What to Serve? Volleyball, not dinner!

A Serving question from a reader:

Have to ask - what's your take on the jump float serve? Mine - if you're realizing a significant gain (versus the risk involved in executing), then I can see it. But if your jump serve (topspin) or jump float serve is no better than standing there on two feet, then why do it?

I was at a qualifier recently and saw all sorts of girls doing (or trying to do) a jump floater. You have to start learning somewhere, I agree. However - the serves were no better - and often even easier - than a standard, feet-on-the-floor serve. In fact, I saw several kids doing all sorts of weird stuff - like running sideways along the baseline (like a slide hitter on a backset) and trying to jump float a serve.. I told my daughter - it may look good and be fun, but if the risk is high and the gain is low, you don't even need to bother. Having said that, I did go to a couple of NCAA playoff games last year where the girl actually was hitting DOWN over the net; a fast, nasty floater. Now THAT I understand...Bruce


One of the things I found interesting after the switch to rally score (boo, hiss) was serving - It seemed to me that players (on all levels - high school, club and college) were missing just as many, if not more, serves than ever. Even with my team, I just close my eyes and try to understand how come we miss so many serves and at the most inopportune times.

With rally score, each miss is a double negative - You lose a point, and you give the ball right back to the opponents and they have the opportunity to serve. Some Volleyfolks will say that so many missed serves just balances everything out and your opponent can easily miss their serve. But, the key to success in rally score is point runs.

A 25 point rally score game, which is done faster than the first commercial break on Law and Order, is usually won by one team putting together an approximate 6 point, or more, scoring run; especially after the team scores reach double digits.

You do not 'run' points by sideing out, you run points by serving and scoring. In this sense, scoring is as important as ever, but since the game is so compressed (25 points or approximately 1.5 to 2 complete rotations) the opportunity to run points is precious. Each time you miss a serve, you have not only lost a point, but you have lost the chance to go on a point run and now must fight off the opposing team's chance to run points.

Volleyfolks can well argue that missed serves are a by product of serving tough, which is true. Yet, too many players serve stupid - By that, they increase the intensity of their serves until they miss. Rally score serving should be the other way around - Players should start by serving at @ 90% of their toughest possible serve, then back off a bit for every serve until the opposition sides out. The last thing a coach wants to see, is a player put together two solid serves and their team score two points, only to have the next serve fly 10 feet out of bounds or slam into the middle of the net. If a team can string together a 8 or 9 serve point run, the serving player should literally be sending the ball over with a junior high under hand serve!

We have all been unfortunate enough to get stuck in a sideout rotation, where nothing is working and we are just dropping points. The thing that everyone is thinking is, "please miss this serve!".

I call it being in 'jail' - when the other team is bleeding points, they are in jail. The last thing we want to do is let them out, free them from their terrible rotation. I just shake my head when I see my team or any other team, miss serve #4 because they have just let a team out of jail.

Back to Bruce's Question - The Jump float. It is my understanding that the Jump Float, like Fire Ants and Killer Bees, came from South America. The Latin players have been using the jump float for many, many years and can just light it up - They have the deep jump float (from 20' beyond the end line, the short-short jump float (where they take a huge broad jump over the end line, but still serve it inside the opponents 3 meter line), the medium jump float that just rifles at the passers, etc.

What I like about the jump float (on average) is that it can be more difficult to handle than a standing float, but not as high risk as a jump serve (spinning). When a ball floats, much like a baseball knuckle ball pitch, it acts unpredictably - much like when the baseball catcher is flopping around the dirt like a tuna trying to catch the pitch, you see passers making last second lunges trying to get their platforms behind a bouncing float serve. The actual floating or knuckling motion is caused when the ball hits a certain miles per hour and turbulence forms forms.

It may sound like I am making this up, but I am not - I read a university paper on what makes round objects knuckle-float unpredictably. There is a certain speed range in which balls will float-knuckle; baseball, volleyball, etc. If a volleyball is below this speed when over the opponents court, it has a lazy, predictable arc to its path. If a volleyball is over this speed range when over the opponents court, it tends to look like a straight line that flies long before dropping down.

After reading this article, it makes sense as towhy serves look a certain way. Ever wonder why Mary does not have a tough serve or her floater is easy to pass - It is because she never gets the ball up to the turbulence speed. Same with Sue's serve, which more often than not is just a bullet going out the gym door - She generated way too much speed.

