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| Coaching Philosphy |
| The driving philosophy of the RI Blast coaching revolves around pushing the
envelope. Each practice session and every game players are challenged to work harder and perform better
than they did in the one before. Volleyball, like life, is a continuous learning process. Some of the key
focus points are: |
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| ATTITUDE |
| There are a number of important concepts reinforced throughout training. They include
being aggressive, never letting a ball drop (relentless pursuit), focus & concentration, being active
and vocal, and supporting the team and its members. A good work ethic is mandatory, as is a positive
mental outlook. Negativity is not tolerated. |
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| PLAY SMARTER |
| Juniors Volleyball is played under rally scoring rules. That means every
mistake is a point for the other team. Limiting mistakes and making better decisions improves the chances for success.
Players are taught when it is OK to be aggressive and go after it and when a more conservative approach is needed, both
within their own position and within the context of the game as a whole. |
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| EXPERIMENT & LEARN |
| Club volleyball is not about doing the same old thing. RI Blast players get to experiment with
new things and develop more skills in all facets of the game by being exposed to new methods and techniques. The offensive
schemes are more complex and challenge players to improve not only their abilities, but also their tactical thinking. New
defensive systems are introduced to allow players to explore how to adjust to the offensive tactics of opposing teams. |
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| FUNDAMENTALS & TECHNIQUE |
| No volleyball program can have success if its players are not fundamentally sound.
For that reason the RI Blast staff spends a lot of time working with players one-on-one and in groups to improve
their serving, passing, setting, hitting, blocking, and defensive technique. |
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| FITNESS & NUTRITION |
| Players are educated on ways to improve their athletic performance through physical
conditioning, strength training, and better nutrition. |
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Blast practice sessions are demanding. They run at a high
level of intensity, pushing the players to improve themselves on a continuous basis and the experienced coaching
staff incorporates a number of different teaching techniques to achieve their goals.
Note that very little attention is given above to winning tournaments or collecting hardware. The number one focus of
Blast at all times will be to make each team member a better volleyball player. Success in games and matches will follow
from that. Sure, there will always be the goal of winning championships, and the club staff is very competitive. The
continuous improvement of the team over the course of a season will not, however, be sacrificed for the sake of winning. |
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