2013 AVCA North Region Coach of the Year; 2013 NCAA Sweet 16; 2012 NCAA Elite Eight;former Men's and Women's U. S. National Team Head Coach (2012 Women's Olympic team silver medal; 2008 Men's Team gold medal); 2008 USOC National Coach of the Year
You've seen how top college coaches lead teams from the sidelines during matches but have you ever wondered how they run their practices to prepare for the season? Get an inside look at preseason practice as you're welcomed into the University of Minnesota gym for three days of practice sessions plus strength and mobility training. This Big 10 coaching team, led by Hugh McCutcheon, the former head coach of the U.S. National Men's and Women's teams, shows you how to implement sound fundamentals as well as strong mental conditioning for future success. Learn how to use morning and afternoon pre-season practice sessions to improve nearly every skill needed for successful play.
Morning Sessions:In his morning pre-season sessions, Coach McCutcheon covers volleyball skills and fundamentals, including defense, blocking and serving, as well as 6-on-6 competitive drills.
Setting and passing are emphasized in the first half of practice. The drills progress with doubles, triples and small groups. Coach McCutcheon and his staff emphasize the keys to consistent passing:
- Elbows locked outward and straight
- Arms down
- Shoulders loose
- Both hands and wrists together
- One move to the ball with a lead leg
- Balanced and forward on contact
Players and coaches also reiterate the keys to making clean sets:
- Thumbs Up / thumbs down
- Ball near forehead
- Extend elbows
- Right foot forward
- Face where the ball is coming from
- Square to where the ball is being set
To add even more value to the session, Coach McCutcheon provides feedback as players execute the drills, giving real-time instruction on what they're doing right and where they need to improve.
Afternoon Sessions:The afternoon session focuses on using teamwork drills to build fundamental skills. Fundamental volleyball skills are practiced in small group drills. Coach McCutcheon shows how to develop a team technically and tactically with defensive posture, passing, setting, serving and digging drills. Each skill is broken down into small, easy-to-teach components, focusing on parts of the whole while still executing the whole.
Coach McCutcheon also shares his philosophy on mental conditioning, emphasizing the role of communication, body language and commitment in successful play. Learn how Coach McCutcheon and his staff use constructive feedback to their players, both freshmen and seasoned athletes, to help them clearly understand how to improve their individual performance. For coaches and players alike, this 20-minute team talk is one of the most beneficial parts of this series.
This All Access video does an exemplary job of showing how to develop volleyball practice where success is expected as an end result. Learn how to build report with players as they practice, and how to correct them and keep them working on their skills. See how coaches coach for success and positive results in a game.
429 minutes + 24 minutes of bonus material (6 DVDs). 2014.
All Access videos are designed to allow viewers from all over the world to see how successful coaches run their practices in a "live" practice setting. All Access videos allow viewers to see the practices un-edited and in real-time. You will see how top coaches run their drills, interact with their team and staff, how they motivate their team, the cue words they use, the atmosphere of the practice and how practices are structured from day to day. Many coaches visit successful colleges and high schools to watch practice. But if you live out of state or out of the country, visiting another coach's gym can be costly. That's why we created the All Access Practice Series of videos -- to bring the practices to you!