7 Tips to Getting Back into Volleyball
A Player’s Guide After a Long Break

After a long hiatus from volleyball, whether due to the pandemic, injury, or a personal break, getting back into the game can be both exciting and challenging. While it’s tempting to dive right in, taking a strategic approach to your return will help you avoid injury and regain your skills effectively. Here are seven expanded tips to help you make the most of your transition back to the court.

1. Set Realistic Goals

Establishing goals is key to getting back on track. Your goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). Whether it's improving your vertical jump, working on your serve accuracy, or rebuilding stamina, goal-setting will keep you motivated and allow you to track your progress. 

Tip: Write down both short-term (e.g., regaining muscle memory) and long-term goals (e.g., competing in a local tournament). This will help hold you accountable.

Example: Set a goal to hit 100 serves without errors by the end of your first month back.

2. Start Slowly and Gradually Build Intensity

Jumping right back into high-intensity training can lead to injuries such as muscle strains, joint pain, or even burnout. Begin with light conditioning exercises that improve your endurance and flexibility, like jogging or cycling. Integrate low-impact drills that ease your body into the demands of volleyball, like setting against a wall or pepper drills with a partner.

Tip: Start with two or three workouts per week and progressively increase the intensity and frequency. Gradually work up to your desired level of performance.

3. Revisit the Fundamentals

Even if you’ve been playing volleyball for years, brushing up on the fundamentals is essential after a long break. Start by focusing on basic skills like passing, setting, serving, and hitting. Perfecting these skills in a controlled environment will help refresh your muscle memory before advancing to complex game scenarios.

Drill Recommendation: Spend 20 minutes practicing your footwork and hand positioning to ensure you’re hitting the basics correctly. Gradually incorporate more dynamic drills as your form solidifies.

4. Stay Active on Rest Days

On your days off from structured training, keep your body moving. Light activities like walking, yoga, or swimming can help maintain your cardiovascular fitness and flexibility while allowing your body to recover from more intense workouts. Active recovery helps reduce soreness, improve mobility, and keep you from becoming sedentary.

Tip: Incorporate dynamic stretches or foam rolling to keep your muscles loose and improve blood flow, which aids in recovery and prepares your body for the next training session.

5. Follow a Consistent Schedule

Consistency is crucial when getting back into any sport. Create a training schedule that balances your workouts, practices, rest days, and other commitments. This approach helps rebuild your muscle memory, improve endurance, and restore overall volleyball fitness. Stick to a routine that includes not only physical training but also mental preparation (visualization and tactics review).

Tip: Use a weekly planner or app to schedule your workouts, skill sessions, and recovery days. This helps ensure that you don’t overtrain while staying on track with your goals.

Volleyball is a physically demanding sport that requires flexibility, especially in your shoulders, legs, and back. After a long break, it’s easy to overlook how stiff your body can become. Incorporate dynamic stretches before workouts and static stretches afterward. Regular stretching can prevent injury, improve mobility, and enhance your performance on the court.

Key Areas to Stretch: Focus on your calves, hamstrings, quads, and shoulders—all heavily utilized muscle groups in volleyball.

Tip: Spend 10-15 minutes after each session focusing on flexibility work. Incorporating yoga can also be an excellent way to maintain flexibility and build core strength.

7. Reconnect with a Team or Coach

Training alone can only take you so far. Joining a team or working with a coach can help you regain your competitive edge and fine-tune your skills. Coaches can provide personalized feedback and training advice, while teammates help create a supportive, motivating environment. Additionally, scrimmaging with others helps sharpen your court awareness and communication skills.

Tip: If you’re not yet ready for league play, consider attending local open gyms, volleyball clinics, or community drop-in sessions. These environments offer lower-pressure settings to get your game back.

Bonus Tips

• Fuel Your Body Properly: Pay attention to your nutrition and hydration to support recovery and performance. Make sure you're getting enough protein to rebuild muscles and plenty of water to stay hydrated.
• Mental Preparation: Volleyball is as much a mental game as a physical one. Use visualization techniques to mentally rehearse your movements and build confidence before stepping back onto the court.

Getting back into volleyball after a break requires a thoughtful, steady approach. By setting realistic goals, pacing yourself, revisiting the basics, staying active, and sticking to a schedule, you’ll be on your way to regaining your form. Be patient with yourself and enjoy the process—soon enough, you’ll be spiking and diving with confidence again.

Coach Luc Tremblay is the Founder and Head Coach of Volleyball Winnipeg. Luc has been coaching volleyball for 30+ years with athletes of all age classes and all abilities. He has developed most of the training techniques used by VISION coaches and is responsible for the coach development program at Volleyball Winnipeg. For more details on our Coach Resources, click here.
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