Translate

Search This Blog

Saturday, September 24, 2022

Next Three Months

 

The next three months are set!

October

This past month has been exciting for us here at the academy. We have enjoyed offering the NexGen session. October is right around the corner, one week away. As you can see below, we have an entire month of activities. Lots of NexGen sessions, Jump training, private lessons and a group of single skill sessions. Do not forget the three open gym game play nights in October.
We look forward to seeing you on the court soon.   Don't wait, as some of these sessions are starting to fill up.

Register early
We have started making powerful quote posters; you should look at some of these in the photo gallery. Here are three of my favourites
Photo Gallery

November

It is time to start getting ready for the club season. Tune up those skills and your jump. It is all being provided in this entire month. Below is a quick peek at what is being offered.

Register early
A few more quote posters.
We put all the posters and photos in high definition so you can print them off, frame them or make posters.

December

Christmas is coming. It is right around the corner, and then the new year and club season. Can you believe it is only a few months away? Are you going to be ready?  
Check out the calendar below.

Register early
A final few posters
So many great images and quotes just waiting to be put together.
Photo Gallery

Friday, September 23, 2022

Attacking Basics - Cross-Court Mechanics

 Attacking Basics - Cross-Court Mechanics

 Pre-­‐contact phase (right handed player)         



1. Attacker has their weight on the front of the right foot, ready to go, and is waiting to see the set to time the approach.

2. Attacker takes a first step toward the net with the left foot. The arms are slightly bent and the elbows stay fairly close to the body. The shoulders are facing the point where the hitter wants to meet the ball.

3. The hitter accelerates the approach by pushing hard with the left foot and taking a big right step toward the ball while lowering their center of gravity. The last adjustment to the ball is made on that step. The arms simultaneously extend behind the body to a point where they are parallel to the floor.

4. The left foot is quickly planted in front of the right foot to allow the body and hips to be open to the set. The more space between the feet, the more lead the hitter will have in their jump. The arms start making their way back in front of the body. 

5. The arms both swing upward as the legs push on the floor. The attacker lifts with the left arm pointing at the ball. The right arm is bent behind the head. The left shoulder is in front and slightly above the right one. The hips are open to the set.

Contact phase 
6. The abdominal muscles contract to initiate the rotation and to transfer the power from the legs to the upper body. The right shoulder lifts above the left one when the left arm is dynamically brought down close to the body and the right arm is thrown up in full extension toward the ball. The hand is wide open and relaxed at contact with the ball. Player exhales at moment of contact.

Post-contact phase 
7. The rotation brings the left should even lower. The arm follows through in the direction of the hit and finishes somewhere across the body of the hitter. 

8. The hitter lands on both feet with the shoulders facing the net because of the rotation. They get in their blocking position right away to be ready for the next play. 

Source: Volleyball Canada. Photos provided by FIVB 





 

 

               

Sunday, September 18, 2022

Welcome to- the MIddle of September

 

Welcome to the Middle of September!

Have you checked the list of the Academy athletes that made the school team? 
The List
If your child is not on the list, send me a quick email, and I will add them to the list.
Let up know!

Sign up now for the October NexGen Sessions

  • Hitter

  • Setter

  • Libero

  • Fundamental

  • Jump Training

Registration

Sign up for the Basic and Advanced Skill Sessions

  • Serving 

  • Passing

  • Spiking

  • Defence

  • Blocking

Registration

The Friday Open Gym Nights (play the Game)

Registration

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Libero Rules - do you know them?

 Some of these might be hard to understand, but we will work on them, so you understand. These are taken from the latest Volleyball Canada Rule Book 2020-2021

THE LIBERO PLAYER

19.1 DESIGNATION OF THE LIBERO

19.1.1 Volleyball Canada - Use of only 1 libero is permitted except for 14U and 15U (boys and girls).

Volleyball Canada - the Libero may be re-designated after each set. The number of the Libero must be on the line-up sheet for each set. If the coach decides to re-designate the Libero between sets, the new Libero may be any player registered on the scoresheet. Any re-designated Libero must comply with the uniform rule. The number of the uniform for the re-designated Libero must be the same as that player's number recorded on the scoresheet. The replaced Libero can now act as a regular player, providing he/she has the correct uniform.

19.1.2 All Liberos must be recorded on the score sheet in the special lines reserved for this. Volleyball Canada - The Libero is to be recorded on the score sheet with the team roster, not on the special line. The number of the Libero is to be recorded on the lineup sheet for all sets.