Back to the jump serve - For some reason, and this I have not read a paper about, the jump serve is a bit more consistent in generating that turbulent speed zone and the Latin players are very adept at managing their approach and arm speed to create the optimum ball speed for a nasty floater. I feel it has something to do with the speed generated in the approach being applied to the armswing, during the serve. These two combine to achieve that turbulent speed on a more consistent level.

American Volleyball is usually very good at copying what works in the rest of the world (fore arm passing, a quick offense, diving and rolling, etc.) and we still do it today in our ready acceptance of the Asian style of volleyball implemented by our last two Women's National Team coaches. Our younger players have started to copy this jump float serve after older players picked it up from international players. By the way, we copied the jump serve from the Argentinian Men's Team (per my understanding).

The problem with the jump float at the club level, is that it can be a difficult serve to execute for the younger players who may not have the coordination or physical power. In this case, the standing serve with a one or two step sequence might allow for strong power base to be used. Another issue for jump floaters, in a club tournament setting, is the size of the playing surface.

When tournament directors squeeze in every possible court, they don't leave much room for a good jump float approach. This is why you can see the sideways or slide approach being used with a jump float - a simpleway to create more room to generate more power on the serve.

Another thing which concerns me about the jump float, or a jump serve, in a tournament situation is the extra jumps needed. On the first day of a tournament, there are plenty of jumps in the tank. But, by day three, legs start to weaken, arms swings get sloppy and jump floats can really just be a waste of a jump. Remember, serve it in and run points.

All in all, I support the jump serve and encourage it as a serving weapon. A complete player should be able to serve the four dominant styles - Standing float serve near the end line, standing serve from very deep, jump float and jump serve. The rational is that you need to be able to adjust to the set up of the court, along with being able to switch to another serve if one is not doing well.

The first thing I encourage younger players do to is become very adept at a standing float serve - Getting the ball over is not adept, that is basic; serving to a specific zone is not adept, that is just beyond basic. Adept is being able to make the ball float/dance/knuckle to any zone on command, along with serving short with confidence. After you can manage that from standing within a few feet of the end line, then move on to the jump float, then jump serve, along with being able to go deep in larger gyms and drop bombs.

As Bruce referenced, some of the taller college players with skill and experience can generate a nasty, flat jump float that comes on the passers awfully quick and on an almost downward angle.

Practice is where the different types of serves should be made comfortable, and then knowing when to use them in a match is important. If you are playing Club Frick and Frack, then break out the different serves (while still running points). If you are playing Club Super Duper, then you need to serve your best, most consistently tough serve; the one you have the most confidence in.

Thanks for the question!

NCAA Division I Volleyball Quiet Period

The case of the disappearing DI Volleyball coach - Yes, it is the upcoming NCAA Quiet Period for Division I Women's Volleyball. A Quiet Period, per NCAA rules, is a time frame in which Division I coaches cannot leave campus to recruit or have off campus contact with a Prospective Student Athlete or family.

The May Quiet Period runs from the 1st to the Friday before Memorial Day weekend; the 22nd of May. I will check this end date for sure in the NCAA documentation which is in my office.

So, what does all this mean?

1. Parents and players get a break from really self important Division I volleyball coaches swimming around the courts of tournaments like schools of fish. My favorite display of egos are the assistant coaches from some of the big name schools - Quite a display of arrogance for ball shaggers.

2. Players can go back to (if they have not learned already) playing relaxed.

3. Grandma can stop her vigilant watch on the 15's courts, protecting the freshman from college coaches.

4. Club coaches can relax because Big Name Coach from Big Name School is no longer shadowing their court.

5. Division I assistant coaches won't get sent halfway across the country to scout at some 3 court tournament in which their school won't ever sign a recruit from (not because they are not worthy, but because they are halfway across the country and don't have the academics or volleyball reputation to draw a player that far!), just because the head coach is panicked that the next Logan Tom is playing on some obscure club team and another school could find her first!

6. Head coaches can spend some time with their families because they can't recruit and their team should be in final examinations. The ones with ethics will actually just trust their players to work out and communicate with the strength coaches during May - the ones without, won't.

7. Just because DI coaches can't come stalk you, does not mean you can't go bother them! Unofficial Visits are allowed and this is a great opportunity for you to get onto a campus to check things out. It may be during a time frame in which finals are upcoming or it may be after school has let out, but this may be a great slot in a PSA's schedule because the Qualifiers are done, Regionals are coming up quickly (or done), and there is a slower playing (and hopefully practice) schedule.

