Watch as Dr. Colleen Hacker explains that mental toughness is a skill, and it can be developed. It is about how an individual responds to adversity, difficult situations, setbacks, and failure. Mental toughness is not […]
Filling the Void – Life After Sport
Originally published in an Adam Sarancik Book A close friend from my high school and college years passed away recently. He was, quite simply, the most talented and gifted high school athlete I have ever […]
Bucket Passing Drill with Jen DeJarld – Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School (IL)
Watch as Coach Jen DeJarld explains, and players demonstrate this bucket passing drill working on proper movement, tracking, and angles. The goal is to keep good form and not worry too much about the ball […]
Setter’s Tempo Drill with Lyndsey Oates – Univ. of Northern Colorado
Watch as Coach Lyndsey Oates explains, and a setter demonstrates this setter’s tempo drill. Setters must be aware of where they are on the court and be able to adjust their tempo accordingly. The closer […]
Hitter’s Hand Contact Drill with Kathleen Miller – Oak Lawn Community High School (IL)
Watch as Coach Kathleen Miller explains, and players demonstrate this hitter’s hand contact drill. The hitters are up on a box and working on four different shot selections: #1 finishing the swing with the thumb […]
Attacker: Decision and Execution Errors with Travis Hudson – Western Kentucky Univ.
Watch as Coach Travis Hudson discusses the two types of errors attackers make – decision errors and execution errors. Coach explains the difference between the two errors and how evaluating where the errors are coming […]
Holistic Coaching for the Benefit of All Players
Originally published in an Adam Sarancik Book “Never confuse winning with succeeding. A successful league and team is one that inspires its players to want to come back again tomorrow.” Too often, leagues and teams […]
Full-Feature! Daily Practice Plans and Drills with Nancy Dorsey – St. James Academy (KS)
7 DAYS ONLY! Access to this 32-minute session from an AVCA Coach of the Year Super Clinic that is available in our Volleyball Coaches Insider +Plus video library will expire on Monday, December 2, 2024 […]
Warmups: The Skyhawk Sequence with Renee Saunders – Skutt Catholic High School (NE)
Watch as Coach Renee Saunders explains, and players demonstrate this everyday Skyhawk Sequence practice and pre-game warmup. The focus is to get the players’ mind and body ready to practice or play a game. Coach […]
Coaching Tips: Athletes Who Have Experienced Trauma with Dr. Lee Dorpfeld – Univ. of South Florida
Watch as Dr. Lee Dorpfeld discusses some tips for coaches who are dealing with athletes that have experienced some form of trauma. These athletes are not trying to push your buttons or be difficult but […]
Blocking Vision: Don’t Close Your Eyes with Rocco Lucci – Niagara Frontier VB Club
Watch as Coach Rocco Lucci explains, and players demonstrate this blocking vision drill. Blockers will first focus on ready position, making sure they are elbows-distance from the net. Keeping thumbs up and fingers out wide, […]
Blocking Warm Up Drill with Jaylen Reyes – Univ. of Nebraska
Watch as Coach Jaylen Reyes explains, and players demonstrate this blocking warmup that focuses on high block reps and eye work. The drill starts with a pass to a setter and the middle blocker works […]
I’m Stressed and I Have the Capability of Calming Down with Dr. Colleen Hacker – Team USA / Pacific Lutheran Univ.
