“Setting” Up Their Season

Volleyball season is just around the corner, and athletes have to do an extreme amount of
conditioning to get them ready for the tough season they have to face.

A volleyball athlete’s average day is going to classes from periods one through five. After a long
day after all the lectures and assignments, the last period of the day is practice. At practice they
usually warm up with a few stretches and warm up drills like passing to one another and hitting
the ball to each other.

After the harsh day of practice and conditioning, the hardship isn’t over. The gym is one of the
places they go outside of school to get more reps and work on specific muscle groups. At the
end of everything, they get to have the rest of the day to themselves.

This is what players usually do on a daily basis. During these practices they have a variety of
drills that help with jumping, footwork, passing, and hitting. All these drills and reps in the gym
help players improve their skills and help them get ready for games.

These athletes have to be fit, and their bodies have to be able to endure the amount of
movement they would have to do. Volleyball is a sport where the main thing athletes do is jump
consistently.

Attributes, like stamina and strength, are needed to be able to jump as many times as possible
in a game or rally. Strength in the arms and in the legs are needed to be able to jump high and
to endure the power of a ball hitting their arms.

Coaches and professionals at the JVA, Junior Volleyball Association, stated, “Volleyball is a sport
dominated by strength and power. Players need power in their legs to get high in the air and
strength in their upper body to spike, block, and dig balls.”

With that said, athletes in volleyball have to prepare themselves off season. With the restriction
of the weight room and court time, the boys volleyball athletes have to adjust their ways of
training.

During the off season the boys are allowed to use the track and some parts of the field. To
increase the amount of stamina they have, they usually go on long runs ranging from 2-3 miles.

To increase their strength they have equipment to help them with jumping and footwork.

The training technique called plyometrics helps these athletes familiarize themselves with
explosive power in their jumps and consistency in their jumps.

Players would also find other ways to train themselves off season. Some athletes use gym
equipment in their homes and some of them have access to gyms outside of school grounds.
JV opposite hitter, Sebastian Florez stated, “Working outside of school helps and improves
strength, stability, and stamina. It is very beneficial.”

Some of the athletes are even dedicated to join volleyball clubs outside of school to have
practice on their techniques.

These athletes are dedicated to win in any way possible no matter how many restrictions they
have. It may be harder for a lot of the players, but there is a fire burning inside them that keeps
them pushing. They all are different, but they all have the thirst for victory.