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General Coaching Articles
How To Avoid Grievences
1. Get all the facts.  What went wrong, not who is to blame.
2. Stay calm.  Find the solution together.  Do not permit emotions to take over.  Use reason.
3. Criticize in private. Read The Full Article...
 
10 Steps to Improve your High School Program
This article isn't about volleyball theory or tactics. I am not writing about, for example, whether to play a rotating defense or perimeter; to swing block or not to swing, run a 5-1 or 6-2. Rather, these are some ideas I have learned in my 13 years as the boys coach at Redondo Union High (Redondo Beach CA) and my six as the girls coach.  When I took over the boys program in 1995, the program had won two playoff matches in 20 years; since 1997 we have won 20 playoff matches.  For the girls, our school won one playoff match in the 90s.  In the past four years, we have won 20 playoff matches.

My Favorite Coach
He knows that kids don't care how much he knows about this sport, until they know how much he cares about them.
She understands that it is even when a paycheck is included, that it is more than just winning games that she is doing with her players, and focuses on team building through off court activities.
He builds players who look inside themselves for the answers, not to him for the answers, always teaching us how to best teach ourselves. Read The Full Article...

Selling Your Team on Your Vision and Plan
Principle 1
It is impossible to antagonize and teach at the same time.
Principle 2
Show respect for your player’s opinions.  Never say, “your wrong.”
Principle 3
If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically. Read The Full Article...

Creating and Growing a Great Volleyball Program
Starting a successful volleyball program only takes the passion and spirit of one person to begin. This article shares decade’s worth of ideas that will help any and all programs in new ways to help the game thrive. It is important to keep in mind the number one principle in this – This is a team game, for the kids…  Read The Full Article...
 
Six Ways to Gain the Admiration of Your Players
Principle 1
Become genuinely interested in them.
Principle 2
Smile.
Principle 3
Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
 
Important Coaching Principles
1. Volleyball is a game of habits.
2. Never become satisfied.
3. Don’t give them too much, but teach them well.  Don’t tie them down so rigidly that they lose their initiative.

Leadership Techniques
A coach’s job often includes changing your player’s attitudes and behaviors.  Some suggestions to accomplish this:
Principle 1
Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
Principle 2
Call attention to the player's mistakes indirectly. Read The Full Article...

Dear Vocal Coach
Please read the following actual email from a dear friend, whose daughter plays volleyball. The names have been changed, and some sentences deleted, but none added/created by me, to make it be more of a generic version of what I see at USA Volleyball on a weekly basis: Read The Full Article...
 
Consequences
Adding Emphasis to games goes hand in hand with consequences.  Try to have natural consequences (two approach jumps for a missed spike).  Some keys to good consequences include the following.  Read The Full Article...
 
Suggestions to Lead By
1. Advertise Your Identity
In order to make sure that your values are on full display, you may need to do some “advertising” of various kinds.  Deeds count more than words, but words count too.  You may have to take steps to ensure that people know what you stand for.   Distributing the player handouts at each practice will go a long way towards communication the team’s vision to all the players but it is just a start.  Find other means and methods that work for you.  Read The Full Article...
 
How to Avoid Ruining Players
The guidelines herein are possibly known to the experienced coach.   The much need zeal and passion of new coaches can many times manifest in detrimental ways.   These guidelines and suggestions will ensure individual and team development will take precedence over you, your ego and the desire to win. Read The Full Article...
  
Basic Coaching Tips
1. Be a teacher.   Follow the laws of learning—explanation and demonstration, imitation, feedback on imitation, repetition until habit is formed.
2. Use lectures, photographs, movies, diagrams, written materials, etc., to supplement daily practices.
3. Insist on punctuality and proper dress for practices. Read The Full Article...
 
Coach-Player Relationship
1. Keep a close personal player relationship, but keep their respect.   Be sincerely interested in their personal problems and easy to approach.
2. Maintain discipline without being dictatorial.   Be fair and lead rather than drive.
3. Study and respect the individuality of each player and work with her accordingly.   Treat each player, as she deserves to be treated. Read The Full Article...
 
Competitive Cauldron: Explaining the Cauldron
There is no improvement without intensity. This is what draws us to the cauldron. If we want our players to improve, they have to play hard. If we want them to play hard, we have to get them to compete. If we want to create a competitive culture, then we need to measure things, record them, praise successes, and hold ourselves accountable for results. The cauldron, as created by University of North Carolina’s soccer coach, Anson Dorrance, gives us a foundation.
 
Communicating with Athletes
Mary Harvey, goalkeeper on the U.S. Women's Soccer Team that wonthe 1991 WorldCup,gaveupan“easy”goaljustbefore halftime of the championship game, which tied the score, 1-1. Instead of berating her or questioning her about what happened on the goal, coach Tony DiCicco simply talked to her about the upcoming second half and what she should focus on to prepare for the next half of play. Read The Full Article...
   
Feedback Traps
The importance of providing feedback to your athletes regarding their performance is without question. Unfortunately, a number of feedback traps exist that coaches can easily fall into. These traps reduce feedback effectiveness or worse, create unintentional consequences that can hinder performance. Following are five common feedback traps that should be avoided.
 
Can we Praise Too Much?
The article below, while not specific to volleyball, has some very direct and beneficial application to coaching. It also forces us to ask some very difficult questions about ourselves as coaches. Some of the questions I was forced to ask were:
How much do I give general feedback, as opposed to specific feedback (e.g. “great pass” instead of “you really worked hard to shuffle to that ball”). How much of my own self-concept is tied to the success (or failure) of my teams? Do I shelter my teams behind constant praise? Read The Full Article...
 
A Leadership Primer from General (Ret.) Colin Powell, Secretary of State
Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group, which means that some people will get angry at your actions and decisions. It's inevitable if you're honorable. Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity: You'll avoid the tough decisions, you'll avoid confronting the people who need to be confronted, and you'll avoid offering differential rewards based on differential performance because some people might get upset. Ironically, by procrastinating on the difficult choices, by trying not to get anyone mad, and by treating everyone equally "nicely" regardless of their contributions, you'll simply ensure that the only people you'll wind up angering are the most creative and productive people in the organization. Read The Full Article...
 
Getting Your Team To Talk
Many of you have asked yourself the following question:
Why is my team (or specific player) so quiet? Why won’t they talk?
It is a very common question. However, my question to you is…what exactly do you want them to say?
 
The essence of great leadership: Creating passion and purpose in the workplace
By Joe Morrow, Managing Director and Vince Cavasin, Partner Morningstar Consulting Group LLC
Why does your organization exist? There are a number of pat answers to this question: “To make widgets,” “To create shareholder value.” Why are you and your employees motivated to work? The answers are often similarly glib: “You have to make money!” “Everybody’s gotta work.”  Good leaders create an organization with a purpose that rises above the bottom line; great leaders go a step further, finding ways to leverage the passion of each employee in order to create incentives that transcend financial rewards. Read The Full Article...

Discipline 
Coach Lou Holtz maintains that the major determining factors between where you are now and where you want to be in the future are (1) The books that you read; (2) The people you associate with; and (3) The dreams that you dream.
 
Ten Tips for Coaches
1. Be prepared. Make a list of what needs to be accomplished during each practice and stick to it.
2. Manage practice time, so everything gets covered. Don't dwell on one concept for a full practice trying to get it perfect. Come back and visit it another day.
3. Be concise. It seems most kids have an attention span of about 10 - 15 seconds. After that, minds wander, especially if there is some other activity visible. If there is a lot to say, break it into segments.  Read The Full Article...