Take your Game to the Next Level

Improving your vertical is something we are allways trying to
achieve! Plyometric exercising is a type of workout that develops
muscular explosion through exercises that utilize a variety of
physical movements.

Plyometrics are used in many sports to develop many different parts
of the body. In volleyball, these exercises focus solely on jumping
ability. There are a plethora of different exercises, involving
everything from ankle weights to stationary boxes.

If you really want to develop your jump to the maximum level, then
you should look for a book or website devoted to multiple-day
workout schedules. But there are a few simple exercises that should
get you heading in the right direction.

The first plyometric exercise is a simple squat jump. You will be
performing this jump from a stand-still. Bend your knees down to a
ninety degree angle, making it look like you are sitting on a chair.

Now explode from this position by jumping straight up in the air. I
think it is a good idea to keep you hands together in a ball in
front of you chest to keep you arms still while jumping up. This
will prevent you from adding to the height of your jump with the
upward swing of your arms, keeping all of the work and attention
on your legs, abs and lower back.

When you land from this jump, you want to slowly cushion you body
from the jump back down to the original stance with the knees bent
at ninety degrees. There should be no pausing between jumps, just
jumping, landing, and exploding back up again.

The key is to explode from the down position, and to repeat the
process continuously without any breaks. One set of this exercise
would be to simply jump until you can't jump anymore, but you
should probably put a cap on the set with 25 jumps max or until
exhaustion.

After a proper warm up and stretch, do three sets of this exercise.

You could add ankle weights to increase the difficulty of this
exercise, but beware that this can aggravate knee and back
tendonitis and other injuries.

Another exercise will require a box. The height of the box will vary
with every person, but since you will be making numerous jump
attempts, it should not be within eight inches your maximum standing
vertical jump.

With feet shoulder width apart, jump up onto the box, then step
down, and repeat. Like the last exercise, try not to pause at all in
between any reps. Three sets of twenty jumps are a sufficient
workout. This exercise is much more low impact then the previous
one.

The severity that plyometrics can have on a body, especially an
older or injury-ridden body, can be immense. You should always
monitor the amount of jumping you do with in one of these workouts,
and limit the amount of jumps you perform to 120-160 times. Pay
special attention to any injuries or lingering pains while
performing any plyometric exercise.

Special thanks to Hayley of volletball-magic.com for her insight on this article

USAV, HOPSports Partner to Promote Youth Volleyball

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 8, 2010) - USA Volleyball (USAV) has announced a partnership with HOPSports, creator of a revolutionary fitness program, to improve students' health and wellness by promoting volleyball utilizng 21st century media technology. The HOPSports Training System (HTS) infuses celebrities, DVR technology and fun into physical education and fitness activities that encourage healthy living among youth and adults. USA Volleyball will be HOPSPorts' first National Governing Body partner.

"HOPSports is honored to work with USA Volleyball in advancing the mission of our organization," HOPSports President Cindy Sisson said. "Our goal is to introduce volleyball through the HOPSports vast network in 41 states, 550 schools and after school programs, with an estimated reach of 1.5 million impressions to kindergarten through 12th grade students each week."

The HTS incorporates video fitness lessons with various professional league mascots and players from the NFL, NBA, WNBA and MLB. Additionally, the Ringling Bros., Harlem Globetrotters, Stuntmens Association and Tezoro Productions with choreographers from the hit FOX show "So You Think You Can Dance?" all are active participants promoting health and wellness to a captive audience.The fitness lessons and activities are delivered through a multi-screen format to integrate nutrition, fun facts, anatomy instruction and educational messaging in a fun and exciting workout experience.

"We are delighted to partner with HOPSports," USAV Secretary General Kerry Klostermann said. "Its state-of-the-art technology and presentation techniques will engage, entertain and develop healthy initiatives for millions of children as well as extend the values of the sport of volleyball and the brand of USA Volleyball to broad and diverse populations. This partnership also represents a valuable resource for our 40 Regional Volleyball Associations in service of growing participation."
Besides proper skill instruction at the basic levels, the initiative's goal is to educate the HOPSports audience on the history of USA Volleyball and to promote a series of lessons that will be inclusive in nature. Currently, Olympians Annette Davis and Dain Blanton (2000 Olympic Games gold medalist) are the host celebrity trainers presenting the HOPSports volleyball lessons.

