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.
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.
How many times have your players said something like, “Let’s just have fun when we play”? Or maybe a parent says, “The team just isn’t having fun.” The tricky part is, “having fun” means different things to different players, let alone the definition that the coach might possess. For some, it’s “hit and giggle” volleyball—goofing around, not really focused on getting better or competing. For other players, on the same team, fun comes from pushing themselves, working hard, and chasing challenging goals. It’s a balancing act for coaches to have a positive atmosphere on the court while still challenging the players to improve.
Most people probably don’t recognize the name Kirk Hammett. If you do, you’re either into heavy metal music or you’ve got pretty wide-ranging music tastes. Kirk Hammett is the lead guitarist for Metallica, but he wasn’t always in the band. He joined in 1983, after they’d already blown up internationally. So what did he do once he landed a spot in a supergroup? He kept taking guitar lessons at Joe Satriani’s shop in the San Francisco Bay Area—and he was getting his butt kicked in the process!
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.
n the early ‘90s, we had some really strong teams at Ohio State—making the Final Four in 1991 and 1994. But no matter how much talent we had, I remember getting frustrated with our defense one day. I was trying to figure out possible remedies and Yao offered this simple suggestion: “If we want to get better defensively, we need to focus on being a stronger attacking team. Better offense will force the defense to improve.” So even though my first instinct was to spend more time on defense, we worked on offense instead—and, sure enough, our defense had to get better just to keep up.
A lot of clubs are running pre-season clinics for their coaching staff. A big shoutout to the club directors for setting those up—it’s awesome to see more learning opportunities out there. But here’s something to keep in mind: just showing up to a clinic doesn’t automatically mean you’re learning. To really get the most out of it, try embracing the idea of “Empty Your Cup.”
I recently tuned in to my favorite jazz show, and the host started talking about the late, great jazz vocalist Tony Bennett. Some of the younger coaches—or those more into heavy metal or rap music—might not know him, but Bennett was an absolute legend in jazz. The host mentioned that Bennett started every practice and every performance throughout his 60-year career with vocal scales. Repetitive, right? But it turns out those scales were key to keeping his voice sharp—improving his pitch, expanding his range, and building his tone quality. It’s hard to believe that such a simple routine played such a big role in his success. Or, is it?
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.
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…