From one of our readers:
Hola Coach!
I’ve heard mixed comments regarding the regular use of ‘active ankles’ or braces. Our daughter has been wearing them over the past couple years, with no injuries.. Recently, a coach (former D1 coach) mentioned to her that it may weaken her ankles if she wears them unless needed. When researching this I find countless articles stating the complete opposite. Can you please offer your opinion on this?
Cheers,
Stacy
First of all, 'hola' back to you (my first non-English salutation!). Active Ankles (the Xerox term for all ankle support equipment) is an interesting option.
By and large the conversation centers upon two alternatives - They do a great job preventing ankle injuries - or - They weaken the muscles of the ankle because the brace does the work.
My belief is that there is more truth to the first statement than the second; but there is truth to the second statement. Any coach who has seen an athlete roll or 'tweak' their ankle with an Active Ankle device in place can see that the injury could have been worse (sometimes much worse). The Active Ankle will not prevent the sprain from happening, just lessen the severity (hopefully).
The Active Ankle is just the quick version of taping the ankle - like so many players did before Active Ankle came out (by the way, can you imagine the cash flow?). The argument was/is the same with taping the ankle - some believe it helps, while others think it weakens ankles.
I would expect there is also a placebo effect - Many athletes are not 'comfortable' without feeling the Active Ankle in place. Conversely, I have had players tell me they fell 'restricted' with the support brace on their ankles. With my time before the invention of the product, I would probably not like wearing them.
The argument about the muscles becoming weak and thus contributing to a sprain severity, I have less support for - yes, the muscles may 'weaken' because the brace supports some movement, but I non-scientifically don't feel it is a big impact. If a player lands incorrectly, no matter if your ankle muscles area are strong as the Incredible Hulk's, you will sprain the ankle - these are small muscles geared for stability, not power (like a quadriceps).
Where I do believe an Active Ankle would create an negative impact is in a recovery or rehab situation. In cases where an athlete is coming back from a sprain, they need to be able to work these small muscles of the ankle to increase stability and lateral quickness, and the Active Ankle may hinder or slow down this process - Not every player has a full time trainer and a top flight training room to do this rehab before putting on the support brace.
Just to throw a wild-card out there for you to ponder - some coaches believe that Active Ankles contribute to knee injuries. The belief being that if since the ankle was not allowed to roll or was restricted from turning over, the stress of the injury travels up the leg to the next joint; the knee. I know some coaches who do not let players wear devices or tape, unless they are in a recovery situation. I think there may be some merit to this argument, but I can't put my weight behind supporting it.
What I tell my team is that the choice is theirs. They know their body and mentality best. Make the choice and go forward!
Coach
August 27, 2008
August 26, 2008
A Question about Setter training.
A question from one of our readers about training for the setting position.
Dear Coach,
I work with middle school/junior high school setters who are just beginning to specialize in setting. I believe it is best to start with learning the basic footwork patterns so that they create neural pathways in the brain and thus allow the setters to automatically use the steps to get to the ball. There are many systems to use with your setters. What series do you advocate? We spend the first 10 minutes choreographing the footwork patters. We then increase the number of repetitions of these steps daily.
Then we teach the hand positioning and arm movement for setting.
Next we toss easy balls with each footwork pattern and ask the setters catch the balls and then set high outside sets to left front. The we do the same with right front. Any other suggestions to make this sequence more efficient and effective?
Jeff
I congratulate you on the amount of effort and thought you put into the training regimen for your younger setters. With the age group that you work with, there is not really anything that could be 'wrong' to do. The fact that they are getting touches and working on motor memory skills will only help them in their development.
The only word of caution that I would use is not not make things too regimented. Volleyball in the United States tends to be much like a weather vane - shifting between following the Asian style of volleyball or the Latin style of volleyball. From this last Olympics, the Latin style of Volleyball was the victor, but the USA has followed the Asian style of volleyball the last few Olympic cycles.
The arrow pointing East makes sense because the last two USA Women's National Team coaches have been Japanese and Chinese. In Athens our team was a disappointment and in Beijing, the team probably exceeded expectations by bringing home the silver medal. Yet, year in and year out, two Latin countries routinely achieve high results - Cuba and Brazil. Compared to the regimented styles of the Asian system, these Latin countries almost look disorganised, but they win.
