All of our students finally come back after Labor Day. That means fall sports season is right around the corner. Last year, we brought back a limited version of cross country, our first sport coming back from Covid. It was pretty safe since we were always outside and didn’t race against any other schools. It was essentially a running club, but overcoming the inertia of not having any sports was essential. Cross country proved we could do sports again.
This fall, we are doing cross country again, this time competing against other schools. However, I am happy to say we are bringing back volleyball after almost four years! Years ago, we started a club team that scrimmaged a neighboring school and were working on joining a league. Obviously, Covid shit that all down, and we lost volleyball for several years. Now it is back, and we are starting with a girls' middle school season, and the boys will play in the spring. We will scrimmage a few schools from the league we are trying to join, and I am hopeful we will join next year. After so much time, it's like we are getting a fresh start. I don’t want to squander this unique opportunity.
I am asking for your help.
Many years ago, I stumbled across the Better Basketball website, which was the best thing I did for our basketball program. It gave us a system to use that grew with our players and taught them how to play, no plays. Every team uses the same system, and as they understand more, they get more and grow with the system. It provides a scaffolding or scope and sequence that every team at every level can use. This also makes it easy for younger players to play with older students. I have already written two blogs ( you can read them here and here) about how much I love the Read and React system, and if you coach basketball, I suggest you take a serious look at it.
My question is this. Is there anything like the Read and React System for volleyball? I love that this system teaches the players how to play logically, almost like a flowchart. For example, if my teammate with the ball passes to me, then they must cut to the basket. Now I am looking to pass it to them if they are open, and if not, I can take my own action. Is there a system out there that sounds like this for volleyball?
Before I try and reinvent the wheel, if something out there exists that sounds like this, I would love to learn more about it.