Whole batch of new sessions

 

New sessions

No fancy pictures, just an update on the new sessions. No long descriptions. You will have to go to the registration page to get more information. Grass Court Private Lessons put six new ones on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week for those nervous about school tryouts. I can also do some on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Just drop me a note, and I will put it on. Want to know more Friday Night Gameplay Nine fridays, we play the music you come play. No coaches, no referees, no stress Want to know more Jump Training September - added new spots October November December Want to know more NexGen Series - twice a week, new group every month until December NexGen Hitters Development NexGen Liberos Development NexGen Setter Development NexGen Fundamental Development (weekends) Want to know more The six skills series Basic Serving Advanced Serving Jump Serving Basic Passing Advanced Passing Basic Spiking Advanced Spiking Basic Defence Advanced Defence Basic Blocking Advanced Blocking Want to know more Beach 2's Training Summer Camps Basic Beach 2's Training Advanced Beach 2's Girls Training Advanced Boys 2's Boy Training Want to know more Outdoor Summer Camps Age 11-13 Volleyball Camp Outdoors SMLW Outdoor Camp Academy Volleyball G and S Camp Want to know more Making the Cut Camps Making the Cut Junior High School Team Making The Cut Senior High School Team Want to know more

 

If you want to do these, you better register! Moving from Outdoor to Indoors! Now that the most extensive and successful Making the Cut camp is in the history books, the focus turns to indoor sessions at Father Robinson School.  We are introducing a whole set of NexGen sessions.   The NexGen Sessions These are rapidly filling. Register now so you are not one of the people sitting on the waitlist.   Most of our sessions will run out of Father Robinson School, and most of the NexGen sessions will run monthly. You can wait and pass on the September session, but once the registrants get into the gym and see the coaches they get to work with, they will be registering for the next month right away. Jump Training We have Tamille Schuler doing the Jump training, which is sold out for September already and has a waitlist. We are working on a solution to offer another section of it. Jump Registration NexGen And EliteGen Setter  We have Chie Imamura doing the NexGen and EliteGen Setter development sessions. NexGen and EliteGen Registration NexGen Hitters We have Leanne McGettigan doing the NexGen Hitter development sessions. NexGen Hitters Registration NexGen Fundamental  We have Sandi Neith doing the NexGen Fundamental session on the Weekend. These are the only sessions we run on the weekends. So if your week is packed, try these. NexGen Fundamental Registration NexGen Libero I (Darren Cannell) and another coach will be doing the NexGen Libero development session. I am going on a cruise in the middle of September so I will miss a few sessions, and another coach will cover for me.. NexGen libero Registration Full NexGen Program I suggest registering for the next four months between now and next year and finding out how good you can get. Then bring all of that experience into Club tryouts. We are seeing some athletes registering for all the NexGen as they are unsure which session will be what they are playing. So think of the change in your volleyball game if during the week you do two hours twice a week of jump training, setting, hitting, and libero. That is eight hours a week of training. Bring that experience into club tryouts. Full NexGen Registration The New Friday Game Night A new set of sessions is the Friday Game Nights. A chance to put all the skills you learn during the week to the test in a pickup game situation. There are no referees, structure, or coaches, just a chance to play the beautiful game. New Friday night Games

Should my child move up to a higher level of play or age group?

 An athlete's parent wrote me the following note about the gameplay happening at a Camp at the Academy.  

"Is it possible for movement to a higher group in the camp, or is it possible to divide the group where she has been placed to raise the level a little? The calibre of gameplay is not what she is used to."

A widespread request by parents and athletes who like to play sports in an older age class because the level of play is higher, which they assume will allow the participant to grow faster and to a higher level. The coach, not the parents or athletes, should always start the movement to a higher level or different age class. Below is my response to this email.  

One of the biggest problems we have in the Canadian Amateur sports scene is that athletes always want to tier themselves until they are at a skill level closer to the bottom of a group of athletes. Many younger athletes want to play on a better team as they feel this will help them become better players. I believe younger athletes become better players by learning how to make others around them better. The best player on a team has a role to play as a leader, to save rallies using their advanced skills to get the level of back and forth they want in a game. The challenge of raising the back and forth rests on the shoulders of the better players.  

