Posts Tagged ‘Volleyball’
If Coaches Don’t Know Goodhart’s Law, They Should
Coaches that use statistics to evaluate teams and players should be very familiar with Goodhart’s Law! Using statistics for feedback to your team may have unintended consequences!
Read MoreEssentials for an Effective Middle Attack
We are going to dive into developing a middle attack. First, the coach needs to be comfortable with what is desired from the middle attack, who can accomplish the task, and the keys for implementing a middle attack into your offense. The type of middle attack you implement is based on the following factors: Too…
Read MoreThe Pursuit of Higher Television Numbers
The 2022 Division 1 Volleyball Championship drew 786,000 viewers, significantly trailing the Collegiate Football Playoff championship game (17 million), the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Championship game (14 million), and the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship game (10 million) in viewership. These figures represent the average views. Viewers that leave early or watch only parts of…
Read MoreA Former Player Spurs My “Why”
It is distressing when I read how academia is redefining excellence. Admission standards are dropping, failing a class is almost impossible, homework is being deemphasized, and teachers and coaches need more support to do what they were trained to do. As coaches, we often question if the values we encourage and preach will last beyond…
Read MoreA Good Approach is Essential to an Effective Attack
Coaches will agree that attackers are most effective when the attacker implements a quality attack approach. One of the positives of running an offense with high sets at every position is that it is easier to implement a dynamic 4-step approach to attack. However, when running a quicker tempo offense with middle and outside attackers,…
Read MoreThe Misuse of a Bell Curve for Determining Your Target Area in Serve-Receive
It is common for many coaches to have their passers target an area 6′-8′ off the net when receiving a serve. The thought is to build in a buffer area to avoid a pass that either goes too close or over the net. Some will use a bell curve to validate this approach (excuse the…
Read MoreThoughts on Serve-Receive
My recent post on serve-receive initiated significant responses, directly or on various venues. The article aimed to encourage coaches to be creative in organizing serve-receive patterns. The straight 3-person pattern isn’t necessarily the best way to deal with the challenges of receiving a short or deep serve, which is statistically the most difficult for the…
Read MorePassing 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 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…
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