| Sports
Highlights Improve your volleyball
game
Special to The Monitor
CEDAR CREEK LAKE–With school starting soon, and sports well
underway in the area, many people are looking to be healthier,
more active and involved in sports.
Students are getting into sports at school, parents and older
people are becoming more health-conscious and outdoor activities
are still a regular pastime.
If volleyball is your game, there are some simple steps you can
take to improve your game.
Volleyball is very fast-paced, and requires plenty of physical
and mental fitness.
Agility, quickness, endurance, jumping ability and timing are
all needed to be successful.
And like most sports, the more you practice, the better you
become.
Develop the ability to cover a large area of ground in a very
short time.
Speed and agility are crucial in a volleyball player. Also, the
ability to start moving quickly and stop quickly are important
as well.
You must have the ability to jump high to block and keep balls
off the ground. This takes quick reflexes and alert eyes.
Training that involves bounding and jumping exercises develops
power and vertical leaping skills.
Speed and agility training, such as sprints or footwork ladders,
will increase your ability to move quickly around the volleyball
court.
Stay focused on one aspect of your game during practice
sessions.
Instead of spending a little time on everything, spend more time
on one thing.
For example, begin a spiking practice by spiking the ball from
your hand to get used to the contact and technique. Progress the
session by throwing the ball in the air to yourself and spiking
over a volleyball net.
Finish the session by spiking balls set to you by a teammate,
and increase the difficulty by adding an opposing blocker.
Learn the technical aspects of the game. Learn when to be
aggressive and send the ball over the net, and when it is better
to set up a better-placed teammate.
Defensive volleyball skills are also maximized when you are
aware of the opposition’s possible strategy.
Recognize when a team is running out of touches and position
yourself for a block at the volleyball net if an opposition
player is ready to set up a teammate.
It helps to work with a good coach, one who has a thorough
knowledge of the game, and has taught people before.
If a coach isn’t available, watch professional volleyball, take
notes and learn from them.
Learn drills and repeat them. Repetition is key to train your
body how to react in different situations.
And don’t forget to stretch prior to working out, or playing. It
will help prevent injury, and help you perform at your best.
Eustace’s junior varsity volleyball
tournament draws schools from all over
Monitor Photos/Sam Epps
ABOVE: Eustace Lady Bulldog Karli Gallops (right) returns a
serve, as Breanna Fuller (5) is ready to back her up at the
Eustace junior varsity volleyball tournament last week. BELOW:
Breanna Davis narrowly misses a return. Results of the
tournament were not available at presstime.
Texas parks seek public input
on recreation plan
Special to the Monitor
AUSTIN – What do citizens think of the park systems in Texas?
What kinds of outdoor recreational opportunities do they want?
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is seeking input from
local stakeholders about the future of park systems in the
state.
“We want to know more about Texans’ recreational habits, what’s
working and areas where we could improve,” TPWD Recreation
Grants Program Manager Dana Lagarde said.
“Citizen input is vital in our development of the Texas Outdoor
Recreation Plan (TORP) for 2012-2017,” Lagarde added.
Lagarde said survey results will help TPWD identify outdoor
recreation needs and guide funding opportunities through the
federal Land & Water Conservation Fund and other grant programs.
Examples of activities to consider for local parks include
nature trails, splash pads and ball fields. State parks such as
Government Canyon and Garner have been able to add acreage
thanks to public needs assessments like the TORP.
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