PERSONAL TRAINING FOR PERFORMANCE
CHAT WILLIAMS, MS, CSCS,*D, CSPS, NSCA-CPT,*D, FNSCA
HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL:
SEASON PREPARATION
Many times preparing players for their upcoming high school
volleyball season can be a difficult task. Like many sports, girl’s
volleyball is a year-round sport with the combination of club and
high school practices and competitions. There may not be a true
off-season when implementing periodization into their training
regimen. So, it is important to maximize the training modalities
when developing the strength and conditioning program. Many
times “down time” for the teams may take place in the month
of June or July with high school practices starting in August. In
addition, there is often an 8-week period after club tryouts from
November until the beginning of January.
There are many aspects of the game that can be improved through
strength and conditioning. The following are just a few that can be
considered important to the game and improving performance:
lower body strength and power, upper body strength and power,
core training, motor skill development, and injury prevention
targeting the lower extremities and shoulder joints. Proper
recovery, rest, and tapering should be considered during the
competitive season when multiple tournament games are played.
Volleyball is a sport that requires strength and power demands
of the lower and upper body. Vertical power is critical when
performing a jump serve, blocking a spike from an opponent, or
performing a kill shot on offense. The strength and conditioning
program should focus on improving multiple bouts of near
maximal to maximal power. The points scored in a match happen
very quickly at approximately 7 s with approximately 16 s of rest
before the next serve (1,3). This allows for a reasonable amount of
recovery time between each rally point.
A well-structured strength and conditioning program may help
reduce some of the common injuries that occur at the ankle, knee,
and back. Overuse injuries of the knee are the most commonly
sustained injury of the three mentioned (3). The positive response
of bone development and growth due to resistance training
may enhance bone tensile strength and absorb the high levels
of force when performing the explosive movements of landing
and jumping (3). Along with strength gains, resistance training
may also have a positive impact on balance, coordination, and
proprioception, which may decrease the risk of injury at the ank