My daughter is in 8th grade and has made the team this?

My daughter is in 8th grade and has made the team this?

My daughter is in 8th grade and has made the team this year as she did last. We have a new coach this year who doesn't allow the girls to use their knee pads. What is the purpose of this?   Does it help at all with development of the sport?  It seems sadistic to me and I can't understand how causing the girls pain will help them to "dig" a ball or encourage them to dive for anything. Thank you

Volleyball CoachCoach
ANSWERS
Volleyball CoachCoach

Hi Kelley,I don't know is it right, but my girls knows that they must put on their knee pads when I start a training. What is the purpose of their knee pads if they fall down and injure them self. That isn't corect, what is he doing...

Volleyball CoachCoach

Hi Kelley, While I can not answer for your daughter's coach as I do not know him /her; I believe what the coach is trying to instill in the players is to not be lazy by going to the floor on your knees too early. If you look at photos of the USA Olympic Women team you will find they wear knee pads, you may wish to share that with your daughters coach, unless he thinks his 14 year old girls are better than our international team. Men tend to not wear knee pads at a higher ratio than women; I believe it due to the difference in defensive technique. Men generally dive and slide on their chest and women tend to collapse/sprawl and roll. You did not specify whether it is school or club ball. Try talking to the athletic director or club director and point out safety / liability and at the very least ask for the girls team to have an opt in / opt out choice with respect to the knee pads. Good Luck!!

Volleyball CoachCoach

Hi, knee pads are fundamental to women's volleyball and should be worn at all times regardless of age. If the girls are having issues with going to their knees then technical information on posture and footwork is required. The biggest problem girls of that age have is getting their feet to close together and not using their legs properly, as such what often happens is that they buckle at the knees and swing their arms to try and get the ball to the setter. Some simple drills can cure this. Girls cant dive in the same was as boys for anatomical reasons and so knee pads become vital for defense as they are initally taught to roll. Could go on but wont - bottom line find out from the coach why the knee pads are off and what he/she hopes to achieve by this.

Volleyball CoachCoach

I VOTE FOR PAD KNEES NOT ONLY IN THIS AGE BUT FOR ALL AGES NOT ONLY FOR PROTECTION BUT I THINK IS THE BETTER WAY TO KEEP WARM THEIR KNEES!FOR THE ONE OR SECOND REASON I THINK THAT PAD KNEES ARE USEFUL!I DONT KNOW WHAT THE COACH THINKING!

Volleyball CoachCoach

Hi kelly

Before coaching volleyball I worked at a camp while going to college.I was to teach kids how to dive into the water. If diving is not a natural ack in water then diving on the hard floor is not a natural act. Only tremendously skilled athelets can master floor diving so don't put your daughter through pain by taking her pads away. Girls value their legs and don't want them scared up from banging the floor. You will never get her into a dress,

KELLYCoach, United States of America

I would tell you the reason that I take knee pads away from my players is to teach them not to "plop" down on their knees.  Although knee pads offer some protection from floor burns, they offer little protection to damaging the bone - cartilage - and tendons from just falling on their knees.  I would recommend that you speak with the coach to find out the purpose of this decision - and always support the coaching staff.  I wish your daughter good luck in her volleyball career.

Romeo delos Santos RosalCoach, United States of America

Good Day! i agree with all the answers they gave to you, coaches have their own volleyball principles, what coaches should do is to explain "WHY" or "WHAT" underlies their principles, because girls are always asking WHY? I used to handle the grade school and high school volleyball team, and i encourage my players to wear protective gears which will minimize injuries, since they are starting yet, and one reason is that, its better to prevent injuries than to rehabilitate. Try to talk to the coach mom.

Bob CasselsCoach, United States of America

One of the first things I teach my players is how to go to the floor safely.  With proper technique (rolls, dives) the player's knees (and other non-padded body parts) should never touch the floor.  So I can imagine that this coach is trying to break bad habits that the kids may have.  Of course you don't "break" bad habits, you teach new habits.  And under game pressure, you don't always use proper technique.  So I don't require that my players wear kneepads -- I leave it as an individual decision.

As to what high-level teams do, a quick look at videos for a bunch of teams shows that on most international women's teams, all the players wear kneepads.  Most players on men's teams do not, but some do.

So I'm sympathetic to the coaches' decision -- it sounds like the coach is trying to get the kids to use good floor technique.  But as I said, I would neither require nor disallow kneepads.

Volleyball CoachCoach

If you don't wear kneepads, you can seriously injure your knees - breaking your patella will cause your child to never play again. It's not worth it.

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