19.1.3 For 2 liberos where used - The Libero on court is the Acting Libero. If there is another Libero, he/she is the second Libero for the team. Only one Libero may be on court at any time. Volleyball Canada - For Volleyball Canada competitions, the team captain cannot be the Libero for the first set of the match. a) If the Libero is redesignated after set 1 or subsequent sets, the redesignated Libero may be the player who is listed on the score sheet as the team captain. b) If the above redesignation occurs, the coach must appoint a new team captain. This is to be recorded in the remarks section of the score sheet. c) At the conclusion of the match, the original team captain is to sign the score sheet.

19.1.4 The Libero cannot be either team captain or game captain at the same time as performing as a Libero.

19.2 EQUIPMENT

The Libero player(s) must wear a uniform (OR JACKET/BIB FOR THE REDESIGNATED Libero) which has a different dominant colour from any colour of the rest of the team. The uniform must clearly contrast with the rest of the team. The Libero uniforms must be numbered like the rest of the team. Volleyball Canada - The Libero must wear a uniform which has a different dominant colour from any dominant colour of the team jersey.

19.3 ACTIONS INVOLVING THE LIBERO

19.3.1 The playing actions 19.3.1.1 The Libero is allowed to replace any player in a back-row position.

19.3.1.2 He/she is restricted to perform as a back-row player and is not allowed to complete an attack hit from anywhere (including playing court and free zone) if at the moment of the contact, the ball is entirely higher than the top of the net.

19.3.1.3 He/she may not serve, block or attempt to block.

19.3.1.4 A player may not complete an attack hit when the ball is entirely higher than the top of the net, if the ball is coming from an overhand finger pass by a Libero in his/her front zone. The ball may be freely attacked if the Libero makes the same action from outside his/her front zone.

19.3.2 Libero Replacements

19.3.2.1 Libero Replacements are not counted as substitutions. They are unlimited, but there must be a completed rally between two Libero replacements(unless a penalty causes the team to rotate and the Libero to move to position four, or the Acting Libero becomes unable to play, making the rally incomplete). (Also See Rules 15.5, 6.1.3) The Libero can only be replaced by the player whom he/she replaced.

19.3.2.2 The regular replacement player may replace and be replaced by either Libero. The Acting Libero can only be replaced by the regular replacement player for that position or by the second Libero.

19.3.2.3 At the start of each set, the Libero cannot enter the court until the 2nd referee has checked the line-up and authorised a Libero replacement with a starting player.

19.3.2.4 Other Libero replacements must only take place while the ball is out of play and before the whistle for service.

19.3.2.5 A Libero replacement made after the whistle for service but before the service hit should not be rejected; however, at the end of the rally, the game captain must be informed that this is not a permitted procedure, and that repetition will be subject to delay sanctions.

19.3.2.6 Subsequent late Libero replacements shall result in the play being interrupted immediately and the imposition of a delay sanction. The team to serve next will be determined by the level of the delay sanction.

19.3.2.7 The Libero and the replacing player may only enter or leave the court through the "Libero Replacement Zone" (Also see Rules 1.4.4., 7.5.1., D. 1b).

19.3.2.8 Libero replacements must be recorded in the Libero Control Sheet (if one is used) or on the electronic score sheet.

19.3.2.9 An illegal Libero replacement can involve (amongst others): - No completed rally between Libero replacements - The Libero being replaced by a player other than the second Libero or the regular replacement player. An illegal Libero replacement should be considered in the same way as an illegal substitution: - should the illegal Libero replacement be noticed before the start of the next rally, then this is corrected by the referees, and the team is sanctioned for delay; - should the illegal Libero replacement be noticed after the service hit, the consequences are the same as for an illegal substitution.

19.4 RE-DESIGNATION OF A NEW LIBERO

19.4.1 The Libero becomes unable to play if injured, ill, expelled or disqualified. The Libero can be declared unable to play for any reason by the coach or, in the absence of a coach, by the game captain.

19.4.2 Team with one Libero

19.4.2.1 When only one Libero is available for a team according to Rule 19.4.1, or the team has only one registered, and this Libero becomes or is declared unable to play, the coach (or game captain if no coach is present) may re-designate as Libero for the remainder of the match any other player (replacement player excepted) not on the court at the moment of the re-designation.

19.4.2.2 If the Acting Libero becomes unable to play, he/she may be replaced by the regular replacement player or immediately and directly to court by a redesignated Libero. However, a Libero who is the subject of a re-designation may not play for the remainder of the match. If the Libero is not on court when declared unable to play, he/she may also be the subject of a redesignation. The Libero declared unable to play may not play for the remainder of the match.

19.4.2.3 The coach, or game captain if no coach is present, contacts the second referee informing him/her about the re-designation.

19.4.2.4 Should a re-designated Libero become or be declared unable to play, further re-designations are permitted.

19.4.2.5 If the coach requests the team captain to be re-designated as the new Libero, this will be permitted – but the team captain must in this case relinquish all leadership privileges.

19.4.2.6 In the case of a re-designated Libero, the number of the player redesignated as Libero must be recorded on the score sheet remarks section and on the Libero control sheet (or electronic score sheet if one is used).

19.4.3 Team with two Liberos

19.4.3.1 Where a team has registered on the score sheet two Liberos, but one becomes unable to play the team has the right to play with only one Libero. No re-designation will be allowed, however, unless the remaining Libero is unable to continue playing for the match.

19.5 SUMMARY

19.5.1 If the Libero is expelled or disqualified, he/she may be replaced immediately by the team’s second Libero. Should the team have only one Libero, then it has the right to make a re-designation.

Academy Players on School Teams


 Congrats!

Athletes Name       School                        Team

Kate Megffin                            Centennial Collegiate                  Senior Team

Sydney Milton                         Evan Hardy High School         Senior Team

Brynn Delainey                        Aden Bowman High School      Senior Team

                       Caison Ryan                          Holy Cross High School                 Senior Team 

                       Carter MacDonald                   Bethlehem High School                  Senior Team   

                       Addison MacDonald                Bethlehem High School                 Junior Team

                       Peter Wilson                           Tommy Douglas Collegiate             Junior Team

                     Camdyn Schmidt                      St, Joesph High School                   Junior Team

                     Dane Klimosko                         St, Joseph High School                   Senior Team

                     Audrey Larre                           Centennial Collegiate                       Junior Team

                     Peyton Larre                           Centennial Collegiate                       Junior Team 

                     Avary Ratcliffe                        Tisdale Secondary School                Senior Team

                    Grace Budnick                          Holy Cross High School                  Junior Team

                     Emerson Lawless                     Clavet Composite School                Senior Team

                     Sydney Burns                         Evan Hardy  High School                 Junior Team

                     Ryan Meckelborg                   Holy Cross School                            Junior Team

                    Alyssa Peters                           St. Joseph High School                     Junior Team

                    Ashley Ife                               St, Joseph High School                      Junior Team

                    Carys Gerwing                        St. Joseph High School                      Junior Team

                    Kate Megaffin                        Centennial Collegiate                        Senior Team 

                    Melia Linnen                          Bowman High School                       Junior Team  

                    Quinn Smith                           St. Joseph High School                      Senior Team

                    Jordan Roy                              St, Joseph High School                     Junior Team 

                    Joseph Angel                          Walter Murray School                        Junior Team  

                    Jayda  Miller                          Centennial Collegiate                         Junior Team

                    Jared Starr                              Centennial Collegiate                         Senior Team

                   Cadence Leith                         Bethlehem High School                      Senior Team

                   Samantha Leith                        Bethlehem High School                      Senior Team

                  Jackson Peddle                        Walter Murray High School                Senior Team

                  Berlyn Briske                           Holy Cross High School                     Senior Team

                   Claire Javis                             Centennial Collegiate                          Junior Team

                  Torin Doepker                          Holy Cross High School                    Senior Team

                  Mairin Mackie                         Bishop James Mahoney                      Senior Team

                  Kailyn York                             Centennial Collegiate                         Junior Team

                 Trinity Schmidt                        Bishop James Mahoney                      Junior Team

                 Sophie Kahl                             St. Joesph High School                        Junior Team

                 Gabrielle Bildfell                     Walter Murray Collegiate                    Junior Team

                Claire McKinnon                       Walter Murray Collegiate                   Junior Team

                Kate Nelson                               Evan Hardy High School                    Junior Team

                Avery Mackintosh                     Centennial Collegiate                          Junior Team

               Adysen Grychowski                  St. Joseph High School                        Junior Team

               Jeremy Tratch                            Walter Murray  Collegiate                   Senior Team

               Brenna Korol                              St Joseph High School                        Junior Team

               Myah Clatney                            Bishop James Mahoney                       Senior Team

              Avery Clatney                             Bishop James Mahoney                       Junior Team                         






           


                     

                       

      



                                                     



Sunday, September 4, 2022

So you made the School Team!

 Being selected to represent your school on any team is a privilege not given to everyone and should be respected. The coach(s) saw something in you that they believe will help the team succeed. Don't be afraid to ask what that was. Being selected for a team allows you to attend practices. What you do during those practices will determine if you should see court time during the games. Making the team does not automatically mean you will see the court during games. You have to earn that right.

Many players have heard the quote, there is no "I" in team, or it is not "me"; it is "we,"  or if you want to be on the team, say "we," not "I." 

A team is a group of people who, to succeed, must be there for each other.   When you are selected for the team, during the season, you must be accountable to the other players on the team. Your behaviour in and out of uniform directly influences how others see the team or school. It would be best if you did everything possible to bring your best to the court during games and, more importantly, during practices. Practices are where you win games. If you continue to do any behaviour during or outside of practices that makes you less of a teammate, your team will not be able to reach the highest level. Your mental, physical and spiritual health needs to be maintained for you to offer your best to your teammates.

Mentally, you need to be positive and surround yourself with positive people who set goals and want to be the best they can be. Physically be aware of what you are putting into your body, and maintain your awareness by getting enough sleep. Be spiritually healthy by ensuring you stay ahead of your school work, recognizing and being thankful for the people there to help you. Do your best to be nice to others and be a participating member of the school. If you have people, factors, and behaviours that make you less, sacrifice some things, change some behaviours, plan for success and be there for the others who support you and your team. There is no better feeling than putting effort into seeing how good you and your team can become if the players selected for the team do more rather than less.   Being a good team member will develop character and behaviours that will serve you in future in more than sports. Cherish the chance you have been given as a team member. Do not feel you are entitled to anything. Get out there and earn it.   It will be amazing how much more you can achieve as a team than you can as an individual.

Congrats on making the team.


Above image was taken from:


Saturday, September 3, 2022

So you got Cut off the School Team!

 

So you got Cut off the School Team!

Putting in the Time

The disappointment of not making your school team has become a reality for many athletes. It is awful as a parent to watch your child experience that disappointment. Being selected to be a school team member is not an easy task. To be the best, you have to practice more than the rest!  
Past training, ball contact, playing time and practice are the most significant determining factors in their ability to make the school team.

The attempt today is to help parents put their child's disappointment into perspective. When a child comes home and is disappointed they did not make the school team. Make sure, as a parent, you put the blame where it belongs. The first gut instinct is to look for outside people or factors to place the blame. Most of the players on bigger school senior teams are club players and have been involved in organized volleyball for 4-5 years, attended camps and training sessions and worked on a planned approach to becoming better at the sport.   Just having the desire and the natural athletic ability cannot replace this amount of previous ball contact of these veteran players in the sport. A bigger school with two junior high school teams could have over 100 athletes trying out for these teams.   That means there are going to be 75 athletes who are going to experience the disappointment. The schools only have one senior team, which means the 24 athletes who played for the school's junior teams will be cut in half. That is not even considering the players transferring into the school with past volleyball experience. Making the team is not an easy thing.
Be proud of your child's willingness to attend the tryouts. Ask them if they genuinely feel they should have been selected for the team. This is an essential question for your child to be able to answer. Knowing how good you are at a sport is a learned skill. Many young athletes are not objective and will look for outside factors to justify why they did not make the team. As a parent do not support this train of thought. The athlete's past effort, activities and sacrifices in their journey to achieving their goal is the single factor which should be used to understand why the tryout was successful or not. Placing blame on the structure, coach, size of the school, and the number of athletes trying out are some easy excuses for why an athlete did not make the team.   But it is not a constructive approach to developing a plan to make it next time as they are all factors over which the athlete has no control. The desire to be on the team is evident because they attended the tryouts, but it is not enough. Do they own a volleyball or have access to one they could use to put in the necessary outside-of-practice touches to compete with the other players? In the past, what activities have they done which would make them better than the others at the tryouts? What actions did they do all summer to prepare them for school tryouts? It takes a lot more than just desire to earn the right to represent the school in a sport. As a school coach, it was always evident which players had put in the time and effort between seasons. It was also the most challenging job to cut a past team member because they did not practice during the off-season more than the rest.  
The lack of effort to achieve the desired goal is a hard pill to swallow but a lesson which needs to be learned. A spot on a school team which is given and not earned has little value. The disappointment of not making the team can be the fire to spark the drive needed to set the necessary steps in play to avoid failure the next time. Sometimes, even the effort put in is not enough to achieve the goal.   But the lesson learned here is many times, the journey is the lesson.   
I am sorry to hear you did not make the team. The goal was not earned by the athlete's past effort before they went to tryouts. Coaches wish they could keep every player who tryouts, but it would cheapen the value of earning a spot on a school team, and that is the best lesson that can be taught. Encourage your athlete to not quit. Use disappointment as the flame to power the effort to achieve the goal next time.

Michael Jordan
When I got cut from the Varsity team as a sophomore in high school, I learned something. I knew I never wanted to feel that bad again. I never wanted to have that taste in my mouth, the hole in my stomach. So I set a goal of becoming a starter on the varsity.
I can accept failure; everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying again.