Healthy tips for youth athletes returning to the volleyball court

Autumn is upon us which means the start of the indoor volleyball season for many youth athletes in the coming weeks. As players return to the courts with their high school and club teams, it’s crucial to stay on top of physical training, nutrition, and healthy habits to help prepare the body for the season ahead.

We asked Ian Perry, Director of Performance with Capital Strength Training Systems, to break down some key tips for athletes to be mindful of when taking care of their health for the upcoming volleyball season.

1. Prioritize your nutrition and hydration

Athletes need to make sure they are taking in an appropriate amount of calories for their height, weight, and activity level. Prioritizing a protein-rich diet with adequate carbohydrates and fat provides cognitive and physical benefits leading to better performance. Staying hydrated is also key and even the slightest bit of dehydration can negatively impact performance. Carry a water bottle with you and keep it filled everywhere you go.

If athletes constantly feel tired, sore, or find their performance diminishing through a tournament weekend – these are signs that they might need to focus on improving their nutrition and hydration strategies. Fuel like an athlete!

2. Optimize sleep

Optimizing one’s health, performance, and recovery strategies also means optimizing your sleep routine. Sleep is the best recovery tool that athletes have at their disposal which they can directly influence and enhance. Aim to sleep 7-9 hours a night. Focus on keeping to a set sleeping and waking schedule that is consistent throughout the week. As sleep hygiene improves, athletes will quickly see the benefits to their performance, motor control, reaction time, recoverability, and overall mood.

3. Manage your injuries properly

Athletes should always be sure to report injuries to their volleyball coaches and strength coaches. Training plans, both on the court and in the weight room, can be modified to accommodate any nagging issues or injuries. If athletes are honest and communicative about their injury, they can find ways to continue working on improving their strength and skills without fear of falling behind.

Referring out to a clinician (e.g. physiotherapist, massage therapist) is also a useful resource to help stay on top of injury management. Remember that allowing even small problems to persist can turn into more chronic and serious problems down the line.

4. Maintain a strength training regime

While many athletes participate in indoor summer programs and beach volleyball, off-season strength training is a key piece of dictating success and the ability to reduce injury risk during the year. Landing stress from jumping, repetitive arm swinging, and rapid change of direction on the court all contribute to wearing down a volleyball athlete’s body. Commitment to strength training helps athletes withstand and tolerate the repetitive physical stresses that the indoor club season can bring.

As athletes start on-court practices in the coming weeks, they should remember to stay on top of their strength training to support their body through a long season. The more resilient an athlete makes their body to the physical demands of volleyball, the more available they will be as a high performing and contributing athlete year-round.