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I loved the timeout format for international matches. You have thirty seconds for the players to get a drink, for the coach to make a quick comment, then the troops return to the competitive fray. In this country, the length of timeouts will vary, but certainly more than 30 seconds. In some televised matches, the…
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If coaches had their salary tied to the number of decisions made daily, everyone could retire early. Some decisions are easy (or easier), and others are painfully difficult. The sheer number of decisions is, at times, staggering to the point that we tend to make decisions quickly so we can press on to the next…
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I don’t consider myself a fan of the NBA, but I enjoyed watching the recently completed playoffs. The NBA is moving in a different and more exciting direction with how the game is played. The offensive systems of basketball are evolving at the highest level and are already impacting the younger players and teams. For…
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In 1981, the USA Men’s National Team was the 19th-ranked team in the world. In three short years, this team would represent the USA in the Los Angeles Olympics. In his book, “If Gold is Our Destiny,” author Sean Murray chronicles how the USA Men’s Volleyball team went from international “also-rans” to Olympic Gold Medal…
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I am developing an affinity for baseball. Other than the normal Little League play growing up, I’ve never followed the game too closely. This newfound interest is the direct result of listening to the baseball announcers analyze the strategies, offer insights, and make predictions about the events on the field. Their expertise allows a novice…
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I don’t believe any coach intentionally coaches with full knowledge that their methods might be inefficient or may not lead to quality learning and consistent improvement on the part of the athletes. Although their heart may be in the right place, it is not unusual for coaches to operate under false assumptions that will negatively…
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In recent years, the mental health of athletes has been in the limelight. Gymnast Simone Biles, tennis player Naomi Osaka, swimmer Michael Phelps and countless other athletes have exhibited tremendous leadership in expressing concern about this aspect of athlete development and performance. Athletes and coaches are on the front lines of dealing with stress and…
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New Stuff This Week JS Consulting Blog Post – This week, we focus on teaching forearm passing and some thoughts as to how we might make some changes that will positively impact performance. The velocity of the serve and attack is putting a lot of pressure on the passers. Some changes in technique might be in order. READ MORE…
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I spent much of my early coaching days preaching to my athletes to be stopped when passing or defending. As with many of my earlier coaching cues, I’ve reshaped what I value in both serve-receive and defense. In recent years, the increased velocity of the serve and attack places a lot of pressure on the…
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New Stuff This Week Quote of the Week – “Our level of improvement often has much less to do with our innate limits than with what we consider an acceptable level of performance.” ~Bill Stainton, 29-time Emmy Award Winner Blog Post This Week: One of the things that drive me crazy is when coaching is the off-speed…
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