Inside Italian Youth Volleyball Development Programs with Alessandro Gobbato

When do children in Italy typically start playing volleyball? Is there a trend towards early specialization in volleyball among Italian youth players, or is multi-sport participation encouraged?

To answer your question, I start with an assumption: children in Italy lack basic motor skills preparation. This is because physical education is not taught by specialists in primary school; it is entrusted to general teachers. In my opinion, this is a serious issue. As a result, children only begin to engage in sports if they decide to enroll in sports schools, particularly football schools, around the ages of 6 or 7.

In Italy, volleyball is the third most practiced sport after football and basketball. Girls tend to start playing volleyball earlier because it is considered more of a female sport in Italy. Boys, on the other hand, usually start around the age of 10 or even later. This delay ensures that there is no early specialization. In many cases, children who come to play volleyball after leaving football or basketball are very well-prepared from a motor skills perspective and have a strong learning ability. This is something I greatly appreciate and find very advantageous.

 How have training methods for youth volleyball players evolved over the past 15 years? Have there been noticeable shifts in how youth athlete development is approached?

They have evolved significantly. I started coaching 20 years ago, and I have witnessed this evolution firsthand. Now, having an analytical approach to training is essential. You need to know exactly what you are going to train, how you are going to train, and when. Programming comes first; it is absolutely fundamental. Coaches are much better prepared now, thanks to the excellent coaching schools in Italy that train and prepare us, especially in teaching techniques.

They have evolved a lot. I started coaching 20 years ago and I’ve really seen this evolution. Now it is essential to have an analytical approach to training. You need to know exactly what you are going to train, how you are going to train and when. Programming comes first. It is absolutely fundamental. The coaches are much better prepared now, thanks to the excellent coaching school s in Italy that prepares and trains us in an excellent way. Especially from the point of view of teaching technique In recent years, we have had a further upgrade, particularly with the arrival of Julio Velasco as the technical director of the youth national teams. He emphasized basing everything on the game, minimizing anything that doesn’t immediately involve the use of the court, the net, and anything not directly related to volleyball. For instance, work in pairs or against the wall is limited to just 10 minutes per workout. Then, we immediately move to the court to train technique during the game. This approach starts from the under-13s level and focuses on practical, game-based training.

How do you strike a balance between player development and competitive success at the youth level?

I can’t find it; it comes naturally! I believe that if you work correctly, the growth of the kids goes hand in hand with success. For me, success also means having taught them how to play volleyball. I love winning and achieving the best possible results, but the most important thing, especially up to the under-17 level, is to teach volleyball to kids, even at the expense of immediate results. If you can do this, I am convinced that you will not only improve yourself but also achieve victories.

Do you expose young players to different play styles (e.g., indoor, beach, international) to broaden their understanding and adaptability within the sport?

Absolutely. The more you play, the better. In the summer, if I’m not with the national youth team, I act as a technical director at camps for some famous clubs. I try to organize the week with both indoor and sand training sessions. This, in addition to perfecting their playing ability, improves their physique and their resistance from an aerobic point of view.

How important is it for youth players to compete against older or more experiences opponents to prepare for the professional level?

It’s very important! Competing against older or more experienced opponents teaches a lot, even just through emulation. Facing challenges from more seasoned players helps youth players learn and adopt advanced techniques. At Vero Volley, we always aim to have our players participate in an additional championship (such as Series D, C, or B) alongside their youth championship. This dual participation prepares them for high-level competition.

What are the coaching standards and educational requirements for youth volleyball coaches in Italy? How does this contribute to player development?

The standard is very high. We are expected to have extensive technical preparation as well as strong educational credentials. In addition to these requirements, our education includes components related to athletic, physiological, and psychological preparation.

We are trained 360°, which greatly contributes to the players’ development. However, coaches also need time to find the right approach to effectively connect with athletes. Especially in recent years, I find that understanding how to approach kids correctly and having strong mental acuity to establish effective communication channels are almost more important than technical skills. Knowing how to get into the player’s mind, in my opinion, the key to successful coaching before focusing on technique.

Are there any youth development initiatives from other countries (Brazil,USA, Poland …) you would like to see also in Italy?

I honestly don’t know of any other development initiatives besides the Italian ones. During the summer break we often host delegations of foreign national teams (Poland, France, Japan, Israel) where there is a nice exchange of opinions on training methods but in the end we always follow our own! However, I won’t hide from you that I would like to work with some foreign club or national team in order to expand and improve my wealth of knowledge.