The VolleyPod presented by The Art of Coaching Volleyball

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 a coaching skill about using a glossary of your own terms to create a unique, individualized team identity, as well as recognizing and naming often overlooked smaller plays. Tod talks about several of his favorite in hopes of other coaches creating their own cool terms. In our scenario segment, we discuss a challenge that occurs almost every season for almost every club coach, navigating the Qualifying Process. Qualifying is such a challenge, and the expectations are high, so how can coaches avoid some of the pitfalls that Davis has fallen into? Find out on this episode. We discuss topics like: setting up goals from the beginning, process and outcome focused goals, and managing expectations. We always share one great resource each week, and this week it is a great resource from Isaac Kneubuhl, a coach who has built a following on Instagram by examining the volleyball armswing, training athletes to hit harder, and being a proponent for the circular armswing. His page, TorqVB, is our resource of the week. Skill of the week: Using a glossary of your own terms to create a unique team identity Scenario of the week: Navigating the Qualifying Process that so many club teams are aiming for The Art of Coaching Volleyball Videos discussed on The VolleyPod This Week focused on Utah coach Beth Launiere: This is an awesome 4 on 4 out of system game: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/4-on-4-kamikaze-volleyball-drill-with-beth-launiere/ This video is the first in a series by Beth Launiere that focuses on improving your athletes' individual ball control skills: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/individual-ball-control-part-1-with-beth-launiere/ The following video is an insightful discussion about how to find and train elite performers: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/elite-performers/ The Resource of the Week: TorqVB on Instagram by Isaac Kneubuhl, can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/torqvb/?hl=en

Episode 52: Coaching lessons from Japan, coaching in the deciding set, and EpicSportsWait! 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 a coaching skill all about what Tod learned from his trip to Japan with Coast Volleyball club's top teams, where they played against several of the country's top high school team and a highly competitive university team. He shares his insights about how they do things better, in some ways, than we do in the U.S., and what we can learn from them. In our scenario segment, we discuss a super fun scenario: winning late in a deciding set (game 3 or 5), and how to approach that situation to win more of those situations, more often. We always share one great resource each week, and this week it is EpicSports.com's volleyball page where you can find almost anything you need in terms of gear. From nets and balls to clothing for coaches and athletes, EpicSports is the one page you should Bookmark for finding gear. Skill of the week: What Tod learned from his recent volleyball trip to help compete against some of Japan's best high school and university teams Scenario of the week: Winning a close deciding set, tips and tactics The Art of Coaching Volleyball Videos discussed on The VolleyPod This Week: Jen Oldenburg from Ohio State University explains and demonstrates emergency passing and defense moves with former North Carolina Head Coach Joe Sagula: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/emergency-moves-for-passing-and-defense/ Tod's famous sock slide drill that helps teach diving: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/sock-slide-drill/⁠ Dani Busboom Kelly from Louisville has her players demonstrate several sprawling variations: ⁠https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/dig-and-sprawl-drill-variations/ The Resource of the Week: EpicSports for any type of volleyball gear can be found here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://volleyball.epicsports.com/

On this episode, The VolleyPod covers Karch Kiraly's newest book, Chasing Greatness. The coaches take an important takeaway from each chapter and discuss why/how it is relevant to coaches, and how it can help them be better. "This is the closest thing you can get to being in the gym with Karch" said Davis on this week's episode. There are so many great points in the book and Tod and Davis go over some really interesting ideas. You can find Karch's book here: https://store.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/shop/karch-book/

