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

This is a free sample week of at-home volleyball training for 11 to 13 year olds, for a middle: 3 of the 7 plans SSTracker has for this group, each 13 to 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

Block footwork 13 minutes

Ready position at a pretend net · 3 min
Hands up at shoulder height
Shuffle-step and block jump · 5 min
Press the hands forward, land on two feet
Crossover-step and block jump · 5 min
Land soft, reset before the next one

Session 2

Middle: Broad Jump and Hold 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
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.
Bodyweight Squat Pattern · 5 min
Knees follow the toes. Safety: Good form beats more reps: stop the set when your form slips. Muscles may feel tired; stop if a joint hurts.
Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Session 3

Middle: Ladder Footwork Patterns 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Ladder Footwork Patterns · 5 min
Right first, then fast.
Split Squat Basics · 5 min
Straight down, straight up. Safety: Good form beats more reps: stop the set when your form slips. Muscles may feel tired; stop if a joint hurts.
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.

Stand with toes at a line.
Swing your arms back, then forward as you jump out.
Land on both feet and hold for 2 seconds without stepping.
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.

Bodyweight Squat Pattern

Ages 9 to 14 · 8 min

Learn the body-weight squat with heels down, knees over toes and chest up. The base of lower-body strength.

Feet shoulder-width, toes slightly out.
Push hips back and bend the knees, keeping heels flat.
Go as low as you can with a flat back, then stand up.
Do 3 sets of 8 to 10, slowly.

Coach's cue: Knees follow the toes.

Bring: none

Safety: Good form beats more reps: stop the set when your form slips. Muscles may feel tired; stop if a joint hurts.

Ladder Footwork Patterns

Ages 10 to 14 · 10 min

Quick foot patterns through a ladder on the ground: two in, in-out, side steps.

Lay a ladder or draw one with chalk.
Run through with two feet in each square.
Then try in-in-out-out sideways.
Do 3 trips of each pattern; get it right before getting fast.

Coach's cue: Right first, then fast.

Bring: agility ladder or chalk ladder

Split Squat Basics

Ages 10 to 14 · 8 min

With one foot forward and one back, lower straight down and up. Builds single-leg strength and knee control.

Step one foot forward into a long stance.
Lower your back knee toward the ground, trunk tall.
Keep the front knee over the middle of the foot.
Push back up; do 2 sets of 8 each leg.

Coach's cue: Straight down, straight up.

Bring: none

Safety: Good form beats more reps: stop the set when your form slips. Muscles may feel tired; stop if a joint hurts.

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)