Though it is best to go out and practice Volleyball to learn and master various techniques and strategies, books written by multiple experts offer invaluable insight into the world of Volleyball. Books help the players to discover how Volleyball players/coaches, in the past, dealt with various situations during a match; this allows them to focus on improving their performance rather than learning to think on their feet the hard way.
The invention of new techniques and strategies is always welcome, but such breakthroughs are rare. Books written by experienced Volleyball coaches and players provide solutions to every possible question a player can conceive as they have been through the same things and faced the same kind of problems present-day players face.
Best books for Understanding Volleyball
Some of the best books written about Volleyball explain the various drills, techniques, and strategies required to be used in Volleyball. But that is not what makes them the best; these books go beyond that and try to explain how to create an environment conducive for the players to learn to play their best, how to understand the opponent and adjust their playing style according to it, and how best to recover from an adverse situation. The following are some of the books that explain all these almost perfectly:
Thinking Volleyball by Mike Hubert
‘Thinking Volleyball’ is a book that is most beneficial to Volleyball coaches, but players, too, can learn from it. It propagates the idea of being ready for anything and not confining oneself to conventional methods or ways of coaching. The focus of this book is on explaining how to think out of the box in order to outsmart opponents, develop one’s style, build trust among the team members, and coach Volleyball players. The author’s anecdotes make it easy for the readers to comprehend the nuances of playing Volleyball.
Misty: Digging Deep in Volleyball and Life by Misty May-Treanor and Jill Lieber Steeg
Misty’s book offers insight into what a Volleyball player’s life is like as it tells the story of the many personal and professional struggles she went through. The book also describes the eight years of hard work required to become a renowned Volleyball player and her various experiences. The author also talks about the injuries that almost cost her career and her success in Olympics. Such a book makes the reader see that, like all careers, Volleyball, too, requires hard work and unwavering dedication.
It is also inspirational as it shows how the author recovered from various injuries and went on to succeed again and again. Aspiring volleyball players will find this book helpful as it will prepare them for the long and arduous path to success and fame and help them know what obstacles they will face in their journey.
Insights and Strategies for Winning Volleyball by Mike Hubert
Mike Hubert’s book contains detailed and in-depth offensive tactics and explains which areas to focus on when devising defensive strategies; this book also emphasizes the importance of setting goals/objectives for oneself and the team to be successful. Instead of guessing what a player needs to do to improve his skills, Hubert puts forth a way to evaluate players to systematically determine their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, whether one is a player or a coach, this book is invaluable.
The Volleyball Handbook by Bob Miller
Bob Miller’s book helps readers perceive that it takes a great team rather than one magnificent player to be victorious. A team that works well together will be successful when it is pitted against a team with the greatest Volleyball player if the opponents rely too much on the star player. Coaches will find various strategies/training programs to improve the performance of individual players and also the team as a whole.
Aggressive Volleyball by Pete Waite
Pete Waite explains how to recognize the strength of one’s team and use it to one’s advantage. He also provides ideas to understand the opponents’ weaknesses and adjust the team’s styles and strategies accordingly. Aggressive Volleyball is a book that has a lot to offer, even to experienced Volleyball coaches. The technical and tactical discussions in the book are beneficial to all Volleyball players; it helps improve their decision-making skills.
Beach Volleyball by Karch Kiraly and Byron Shewman
“Beach Volleyball” has extensive details on how to train, do exercises, and practice different techniques to improve one’s performance and beat one’s most formidable opponent. The author also provides a complete strength and conditioning program. The book also has anecdotes from the author’s life as a Beach Volleyball player.
The Volleyball Drill Book by AVCA
Created by American Volleyball Coaches Association, this book provides the right tools that enable coaches to teach their players and unlock their potential. The book discusses everything from how to warm up, handle the ball, pass, serve, and receive to how to build team trust, adjust one’s play according to the situation, and work on offense and defense. The Volleyball Drill Book is a comprehensive book about the different facets of Volleyball that everyone can benefit from reading.
Volleyball Fundamentals by Joel B. Dearing
Volleyball Fundamentals is an incredible resource for players as they can learn by practicing the numerous tips provided to improve their skills and master different techniques. They do not have to pour over the book for hours to understand what is being said. Volleyball coaches can learn how to teach various aspects of this competitive sport.
Volleyball Coaching Wizards by John Forman
Volleyball Coaching Wizards contains the interview of various coaching experts regarding their experiences and strategies for winning; this inspirational book includes words of wisdom from eight fantastic coaches: Carl McGown, Giovanni Guidetti, Ruth Nelson, Jefferson Williams, Teri Clemens, Garth Pischke, Tom Turco, and Craig Marshall. Reading this book will inspire other coaches and players to use those strategies or come up with new ones based on them.
Coach Your Brains Out! by John Mayor and Billy Allen
The interviews of various Volleyball experts in the Podcast ‘Coach Your Brains Out’ has been compiled and made into a book of the same name. The book makes the readers understand how a player’s mindset should be and has chapters on leadership, too. People can use/implement these techniques in real life and see how they impact their performance.
Conclusion
People may wonder why they have to read books on Volleyball instead of diving into practice. Reading good books expedites the process of learning to play, which is something every Volleyball player wants. In a highly competitive sport like Volleyball, the players need to stand out to survive. Who has a better chance of being recruited into a team – a player who already knows the basic fundamentals of the game or a newbie who has raw talent but nothing else? So people must not be quick to frown at the idea of reading a book. Instead, the players must prepare by learning as much as possible from different books.
All successful players take calculated risks and sometimes act out of instinct. What sets magnetic and incredible players apart is the way they seem to achieve the impossible. They garner the crowd’s attention through their ability to come up with solutions other players will not usually think of.
So whether one is a player or a coach reading books about Volleyball by some of the greatest coaches and players will help one to attain unprecedented success, as they help the players to know how to develop the right mindset to play effectively. They will at least know the hardships faced before having a career breakthrough if nothing else.