Volleyball Skills and Drills »

The book is a comprehensive tool for developing all of the skills of volleyball in addition to providing drills that help coaches handle specific situations that they will incur with their teams. The book has approximately 100 drills and touches upon defensive systems, conditioning and game strategies. The book provides over 80 diagrams, terminology and key phrases.

Ann T. Reddy-Damon - VOYA

This book offers a comprehensive guide to coaching competitive volleyball. Bertolli shares the expertise he gathered from almost fifteen years of coaching both men's and women's collegiate volleyball teams to numerous championships. Divided into thirteen specific drill areas from warming up to game strategies, the book contains more than 100 step-by-step instructions for drills. Although there are many such skill books available for most sports, this one succeeds through the writer's authentic voice. He mentions the "hows" and "whys" of the particular drill that make the points more understandable. For example, he explains that a three-way pepper is more like a real game because the ball comes from and goes to different players rather than back and forth. Likewise, he states the objective for each drill in natural language. The diagrams and photos add to the usability of the book, graphically showing what in writing could become repetitive and confusing. In fact, more photos of actual players with the letters marking their purposes superimposed for clarification would make this practical book even more helpful. The diagrams were sometimes confusing when the letters were not obvious. For example, the block pick up drill uses seven letters and twelve numbers to explain the sequence of this drill. Novice and experienced coaches who are looking for practical proven drills to strengthen their team's performance will want this book. VOYA CODES: 3Q 2P S A/YA (Readable without serious defects; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult-marketed book recommended for Young Adults). 2004, Wish Publishing, 149p.; Glossary. Illus. Photos., Tradepb. Ages 15 to Adult.