TRAINING PRINCIPLES

The training methods and skill development principles Prime VC employs are the very same that won our USA Men’s Olympic Team an Olympic Gold Medal in 2008 and our Women's Olympic Team an Olympic Gold Medal in 2020. Ron Larsen was the top Assistant Coach with the 2008 USA Men’s Olympic team and has been an integral member of the National Team’s coaching staff for the last two decades and we are extremely lucky to have him as our Director of Training and Coaches’ Development at Prime. In this capacity he works with Prime’s coaching staff to ensure that all of our athletes receive the same high caliber of training. In addition he is responsible for educating our coaches so that our already highly qualified staff continues to improve and grow.

Prime VC strongly emphasizes individual technical skills training and development. For an athlete to reach their maximum potential, it is important that they are technically sound in their fundamental skills. For example, we feel it is essential to break down skills like the arm swing and passing technique and teach our players the most efficient biomechanics of each aspect of the game. All of our coaches are well versed in volleyball-specific motor learning principles. While we of course want our teams to be successful and compete at a high level, we are very committed to developing the talents of each athlete at Prime.

Prime Volleyball athletes are complete volleyball players. All athletes learn every volleyball skill at practice, not just those that are specific to their current position. As a young volleyball athlete you never know what position you will end up playing in high school or college. The more well rounded and adept at different positions and skills you are the more versatile and valuable you will be to any team. An athlete at any position may have to step in and set a ball to a teammate at a crucial point in a match and we want all of our athletes to be able do so with confidence and skill.

It is crucial that our athletes are engaged in the process of learning. We teach all of our athletes about the importance of having a growth mindset and that their ability to learn and change is the most critical thing to their success on the court. We encourage critical thinking and want our athletes to ask why. Understanding the why will help athletes understand the what and how. Our athletes are encouraged to take risks and make mistakes at practice. An athlete can’t make positive change and improve without making mistakes and having the freedom to try something new and different. Our coaches create an environment that supports this key aspect of learning.

Athletes will never reach their full potential if they’re not enjoying themselves while they practice, train, and compete. Practices will typically include multiple competitions at each session and athletes will always spend a good part of practice playing the game of volleyball as opposed to just doing single skill drills for the majority of practice. Research has proven that skills are best learned in the environment they will be used in. We teach volleyball using drills that are as game like as possible, which results in a higher rate of transfer from practice to competition. Prime coaches structure practices so that athletes learn while competing. Most of all, playing is fun! We hope to ignite a passion for the game of volleyball in every Prime VC athlete.

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