

The VolleyPod presented by The Art of Coaching Volleyball
Davis Ransom and Tod Mattox
The VolleyPod is all about coaching kids volleyball!
Each episode we cover 3 segments that are each designed to help you become a better volleyball coach.
First, we focus on a specific volleyball skill, talk about how to teach it, and provide drills and video links for further help with that skill.
Then, we present a common coaching scenario and discuss tips for how to (and how not to) handle it.
In the third segment we share a resource that has helped us to become a better coach, with the hopes that it can help you too!
See you on The VolleyPod!
Each episode we cover 3 segments that are each designed to help you become a better volleyball coach.
First, we focus on a specific volleyball skill, talk about how to teach it, and provide drills and video links for further help with that skill.
Then, we present a common coaching scenario and discuss tips for how to (and how not to) handle it.
In the third segment we share a resource that has helped us to become a better coach, with the hopes that it can help you too!
See you on The VolleyPod!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 20, 2023 • 30min
Episode 78: Dave Rubio talks teaching passing, How to work with that challenging lowest group, and Athletes Unlimited
Dave Rubio discusses teaching passing to beginners, including starting with arms together and using creative terminology. They also talk about organizing players during practice and the concept of freeze framing. The podcast also covers teaching beginners, passing basics, and in/out of system plays in volleyball. They compare men's and women's volleyball, discuss Athletes Unlimited, and highlight the talent showcased in AU.

Oct 13, 2023 • 30min
Episode 77: Player Vision (What you see is what you get), When a team has beaten you before and you need to beat them now, and The 100 Best Sports Quotes of All Time
Wait!
Use code "VOLLEYPOD" for 20% off of almost anything on The Art of Coaching Volleyball's platform INCLUDING memberships, nearly all of the books, printouts, and more! https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/
Also, be sure to follow The VolleyPod on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/aoc.thevolleypod/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/TheVolleyPod for exclusive content and immediately useful tips and drills!
This week's skill is how to train your players' vision, with a special focus on serve receive.
Our scenario segment focuses on when a team has beaten you before, but you need to beat them now.
For our resource segment we share a website that is full of insights in the form of quotes from legendary athletes, coaches, and sports commentators.
Skill of the Week: Player vision, especially in serve receive, and what your players can do to get better at arriving early to where they will meet the ball
Scenario of the Week: When a team has beaten you before and you need to beat them now. Ideas, tips, and ways of thinking about this common scenario.
The Art of Coaching Volleyball videos that we used this week focused on vision, especially in serve receive:
https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/defense-drill-for-training-vision/ Mike Sealy high or low drill for noticing what matters
https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/what-makes-morgan-hentz-dominant/ Jim Stone analyzes what organ Hentz is looking at and why she is so good
https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/reading-a-part-of-every-skill/ John Dunning reading and serve receive
The Resource of the Week is The 100 Best Sports Quotes of All Time, and it can be found here: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/910238-the-100-best-sports-quotes-of-all-time

Oct 6, 2023 • 31min
Episode 76: Teaching players how to use the rulebook to full advantage, I want to be a better match coach, and The Great Coaches Podcast
Wait!
Use code "VOLLEYPOD" for 20% off of almost anything on The Art of Coaching Volleyball's platform INCLUDING memberships, nearly all of the books, printouts, and more! https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/
Also, be sure to follow The VolleyPod on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/aoc.thevolleypod/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/TheVolleyPod for exclusive content and immediately useful tips and drills!
This week's skill is how to train your players to deal with the most difficult calls that refs have to make so that your team can win more matches. There are many situations where knowing the rules of volleyball can either lead a point for your team, or a point for the other team. Davis and Tod discuss how to get your players to recognize the challenge of deciding these calls and how to handle the close calls, both before, during, and after the close decision. Managing the close plays well can help your team win more points and matches.
Our scenario segment focuses on match coaching and how to become in this important aspect of the game. Tod has an awesome list of what to do to become a better match coach. The list begins with "be competitive but not combative" and continues on with Tod's wisdom making a veritable treasure trove of information for how to manage matches. This talk is valuable for experienced coaches, too.
For our resource segment we share a fascinating podcast that talks to the world's best coaches and gleans important, powerful insights that anyone can use in any sport. The Great Coaches Podcast is a wealth of information from the top of the top coaches in their respective sports. Many of their talking points resonate not only in the sports world, but in leadership and in life. On the Psychology of Successful Groups, with Samantha Rockey, is just one terrific podcast of many that can be found on the site.
Skill of the Week: Teaching players how to use the rulebook to full advantage and how to train to deal with the most difficult 50/50 calls by referees
Scenario of the Week: I want to be a better match coach
The Art of Coaching Volleyball videos that we used this week focused on how to do more winning:
https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/skills-winning-losing/ Kyle Mashima from SoloStats discusses the statistical approach to the most important skills involved in winning
https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/serve-and-pass-battle/ Mark Rosen, Terry Liskevych, and Kirsten Booth have a cool talk about how to win the serve and pass battle
https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/craig-skinner-championship-team/ Craig Skinner discusses how to build a championship team from the beginning to the big win
Resource of the Week: The Great Coaches Podcast, which can be found on nearly everywhere you listen to podcasts and at: https://thegreatcoachespodcast.com/

