Seniors Rule, Freshmen Drool…Not!

One of the things I’ve encountered as a player and as a coach, that’s a huge detriment to maintaining a positive team culture, is what I call a class system. For example, when upperclassmen make freshmen do all the “freshman” tasks (shagging the balls, taking the net down, carrying the equipment, and so on) while […]

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Are you playing for individual awards or team success?

Hey, wait! Isn’t serving the opposite of leading? Yeah, I once thought the same too. The crazy thing is, people will actually follow someone who they know cares about their team and teammates’ success over their own personal achievements. The question I have for you is, “Is your intention to be the best individual player, […]

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Don’t Hate. Appreciate.

A little Sunday afternoon reflection that is worth sharing and will hopefully bless somebody. I was sent this picture the other day when I was training a young setter. I first thought it was pretty cool that I’m 34 years old and can still demo proper setting skills correctly. In the picture, I am jump setting […]

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The Teammate Hit-and-Run!

One thing that I can’t stand while watching a team play is when two players, who are going for the same ball, accidentally collide with each other and make no effort to see if the other person is ok. Instead, they don’t say a word and walk back to their spots on the court. WHO […]

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No More “Help” Please

When I went to play professionally in Spain, I learned a new form of aggressive communication between teammates to avoid any chance that the ball drops on the court. Waiting for the setter to yell, “HELP” causes hesitation and is too late for another teammate to make a good play to improve the ball’s location. […]

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“Feeling” the Hitter’s Approach

Every middle has a different approach and they all hit at various heights. The most successful setters not only have the control to set a consistent ball to the hitter’s arm-reach, but also can feel if the hitter’s approach is fast to give her a quicker tempo set. Likewise, if the hitter is late or […]

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