The TR Theory of volleyball training is built around the idea of periodization. The idea of periodization breaks up the training cycle of athletes into distinct periods. Each period has a different focus. The four main periods in any training cycle are conditioning, skill training, competition, and rest/recovery. We believe that the current club system completely over does the competition period, does the skill training improperly, pays little more than lip service to conditioning, and completely ignores rest and recovery. Please understand that we are speaking in general about the club system and that this is not meant as a direct attack on any specific club. Some clubs do differnt things better than others. We are simply pointing out that most lack the balance of periods that research shows is best.
Our Period Schedule
Rest and Recovery - (Middle of November – December) During rest and recovery the athletes should be at a very minimal activity level. It is absolutely impossible for both the mind and the body to perform at the very top level year round. Rest and recovery periods are vital times for the body to recover, for nagging injuries to heal, for bigger injuries to be rehabbed, and for the mind to have some down time and recharge.
In our system we believe that the time from the formation of the team in mid November thorugh the end of the calendar year is ideal. The athletes are all coming off of their school season and they are looking at holidays and the end of a semester which means projects and exams.
During rest and recovery periods, maintainence workouts are a good idea once or twice a week but nothing intense. Also light open gym type play is okay just to get some touches, but jumping and full arm swings should be kept to a minimum.
Conditioning – (January – February) Everyone pays lip service to conditioning but very few really put the effort into it that is required to condition properly. An athlete’s ability to improve their technique and skill is limited by their athletic ability. Once they max out their skills in relation to their athletic ability it’s pointless to continue to press for more skill improvement until they increase their athletic ability. This is the main reason conditioning is so important for performance. We also place a great emphasis on injury prevention and the development of work ethic and discipline through our conditioning.
Conditioning at TR involves a very highly trained personal trainer who puts together a specific program for each athlete. Each program is based on the strengths and weaknesses of the individual athlete in relation to the athletic demands of the sport of volleyball. You won’t see all of our athletes doing the same cookie cutter workout as everyone else regardless of body type. You also won’t see our athletes conditioning in ways that have nothing to do with volleyball. What you will see is cutting edge training and attention to detail in how each excersise is performed and how it all fits into our training goals.
Our conditioning period begins the first full week of January and ends the first full week of March. During this period the athletes will train 3 times per week at the studio of our head trainer Mary Ellen Jordan. For more infor on Mary Ellen click on her link on the front page.
After the conditioning period is over we do continue to reinforce the principles learned during this period. Thorughout the remaining periods we use many of the exercises as warm up and warm down activities thus maintaining the athletic gains made during the conditioning period. Again open gym type play once a week is allowed during the conditioning period but jumping and full arm swings should be kept to a minimum.
Skill Training – (March – April) During the skill training period we foucs entirely on individual and team development through intense practices, scrimmages, and exhibition type matches. We practice 4 or 5 days per week for an hour and a half, plus a 20 minute warm up workout, and a 10 minute post practice core workout and stretch. These practice sessions are a mix of individual skill/technique work and team strategy and play. As the period progresses the balance shifts from individual work to team work.
We believe very strongly that practicing two days per week is no way to reinforce the kind of repetitive muscle memory that is needed in volleyball. This is especially true at the younger ages where the skills are first being learned. By condensing the skill/technique period to four or five practice a week for six or seven weeks rather than twice per week for seven months, we believe can train more effectively while avoiding burn out.
It should also be noted that scrimmages and exhibition type matches are included in this period. This means that we will play other teams during this time as a from of skill/technique practice. We always play to win, but this is not the goal of this period. The goal of this period is the training of skills and techniques. We don’t care about winning tournaments in March or beating teams in scrimmages. We care about training plain and simple.
Competition (Late May - Mid June) The competition period is when everything is directed at performing at our best on the court. We will continue to practice during this period but the focus will be almost entirely on team development in terms of offensive system, defensive system, and timing. More attention will be paid to off days during this period so that players are fresh for tournaments. During this phase we also do more than usual to focus on the mentality of the athlete. How they deal with competition, how they handle pressure, and how they get the most out of themselves is explored in detail.
This period culminates with the national tournament in June. The goal is that this system results in a team that has maxed out its potential and peaks at the end of the cycle and produces athletes that are passionate about the sport and have a keen understanding of what it takes to be successful!