Posts by Jim Stone
Do It the Mac Jones Way
I read an article in the Wall Street Journal today about the preponderance of cheating in American school systems. Texas A&M University had a 50% increase in cheating allegations in the fall from a year earlier. A university official said one incident involving 193 students self-reporting academic misconduct to receive lighter punishment after faculty members…
Read MoreObservations from the NCAA Championships
I guess this is a better late than never piece about the recently completed NCAA Women’s Division 1 Volleyball Championships. I wish to extend a sincere tip of the hat to all the coaches and players that were in the Omaha “bubble.” I’m confident that the challenges were numerous. The biggest challenge might have been…
Read MoreAdd “Juice” to Team Meetings
Supposedly the youth of the country have shrinking attention spans. At least, that is what we are led to believe. The Associated Press came out with a statistic stating that the average attention span in 1998 was twelve minutes. Unfortunately, that figure shrunk to five minutes in 2008. How they arrived at this figure is…
Read MorePutting Deliberate Practice into Action
In recent years the term “Growth Mindset” was the new doctrine you couldn’t escape. I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. A growth mindset is a very positive attribute worthy of pursuit. However, there is a difference between being able to define a growth mindset and putting this positive mindset into action. I only…
Read MoreWhat’s More Important, Positive Personality or Expertise?
Should I feel clueless to American pop culture if I admit that I’ve never seen NBC’s The Voice before? My research staff (myself) has indicated the show has been on the scene for 20 seasons. Have I missed anything? The show came on my radar as I read a recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.…
Read MoreWhat’s With All the Tipping?
Like most in the volleyball community, my watching of collegiate matches is restricted to my television or computer. I want to be measured with my comments because I’m not in the gym during games, and I’m most definitely not in the practice facility daily. This spring season is not one without multiple obstacles. The practice…
Read MoreMoneyball vs. Betterball
Given the circumstances of the past year, attending a baseball game has not been an option. So instead of watching baseball, I’ve been reading about baseball. Although other sports are gaining, baseball is still the most analyzed game around. Basketball and football are also joining the sabermetric revolution; however, both sports pale compared to baseball’s…
Read MoreSometimes It’s Best to Do Nothing
In soccer, when executing a penalty kick, the ball is placed eleven meters from the goal line and centered on the goal. The goalie must stay on the goal line but may move left or right to defend the goal. There are no other defenders in the goal area. A penalty kick is the ultimate…
Read MoreYour Players See Less Than You Think
How often during a match when an attacker hits an off-speed shot that drops to the floor in front of a stunned defender does the coach mutter, “how did she not see that?” I find myself groaning those words (with various expletives attached) on a daily basis. Perhaps, I might need to re-think what I am…
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