Something that myself and other college coaches are having a concern about is that many younger players do not have a feel for the game - they have had too much regimented training. This tends to produce technically correct players, but also yields players that really don't have a feel for the nuances of the game. They may have perfect defensive footwork, but they are out of position on a play because they don't see that a player will be tipping the ball based on the set and the block.
Even at the college level, there are many times I am just stunned that Division I athletes get a glazed look in their eyes when you ask them to think about a play or tell me why they did something on a certain play. There is theory and there is actuality. At the high school and junior club level, there is a fine line between skill training and regimented training.
To answer your question Jeff, I believe your skill training is at the limit you should be providing for your age group - I would encourage you to bring in more short-court games, 3 on 3 deep court games and more playing the game of volleyball. Work hard to create volleyball players, not kids that play volleyball.
Good luck!
Dear Coach,
I work with middle school/junior high school setters who are just beginning to specialize in setting. I believe it is best to start with learning the basic footwork patterns so that they create neural pathways in the brain and thus allow the setters to automatically use the steps to get to the ball. There are many systems to use with your setters. What series do you advocate? We spend the first 10 minutes choreographing the footwork patters. We then increase the number of repetitions of these steps daily.
Then we teach the hand positioning and arm movement for setting.
Next we toss easy balls with each footwork pattern and ask the setters catch the balls and then set high outside sets to left front. The we do the same with right front. Any other suggestions to make this sequence more efficient and effective?
Jeff
I congratulate you on the amount of effort and thought you put into the training regimen for your younger setters. With the age group that you work with, there is not really anything that could be 'wrong' to do. The fact that they are getting touches and working on motor memory skills will only help them in their development.
The only word of caution that I would use is not not make things too regimented. Volleyball in the United States tends to be much like a weather vane - shifting between following the Asian style of volleyball or the Latin style of volleyball. From this last Olympics, the Latin style of Volleyball was the victor, but the USA has followed the Asian style of volleyball the last few Olympic cycles.
The arrow pointing East makes sense because the last two USA Women's National Team coaches have been Japanese and Chinese. In Athens our team was a disappointment and in Beijing, the team probably exceeded expectations by bringing home the silver medal. Yet, year in and year out, two Latin countries routinely achieve high results - Cuba and Brazil. Compared to the regimented styles of the Asian system, these Latin countries almost look disorganised, but they win.
Something that myself and other college coaches are having a concern about is that many younger players do not have a feel for the game - they have had too much regimented training. This tends to produce technically correct players, but also yields players that really don't have a feel for the nuances of the game. They may have perfect defensive footwork, but they are out of position on a play because they don't see that a player will be tipping the ball based on the set and the block.
Even at the college level, there are many times I am just stunned that Division I athletes get a glazed look in their eyes when you ask them to think about a play or tell me why they did something on a certain play. There is theory and there is actuality. At the high school and junior club level, there is a fine line between skill training and regimented training.
To answer your question Jeff, I believe your skill training is at the limit you should be providing for your age group - I would encourage you to bring in more short-court games, 3 on 3 deep court games and more playing the game of volleyball. Work hard to create volleyball players, not kids that play volleyball.
Good luck!
August 18, 2008
The Volleyball
While viewing the Olympics, I saw or tried to see, the new FIVB Olympic ball. Our ball (and I say "our" ball because it is only a matter of time before the NCAA adopts whatever the FIVB is doing) now looks like some X-Games soccer ball! The FIVB really dropped the ball on this one.
When the multi-colored ball first came out it looked a little gimmicky, kinda like the old ABA basketballs of the 70's. I did not like the break from volleyball tradition, but it did lend a new look and allowed fans to track the rotation and flight of the ball better. The dark panel of each multi-colored ball, I believe, was supposed to provided depth or perspective, but the dark panel was harder to see.
With the ball now being different colors, the spin on sets became obvious. This spin on setting contact just magnified the pressure on referees to call double hits or lifts on questionable sets. Of course it is easy to set a ball that spins, which is not a double hit or lift, but for many volleyball folks, the spinning ball is the baseline for a poor set. I absolutely believe that this relentless display of any spin, because of the colors of the volleyball, has led to the current NCAA setting rules.
