Talking Volleyball

This is our second episode using NotebookLM to help us explore a topic. Researchers like Rob Gray at Arizona State University and many others are exploring how we learn to move. Their science can be a little intimidating and we have used Google's NotebookLM tool to digest some of Rob's podcasts and generate this short discussion of the topics of Ecological Dynamics and the Constraints-led Approach (CLA) to learning. Hopefully this introduction is helpful in starting your own journey to understand this approach and use it in your coaching.

We've been away for a while and we are still thinking about what's next. In the meantime, we're still playing with tech ideas to help with learning and communication. That leads us to this podcast that we'll call the first episode of season 2. We're using NotebookLM, a personal language model from Google (beta) to listen to our Season 1, Episode 22 discussion on punishment and coaching. We were joined by Heidi Anderson, John Kessel, Loren Anderson and David Cordes to explore this topic. I had NotebookLM "listen" to the podcast and use its podcast capability to prepare a review of the discussion and gather takeaways. The two AI hosts discuss what they heard and present it here. A little scary and a little amazing at the same time. I hope you find it interesting.

Michael Gomez joins us for volleyball, sports and life from another perspective. After a 20 year jaunt in the corporate world at Bose and Sony Electronics, Michael shifted his focus. He discovered photography at Sony and spent his free time shooting anyone willing to be photographed. That led him to explore everything from weddings to portraits to family photos. But there’s another dynamic, his volleyball life from high school to college and the pros. BJ met Michael where his volleyball and photography passions meet…on the sand and on the court. We’ll talk about that and Michael’s upcoming work at the Paris Olympics. It’s a fascinating look at passion and work life.

Our “Beach Legends” series continues. In this episode, Adam Johnson joins us to talk about his volleyball journey. We start with a little history. Adam shares how he started playing at the Laguna Beach Volleyball Club and about the value of being a multi-sport athlete. He talks about the AVP grind, missing the sport and playing some 4-man. Then we move on to the synergies between beach and indoor, how he teaches, and where he, and the sport, are headed these days. So, listen in for a great discussion.

More breaking news in this episode. Accomplished player, coach and author of Coach Your Brains Out and host of the podcast of the same name, Billy Allen’s volleyball life is fascinating. An AVP Tour regular since 2004, Billy finds ways to grow the game for himself and those he coaches. And Billy also writes. In addition to his “Coach Your Brains Out” guide, he has authored The Inner Knight about training and competing and other fictional works including his “Blood” trilogy, with the latest installment in progress. Billy has some great news about his next challenge, so take a listen.

We’ve had a few “breaking news” items with a few of our recent guests. In our session today, we talk with Deitre Collins-Parker. From last person chosen for her high school team, to college standout, to Olympian, to a college and club coaching career, and now…well, you’ll need to listen to hear about her move to the Pro Volleyball Federation. Enjoy!

This is an extra treat for the holidays at a different hour for us. John Kessel joined us to talk all things volleyball and his latest labor of love, Puma Hills Mountain Retreat. You’ll be interested in all the work that John does and he has a request for us all to find ways to grow the game in our own way. We worked out the logistics to get John with us and had a great conversation with Cody’s dad.

Nick Toth, Assistant Coach at Kings High School joins us to talk about their championship run and his coaching journey. We learn about how to keep the coaching fire burning and how coaches learn from each other and support their teams. There's a lot more to Nick's journey, so check out our conversation.

Dan Mickle, head women’s coach at York College (DIII) and lead coach of the USA Volleyball ParaBeach program joins us to talk about tryouts. Dan’s experience in performance psychology and mental skills training gives him a unique perspective. We talk about some of the challenges of tryouts at college, high school and club levels. What opportunities are we missing when we cut an athlete? How might we help them with ongoing roles in the support of the sport? How can better communication make the process better for all? See if you can find something to help with your program.

