11-13 Ball Striking- Wall Ball

Why Does Anyone Stay With The Challenge? It's having a dream of what you might do or become with yourself, and inching forward each day toward the realization of that dream.
-Herb Brooks

Today's Ball Striking session was all about wall ball.  If you want to be a good player the wall is your best friend.  It will reward you if you hit the ball right and give it right back to you.  It will remind you that you can do better when you miss hit it by making you move to chase the ball.  It gives constant and consistent feed back. 

I gave the girls a number of challenges using the wall:
1) Inside of the foot volley, let the ball bounce, volley . . . ect how many times can you hit it?
2) Same exercise with laces.  I also challenge them to do left foot only, right foot only, and alternating feet.
3) Take the bounce out.  How many times can you juggle the ball off the wall with no bounce?
4) Add a partner in and alternate.
5) Inside of the foot passes 2 touches- Can you hit the same spot each time?
6) One touch passing- How many can you get in a row? Left foot only, right foot only, alternating.

All of this sounds easy but it is actually very tough because you need every touch to be the same.  Players will find that they are not consistent with the form on every single touch and the wall is a great way to develop that consistency so when you get in a game you will be confident with every touch.