Coaching
The Playbook of an Olympic Champion
“It seems that all true things must change and only that which changes remain true.” -Carl Ljung A recent Wall Street Journal article focused on the Gold Medal speed skating performances of Nils van der Poel. You’ve probably have never heard of Nils van der Poel. I hadn’t until a few days ago. Doing a…
Read MoreJoe Rogan, Spotify and Coaching Volleyball?
I guess that Joe Rogan offering opinions or listening to others offer their opinions does not sit well with some contributors to Spotify. Rogan hosts an opinion-based and a pretty popular podcast on Spotify (12 million listeners to each show). Rogan’s opinions, or those of his guests, did not sit well with singer Neil Young.…
Read MoreChange is Good….You Go First!
I was driving past a local business, and the sign out front said, “Change is good….you go first.” I wonder if numbers, data, and studies restrict our approach to the game at the expense of creativity and the ability to change from the script of accepted methods? There are a lot of game or practice…
Read MoreManaging Your Posture to Pass the Low Ball
Have you noticed that many club players wear their knee pads on their shins? I haven’t quite figured that one out because going to one or both knees is essential to expand both players’ range and ball control. Having the knee pads actually protecting the knees might be a good idea? I used to be…
Read MoreAthletes Need Their Coach
By no means would I consider myself a fan of figure skating. However, I am a fan of any sport that demonstrates athleticism, grace, and dedication to excellence. Recently, I watched a video of 15-year old figure skater Kamila Valieva. She displayed a remarkable skating performance that had the announcers gushing, “I’m speechless,” and established…
Read MoreWhat Volleyball Coaches Can Learn from Steph Curry
In a previous post titled Moneyball vs. Betterball, the idea of using statistics to improve skills instead of solely measuring outcomes is presented. In the post, I pointed out how the University of Virginia used the Noah Tracking System to provide feedback to the players as they worked on their shooting accuracy. A recent WSJ…
Read MoreMandatory Ongoing Certification for Club Coaches?
Club volleyball coaches significantly impact the volleyball futures of thousands of aspiring athletes. Like most professional endeavors, the quality of coaching depends on the training and preparation the coach receives. If a coach is prepared for success, the results will usually be positive. I read a recently concluded study with compelling conclusions about the effectiveness…
Read MoreIdeas to Help Players Handle Errors
A unique trait of good players is the ability to handle mistakes better than bad players. All players will make errors; however, the error by the better player, generally, will not negatively impact the next contact. Errors are an aspect of the game that is unavoidable for players of all levels. Skilled players make fewer…
Read MoreSkill Wins Out, Regardless of the Sport
“We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training” ~Greek poet Archilochu Having played a little high school tennis, I know enough about the game to be interested in a good match and appreciate the quality of play. In the recent US Open tournament, I was engrossed…
Read MoreThere Are Over Seventy Learning Styles, What is the Coach to Do?
Learning styles do exist, and they all have the potential to be effective. Unfortunately, there is no documentation of a singular “best” learning style or teaching style that is guaranteed to help all athletes. I’ve heard many athletes tell me that they are “visual” learners. The fact is that the athlete might enjoy learning visually,…
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