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Columbia Empire Receives USAV Boys’ Grant
The Columbia Empire Region, one of 40 Regional Volleyball Associations within USA Volleyball, has been awarded an $11,000 USAV Boys’ Development Subsidy Grants for the 2012 calendar year. Read More
PVL Starting as Grassroots Pro League in 2012
USAV is creating additional buzz in volleyball with the establishment of a new adult pro league, which is expected to provide some quality battles at the upcoming 2012 USA Volleyball Open National Championships to be held in Utah in May. Read More
Puget Sound Region Receives USAV Boys’ Development Grant
The Puget Sound Region, one of 40 Regional Volleyball Associations within USA Volleyball, has been awarded the second of two $11,000 USAV Boys’ Development Subsidy Grants for the 2011 calendar year that just ended. Read More
Badger Region Receives USAV Boys’ Development Grant
The Badger Region Volleyball Association, one of 40 Regional Volleyball Associations within USA Volleyball, has been awarded one of two $11,000 USAV Boys’ Development Subsidy Grants. The second grant will be awarded later this year. Read More
USA Volleyball Foundation Creates Web Site
The USA Volleyball Foundation has developed a new Web site to offer volleyball fans and corporations the opportunity to pledge money to ‘grow the game’ in all areas. Read More
USAV, HOPSports Partner to Promote Youth Volleyball
USA Volleyball has announced a partnership with HOPSports, creator of a revolutionary fitness program, to improve students’ health and wellness by promoting volleyball utilizng 21st century media technology. Read More
USAV Participates in NGB Food Drive Challenge
In the spirit of competition and the desire to help others in the community, several sports National Governing Bodies (NGBs) participated in a food drive to help stock shelves for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Read More
USAV Collaborates on NFHS Certification Program
The NFHS, in conjunction with USAV and the AVCA, has launched a national certification program for interscholastic coaches with the Level 1 Accredited Interscholastic Coach certificate. Read More
CAP Article: Game-Like Training
Game-like training is a simple idea. It is the notion that athletes will learn to play the game of volleyball better by practicing the whole game rather than practicing the individual skills involved in the sport in an isolated manner. Read More
USAV, WinCraft Announce Licensing Partnership
USA Volleyball has signed an exclusive multi-year licensing agreement with WinCraft establishing it as an official licensee of USA Volleyball products in multiple retail, promotional and volleyball club channels. Read More
Shoji Reaches Exclusive Grand Club
Dave Shoji became just the second NCAA Division I women's volleyball coach to reach 1,000-career victories after the University of Hawaii defeated New Mexico State on Oct. 17, 2009. Read More
Reno Hosts 2010 USAV Girls' Junior Nationals
USA Volleyball has awarded the 2010 USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships to the City of Reno in Nevada. The competition will be held June 24 to July 3 at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. Read More
B.A.D. Represents USA at World Masters Games
A United States-based volleyball team will be competing in the 50-plus age division of the World Masters Games being held Oct. 11-18 at Sydney, Australia. Read More
Loessberg Leads Two Lives in Volleyball, Marines
Cassie Loessberg (Sacramento, Calif.), a heralded libero for the University of Miami women's volleyball team, leads two distinct lives that she must be committed 100 percent in volleyball and the Marine Corp. Read More
USAV Member Looking for Votes
USA Volleyball member Tiffany Morales of Long Beach, Calif., needs your vote to advance in the running for 2009 Sports Illustrated Kid of the Year. Read More
Tiara and Volleyballs Do Mix for Moore
Kelsey Moore, a 6-2 redshirt freshman middle blocker at University of Texas at El Paso, will trade volleyballs and kneepads for evening gowns and swimsuits as part of the 2010 Miss USA Pageant in April. Read More
Volleyball, Role Models Go Together at NDSU
Christopher Gabriel writes about the quick bond between he and his family developed with the North Dakota State University volleyball team, including his daughter Caleigh watching her first volleyball match and finding a role model in Lauren McLaughlin. Read More
Maine Games Holds Third Annual HS Tourney
The Maine Games held its third annual high school volleyball tournament at Greely High School on Sept. 19. The event was supported by the ALS Association of Northern New England, the Portland North Volleyball Club, and the Maine Volleyball Project. Read More
Austin to Host 2010 JO Boys' Championship
The 2010 USA Junior Olympic Boys' Volleyball Championship will be held at the Austin Convention Center June 30 to July 7 in Austin, Texas. Read More
Coach Gives Back to Young Native Americans
South Dakota State University women's head coach Nana Allison-Brewer is helping young Native American volleyball players achieve their dreams. Read More
Bishop Shanahan HS at the Top in PA
For Bishop Shanahan High School of Downington, Pa., its volleyball program cannot hide the behind an anonymity curtain in 2009 as has it emerged as the top-ranked team in the state Read More
Olympic Caliber Nutrition
Aaron Brock, director of Sports Medicine and Performance to the U.S. National Teams, offers 10 nutritional areas volleyball players of all levels can take to increase performance on the court. Read More
Boys', Men's VB on Upswing in North Carolina
Basketball has always been the sport of choice for boys and men in North Carolina. But there are people working to improve volleyball's position in the state. Read More
Gateway Region Stresses Importance of Coach Education
The Gateway Region has developed a comprehensive coaches education program aimed at raising the level of coaching quality in the region, as well as enhancing player's experiences. Read More
Obama Establishes Office of Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Sport
U.S. President Barack Obama announced June 16 the formation of the White House Office of Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Sport, which has been fully endorsed by the USOC, which USA Volleyball also enthusiastically welcomes. Read More
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Growing the Game Together Blog
John Kessel oversees grassroots development and disabled volleyball at USA Volleyball. Watch here for his blog on growing our sport.
