Quality Sport Programs: Volleyball

by | Apr 20, 2017 | Uncategorized

Active Start: Mini Volleyball

FUNdamentals: Mini Volleyball

Learn to Train: Atomic Volleyball

In Canada, the sport of volleyball is popular at all levels – from elementary school to recreational, both indoors and on the beach. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians play volleyball. But despite the large participant base, we’ve attained very little international success, either on the beach or indoors. That’s why Volleyball Canada implemented its Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model – to improve the quality of volleyball players in this country from grassroots to high performance.

Along with teamwork, volleyball teaches participants fundamental movement skills, fundamental sport skills and the ABCs – agility, balance, coordination and speed – of physical literacy.

Volleyball’s LTAD model consists of nine stages.

  • Active Start (M, F 0-6) – Introduces fundamental movement skills through physical activity and play.
  • FUNdamentals (M 6-9, F 6-8) – Encourages the development of fundamental movement skills through fun and participation.
  • Learn to Train (M 9-12, F 8-11) – Initiates overall sport skills and introduces certain volleyball skills.
  • Train to Train (M 12-16, F 11-15) – Develops physical capacities and volleyball skills.
  • Learn to Compete (M 17-19+/-, F 16-18+/- indoor; M 16-20+/-, F 15-19+/- beach) – Consolidates volleyball skills and develops fitness.
  • Train to Compete (M 20-21+/-, F 19-20+/- indoor; M 18-24+/-, F 17-23+/- beach) – Refines volleyball skills and further develops fitness.
  • Learn to Win (M 20-25+/-, F 21-24+/- indoor; M 22-28+/-, F 21-27+/- beach) – Maintains volleyball skills and develops the ability to sustain high volume and high intensity training.
  • Train to Win (M 26-34+/-, F 25-32+/- indoor/beach) – Optimizes performance for peaking at selective competitive events.
  • Active for Life (M, F all ages) – Encourages players to remain involved in the game, either competitively or recreationally, for life.

Volleyball Canada Development Model
This website gives athletes, parents, teachers and coaches easy access to apply our LTAD guidelines (training, competition and recovery amounts) and support our athletes to reach their full potential.  Click on the links below to view our guidelines for athlete development.

Volleyball for Life: LTAD for Volleyball in Canada
This systematic framework is built around developing athletes and identifying appropriate levels of competition at each stage.

Mini-Volleyball, which addresses FUNdamentals, is a discipline recognized and encouraged by the FIVB. It is THE game for children between the ages of nine and 13.

The Atomic Volleyball program centers on the Learn to Train stage and is a great tool for teaching children the basics of the sport and getting them ready for the more complex six-on-six game.

Triple Ball is a modified game of volleyball focused on the Train to Train stage and designed to help developing athletes experience success, accelerate their skill development and have fun.

The National Team Cup Challenge, aimed at the Train to Compete stage, is a summer event for 19U (men) and 18U (women) provincial teams held at the end of July. The event includes regular match play competition, triple ball competition (no specialization), skills competition and classroom sessions on sport science and other topics.

Volleyball Canada – volleyball.ca