Watch as Dr. Colleen Hacker explains that when you are angry, frustrated, stressed, or have lost focus, your next word or thought should be “and”. Whatever the negative situation is that you need to announce, […]
Hazing/Bullying in Athletics
By: David T. Morris Originally Published in: Student-Athletes: Control Your Own Destiny Definition of Bullying: As defined by the organization, stopbullying.gov, “bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a zeal […]
Setting: Face and Square with Luka Slabe – USA Volleyball
Watch as Coach Luka Slabe explains how he studied every set of his team’s 39 matches to determine the hitting efficiency when the setters are too close to the middle or the net. He determined […]
Head Coach Blueprint: Cover Letters Are the Key to Getting Interviews with Chris Fore – Eight Laces Consulting
Watch as Chris Fore discusses how to get that first head coaching job. The key factor of getting an interview for the head coaching position is the cover letter. A great cover letter can make […]
Hourglass Ball Control Drill with Jenny Glenn – Metropolitan State Univ. of Denver
Watch as Coach Jenny Glenn explains, and players demonstrate the Hourglass Ball Control Drill. The drill can be scored by total points, or it can be timed. The court is manipulated by moving the antennas […]
How to Serve Receive Your Best with Kate Wood – McGill-Toolen Catholic High School (AL)
Watch as Coach Kate Wood talks about serve receive and when it matters the most. She discusses that as a coach, there are no perfect passengers and that you need to know your technique and […]
Dig Set Out of System Play Drill with Terri Neujahr – Waverly High School (NE)
Watch as Coach Terri Neujahr discusses a drill they use called Dig-Set. The drill helps simulate different things that could happen in game when you must dig or set. During the drill, they have a […]
Chair Passing Drill for Platform Development with Renee Saunders – Skutt Catholic High School (NE)
Watch as Coach Renee Saunders discusses drills for platform development, such as their method called the Chair Passing Drill; this helps work on angles with your passers. They have players sit on the edge of […]
Team Defense Drill with Zach Weinberg – Tennessee Tech University
Watch as Coach Zach Weinberg discusses a drill they use called Team Defense. They bring out big boxes on the left and right side of the net with coaches standing on top of the boxes. […]
Middle Hitting: Arm Swing Drill with Phil Nickel – Dallas College Eastfield Campus
Watch as Coach Phil Nickel explains, and players (middles) demonstrate this arm swing drill. This drill has four parts and starts with a player receiving a toss from the coach and hitting the ball under […]
In Season Maintenance: Med Ball Circuit with Jon Kosrow – JK Strength and Fitness
Watch as Jon Kosrow explains, and athletes demonstrate this in season med ball circuit. The circuit consists of the med ball scoop toss, ice skater hops, and lunge wood chops. These drills work on generating […]
Empowering Coaches: Strategies for Supporting Youth from Struggling Homes in Athletics
By: Scott Garvis, CMAA Provided By: NHSACA As a coach, it’s essential to support students who come from struggling homes. These kids may face various challenges, and coaches can play a vital role in providing […]
Hustle Pepper Drill with Christi Posey – Univ. of Missouri-Kansas City
Watch as Coach Christi Posey explains, and players demonstrate this Hustle Pepper Drill. The players will buddy up and the drill starts with player #1 at the 10ft line starting with a swing and player […]
Middle Blockers Hand-on-Ball Contact Drill with Laura Johnson – McGill-Toolen Catholic HS (AL)
Watch as Coach Laura Johnson explains, and players demonstrate this drill for middle blockers that trains hand-on-ball contact. Coach wants players to focus on drawing their hands up fast and getting their elbows tight and […]
Setting: Efficient Feet with Zach Weinberg – Tennessee Tech Univ.
Watch as Coach Zach Weinberg explains, and players demonstrate this setting drill that trains efficient feet. This concept ensures the team will get the majority of killable balls. The Setter will first set themselves off […]
Point Blank Defense with Kellen Petrone – Univ. of Pittsburgh
Watch as Coach Kellen Petrone explains, and players demonstrate this point blank defense drill. This digging drill starts with a defender in the back corner, advancing a step closer to the hitter after every dig. […]
Create a Positive Self-Talk Routine with Zack Etter – Univ. of Massachusetts
Watch as Zack Etter discusses creating a positive self-talk routine when communicating with players. He recommends sharing positive information everyday as today’s players are surrounded by negativity. Create an environment that focuses on the positive […]
The Mental Approach to Coaching
By: Adam Sarancik Author of: Coaching Champions for Life “When evaluating your team, look first in the mirror with honest intent.” What is your mental approach to coaching? By your mental approach, I’m not asking […]