Coaching Tips

On this page, you’ll find coaching tips for both new and experienced coaches—because no matter how long you’ve been coaching, there’s always something new to learn. Each week, we’ll share a new tip focused on helping you grow as a coach, improve your practices, and better support your athletes.

Building Parent Relationships

Objective: Create trust, alignment, and positive communication between coaches and families to support player development.

Why Parent Relationships Matter

Building strong relationships with parents is a key part of successful coaching.

• When parents trust and understand the coach, they are more likely to support decisions and reinforce expectations at home.
• Parent trust directly impacts player buy-in—when parents believe in the coach, players stay more confident and resilient through challenges.
• Strong relationships reduce misunderstandings and create a united, team-first culture.

Parents are partners in the athlete’s journey. Alignment between coach, player, and family creates consistency and stability.

Coach Actions: How to Build Trust

Be Visible & Approachable

• Greet parents at practices, events, and tournaments.
• Make eye contact, smile, and introduce yourself early in the season.

Have Genuine Conversations

• Ask simple, authentic questions (school, other sports, interests).
• Listen more than you talk—connection builds through understanding.

Be Consistent & Professional

• Communicate clearly and calmly.
• Follow Prime communication and escalation policies.
• Stay solution-focused and athlete-centered.

Weekend Challenge: Crossroads Connection

• Introduce yourself to at least one parent you haven’t spoken with yet.
• Learn one new thing about their family or athlete.
• Keep it short, positive, and genuine—no volleyball problem-solving required.

Small moments of connection go a long way.

Coaching Cues for Parent Interaction

• "We’re on the same team."
• "My goal is your athlete’s growth and confidence."
• "Thank you for trusting us with your player."

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Only talking to parents when there is a problem
• Being defensive instead of curious
• Over-explaining or justifying every decision
• Discussing playing time or decisions in the heat of competition

Coach Expectations

• Build relationships proactively, not reactively
• Maintain professionalism at all times
• Follow Prime’s escalation policy and 24-hour rule
• Remember: strong parent trust strengthens player confidence and team culture
• Goal: Create a supportive, aligned environment where coaches, parents, and players work together to help athletes thrive.

Coach Tip of the Week: Serve Receiving & Identifying Seem

Serve receiving isn’t just about moving to the ball—it’s about reading the court, working as a unit, and controlling your platform. One key concept is “seem.”

What is a Seem?

A seem is the space between two passers where the ball can drop if coverage is off.

• Players should always be moving into the seem, not just to the ball.
• Seems are determined by where the server is serving from.
• Always face the server so the team knows which direction to shift.

Crossing into the Seem

Serve receive isn’t just about static positions—it’s about movement and coverage based on angles. Here’s how to think about it:

1. One player covers deep, the other covers short into the seem.
2. Movement is relative to ball direction:

• If the ball moves towards your deep angle → shift backwards into the seem.
• If the ball moves towards your short angle → shift forwards into the seem.

Example: Middle back position, server is at right back of the opponent:

• Left side player = deep coverage
• Right side player = short coverage
• If ball moves left, middle back moves backward into the seem
• If ball moves right, middle back moves forward into the seem

The key idea: you’re crossing coverage dynamically, always filling the seem, not just chasing the ball.

Three Main Tips for Serve Receiving

1️⃣ Hold Your Pass

• Keep your platform firm and steady.
• Don’t swing or reach through the ball—let it come to you.
• Accuracy beats power every time.

2️⃣ Three Steps to the Ball

• Move on your feet, then stop to pass.
• Can include a split step, but always land ready and balanced.

3️⃣ Face the Server & Call Seem

• Establish team movement and communication.
• Always face the server and know which side you are covering.
• Helps your teammates shift as a unit.

Quick Cues for Players

• “Move into the seem!”
• “Deep / short coverage!”
• “Cross and cover!”
• “Three steps, then stop!”
• “Face the server!”

Hitting Tip: Your Peak vs. The Ball’s Peak

Big Picture:

A great approach is slow to fast, not fast the whole way.

The goal is to build rhythm early, then explode into the last two steps so the hitter can jump UP, contact at their peak, and hit down.

 Correct Timing Progression

3 Step Approach

 First Step – Ball Leaves the Setter’s Hands

• This step is your trigger.
• Do not wait for the ball to reach its highest point.
• Purpose: start rhythm and stay connected to the set.

 Second & Third Steps – Ball Reaches Its Peak

• These steps are fast and explosive.
• Think: “accelerate to jump.”
• This creates vertical lift, not forward drift.

 Contact – At the Peak of YOUR Jump

• Contact should happen when:
• Arm is fully extended
• Core is tall
• You are above and on top of the ball
• This is what allows the ball to go down, not just hard.

4 Step Approach

 First Step – Ball Reaches the Setter

• Slow, controlled rhythm step
• Purpose: stay connected and on time
• Too fast here = rushed jump later

 Second Step – Ball Leaves the Setter’s Hands

• Begin to speed up
• This is the true timing trigger
• Start loading hips and arms for explosion

 Third & Fourth Steps – Ball Reaches Its Peak

• Fast and explosive
• Convert approach speed into vertical lift
• Think: “fast feet → straight up”

 Contact – Peak of the Hitter’s Jump

• Arm fully extended
• Core tall
• Contact high on top of the ball
• This creates a steep attack angle

Game Time Coaching

Game day coaching isn’t about fixing everything—it’s about giving players what they need in the moment.

What’s Most Important to Players During Matches

• Clarity – simple, clear instructions
• Confidence – belief from their coaches
• Calm – emotional control from the sideline
• Consistency – same standards as practice

Players rarely need more information—they need better timing and tone.

