Posts Tagged ‘Coaching Volleyball’
Rethinking Serve-Receive Patterns
Former men’s Olympic coach Doug Beal revolutionized serve reception by installing serve-receive patterns using only two passers, Karch Kiraly and Aldis Berzins. Karch and Aldis were exceptional in many ways. They were great athletes, mentally tough, and had exceptional technique. Coach Beal took advantage of those individual abilities and developed a system allowing his best passers to receive the most passing opportunities while simplifying the reception pattern.
Read MoreOctober Newsletter
Quote for the Week: “You can’t solve a problem from the level of thinking that created the problem in the first place. “ ~Albert Einstein
Read MoreJim Stone Consulting September Newsletter
Quote for the Week: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of human freedoms, to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.” ~Victor Frankl What I’m Watching – I watched the Phillies play recently as the MLB season winds down. They did a great piece on Kyle Schwarber, the…
Read MoreTeaching Your Players to Read and React
From early ages, through national team play, the game is being played with increased serve and attack velocities, accelerated blocker movement, and sophisticated offensive and defensive systems. The ability to “read” events becomes more important as the game’s speed accelerates, underscoring the need for improved recognition and anticipation abilities.
Read MoreThe Value of a Serious, Thoughtful Coaching Philosophy
Looking back, I did not realize how unprepared I was for what lay ahead. Despite this relative unpreparedness, I found myself at the University of Wyoming, coaching players who were only a few years younger than me. I’m thankful I was not asked to articulate my coaching philosophy during the job interview. As I began my career, possessing a well-constructed coaching philosophy wasn’t on my radar.
Read MoreControlling the Uncontrollable
Usually, when discussing the factors that might impact winning, the focus becomes a selected metric of importance, such as the number of kills per set or errors per set. These statistical items are undoubtedly significant and do impact winning. However, neither coaches nor players are in total control of on-court success. Here are a few…
Read MoreCore Values and Leadership Are Equally Essential
A true test of one’s philosophy and leadership skills comes when the fire is hot. It’s easy to be a leader during smooth sailing times. However, in times of stress, one needs to implement actions reflective of sound core values. Coaches, by default, are placed in a position where their core values and leadership are tested daily.
Read MoreCan Women’s Volleyball Be Positionless?
We compare the offensive systems that are being used in basketball at the collegiate and professional levels, with the potential crossover to volleyball
Read More“Not Everything That Can Be Counted, Counts”
Observing your team in action can be a powerful way to evaluate progress. It is important to incorporate statistics into the process. Critical thinking is needed to use all the observational and statistical information appropriately.
Read MoreCoaches That I Want to Watch in a Practice Session
I’ve learned the most about the game when observing colleagues in action. I would highly recommend that coaches get out of their gyms and watch respected colleagues run a practice.
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