club programs, jump training, speed & agility, strength training.... is it any wonder people don't know what to choose from?

Some tips that I like to give to parents as they are looking for the right programs. If your child is just starting in the sport looking for camps that teach good fundamentals and are smaller in size. Going to a large university can be a lot of fun but the larger the camp the less feedback any one player will get. Not to mention "touches" on the ball will be fewer and far between. I always suggest staying close to home and getting in a good junior college or high school camp. If your child is a little older and getting into the sport be sure to approach your school coach to see what they would like them to be involved with. If they are high school athletes the coach will have a summer program set up for them.

If you child is an intermediate or advanced player it gets harder to find camps that'll work on the advanced skills and strategies of the game. Going to a week long camp means they'll cover fundamentals, athletes end up going to camps that are teaching the same skills. I would recommend specialized position camps. Again, the smaller the size the more "touches" the athlete will have but it'll be extremely important to find a program that teaches skills. Just because you go to a camp doesn't mean you'll walk away with great skills, that'll come down to good feedback from the coaching staff.

My personal philosophy for training athletes over the summer is to take advantage of the time. First, it is extremely important that the athlete be able to control their body. The volleyball player that can control their body can then control the ball, it is our movements that tell the ball what is should be doing. So how do you develop body control? That comes from training programs in speed & agility as well as strength. Develop control on lifting weights as well as movement skills helps the athlete control their body. Jump train is important but I would suggest speed & agility and strength as the bases for any sport.

Secondly, volleyball fundamentals are next step in summer training. No matter how long your child has been playing going back to the fundamentals is important. Reviewing footwork and basic skills helps to refresh the mind and prepare for the more advanced skills. Once there has been a review of basics then you move on to the advanced skills as well as game knowledge.

Thirdly, and most often overlooked, is the mental aspect of competition. This is hard to train and very few people approach this part of the game. We spend all our time working on volleyball skills but never talk about what an athlete should be thinking about in competition. Not only should we be teaching athletes how to think, concerning their views about themselves and their abilities as well as during tension moments of the game. But we should also consider how we would like an athlete to behave when they are not in competition. We often speak of winning and losing gracefully or playing with integrity but how often is our sport, as well as others, demonstrating poor sportsmanship or even lying in order to win. I wonder if teaching the mental aspect of the game is more important in the long run?

Because of my philosophy of training during the summer I have developed a program through Southwind that covers ever aspect that I discussed above. It is our Summer Intensity Program, and it is unlike any other volleyball camps or training programs in the area. If you'd like to know more about it visit the club website: www.southwindvb.com.

One of the best things you can do for your athlete is individual or small group training with a good coach. What an athlete can learn and work on in a session by themselves or a small group far surpasses a typical volleyball camp.

Good luck this summer and train hard!