 

The group she is now playing with loses her ability to raise the level of play. She will keep moving up the groups until she becomes the one which slows the playdown. How would tiering her to a higher level improve the gameplay for all the camp or club players?

If she is used to a certain level of back and forth, I propose she does everything possible to raise the level of play on the court or team in which she is playing. If she does not have the leadership qualities or the skill level to raise the level of play, then she is not good enough to move to a higher level. She would like someone better than her to raise the level of play so she can then be part of the level.  

I suggest that if she wants a higher level of back and forth, she should make it happen.

Playing at a higher level means some of the best athletes in the sport never learn to become leaders as they are always at the lower or mid-range on the higher level teams. It also means that many of these younger players moving up to an older age bracket will not get as much playing time as they are not the best player anymore.

There are always exceptions to a rule. Some athletes moving up to the next level would be the best thing for their development. But a coach will recognize this and suggest the movement, and with the parent and athlete, the move might happen.

Personal Practice

 No talking practice. The order of activities is not essential. If you do not understand the activity, ask one of the coaches.

Set to yourself (100) _____ 

Set while doing three laps around the court___________ 

Pass to yourself (100)_____ 

Pass while doing three laps around the court_________ 

Do lines (3) ____ 

Do dive lines(3)____ 

Do spike approaches no jump (25) ___ 

Do spike approaches with Jumps (25)_____ 

Do block jumps at wall (25)____ 

Do block jumps at net (25)____ 

Block jump with step (25)___ 

Do a the daily questionnaire(s) on your phone 

Do spikes against wall (100)___ 

Pass against wall (25)____ 

Spike then dig against wall (25)____ 

Serve against wall(25) ____

 Serve over net (25)_____

 Serve 10 in a row over net ____ 

Do heart beat motion on backrow court (25) Middle___ Power ___ Offside___ 

Bounce pass (25)___ 

Bounce set (25)____ 

Bounce spike front of attack line(25)___ 

Bounce spike back of attack line(25) ___ 

Digs off net (25) ___ 

Ready position, step, split pass no ball (25) ___ 

Reaction ball at wall (25) ___ 

Block jump turn (25)___ 

Spike jump cover (25)___ 

Set step under bounce turn set (25)___ 

Pass step under bounce turn pass (25) ___ 

Sit (mental practice) Your team serves; you are in each position twice play the point ___

 Kneel anywhere on the court and serve (25)___ 

Sit and set to the wall (25)___ 

Lay down and set to yourself (25)____ 

Take a look at the photogallery___

Walk around the court lines (3) ___ 

Stand hands above head and press to the wall (block position. Do not slap wall press) (25) ____ 

Burpies (25)___

 Sit ups (25)___ 

push ups (25) ___ 

Find a sports quote and share it with a coach_____

Ask a coach to look at your weakest skill and suggest changes____

Tell a coach your volleyball goal____

This exercise is a personal practice, time to reflect, develop mental toughness and learn to push yourself. The coach can only take the team so far; what is needed is athletes who want to push themselves to the next level. Athletes who want to help their team are willing to work for the other players on their team. There is no talking during this session unless it is directed at the coach.

 

Ducks vs Humans Not fair. You should have seen the vertical jumps on the two closest to the camera, it was like they could fly.

This was the first Making the Cut Camp.  Does anybody know when it was, I cannot remember! Thank you to all the Academy's Staff This newsletter will be a quick one as I am trying to prepare for the 108 athletes coming to the Making the Cut Camps Monday morning. I am excited to meet them all and see the talent coaches we have working at the camp do their stuff. Undoubtedly, the academy's coaching staff is why we sell out most of our activities.   At the Making the Cut Camp, we have ten coaches and ten intern coaches. That is a ratio of 5.8 athletes to each coach. The lower the academy can keep this ratio, the more positive the camps in the summer have been. Academy activities in September School starts in September, and many of our athletes will be trying out for their school teams. Try not to be nervous, and remember, volleyball is a game, and it is meant to be fun. Good luck to you all, and I hope you all the best.   Alongside your school activities, we will offer a batch of next-generation group month-long sessions. September Jump Training September Jump Training (almost sold out) - everyone should do this at least once in their volleyball career. Your knees will thank you later in life. NexGen Hitter Development NexGen Hitter Development - the best part of volleyball is hitting, come and learn how to hit harder and higher by one of the best hitters ever to play university volleyball. NexGen Libero Development NexGen Libero Development - come and learn to pass like a libero. Even if you never plan on being a libero because you like hitting, this is still the session for you. NexGen Setter Development NexGen Setter Development - no one teaches setting better than this coach. One month and you will learn to set like a setter. You might never play that position, but everyone will sometimes need to pass the ball overhand. EliteGen Setter Development EliteGen Setter Development - you are a setter and want to get better. Again learn from the best setting coach we know. NexGen Fundamental Development NexGen Fundamental Development - a little bit of everything volleyball for the grade 4-6 and the second group for the grade 6-8 athletes. FUNdamental Development is the only weekend activity we offer in September. Register Now

