It is likely that you will have some players that will be harder to get on the court than others. Two points that I have heard from coaches are important here:
“You picked them, you play them”
– Sue Dansie
“A player will never surprise you sitting on the bench”
– Alexis Lebedew.
As junior coaches, we have to give all of our kids fair court time. To do this well it needs to be planned. I think it is important to have every kid at some stage start in the first six.
Using the Ribbon Stats Rotation Sheets you can plan your starting rotation, Plan A, Plan B and the 5th set plan.
In my experience, it is easier to get kids on the court earlier in the set than later in the set. If you start with a weaker player, the set may well be 15-all and you can then take them off. But once the set is 15 all, it may be difficult to get them on the court.
On the Australian Schools Cup commission we have also ensured that the rules governing set and point percentage makes it easier to get your benchies on the court without costing you percentage. Getting these kids on the court is hard, but very important. We do not want parents dividing the $1,000 it cost for their child to attend the ASC by the 10 times their kid touched the ball in the event with a $100/touch result.
If that happens, you may well be that kid’s last volleyball coach.