Pre Try out work outs

Question
QUESTION: When serving behind the endzone, how far to the side can a player go to legally serve?  I am working with my players to serve cross court to the corners but they like to stand to the far right or left of the corner to serve. I'm not sure how far out to the side behind the endzone they can go.

ANSWER: Good afternoon and welcome to www.allexperts.com!

I think I understand your question.  When a person is serving, they can only legally contact the ball when both feet are between the sidelines extended.  

In other words, take the sidelines and extend them indefinitely.  A girl can start her serve approach outside those extensions; but, at the moment when she contacts the serve, her feet most be between those extensions.  

Or were you asking me how far back could a girl be when she serves?  That's only limited by the size of your gym.  So, a player may be as far behind the endline as she wishes.

There is one exception to the endline rule, and that is if the court ends, and another surface begins.  In large coliseums/civic centers, vball is often played on a plastic floor called "SportsCourt," and beyond that court is a cement or synthetic surface.  The USAV rule book states that a girl may not start the approach to her serve with either foot completely off the court.

I hope you have a moment to visit www.coachhouser.com.  December 1st is right around the corner.  And that's the deadline for 2009 STAR site camp hosts to renew their 2009 camp week.  After Dec 1st, anyone who has mailed me a $250 deposit can have any open week.  It's first come, first served.  We did 9 camps last summer, and are expecting to do more this summer!  

Have a great week!
Hope all goes well!
Coach Houser

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QUESTION: Thank you Coach.  That answered my question.  One more question for ya.  When jump serving, does a player have to contact the ball behind the endzone?  I think that their jump needs to be behind the endzone and their feet can land in front of the endzone, correct?

ANSWER: You are right about that also. The rule is just like the back row spiking rule.  You must jump from behind the line.  You can land anywhere.  

Do you ever watch the USA National Team attack from the back row?  Sometimes they nearly finish under the net!  Steve Timmons in '84, '88 and '92 used to be near the center line continually on his back row attacks.  But, again, with jump serves and back row spikes, you must take off from behind the line.  

In fact, that's one of the reasons why the jump floater has become to prevalent in the girls game:  it's b/c when a player contacts the serve, she can be a few feet closet to your opponents.  The second reason:  A girl can contact the ball a few feet higher than normal, thus making the serve flatter and sometimes even making the serve have a downward trajectory!  Wow!  A floater that has no arc.  That's a nasty serve to try to return.  

Now, for all this typing, have you visited www.coachhouser.com?  haha  I think you'll like the smiling faces, and our site camps are inexpensive and fun, yet challenging and your players will say that they've never learned so much!  Their parents will also like the smiling face that come home each night.

What else can I do for you?  Just let me know.
Coach Houser

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Coach,

I have 8th graders who are at the end of their volleyball season.  I have given them information on club ball but I know there will only be a couple who will play club this winter season.  The h/s try outs are in the spring here and I'd like to give the girls, especially the ones who don't play club, some kind of a "work out" plan to use so they stay in as good of shape as they are now, for try outs.  Please help me out in this area, thanks.

Answer
Hey Coach!

It's great to hear from you again.  

This is a tough one for me, b/c I don't overtly expect my girls to do anything in the off-season.  I just offer, offer, offer, then we have tryouts for the next season?

a) Weight Room.  Try to find a way to have this available FOR GIRLS 2 or 3 times a week all during the off-season.

b) Outdoor Doubles.  Try to find a way to either offer this yourself, or find transportation to the tournaments.  

c) Open Gyms.  Try to find a way to offer one a week for rookies and one a week for veterans.  

d) Club Ball.  Try to find an alternative club, either at your direction, or at someone else's direction.  Here in Roanoke, there is a "top" program, a "second" program, and several other "little" programs. Nearly every girl who wants to play club can play club.  If they get cut, they go to club B, then club C, etc. No, the "little" clubs don't win much at tournaments; but, that's not their goal.  Their goal is to keep the girls active, and make their school teams better and better!  Proof of their success:  Roanoke area high schools have either been state champs or runner ups in the state every year this decade!!  One school won 4 in 5 years, and was runner up the other year.  And before you think this is so easy.......there are around 130 schools in each division!  Amazing what playing club ball will do to your program!  

Question:  What state has tryouts in the spring?  Wow, that's not legal in most states!  

You have visited www.coachhouser.com right?  :)

Coach Tom Houser