2008 Camp Descriptions

 

Including custom Team Camps at our facility or yours

and our Beach/Sand Clinic for Adult Men & Women

  

Please email us at info@spikecamps.com to be notified as soon as

we begin accepting 2008 Camp registrations (or visit this site).

 

 

Please pick the right camp and skill level!

 

Please be honest with your personal assessment of your ability when choosing General Skills, Intermediate, or Elite in order for you to get the best experience possible from the camp. If you have any question about which camp is most appropriate, please email us a detailed description of your playing background and include number of years played and for which schools, grades, teams, and clubs. Please also include your opinion of how strong each of the teams was on which you played (compared to other teams in the state) and your opinion on how your skills compare to those of your teammates. We'll send you a quick reply with our recommendation.  We will take into consideration that some schools and clubs are stronger than others.

Note: we have overlap on grades for various sessions.  That is because the skill levels of two athletes who are in the same grade can vary considerably.  These are guidelines, not absolutes.  Please email us if you think you have reason for varying from those guidelines.

It is very difficult to make adjustments after you have been placed in a group due to the number limits we place on each court to ensure the camper-coach ratio we want, but in some rare cases an adjustment may be possible.  Also, in fairness to the other athletes in a specifc camp, if you have accidentally over or under-estimated your ability, we reserve the right to make court and/or camp adjustments that we consider in your best interest and which will match you with athletes closer to your ability.

You will get the best overall experience if you are on a court with campers of comparable ability.  It is up to the coaches to push you to new heights.  If you were on a court where all the other campers were of greater ability, for example, it would be fun for perhaps an hour, but soon be very awkward if you could not keep up with your courtmates.

 

 

General Skills for Beginners is for less experienced athletes who are enthusiastic about developing or improving ALL their skills, setting, hitting, serving, passing, and digging. A great camp for athletes who want excellent coaching and plenty of instruction over two days, but perhaps are not quite ready for the longer and much more intense 3-4 day camps that can be tough on younger bodies.  Campers are divided according to skill level, which alows the entire group to progress at the fastest pace possible.  If there is considerable separation between the most and least skilled camper on a given court, the entire group suffers – the least skilled camper feels miserable and the rest of the campers are at best frustrated.)  Experienced college coaches will move the campers on their court along at a quick pace, pushing them with progressively dificult drills and game-like situations.

Open to all skill levels of athletes entering grades 5-10.  Athletes will be divided by skill level.

 

 

INTERMEDIATE SETTING and Ball Control is for experienced setters who are committed to becoming the best well-rounded, multi-skilled, setters and ball control experts necessary to be successful in today’s game.  Experienced coaches (college setting coaches and/or Head coaches) begin instruction with the fundamentals, but move quickly to teaching progressively more difficult combination patterns.  Campers then move to combined training sessions where they respond to multiple skill, multiple contact progressions along with setting strategy.  The objective is to develop setters with the physical skills and mental attitude to think like setters—an essential quality for success.  We believe it takes much more than just good hands to be a top setter.  Feedback from previous campers (but usually their Moms) is that in addition to having better skills, the most noticable difference is "how they take control of the court."  That is the #1 thing coaches want. Campers will be divided by skill level, and instruction will be adjusted for the skill level on each court.

Open to athletes entering grades 8-12. This is NOT a beginners camp.

 

 

ELITE SETTING and Ball Control is for setters who are already starting varsity athletes and have the potential to play in college should they so choose (different degree programs may affect that decision).  Experienced coaches (college setting coaches and/or Head coaches) will move quickly to teaching more difficult combination patterns.  Campers then move to combined training sessions where they respond to multiple skill, multiple contact progressions along with setting strategy.  The objective is to develop setters with the physical skills and mental attitude to think like setters—an essential quality for success.  We believe it takes much more than just good hands to be a top setter.  Feedback from previous campers (but usually their Moms) is that in addition to having better skills, the most noticable difference is "how they take control of the court."  That is the #1 thing coaches want.

Open to athletes that compete at a high level of volleyball. MINIMUM requirements are that athletes have started on their varsity AND have played AT LEAST 4 years of high level competitive club volleyball.

 

 

INTERMEDIATE HITTER and Ball Control is for experienced hitters who want to take their game to the next level.  They must be committed to becoming the best well-rounded, multi-skilled, hitters and ball control experts necessary to be successful in today’s game.  Experienced coaches (college hitting coaches and/or Head coaches) begin instruction reviewing the fundamentals of hitting (even National Team hitters work on fundamentals) including proper footwork and arm swing mechanics, shot selection, and ball control, and move to more difficult small group combined training sessions where the campers respond to multiple skill, multiple contact pass-set-hit and dig-set-hit progressions along with hitting strategy. Campers will be divided by skill level.

Open to athletes entering grades 8-12. This is NOT a beginners camp.

 

 

 

ELITE HITTER and Ball Control is for hitters are already starting varsity athletes and have the potential to play in college should they so choose (different degree programs may affect that decision).  Experienced coaches (college hitting coaches and/or Head coaches) begin instruction reviewing the fundamentals of hitting (even National Team hitters work on fundamentals) including proper footwork and arm swing mechanics, shot selection, and ball control, but move quickly to more difficult small group combined training sessions where the campers respond to multiple skill, multiple contact pass-set-hit and dig-set-hit progressions along with hitting strategy.

Open to athletes that compete at a high level of volleyball. MINIMUM requirements are that athletes have started on their varsity AND have played AT LEAST 4 years of high level competitive club volleyball.

 

 

 

 

Libero/Defensive Specialist is for experienced Libero/defensive specialists who want to take their game to the next level.  They must be committed to becoming the best well-rounded, multi-skilled ball control experts necessary to be successful in today’s game.  Experienced coaches (college defensive skills coaches, Head coaches, or former professional players) teach all components necessary to become a top defensive player (physical skills, reading the setter and hitter, and attitude).

Open to athletes entering grades 8-12. This is NOT a beginners camp.

 

 

Team Camps - Custom Designed for YOUR Team

We can do a custom camp for you at our facility or yours. Please email us at info@spikecamps.com for information.  Please include information about your program and needs to give us a starting point. There are limited time slots available. We can do a camp anywhere in the country.  

 

Why do we say Setter/Hitter “and BALL CONTROL”?

It sounds unusual, but our goal is to make you the most complete volleyball player possible.  Since every hit or set is the result of some type of ball control action by a teammate, if you are a hitter, pounding balls that are tossed to you six hours a day is only going to make you good at pounding balls tossed to you.  The same goes for setting.  If you think about it, how often is your coach on the court during a game giving you perfect tosses to hit or set?  NEVER!  That is why the best ‘warm-up’ teams rarely win tournaments.  They don’t practice enough realistic game-like situations.  You might say their practices only consist of warm-up drills.

 

That is why our coaches not only teach you the basic techniques, but spend considerable time teaching you to set or hit as you would experience in game situations.  Plus, today’s setters and hitters must be excellent defensive players as well.

 

If you want more playing time, you must have all the skills necessary to stay on the court.  Elite hitters are often elite passers and diggers.

 

Beach/Sand Clinic for Adult Men & Women

Two day clinic May 17th & 18th, 2008 at Drac's Pub in Inver Grove Heights, MN. The best coaches in the area will help you fine tune your game for "Success in the Sand."

Click here for downloadable flyer and registration form

We are sorry, but online registration is NOT available for the

Beach/Sand clinic.