How to learn to play volleyball at 14?

Question

i really would like to play volleyball really bad. im in 8th grade and live in SF. what would be the best way for me to learn how to play? is there any camps over the summer i can attend? i would like to be pretty good so i can try out in the winter for high school. i know i would have to practice hard, and try my hardest but i don't know how to. thanks for your help! :)

Answer 1

Well in most schools, Volleyball usually starts in the Fall, maybe you should wait until school starts up in the Fall and sign up for the Volleyball team, if you feel you are not that good talk to the coach and ask for some helpful tips.

Answer 2

Contact your local HS coach.  Most HS teams practice over the summer and incoming freshmen (which will be you) practice together for next fall's team.  I am a high school coach and I always want 8th graders to practice with us over the summer, since we start playing against other teams in the first week of school.  Colleges usually run the best summer camps, so you can contact colleges in your area.  Your HS coach also gets flyers from colleges advertising camps.  You may also contact the Northern California Volleyball Association for club teams in your area.

Answer 3

Stanford has a very good camp that is for good players, but you probably want to start off with something more basic. in pleasanton, Club VIP hosts camp for beginning, to intermediate players. Diablo Valley VC hosts an excellent camp for players of all skill levels, and many good players come out of their club. you could also join a club team, however, since i am a guy, my knowledge in this field is limited. the girls clubs that i know of in the bay area are Golden Bears (i think out of Berkley?), NorCal VC (east bay), Diablo Valley (Walnut Creek), VIP (Pleasanton), Stingray(?) (the City), Vision (Los Gatos), and City Beach in Fremont. those are all the ones i can think of off the top of my head. here is a link where you may find more

http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/U_S__State...

Answer 4

Try joining some intramural teams for volleyball in your area or local YMCA. They are the best I think for preparing and getting you ready to start playing volleyball. If you have a friend, ask them to toss the ball and practice moving around to bump and set, and also for spiking (make them toss the ball in the air and you try to spike it with the heel of your hand. Try also running around a bit before to pick up endurance and jumping if you get a chance to be near the net try to jump along the whole net. But yea try camps too that would be cool

Answer 5

just play around with the ball all the time

Answer 6

look into camps on the internet, i'm sure some will turn up. also, check your school for any sort of athletics program it might have. even regular classes like P.E. has some sort of volleyball program in it. good luck.

Answer 7

try your community recreation centers and besides that, don't they have volleyball at school too?

Answer 8

well usually its in the school ciriculum. try looking at local listing for volley ball camps. or try playing by yourself or with a freind.

have fun. dont get discouraged.you'll do great.

Answer 9

grab a friend, and a ball, get some instructions of internet on how to hit it properly and practice! =]

Answer 10

I am coaching someone like you, She asked me what she could do to make the team. i told her to go to a summer camp where all you do is play volleyball, she did and came back and i was shocked, she was better than half the other girls that have played. So just go to a camp, and keep practicing everything they teach you and youll make the team for sure.

Answer 11

well the best thing to do is to look at some of the local colleges.. they usually have camps over the summer

Answer 12

The only real way to improve in volleyball is to spend the time needed to practice.

This can be done by yourself - for certain things.

All you need is one of those cheap practice volleyballs - which can take the punishment

on any surface outside. You do not use an expensive indoor volleyball outside -

the outer skin gets damaged easily and you wasted $80+

All you need is a volleyball and a wall, and you can do some serious practice.

Such as throwing up the volleyball and spiking it - exactly as for a set to do a spike.

Be sure that you are moving forward into your spike. You should be spiking at a decent

height, and then applying the correct down angle. You don't need the presence of a net,

as long as your height and angle seems to be correct.

Beginners don't have the coordination to do this - and only a lot of repetitive

practice, will give you the skills such that, when a decent set is there, you're ready

to spike it.

When you throw the ball up, you want it to be in the position of a 'set' so that you

can then spike it. Later on, you can vary the height - but first, you need standard

high sets, so that you can move towards it, and then spike it.

The spiking action is best done, with a bent elbow - which you straighten for your

spiking - this needs to be a fast action, with little use of your shoulder.

Some spikers do use their shoulder - but they'll regret it later, when their shoulder

gives out on them, causing them considerable pain.

With the elbow spike - you add the wrist action, upon contact with the ball. You add

the forward wrist action, which adds spin to the volleyball. This should stop your

spike from going out - and if you should hit the top of the net, the ball should spin

over (even against a block).

With such a spike - you can do spike serves. You don't need to toss the ball up, you

can just hold the ball up, and then spike it. Try hitting the top of the net, and

see if it will spin over? To see if your wrist action is working?

Setting is another thing you can practice. The technique of setting.

You can use the set technique to push the ball straight above your head, or against

a wall, to practice the fingering technique.

You can't practice digging (also called bumping) by yourself.  You do need someone

to help you - and the more the merrier.

You can also practice foot saves - which is to have light contact with your foot -

it is not like a soccer kick. Just so to get the ball up, from the floor level.

With someone to practice with - you can do the full - dig, set and spike techniques

together - spiking at each other. You do so, so that the other person can do a save,

and pass the ball back to you.

The only thing to be aware of - in practice you do saveable spikes, but during the

game you aim to be precise with your spiking, so that no one can save it.

That is the only downside with practice - you may get use to spiking towards a person,

whereas during a serious game you should be spiking between players, or towards the

line.

For a beginner - you are lacking in the basic volleyball handling skills used in

volleyball - dig, set and spike.



Watch beach volleyball anytime it is on TV, etc and see how they play - indoor volleyball is played exactly the same way... Copy their techniques...

Answer 13

go to a camp during the summer that really helps improve ur skills