About USA Volleyball: Founded in 1928, USA Volleyball is a Colorado incorporated non-profit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) as the National Governing Body for the sport of Volleyball in the United States. USA Volleyball is responsible for both the Olympic disciplines of indoor volleyball and beach volleyball. USA Volleyball has over 240,000 registered members, 12,000 teams and 5,000 clubs nationwide. With an annual budget in excess of $11 million dollars, USA Volleyball supports the USA men's and women's senior national team programs, youth and junior national teams, national championship events, coaching education and certification programs, grassroots development, and programs for the disabled and ParalympicTeams. USA

Volleyball has a rich tradition of success as evidenced by winning an Olympic medal in every Olympic Games since 1984 and capturing numerous World Cup, World Championship and Continental Championship titles. USA Volleyball is committed to and works toward opportunity for all to participate. It is an advocate for all Americans endeavoring to assure universal access to opportunities at all levels of the game.

About HOPSports: HOPSports is the industry leader in teaching movement through technology. HOPSports is a multi-media instructional tool for physical education teachers and fitness instructors, delivered through DVR technology. The multi-screen format provides fitness lesson plans that meet state and national standards while integrating nutrition, fun facts, anatomy instruction and educational messaging in a fun and exciting environment. HOPSports' delivery mechanism is simple to use and is a great tool for K-12 physical educators and before and after school fitness instructors to teach along with HOPSports' host of exciting trainers. HOPSports is currently installed in schools and youth community sites in 41 U.S. states. For more information, please visit www.hopsports.com.

LYNN UNIVERSITY: January 23rd - Be There.

Click on the image to make it larger.

Don't miss this opportunity to see one of our great local universities and get to know the Lynn Volleyball Team.

Let the 2010 USAV FL Season Begin

First and foremost we wish to congratulate all the young ladies for making their teams. Their is a buzz about South Florida on how many quality teams the various clubs are fielding. We commend the commitment that both the players and parents are making this year for yet another successful club season. As club season begins below are a few things to think about as the first tournament nears this January 16th in Miami Beach.

Players: Weather you are a beginner or a veteran of several club seasons. The team’s success depends on several factors. Obviously the initial talent level is important, but more importantly is the teams overall improvement throughout the year. After-all, isn't that the reason you are playing club?

First thing to do is to get to know the players on your team. If there is a new player on the team make sure that she feels welcomed. Try not to have niches or clicks with-in the team. Sure you’re going to have your best buddy – but remember, “a team is only as strong as its weakest link”.

Make sure you get the most out of every practice and improve. If you don’t understand something either ask the coach then and their or wait till after practice if you’re the shy type. Be sure to have fun, your playing a great sport in a very competitive part of the state. Make the most of this experience and have a great year.

Below are a few conditioning ideas to help you throughout the club year.

1. Get into a regimen of doing push-ups: Try to get up to three sets of 20 three times a weak. This is such a great exercise for volleyball players. It will help you with your serves, spikes, etc.
2. Do exercises to help your legs and ankles. Do Toe Raisers, Lunges and Squats.
2A. Follow that up with a jumping program or plyometrics.
3. Build Endurance – try and jog or hit the treadmill. Tournament days are long and your body has to be fresh at the end of the day when your battling to win the Gold, Silver or Bronze.
4. Always stretch before and after workouts.
5. Eat Healthy. Depending on your age you might want to start cutting down on fast food and grease overall. Try and incorporate fruits as a snack.
5A. On Tournament days try and have a hearty breakfast seeing that between travel time and warm-ups you probably have plenty of time to properly digest that meal before you get into play. Once the tournament starts it’s probably best to eat light until the end of the tournament. Definitely keep your self very hydrated.

(Look at our Skills and Drills Section for more Detailed on the above information)

If you want to get your name out to college Coaches fill out our Player Profile - We'll get you known.

Coaches – We try to give little advise in this area seeing that coaching can be a thankless job.

Please never forget to make your players better than they were at the beginning of the season. Be open to communicate with players and parents.

Parents – I am currently in this position myself. First thing to keep in mind, especially if your child is younger than 16, don’t push them to hard. Be there to always give them positive re-enforcement especially if they haven’t played to their potential that game. Pack plenty of refreshments and light meals and snacks for tournaments.

If your faced with low playing time for your child or if your child is not developing a certain skill through-out the year and you wish to discuss this with the coach keep this ideas in mind.

A) NEVER GO TO THE COACH ANGRILY DURING A TOURNAMENT. Most clubs do not allow you to address a coach with-out an appointment and that makes a lot of sense. I understand that we parents spend a lot of money for our kids to compete and improve, but it is important that we show restraint especially during competitions. Remember there is no “I” in team and the same goes for the parents.

During play try not to shout when a player is serving for good sportsmanship. When it comes to seating, please vacate the seats after your teams match and allow the other parents to sit for the next match. It's always smart to bring a few chairs if you want to be sitting at the court round the clock.

The above tips are to make sure that this USAV Club Season is an enjoyable one for everyone involved.

We wish everyone in South Florida a Great Club Season and remember to keep us informed on how you and your team performed. Please feel free to send us pictures and names and we will post them.

Below are Pictures from Last Year: