Volleyball · Eight-week curriculum

8-Week Beginner Volleyball Season

1. Week 1: Movement before contacts

   The season opens with feet, platforms, and one shared rally, on a lowered net with soft balls.

   Core skills: Ready position and shuffles, Frozen platform basics, Calling MINE

   Full printable plan: First Volleyball Practice: 60 Minutes, Ages 7-8

   Practice 1 · 60 min

   First Practice: Movement First

   Names, the ready position, and keeping something in the air for everyone.

   0-10	Balloon keep-it-up in small groups while names get learned
   10-24	Ready-position movement mirror
   24-38	The MINE call taught and celebrated inside balloon games
   38-52	Beach ball or trainer rallies in trios
   52-60	Whole-team circle count, huddle, cheer

   This mirrors the full printable plan above; success today is everyone keeping something airborne.

   Practice 2 · 60 min

   Feet and Floors

   Movement patterns without fear: shuffles, stops, and the low athletic base.

   0-10	Mirror warmup with playful commands
   10-26	Passing-lane movement with tossed balloons or trainers
   26-40	Balloon body-part rounds: forearms, hands, heads
   40-54	Free-ball movement to base positions, walked slowly
   54-60	Group record chase, huddle

   STOP BEFORE YOU TOUCH begins this week and never ends; say it kindly and constantly.

   Practice 3 · 60 min

   Air Show

   A play session: every game keeps balls alive and every touch gets a call.

   0-10	Balloon warmup circles
   10-25	Balloon cone-tag round: touch then run
   25-42	Trainer-ball keep-up trios with the no-doubles rule
   42-55	Mega-circle team keep-up with two balloons
   55-60	Team number announced like a record, huddle

   Joy is the retention strategy at this age; the skills are hidden inside it on purpose.

   Review before moving on: Do players hold a real platform without swinging?; Did the group count a rally together and want more?

   Optional home activity: Balloon platform taps at home: keep it up ten times without swinging the arms.

   Coach reflection: Who flinched from the ball this week, and how will you rebuild their comfort?

2. Week 2: Feet to the ball

   Movement becomes the star: lanes, angles, and platforms that arrive before the ball does.

   Core skills: Moving then stopping, Platform angles, Passing with height

   Full printable plan: Movement and Platform Practice: 60 Minutes, Ages 7-8

   Practice 1 · 60 min

   Feet to the Ball

   The journey before the contact: move, stop, set the feet, then play.

   0-10	Ready-position mirror warmup
   10-26	Passing-lane movement to fed spots
   26-42	Platform angle partners: the shape at rest
   42-54	Free-ball movement with FREE calls
   54-60	Trio keep-up records, huddle

   The full printable plan above carries this session; grade the stop, not the pass.

   Practice 2 · 60 min

   Wall Work Begins

   The take-home skill: wall passing taught so it can live at home.

   0-10	Platform shape review in pairs
   10-28	Solo wall passing: toss-pass-catch cycles
   28-42	Wall passing continuous rallies with streak counts
   42-54	Movement round: side-touch between wall contacts
   54-60	Personal bests recorded, homework assigned, huddle

   This session's real output is home practice; ask about wall streaks every week from now on.

   Practice 3 · 60 min

   Moving Targets

   Movement plus contact in games: lanes, calls, and cooperative counting.

   0-10	Mirror warmup at full silliness
   10-26	Passing-lane movement races
   26-44	Target passing triads with rotating roles
   44-56	Free-ball waves: call, move, pass
   56-60	Team streak record attempt, huddle

   Feet fix passes; when a pass goes wrong, ask where the feet were, never what the arms did.

   Review before moving on: Do players move their feet instead of reaching sideways?; Are passes lifting with height rather than shooting flat?

   Optional home activity: Shuffle-stop-freeze ten times each direction, holding an imaginary platform.

   Coach reflection: Which drill produced the most contacts per player, and can it produce more?

3. Week 3: The forearm pass, for real

   Serve-receive begins: platforms hold against tosses, then easy serves, always with a target.

   Core skills: Forearm passing to a target, Reading the incoming ball, Early MINE calls

   Full printable plan: Forearm Passing Practice: 75 Minutes, Ages 9-10

   Practice 1 · 75 min

   The Forearm Pass, For Real

   Platform mechanics under real feeds: quiet arms, working legs.

   0-10	Wall passing warmup with streaks
   10-30	Platform angle partners with target shifts
   30-50	Target passing triads, tosser coached first
   50-66	Passing-lane movement into live passes
   66-75	Cooperative rally attempt, huddle

   The full printable plan above carries this session; legs lift, arms aim, all night.

   Practice 2 · 75 min

   Angles and Targets

   The platform learns to steer: tilt, shoulder drop, and passes with an address.

   0-10	Platform freeze-frames in pairs
   10-30	Triads with the target moved off-line every round
   30-50	Wall passing with a side target line
   50-66	Pepper progression stages 1-2
   66-75	Team target-streak game, huddle

   The ball goes where the platform faces; freeze the platform after contact until everyone believes it.

   Practice 3 · 75 min

   Pass and Play

   Passing spent in games: rallies, waves, and the first taste of small courts.

