The Volleyball Site for Physical Educators!
CLASSROOM
Volleyball in the physical education classroom should be approached differently than the varsity volleyball practice. Certain modifications should be made depending on the grade level and ability level of the student you are teaching. The modifications below are aligned with the American Development Model (USA Volleyball). The American Development Model has five stages that range from the discover stage in ages 0 - 12 to the advanced stage that includes club and travel athletes. Stages 1 -3 are most appropriate for physical education.
The images below were taken from the poster: "Volleyball is a game before it is a sport." The link above will take you to the original poster developed by USA Volleyball. The image is downloadable and printable in a variety of sizes.
The Court
The volleyball court in a physical education class should be reduced to meet the needs of the student. The smaller the student, the smaller the court. That being said, even high school students should have a reduced court size to allow for more courts and smaller team sizes.
The Net
The volleyball net should be lowered to meet the needs of the student in your physical education class. The smaller the student, the lower the net. For the average physical education class the net should be no higher than 7 feet. If you have a high school class where there are varsity level athletes you may challenge those students with additional requirements rather than raise the net height.
The Ball
The volleyball used in your class should also be adjusted depending on the students in your class. When working with younger students the ball should be changed to be lighter and possibly travel slower to give them a higher chance of success.
