The University Camps are four- or five-day camps for athletes playing volleyball at their university, or preparing to play university volleyball. The two camps, the University Development Camp and the University Performance Camp, provide an opportunity for athletes to prepare for the coming season in the company of other university athletes from around the country who know that a summer-long absence from training requires dedicated groundwork in order to start the season in competitive form.
The courses follow two curriculums, the development syllabus to prepare players for BUCS competition and the performance syllabus for current BUCS athletes looking to push themselves to compete at the top level of university volleyball. The development camp places a greater emphasis on technical refinement, efficiency of movement, ball control, and building confidence within core volleyball skills. It is particularly beneficial to athletes playing in the lower tier of BUCS competition or those attending schools which have a higher tier BUCS team for which they want to be trialled. The performance camp, which will benefit athletes at high tier BUCS schools, focuses more heavily on maximising competitive performance through advanced tactical systems, faster gameplay, decision-making under pressure, and higher-level skill execution. The performance camp is split into a male and female group and takes place over five days as opposed to the development camp, a mixed group taking place over four days. Both camps feature off-court activities such as biomechanical measurements, strength and conditioning, and sports psychology seminars.
Who it’s for: Athletes who have been away from the court, possibly for an extended period, and need to prepare for the forthcoming university season. It will also introduce athletes preparing to attend university to interscholastic volleyball at British universities.
VbDC’s message to the athlete: You want to either begin playing club or BUCS volleyball in your first year of university or to return to the university season in ready form, primed to either try out for selection to a higher level team or to secure a place in the starting six of your BUCS team. You are aware that pre-season preparation is an important part of the self-discipline that must be applied to the recreational activities in your life and you want to balance them with your academic pursuits and the demands of your course of study. At the same time you want to enjoy the social companionship of volleyball athletes from your and other UK universities.
Average age: 17-24 up
Athlete information: Registration requires information about your playing history and competitive experience.