8. The Quiet Period does not apply to Division II - So, there may still be a number of NCAA volleyball coaches at your events, but they should not be DI. If you spot a Division I coach at a tournament during the Quiet Period, in uniform (I mean polo), please e-mail me and I will divulge my identity as a reward!!! (maybe - if it is a big enough program!)

May is a great month as a '10 PSA (09 PSA see below and 11 PSA's please go have some fun and DO NOT go visit a school yet!!) because you have the time to get out and see schools. If you have not made your verbal commitment, take this time frame to visit and reflect. Is what is being sold to you is in fact what you are buying? Some coaches are incredible at selling a certain picture, but that is not what you will see when you arrive. Arrive early, with your eyes wide open (and your parent's eyes wide open) to see what the school and the program is all about.

The reality is the Unofficial Visit is now the Official Visit. This is the trip in which you need to take a hard look, as best you can, about what that school has to offer in terms of academics, facilities, future (remember, you are one and half years out from getting on the court), coaching staff, player personalities, etc.

Without sounding dramatic, if you are a class of 09 PSA, May is the month to get it done. By 'it', I mean select your school. Make the best choice possible and move on.

1. By May, the mass majority of scholarship are gone in Division I. There is always a chance something may open up late or a late verbal commitment was changed, but odds are the Division I scholarships are history.

2. If you are set on going DI come Heaven or Heck, then you should start (actually, you should be well along) with securing a walk-on position. In this sense, you should pursue a walk-on position with the same vigor and focus in which one pursues a scholarship spot. Big name schools tend to have a plethora (I don't get to use the word plethora much) of PSA's asking to be walk-ons, so if you want to wear the practice gear (that should be your first goal by the way) of State U., then you need to demonstrate that you would be an excellent walk-on member of the program. Once again, come May, many rosters are set for the next fall.

3. May is not only the time to decide on a school, but it is also time to take a hard look at what you want in your collegiate experience - You may need to consider life outside of Division I. First of all, let me assure you it is a good life!!! Too many players and parents get hung up on the DI moniker. From my experience in DII and DIII, the players have a better balance with school, volleyball and a social life. The travel can be exceedingly less stressful, the amount of edginess from faculty about you being an athlete is less and the competitive energy outside of DI is still intense. Don't think DII or DIII is minor league or second tier; I have coached in environments which would put DI to shame - Intense, lots of noise, crazy passion and energy which I was unprepared for as a coach!

4. Junior College Volleyball is something which every good PSA should consider. There are many good JC programs which could beat many, many Division I teams. A JC is a great alternative because scholarships can be funded better than DII, you have a better opportunity to play immediately and become an impact player, and then after playing one (if you are a NCAA Qualifier) or two seasons, you can jump to a 4 year school better prepared athletically and academically.

What I am getting at, in a long, meandering Sunday night kinda way, is that May is a big month if you are an 09 prospect - Time to decide and go hard at your new future!

International Coach Employment Question

It is an interesting irony with volleyball in America - Outside of the USA, volleyball is one of the world's most popular sports and I have read such statistics as #1 for women and #2 for men. But, the United States, because of collegiate athletics, offers more full time gainful employment opportunities than the rest of the world.

When I have traveled internationally and visited with other coaches, they are amazed to hear that USA college coaches enjoy the employment situations which we do - Full time, with benefits, paid vacations, camp income opportunity, comfortable travel, first class facilities, etc.

This coaching opportunity is very attractive to international coaches and I often get asked how they can come to the USA and coach - The question below is typical of what I hear each time I travel:

Dear College Volleyball Coach!

It is with great interest, that I read your website, because it is very informative and you give very detailed answers to all kinds of questions.

So here is my question/situation:

Right now I work for a club in a small country in the middle of Europe. Since four years I'm head coach of a men's team there. We were quite successful, advancing from 2nd league to first league last year, and this year we managed to stay in first league. Before being a coach I've played myself and at the same time worked with Junior and Youth teams for more than 10 years. In addition to my coaching experience I have a Masters Degree in Physical Education and a German A-Level Coaching Certificate (which is highly regarded, at least in Europe)
I'm looking for a new challenge now, and it was last January when I met some US college coaches during my work as assistant coach for the youth national team. Talking to them was very interesting because the approach of college volleyball in the US is completely different from all types of programmes in Europe.

