First practice: intermediate

The practice, block by block

1. Minutes 0 to 44 min

   Welcome and what you will watch

   Note

   Tell them what you will be looking at tonight: first touch, serving, and who talks. Ask each player for one thing they want to get better at, and write it down.

2. Minutes 4 to 128 min

   Dynamic warm-up flow

   Drill, 1 to 24 players

   Go through the lanes twice and speed up on the second pass. Notice who moves well and who is stiff.

   Watch it in 3DSetup and coaching points
3. Minutes 12 to 219 min

   Middle mover

   Drill, 3 to 15 players

   Groups of three. Start with high tosses. Once passing is steady, let the end players step back and hit controlled down balls at the middle player. Switch the middle after ten.

   Watch it in 3DSetup and coaching points
4. Minutes 21 to 3110 min

   Two-ball triads

   Drill, 3 to 15 players

   The target sends their ball under the net as soon as the toss is gone, so both balls stay moving. After a few rounds let the thrower hit a down ball or serve instead of tossing.

   Watch it in 3DSetup and coaching points
5. Minutes 31 to 343 min

   Water break

   Break

   Count your players now. The butterfly runs best with 10 to 12.

6. Minutes 34 to 4612 min

   Butterfly: serve, pass, set, catch

   Drill, 10 to 12 players

   Walk through it once with a ball in hand, then play. With 13 or 14 players, put the extras in the serving lines and rotate them in. Serve overhand from the end line once the pattern runs smoothly.

   Watch it in 3DSetup and coaching points
7. Minutes 46 to 482 min

   Water break

   Break

   Put out the cones for the hitting lines.

8. Minutes 48 to 6012 min

   Outside hitting lines

   Drill, 5 to 12 players

   Start with two minutes of partner arm swings before the first approach. Hitters call line or angle out loud before it. Watch the last two steps. If the line gets long, shorten it by moving some players to shag on the far side and rotating them in.

   Watch it in 3DSetup and coaching points
9. Minutes 60 to 666 min

   Turn and chase

   Drill, 6 to 14 players

   Slap the ball, toss it right after, and wait for a call. Set a team goal, like 15 balls over in 5 minutes. If nobody calls, let the ball drop and ask who had it.

   Watch it in 3DSetup and coaching points
10. Minutes 66 to 693 min

    Water break

    Break

    Split the strong passers across both teams for the scrimmage.

11. Minutes 69 to 8415 min

    One voice scrimmage

    Drill, 10 to 14 players

    Put a pinnie on each side's talker. Change the talker every couple of dead balls so everyone gets a turn. Spend the last two minutes with everyone talking.

    Watch it in 3DSetup and coaching points
12. Minutes 84 to 906 min

    Cool-down and team talk

    Note

    Stretch shoulders, hips and calves while you read back the goals they gave you at the start. Tell them one you noticed tonight, then give the next practice time.