Week 1 - Volleyball

Skill focus: Keeping the ball up, spatial awareness, serving and setting

Session equipment:

1 volleyball or similar per 2 students
30 markers
Volleyball net or 'no go barrier' per 'group of 6
2 x Blankets, sheets or large plastic bags
Bibs/braids to differentiate teams

Download Volleyball - Week 1 activity card to support teaching before and during the sport session.

Select card to download

Fast start - Air ball

Equipment

8 markers (to set-up a playing area of 25m x 25m)
1 volleyball per pair of student

Activity set-up

Divide students into groups of 3 - 4.
Provide one volleyball ball per group.

How to play

Students aim to keep the ball in the air for as long as possible by hitting it with their hands.
Each time a student hits the ball they must perform one jumping jack before they can hit the ball again.

CHANGE IT!

Increase the number of jumping jacks to be performed before being allowed to hit the ball again.
Change the movement to be performed (e.g. touch one of the playing area markers or perform 1 tuck jump).

Select the card to download.

Skill development

Choosing teams

In a sport education approach, affiliation is promoted by students being a member of the same team over a period of time. It is intended that students remain in these teams for the duration of each sport program for the skill development and the modified small-sided games, so that they can develop and learn together.

Place students in equal teams, 4 teams is optimal, at the beginning of the skill development session. Strategies for forming groups can be found in the Game-based learning in sport and physical activity e-learning course.
To further promote affiliation students can decide on a team name.
Once the teams are determined you can add the team and student names to the Volleyball draw template.

Activity 1 - Underarm return relay

Equipment: 1 volleyball per player

How to play: Players run to a point, return and on the way back pick up a ball and serve it underarm to the team-mate next in line. This pattern continues.

Mark a starting line and a midway line, and place a distant marker to run around (turning point).
Place the ball on the midway line.
Player 1 runs around the turning point and back towards the team, picking up the ball on the midway line.
Player 1 serves the ball underarm to Player 2 who sets the ball to themselves 3 times.
Player 1 joins the end of the team.
Player 2 runs to the midway line, deposits the ball and continues to the turning point, then runs back, picks up the ball and serves it underarm to player 3 who sets the ball to themselves 3 times before running towards the turning point.
Continue until player 1 is again at the head of the line.

Playing for Life - Underarm return relay

Activity 2 - Blanket ball

Equipment: 1 light weight ball and a net or 'no-go' barrier per group of 4

How to play: A court game where the ball is passed between teams over a net or no-go zone with one team using a blanket. The receiving team tries to keep the ball off the floor.

Work in groups of 4.
Teams begin with a ball each.
Each team practises tossing and catching their ball in their blanket.
Progress to working with another team – the ball is passed between teams. A barrier is not required for this stage.
The receiving team uses the blanket to catch the ball.
The receiving team returns the ball by setting it or tossing it back over.

Activity 3 - Rebound ball

Equipment: 1 volleyball per pair, a wall.

How to play: A player sets a ball at a wall and stands back for the second player to catch the ball. The activity continues this way. (Play in pairs.)

Player 1 tosses a high ball at the wall.
Player 2 sets the ball as it rebounds and tries to set as many balls in a row against the wall.
To score, pairs play against other pairs or against the clock.

Activity 4 - Kai

Equipment: 1 volleyball

How to play: Players stand in a circle and hit a ball up in the air with the palm of the hand. The aim is to try to make the most number of successive hits without the ball hitting the ground.

Players hit the ball with the palm of either hand or both hands using the setting action.
Each team attempts to make as many hits as they can without the ball landing on the ground, calling out a consecutive letter of the alphabet on each hit.

Modified small-sided games

It's time for competition!

Teams compete against each other in the game outlined below. You can use the 'Volleyball draw' as a guide to organise the competition, across the 4 sessions try to ensure each team has a fair number of games.

Allocate 3 points for a win, 2 points for a drawer and 1 point for a loss for each game played. Record results and points in the School sport program results spreadsheet.

Remember, to give students an update of the leader board each week.

Game - Newcombe ball

Equipment: A suitable indoor or outdoor area, a mini volleyball court (14m x 7m) with a net at a height of 2 metres, (a rope or no-go zone are suitable alternatives) one mini-volleyball (or similar) per game.

Set-up: Two playing areas to be set-up. Both games are played at the same time to allow all students to be active and engaged. Teams rotate.

How to play: 2 teams on a court with or without a net. A net is preferable. The serving team sends the ball over the net from the back of the court. The opposing team has to catch the ball and keep it off the floor. The receivers become the servers and return the ball. First team to 25 is the winner.

The game starts with one player throwing the ball from the back half of their court across the net for an opponent to catch.
Each player must stay within their own playing area.
A maximum of 3 passes can be made between players before the ball is returned across the net.
Alternate serves and rotate server each time a point is won