So I decided to give it a try and look for a coaching position at a US college.
So far I did research about the NCAA rules to prepare myself in that area I try to keep up to date with the match results and the important teams and players.

So here are my questions:
Are there any chances for foreign coaches to get a job at a US college? (as a start assistant would be just fine)
What can I do to increase my chances?
What is the best time to apply (which months)? Is this time the same for men's teams as for women's?
Is there any other advice you could give a coach from Europe?

I would appreciate your help!

Thanks, Martin


Let me first directly answer your questions and then provide some general observations which may provide some additional information/direction for you.

1. There are many opportunities for Foreign, the better term is International, coaches and starting as an assistant is the most realistic opportunity. The ncaa.org website has an employment section and it is here that volleyball employment opportunities are announced for NCAA schools, along with Junior College and NAIA schools on occasion. For employment opportunities specific to Junior Colleges and NAIA, just click the link. Your best opportunity will be as an assistant.

Please be aware that on many of the position postings, the school will note whether international applications will be accepted. This is mainly a result of the cost of international work visas which schools do not wish to pay. This notification can usually be found somewhere in the body of the announcement. You may be able to still apply if you make clear in your application that you are willing to pay for any visa fee's (they can easily reach $2,000.00+).

2. You can make yourself more attractive or better your chances by emphasizing your recruiting connections in your native country. Most USA schools and head coaches look towards international coaches as a means to improve their recruiting success. It is rare that international coaches are hired because of their skill in coaching, but rather because of their ability to improve the volleyball program by attracting international elite players. This is not to say that international coaches do not have fine training/coaching skills, but the focus is more upon recruiting enhancement.

3. Women's College Volleyball tends to hire from late November to early May, with random positions opening and being hired right up until August. Men's Volleyball is a spring sport, so any openings would occur in the fall. But, Men's College Volleyball is much, much smaller in the USA and there are only a handful of positions which are classified as full time. This is really not a viable option because of the rare openings.

4. Advice? Be patient and put yourself into a position to be hired. It is not very effective to just send off applications and hope to be hired. You need to be able to put yourself into a position to be seen and the easiest way to do this is to work summer camps or attend the AVCA convention to meet people.

Your goal working camps should not be to make money, but to just meet other coaches. To this end, contact programs and let them know you will be traveling to the USA in the summer and would appreciate the chance to work their camp. You may send out 100 e-mails and only get a couple of responses, but that is OK - You will need to invest a bit of time and money for the later career payoff.

The American Volleyball Coaches Association convention is always in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship. It is common for interviews to occur at the convention, but the number of interviews has dropped a bit in recent years. It is to your advantage to apply for a position and let the head coach or athletic director know you will be at the AVCA convention and would enjoy meeting. Also, the convention presents a good opportunity to meet other coaches, which is easy with the number of social opportunities which are presented.

Another consideration with attending the convention is to learn more about the American protocol of being a volleyball coach. I say this because while there are many successful international coaches in NCAA volleyball, there are many other coaches which only lasted a season or two because of cultural differences.

Coaching college volleyball in the USA is very different than coaching volleyball outside of America. When International coaches have failed in the USA it was usually because they did not respect and observe the protocols or culture of NCAA/College Volleyball. Examples:

1. NCAA rules. Too often NCAA rules are looked at by International coaches as nothing serious or to worry about. NCAA rules are indeed very serious and must be observed at all costs; breaking NCAA rules as a volleyball coach is one of the fasted ways to lose your job. Too many times, International coaches come from organizations or associations where the rules are in flux or easily bent/broken with no serious ramifications. This lack of respect for NCAA rules will not be tolerated by Athletic Directors and one reason schools are hesitant to hire International coaches.

1A. Amateurism of recruits - NCAA rules are very strict with regards to being an amateur versus professional. For example, if a volleyball player plays with a professional team, even though they might not have gotten paid, they are a professional and cannot be a NCAA athlete. International coaches have gotten into trouble when they tried to skirt the amateurism rules by taking their own interpretation of being professional (like saying since the player was not on the top pro team or pro league, they are not really professional).

