Basic warm ups to enhance volleyball skills
Volleyball is a team sport that requires certain specific skills from its players. There are some basic skills that all players should have, such as passing the ball. On the other hand, there are some specialized skills that certain players aim to master. For instance, a good attacker must know how to spike a ball. However, for each level of skill set, it is imperative that all players should regularly carry out certain exercises and routine warm ups so that they can play volleyball at the optimum level.
Bobby Knight expressed this in a very appropriate manner when he said, “The key is not the “will to win” – everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.”
It may not seem like it, but volleyball requires its players to have a good deal of stamina. The maximum that a game of volleyball can go on to is five sets that may as well take two hours to complete. Therefore, if the players want to be able to play at a high energy level even in the fifth set, it is necessary that they practice a good deal of running. Running or jogging for 45 minutes to an hour each day will work well towards building the required amount of stamina in order to play a good and long volleyball game.
Stamina should not be the only thing that is important to a player if he or she wants to be efficient when playing volleyball. Flexibility also plays a very important role. Often in the game, a player has to dive low or stretch out in order to save the ball from hitting the court and giving away a point to the opposing team. Not only that, players have the need to jump high so that they can make a forceful spike or a fast serve. For this purpose, it is important the volleyball players do stretching exercises that increase their flexibility.
A very easy and common warm up for increasing the flexibility of the arms is to perform arm circles. A player can make large circles with his or her arms by completely stretching it out and moving it in a circular motion. This should be done in both directions alternatively. Arm circles can be made in one direction for a period of 30 seconds to a minute before switching. It would be enough to perform this exercise at the start of the day for five minutes.
A good warm up for the legs is to stand at one point and jog. This increases the blood flow coming in the legs and also makes a person more active. To increase flexibility in the legs, a good exercise is to bend down and stretch one leg outward to your side while hoping for a bit in that position before switching legs.
The last warm up that a player should perform before actually starting to play with the ball is to make movements that are made while playing volleyball. For instance, a server should practice the serve action without the ball while an attacker should practice the spike. However, care should be taken that these actions are not executed with the full strength of a player otherwise energy needed during the actual game will be wasted.
Therefore, like Miguel Cervantes very wisely said, “To be prepared is half the victory.”
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. The views and opinions expressed in this article do not represent Bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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