Theres thisvolleyball leauge that i want to join, but i was never in a leauge before... more of qustion inside

Question

So, i want to join this boys volleyball league (im 15), it's not for my school, and i always played volleyball for fun. i'm 5'10 by the way idk if thats good/ bad. And I really want to make it, i am pretty good at serving, but not the best. I just learned how to spike, and i am decent at setting and bumping, but im not good at diving* (tips on diving?) and i dont really bend my knees.. help me with that too*? And anyways, i want to make it, but i know the other boys are really good because theres hardly any boys leagues, so i'm sure they will all tryout and be extremely good... how do i get myself more motivated and help me with some of my questions i asked above.

*diving! (yes, please tips!)

*knees (help w/ bending)

*spiking (better spike.)

*jump (for my spike and serve.)

& what are some expectations for 15 year old boys? I know they look for good attitude and athletisiscm and height (im 5'10, again)

i really appreciate it, like you have no idea!

Answer 1

a way to get over diving is to dive head first, extend your arms and let your chest hit the ground first and slide.  be careful about using knee pads, you could develop a bad habit and automatically go to your knees when you need more extention to reach a ball.  and sometimes it will hurt to dive...but for the most part, the worst you'll get is a bruise.

you must bend your knees in order to pass well.  you want to have your knees bent about 45 degrees, butt down, and your back straight.  and on the defensive stance, stand with your arms spread out, not together, and point your toes in slightly, and put your weight on your toes, this will help you move quicker.

when you want to attack (spike) a ball, it is a must to use your palm, do not use fingertips!  the armswing is the most important part.  use the arm you will hit with and pull back so your elbow points behind you, keeping your arm high.  use your off arm to point about 45 degrees above you.  as you swing, lead through with your elbow first, and finish with your arm fully extended above your head.  you want this to be quick and you want to try to get your torso into it (for your torso, it's a bit like drawing a bow and arrow).  as long as you dont catch it, it's not a lift.  your approach (if you're a righty) should be a large left step, followed by a smaller right and then a left and then a jump.  one fluid motion, and very quick and explosive.  you want to broad jump to the ball, not jumping straight up under the ball.  you want to hit the ball slightly in front of your head.  if you let it get too far in front of you, you will hit it in the net, if you let it get behind you, you will hit it out.  just before you jump, swing your arms back and as you bring them up, go immediately into the swing i just described.  you may get the wrong idea about the swing, it's a little difficult to explain, but if you watch elete players, their swings are pretty textbook and you will see what i'm trying to illustrate.

when setting, use all fingers on the ball.  you want to set the ball above your forehead, maybe 5-6 inches away, and make a triangular shape with your thumbs and index fingers.  before you set, grab a ball and hold it so that all fingers touch, just to get the feel of it.  then when setting, dont swat at the ball, push it towards your target and make sure you're squared up with it.  it's better to get into jump setting, but i'd recommend just getting the actual skill down before you add any jumping.

to increase your vertical jump, do plyometric work, which is workouts involving quick, explosive movements.  if you plan on running, run sprints, distance hurts your vertical leap.  repetitive jumping on and off a raised surface (with no breaks inbetween) is good, as well as squats and repetitively jumping laterally over an object such as a cone.

Answer 2

Dave has a great answer.  

Tryout.  If you do not make it the first season, try again for the next season.  See if you can find someone to practice with at home.  Even if the person does not do volleyball, they can toss the ball for you so that you can practice.  If they play volleyball, it would be good for both of you.

Answer 3

It is my first year playing volleyball for my high school. But I have an amazing coach that was pro. So I will tell you what I know.

DIVING: Put on your knee pads and slide on the floor it will make you not afraid and more comfortable with what you are doing. It's fun.

KNEES: Go play some baseball and play outfield and go for grounders keep your butt close to the floor. It will help.

SPIKING: Spike with your finger tips if you do it with your palm it is a lift that is illegal.

JUMPING: You really need to jump if you are blocking.

BUMPING: Keep your arms so that they make a flat space so that the ball will hit your fore arms it makes a huge difference and keeps the ball from going all over the place.

SETTING: Only use the middle, index, and thumb and jump it is like playing tips with a basket ball.

Hope this helps you. BEND THOSE KNEES!!!!!!!