Asics, Mizuno or Nike Volleyball Shoes?

            Choosing a pair of volleyball shoes can be difficult because there are so many options. Most athletes want a pair of shoes that are comfortable, light weight, and durable but also look good, so what is the best volleyball shoe out there many people ask.

            The three main brands that you will see most volleyball players wearing today are Asics, Mizuno and Nike. Mizuno has an edge not only because it is the official footwear for USA Volleyball and the National teams, it is also the most accessible brand for clubs and high schools. Asics are more popular with younger kids that play volleyball because Asics have a wide variety of color in their shoes. Asics also is very committed to volleyball and puts a lot of research into making a good volleyball shoe. Nike focuses mainly on basketball and football but they have recently came out with the Nike Zoom Volley Hyperspike. Many college volleyball programs that are sponsored by Nike will wear these.

            Personally I like the new Nike Hyperspikes the best. I have worn all three brands of volleyball shoes and I think the Nikes are the most comfortable and have definitely lasted the longest. The Asics I wore were very comfortable but they were a little heavy. I also liked my Mizuno’s, however they didn’t last long at all and they didn’t have enough support. I like the Nike’s I have now because they are very comfortable and they have a lot of support, but are also light weight.

http://sneakerreport.com/features/how-to-pick-the-perfect-pair-of-volleyball-shoes/

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Mizuno: Wave Lightning 7

Asics: GEL Volleycross

Nike: Hyperspike

My Biggest Inspirations

            In order to love volleyball and want to succeed as much as I do, I had to be pushed and coached by many people who believe in my dreams. I have had many people in my life that I have looked up too and I truly believe that without them I wouldn't be where I am at today. They have made me realize that I can reach my goals if I keep working hard every day.

            My favorite college volleyball player is Micha Hancock. She is a setter for Penn State. Last year she led her team to a National Championship and was named NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. Penn State defeated Wisconsin in 4 sets to secure their sixth national championship title. She was named Big Ten Setter of the year her freshman, sophomore and junior years. Last year I went to watch Penn State play Northwestern and I got to meet Micha… aka best day ever.

            My coaches that have been the biggest inspirations are my High Performance coach this year and my club coach this year. During a practice with my HP team this year my coach, Mark, told us that we should play fun, fast and focused. I think this really sums up what volleyball is all about. He also told me to always have an order to your sets that you should go through before each play, and always set a hitter again if they make a mistake so they have a chance to redeem themselves. He was an awesome coach and I learned a lot from him.
            Probably the most influential people in my volleyball career so far are my club coaches, KK and Candice. Last year I wasn’t for sure where I was going to play club until I tried out for CIA (Club Iowa). All of the coaches at CIA are awesome and I am so glad I chose to play for them. During the season KK and Dice made me realize that I can play in college if I continue to work hard in every practice and keep my head up if something wasn’t going right. I have learned so much from them in just 1 season and I can’t wait to continue working with them this club season. I have never had anyone in my life that is so willing to help me reach my biggest dream. I am so thankful that they are my coaches. 

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Micha Hancock

Iowa High Performance Volleyball

          High performance or HP, is a volleyball program for advanced players from all over the world. Making a team is a huge accomplishment and it is an indescribable experience. To get to the High Performance Championships (HPC’s) you have to go through multiple tryouts, camps and practices with your team.

          Iowa HP tryouts take place all over Iowa. During tryouts your height, reach, and jump touch is measured before you start playing. Then, you are split up according to your position (libero, setter, right side, outside, or middle). Depending on what position you play you are evaluated on your skills, attitude, and decision making on the court.  It is an awesome experience trying out with players from all over the state that have the same passion for volleyball that you do.

