EYEWORK DRILLS 103: Blocking & Back Row Progressions | Training Defensive Players w/Tama Miyashiro

Athletes playing defense need to be able to strategically track the opponent’s offensive attack. In the third of three drill demonstrations on the topic, Tama Miyashiro, former Assistant Coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team, guides coaches through the blocking and back row 6v6 progressions to emphasize eyework. Miyashiro emphasizes the importance of helping athletes become aware of and eliminate extraneous movements in tracking the ball, which usually occur as rallies extend. Miyashiro also demonstrates how to progressively add new focuses for the drill/game to increase the challenge of tracking the ball. Instructions to give athletes to start the drill and how to provide useful feedback during the drill are demonstrated with its execution. 0:00 – Introduction 0:30 – Drill Overview: 6v6 Block Progression 1:18 – Purpose of the Blocking Progression 2:30 – Court Setup and Player Responsibilities 3:40 – How the Drill Progression Works 5:00 – Live Drill Demonstration 6:40 – Key Blocking and Defensive Focus 8:05 – Common Errors and Coaching Adjustments 9:25 – Applying the Progression to Match Play 10:50 – Key Takeaways for Coaches