Episode 50: Getting my team to play with heart, Mental training remedies for playing better in practice than in the games, and VolleyMovement by Daniel Maciel 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 a coaching skill about how to get your team to "play with heart". But what is "heart"? Tod and Davis discuss what it is, how to train it, and how to get your team to want to play in that way. In our scenario segment, we discuss the common refrain from coaches, "My team plays way better in practice than in the matches", and we think about it in terms of mental training techniques for how to make that situation better, and switch that idea to "I perform better in matches". We always share one great resource each week, and this week it is a unique resource from someone who has gone through recovery and rehab and continued to play at a very high level, Daniel Maciel and his Instagram page about strength and conditioning with a focus on longevity and safety. Skill of the week: Getting my team to play with heart Scenario of the week: Mental training remedies for playing better in practice than in games The Art of Coaching Volleyball Videos discussed on The VolleyPod This Week: Russ Rose's video about emergency defense moves: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/individual-defense-emergency-moves/ Luca Yanez from Benedictine University and his 4-step progression: ⁠https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/digging-while-moving-forward-4-step-progression/ John Dunning and standout Libero Morgan Hentz have a discussion about training excellent defenders: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/training-defenders/ The Resource of the Week: VolleyMovement on Instagram by Daniel Maciel, can be found here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/volleymovement/?hl=en

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! Scouting can mean the difference between a fast start and an advantage in matches, but many teams do not really scout. This week's podcast covers what to look for that actually matters when it comes to scouting, how to do it, and how to teach your team how to do it. In our scenario segment, we discuss the common refrain from coaches, "My team plays way better in practice than in the matches", and how to think about the issue. We always share one great resource each week, and this week it is recently deceased football coach Mike Leach and his book Swing Your Sword. Skill of the week: Scouting opponents Scenario of the week: My team plays way better in practice than in matches The Art of Coaching Volleyball Videos discussed on the Pod This Week: Russ Rose's video about creating a game plan and scouting your opponents: ⁠⁠https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/game-planning-scouting-your-opponent/ Kevin Hambly's in-depth discussion about scouting opponents: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/scouting-with-kevin-hambly/ Brennan Dean from Wave VBC discusses scouting: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/scouting-competition/⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Resource of the Week: Mike Leach's book, Swing Your Sword, can be found here: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/Swing-Your-Sword-Leading-Football/dp/1938120124

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! With great insights from Tod, we discuss the coaching skill of teaching decision making. Tod is 1/2 way down an ecological dynamics rabbit hole, so he is rethinking how he teaches decision making, and he shares how coaches can use some of those ideas to make their own practices more effective. In our scenario segment, we discuss how to think about the recruiting process prior to your junior year in high school, when colleges can actively recruit junior level athletes. We always share one great resource each week, and this week it is VIVI Athletics, who helps athletes value and build their internal athlete. Skill of the week: Teaching decision making Scenario of the week: Getting recruited before your junior year The Art of Coaching Volleyball Videos discussed on the Pod This Week: Diane Flick Williams' instruction about how to overload the block to create advantages for the hitters: ⁠https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/teach-setters-to-overload-and-isolate-to-gain-an-offensive-advantage/ John Dunning's video discussing how to become a better reader and how to teach players to become betters decision makers: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/becoming-a-better-reader-and-learning-to-make-decisions/ Christy Johnson-Lynch's demonstration of 8 Game-mimicking drills to help promote decision making: ⁠https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/8-game-mimicking-drills-that-promote-decision-making/ The Resource of the Week: VIVI Athletics can be found here: www.viviathletics.com

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! One of the most under-taught skills in volleyball is attacker coverage. In this episode we go over how to approach coverage and why it is so important. Learning how to cover will save your team more points and frustrate your opponent. In our scenario segment, we go over ideas for what to say during a coach's critical breaks in action, timeouts. Finally, we share information about Karch Kiraly's book, Chasing Greatness. Skill of the week: Hitter coverage Scenario of the week: What should I say during a timeout? The Art of Coaching Volleyball Videos discussed on the Pod This Week: Former Penn State University Head Coach Russ Rose's coverage drill: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/coverage-drill-2/ Russ Rose's video about how to handle variations in coverage situations: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/russ-rose-adjusting-hitter-coverage-to-the-situation/ Austin Juniors' drill that focuses on tooling and covering your hitters: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/cover-your-hitter-drill/ The Resource of the Week: Chasing Greatness by Karch Kiraly is available here: https://store.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/shop/karch-book/