Latest The Evolution of the Butterfly Drill
Been thinking about one of the drills that most volleyball coaches and players, with a little bit of experience, known around the world – “Butterfly” More to the point I… Read More
Related Blog Posts
The Art of Strategy
One of the things that I find fascinating is the "volleyball canyon" regarding the mental game. To read about more of these gaps between what the game itself contains, and what coaches train in practice,
To Sit or Stand During Matches?
The Tragedy of the Commons
National Conversations on Good Coaching
Almost a year ago, Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA ), a Stanford University-based non-profit organization dedicated to transforming youth sports and USAV Affiliated Organization, joined with USA Volleyball and seven other of the nation's top youth sports groups -… Read More
The Loser's Club
The Loser's Club and Playing Blind
One of the things about YouTube is the way contests I would never have had the chance to "see" are now things I can enjoy and learn from. The clip below by a blind piano contestant, who just made the top 12 of this year's Van Cliburn, share today… Read More
Olympism and the New White House Off …
The White House yesterday announced the forming of the Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Sports office. I sent out news of this last night to some friends and leaders with the correct phrasing in my opinion of the new formation of the Youth, Paralympic and Olympic Sports office. More than a few… Read More
Tennis Anyone?
Warming up on the beach with your partner has two very powerful messages that indoor players and coaches need to listen to so that more kids find success earlier in the challenges of our sport.
First is the tradition/culture of Dig/Pass-set-hit to warm up with.… Read More
Father's Day and Volleyball
My father was my role model in countless ways, and I have done my best raising my kids as a single dad to follow in his World War II veteran footsteps. Fly Fishing, backpacking, skiing, and more, my kids have also done. It may also come as no surprise that both my kids love to play… Read More
Volleyball and Fly Fishing
I got a new Orvis Helios 3wt recently. Made from the same carbon fiber they use on the Apache helicopters, it is feather light at 1.75 ounces total, and strong as heck, for casting into the afternoon winds along my favorite little streams. The science of technology amazes me, yet in our sport it… Read More
Joy in Volleyball
Today, the USA Junior Olympic Boys' Volleyball Championships…
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Beachroots Volleyball in Vanuatu
I have come back to where my grandfather, father and a guy named James Michener once travelled and worked. My grandfather John Fitzgerald, based out of the Tahiti, fighting to eradicate the dreaded Elephantiasis disease from all the thousands of islands, for the World Health… Read More
More Volleyball From Vanuatu
Espiritu Santo...Wrecks to Rainforest -- Vanuatu, Discover untouched seclusion and beauty...that is what Carte de Luganville - the map of this town says.... To see and do here? World class diving, SS President Coolidge, Million Dollar Point, pristine coral reefs...game fishing....adventure… Read More
Landslide
What do Tori Amos, Smashing Pumpkins, Dixie Chicks, The Dance, and Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac all have in common? Whether acapella, acoustic guitar, solo piano, or more - each have sung the powerful song "Landslide" in a beautiful way, and those songs I have been playing over and over on my… Read More
Back to My Iowa Grassroots
Opening Match Victory at World Masters Games
Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009
Today was our first match at 9 am against the local Australian team. Thank goodness we were able to squeeze in a practice the previous night because the ball moves differently here. It has a lot more movement on serves and we have had to adjust our… Read More
Introducing our Team at World Masters Games
There are two Pools for the 50+ age division that stats on Oct. 11 and continues through Oct. 14:
