Tag: Volleyball

How is Power Generated on a Volleyball Spike?

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Have you ever wondered how a 4’8″ 11-year old girl can hit a more powerful volleyball spike than a junior high player?

John Kessel, USA Volleyball, provided answers to this and other questions as part of the junior clinic at 40th Annual King of the Mountain Tournament in Vail on Father’s Day weekend. The coaching team, which included top players from the men’s and women’s open draw, showed the youngsters how to hit everything from the bear claw, cobra, and misdirected overhead to the sky ball and topspin serve.

As part of the instruction, Kessel raised a question about the source of power on the spike. He stated that there are four sources of power when hitting a volleyball spike:
• Core –  Stomach and back muscles.
• Torque – Hip and body rotation.
• Arm swing/arm speed.
• Wrist snap.

Players were asked to assign 100 points between these four potential sources. Better players were asked to explain their allocation of points.

Long story short, the responses and justifications were varied, particularly among the better players.

How would you answer this question?

Based on research conducted by USAV, 17-18% of the power is generated by core strength, 37-38% torque, 42-43% arm speed, and 2-3% wrist snap.

For more words of wisdom from Kessel, check out his blog – Growing the Game Together by clicking here.

Women’s Sports Touted as Contributor to Colorado Economy

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On February 17th, the Denver Post reported “Women’s sporting events to be economic blockbuster for Denver.”

In the article, which was posted in the business section, Rich Grant of Visit Denver stated, “Women’s sports are becoming a huge economic engine, and Denver is poised to be known as a major center for this.” In particular, Grant was referencing the Colorado Crossroads volleyball tournament and the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

The Colorado Crossroads tournament is one of 9 national events where teams can qualify for the USA Junior Nationals. The Post reported that it will draw 11,000 players and 33,000 spectators over a two week period in late February and early March. The projected impact is about $22 million, with most of the benefit accruing to rooms, food, taxis, rental cars, trinkets, and other souvenirs.

The tournament reportedly hosted about 100 teams ten years ago, but is expected to attract 1,100 teams from 34 states this year. This speaks to the growth in the popularity of volleyball, the increased impact of USA Volleyball, and greater interest in women’s sports.

The NCAA Women’s Final Four will be in Denver April 1-3. In addition to the three games, the playoffs are billed as a three-day party, including events at the Colorado Convention Center prior to the tournament and a concert by Jewel. The direct economic impact is expected to be about $20 million. As with the volleyball tournament, the businesses that will feel the impact are hotels, restaurants, transportation, and retailers.

There is still hotel space in Denver during the Final Four and tickets were still available at the time the article was published. The Post cited enthusiasts who projected that hotel and tickets would pickup in the weeks ahead.

The two events attract very different crowds, which speaks to the diversity of the appeal of the region. The volleyball tournament will attract families to the area, who will likely spend less per person because of budget and time constraints. The Final Four is a special activity, which will have more corporate appeal. It will attract a crowd that is more likely to have time to explore the city and spend more in the local economy on a per capita basis.

The first event portrays Colorado as a place to be for participant sports, while the latter positions Denver as a location for the country’s top sporting events. The Final Four is expected to be covered in 177 countries.

As well as discussing the impact of the Colorado Crossroads and Final Four, the Post listed the economic impact of other previous sporting events:

2012 Women’s Final Four – $20 million – projected (direct benefits only)
2012 Colorado Crossroads -$21.9 million – projected (direct benefits only)
2008 NCAA Frozen Four Men’s Hockey – $15 million (direct benefits only)
2007 Rockies World Series (Games 3 and 4) – $10 million (may include direct benefits)
2006 AFC Championships $21 million (may include indirect benefits)
2005 NBA All-Star Game – $30 million (may include indirect benefits)
2004 Mountain West Conference Men’s Basketball – $4 million (
2002 Grand Prix Denver – $30 million (may include indirect benefits)

Comparisons of these events should be made with caution. Most likely these impact studies were calculated using different models. While the major source of impact for all events is food, room, transportation, and the purchase of goods and services, different methodologies may produce results that may not be comparable.

As mentioned above, some of the studies include direct impacts only while others include a much broader contribution to the economy (direct and indirect impact). This is like comparing apples and apple pie – they are different.

While it is important to understand the challenges in producing valid and reliable economic impact studies, the real point is that one-time special activities, such as sporting events, conventions, or film production can have a short-term positive impact on local economic activity. (This does not guarantee they have a positive fiscal impact on the economy.)

