Tips on coaching a team of 15 8year old girls volleyball

Question
Hi ,  I  have  just started coaching a team  of  15  players (ages 7-8) .  Initially, I was only given  9 kids but at last minute additional  6  was added  to the  team.  There was no time  to apply for 2 team so I am coaching 1 big team  with various player skill levels (5 good; 4 okay; rest not good).  all players must all play/rotate game time.  Is there a tip/trick that you can suggest  (play line up , drills, how to help motivate the not good ones  and motivate the good /ok ones to step up)? I am a little overwhelmed with this  big number of player. Thx.

Answer
Good morning and welcome to www.allexperts.com

The situation you describe to me would make me feel like Davy Crockett seeing Santa Anna's army.  Oh my.  OK, we'll try!  

First, I can't help you much b/c I'm not an elem school teacher; and, so motivating this age isn't my speciality.  I don't know the right words to tell them.  I also don't know if they have the ability to concentrate.  The youngest I've ever had on a team is an 7th grader, and that was a travel team, not a bump-and-giggle middle or elem. team.  So, again, that age group you're coaching is far away from anything I've ever done.  

I do have two recommendations:

a# Do you have assistants?  If so, use them!  Use them continually to break your team into little mini-teams where the girls can learn everything from serving #under and over), forearm passing, setting, 3-step spike approach, etc.  You can even have a conditioning station where they have to climb some bleachers or run a lap around the track.  I recommend that you have 3 or 4 parents, teachers, college women, varsity or JV high school players, etc.  

b) Then keep the kids active, active, active for the entire practice!!  I didn't say physically abuse them!  haha  I imagine this age group has energy, but a short attention span.  So, they need games & drills, and they need to be really busy, then they need to be on their way home.  Is practice an hour long?  If you're an elem. teacher, then incorporate vball into some of the P.E. games the kids do.  If you're not an elem. teacher, then you may be feeling like Davy Crockett:  "How the heck am going to put 15 girls into 4 stations with games for 1 hour?"  

I have a Drill Collection that I sell at www.coachhouser.com, but it's intended for high school and middle school coaches. I don't know if you can adjust the drills for this age group or not.  

I'm sorry that I can't be any more help.  I have no idea how many kids you can play at one time in a game situation, how big the court is, how high the net is, what rule book you play under, etc.  So I'm not any help with lineups, substitutions, etc.  

I think it's kinda funny you asking me how to get a "good" 8 year old to "step up".  You must be accustomed to working with that age group, but I'm not, so the idea of a 3rd grader stepping up is funny to me.  I'm not saying you're wrong. Again, I'm not accustomed to this age group.  

Finally:  Who added the 6 to your team?  Go to love it when administrators add to your workload then walk away saying, "You'll do GREAT!  I can't wait to see your team play."  Yeah, right.  If you're given more than you can handle, how can you do a competent job?  Why doesn't the person who gave you 6 more players come out and help you coach those extra 6?  He thinks it's so easy?

In exchange for all this typing, how about you visit me at www.coachhouser.com.  Starting December 1st, I'll start taking deposits & reservations for site camps for next summer.  Let me know if my staff can do anything for you!

Coach Houser