Coach Craig Friedrichsen joins us for a second visit. Last time we talked about competition with and among our least experienced players. Craig shares a revelation from his recent work helping his U10 players hit the ball harder. We also cover some of his learning from other podcasts and videos and his recent addition of journaling for his team. Maybe we will spark some new thinking for you. Have a listen.

Beth Van Fleet joins us this week. Beth is the head coach of the Georgia State University “Sandy Panthers” who completed a successful 2023 campaign with their second consecutive NCAA National Championship appearance. She currently serves as the Chair of the AVCA All-America Committee and as the beach representative on the AVCA Board of Directors. Beth is an accomplished beach and indoor player, having earned Bronze and Silver medals on the NORCECA Beach Volleyball circuit. We talk about coaching and building a beach program, some of the mental aspects of the game and how to help our athletes develop as people and competitors. Come join us for a great conversation.

Today, we are talking with Connor Swigart. Connor talks with us about his motivations to start coaching. His Liberty Hurricanes High School Girls are a high performing program in Eastern Pennsylvania. Connor talks ecological dynamics and his curiosity about learning more about this approach to coaching. We talk about expanding range, error amplification and how we might play with constraints and how to help players improve their ability to score.

In this episode, Lauren Haight joins us to talk high school and club volleyball in lovely Michigan and beyond. The conversation covered developing a volleyball IQ camp for kids, how we might build trust with players and parents, how coaches behave and more. Have a listen.

In this conversation, Jay Hosack of George Mason joins us shortly after hosting the NCAA Men’s Championships. BJ has worked with Jay in USAV CAP programs and knows he’s an expert at getting his players to achieve their best. We’ll talk about that and other topics, so have a listen.

We’ve been away from the podcast for a while and I’m catching up with converting our live streams to podcasts. This episode features BJ and me talking about high school programs. BJ had accepted a new head coaching and I was at the beginning of our boys’ playoffs here in Arizona. We talk about our programs, goals, sportsmanship and more.

This week we catch up with Dr. Cecile Reynaud. Cecile has had quite a coaching journey. Starting right out of college, she led the Florida State Seminoles for 26 seasons notching 635 victories in that time. Cecile has been heavily involved in coaching education with USA Volleyball and has influenced many coaches around the world. But we’ve buried the lead here. Cecile has recently come out of retirement. As Vice President of Volleyball Operations, she is helping launch the Pro Volleyball Federation here in the USA. We talk about that, some of her volleyball journey and the future of volleyball. Settle in for a fun hour!

Rod Wilde of Wilde4Volleyball.com joins us from Madison, Wisconsin this week. After our episode with Tom Sorensen, Rod and BJ connected for our second Pepperdine guest in a row. Rod has a long history in the sport. He was a member of the Waves’ NCAA Championship team and 8 years later won the title again as coach of the Waves. He was the first rookie coach to win an NCAA title after taking over from legend Marv Dunphy. We’ll talk with Rod about those times and other stories, including working with paralympic athletes. Enjoy the conversation!

This week we talk with former Olympian and current club coach Tom Sorensen. BJ and Tom share their Wisconsin roots and talk about Tom’s experiences, from high school to Pepperdine to the National team. We discuss coaching lessons from Marv Dunphy, John Wooden and Tom himself. You’ll be taping an X on your floor this week after listening to this one. Join us for a fun conversation.

After a week off, BJ and I give you a distraction from the constant Super Bowl fare. BJ is scanning the VCT (Volleyball Coaches and Trainers) Facebook topics of the week for some discussion. If you were active this week and want to hear us chat about your topic, stop by. Better yet, join in the chat with your ideas. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:52 Turkey Tragedy 00:08:55 History of the Game 00:20:15 Players' Emotions 00:36:20 What coaches do to make players nervous 00:45:01 Nightmare Parents 00:55:05 Talkative Players 01:03:09 Can't make practice

Our guest this week is Karen Jarvis from Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. Karen has coached both boys and girls in age groups from 12 to 18 in a community environment. We’ll talk about that in the session. Join us to learn about teaching kids about life with ball.