Pool A
Clube Curitibano - Brazil
Zuvedra - Lithuania
Funrock 50s - Australia
Brasil Plus - Brasil
Chequers WA - Australia
Pool… Read More
On the Ground for World Masters Games
Our division for women’s 50+ has 9 teams participating from Brazil, Australia, Lithuania and our sole American contingency. Our pool play will start at 0900 tomorrow Sunday Oct. 11th in the Sports Hall across from our hotel, on the far end of the Olympic Park just beyond the Olympic flame… Read More
Reflections on Open Gym
My son Cody is a senior at the oldest high school here in Colorado Springs. We decided together to start a volleyball club at his school this year, to help grow the boy's high school club program. He is also captaining the varsity lacrosse team again this spring, as an attackman, and by my… Read More
Tryouts and Our Deepest Fear
Tryouts can bring out our deep fears, as the talent pyramid begins its inexorable narrowing. From six elementary schools teams, to a couple or so junior high 7th grade teams. From the those junior highs to the one high school program, an onward into the college level. No athlete… Read More
A Long Month of Champions
This is may be the best volleyball "month" in the year -- from late October in Wyoming to mid-December this year in Florida-- as some 49 states host district, regional and then final State High School Championships, while the NCAA and NAIA see their over 1,500… Read More
May We Please Leave a Court Up?
Over 20 years ago I was working with the University of Colorado program, working with several club teams to merge them into a single varsity program. In this process, I reached one of my top 10 goals in volleyball, that of having a single volleyball court always up for any level of play to… Read More
No More Drills, Feedback or Technical Training...
OK coach, hopefully this title has made you click through to this blog to see what the heck I could be thinking here. Please take the time to read and chew on what I am asking you to consider. I will take them in order as each need their own points of consideration.
No More… Read More
The Power of Story & Serving
This is a special weekend for me, as I am working with the best, Carl McGown, as part of his staff at the first Gold Medal Squared Coaching Clinic here at Arizona State University. If you get a chance to attend one of their multi-day sessions - you will come away a better coach, and since the… Read More
The Score Takes Care of Itself
I have been watching my son play up this weekend against the teams in Men's A division here in Colorado. As I marvel at how well 17 and 18 year olds fare against the older, far more experienced men, one key thing comes to mind that we all need to do better. - To play one point at a time. If… Read More
Your Practice Objectives Should not be a Secret
One of the things about being here at the Olympic Training Center is the chance to watch so many other teachers of elite sport and athletes do their thing. As I watch other coaches teach, one thing stands out to me, in that they all are very good at communicating, storytelling, and player… Read More
To Build Up or Tear Down - Lessons i …
Before dawn last Monday morning I was on my laptop, connected to USA Volleyball's office with Office Communicator, when I saw I was getting a call from an unknown number and area code. I answered, and found myself talking to Byron Shewman, head of our Starlings USA program. He had been in Haiti… Read More
Specificity & Simplicity
To grow the game, and importantly your skills as a teacher/coach of sport, it is best to seek the effective practices of those who have gone before, and those smarter than you, so that you can stand on their shoulders and see even farther. With the advent of the Internet, there is a lot of chaff… Read More
The Cumulative Effect
I have been watching the Winter Olympics as much as my travel and work schedule allows, and have been struck by some of concepts I would like to share. How much everything matters and how important it is to hustle to the very end, and how nations support their national teams and programs.
