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.
