Preparing Muscles for Playing Volleyball

How many of you are tired of having your players run laps to warm up for practice or a game of volleyball? There are some new, exciting ways to warm up your muscles and work on agility skills that are fun for the players. According to Jesse McFarland, athletic trainer at the Sisters, Oregon Athletic Club, dynamic stretching and agility drills are the best way to prepare for the explosive game of volleyball. Jesse was selected to train the US Olympic team prior to the 2008 Bejing Olympic Games. Jesse came back with the latest information about the most efficient ways to prepare for your sport. In my upcoming book I will share the dynamic stretches and agility drills that I have used with my teams. The agility ladder, which many of the top collegiate teams are using, is a fun way to teach the players quickness and direction changes. There are many drills and patterns you can teach, and it is surprising how fast the players pick it up. Jesse did suggest that you switch up patterns of the drill to challenge the coordination of your players. There will be more to come on this subject. Lots of fun things to try!