Shameless Plug for the Academy

I am shamelessly seeking help to advertise the Academy.  I just got off a phone meeting with a social media company that is helping me build an advertising strategy.  Part of the strategy is to seek help.  If you could take a minute and do one or all of the items below it would go a long way to making the academy a success.

 

Google my Business

If you can do a review for the academy it will push us up in a google search.

Google review

Refer a Friend

Send a friend the academy information.

Academy Website

Academy Links

Like, suggest and comment on any of these links

Academy Links

Artist: Darren Cannell Artist Elite Academy - Hummingbird and Flower Session

I really enjoyed working with this small group of artists for three hours.  We made so much progress and in the end, we had hummingbirds and flowers.

After I got home I did a little more work on my bird and this was the end product. 

 I will share the fine-tuning of the image in another session. 

Artist: E. Gazman Artist Elite Academy session - Hummingbird and flower.

I like the contrast of the hummingbirds and flower with the background.  The green streak is a nice touch.  This image was drawn on a Pixel 4 XL with his finger as the stylus.  I thought he did a good job. 

Art of Coaching Serving Tips

Terry Liskevych   (USA Women’s Team Coach)

 Toss

• Toss the ball in front of hitting shoulder

Float

• Solid contact in the center of the ball, no spin, stiff wrist

Flat

• Low trajectory, line drive

Diane Flick-Williams ( Western Washington University)

• Create a routine that is applicable in all venues

 • Velocity created by swinging fast, not hard

 • Shut voices out by talking through your routine

Chris Catanach (University of Tampa)

Serving - Standing Float Serve

 • Toss (raise of the ball) should locate 1 2 feet above and in line with the hitting shoulder

 • Transfer weight from back foot to lead foot

 • Make contact using a firm and locked wrist and the palm of the hand

• Follow through, palm to target

Serving — Standing Float Serve

 • Toss (raise of the ball) should locate 1-2 feet above and in line with the hitting shoulder

• Transfer weight from back foot to lead foot

• Make contact using a firm and locked wrist and the palm of the hand

• Follow through, palm to target

 Courtney Draper (St. Pete Volleyball Club)

• The toss is the most important part of the serve, making sun that it is high enough, far enough away for the athlete to sta! behind the ball, and that the toss is on the shoulder that the athlete hits with.

 • Square up to where (or who) you want to serve.

 • Lock the wrist and keep the hand firm (even after the ball ha! left the hand).

• Keep the hand up, where the athlete made contact and no follow through on the ball. By popping the ball and leaving your hand high it creates the knuckleball (float) effect that so difficult for passers to pass. • Advanced players should be able to keep the ball between the top of the antenna and the tape of the net for a clean, flat float serve.  

Russ Rose (Penn State University)

• Relaxed consistent toss - good toss hit it hard, bad toss hit it in ere

• Floater is hit through the center of the ball with a stiff wrist. Spin is hit from behind with a wrist snap over the ball

• Step and swing to and through your target

Mike Lingenfelter  (Munciana Volleyball Club)

• "Stopped on Contact" and "Be seen"

Art of Coaching Defense Tips

Terry Liskevych   (USA Women’s Team Coach)

Stop

• Feet stopped at hitter's contact

Low

• Contact the ball from a low body position

 • Come up to meet the ball

Arms

• Play the ball with both arms as much as possible

Chris Catanach (University of Tampa)

 • Low-medium body level, feet a little wider than the shoulders

 • Arms at mid-body level ready position (able to go overhand or underhand)

 • Drive step to dig point

• Deflect the ball to intended target

• Give on a soft hit, receive (cushion) on a hard hit

 Courtney Draper (St. Pete Volleyball Club)

• Bend at their ankles and keep their hips low as a starting point - then the athlete can move in any direction (under the ball, laterally, or explode up to play).

 • Hands should start in a neutral position so player can dig with their platform OR their hands.