What? Officials dictating volleyball rules? Amazed? If not, tell me why the Rules Secretary of the NCAA Rules Committee who is not a coach or NCAA staff member, but rather an officials assigner for two nationally recognized conferences is being quoted in the new rules press release. I may not be all right, but I know I am mostly right.
Back to the new FIVB ball. This orb is hard to track on television. For the men's matches, seeing the spike and jump serves is almost impossible - it just looks like a blue blur. The women's matches are just a bit easier - just a bit. On the initial impact of a serve or spike, the ball blurs for a second or two before we can pick it up later in the rally. It is actually a bit annoying to watch.
The colors of a honey yellow and a darker blue and the way they are blended, while they look interesting when the ball is being held by a player, are very poor choices for television. The other sports where the ball travels fast - baseball, softball and tennis - they use a solid, bright colored volleyball. I have tapes of older Olympic matches and they are much easier to watch when they employed the all white volleyball. Even the new basketball at the Olympic games used a bright colored highlight pattern against its darker leather.
I am just counting the months until the NCAA Volleyball coaches vote not to change to the new FIVB pattern, but it gets passed anyways. What is next, they start playing NCAA Volleyball on the beach? Oh, pardon me, this is already happening.
When the multi-colored ball first came out it looked a little gimmicky, kinda like the old ABA basketballs of the 70's. I did not like the break from volleyball tradition, but it did lend a new look and allowed fans to track the rotation and flight of the ball better. The dark panel of each multi-colored ball, I believe, was supposed to provided depth or perspective, but the dark panel was harder to see.
With the ball now being different colors, the spin on sets became obvious. This spin on setting contact just magnified the pressure on referees to call double hits or lifts on questionable sets. Of course it is easy to set a ball that spins, which is not a double hit or lift, but for many volleyball folks, the spinning ball is the baseline for a poor set. I absolutely believe that this relentless display of any spin, because of the colors of the volleyball, has led to the current NCAA setting rules.
What? Officials dictating volleyball rules? Amazed? If not, tell me why the Rules Secretary of the NCAA Rules Committee who is not a coach or NCAA staff member, but rather an officials assigner for two nationally recognized conferences is being quoted in the new rules press release. I may not be all right, but I know I am mostly right.
Back to the new FIVB ball. This orb is hard to track on television. For the men's matches, seeing the spike and jump serves is almost impossible - it just looks like a blue blur. The women's matches are just a bit easier - just a bit. On the initial impact of a serve or spike, the ball blurs for a second or two before we can pick it up later in the rally. It is actually a bit annoying to watch.
The colors of a honey yellow and a darker blue and the way they are blended, while they look interesting when the ball is being held by a player, are very poor choices for television. The other sports where the ball travels fast - baseball, softball and tennis - they use a solid, bright colored volleyball. I have tapes of older Olympic matches and they are much easier to watch when they employed the all white volleyball. Even the new basketball at the Olympic games used a bright colored highlight pattern against its darker leather.
I am just counting the months until the NCAA Volleyball coaches vote not to change to the new FIVB pattern, but it gets passed anyways. What is next, they start playing NCAA Volleyball on the beach? Oh, pardon me, this is already happening.
August 16, 2008
The Olympics
Hope you have been watching the Olympics - I have been doing my fair share of seeing what is on the tube. A few random thoughts: ( Sorry for the brutal spelling - Spell Check is down).
1. I understand that Micheal Phelps is amazing and we are watching athletic history in the making, but NBC prime time has become the Phelps channel. There is such a thing as overload - Seeing the medal races is great, but when we are watching the preliminary swims, that really don't mean anything, especially knowing he will qualify is a bit mundane.
2. It is great to see that volleyball is receiving good exposure. The beach version has been on NBC prime time, while the indoor team is getting airtime on one of the other networks (I can't remember if it is USA or CNBC or Oxygen) - either way, it is good to see.
3. At any level of volleyball it comes down to passing and this will ultimately determine success our for the women's team. I have not been impressed with the USA passing. Against Venezuela, it was not good, but we had better athletes that were more experienced than the teenagers that Venezuela had on the floor.
4. One of the reasons passing at the international level is so tough, especially for the younger USA players, is that the ball is heavier. The FIVB class volleyball is a few ounces heavier and the leather is harder. If you have ever held a Mikasa FIVB ball and say a Molton or Tachikara, you can feel the difference between the two. A heavier, harder ball allows the servers to be much more aggressive with their serves, while the passer has less 'feel' on the ball. The International players play with the heavier ball their entire careers - this is also a reason that International players in USA colleges look like good passers, because the ball is easier to manage for them.