Of equal or greater importance are the intangible benefits of an event. Quite often they far exceed the economic activity. The above events have portrayed Denver in a positive light and helped mold the perception that it is a great place to live, work, and play.

 

Newcomers Finish As Expected in First PAC-12 Season

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The inaugural PAC-12 athletic season has come to a close and Colorado and Utah finished as expected. With the exception of cross country, the newcomers showed that they can compete in the conference, but that they are not yet serious contenders for the top spots in the league.

In the ever-important sport of football, Utah finished third in the South Division with a 4-5 record. The Buffs ended at the bottom of the pack with 2 wins and 7 losses. The conference will be well represented in the upcoming BCS Bowl Series.

On the volleyball court CU compiled a spirited 1-21 record, while Utah finished 9th with 6 wins and 15 losses in conference play. UCLA won the national championship, defeating Illinois 3-1 in four closely fought sets. Illinois squeaked by USC in the semifinals 3-2. Arguably, the PAC-12 is the toughest volleyball conference in the country which will present challenges for the newcomers in 2012. In December, Tom Hogan, CU assistant coach and former USOC coach, announced that he will be leaving the Buff program.

Utah finished a respectable 5th place with a 6-5 record in women’s soccer, while Colorado was 1-9-1. CU’s only win of the season came in conference play. Stanford won the National Championship in women’s soccer. In November, Coach Bill Hempen ended his successful 11-year tenure at CU.

The one bright spot for the Buffs was cross country. To nobody’s surprise, Colorado swept both the men’s and women’s PAC-12 events. At the NCAAs, Arizona’s Lawi Lalang won the Men’s individual title. The PAC-12 had finishers in the second, sixth and 8th position. Buff Richard Medina finished 8th. On the women’s side, PAC-12 Champion CU finished third overall.

For further information on the PAC-12, click here.

 

Stay Focused on the Present

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The University of Colorado Women’s Volleyball team completed its inaugural season in the PAC-12 with a 1-21 record. On November 18, the Buffs captured their only conference win in a thriller against Washington State 3-2. Despite their dismal win-loss record, the team improved in key areas – teamwork, court coverage, spirit, and a more balanced offense. As well, many of the players elevated their skills.

With that in mind I asked Assistant Coach Tom Hogan, what he did to keep the spirits of the players up during the extended winless drought and how he raised the performance of the team despite their record. His answer was simple, “We worked hard in practices and matches to stay focused on the present. When you focus on the past or the future, your performance drops off. That is what we did and we were able to do it better than in years past.” It is important to note the emphasis on the words, “worked hard.”

These words of wisdom apply to any sport. For example, when a tennis player enters a tournament he/she should stay focused on the match at hand, rather than thinking about who they might play in the second or third round of the tournament. They should concentrate on the things they can control, such as how hard they try, proper hydration, staying focused on the present, and what they must do to maximize their performance. At the same time they must disregard the factors they cannot control, such as the weather, temperature, bad line calls, or crowd distractions.

As illustrated by Coach Hogan’s comments, the basics of sport are simple. As anyone who has coached or played a sport can testify, consistent execution during good times and bad is the challenge.

 

Club Volleyball Tryouts – Read the Play, Move Your Feet, Communicate

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Most club volleyball tryouts are nerve wracking.

They involve playing in a different gym, seeing new coaches armed with clipboards and pens
ready to make notes, and long lines of nervous girls anxiously attempting to impress the other players and coaches with their abilities. Many players and their parents enter such an event believing that the way to make a good mark is to have good skills such as a great serve, good hands, and a hard spike.

While these skills are important, coaches have different philosophies and may have different criteria for their clubs’ tryouts. Some coaches measure sport specific skills, such as passing, setting, or serving. Other coaches will evaluate general athletic skills such as jumping, leaping, speed, strength, or agility.

Tom Hogan, a coach in the CU Women’s Volleyball program and former USOC assistant coach, told a group of players at a TCA Volleyball Club tryout in Boulder that standout athletes possess the following qualities:
• They read the play and they react to the ball, even when it is not coming directly to them.
• They move their feet and get to the ball.
• They communicate on the court – they get along with their teammates and support them; they talk when they are going for the ball; they have a positive presence on the court. While Hogan’s list was specific to volleyball, it applies to most other sports.

Very few of the players and their parents would have populated their tryout list with these qualities. In other words, a high-caliber coach has a different perspective on the sport and what makes a quality player. This is something for parents and players to keep in mind as the club season progresses.