• First line of defense is ALWAYS to stay on their feet to play the ball, but a good floor extension is needed to increase the range of the defensive player.

• When contacting the ball with forearms, it is important that the ball does not get too tight to the body, because it is hard to create angles with your arms too close to your body.

Russ Rose (Penn State University)

• Be low-balanced and see the attacker (some balls you hit, others you get under)

• Play the ball before you absorb the momentum on the floor

• Every ball is in play. Will over skill sometimes saves the day

Mike Lingenfelter  (Munciana Volleyball Club)

• "Stopped on Contact" and "Be seen"

Art of Coaching Blocking Tips

Terry Liskevych   (USA Women’s Team Coach)

Front

 • Position body in front of hitter's striking arm

Penetrate

 • Go directly over the net

• Press (extend with arms and shoulders)

Hands

• Block the ball with your hands, spread your fingers 415

Clamp

• Surround tight sets

Diane Flick-Williams ( Western Washington University)

• See the ball longer

• Different than most people on this one

• Hitter will go to the ball

• Small adjustments up top - 1 inch = 3 feet

• When learning, better to be late and right than guess and b@ wrong

• Ball - Setter - Ball – Hitter

 • Big first step / hurdle step

Chris Catanach (University of Tampa)

 • Goal of your block: Time the block so you are at max jump and ram' your arms are over the net and locked

 • Arms are shoulder width apart and they penetrate the plane of the net before contact ▪

• Hands are big and arms are locked straight at the time of contact

•Keep the arms extended through the landing

• The final steps leading to the jump are a left, right plant when blocking to your right and a right, left plant when blocking to Ire your left

• The block motion is dynamic when adding the arm drive and the footwork 

Russ Rose (Penn State University)

• Read the play hall-setter-ball-hitter (turn outside hands in)

• Face the attacker and lead with the hands - better to be over than high

• Press to the middle of the court and better to be wide than too narrow  

Mike Lingenfelter  (Munciana Volleyball Club)

• "Take away option 1" and "Take away vision"

Art of Coaching Attacking Tips

Hitting

Terry Liskevych   (USA Women’s Team Coach)

Wait

• Wait and identify height, speed and location of set

Accelerate

 • Once you start, don't stop until you hit the ball

Reach

• Contact the ball high and in front of your hitting shoulder

Topspin

• Back of the ball topspin. Top of the ball topspin what you are above the net

Diane Flick-Williams ( Western Washington University)

• Checkmark approach

• Step close to the ball that is there, not where you think the ball will be

 • Use your arms for lift

 • High elbow to the ball

Chris Catanach (University of Tampa)

Arm swing:

• The Swing is similar to the throwing motion

• Draw arms in a bow and arrow like fashion

• Keep the attack-arm elbow above the shoulder through the action

• Whip the arm and wrist through the ball

Approach:

• The goal is to align your approach with your feet behind the ball and the ball in line with your head or between your head and your hitting shoulder

• Slow to fast approach (attacker will accelerate into the attack)

 • Final steps are a right-left for a right handed player and left-right for a left handed player

• Approach timing will depend on the height of the set. The goal of the attacker is to make contact at the peak of their jump

 Courtney Draper (St. Pete Volleyball Club)

• Slow to fast approach, digging heels into the ground (net jumping off the toes) and hips being open to the setter when attacking in front of the setter.

• Shoulders and hips open on contact and rotating to the court on contact.

• Emphasis on the backswing (longer for pin attackers, and shorter for middles) and finishing with our hips back and shoulders forward on the finish.

Russ Rose (Penn State University)

•             Slow to fast and small to big in looking at your approach (3-4 step)

•             Accelerate into the attack with a big double arm lift with non-hitting shoulder forward

•             Rotate with non-hitting arm leading the way so hitting shoulder forward now

 Mike Lingenfelter  (Munciana Volleyball Club)

• "Hit downhill" and "Slow to Fast"