          About a month after the tryout, the results are posted to the Iowa region website. If your t-shirt number and initials are listed you have made the training camp, which takes place in the summer before the High Performance Championships. Usually around 50 athletes in each age group make the camp, so if you make it that is a huge accomplishment. The training camp is a 4 day camp where your skills will be further evaluated to decide on teams to take to the High Performance Championships. You stay in dorms with 3 other people and it is a blast. During the camp you meet so many new people and you get to learn from many different high school coaches, college coaches and even Olympic players. On the last day of the camp the teams that will be traveling to the HPC’s are posted. The teams consist of WIJ (Women’s International Juniors), GYNT (Girls Youth National), GYNT (Girls Youth International), GSEL (Girls Select Black), and GSEL (Girls Select White).

           If you make a traveling team you will travel with the other teams to the High Performance Championships. 9 to 10 players are selected for each team so that means 20 out of the 50 athletes in each age group are chosen for a team. This year the HPC’s took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma and next year they will be held in Des Moines, Iowa. If you make an International team you will compete against teams from all over the world, including Hawaii, Brazil, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and many others. If you make a National team you will compete against teams from all over the country. This summer I played on the Girls Youth National team and we played in the championship match against a team from Texas. I can’t even describe the feeling of playing in that match. It was definitely one of the best days of my life. Even though we didn’t win we played as a team and I wouldn’t have wanted to experience that with anyone else. 

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How to Prepare Yourself for a Game

          Mentally and physically preparing yourself for a game is very important and can affect how well you perform in a match. You should prepare yourself by eating and hydrating right, being mentally ready and focused, and being physically ready to go before and during a game.

          Hydrating and eating right before a game is proven to make you play better. You should drink plenty of water before, during and after a game. Before a game you should also watch what you eat. If you have an early morning game, make sure you eat a healthy breakfast. The worst thing is playing when you feel like you ate too much so don’t have a huge breakfast. If you are playing back to back in the afternoon during your normal lunch time, if it is okay with your coach, it is a good idea to bring a snack on the bench with you to eat in between sets. Some good options would be a granola bar, crackers, pretzels, dried fruit, fruit snacks, goldfish, etc.

          To prepare mentally for a game you should develop a routine you do before every game. What helps me is listening to music but it can be different for everyone. Some people like to watch the team they are going to play next, go for a jog, or talk to their teammates about the upcoming game. You should find whatever works best for you and do that before every game.

          To prepare physically for a game you should make sure you get plenty of sleep the night before you play. Approximately half an hour to an hour before you play your team should come up with a warm up that you are going to complete before every game. A warm up should get you prepared to play right when you step on the court.  

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Offensive Systems and Strategies

In volleyball there are many different options for an offensive system. Whichever team adjusts quicker to the other teams system usually has a better chance of winning the match. An offense is chosen based on how many setters your team has, who is in the front row, match ups on the other side of the net and what defense your opponent is in.

The number of setters that play on a team determines if you will run a 5-1 or a 6-2 offense. A 5-1 means that there is 1 setter and he/ she will play all the way around, setting in the front row and the back row. In order to run a 5-1 your setter has to be able to block, play defense, serve, be an attack option in the front row, and be a leader. A 6-2 means that there are 2 setters and they will both set from the back row only. This will allow your team to have 3 hitters in the front row all the time.

What players are in the front row on your side of the net determines what plays the setter decides to run on offense. The sets an outside hitter can call for are a 5: the highest set and slowest tempo out to the pin, a 4: a quicker antenna height set, a shoot: pretty self-explanatory but it’s the fastest tempo set for an outside and is just above the height of the net. The sets a middle can call are a 1: quick in the middle right in front of the setter, a 2: a higher set about 2 feet in front of the setter, a 31: a fast tempo set 3 feet in front of the setter, a 32: same location as a 31 just a slower tempo and a higher set, a gap: like a 1 but the setter should push the ball away from them to create a “gap” in the other sides block, a 6: same as a 1 but behind the setter, a 7: same as a gap but behind the setter, an a slide: behind the setter, all the way to the pin, slides can vary in height and speed. The sets a right side can call for are a 6, a 7, an 8 which is usually the same as a slide, or a 9: which is the same tempo as a 5 but just behind the setter. These are what I use as a setter for my play sets but some teams could differ in what they call each set.

