Posts by Jim Stone
Passing Techniques and Systems- One Size Does Not Fit All
Coaches must guard against automatically mirroring other teams’ or coaches’ techniques and tactics. Many factors should influence how the skills are taught and the systems implemented. The game is different at the collegiate or national team levels compared to a 14-under club team. The men’s game at the international level is a beast unto itself—the…
Read MoreNine Pillars of Designing a Team Defense
Last week I detailed the nine items I value when constructing an offensive system. This week, I will focus on the considerations when constructing my defense. There is more to the defensive game than what is listed. These items provide a foundation and roadmap for developing a better defensive team. When looking at the game…
Read MoreConsiderations for an Effective Offense
Any successful venture will possess core values. Decisions are made, daily activities are designed, and time is allocated based on the pillars deemed the backbone of a company, team, or collective group. All coaches should have core values that impact daily activities and decisions. These values must be visible to all team members with an…
Read MoreChoose Your Leaders With Care
If you want to see countless books on the same subject matter, search for books on leadership. You will see endless titles focusing on the keys to being a good leader; Servant Leadership, The Five Levels of Leadership, The Leadership Secrets of Nick Saban, The Dichotomy of Leadership, Strengths Based Leadership, and on and on.…
Read MoreMy Evolution to Constraint-Led Teaching
Without much effort, I can reflect on my coaching career and create a lengthy list of on-court and off-court mistakes. One of these blunders would manifest daily in how I taught volleyball skills. I was the guy on a box hitting balls at players so they could work on digging skills. Or I was tossing…
Read MoreA Painstaking, But Worthwhile Evaluation Tool
Hall of Fame coach Mike Hebert told me that one of his most valuable tools to develop as a coach was recording video and audio of himself during multiple practices. My first reaction was my fear of what I would see or hear if I tried this self-improvement tactic. I did summon the courage, and…
Read MoreCould the Suzuki Method of Violin Instruction Work in Club Volleyball?
“This method is not education of the violin. It is education by the violin.” — Shinichi Suzuki The late Shinichi Suzuki developed the Suzuki Method of violin instruction that over 400,000 children use worldwide. The goal of Suzuki was not to teach children to be elite violinists. The ultimate goal was to use the learning…
Read MoreThere is Value in Both Internal and External Cues When Teaching
Of the many things that, in retrospect, I wish I had done better in my career is giving more thought to how I provided feedback to players. I knew what behavior I wanted from a player or team, but I was uncertain about transmitting the information in the most impactful fashion. I’m better now because…
Read MoreJim Stone Consulting-New Stuff 12.23.22
Quote for the Week- “Champions behave like champions before they’re champions” — Bill Walsh Blog Post This Week– The post this week is somewhat personal. I list twelve “pillars” I use as a template for my practices. These twelve items are the core of my beliefs about how young players best learn the game. Too often,…
Read MoreA Dozen Pillars for a Productive Practice
As the club season starts, coaches spend significant time in practice sessions. The time spent in practice is the most precious aspect of a season. Every coach should operate their training sessions in a fashion that mirrors their teaching and coaching philosophy, knowledge of the game, how players best learn, the personality of the coach,…
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