Sep 29, 2023 • 29min
Episode 75: Reinforcing system work in serve receive, getting your Middle Attacker the ball more, and The 10 Commandments of Winning Teammates
Wait!
Use code "VOLLEYPOD" for 20% off of almost anything on The Art of Coaching Volleyball's platform INCLUDING memberships, nearly all of the books, printouts, and more! https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/
Also, be sure to follow The VolleyPod on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/aoc.thevolleypod/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/TheVolleyPod for exclusive content and immediately useful tips and drills!
This week's skill is how and why to create opportunities in your practice to reinforce systems during serve receive practice. In match play serve receive there are a number of factors at play other than an individual's ability to pass to the target. There is a lot of contextual interference which makes it beneficial to practice with these conditions. Tod disucsses some ways that coaches can add these types of conditions to their passing practice and enhance their live play serve receive performance.
Our scenario segment builds on the idea of creating a balanced offense by focusing on how and why to get the Middle Attacker the ball more. Often middles have the highest hitting percentage on the team but get the fewest sets. This imbalance can limit the overall effectiveness of your team since the opposition will have a good idea where the ball is going. Davis explores how to keep your middles alive and working effectively, and finding ways to score and keep the opposition off balance.
For our resource section we share a book that offers rich ideas that mimic The Ten Commandments, but in regards to being a "winning" teammate. These ideas are well thought out and powerful concepts that, when practiced, can be one of the turning points on a competitive team. Integral concepts like self-sacrifice are explained with both wit and humor. Readers will be sure to get something that they can put into practice right away.
Skill of the Week: Reinforcing skill work during serve receive practice
Scenario of the week: Getting your Middle Attackers the ball more often and in better positions to score
The Art of Coaching Volleyball videos that we used this week focused on getting system work during serve receive practice:
Karch Kiraly’s "In a Row" passing drill
https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/karchs-in-a-row-passing-drill/
Luka Slabe on clarifying the seams in serve receive
https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/clarifying-the-seams-on-serve-receive/
Fantastic youth, club, high school, and college coach, currently at Goldenwest Volleyball Club, Andrew Clifton demonstrates how he likes to teach how to divide up the court in serve receive
https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/serve-receive-dividing-the-court/
Resource of the Week
The 10 Commandments of Winning Teammates by Sean Glaze can be found here: https://greatresultsteambuilding.net/winning-teammates/

Sep 22, 2023 • 29min
Episode 74: The Safety Episode, When you need to do team bonding but don't want to do a ropes course, and some science behind how volleyball players get injured
Wait!
Use code "VOLLEYPOD" for 20% off of almost anything on The Art of Coaching Volleyball's platform INCLUDING memberships, nearly all of the books, printouts, and more! https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/
Also, be sure to follow The VolleyPod on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/aoc.thevolleypod/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/TheVolleyPod for exclusive content and immediately useful tips and drills!
This week's skill is how and why to create a safer environment in your gym. This segment provides a wide range of ideas about little things that coaches can do to promote their athletes' health and prevent some of the most common injuries. Our hope is to promote some discussion about what can be done to keep our athletes playing their best volleyball more.
Our scenario segment is about when your team needs to do team bonding but you don't want to do a ropes course. By that, we mean that we want a more generic binding scenario that encourages continual growth and genuine interest in one another. There is nothing wrong with doing a ropes course, but Tod and Davis favor a more consistent process instead of a one off experience. Tod explains some ways to get this to happen generically.
For our resource section we share an interesting research article that discusses how often and what types of injuries that high school volleyball players experience. This experiment looked at over 2000 high school girls' volleyball players and found that ankle and knee injuries were the most common types of injuries with finger and wrist being the next most common. There are some other great insights that coaches can get from reading this informative article.
Skill of the Week: Practicing safely
Scenario of the week: When your team needs to do team bonding but you don't want to do a ropes course
The Art of Coaching Volleyball videos that we used this week focused on injury prevention:
https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/attack-approach-landing-accordion-it/ John Dunning on the spike approach landing and how to do it safely
https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/attacking-mechanics-landing-safely-on-two-feet/ Laurie Eisler on how to land safely on two feet
https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/exercise-physiologist-don-moxley-on-acl-injury-prevention/ Don Moxley on the very important concept of ACL Injury Prevention
https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/injury-prevention-whats-important-after-40-years-of-coaching/ The legendary John Dunning's super informative discussion "What’s Important After 40 Years of Coaching"
https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/wellness-blog-anxiety/ A blog called Managing Your Anxiety Before Your Anxiety Manages You by Dr. William Parham contains great concepts for dealing with anxiety
Resource of the Week
https://meridian.allenpress.com/jat/article/58/2/177/446976/Incidence-and-Risk-Factors-for-Injuries-in-Girls from the Journal of Athletic Training

Sep 8, 2023 • 29min
Episode 72: Deserted Island Drill: The Listening Game, When your team starts strong and fades in the middle of the match, and Brad Stulberg
Author and Performance Coach Brad Stulberg joins the podcast to discuss training and performance. Topics include the Deserted Island Drill, the Listening Game, training adaptability, handling a team that starts strong but fades, the importance of effort in blocking, game variations and strategies in volleyball, and improving team performance in matches.

