Cool-down and stretch

A cool-down that does not fall apart: the team jogs it out in two lines, comes together at the benches for some easy stretching and finishes in a circle. The structure is mostly there to stop the last ten minutes of your practice turning into a mess.

12 players 6 phases ± 10 min 2 benches All ages

Phase 1 of 6The team jogs it out in two lines across the court

The whole team Equipment Ball

This animation comes straight out of the Koach app. In the app you play it at your own pace and the positions carry your players' real names.

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How the drill runs

What you are training

Cool-down: the team gathers in two neat lines by the benches and does easy stretching exercises.

Bringing the heart rate down gradually instead of stopping abruptly.
Easy stretching of whatever volleyball loads the hardest: calves, hamstrings, hips and shoulders.
Closing the practice together, so everyone knows what happened.

Coaching points

Jog it out first, stretch afterwards.

Stretching muscles that have only just stopped and are cooling down does very little and feels unpleasant. Two to three minutes of easy jogging is the condition for it, not the filler.

Hold every stretch for thirty seconds, without bouncing.

Bouncing triggers exactly the reflex you are trying to relax. Holding still on a stretch that pulls but does not hurt is what you are after.

Lunges and hip rotations belong in the moving part, not in the still part.

Volleyball loads the hips one-sidedly through all that jumping forward and up. Dynamic hip work belongs in the jogging section; the static stretching comes after it.

Finish in a circle and keep it short.

Two minutes, one thing that went well and one point for next week. Let the cool-down run on into a sermon and next time you will see players slipping off to the locker room early.

Variations

Easier: Just the jog and three standing stretches, no benches. For young age groups five minutes is enough.
Harder: Add a short mobility round for shoulders and ankles, with an elastic band or against the wall. Especially worthwhile after a practice with a lot of jumping or serving.
With six players: One bench and a half circle. Let the players take turns picking a stretch and demonstrating it; that way they actually remember a few.
As a game: The two lines take turns walking a lap; the line that is first to stand at the bench complete and quiet picks the first stretch. Any more competition than that does not belong here — the point is for the heart rate to come down.

Volleyball drills

4 players · 6 phases SafeVolley base round Warm-up 3 players · 5 phases Shoulder activation with band Warm-up 2 players · 6 phases Dynamic movement patterns Warm-up 5 players · 5 phases Core plank with rotation Warm-up

Read on in the knowledge base: cool-down and recovery after practice and matches · how much load young players can handle · a practice from preparation to evaluation