Volleyball training for kids: Teaching the fundamentals of passing

Passing is super important in volleyball, especially for kids aged 4-10! It’s one of the most critical skills needed to play the game.

Let’s break this skill down and go over some key teaching points!

First off, passing is all about getting the ball to your teammates accurately and consistently. This might be a little difficult at first, but kids will get the hang of it with practice.

In every training session, make sure you focus on individual passing. Have players move around while passing and try to improve their consistency so they can get the ball to their teammate the same way every time.

Passing is essential for keeping the ball in play, especially when your opponent is serving. You want to pass the ball high enough for your team to make awesome attacks!

To improve at passing, kids need to work on:

• Hand-eye coordination
• Footwork
• Body position

Start your players with easy drills using a tennis ball or a small pink ball, then progress to a regulation volleyball or a Baden Softlight that is explicitly designed for kids.

When passing, a player’s arms should be flat, and their wrists, thumbs, and hands must all be together. Emphasize these three points:

• Hold your arms slightly away from your chest
• Bend your knees
• Keep your shoulders over your front foot

After passing the ball, players should follow through by extending their arms forward and toward the target. Remind them to hold their position for a picture-perfect finish!

As kids practice, they’ll learn to use different passing techniques – like passing from the front court or the backcourt or receiving a serve or a free ball.

Parents, you can help too! Practice these passing drills at home with your kids to help them improve and become more consistent in their training sessions and competitions.

For a short overview on what to emphasize when teaching young players to pass, watch the video above.

For comprehensive courses on teaching volleyball to kids aged 4-11, check out Ruth Nelson’s BYOP® 101 Home Training Program Series™ Online Courses and Bring Your Own Parent 101 (BYOP®) for the four fundamental skills, available on the Art of Coaching Volleyball website.

Ruth Nelson is a former USA Team player, teacher, and coach at the collegiate, national, and professional levels. For the past 23 years, she has focused on and created innovative programs for ages 10 and under that engage parents alongside their children in training (Bring Your Own Parent Program – BYOP®) as well as the GoKids Youth Sports™ Certification program and the 24/7 Virtual RNN Sports Gym™.