   0-10	Wall warmup with personal-best attempts
   10-30	Three-touch cooperative rally rounds
   30-50	Free-ball waves at rising tempo
   50-68	2v2 small-court rallies with the two-touch minimum
   68-75	Rally record announcement, huddle

   Games make panic and panic makes swatting; the two-touch rule guards the week's work.

   Review before moving on: Do passes reach the setter zone with usable height?; Is the move-stop-pass order holding under easy serves?

   Optional home activity: Twenty self-toss passes to a wall spot, freezing the platform on each.

   Coach reflection: At what serve speed did platforms start breaking, and why push or wait?

4. Week 4: Hands above the forehead

   Setting arrives through the catch progression: window shape first, clean release second.

   Core skills: Setting window shape, Catch-and-release setting, Squaring to the target

   Full printable plan: Three-Touch Volleyball Practice: 75 Minutes, Ages 9-10

   Practice 1 · 75 min

   Hands Above the Forehead

   Setting begins: the window, the catch, and the first silent contacts.

   0-10	Wall passing warmup
   10-30	Catch-to-set progression: the window installed
   30-50	Toss-set-catch triangles
   50-66	Three-touch rallies with real second contacts
   66-75	Silent-set showcase, huddle

   The full printable plan above carries the session; coach with your ears, palms smack and fingers whisper.

   Practice 2 · 75 min

   Setter Feet

   Great setting is great arriving: run, stop, square, hands.

   0-10	Window catches warmup
   10-32	Setter square footwork around the cones
   32-52	Triangles with the squaring standard live
   52-68	Pepper stages with sets included
   68-75	RUN STOP SQUARE HANDS chanted once more, huddle

   Feet before shoulders before hands; the order is the entire session.

   Practice 3 · 75 min

   Two-Touch City

   Pass-then-set becomes the team's default in every game format.

   0-10	Triangle warmup rounds
   10-30	Three-touch cooperative rallies chasing records
   30-50	Free-ball waves ending in a set and catch
   50-68	2v2 small court with sets scoring bonus points
   68-75	Team record celebration, huddle

   Pay the second touch in points and it appears; the scoreboard coaches the sequence.

   Review before moving on: Do sets happen above the forehead with finger pads?; Does the ball leave without spin on the best reps?

   Optional home activity: Ten catch-freeze reps in the window using a balloon or soft ball.

   Coach reflection: Which players are natural setters, and how will you grow the others anyway?

5. Week 5: Serving: toss plus contact

   The serve gets built from its parts: repeatable toss, firm contact, earned distance.

   Core skills: Consistent toss, Solid contact, Serving routines

   Full printable plan: Serving Practice: 75 Minutes, Ages 9-10

   Practice 1 · 75 min

   Serving: Toss Plus Contact

   The serve built from the toss up: same toss, same swing, every time.

   0-10	Wall passing warmup
   10-32	Serving toss-and-contact progression
   32-52	Serves over the net from honest personal lines
   52-68	Serve-and-chase relay, learning pace
   68-75	Serving showcase, huddle

   The full printable plan above carries the session; a bad toss caught and restarted is a win.

   Practice 2 · 75 min

   Serve and Receive

   The serve meets its answer: receivers pass the serves teammates hit.

   0-10	Platform warmup pairs
   10-30	Serving lines with target zones introduced
   30-52	Serve-receive waves: half serve, half pass, rotate
   52-68	Free-ball and serve mixed feeds with calls
   68-75	Best-pass and best-serve awards, huddle

   Serving practice doubles as receiving practice the moment you aim servers at teammates.

   Practice 3 · 75 min

   Serve Relay Night

   Serving volume inside racing: chases, scores, and pressure moments.

   0-10	Toss discipline warmup
   10-35	Serve-and-chase relay rounds with scoring
   35-55	Zone challenge rounds, teams voting their zones
   55-68	Pressure serves with all-upside framing
   68-75	Closest-to-the-cone showdown, huddle

   A rushed miss scores zero and costs a chase; let the scoring argue for calm.

   Review before moving on: Does each player have a repeatable serving routine?; Is distance earned through the cone lines rather than heaved?

   Optional home activity: Twenty tosses that land on the same spot, no serve needed.

   Coach reflection: What percentage of serves crossed at each distance, and who moves back next week?

6. Week 6: Aim: zones and pressure

   Serving gains targets and stakes: called zones, team scores, and pressure rounds.

   Core skills: Zone targeting, Serving under pressure, Routine over muscle

   Full printable plan: Serving Practice: 75 Minutes, Ages 9-10

   Practice 1 · 75 min

   Aim: Zones and Pressure

   Serving grows teeth: zones called, corners paid, pressure practiced.

   0-10	Toss-and-contact tune-up
   10-34	Serving zone challenge with called targets
   34-54	Deep-corner rounds paying triple
   54-68	Pressure round: one announced serve each
   68-75	Zone percentage announcements, huddle

   The full printable plan above carries the session; aim with the toss, never by steering the arm.

   Practice 2 · 75 min

   Attack School

   The down ball arrives: draw, reach, snap, and balls hit down on purpose.

