CATZ Featured in Volleyball Magazine

6 U.S. Men's National Team Drills

Creating a training program for the developing athlete presents many challenges.

We are seeing a reduction in physical education classes, limited “free” or “disorganized” play in neighborhoods, and a large number of kids getting specific to one sport at a very early age. Because of this shift in American youth sport culture, it has become necessary for the strength and conditioning coach to create an integrated training program to assure there are no gaps in each child’s development as an athlete.

When training a young volleyball player, it is important to integrate all components of athleticism into the training. A young volleyball player should train for coordination, flexibility/mobility, power, strength, quickness/agility and reactive ability. It is important to eliminate gaps in the young athlete’s development as they grow and mature.

There are generally three goals when designing a safe and effective training program: develop athleticism in the maturing athlete, enhance performance and reduce the risk of injury. Following the program described in this article can help the volleyball athlete achieve these goals.

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