Coach Tools - USA Volleyball

Drills and Competition Ideas

Thank you for giving back to our sport by coaching, whether you have played the game or not. Volleyball is the ultimate team sport, and both coaching and playing will fill the rest of your life with joy.

Whether you are a new or veteran coach, you don’t have to go it alone. Our resources will help you keep learning and keep your athletes engaged.

Volley on!

The Best Learning Environment Possible

“I ask you to critically think about any drill you see. Consider this question: Does the drill use the environment my players are going to compete and read and anticipate in?”

John Kessel

Longtime coach and retired USAV director of sport development

Drills and Competition Ideas

CAP I Drills

These drills were submitted to fulfill requirements for CAP I certification.

Exchange (PDF) (Matt Laliberte)
Hawaii Defend and Set (PDF) (Edwin Aguiar)
Hitter vs Hitter Tic-Tac-Toe (PDF) (Grant Kudert)
Risk Reward (PDF) (Greg Post)
Nev’s (PDF) (Kristina Baehm)
Cross Court Pepper (PDF) (Iain Bradbury)
5 on 5 Warm-Up (PDF) (David Noble)
Modified USA 6 on 6 (.doc) (Kyong Lee)
Base to D (.doc) (Jamie Gilmore)
Scramble and Recover (PDF) (Juanita Blee)
Terminator (PDF) (Christopher Strok)
Dig-Set-Cover (PDF) (Stephanie Schmidt)
Feed the Beast (PDF) (Ashley Cornett)
4×4 Out of System Setting (PDF) (Todd Lyon)

BCAP I Drills

These drills were submitted to fulfill requirements for BCAP I certification.

Over Under Passer Hitter (.doc) (Kent Perkins)
Dig 2 (PDF) (Brian Heffernan)
X-Box Competition (PDF) (Daren Bolton)
Line Block, Line Pull (.doc)(Shannon Sneed)
Defensive Digging (PDF) (Michael del Homme)
5-5-5 Poke-Shot-Swing (PDF) (Eric McGuiney)
3 Serve Pass to Attack (PDF) (Tayyiba Haneef-Park)
Double Triangle (PDF) (Amber Wise)
Block then Attack (PDF) (Huy Nguyen)
Butterfly (PDF) (Amber Wise)
500 (PDF) (Grant Lange)
Young Buck Sand Drill (PDF) (Deven Bukoski)

CAP II Drills

These drills were submitted to fulfill requirements for CAP II certification.

Fake Out (PDF) (John Beckett)
Pick Points (PDF) (JT Oates)
Ball-Setter/Ball-Hitter (PDF) (Lamar Hurd)
Read the Hitter (PDF) (Jason Davis)
Ultimate Mintonette (PDF) (Chris Anagnostopoulos)
Middle vs. Middle (PDF) (Jim McShane)
Server vs. Receivers and Hitters (PDF) (Eric Vergara)
Coverage & Out-of-System Play (PDF) (Steve Kish)

Competition Ideas

and John Kessel’s 166 Volleyball Drills

Growing the Game

John Kessel’s Growing the Game blog is one of the greatest tools for new and veteran coaches. You can search for Growing the Game in Related Resources below for more recent blogs. Previous blogs are captured in PDF format in four volumes.

Growing the Game Together Coaches and Club Directors Edition Vol 1 (PDF) (2008-12)
Growing the Game Together Vol 2 (PDF) (2013-May 2014)
Growing the Game Together Vol 3 (PDF) (May 2014-Octobr 2015)
Growing the Game Together Players and Parents Edition (PDF) (2013)

More John Kessel Recommendations

Related Resources

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November 24, 2021

Notes from the U.S. and Netherlands

I spent Memorial Day flying back from Amsterdam, 24 hours in en route, leaving a place where the Dutch Underground were battling in World War II three-quarters of a century before me.

November 17, 2021

Why Should I Run a 6-3 or 6-6?

For those with little time to read my blogs and ponderings, the short answer is “In a 6-3 you teach HALF your players on the court the leadership roles and key skill of setting/running an offense, and in a 6-6, every player learns that key skill.”

November 10, 2021

Motivational Interviewing – Still Learning

John Kessel's still in learning mode (he's always there), and now his quest for learning introduced him to Motivational Interviewing (MI), which is all about the communication techniques that help you draw wisdom and answers from your players.

September 13, 2021

Six Things To Do When Coaching Your Own Child

Coaching your own child can be a fun, rewarding experience for both of you, but it can also be a challenge. Here are six ways you can best keep everyone - your child, the rest of the team, and the rest of the team's parents - happy.

May 18, 2021

The Path to Being a Pro Volleyball Player

Few athletes are going to beat the odds and make it to collegiate or professional volleyball. John Kessel's son is one of those few. Here are tips from John about raising a potential professional athlete.

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Spotlight on Skills

Learn how to direct the X-box competition for beach players, and then adapt it for indoor play. This Spotlight on Skills video was created originally for Your Court, the official magazine of USA Volleyball.

Steve Kish's CAP II Favorite Drill

Spotlight on Skills: Steve Kish’s CAP II Favorite Drill

Countdown Drill

Spotlight on Skills: USA Volleyball Countdown Drill

Speedball

Spotlight on Skills: Speedball