2. Leadership of 17 to 22 year old female athletes. In the USA, coaches are looked at to be mentors and leaders to ensure the academic, social and athletic success of the student-athlete. While the NCAA and supporting Athletic Directors went a bit nuts with the whole 'student-athlete experience' propaganda of year's past (it gets a bit silly when coaches are literally being told to make players happy like it is a day care!), it is still expected that coaches will be leaders and mentors. Too often, because of the athletic cultures with which International coaches hail from, players are 'disposable' - they can be easily replaced if they do not perform and players have no serious voice in expressing problems or concerns. Many Athletic Directors want the best of all worlds with their volleyball teams; no drama or player issues, high grades and winning seasons - pay attention to how I listed the order.

3. No inappropriate relationships with players - This is the fastest way to lose your job as an International Coach and unfortunately one which has happened. Once again, this is a big cultural difference between the USA and many other countries with regards to coaching volleyball. Without passing judgment, it seems OK in many countries for the volleyball coach(es) to be romantically involved with their players and I have seen it first hand while traveling, along with hearing stories from my international players. This is something which has ZERO tolerance in NCAA Volleyball.

It is not easy to gain employment in the USA as an international volleyball coach because there is much competition with very qualified current coaches and former NCAA players. The avenue which seems most successful for international coaches is to promote their abilities to attract elite athletes from their own country, gain experience in how NCAA Volleyball and NCAA athletic departments operate, then apply for head coaching positions which accept international candidates.

Again, it is not easy, but it is achievable as evidenced by the number of international assistant and head coaches in NCAA Volleyball.

Sand Volleyball

OK - I just copied this from the front page of the NCAA.org web site:

Sand volleyball added as emerging sport in Division I | The Division I Legislative Council added sand volleyball to the list of emerging sports for women, clearing the way for schools to use the sport toward minimum sponsorship requirements and minimum financial aid awards.

Anyone who reads my website knows my opinion of this future sport. But, if I need any more support, the picture the NCAA has on its site with this 'emerging' sport is of a SOCCER BALL ON A BEACH!!!

I am not kidding - the NCAA website's own picture of 'sand volleyball' is a soccer ball sitting on a nasty patch of sand. If there is any more illustrative example of exactly how much the NCAA values this new sport it is the picture - It is worth a Thousand Words.

Also, read the small print of the Heading I copied from the NCAA.org opening page - "...clearing the way for schools to use the sport toward minimum sponsorship requirements and minimum financial aid awards". USE the sport - exactly what I have written about. This sport will be used to make things easier for institutions to stay in compliance with Title IX equity laws.

NOTHING in the opening sentence about more opportunities for women athletes; just "use the sport". This is nothing more than a numbers game to ensure more support for football and basketball.

Great job AVCA, Great Job!!! NCAA women's volleyball programs are being cut, it is better to support this - a picture of a soccer ball. Now we can sit back and watch what happens - More work for coaches, less pay, more physical wear and tear on athletes, and LESS SUPPORT for indoor volleyball. Great job AVCA!!!

I copied the picture of what they used, for when someone finally figures it out that they posted a soccer ball!

Sand volleyball added as emerging sport in Division I | The Division I Legislative Council added sand volleyball to the list of emerging sports for women, clearing the way for schools to use the sport toward minimum sponsorship requirements and minimum financial aid awards.

collegevolleyballcoach web site changes

Hope everyone had a great weekend which included seeing the finest game ever invented!!!

When I write these posts to my website, I sometimes don't take the time to look at collegevolleyballcoach.com outside of the editing. Those instances when I just type in the URL address, it is to re-edit and catch small grammatical errors or to read in an effort to re-write a part which does not sound right in my mind.

On one of my 'trips' to the site, some of the advertising via Google caught my eye and not in a good way. One of the ads I saw was titled "Sexy Volleyball Photo's" - That is not anything which I want to have associated with my site.

After seeing this, I have taken a bit more time to view what the other ad spots entail. Along with the ads for educational institutions and some volleyball product/equipment ads, I also noticed recruiting service/company advertising. I guess it makes sense because I answer many questions each month about college volleyball recruiting, but some of the recruiting advertisers were companies which I would not support; in fact, I have written critically of the type of service which they provide for volleyball recruiting.

I am not a computer or software person and much of what my player's tell me is cool new technology just flies over my head - I look at their i-phones with a sense of amazement, while they look at me in a strange way when I talk about 10 cents a minute long distance rates back in the day.

