I originally purchased an iPad just to aide my volleyball coaching. Granted, there are so many other things I use it for too, but that’s another article. There are a ton of iPad applications in the iTunes App Store. There are many of those applications that can be used for coaching a sport. The problem is, you have to know the name of many of them in order to find them. In some cases, the problem is that developers just don’t add correct tags to the apps when they submit them. But some apps of use to volleyball coaches don’t have the term volleyball anywhere in the descriptions or title. In this article, I’ll point you in the right direction to those apps I use all the time and some I’m looking at getting in the near future.
Category : Coaching Organization, General, Newly Released, Training Aid Reviews
I won a Mikasa A Trainer from the guys at TheNetLive radio show right before the fall boys volleyball season in Wisconsin started. I answered a few trivia questions and a few days later, it arrived. I was really excited to get this product, not only to have yet another volleyball coaching product to review on this site, but to see how my players liked using it.
The purpose of this training aid is to build strength in a hitter’s shoulder and core muscles. After using it for a short time, I can see that it does deliver. The ball weighs 1 kg (2.2 pounds) and filled with, what seems to be, sand or small beads. It is a perfect size for any player above 12 years old to palm in their hand. Continue Reading
Publisher: Championship Productions
Year: 2002
Coach: John Dunning – Head Coach, Stanford University Womens Volleyball
Length: 63 Minutes
Cost: $29.99
TheVolleyballTeacher rating: 
This DVD is very valuable, especially when it’s double the length of many similar DVDs and about $10 less. John Dunning is a great educator and developer of talent. He uses this video to show both players how to train to be better setters, and coaches how to train theirs. It features one player and an assistant coach and they do a good job of demonstrating while Coach Dunning is talking over the microphone. Continue Reading
In this product review article, I’ll be breaking down two rather inexpensive fundamental training aids. Both of these items aren’t necessary for a successful and established team, but they can help young kids in your feeder camps understand some of the basic and fundamental skills of the game. If you have ever been stuck with a few kids in your camp that can’t seem to serve over the net from the 10 foot line, or can’t pass the ball in a direct line, then these products might help you achieve some success instead of having to spend way to much time on a few laggers and neglect the rest of your campers who are up to speed. Continue Reading
Publisher: Championship Productions
Year: 2003
Coach: Don Shaw – Head Coach, Stanford University Mens Volleyball
Length: 37 Minutes
Cost: $39.99
TheVolleyballTeacher rating: 
This DVD has two parts covering serving and passing fundamentals. Like the previous reviewed DVD, Kevin Hansen is on board, as a young college athlete to demonstrate as well as a few other Cardinal mens volleyball players. As always, Don Shaw is professional and a very thorough teacher of the sport using technique explanation, demonstration, then creative drills to reinforce the lesson. See more of my review after the jump. Continue Reading
Publisher: Championship Productions
Year: 2003
Coach: Don Shaw – Head Coach, Stanford University Mens Volleyball
Length: 30 Minutes
Cost: $39.99
TheVolleyballTeacher rating:
This DVD is a two-part video with a review and demonstration of the basic fundamentals and techniques of setting and spiking. It is fun watching future FIVB and Olympic gold medalist and current starting setter for the Men’s USA National team, Kevin Hansen, mixing it up in the video as a young college. Read more of my review after the jump. Continue Reading
Tandem Deluxe 2 Digit Score
Flipper
Many coaches would like to have a nice scoreboard that they can take with them to practice and easily carry it away. A lot of portable scoreboards come as a unit that screws together and is awkward to carry and store. This scoreboard collapses flat and requires no assembly. Another plus is the construction. Heavy 7″ vinyl numbers count from 01 to 99. The set flip card goes to from 1 to 5, allowing 5 sets of volleyball. This deluxe model of the scoreboard also includes a handle for easy carrying. Continue Reading
Category : Training Aid Reviews
The Volleyball Sports Attack is billed as a must have item: “Thousands of college, high school, club and international teams rely on the Sports Attack Volleyball Machines to deliver thousands of reps in daily practice of jump serve receiving, digging, and spiking.” After using it, I have to say that it does deliver reps at game speeds, but you must be careful not to take too many reps away from players with this machine; something you can easily do.
I was able to purchase a used VB Sports Attack for Neenah boys volleyball program from coach Paul Schlomer at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin. While the one I got was the smaller model used for women’s teams, I have never had a problem using it as a spiking machine over a men’s net height. Continue Reading
