Lessons Learned From Former Players - Episode 1
Updated: Nov 13, 2022
The Importance and Impact of Speed & Agility
Volleyball | College-Bound | Athlete | Speed | Agility | Workouts | Katy, Tx | Strategy
Volleyball is a game of movement: setting up for a play, reading a play, transitioning to defense, popping out to hit, blocking footwork, transitioning back to base, the approach, and more. There is almost never a time that you are complete still during a play, which is why at Houston Force we focus on these foundational skills!
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In our first episode of "Lessons Learned from Past Players", we are so excited to feature Coach Shayla Bee to learn how speed and agility were critical turning points in her athletic career!
Coach Shayla has detailed the key points below to help you and your athlete learn why speed and agility are core fundamentals to focus on throughout your volleyball career.
Meet Coach Shay!
Shayla (Maldonado) Bee is a former collegiate volleyball player at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. She played DS/ Libero for 4 years as an Islander. In 2015, senior Shayla led the Islanders to win the Southland Conference title and a chance to compete in the NCAA Tournament.
Shayla has ample coaching experience through TAMUCC camps, clinics, and coached at Corpus Christi Force for two years.
Shayla believes in developing good work ethic and positive attitudes in her players, as these are the characteristics that meant the most to her as a player!
What is Speed & Agility?
Speed: The rate at which something or someone is able to operate.
Moving forward in a straight line
Definitive start and stops
Rate from point A to point B
Agility: The ability to move quickly and easily.
Quick changes in direction
Accelerating and decelerating without a full stop
Rapid maneuvers specific to a goal
Top Two Benefits for Speed & Agility Training
Next time you’re watching a match, pick a player on the court and watch just them for a few rallies. I challenge you to try to count how many steps they take while transitioning throughout a play.
Spoiler alert: it’s a lot! Even when they aren’t physically playing the ball, they’re still transitioning to different positions on the court.
Benefit #1: The quicker an athlete can move throughout a play, the more success they will have when it is time to play the ball.
Take an outside hitter for example, they are expected to pass in serve receive most of the time, so they would start in the back row at the beginning of the play. Not only is it a lot to think about, but they need to have enough stamina to maintain their speed and agility throughout each and every play. The below is an example of a SINGLE rally!
Shuffle
Pass
Transition to hit
3-4 step approach
Jump and land
Transition to base
Step and hop
Block
Transition to hit again
Repeat
Benefit #2: Speed and agility are trained skills, learning correct movements and how to apply them consistently maximizes an athletes ability to be more efficient and successful.
Now let’s compare an athlete who has had consistent speed and agility training to one who hasn’t.
The athlete who has not been educated in how to maximize their movements might take a lot of extra steps to get from point A to point B. This could cause her to be behind, to react late, to be off balance.
The athlete who has been educated, however, is likely more balanced throughout transitions, more explosive, ahead of the play, and ultimately a more efficient and more successful volleyball player.
"A player who takes a step backward before running forward to pass a short serve is a perfect example for lack of agility reducing speed. That one false step can be the deciding factor for whether she passes the ball or gets aced." - Coach Shay
Coach Shay's Story for the Importance and Application of Speed & Agility
In my years as a high school and club volleyball athlete, I was MADE to move and I was TOLD to move fast. However, I didn’t have the opportunity of being TAUGHT HOW to move, until I made it to a Division 1 volleyball program.
"The knowledge I gained in college was something I wish I could had access to as a high school athlete." - Coach Shay
There are many coaches and programs out there who know the game of volleyball inside and out. There are not, however, very many coaches who understand how to maximize their players movements.
That’s what we offer in speed and agility training, we teach your athlete how to move.
We cover the following skills with a variety of individual drills and use agility drills combined with volleyball specific movements to maximize speed.
Jump training
Changing directions
Landing with rebound
Running (Yes, there is a right and wrong way to run)
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We are excited to have our coaches lead skill-specific and applied trainings focusing on foundational needs like speed and agility.
Check your email and our website for upcoming training opportunities throughout the season!