Coaching Philosophy

Our coaching philosophy is centered on the following critical components. These elements are instrumental in order to be a transformative and effective coach and assist in the growth of athletes. The top priorities are: training methods, improvement, team culture, relationships, organization, and confidence in ourselves. While a description of each of these areas follow, it goes without saying that they are related and must be considered in total to fully capture the overall philosophy.

A. Training Methods

Improvement will come slowly but steadily if the proper training methods are followed. The coach must be a teacher and follow the laws of learning. Are we doing the right things the right way on a daily basis? This is a key objective, that we constantly monitor. The first things the players must learn are the skills necessary to be successful within any system in volleyball. The players then must be prepared to refine these skills and patterns. They must also understand the objectives and standards we will ask them to meet on a regular basis. It is critical for them to learn, among other things, the proper technique, positioning, movement patterns, and speed of the game in order to excel. As with anything, to master the movements of volleyball requires many repetitions over a long period of time. There is no substitute for reps. We will give the players opportunities to respond to the situations that occur most often during a game or match. There is a “randomness/uniqueness” that occurs in every play. Providing athletes appropriate game-like stimuli better trains them for these situations. We want our players to not only know how to do things properly, but also to understand why we do the things we do.

As part of our teaching method, we will work one-on-one or in small groups with players always providing feedback. Video review will be used to help the players see and understand their movement patterns as well as systems and tendencies. This helps build the mind and body connection. When players are immediately able to see what their bodies are doing, they can make quicker adjustments. This leads to more efficient use of practice time and faster improvement. In our view, we must prepare our players so that they will react properly during a game. That is why most of the time during practice and private lessons we will create situations in which the athlete is forced to react. Over a period of time, the athlete becomes familiar with the situation, learns to recognize it (developing their eyes) and, finally, becomes adept at anticipating and reacting to that situation. Volleyball is a visual-motor sport, with the emphasis on the visual. Training our athletes to see and “read the game properly”, is paramount for success. Seeing the game is also known as “Volleyball IQ”.

B. Improvement

We emphasize improvement over winning. We want athletes to meet their full athletic potential. We evaluate each athlete at tryouts and work on strengthening their weaknesses over the season to prepare them for their next school season. The result will be a much-improved volleyball player. In order to facilitate improvement, all of the other parts of our coaching philosophy will also be brought into play. As with many of the other items that comprise my coaching philosophy, improvement is the responsibility of both the player and the coaches.

C. Team Culture

We believe that the best way to help an athlete to improve is to provide a supportive team culture where each player is encouraged to compete and reach their maximum potential. The overall culture of the program can help athletes develop the poise and control that will be necessary when they find themselves in a difficult situation on the court. Of course, the coaches must set the example if the athletes are expected to keep their composure. We pride ourselves on modeling composure even in the most trying situations. This sets the expectation for the players to behave properly on the court.

D. Relationships

There are two primary relationships to be cultivated during the season: the relationship between the coach and individual athletes and the relationships of players among teammates. Getting to know the players on a personal level is critical to learn how to reach each athlete and bring out the best in them. Open communication is essential to gain the trust of the athlete and, more importantly, to be able to properly provide feedback and make sure it is understood.

We always speak with athletes about the importance of being “a good teammate.” Good teammates support each other, have productive dialogue with one another, and settle disputes through conversation and strong listening skills. We have observed first-hand how good team chemistry can elevate the performance of a team while a similarly talented team that has poor team chemistry will not perform as well. The players have more fun and play improves when they feel supported by their teammates and coaches. We have zero tolerance for bad attitudes. We make sure the players build relationships with each other while improving their skills.

E. Organization.

We believe that everyone involved in the program must know their responsibilities and what role they are fulfilling to make sure nothing has been overlooked. Being organized and thorough ensures there is no wasted time or effort. As we prepare our athletes for competition, this is essential. Also, being very well-organized increases the productivity of everyone involved.

F. Confidence in Ourselves

We have confidence in ourselves and our coaching philosophy. We have been successful at each step of our coaching careers and attribute that success, at least in part, to our coaching abilities. Our coaching will continue to improve. As coaches, we are always working to prepare our athletes for competition with the ultimate objective of improvement leading to victories. We have faith that if the proper training principles are applied, the progress needed to reach the result will occur. We demand that our athletes be fully invested in their own improvement and we will be fully invested in them. Although our hope is to win every time our teams compete, we do not necessarily equate success with winning. Success comes from putting in your best effort and being able to walk off the court with pride that you have done your best and have properly represented yourself and your team.

In conclusion, our coaching philosophy has many components, which overlap. It is impossible to discuss one part of our coaching philosophy without touching on another. We strongly believe that practicing the principles outlined here, we can guide student athletes to their highest potential.