5. The Chinese team is struggling - lost to Cuba after being up 2-0 and lost to the USA after being up 2-1. Part of this is the joy of rally score, where things can turn on three or four plays. In my casual observation of the Chinese team, they just don't look like they are sharp - in the other matches I had seen earlier in the Olympic cycle or the last Olympics in Athens, they looked much more complete.
6. I believe China is suffering from the home team syndrome. It is tough to be the home team, period (why do you think college football and basketball teams go to a hotel the night before home games?). When teams travel, they can 'bubble' themselves into a comfort zone and just focus on playing. Remember a long time ago in Atlanta, where we were the home teams - Our women's team got last (I believe). A number of years ago, U. of Hawaii was hosting the NCAA tournament and bounced out in round 3 even though they were a top team. Being at home means there is family in the stands, friends asking for tickets, buddies wanting to hang out with you and much more media. Just how many media passes were issued for the Chinese media in Athens? I would say exponentially less than in Beijing. Also, when the President of the biggest communist country in the world is sitting in the stands, on his throne and surrounded by his entourage, that is not an easy thing to play in front of.
7. The Chinese men's team looked like a rec sports team!! Wonder why? It is because the Chinese sports authorities have determined that the women's volleyball team and the men's basketball team will be the world class teams for tall, athletic Chinese athletes. I am not kidding. At another institution where I coached, we had a professor from China who played on the Chinese men's basketball team and his old college roommate was head of the Chinese Women's Volleyball program - When I asked him how come we never hear of the men's volleyball team or the women's basketball team, this is the answer he gave me.
8. Carrie Walsh looks like she is about to transform into Spider man with that black tape job on her attack shoulder - Remember the ads for Spider man 3? I see lots of tape being used on the beach tour for knees and shoulders - If it works, I want to know because sore shoulders are just a part of volleyball (especially indoor). I need to get my trainer to watch the broadcast and learn this tape job.
9. The Men's Olympic Team uniforms look beyond bad. Enough said.
10. The best thing about the win over China, for college volleyball coaches, is that this means the USA Women's team is in the quarterfinals and should be on NBC prime time! Remember the glory days of the Olympics when we were on TV? I do because there was much more recognition of indoor volleyball by campus fans. Remember the dark days of the last Olympics? I do because nobody seemed interested in college volleyball from the sporting public.
11. The 'X' handstand the men's gymnasts, especially the Chinese men's gymnasts, were doing in the floor routine was amazing.
12. I saw President Bush at the Olympics and then the next day, he was giving a speech on the White House - Air Force One is a nice perk of being the Prez.
While I am biased and want to see Volleyball, especially indoor volleyball, 24/7 on television, I wish I could see something other than swimming, gymnastics and track on NBC. At least we don't have to suffer through the endless background segments of the past telecasts.
The Coach
1. I understand that Micheal Phelps is amazing and we are watching athletic history in the making, but NBC prime time has become the Phelps channel. There is such a thing as overload - Seeing the medal races is great, but when we are watching the preliminary swims, that really don't mean anything, especially knowing he will qualify is a bit mundane.
2. It is great to see that volleyball is receiving good exposure. The beach version has been on NBC prime time, while the indoor team is getting airtime on one of the other networks (I can't remember if it is USA or CNBC or Oxygen) - either way, it is good to see.
3. At any level of volleyball it comes down to passing and this will ultimately determine success our for the women's team. I have not been impressed with the USA passing. Against Venezuela, it was not good, but we had better athletes that were more experienced than the teenagers that Venezuela had on the floor.
4. One of the reasons passing at the international level is so tough, especially for the younger USA players, is that the ball is heavier. The FIVB class volleyball is a few ounces heavier and the leather is harder. If you have ever held a Mikasa FIVB ball and say a Molton or Tachikara, you can feel the difference between the two. A heavier, harder ball allows the servers to be much more aggressive with their serves, while the passer has less 'feel' on the ball. The International players play with the heavier ball their entire careers - this is also a reason that International players in USA colleges look like good passers, because the ball is easier to manage for them.
