Free drill library · Volleyball

At-home volleyball drills for 11 to 13 year olds: hitter

This is a free sample week of at-home volleyball training for 11 to 13 year olds, for a hitter: 3 of the 7 plans SSTracker has for this group, each 14 minutes, with every step and minute. Nothing here is written for this page alone; it is what the app gives a family.

Everything here can be done in a room, garage or yard. Drills that need a team are left out; a parent can be the partner in a pair drill.

A free sample week of volleyball for 11 to 13 year olds

Session 1

Approach footwork 14 minutes

  1. Approach steps without a ball · 5 min
    Last two steps fast, arms swing back
  2. Arm swing into a wall · 5 min
    High elbow, snap the wrist
  3. Self-toss down balls · 4 min
    Hit the top of the ball

Session 2

Hitter: Broad Jump and Hold 14 minutes

  1. Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
    Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
  2. Broad Jump and Hold · 5 min
    Swing, jump, stick. Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.
  3. Side Plank Build · 5 min
    Straight line, breathe. Safety: Keep breathing and stop when your hips sag or your back aches.
  4. Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
    Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Session 3

Hitter: Springy Ankle Pogo Series 14 minutes

  1. Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
    Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
  2. Springy Ankle Pogo Series · 5 min
    Hot ground, quick bounce. Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.
  3. Hop and Hold · 5 min
    Stick it like glue. Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.
  4. Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
    Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Want the rest of the plan?

This sample is 3 of the 7 volleyball plans SSTracker has for this group. In SSTracker every step is on the screen, your child logs the work, and you see it. No club needed: the family plan is $7.50 a month per player, or $12 a month for the whole household, and the first 14 days are free.

Get the full plan free for 14 days Coach or club director? Set up your team free Print a free week for another sport or age

The drills in this week

Broad Jump and Hold

Ages 10 to 14 · 10 min

Jump forward as far as you can with control and hold the landing. Distance only counts if you stick it.

  1. Stand with toes at a line.
  2. Swing your arms back, then forward as you jump out.
  3. Land on both feet and hold for 2 seconds without stepping.
  4. Do 3 sets of 3 with full rest; note your best stuck jump.

Coach's cue: Swing, jump, stick.

Bring: soft ground, tape measure (optional)

Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.

Side Plank Build

Ages 10 to 14 · 6 min

Hold a side plank from the knees, then from the feet. Builds trunk control that keeps you steady.

  1. Lie on your side, elbow under your shoulder.
  2. Lift your hips so the body is in a straight line (start from the knees).
  3. Hold 15 to 20 seconds.
  4. Do 3 each side; move to the feet when it is easy.

Coach's cue: Straight line, breathe.

Bring: mat

Safety: Keep breathing and stop when your hips sag or your back aches.

Springy Ankle Pogo Series

Ages 10 to 14 · 6 min

Small, quick, springy hops using stiff ankles. Builds the bounce in running and jumping.

  1. Stand tall with soft knees and arms relaxed.
  2. Hop on the balls of your feet with quick, small bounces.
  3. Keep the knees almost still; the ankles do the work.
  4. Do 3 sets of 10 hops with rest.

Coach's cue: Hot ground, quick bounce.

Bring: soft ground or mat

Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.

Hop and Hold

Ages 10 to 14 · 8 min

Hop forward on one leg and hold the landing for 3 seconds. Trains the knee control that protects ligaments.

  1. Stand on one leg.
  2. Hop a short distance forward.
  3. Land softly and hold for 3 seconds, knee over toes.
  4. Do 2 sets of 5 each leg.

Coach's cue: Stick it like glue.

Bring: soft ground

Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.

Safety for ages 11 to 13

  • Plans for this age group use beginner and developing drills only. Advanced drills open from age 13 in the app.
  • Home plans use only drills for a room, garage or yard. Stop if anything hurts.

Before you start: volleyball

  • Knee pads and court shoes; a lighter ball and lower net for young players.
  • An ankle brace after a sprain if a doctor suggests it.
  • Jump and land on your own side, under yourself. Never cross the centerline (landing on a foot is the top cause of sprains).
  • Keep jump sets short and land softly with knees over toes.
  • Keep serve and hitting sets short; stop if your shoulder hurts.
  • Diving and sprawling: only on a clean, dry floor or a mat, once a coach has taught it.
For every sport and age (7)
  • Head knock or concussion signs (headache, dizziness, confusion, feeling "off"): when in doubt, sit them out. See a doctor, and no return the same day.
  • Back to sport only with a doctor's written OK, after a step-by-step return. Every U.S. state has a youth concussion law.
  • Heat: drink water before, during and after. Take shade breaks, ease into hot weather over about two weeks, and stop if dizzy, sick or headachy.
  • Lightning: if you hear thunder or see lightning, go inside a building or a closed car. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder (the 30-30 rule).
  • Pain is a stop sign, not something to push through. Stop and tell a grown-up; pain that lasts or comes back each session needs a doctor.
  • Water and rest are part of training: 1-2 rest days a week, plenty of sleep, a meal or snack before and after, and other sports welcome.
  • Know where the nearest AED (heart defibrillator) is, and who calls for help in an emergency.

The research behind these plans

Which drills are shown at which age, and the safety notes, follow the 28 sources below: national governing bodies, medical associations and studies on youth sport (last reviewed October 2026). Where no study gives an exact number, the plans use cautious defaults, and we change them as the research does.

Volleyball: governing bodies, safety and development (8)
Youth athletic development and safety (20)

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