Sep 1, 2023 • 25min
Episode 71: Deserted Island Drill - Front Row 4s, When you don't feel confident in your coaching, and The Volleyball Institute
This episode covers the Deserted Island Drill - Front Row 4s, how to regain confidence as a coach, and the introduction of The Volleyball Institute as a resource. They also discuss team composition, incorporating new drills, exploring innovative coaching techniques, and various aspects of volleyball training.

Aug 25, 2023 • 28min
Episode 70: How to create a more balanced offense, Two teams practicing on one court, and Honoring Byron Shewman and his legacy
Wait!
Use code "VOLLEYPOD" for 20% off of almost anything on The Art of Coaching Volleyball's platform INCLUDING memberships, nearly all of the books, printouts, and more! https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/
Also, be sure to follow The VolleyPod on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/aoc.thevolleypod/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/TheVolleyPod for exclusive content and immediately useful tips and drills!
This week's skill is how and why to develop a more balanced offense. Many teams fall into over-setting their best hitters and can miss out on opportunities to increase their team hitting efficiency. In this episode we discuss how to create more strong scoring attempts merely by getting offense from all parts of the net.
Our scenario segment is about when two are sharing a court and how to make the most out of that time for everyone. These ideas are really cool and are sure to help when your team when you share a court.
For our resource section we honor the life and legacy of Byron Shewman, a leader in the volleyball community, and an extremely generous person. Shewman was an outspoken advocate for volleyball and founded The Starlings Volleyball Program, a community-based club system, that was able to reach groups of people that typically would not have much access to volleyball. He was also an extremely talented player, and played on the Olympic team, and later on the beach. Beach Volleyball, by Shewman and Karch Kiraly is a thorough look at how to become a high level beach volleyball player.
Skill of the Week: How and why to create and implement a more balanced offense
Scenario of the week: When two teams are practicing on the same court and how to make the most of your team
This week's Art of Coaching Volleyball videos focused on why and how to create a balanced offense:
This video by Jim Stone discusses team attacking and using a variety attack positions across the net: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/jim-stone-sample-offense-with-multiple-attack-points/
This video from the AOC Vancouver Hitting Clinic explores running offense in gaps and overloading the block: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/running-an-offense-finding-gaps-overloading-blockers/
Tod Mattox discusses how to get offense from your middle blockers when the pass is in the middle of the court: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/running-the-middle-from-center-court-with-a-block/
The Resource of the Week, Beach Volleyball, by Byron Shewman and Karch Kiraly, can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Byron-Shewman/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AByron+Shewman

Aug 18, 2023 • 26min
Episode 69: Coaching language 2.0 (phrases I've dumped and their replacements), Improving servers' tactical awareness, and The VolleyNerd Podcast and Luis Cuatok's discussion on culture
Wait!
Use code "VOLLEYPOD" for 20% off of almost anything on The Art of Coaching Volleyball's platform INCLUDING memberships, nearly all of the books, printouts, and more! https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/
Also, be sure to follow The VolleyPod on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/aoc.thevolleypod/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/TheVolleyPod for exclusive content and immediately useful tips and drills!
This week's skill is building up culture when both cooperation and competition are important to you. Davis and Tod go over a list of ideas that can help frame culture for coaches, and provide ideas for how to move towards a more ideal version of the team's time together.
This week Davis discusses how to get started on the first day of the High School season. What should you talk about? What should you do? Tod talks about all of this and more in this week's scenario segment.
We always share one great resource each week, and this week it is from our very Davis Ransom and his interview with Luis Cuatok on The VolleyNerd Podcast. This episode is one of the best talks on culture that you will find. Luis explains the signs of different types of cultures and how teams can move up the ladder. This talk is concise and filled with great information about team cultures and the various ways that the culture affects the team.
Skill of the Week: Coaching language 2.0 and the the phrases I've dumped and their replacements
Scenario of the week: Improving servers' tactical awareness
The Resource of the Week, The VolleyNerd Podcast episode, starring Luis Cuatok, can be found here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/competitive-team-culture-with-one-of-the-nations/id1520140118?i=1000502873940

Aug 11, 2023 • 30min
Episode 68: Establishing a culture of competition and cooperation, Day 1 of high school, and Tod's quote compilation
This podcast explores topics such as establishing a culture of competition and cooperation, the first day of high school volleyball season, and Tod's collection of quotes. They discuss the importance of setting a positive team culture, emphasizing enthusiasm and boundaries while avoiding excessive punishment. They also highlight the significance of day one in shaping behavior and creating a unique team culture. Additionally, they share funny moments from volleyball games, appreciate the randomness of the sport, and discuss videos, blog posts, and quotes related to competition and team culture in volleyball.


