Posts Tagged ‘Volleyball’
Build Routines, Then Build Habits
Habits are automatic behaviors initiated with little thought. Good habits can serve a player well by facilitating a rapid response without using mental energy to analyze a situation methodically.
Read MoreThree Ideas Newsletter 12.10.25
The year before winning our first Big Ten Championship at Ohio State in 1989, we actually finished in sixth place in the conference. We battled hard that season—took several of the top teams to five sets—, but we didn’t have the intangibles to close out crucial sets needed in tight matches.
What made that team special, though, was their leadership and willingness to grind. They decided they were good enough to win a championship and made a collective choice to pursue a championship. That meant committing to a tough off-season—6 a.m. lifts, running sessions, attendance in “open” gym practices, the whole deal. Standards went up, both on and off the court. And it paid off. They reached their goal and won a Big Ten championship the following season. A few of the younger players maintained that same mindset, won another title two years later, and proceeded to take Ohio State to the Final Four in 1991.
Read MoreThree Ideas Newsletter – 11.20.25
Most coaches use statistics to track the results of a skill or a team’s performance. Was the pass good or bad? Did the serve take the opponent out of system? Was the attack a kill or an error? Without a doubt, this type of information has value, as it allows players or coaches to provide feedback on skill development or current performance. As important as result information is, it’s important not to ignore “process” information. Process can be defined as “the way” you perform a skill, not the result. For example, did the player work hard and implement good footwork as they transitioned from defense to attack, or did your setter get to the ball and square up to the left front target area? For younger players, I value process evaluation over result evaluation. You won’t find any iPad software to record process. You’ll need to rely on paper and pencil. A component of evaluating process is the way your team plays and attaching metrics to the way they play.
Read MoreThree Ideas Newsletter – 10/21/25
Hey everyone! State tournaments are around the corner for high school programs. A frequently asked question from many coaches is how to best prepare their teams for the competition. First of all, there isn’t a best single way to prepare your team for the state tournament. Each team has their own personality, along with many variables such as injuries, experience, etc. But, here are a few items that I’ll present as food for thought.
Read MoreThree Ideas Newsletter – 10/7/25
Hello, everyone! Steve Martin has long been one of my favorite comedians and actors. The range of characters he’s portrayed throughout his career is truly remarkable. In his autobiography, Born Standing Up, Martin shares his journey to success—a path marked by failures, missteps, and rejections. He embodies the idea of “working your way to the top.” This…
Read More“Three Ideas” Newsletter
Hello, everyone! Several coaches provided some positive feedback on the video library. I’m glad that the library is providing a resource that is readily accessible. I’ll be putting a video of the week in the newsletter, but you can access the video library at your convenience. On a different note, I enjoy the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments. I relish the possibility of the “Cinderella” team making it to the Final Four. However, no team from a mid-major conference made it to the regionals. Hopefully, this will not be a trend that will include volleyball. However, I have no reason to believe that volleyball can fight this trend.
Read MoreThinking About Feedback
Coaches tend to rely solely on verbal feedback, but one could argue that verbal communication is not the most reliable form of feedback. Words can be easily misconstrued. Experimenting with new feedback methods merely requires the coach to possess an adventurous spirit and a willingness to try new things.
Read MoreRethinking 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 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.
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