Volleyball Exercises for Kids

Volleyball is a great sport that's fun and entertaining, but, like any other sport, it takes practice to develop a player's game. Coaching the sport requires innovation and patience, especially when coaching at the youth level. It is important to maintain an element of fun when conducting practices, but one also needs to make sure that effective drill work is being performed if improvements are desired.

  1. Pepper Drill

    • Pair the kids. To remedy an odd number of players, a coach can participate or groups can rotate to give all participants a chance to play. Feel free to make the pepper drill competitive once players get used to it.

      Tell Player One to hit the ball down from an overhead position -- a tomahawk or spike -- to Player Two, who digs the ball back up to Player One. This exchange repeats. The players can switch roles whenever the coach desires.

      Change the rules so Player Two must dig the spike or tomahawk with one hand only. Switch the designated dig hand after some time. Eliminate pairs if the drill is competitive, based on how many times Player Two fails to dig the volleyball.

    Serving Exercise

    • Set up cones near the corners of the volleyball court and divide the team into as many groups as desired. The object of this drill is to improve serving accuracy. Each team tries to knock over the other team's cones.

      Set the rules so only one player from each team can hit at any given time. This helps maintain the skill-building component of this drill and keeps it from getting out of hand. Once a team's cones are knocked down by serves, that team is eliminated.

    Set Drill

    • Instruct the players to lie on their backs. Each individual should have her own ball. If this is not possible, the kids can take turns. The goal of this drill is to improve set accuracy. A player sets the ball to herself repetitively. Moving is not allowed.

      Make the drill competitive. Allow a specific number of inaccurate sets. If a player is forced to move to execute the next set, that should count as an inaccurate set. After a winner is established or time has elapsed, switch players if you didn't have enough volleyballs for each individual.

    Running Transition Drill

    • Instruct one player to stand at the net. The other players should form a line off the court and observe. The player up runs from the net to the back line. As soon as the player reaches the back line, the coach sets the ball for her. The player digs the ball over the net and immediately runs to half court. Once at half court, the coach serves another ball. The player attempts to perform a perfect set for this stage. After the set is attempted, the player runs to the net. Here, the coach sets the ball once again, and the player attempts a spike or overhead shot.

      Continue this series for each player. After the players have gone through the drill at least once, the coach can switch the location for each type of hit. For example, at the back line, the player can attempt an overhead shot instead of the dig. This drill simulates a game situation and provides conditioning.