In the past few months, I have been contacted about selling advertising space on the site or working with Internet consultants to maximize revenue. I was not comfortable with this line of thought simply because I wanted to avoid any conflict of interest. Part of this rational was because of my desire to remain anonymous - I believe this allows me to write and help in a much more relaxed environment.

Additionally, I don't like to view websites where you have to hunt through the aggressive and or passive advertising to find the content. So many websites have become like the big city newspapers where it is hard to find the article in the ads for Macy's, Ford or Best Buy!

To this end, I have decided to go the Wikipedia route and not have any advertising on the site - passive or else. Instead, like Wikipedia, any revenue will be a result of donations from readers. My desire is to be able to help folks work their way through the maze of recruiting, get a feel for what college volleyball is about and thus assist in the transition from high school to college athlete, and also to provide a selfish outlet for things in our great sport which can drive me nuts!!

I hope the site is a bit easier on the eyes without the advertising and if you feel like making a donation to the vacation fund (because the economy has nixed the raise anytime soon!), then I sincerely thank you.

Height Challenged OH Question

Our age 14, 5'4 3/4 daughter has her sites on playing vb in college. She just finished playing on a 14's club team as an OH with about 75% accuracy. She has a very good serve (starting server), can pass and dig well, and makes some spectacular saves. She plays hard and has a lot of heart and passion for the game. Because of her height, or lack thereof, I doubt she will grow tall enough to really compete against other OH's, even if she can increase her vertical dramatically. Although OH is her favorite position, bottom line is she wants to play vb. Should she change her focus to setting or DS given that even a best case scenario for her height is 5'7-5'8, or continue to train for OH in hopes that she will grow, and/or increase her vertical to the point it will compensate? Any advice you can give is much appreciated.

Thank you!

Jeanie


This is a good question which many Volleyfolks may be facing - What course of action to pursue when the family gene pool lends itself more towards soccer than volleyball.

In answering Jeanie's question, there is a question that needs to be asked of Jeanie's daughter - What position do you like to play? I get nervous when players start switching positions, just in the hopes of obtaining a college volleyball spot. The move from OH to DS is not a big one, but from an attacking position to a setter is a big jump.

If Jeanie's daughter, let's call her 64.75 (get it?); if 64.75 loves the Outside Hitting position and wants to play the OH position in college, then she will need to set her sights on lower DI (with a big jump) or DII (with a medium big jump) because of her height. There are many 5'8" OH's who enjoy successful DII and lower DI careers. Being a good OH is so much more involved than just being tall - Attacking is just one component of bringing value to the team. An OH who has the all around talent to do everything well and be consistent, is many times the glue which bonds winning teams together and brings a sense of calm to the head coach (a very important characteristic!!!). Any coach will tell you that having that OH who can pass, play defense, block, is in the right spot at the right time and can do it every practice/match is golden - Sure, hitting a .350 clip for 4 kills a game is the stuff of legends, but not necessary at the low DI or DII level.

Now, if 64.75 possesses a Dorthy the Dinosaur vertical jump (rompa-ba-chomp), then maybe the OH position is not the best choice to get to the college level. In this case, the Libero/Defensive Specialist slot is 64.75's calling. Let me first throw out a word of caution - College volleyball coaches are not sprinting between courts at National Qualifiers to find DS's - many times, a current college DS is a college OH who passed nails but hit Nerfs. If you want a less visually illustrative example - math; 3 OH's and 1 Libero. That is the typical college 6 on the court - yes, a DS will sneak in there for a poor passing, but big banging OH, but you really should not count upon that.

Word of cation, chapter 2 - Don't jump over to the DS position before the 17's year in Club. The best thing to do now, for 64.75, is to keep playing OH. This way you are on the court for all rotations, you learn more by playing front row than by just playing back row, you will become a better defender because you will have a hitter's mentality when you are digging hitters and you will get more passing reps (first thing a coach says when the opposing team is passing well - DON'T SERVE THE LIBERO!!!). Plus, hitting is fun - If I could only play defense and pass when I was in high school or college, I would not have enjoyed it 1/10th as much - there is just something primal about hitting a ball very, very hard!!! Plus, how many DS's ever hit an opposing player in the face? This is one moment of volleyball satisfaction, no matter how unkind it is to say, which is elemental from grade school to the Olympic team!!!

