Variance and Risk Management in Volleyball

There is something that all coaches need to make part of their training at any level. It is breaking tradition to manage and be comfortable with the risks of variance as found in volleyball. Two-time Olympic medal winning coach Hugh McCutcheon termed it risk management.

Lesson Plans for 4 and 6-Person

A three, six, eight or 12-week lesson plan can be put together by picking and choosing from the options presented herein.

Train Ugly

About a decade ago my kids and I went up to Lander, Wyoming to run a high school volleyball camp at the base of the Wind River Range, and home of the famous “cheesewheel” (a batter fried cheeseburger) and NOLS, the National Outdoor Leadership School.

Irrelevant Training

This short blog is a response to a coach who felt that worrying that all drills are gamelike was irrelevant. It is not irrelevant, nor anal. It is principle driven.

Limit Your Wall Drills

“Where is volleyball played?” is a question to ask your players or other coaches if you want to start an interesting discussion. “What is the most important skill in volleyball?” is the second question I ask to prompt some serious conversation.

Top 10 Reasons for a Club to do Sitting Volleyball Training

I am not an expert at the sport of sitting volleyball. The experts are Bill Hamiter, Mike Hulett and Elliot Blake, and the Paralympians who compete in it. However, I have spent over 20 years in growing the disabled game together.

The Brighter Side of Volleyball

Karch Kiraly on a positive attitude

Dear Cut Player

Ouch, it hurts, even the word “cut” comes from the action of your body being sliced open to some level. It might even seem right now that your hope or even long term dream of playing at a higher level seems over.

3000 Years of Life and Games

I returned this week to a special place of ancestors, a village I first was lucky to visit a decade ago, the Makah Nation.

FUNdaMENTAL Volleyball

The word FUNdaMENTAL hints at two very important factors for all players: having fun and developing good mental skills.