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! One of the most powerful ways to coach involves using key words or phrases to help athletes learn skills. By "chunking" bits of information coaches can "lead" the athlete into the desired behavior, by calling out the word/phrase prior to the goal/behavior. This episode is all about key words that our coaches use to help their athletes learn various aspects of the game. They share their key words and phrases for each primary volleyball skill and they want to hear yours, too! In our scenario segment, we do something new, and place the spotlight on a particular player and try to describe what makes him or her "so good". This episode's player spotlight is star opposite, Yuji Nishida, from Japan. He has taken the volleyball world by storm and is nothing short of a celebrity! He can also really play and we go in on how he is so dang effective! Finally, they share information from the Junior Volleyball Association's beautiful, concise coaching resources Skill of the week: Using key words to teach skills Scenario of the week: Yuji Nishida player profile - How is he so good? The Art of Coaching Volleyball Videos discussed on the Pod This Week: Deborah Newkirk from Coach Em Up with 30 minutes of drills for young players: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/30-minutes-of-drills-for-beginning-volleyball-players/ Cary Wallin from 949 Athletics, and her cues for serving: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/volleyball-serving-for-beginning-players/ Key words/phrases for beginning passing form: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/training-beginners-to-master-proper-passing-form/ The Resource of the Week: Junior Volleyball Association's Coaching Resources are available here: https://jvavolleyball.org/education/coaches/

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! Everyone wants to hit harder, but there is not that much discussion on how to do so. This podcast goes into everything "heat" and how to get yourself to hit harder, with more power! Also, Tod and Davis discuss a common scenario, when the team is too emotional, and ways to think about, and handle that situation. Finally, they share information about The Change the Game Project, which is available here: https://changingthegameproject.com/ Skill of the week: Hitting hard(er) Scenario of the week: My team is too emotional The Art of Coaching Volleyball Videos discussed on the Pod This Week: Brent Hilliard's look at what goes into hitting harder: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/help-your-outside-hitters-generate-more-power/ Ken Murczek's drill to reinforce the mentality and skill of hitting hard: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/hitting-drill-train-players-to-take-more-aggressive-swings/ Mark Barnard's video about why and how outside hitters should "go big": https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/why-outside-hitters-need-a-go-big-mindset/ The Resource of the Week: The Change the Game Project is available here: https://changingthegameproject.com/

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! As an attacker, using the entire court to score can be crucial. One of the "key" swings that attackers can use to "unlock" the whole court is sharp cross-court. This shot forces the blockers and diggers to dial their defense around which can expose the middle of the court for numerous kills. However, many athletes hit sharp cross-court in a manner that can be dangerous for either: their legs/knees, like when they land on one leg, or their shoulders, when they swing outside of their body line. This episode focuses on how to hit sharp angle safely, but also with a lot of power and efficiency. Also, Tod and Davis discuss some options for what to do when you have front row players who are not physically capable of blocking over the net. They also go into some ways that coaches can evaluate whether or not having a big blocker is more useful than having a smaller, more skilled player in the front row.  Finally, they share multi-time a very insightful book written by Hugh McCutcheon, an Olympic medalist as the coach for both the U.S. Men's National Team and the U.S. Women's National Team. Skill of the week: Attacking sharp cross-court Scenario of the week: Front row players that can't block  Videos Discussed on the Pod This Week: From The Art of Coaching Volleyball, the following video is an instructional video about hitting AND defending sharp angle swings: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/drill-to-train-attacking-and-defending-the-angle/ From Titans Volleyball, this video is a collection of crazy angle swings. Watch and learn from the best! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EugO_ogF40Q  From Power Volleyball, this video is also collection of super sharp angle swings. Check out the 30 second mark for possibly the sharpest angle ever.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EugO_ogF40Q  The Resource of the Week can be found here:  Hugh McCutheon's book, Championship Behaviors, is available widely, but you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Championship-Behaviors-Competitive-Excellence-Sports/dp/1629379573  AND McCutcheon has an incredible TEDTalk, based on the same topic, available here: https://www.ted.com/talks/hugh_mccutcheon_championship_behaviors