This weekend I participated in Pat Powers’ volleyball clinic as an assistant coach in Chicago. About 60 eager volleyball players spent 11.5 hours over a full weekend of non-stop solid talk, drills, game strategy and more by non other than volleyball legend Pat Powers. I’ve participated in a few of his clinics several years ago. Coach Pat breaks down the game using a non-nonsense and step-by-step approach that works for junior players and adults alike. In this session, about 15 adults participated which was unusually high number for his clinics. Four adults were club and school coaches seeking to hone their skills to help their kids. Again, this continue to validates the trend of more and older adults seeking to an active lifestyle pursuing the sport at a more competitive level. Then, there was Diego who, for several years now, flies in from Puerto Rico for this clinic and to visit his aunt. Diego is a 14 year old 6′2″ who plays in the roster of one of the top national teams. This kid can hit, set and play… tremendous raw talent with a great future in the sport.
During the clinic, Pat covers just about every aspect of the game emphasizing passing and hitting. He covers serving, defense, blocking and setting, but not to extend of passing and hitting. On overall strategy and gaining that elusive competitive edge, Pat focuses on anticipating the next play or playing the game 1.5 seconds into the future. This is, players shall never play (or follow) the ball in motion but rather focus on the player who is contacting the ball next. This will force you to react to bodies and earn you some precious time to make your next move. As with any team sport, you need to react to the players, avoid thinking and anticipate the next move.
Even after several years of following Pat’s teaching, I continue to appreciate his style and always leave with more helpful tips. I highly recommend this clinic to anyone interested in taking their game to a new level. Pat travels all over the country throughout the year for this clinic, so check the schedule for a clinic near you.
May 5th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Hello, I’ve already signed up for the clinic, so it’s nice to hear some positive feedback about it! Btw, who is this Diego? What team does he play for? Any other info? It’s so inspiring to hear about young talent. One wonders what other things he’s done to improve his game! I’m excited for the clinic!
May 7th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
You will not be dissapointed. Be prepared to absorb a lot of information in a short amount of time. You do not have enough practice or conditioning drills to fully grasp all the subtle movements, but you’ll have a strong foundation. Many drills are with pairs, and so if you know someone at your level, you’ll likely retain more. As for Diego, he is a puerto rican kid that plays in one of the Junior elite teams in San Juan. If stays focus, he probably can be in the Olympic qualifiers. He has a great family that supports him and totally into the sport. All the best and remember… think ball control 24/7!
June 18th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Hi… we were considering this for our 12 year old fairly athletic daughter. She has not had a lot of experience in volleyball but will be going to a week long volleyball camp prior to this if we choose to do it. Do you think it would be too much for a fairly novice player or would she get something out of it? She has a high interest in this sport and is usually fairly attentive. Thanks for your input
July 12th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
I wouldn’t do it. Pat assumes that players have a fair amount of knowledge, not only understanding of the fundamentals, but mechanics and game strategy. He spends a good share of time on correcting mechanics of each movement, especially passing and hitting, that your daugther may not absorb. From a team and overall exposure to the sport, only you would know based on her personality, enthusiasm and level of concentration. My initial though after I read your comment was to relate to a 5-6 year old kid visiting Disney World. Will the kid get something from it? Sure. Is it enough to be worth it? Maybe not. You mention that she has a high interest for the sport, and this is great. I encourage her to be in programs with strong individual conditioning and mechanical training (i.e. lots of ball touches per session) with a good coach. This will payoff big to discover her competitive potential or her love for this great sports. I wish her and your family the best! I give her one solid season in a volley camp program and then go for Pat’s clinic.