3 Reasons Why Volleyball Players Need Strength and Conditioning

February 8, 2018

January 29, 2018
By Alexander Ketrzynski

The article, “3 Reasons Why Volleyball Players Need Strength and Conditioning,” is written by BridgeAthletic and appears on the website, Junior Volleyball Association. It provides three broad reasons for strength training and conditioning, along with a link that includes more detailed descriptions of a strength and conditioning program.

The article lists “Injury Prevention and Flexibility” as its third justification for following a strength and conditioning program, and it is this aspect that has been a revelation to me recently. This section of the article points out the high-impact nature of volleyball, the frequency of overuse injuries, and the necessity for “balanced strength and flexibility.”

In my own playing career, my own aims for off-court training were simply to jump higher and hit harder. I paid for my narrow focus by sustaining far too numerous injuries caused by too many improper landings and by severe overuse. This also resulted in the premature end of my international career, and, eventually, in total knee replacement during my later years. I’m also witness to too many overuse injuries, and injuries caused by unbalanced strength and flexibility in the players I help coach. Furthermore, I’ve also observed the comprehensive nature of the professional off-court training sessions my own sons are engaged in. Their training addresses all of the concerns discussed in this article, and I can see how their training helps to minimize their injuries, and enables them to enjoy our sport for many years to come.

To investigate volleyball-specific strength and conditioning training further please read the full article and its link here.

I wish you all a lifetime of volleyball enjoyment.

Alexander Ketrzynski is currently an assistant coach with the Pakmen 17U Boys’ Volleyball Team, and father of three sons who are also passionate about the game.
He was a member of the 1984 Canadian Olympic Men’s Volleyball Team.