… Read MoreStuff Happens
Flying back from a great clinic in the "Hittin Mitten" I did with Hugh McCutcheon and Gary Sato. Signed all sorts of USAV Logo banners for the kids in our clinic - "Citius, Altius, Fortius," as these are all USAV Jr. Olympic Volleyball players -- hopefuls to be future Olympians....and they… Read More
Establishing a Culture of Play
One of the more important principles to focus on in youth sports, especially volleyball, is to create an environment which encourages play. The value of play, from "street soccer" as best seen in Brazil but really found worldwide, to "pond hockey" in Canada and "driveway or playground hoops" or… Read More
LTAD, Michael Jackson and the CAVB
Symbolically I start this blog as I am flying over Olympia, Greece, one of my… Read More
Developing Amazing Leaders Too
Some of you who have taken an IMPACT course from… Read More
Three Word Coaching Philosophies
Wounded Warrior Games
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Around a League in 80 Days
This past February 23rd, some twenty boys gathered in Palmer’s main gym, to start playing volleyball for their high school. Just ten weeks later, the two teams formed from the sweat and hard work of these young men, would end their season at Regionals, and not advance to the… Read More
The Player Who Knows WHY Beats the P …
Last week I found myself with my kids, headed over Wolf Creek Pass, the ski area still patchworked with deep snow, as my son drives over the Continental Divide - and I get to work on the laptop. We are returning from several days working the Native American Volleyball Academy, run by the… Read More
Fact vs. Fiction
At the 2010 Sitting World Championships, doing all sorts of things, from court set up to photography. Starting today, I move to the role of coaching the coaches again – in this case in the Wounded Warrior project we will be “training the trainers.” Ten military leaders… Read More
From Orphans to Club Olympic
A US State Department Sports United program has me taking a week of my vacation time, to head to Bolivia – to work with Club Olympic, Paralympic and Special Olympic coaches, hundreds of teachers and even more players from all over the nation. Basing out of Cochabamba and Santa Cruz… Read More
Contacts Per Hour
One of the four banners I travel with for clinics no matter where in the world I go, is a banner with the title of this blog. It is a way to summarize the motor learning principle of increasing opportunities to respond. As we learn by doing, not watching, one of the core ways to get better… Read More
IMPACTing Learning
Growing Through Our 3rd Season of Webinars
You know, USA Volleyball (USAV) has maintained a web presence since the mid-90's, starting with the help of Tom Jack at www.volleyball.org and progressing through our current partnership with Read More
USAV Youth & Mini Volleyball
USAV Youth & Mini Volleyball
One of the things we find at USA Volleyball is that given the size of our nation and the number of things we do in our sport (Paralympic, Olympic, Beach, Youth, Seniors, Coaching, Officiating, Diversity Inclusion – like boys, Starlings USA and… Read More
Ten Imprudent and Obtuse Things I Ge …
While my grassroots article from over 20 years ago shows lots more of the things I have somehow either changed or even completely avoided (CLICK HERE to download… Read More
Primum Non Noncore
Some of you may know the Hippocratic Oath, given to medical doctors. For those who do not know, it translates simply to First Do No Harm. This is a cornerstone in my philosophy of developing amazing leaders and growing the game. I believe this oath should be given to each coach, for in my… Read More
Thoughts on Warming Up - Practice & Pre-Match
I am a month into coaching my 14 team, I call them the Fourteeners, after our 52 highest 14,000 foot plus mountain peaks we have here in Colorado, including the snow shrouded one right out the USA Volleyball office window known as Pikes Peak. I figured I would simply share what I wrote my team,… Read More
Reading & the HP Clinic Redux
The last few days of the High Performance Clinic here at the Olympic Training Center brought back memories of a joke Craig Sherman, former Univ of Missouri head coach, pulled on me in the late 1970s at a USA National Development Camp. As head coach, I had spoken at… Read More
Stats for Parents and Players
I oft speak of the impact a Discover magazine article long ago had on me, on how we are fooled by randomness, in helping me be a better parent and coach. A short TED.com clip on why we need to teach our kids stats over calculus – as my daughter struggles to decide… Read More
Tuesday Tips for the Coaches of Chaos 2
Nightstand Book of the week – Seth Godin’s Lynchpin . GO Make something happen is his mantra of sorts….favorite quote of many "Please stop waiting for a map. We reward those who draw maps, not those who follow… Read More
Tuesday Tips for the Coaches of Chao …
Master Class
US Olympic Committee High Performance Director Peter Vint did a FANTASTIC webinar for USAV coaches called “On the Edge of Human Achievement” – You can find the webinar on your USAV RVA website for viewing. In the 90 minutes he shared with the… Read More
A Change of Seasons
So dear team, our club season has come to an end, including my time to be in practice and competition guiding your development and training. It is time for you to coach yourself, figuring things out implicitly, with a little bit of guided discovery from a crafty mentor as a partner… Read More
HP Clinic Lessons Shared
So we are in the fourth day of this year's USA Volleyball High Performance Coaches' Clinic and CAP I,II, III sessions here at the Olympic Training Center. Hugh McCutcheon, Tom Hogan and Peter Vint headline a group of our sport's most passionate people in presenting ideas to teach the sport… Read More
Coaching the Human Animal
An advance heads up to start this blog, it is going to cost you the price of buying a movie, which you likely have not seen and which has become one of my favorite movies ever – documentary really – as it teaches huge lessons to all those wanting to be a better coach, teacher,… Read More
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