Coaching Through Hard Moments

(Tight sets, errors, momentum swings)

• Keep feedback short and specific
• Emphasize next-ball focus
• Reinforce controllables: effort, communication, aggressiveness
• Use timeouts to reset mentally, not overload tactically
• Show belief even after mistakes—players feed off your body language

Examples:

• “Stay aggressive. Next ball.”
• “Good swing—same choice.”
• “Win the pass, the rest follows.”

Coaching During Easier Games

(When you’re ahead or playing a less experienced team)

• Avoid checking out—composure still matters
• Challenge players with process goals, not just the score
• Hold the same standards for effort and execution
• Use the opportunity to build depth and confidence
• Coach habits that will matter in tougher matches

Examples:

• “Can we score off first contact?”
• “Serve tough, smart.”
• “Let’s run our system clean.”

Keeping Everyone Engaged

• Define bench roles (charting, calling seams, hitter tendencies)
• Expect energy and communication from all players
• Rotate feedback—don’t coach only the starters
• Celebrate effort, not just points
• Remind the bench: you matter to the match

Coach Behavior Matters

• Players mirror your emotions
• Calm coaches = calm teams
• Consistent messaging builds trust
• Emotional control is a competitive advantage

Bottom line:

Great game-time coaching builds confidence, provides clarity, and keeps standards high—regardless of the score.

Negative Reinforcement & Using Consequences Effectively

As coaches, we should avoid using negative reinforcement as a primary way to motivate players—especially when mistakes are caused by a lack of understanding or skill development. If an athlete doesn’t fully know how to perform a skill, punishment or negative feedback will not lead to improvement and can reduce confidence, effort, and trust. In these moments, our responsibility is to teach, demonstrate, and give clear, corrective feedback.

That said, consequences do have a place in practice when used intentionally and appropriately.

Good moments to use consequences include:

• Lack of effort or focus
• Poor body language or negative attitude
• Not following team standards or expectations
• Disrespect toward teammates, coaches, or the game
• Repeated mistakes that come from choice, not confusion

In these situations, consequences help reinforce accountability and team culture—not skill learning.

Important reminders when using consequences:

• Make expectations clear before practice
• Keep consequences consistent and fair
• Use performance- or team-based consequences (ex: extra reps, reset the drill, team conditioning) rather than personal punishment
• Avoid consequences that embarrass or single out athletes
• Always connect the consequence back to the standard you expect

Finally, we want athletes to develop internal motivation—playing because they want to improve, compete, and support their teammates. Internally motivated players bring better effort to drills, stay engaged during challenges, and perform more consistently in matches. Our coaching approach should build confidence, understanding, and accountability while keeping the love for the game at the center.

Teach first. Hold standards. Develop motivated, confident players.

Mental Training & Mindset

One of the biggest performance boosters in volleyball is training the mind, not just the skills. Share this framework with your teams to help them recognize where they are mentally during practice and matches:

Mindset Levels:

1. Negative Mindset

– Characterized by self-doubt and harsh self-talk

– Example: “I missed my hit. I suck.”

This mindset lowers confidence and increases mistakes.

2. Positive Mindset

– Focused on solutions, improvement, and effort

– Example: “My next hit will be better.”

This is the gateway to higher performance.

3. Flow State (The Goal)

– When athletes feel confident, focused, and play freely

– Trusting instincts, reacting quickly, and competing without overthinking

Athletes can only reach flow state when they are operating from a positive mindset.

How to Help Athletes Get There: “Back It Up Statements”

Teach players to replace negative self-talk with a positive statement + a proof-based thought.

Example progression:

• 
  
•  Negative: “I missed my hit, I suck.”
• 
  
•  Positive: “My next hit will be better.”
• 
  
•  Back It Up Statement: “I’ve had really great hits before.”

These “back it up statements” give the brain evidence to believe the positive thought, helping players shift faster into a confident, competitive mindset.

Encourage your athletes to practice this language daily so it becomes automatic in matches.

Proper Footwork for Serving & Hitting

When serving or hitting, the player’s opposite foot should be in front.

• If a player serves or hits with their right hand, their left foot should be forward.
• If they serve or hit with their left hand, their right foot should be forward.

Why does this matter?

Power in both serving and hitting is generated through the hips and core, not just the arm swing. By placing the opposite foot forward, players are able to:

• Rotate their hips correctly
• Engage the core for maximum power
• Maintain balance and stability
• Create a more efficient and controlled swing

Coaching Reminder:

Keep an eye out for this footwork and make adjustments with players as needed. Many athletes develop habits early, and they can be challenging to break. Stay consistent with your feedback and keep reinforcing proper mechanics until you see the correction stick.

Pass from Your Hip, Not Just Your Midline

While athletes are often taught to “pass from your midline,” many high-level passers actually create their best platform slightly off the midline and closer to their hip. Here’s why:

• Better Angle Control

Passing from the hip naturally tilts the platform toward the target, allowing athletes to create cleaner angles without forcing the ball back to center.

• Faster Reaction Time

Most serves don’t land perfectly on the midline. Training to pass from the hip helps players adjust more quickly to balls served at their seams or outside their body.

• More Stability

Pulling the ball slightly to the hip engages stronger core and lower-body muscles, creating a firmer, more controlled platform.

• Reduces Shanking on Tight Serves

When balls are served into the body, shifting the ball to the hip gives the passer space to absorb and redirect the ball instead of letting it jam their midline.

Bottom Line:

Passing from your hip allows athletes to angle, adjust, and control the ball more naturally — especially against tough serves.