5. The Chinese team is struggling - lost to Cuba after being up 2-0 and lost to the USA after being up 2-1. Part of this is the joy of rally score, where things can turn on three or four plays. In my casual observation of the Chinese team, they just don't look like they are sharp - in the other matches I had seen earlier in the Olympic cycle or the last Olympics in Athens, they looked much more complete.
6. I believe China is suffering from the home team syndrome. It is tough to be the home team, period (why do you think college football and basketball teams go to a hotel the night before home games?). When teams travel, they can 'bubble' themselves into a comfort zone and just focus on playing. Remember a long time ago in Atlanta, where we were the home teams - Our women's team got last (I believe). A number of years ago, U. of Hawaii was hosting the NCAA tournament and bounced out in round 3 even though they were a top team. Being at home means there is family in the stands, friends asking for tickets, buddies wanting to hang out with you and much more media. Just how many media passes were issued for the Chinese media in Athens? I would say exponentially less than in Beijing. Also, when the President of the biggest communist country in the world is sitting in the stands, on his throne and surrounded by his entourage, that is not an easy thing to play in front of.
7. The Chinese men's team looked like a rec sports team!! Wonder why? It is because the Chinese sports authorities have determined that the women's volleyball team and the men's basketball team will be the world class teams for tall, athletic Chinese athletes. I am not kidding. At another institution where I coached, we had a professor from China who played on the Chinese men's basketball team and his old college roommate was head of the Chinese Women's Volleyball program - When I asked him how come we never hear of the men's volleyball team or the women's basketball team, this is the answer he gave me.
8. Carrie Walsh looks like she is about to transform into Spider man with that black tape job on her attack shoulder - Remember the ads for Spider man 3? I see lots of tape being used on the beach tour for knees and shoulders - If it works, I want to know because sore shoulders are just a part of volleyball (especially indoor). I need to get my trainer to watch the broadcast and learn this tape job.
9. The Men's Olympic Team uniforms look beyond bad. Enough said.
10. The best thing about the win over China, for college volleyball coaches, is that this means the USA Women's team is in the quarterfinals and should be on NBC prime time! Remember the glory days of the Olympics when we were on TV? I do because there was much more recognition of indoor volleyball by campus fans. Remember the dark days of the last Olympics? I do because nobody seemed interested in college volleyball from the sporting public.
11. The 'X' handstand the men's gymnasts, especially the Chinese men's gymnasts, were doing in the floor routine was amazing.
12. I saw President Bush at the Olympics and then the next day, he was giving a speech on the White House - Air Force One is a nice perk of being the Prez.
While I am biased and want to see Volleyball, especially indoor volleyball, 24/7 on television, I wish I could see something other than swimming, gymnastics and track on NBC. At least we don't have to suffer through the endless background segments of the past telecasts.
The Coach
August 1, 2008
College Walk-On Information
Another good question from a reader concerning being a walk-on. Within the right context, being a walk-on student athlete can be a great situation.
Coach:
Regarding Woman's Division I Volleyball. What are the rules and limitations for walk on players? Meaning are they allowed to travel with the team? Receive meals, equipment (shoes) etc. Do they have a limit on playing time? Any information you could supply would be appreciated.
Pete
In theory, the only difference between a scholarship student-athlete and a non-scholarship student-athlete is that one is receiving a check from the school. With Division I volleyball being a head count sport (versus an equivalency sport) each scholarship player receives a full scholarship (if the program is fully funded to 12 scholarships). Division II volleyball is an equivalency sport, so most programs have a number of players that pay some amount to make up the difference between their scholarship and cost of attendance at their school. Since the NCAA limit for Division II volleyball is 8 scholarships and many athletic departments don't fully fund their volleyball programs (either conference rules or budgetary limitations), full scholarships do not dominate the roster.
Again, there are no rules for walk-on players versus scholarship players with regards to team training, travelling, equipment, etc. There are some walk-on paperwork issues that need to be taken care of for NCAA reasons or school auditing/accountability issues, but these are administrative details that vary from school to school or conference to conference.
To specifically answer your questions:
1. There are no rules or limitations on walk-on players. Some athletic departments actively encourage women's sports to carry walk-on players because it helps satisfy the Title IX rules to offset all the male athletes that are on the roster (i.e. football).
