Practice 2 is hold still, pass up, serve over. Watch on the couch. On the court, demo 15–20 seconds and start. Game-job videos are for August 28, not this Friday.
Cue: Feet wide. Knees bent. Hands in front.
Tagged players freeze in ready until a teammate high-fives them. Then pairs face each other and one leads shuffles for 30 seconds.
There is no famous “freeze tag” clip. Watch the ready stance in the passing videos — that low base is the whole point of the game.
Kawika Shoji and Caitlyn Donahue. Steal two words: ready position, solid platform. Open on YouTube
Cue: Straight arms. Send it up.
Every girl a ball, or pairs. Locked platform, ball reflects up. Catch on the arms is still legal. Chaos is allowed. Balls on Court 2 are not. If it becomes a storm: 4 pass, rest shag, rotate every 90 seconds.
Position, prepare, return. Made for people who have never coached this. Open on YouTube
Olympian, still talks like a youth coach. Use this if you want to see a clean platform in real time. Open on YouTube
Virtual Elementary School. This is the age in front of you. Open on YouTube
Cue: Hold it still. Hit it at your hip.
If they reach up: Four o’clock, not twelve. Ball stays on the non-hitting hand at hip height. No toss. If she tosses, you hold the ball for two reps. Start closer than last week if you need to. Two in a row = step back. Two misses = step in.
Watch Get The Pancake first — it was made for rec coaches teaching 1st–6th grade.
Rock, hold, step, swing. Written for first-time youth coaches. Open on YouTube · Written steps
She names hold, step, swing. We add: hold it still, contact at the hip. Open on YouTube
Progressions with actual kids on a court. Open on YouTube
Coach tosses the first ball. Catch-then-push is still legal. Bonus if two contacts. Live serve only if a held ball is already going over. The only extra rule is MINE.
Coach Colleen McCurry, elementary-friendly. Steal energy, not extra drills. Open on YouTube
| What you see | What you do |
|---|---|
| They still toss | You hold the ball. They only swing. |
| Nothing over from 12 ft | Whole line to 6–8 ft. |
| Pass storm | 4 pass, rest shag, rotate every 90 seconds. |
| Passes at the floor | Catch on the platform. Score only “up.” |
| Energy dies | Ready freeze tag, 2 minutes. |
| They are crushing serves | Serve-to-score: point only when it lands in. |
| Combo is a traffic jam | 2v2. You toss every ball. |
13 minutes, Art of Coaching Volleyball. This is for Coach Troy and Coach George, not the girls. Open on YouTube
Coach Steve, 4 minutes. Watch before August 28. Do not show this to the team — walk the spots on the floor instead. Open on YouTube
Bump-sets are legal and good enough. Hand setting is a bonus. Open on YouTube
Rochester Youth Volleyball League. Two minutes. Confirm Mt. Bethel’s format from the player packet first. Open on YouTube