"5 on 5 Dig or Die"
Tip by Sue Bavone in Cheshire, CT.
My team absolutely loves this drill, and it brings out their competitive sides (and actually can get heated at times)! It also forces them to communicate because they are short a player, and the pace is fast.
-Make teams of 5 and let the kids determine how they want to set up their positions. Also, let them pick a team name (they love this)!
-Use a whiteboard to record each team's scores.
-Each round consists of 20 balls alternated by a coach on each side. They should be entered at a FAST pace!
-Scoring is regular rally scoring, and at the end of the 20 balls, each team keeps their points. (Record their point total on the whiteboard.)
-Any time a player on either side doesn't go hard for a ball, their team loses all their points that are not "in the bank." But they can earn more points as long as there are balls left in the round.
-Play mini-games (each game starts 0-0) in any way you want. We do it as a round-robin tournament format. Some will play winners and losers. Some play for time. It's up to you.
-The team with the most points wins! You can determine what that is prior to playing.
The focus of this drill is to go hard for every ball! A tip is to have coaches determine whether or not a team loses points. This usually causes the most controversy but also the most competitiveness! The pace is important because it forces them to talk and move constantly!