2. They are allowed to travel with the team. The majority of coaches will travel a walk-on player if the travel squad size allows it (conference or athletic departments set the travel size for volleyball teams, usually between 12 and 15) or if the player has earned the right to travel by her abilities.
I will caution you that if the volleyball travel roster is restricted to 12 players, the scholarship student-athlete will tend to get the nod to travel over the walk-on, all things being equal; the coach/program has made a financial investment into the scholarship player.
3. Meals and Equipment - Equipment would/should be provided just like any other player. Meals depend on the time of the year; pre-season training (before school starts) will be covered by the program, but once the academic term begins, then the walk-on would be responsible for her own meals. Pre-game meals for home matches depend upon departmental policies and meals on the road will be covered by the team.
4. No limit on playing time. Hopefully, the coach will reward any player with playing time during matches if they demonstrate their abilities during practice.
One area that you did not touch upon is academic support. Walk-on student-athletes receive the same academic support as scholarship athletes. This is significant, because part of this academic support is early or preferential enrollment, along with tutors, athletic department only counselors, etc.
Being a walk-on student athlete can be a great situation provided the circumstances are correct and there are no false expectations. The wrong thing to do is choose a school for the volleyball program or the coach. A coach can leave and all promises or program philosophies will leave with the coach. Don't choose a school because of the volleyball reputation or the personality of the coach.
Walk-on players need to be looking first and foremost at the non-athletic reasons to attend a school; academic fit, location, comfort level, etc. Playing volleyball within this environment is great.
Coach:
Regarding Woman's Division I Volleyball. What are the rules and limitations for walk on players? Meaning are they allowed to travel with the team? Receive meals, equipment (shoes) etc. Do they have a limit on playing time? Any information you could supply would be appreciated.
Pete
In theory, the only difference between a scholarship student-athlete and a non-scholarship student-athlete is that one is receiving a check from the school. With Division I volleyball being a head count sport (versus an equivalency sport) each scholarship player receives a full scholarship (if the program is fully funded to 12 scholarships). Division II volleyball is an equivalency sport, so most programs have a number of players that pay some amount to make up the difference between their scholarship and cost of attendance at their school. Since the NCAA limit for Division II volleyball is 8 scholarships and many athletic departments don't fully fund their volleyball programs (either conference rules or budgetary limitations), full scholarships do not dominate the roster.
Again, there are no rules for walk-on players versus scholarship players with regards to team training, travelling, equipment, etc. There are some walk-on paperwork issues that need to be taken care of for NCAA reasons or school auditing/accountability issues, but these are administrative details that vary from school to school or conference to conference.
To specifically answer your questions:
1. There are no rules or limitations on walk-on players. Some athletic departments actively encourage women's sports to carry walk-on players because it helps satisfy the Title IX rules to offset all the male athletes that are on the roster (i.e. football).
2. They are allowed to travel with the team. The majority of coaches will travel a walk-on player if the travel squad size allows it (conference or athletic departments set the travel size for volleyball teams, usually between 12 and 15) or if the player has earned the right to travel by her abilities.
I will caution you that if the volleyball travel roster is restricted to 12 players, the scholarship student-athlete will tend to get the nod to travel over the walk-on, all things being equal; the coach/program has made a financial investment into the scholarship player.
3. Meals and Equipment - Equipment would/should be provided just like any other player. Meals depend on the time of the year; pre-season training (before school starts) will be covered by the program, but once the academic term begins, then the walk-on would be responsible for her own meals. Pre-game meals for home matches depend upon departmental policies and meals on the road will be covered by the team.
4. No limit on playing time. Hopefully, the coach will reward any player with playing time during matches if they demonstrate their abilities during practice.
One area that you did not touch upon is academic support. Walk-on student-athletes receive the same academic support as scholarship athletes. This is significant, because part of this academic support is early or preferential enrollment, along with tutors, athletic department only counselors, etc.
Being a walk-on student athlete can be a great situation provided the circumstances are correct and there are no false expectations. The wrong thing to do is choose a school for the volleyball program or the coach. A coach can leave and all promises or program philosophies will leave with the coach. Don't choose a school because of the volleyball reputation or the personality of the coach.
Walk-on players need to be looking first and foremost at the non-athletic reasons to attend a school; academic fit, location, comfort level, etc. Playing volleyball within this environment is great.
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