Although volleyball was originally intended to be a leisurely recreation, it has developed into a highly competitive sport which requires a high level of fitness. The
wide variety of techniques in the game each has their different physical requirements. As a consequence the player must work on a wide ranging programme designed to improve his strength, muscular
endurance, cardiovascular efficiency, flexibility and agility. The player who relies entirely on the normal club training sessions for his fitness work will never achieve his maximum performance in a game.
It is well documented that the onset of fatigue is accompanied by a deterioration of the skills carried out. Naturally, the fitter the performer, the later in the game that this effect will be manifested.
All of the techniques have minimum physical requirements in order to carry them out e.g. volleying requires strength of fingers and wrists, blocking and smashing the ability to jump high enough to contact the
ball when it is above net height etc. Improvement in physical performance above this minimum in all cases results in improved technical performance.
Volleyball is a game requiring quick, sudden movements and fast reactions. On many occasions the player will be forced to move very quickly to his side or forwards to play a ball. To do this he must be agile.
The demands of everyday life are such that few individuals reach their optimum level of agility without specific training. The volleyball player will need to achieve his optimum level if he is to be an
effective player. Volleyball matches have no time limit and some matches will last several hours or more when teams are evenly matched. To be able to play effectively for this period of time the player must
have good muscular and circulo-respiratory endurance.
A great deal of research into the methods of improving human physical performance has been carried out in recent years and is being continued in universities and colleges throughout the world. The results of
this research are extensively reported in specialist texts and journals. However, the average coach will find these works too deep for his purposes. It is intended therefore to outline the basic concepts and
general principles that the coach should know. Once these have been grasped the coach will find it easier to delve into the more detailed works.
The following is a delineation of physical demands made on volleyball players in the course of a match:
- Volleyball is basically a game of quick movement. Running consists of rapid bursts of speed over short duration and short distances in pursuit of gaining a position from which to play the ball.
- Volleyball players must be able to perform quick changes of direction, accelerate, and stop quickly; accelerate and jump vertically from a standing or moving start; accelerate, dive, or roll; move quickly
sideways and even backward; and be able to recover quickly from any of the foregoing moves to be in position to play the ball again.
- While performing any of these movements, the player is expected to be able to pass, set, or spike the ball while on the move, using the legs, trunk, arms, and hands to get to and control the ball.
As we review this inventory of volleyball demands, it becomes apparent that the performance factors for volleyball are
a) Strength
b) Endurance
c) Flexibility
d) Speed
e) Balance
The maximum development of all five aspects is essential if the player is to perform at his maximum
A word of caution at this point. Many coaches attempt to link skill training with conditioning activities. This is done in an attempt to save time by trying to reach skill goals and
fitness goals at the same time. It has been my experience, particularly with beginning players, that for the most part it is far better to separate skill training from conditioning work. Developing fitness
demands all-out, intensive hard work, whereas skill development, by its very nature, is performed at a much lower work rate. If the objective of the particular activity is to control the ball, the physical
work rate is cut because the player cannot control the ball while working and moving with full physical effort.
Conversely, when practicing individual ball control skills, the emphasis is placed on the correct, controlled acquisition and execution of the skill. While in the learning process, the
application of intensive physical work will take away from the player's development of coordination, thereby negating the process.
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