Some recent statistics has showed that people interested in starting volleyball usually do so at the ages of 13 and 14. Those who do so at that age have showed above average success in the future …
In this article, I breakdown my best tips to get started properly at such age. I include the skills you will need to develop, the most important drills you should focus on as well as some mistakes you should avoid.
Is it too late to start volleyball at age of 13 or 14?
Starting a sport at any age is never really late. However, there are couple things you need to consider …
If you wish to start a professional career at 13, you might find it a little hard. In other words, a future professional player at that age is already in full swing when it comes to knowing the sport and practicing it.
That’s why when you start playing volleyball at that age it is best to focus on learning the basic skills and building your physical attributes. It is better to forget about career at this point … (you can think about it later on)
In a nutshell, if you start at 13 or 14, you can definitely be a pro in the future. However, this won’t be as easy as if you would have started 3 or 4 years ago.
Quick Recommendation: When it comes to volleyball, knowledge is as important as practice. And one of the best way I know to learn about volleyball is this highly informative book. You will learn some information that even pro players usually don’t know.
How to get in volleyball shape at 13 or 14?
Naturally, when you have 13 or 14 years there are many ways to get in shape, below the most important ones:
- Jumping jacks – Jumping jacks help in strengthening your legs. And are a light cardio.
- Wall sits – Those also help with your leg strength.
- Sit ups – Sit ups help you build your core muscles. It is important to repeat 15 to 20 reps, times 3, each practice.
- Plank – The plank is a legendary exercise. It helps you build your core, arms and back. It is best to start with 30 seconds each day, and to gradually work your way up to one minute.
- Frog jumps – Frog jumps help you increase your jump length and your jump speed. They do not help you increase your jump height however.
- Frog jumps on a box – Now these jumps may help your jumping height. You just need a box. That can hold your weight. Then try and jump on top of the box. That should do the trick for your height.
What volleyball gear to start with?
I talk here about gear simply because several new players don’t know what gear they might need at that age. There are mainly 3 types of gear you might need:
First you will need volleyball shoes (Check this example Here at Amazon). They are designed specifically for the volleyball court.
Ordinary sneakers are recommended in the case where the newcomer is still exploring volleyball. However when you are sure that you will continue practicing volleyball after a week or two, it is highly recommended that you buy new specific shoes.
Next Knee pads (Like these ones). They are essential to protect your knees from bruises and cuts.
Last but not least there are Arm sleeves (Check this example). It serves a number of functions, but the most important one is for protection.
They can also help you minimize the soreness and bruises that can be caused by hitting the ball during practice.
It is best to have a pair of arm sleeves until you get used to hitting the ball.
Volleyball Skills a 13 or 14 years old kid should focus on
The most important skill you need to start with is passing. You can learn it by practicing alone, or with a friend or team mate.
The next skill is receiving, which is tightly connected to passing. Receiving the ball can be very tricky when it comes to volleyball. It can give you bruises and it is best to wear the mentioned arm sleeves.
Next is jumping. Volleyball is a sport that requires a lot of jumping from one side to another, small jumps and high vertical jumps are a crucial part of volleyball.
Jumping can be practiced in a number of ways, and it is maybe the most crucial of all skills that are required in order to play volleyball. Jumping also enhances your agility.
You can later on focus on other skills, like blocking, diving and spiking … But, I would recommend to leave those for later until you master the 3 skills I’ve mentioned above.
Best Volleyball Drills for that age
Generally, kids and teenagers and that age who start focusing on the drills (and similar drills) I am explaining below will find it easier to learn volleyball …
Passing
There are many ways you can improve your passing skills, below is what I personally recommend …
Step 1) First get your arms out, lock your elbows, put your arms and wrists together and lock them tight together. The most important part is that your thumbs and platform are even, for better ball control and lower risk of injury.
If your platform is not even, there is a bigger chance of the ball going in random directions, even if you hit it nicely.
Step 2) Foot positioning is the most important part. You do not want to be too narrow with your feet nor too wide with them. Make sure that your feet are in a position well aligned with your shoulders. That way you can move in any direction you want.
Step 3) Passing with your legs. Passing with your legs is a common volleyball practice, and it takes a lot of energy away from your lower limbs, your arms should be fixed, straight in front of you.
The goal is to bend your knees while you wait for the ball to land on your platform, just as the ball is making its last few centimeters to your platform, you quickly straighten your knees and hit the ball, resulting in a pass and repeat that every time you hit the ball.
Step 4) Passing with your arms. Passing with your arms is the opposite of passing with your legs. Your arms are not fixed and your legs are not repeating the same movement as before.
Vertical passing
Vertical passing is a drill that is very good for your ball control. Lay down on your back, put your hands in front of your head, make a triangle with your thumb and index finger and be ready to send the ball up, towards the ceiling.
When you send the ball up, make sure you do it slowly first, so you can feel the ball, after the first few tries and after you
Vertical jumps
Vertical jumps are the most important drill if you want to improve your jumps. This helps you jump more effectively with your hands over the net.
Vertical jump practice is a not so difficult of a task as it is energy consuming, since you need to jump and jump until you personally are satisfied with your progress.
Firstly you would need to build up explosive power by training your muscles and strengthening them. Than you would need to focus on your lower body so that it can propel you explosive enough in order to reach the net and higher.
Importance of joining a Club at that age.
Joining a volleyball club can be of great importance, and is highly recommended. In fact joining a club can be seen as mandatory because volleyball is a team sport and requires other people in order to be called volleyball.
A club can help kids develop and improve their skills. It is essential for them to socialize and grow as a part of a volleyball team.
Besides socializing and making progress as a part of a team, kids have a chance to significantly benefit from joining a team. Since there will be a coach present on every practice, they will have someone looking over them.
The coach can help in guiding the kids towards success. A good coach can help with the kids skills and insecurities towards some techniques.
A volleyball club is the place where young players can thrive and improve themselves, not just like players, but like people too.
It is worth mentioning that if a club has a good reputation; it can be easier for kids at the ages of 13 or 14 to go professional.
Mistakes you should avoid around 13 or 14 …
First of all, let me tell that making mistakes at a young age is quite normal, this is actually what will make you learn and grow over time. So you shouldn’t stress too much about that …
However, it is still important to have proper guidance to avoid couple of mistakes that could easily be avoided, especially Long Lasting Mistakes …
Long lasting mistakes are mainly the ones that can cost you your career or playing ability like, serious ankle injury, which can be prevented by wearing proper volleyball shoes.
Also, if you want to be able to identify those mistakes quite early and grow, then you definitely need:
- A good coach – who is the most crucial thing when it comes to learning about your mistakes and learning how to deal with them so you can overcome them properly,.
- A good team – is also very important. Indeed, if a team has a sense of unity, there will be less space for error. A good team can provide a sense of security and a sense of confidence.
Final Thoughts …
At a young age I highly invite you to focus on your skills as much as possible. This will give you the confidence you need to start seriously thinking about having a semi-pro or pro career in the future.
Hope this short article was helpful!
Finally, you can also learn how you should start volleyball at the age of 16!