Who was crowned Academy Royalty of the Beach This Year?

 

Royalty of the Beach The following two athletes were crowned as Royalty of Beach.  One was the Monday and Wednesday groups and the other was Tuesday and Thursday groups. Royalty of the Beach  Monday and Wednesday Congrats to Peyton Ashby on being the Monday and Wednesday groups Champion with 30 points.  We honour her Royalty! Royalty of the Beach  Tuesday and Thursday Congrats to Nada Raicevic on being the Tuesday and Thursday groups Champion with 27 points.  We honour her Royalty! Our beach volleyball training has ended, and it was great to see some of our athletes do well at the Provincial Championships in Regina. If you have any pictures of the athletes at Provincials, please send me copies via email, and I will put them in our photo gallery.   Send us Images Our photo gallery has over 14 thousand images you can download and print off. We have uploaded them in a high resolution, so they will be made into posters or framed pictures of our athletes Check out the Photo Gallery Our SMLW Outdoor Camp  This camp was so much fun we will do it again for sure. Check out the Photo Gallery Last Few Weeks of Summer We are entering into the last two weeks of the summer, and then starting the second week of September, the academy will move indoors.   Most athletes are entering school volleyball, and the Making the Cut Camps are designed to help prepare them for the school tryouts.  Both Sessions are sold out.  So what can you do instead? Many athletes are stressed about the upcoming school volleyball tryouts, and the academy offers a batch of private lessons this coming week. A private lesson allows the main athlete to pick the topic, select a time that would work for them on any of the three days, and select the coach they would like to instruct the session. Monday to Wednesday (August 12,13,14th), a private lesson can be for as many athletes as the main athlete would like to bring to the session. It can be for one person or for a whole team. When the sessions move back indoors in September, a Private lesson can only have between one and four athletes attend. Register for a Private lesson Thursday, we have the first ever Volleyball in the Park. You have to register on the site to attend, so I know how many nets to set up. We can set up as many as four courts and encourage athletes to come to play for free. You can meet some new volleyball friends or bring your own. Register for Volleyball in the Park What to do in September? September is usually a slower month for the academy as many athletes want to see if they are selected to a school team and decide which academy sessions will fit into the school schedule. The academy's solution to this is the same as during COVID. The athletes have the freedom to select to attend Jump training or one of the Gen sessions and not worry about the overlap of school practices and games with the academy sessions. If you sign up for a session, you only pay for those you can attend.  This causes issues with the academy's ability to offer sessions without losing money. An honest and dedicated approach to attending as often as possible is the foundation of any athlete's ability to develop into an elite athlete.  Month-long sessions September Jump Training from 7-8 (Most school teams are done practicing by then.) We will continue to offer Private lessons (but they will be indoors) NexGen Setters  U14 and U15 age athletes (month-long session) EliteGen Setters U15 and U16 (again, a later practice time to not conflict with school practices) Weekend sessions NetGen Fundamentals for grades 4-6 (Sunday 10:00-12:00 pm) NexGen Fundamental for grades 6-8 (Sunday 11:00-1:00 pm) These sessions will continue to run until December. You will have to register for each month separately. We will also offer private indoor lessons until Christmas to prepare for Club Season. Month-Long Sessions Great Summer Photos Thanks to my Son -Daxtin for sharing his talent in photography.