High Performance Skills and Systems Training
The Peninsula Juniors system of training players in the game of volleyball was developed by head coach, Denise Sheldon, using her 16 years of coaching experience and her experience coaching with the NCVA and USA Volleyball High Performance program. All techniques taught at PJV are focused on the coaching philosophies of current USA Women’s National Team Coach, Hugh McCutcheon. This system focuses on incorporating learning theory to most effectively train athletes, focusing on technique over outcome, increasing ball contacts in practice sessions, consistency of cues used to teach skills, goal setting, monitoring, and assessment, “coopetition” and competitive games, and teaching athletes to learn “deliberate practice” for constant improvement.
In addition, all PJV practice sessions involve an element of game play. Teams may scrimmage other teams or each other, play 2 on 2, 3 on 3 or similar games, wash games, or other variations of volleyball games. Playing the live game of volleyball without consequences like winning or losing in a tournament setting is essential to allow players to learn to love the game of volleyball and improve from every touch of the ball.
Coaches Training
All Peninsula Juniors coaches are selected by the director and approved by the Board of Directors after a thorough application screening and reference check. Coaches must also pass a background check through USA Volleyball every two years. Once employed by PJV, all coaches are enrolled in a multi-year coaching education program. In addition to clinics put on by head coach, Denise Sheldon, coaches are required to follow the USAV CAP curriculum and PCA training.
USA Volleyball Coaching Education Program (CAP)
www.usavolleyball.org
The hallmark of Peninsula Juniors’ coaching education program is USA Volleyball’s Coaching Accreditation Program, or CAP. Coaches achieve the first level of USA Volleyball training by earning their IMPACT certification within their first year of coaching with the club. IMPACT is the minimum level coach education requirement in order to coach a USAV Junior Volleyball Program and stands for Increased Mastery and Professional Application of Coaching Theory.
The USAV CAP Program provides an opportunity for professional preparation and advancement for our coaches. Each year our coaches work with Peninsula Juniors, they earn a progressively higher certification level, from IMPACT to CAP I through CAP III certification. CAP instruction is based on sound principles in the areas of skill development, tactical systems, physical training, motor learning, sports psychology, and administration. Peninsula Juniors is currently the only junior volleyball club in the bay area accrediting the entire coaching staff. All Peninsula Juniors Volleyball Club coaches will be CAP I accredited at the start of the 2011 season.
Positive Coaching Alliance
www.positivecoach.org
In addition, Peninsula Juniors is a member club in good standing with the Positive Coaching Alliance, or PCA. PCA is a local organization out of Stanford University that works to transform youth sports so sports can transform youth. PJV partners with PCA in an effort to help educate our coaches on ways to create a positive, character-building youth sports environment in their experiences with their teams.
Peninsula Juniors enrolls all its coaches in the Double-Goal Coaching workshop series, training coaches to have the first goal of winning, but the second and more-important goal of teaching life lessons through sports. Double-goal coaches develop a positive coaching culture with their teams, honor the game and teach others to honor it as well, help athletes strive for excellence, understand the characteristics of great competitors and know how to train for those characteristics, and give athletes the tools needed to prepare for competition. Most of all, Peninsula Juniors coaches understand how to use positive coaching to teach athletes more effectively and provide a positive experience for every athlete.
