Camp Ideas Tips
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A 4th Ice-Breaking Relay
Here's another game players at all levels seem to love.
It involves having all the players laying on their backs in relay fashion, bottoms of the feet touching the person's shoulders in front of them.
The object is to take a volleyball, clutch it with your feet, lift it over your body and pass it to the feet of the next player. As soon as the player has successfully passed the ball, they get up and run to the end of the line, so the ball can continue being passed.
Once they get the hang of it, the ball can go quite quickly, which means players have to hustle to get into position before it arrives back to them again.
A hilarious moment occurs when the relay must turn around at the wall on the far end of the gym to head back toward the starting line. Players must begin passing the ball at an angle to make the hairpin turn, and everyone has a great time, laughing and cheering as the relay continues.
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Another Camp Ice Breaker Relay
Here's another fun ice-breaking relay, one we've used at every level of expertise, and everyone loves it.
Have players in relay teams of 6 or 8 (has to be an even number, because players will race in pairs). Have everyone partner up, and be ready when their time comes.
Have the first 2 players link arms, back-to-back, back-to-front or front-to-front, it doesn't matter. Then, stuff a volleyball between them. They mustn't use their hands, but must keep the volleyball from hitting the ground all the way to the other end of the gym and back.
I've seen many ways of doing it, and the idea is to encourage creativity. They can run sideways, front-to-back, or however they want, so long as they don't use their hands.
It makes for alot of fun and creative teamwork.
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Teaching Skills, Sequence Suggestions
If you've never run a camp before, here's a basic sequence you might want to consider. It gives players a logical sequence of events, in the order they will happen in game situations, and allows coaches to build on each prior step as they move to the next skill:
1) Serving begins everything. With no serve a team never scores.
2) Passing. Without a good pass, running an offense isn't possible.
3) Setting. Once the ball is passed to the net, someone has to redirect it to the proper places.
4) Spiking. Although everyone wants to do this first, it's really #4 in the overall scheme of things.
5) Blocks. It's the most advanced skill in the game, and generally only comes into play in the more advanced levels.
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Close Order Setting Drill
Have two players sit cross-legged, facing each other close enough for their knees to touch. Then have them set a ball between them, staying under control.
This drill helps develop good hand position, develops quickness and accuracy, and gives many touches in a short amount of time.
It's especially effective at the beginning of the season, or in a camp situation, so you can isolate just the hand motion and offer feedback for improvement.
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A Fun Serving Game
At many of the camps I direct, we play a very simple game after we have covered all the ins and outs of serving. I call it "serving golf."
It's very simple, really. Each serving area, from Area 1 (RB) to Area 6 (CB) is considered a "hole." The object is for each player to keep serving until they have gotten one serve into each "hole" twice. (The equivalent of playing 18 holes of golf.)
The perfect score would be 18, but that rarely happens. It's a fun way to get players to concentrate on everything we've just taught them and put it to use.
We usually give small prizes for the top 2 golfers, to make it even more fun.
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A 3rd Ice-Breaking Relay
After you've had the players do a 2-person relay, keeping the ball from hitting the ground, it's then time to do one with 3 people.
This creates even more of a problem for the players to solve, and is great fun, as well.
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Sample Instruction Sequence
Especially for beginners, here's a sample instruction sequence for your next camp:
Start with serving, since the game begins with a serve. Move to passing, since that's the next skill involved at the beginning of a game. Then move to setting, since that's the next step in the sequence of a play. Then work on spiking, and finally blocking, although beginners will probably not block much.
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A Fun Camp Ice Breaking Relay
Breaking the ice is always the first hurdle for a camp director, and here's one the kids love.
Divide your kids into several groups, preferably in teams of 5 or 6, in relay lines. Hand each player a volleyball, have the first player run to the other end of the gym and back. Then that player hands their ball to the next player, who repeats the run.
The relay continues, until the final player has to juggle all 5 or 6 balls as they run. It makes for great fun.
After we've done that once, we then run the relay with everyone having to carry all the balls each time. If they have no trouble with 5 or 6, keep adding balls to the relay until the teams have to help each other by helping team mates stuff balls in shirts, shorts, etc.
It becomes hilarious, and promotes players to work together for success.
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