The Art of Coaching Volleyball  FOLLOW

Oftentimes when a new high school or club season begins, parents of players want to know more about the game, more about the rules and strategies, and many coaches end up spending precious time fielding questions.

“What’s the difference between a free ball and a down ball?” “What’s an FBK?” And, of course, every coach’s favorite: “Coach, why didn’t the ref call a double contact? That play was UGLY!”

These questions, along with an overall curiosity from parents to learn more about the game, are why Brennan Dean, director of WAVE Volleyball in Del Mar, California, started hosting a non-mandatory Rules & Strategies for Parents meeting before each season. Dean readily acknowledges that he is not a referee and reminds his club's parents that rules change from year to year, so his word is not official.

Dean draws an analogy to the enhanced viewing experience you get as a football fan from understanding the finer points of the game. “The more I learn about football, the more I enjoy watching it,” he tells parents. “Some of you may not have a lot of information about volleyball. I’m hoping that after you go through this presentation, you’ll be able to enjoy watching your son or daughter a little bit more.”

Bottom line, “Rules and Strategy” meetings are nice additions to a club’s preseason schedule. When the families of your players have a better understanding of what you and their kids are doing in the context of the game’s boundaries and tactics, it makes for a better experience for everyone involved.

Check out the videos below to see how Dean discusses some of the basic rules and strategies of the game with the parents in his club so that you can start doing the same!

Or, if you don't have time to hold your own meeting, send all of the Rules and Strategies videos to your parents and have them take a look on their own time. Each video is 1-7 minutes long and the whole series takes only around an hour to watch.