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

This is a free sample week of at-home volleyball training for 11 to 13 year olds, for a setter: 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

Setter: Incline Push-Up Progression 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Incline Push-Up Progression · 5 min
Body like a plank, elbows in. Safety: Good form beats more reps: stop the set when your form slips. Muscles may feel tired; stop if a joint hurts.
Star Reach Balance · 5 min
Hips level, knee over toes. Safety: Practice on soft ground or near a wall with clear space around you, so a wobble is no problem.
Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Session 2

Setter: 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.
Incline Push-Up Progression · 5 min
Body like a plank, elbows in. 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

Setter: Cross-Crawl Rhythm 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Cross-Crawl Rhythm · 5 min
Smooth rhythm, opposite sides.
Side Plank Build · 5 min
Straight line, breathe. Safety: Keep breathing and stop when your hips sag or your back aches.
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

Incline Push-Up Progression

Ages 10 to 14 · 8 min

Push-ups with hands on a bench, moving lower as you get stronger, until floor push-ups are clean.

Place hands on a bench, body straight from head to heel.
Lower your chest to the bench with elbows at about 45 degrees.
Push back up without the hips sagging.
Do 3 sets of 8; move to a lower surface when all are clean.

Coach's cue: Body like a plank, elbows in.

Bring: bench, step or sturdy table

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

Star Reach Balance

Ages 9 to 14 · 8 min

Stand on one leg and reach the other foot out to the front, side and back, like the points of a star.

Stand on one leg in the middle of three taped lines.
Reach the other foot along each line as far as you can and tap lightly.
Return to the middle without touching down between reaches.
Do 3 rounds on each leg.

Coach's cue: Hips level, knee over toes.

Bring: tape or chalk

Safety: Practice on soft ground or near a wall with clear space around you, so a wobble is no problem.

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

Cross-Crawl Rhythm

Ages 9 to 14 · 6 min

Touch opposite hand to opposite knee and foot in a rhythm. Builds left-right coordination.

March and touch your right hand to your left knee, then left hand to right knee.
Next touch behind you: hand to opposite heel.
Mix front and back in a 4-count rhythm.
Do 4 sets of 20 touches.

Coach's cue: Smooth rhythm, opposite sides.

Bring: none

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.

Lie on your side, elbow under your shoulder.
Lift your hips so the body is in a straight line (start from the knees).
Hold 15 to 20 seconds.
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.

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)