What offense the other team is running should also influence the offense your team is going to run. For example if the other team is running a 5-1 and their setter is short and can’t block, your setter should realize that and utilize his/ her outside when the short setter is in the front row. Another example is if the setter is not a strong passer your team should attack to him/ her when he/ she is in the back row, to get there team out of system.

I hope these explanations helped you clear up any offensive questions you had!

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How to Pick a Club Volleyball Team

        Choosing what club team you want to play for is stressful sometimes but if you keep a few things in mind you should be good to go. When choosing where you want to play you should keep in mind, who your coach will be, how many players will be on the team and how it will affect your playing time, how far away you want to travel for practices and tournaments, what your team chemistry will be like, and the costs involved.

To determine if you will like your coach and his/ her coaching styles make sure to attend all player and parent meetings and ask questions.  If you have a club in mind attend a match and watch the coaching style of your potential coach.  Ask friends who have played at the club for their opinion of the coach and their philosophies. Search online for records of teams played under the coach you may have. Are they at the top the region or near the bottom? Make sure the coach’s style fits your personality. Is the coach too demanding or too laid-back? How many years have they coached? What position did they play? Do they play everyone or do they play to win?

Some club teams are more competitive than others, and this usually determines how far they travel for tournaments. Club volleyball tournaments range from in town scrimmages to national qualifiers with over 200 teams for each age division. If your club team is going to try to qualify for nationals you will more than likely compete in tournaments all over the country. Club practices usually take place in the city where your club is based. Before you try out for a club you should decide how far you want to travel every week to practice.

Team chemistry is a very important part of picking a club team. If your team doesn’t get along and connect well together you probably won’t get to where you want to be at the end of the season. In order to ensure you will have good team chemistry make sure you talk to the girls that could potentially be on your team. Get to know them before you commit to playing for the team.

If you are not sure about where to play club I hoped this helped you make your decision!

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Basics of Beach Volleyball

         Beach volleyball is totally different than indoor. Different rules, different strategies, and different skills to learn. Although there are different rules you have to have the same mindset to compete in either sport. In order to be successful in beach volleyball you need to know the important rules and learn some of the strategies.

         The rules involved in beach are very different from indoor. The main difference is the rule about setting. In beach you are not allowed to set the ball unless it has absolutely no spin (which is pretty much impossible). You also can not open hand tip the ball like you can in indoor. The other main rule is that if you are blocking and you touch the ball you and your partner only have 2 contacts to get it back over the net, where in indoor you would have 3 contacts.

         Obviously in beach volleyball you are playing in the sand and usually you are playing doubles with a partner. This leads to some strategies that can help you succeed in this awesome sport. The first tip is to either serve/ hit to the player that can’t pass or the player that is the least offensive threat. This will give you a better opportunity to score that rally. Serving and attacking to the person who is not as good at passing will most likely make their side become out of system, giving you a free ball. Serving and hitting to the person who is the least offensive threat will give you a better chance at digging their attack. If you are playing a team where both players can attack and pass decently then you can try serving in between them and that will usually get them out of system. Other strategies include blocking, going over on the second ball, and using smart shots. In beach blocking can be a little tricky and it takes a lot of practice to get used to it, but it is really fun when you stuff block someone in beach J If you and your partner decide to block, the person blocking tells the defender what part of the court he/ she is going to be blocking. The defender is then responsible for the other part of the court. For example if I was blocking the cross court shots for both hitters I would hold up 2 fingers on each hand (1 finger on each hand means I am blocking the line shots) and my partner would defend the line shots. Some smart shots in beach are a short pokey (tipping it with your knuckles) or a high roll shot to the deep corners. These shots will cause the other team to scramble for the ball and give you an easy ball back over.

         I hope this helped with some of your beach volleyball questions. Have fun and stay hydrated while playing!

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