with Darrin McBroom,
Drake University Head Women's Coach;
2020 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year;
Iowa Western Community College Head Coach (2009-2012);
Four straight Division I National Tournament appearances;
2012 AVCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year;
MCC-Longview Head Coach (2005-2008);
2x Division II National Tournament appearances
Everyone knows the importance of effective serve receive but what can we do as coaches to strengthen the foundation and confidence of our passers so they can deliver when it matters most?
Drake’s Coach McBroom first describes the common situation where teams at all levels often get a lot of serve receive repetitions in practices but then struggle to pass accurately in matches. He highlights the importance of developing a strong foundation in technical aspects of passing and associated body movement and communication.
Coach McBroom breaks down keys to hand and wrist position, arm movement to reduce unnecessary variation, and using shoulders to achieve the right platform angle. He also discusses the approach to better footwork and coordinating with the passer next to you to cover seams more effectively.
McBroom also focuses on getting cues from the server before they serve, recognizing more quickly the type of spin on the serve, communicating to yourself and fellow passers, and adjusting fast to pass short and deep serves.
Coach McBroom then shares several passing progression drills to train the technical skills starting with pairs of players focused on isolated hand and platform techniques and advancing to drills involving four players that integrate shoulder and platform skills with body movement to achieve the best passing angles. He then shares team drills that incorporate competitive serving and serve receive to an ideal target area on the court for setters, which challenges both passers and servers by trying to create more match-like conditions.
Through this video, Coach McBroom describes how to improve your team’s serve receive effectiveness through a systematic approach to technical development and better communication that will lead to greater team success under pressure!
53 minutes. 2025.
VD-06341B:
with Darrin McBroom,
Drake University Head Women's Coach;
2020 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year;
Iowa Western Community College Head Coach (2009-2012);
Four straight Division I National Tournament appearances;
2012 AVCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year;
MCC-Longview Head Coach (2005-2008);
2x Division II National Tournament appearances
Drake University head coach Darrin McBroom presents a variety of warm-up drills that get your players working on volleyball skills while also getting warmed up to start practice. He demonstrates multiple drills with several variations which can be applied to any skill set.
Get volleyball touches from your players while they warm-up
Coach McBroom discusses various philosophies for getting athletes warmed up to participate in sports and explains how volleyball skill oriented drills provide additional touches throughout the course of a season. The drills are easy to explain and don’t require any specific equipment or knowledge. He provides demonstrations of each drill to understand the flow of each drill.
Provide opportunities to give feedback on technique and effort during warm-ups
McBroom explains how he can set up the drill for the beginning of each practice which allows time to check in with players as well as provide feedback as soon as your team hits the court. He demonstrates how basic volleyball skills can be incorporated into quick warm-up drills and methods to keep the drills short at the start of practice.
Learn to modify warm-up drills to accommodate your team’s skills and needs
McBroom gives advice on how each drill can be tweaked to help players focus on specific technique or team goals that are associated with your team skill set or where you are in the season. By adjusting how the drill is completed, he demonstrates how the team can adjust the outcome of the drill without learning a new drill. McBroom provides guidance on ways to motivate your players while pushing them to develop specific skills.
Coach McBroom provides a variety of drills that are simple and effective at getting your players warmed up and ready for the rest of practice. He discusses issues that are valid at every level of the sport, and how simple warm-up drills have been well received by his players. Coach McBroom shows how easily you can get your practice off to an efficient and effective start as you warm-up your team!
49 minutes. 2025.