   0-10	Shadow-swing warmup with the chant
   10-32	Down-ball attack intro off partner tosses
   32-50	Approach footwork, no ball
   50-66	Down balls at live receiving targets
   66-75	Target ladder climbs, huddle

   Full reach is the correction that fixes half of everything; guard the REACH beat.

   Practice 3 · 75 min

   Serve, Pass, Attack

   The rally's spine assembled: serve starts it, pass saves it, attack ends it.

   0-10	Wall passing warmup
   10-30	Serve-receive waves with zone-called serves
   30-50	Pass-set-attack sequences off coach entries
   50-68	Queen of the court introduction rounds
   68-75	Best full sequence replayed, huddle

   The first full pass-set-attack rally deserves a stoppage and a name; make the moment.

   Review before moving on: Are called zones getting hit at a rising rate?; Does the routine survive the pressure round?

   Optional home activity: Explain your serving routine to someone at home, then perform it five times.

   Coach reflection: Did pressure improve focus or break mechanics, and what does that tell you?

7. Week 7: Three touches or nothing

   Pass-set-send becomes law: pepper control, cooperative rallies, and 2v2s that demand the pattern.

   Core skills: Three-touch patterns, Cooperative ball control, First-touch quality

   Full printable plan: Three-Touch Volleyball Practice: 75 Minutes, Ages 9-10

   Practice 1 · 75 min

   Three Touches or Nothing

   The three-touch identity: pass, set, over, in every game the team plays.

   0-10	Triangle set warmup
   10-30	Three-touch cooperative rally records
   30-52	Queen of the court with the three-touch bribe
   52-68	2v2 small court, three-touch bonus live
   68-75	Sequence count announced, huddle

   The full printable plan above carries the session; narrate every PASS SET OVER as it happens.

   Practice 2 · 75 min

   Defense and Rescue

   Keeping rallies alive: digs to target and the chase that saves lost balls.

   0-10	Low-position mirror warmup
   10-32	Dig to target off coach tosses and down balls
   32-52	Emergency ball pursuit with MINE and HELP
   52-68	Rescue rallies: save, organize, attack
   68-75	Effort-chase celebrations, huddle

   Celebrate failed chases as loudly as saves; the norm that everything gets chased is the output.

   Practice 3 · 75 min

   Talk It Up

   Communication scored: MINE, FREE, OUT, and HELP become the team's language.

   0-10	Call vocabulary rehearsed with mimed situations
   10-35	Call It! game rounds building the vocabulary
   35-55	Queen of the court with communication points
   55-68	Narrow-court 1v1 with called first touches
   68-75	Best-call bonus ceremony, huddle

   Silence is a turnover this week; referee the words with the same care as the lines.

   Review before moving on: Do rallies use three touches by choice, not just by rule?; Are pepper streaks growing week over week?

   Optional home activity: Pepper with a family member or a wall: pass-set-pass, best streak of the night.

   Coach reflection: When the pattern broke in games, which touch failed most often?

8. Week 8: The whole game

   The season closes with a balanced session: every contact, rotations, and a competitive 2v2 finish.

   Core skills: All-contact review, Rotation knowledge, Competing with patterns

   Full printable plan: Balanced Practice: 90 Minutes, Ages 11-12

   Practice 1 · 90 min

   The Whole Game

   The balanced ninety: passing, setting, serving, attacking, and 6v6.

   0-12	Wall and mirror warmup circuit
   12-32	Passing and setting stations
   32-50	Serving zones and down-ball attacks
   50-68	Rotation walkthrough into serve-receive
   68-90	6v6 scrimmage with the season's calls live, huddle

   This is the full printable plan above; the rotations walked earlier get their live exam in the scrimmage.

   Practice 2 · 75 min

   Season Review Stations

   Eight weeks revisited in rotating stations players partly run themselves.

   0-10	Balloon nostalgia round from week one
   10-26	Station 1: platform and targets
   26-42	Station 2: setting triangles
   42-58	Station 3: serving zones
   58-70	Station 4: pepper pairs
   70-75	Favorite-week huddle

   Let players explain one station rule each; the review lands harder in their voices.

   Practice 3 · 90 min

   Queen's Championship

   The season's tournament: queen of the court with everything on display.

   0-12	Player-led warmup: captains run the triangles
   12-40	Queen of the court group stage
   40-65	Communication-scored rounds
   65-82	Championship defense with everyone watching
   82-90	Crown ceremony and season huddle

   Never skip the crown ceremony; the ceremony is what nine-year-olds remember in October.

   Practice 4 · 60 min

   Family Net Day

   An optional celebration: skills shown to families, then everyone plays.

   0-12	Players demonstrate one skill each for the sideline
   12-30	Family balloon mega-circle
   30-50	Kids-versus-grownups over a lowered net
   50-60	Awards, photos, the last cheer of the season

   One prepared award per player, written the night before; the list is the session's real plan.

   Review before moving on: Can players name their rotation position and next spot?; Which contact skill held up best under fatigue?

   Optional home activity: Write or draw the longest rally of the season for the final huddle.

   Coach reflection: What order would you teach these eight weeks next time, and why?