Flexibility

Flexibility training is perhaps the most undervalued component of conditioning. While recent and ongoing debate questions its role in injury prevention, athletes can still gain much from a stretching regime.
From a volleyball spike to a rugby drop kick, flexibility of the body’s muscles and joints play an integral part in many athletic movements.
In general terms, flexibility has been defined as the range of motion about a joint and its surrounding muscles during a passive movement. Passive in this context simple means no active muscle involvement is required to hold the stretch. Instead gravity or a partner provides the force for the stretch.
Developing Resilience to injury: By increasing the joint range of motion, performance may be enhanced and the risk of injury reduced. The rationale for this is that a limb can move further before an injury occurs.

Optimizing performance: along with improving flexibility you develop your balance and focus. All three elements are crucial to sound movement and mechanics and to optimize your performance

Achieving longevity in sport: A lack of ability to bend easily is generally what ages us as athletes, but if we maintain or increase our flexibility, we build foundation that allows us to grow and improve for many seasons to come

Static Stretch

Static stretching often feels good and can be relaxing, but static stretching isn’t always necessary. Only static stretch with a purpose. If you already have adequate flexibility, you are probably wasting your time. In fact, overly lengthened muscles can lead to problems such as muscular imbalances, thrown off muscular firing patterns, and possibly injury.
An increase in flexibility may come at the expense of giving up stability or explosive power necessary for your volleyball performance.
A flexibility deficiency rarely occurs in isolation. Flexibility is usually related to a deficiency in strength and sometimes posture. Tight athletes have been known to significantly improve their flexibility just by participating in a balanced strength training program.

Example:
Sitting Toe Touch
• Purpose:
  To improve flexibility of the hamstrings and low back muscles.
• Starting Position:
  Sit with your torso vertical and legs straight.
• Action:
  Lean forward and grab your toes with your hands. Slightly pull the toes toward your upper body.
• Coaching cues:
  If you can’t reach your toes, you can use a rope to assist the stretch.

Flexibility training should be modified to meet the needs of each volleyball player.
Players need to be specific about their flexibility training goals. While it may seem like a good thing to increase your flexibility, increasing flexibility through static stretching isn't necessarily the best thing.
Because of the nature of their sport, it's generally more appropriate for volleyball players to focus on increasing dynamic flexibility and not so much on static flexibility.


Dynamic Flexibility for Increasing Explosive Power

Dynamic exercises stretch your muscles actively and awaken your nervous system.
The muscle's stretch reflex is activated during dynamic flexibility training. The stretch reflex is an important component of volleyball jump training or plyometrics.
The purpose of plyometrics is basically to quickly stretch a muscle then contract it right away in order to utilize the muscles reflexive response to the stretch.
Dynamic stretches help your neuromuscular system to function more efficiently which results in the better utilization of the stretch reflex.
Dynamic stretching should be done prior to a plyometric workout to warm up your muscles and awaken your nervous system.

Example:
Forward Hand Walks
Hands walks are a great total body dynamic stretch exercise for volleyball.
• Purpose:
  To build stability and mobility at the shoulders while lengthening your hamstrings, calves, and low back muscles.
• Starting Position:
  Stand with your legs straight and your hands on the floor.
• Action:
  While keeping your abs braced and your legs straight, walk your hands out. While still keeping your legs straight, walk your feet taking small steps   back up to your hands.
• Coaching cues:
  When taking steps, you shouldn’t be using your quads or hips. Use your ankles to take small steps back up to your hands.