To make the jump over to setting is really a challenge, and one I would not recommend unless you have someone with experience telling you 64.75 has the basic tools to eventually grow into a college level setter. In addition, do the math for college coaches - We recruit setters every 3 to 4 years; we recruit hitters every year. I have had many talented, experienced setters who have contacted me and wanted to come to my school, but I had no opening or opportunity for them. This is one position where I would only support a switch if 64.75 loved to set, is willing to put in a lot of time and parent's money (for camps, private training, etc.) to capture the year or so of lost training in preparation for the 15's year of club.

In your question you mentioned, "increasing the vertical to compensate". I don't know how viable of an option this would be. Lifting will help you jump higher, but 64.75 is only 14 and will be seriously scouted for college at the 17's year. This is still an immature physical age, and gonzo lifting may not reap the rewards you might expect. The muscles my not be developed to the point to 'digest' what lifting could provide. Also, the legs may not be developed enough to handle the increased physical stress. When I get letters from recruits who talk about some intense physical lifting or jump training program they will do, I cringe because I don't think a 16 or 17 year old's body should be doing these things. Either you can jump high or not - Lifting will add a few inches of jump but not a half a foot of jump.

My simple advice is to relax and enjoy playing volleyball, encourage 64.75 to play the position she likes the best and if that is the OH position, to focus on becoming very good in each skill set. If she is a good player with the ability (not the potential, but the straight up ability) to play college volleyball, then she will find a NCAA or JC program which provides the opportunity for a great collegiate experience, tall or not.

Club Volleyball Question - The Young Ones

Hi Coach,

My daughter is only 10 years old in 5th grade and this is her 1st year with a
club. She plays for the 12U team this season and while most of team mates are
moving up to the 13s, she still has another season with the 12U.
She loves her coach, he is very calm and has a very good temperament. He is big
on fundamentals and we all love him very much.

My questions is how long should a player stay with the same club? Does it matter
if she stays or change club at this young age? We want her to stay with this
same coach until she is finished with middle school then try-out for some top
clubs in the area.

Thanks for your time. Jackie

Jackie, your daughter is in a very good position and my advice is not to mess with a good thing, don't fix it if it is not broken (I wish whatever volleyball committee(s) keep changing college volleyball would read that last line).

You are really in a great spot as a parent. With your daughter being 10 years old, you should not even have to think, worry or dream (well, maybe dream) about college volleyball issues for her until she hits her freshman year in high school (@15). For the next five years, your goal should be to provide a volleyball environment that is enjoyable, supportive and consistently improves her ability.

At the young age of your daughter, basic skill development should be the focus. Even with the lower net and lighter ball, hitting and blocking is fun, but not really applicable. Learning to pass, set, serve, play defense and move around the court in the proper way is huge. At this age, your daughter is learning how to become a volleyball player, not just play volleyball. I can play golf, but I have no idea what it means to be a golfer.

With the comfort level you have expressed with her current coach, I would stay as long as possible with him and not be concerned about other players moving up or on. If you like the coach of your daughter's age level, the potential coach of your daughter's next age level, along with how the club team is organized/administered, then I would not look at changing clubs anytime soon.

Once again, the 15's year is when you kinda get into the starting blocks of the recruiting process. By the freshman year, families may wish to consider taking a harder look at the Club options with consideration of the future. For instance, if your daughter hits 6' as a freshman in high school, has a solid grasp of the basic skill sets and desires to play college volleyball, then explore some of the local/regional club teams to find that organization which can provide the combination of elite level training and maximum exposure for college programs.

Yet, 15's is still way too early to be concerned or focused on recruiting, you are just getting the future flight plan laid out as a freshman. The 16's year is when the initial evaluations and projections of college talent happen, but not the final evaluations (they continue until the day a player graduates from college!). I absolutely believe scouting 15's is just silly because they are so young and if a player is obviously the next Logan Tom, she is not coming to my school, along with the other 320 schools with DI programs (which leaves only about 8 in the mix).

As you near the 15 to 16 year old age range, float around one of the National Qualifiers to see what open level club teams look like. Go see the 17 Open team for a well known club play a match or two, find a 16 Open team from a different well known club and see what they look like. Then, when you have some perspective, go take a look at the 16 and 17 Open teams of your current club looks like (make sure it is at a National Qualifier tourney since this is your reference tourney).

If your current club organization is in the ball park with the well known club, with regards to their open level teams, then I would not feel there is reason to switch. Too many times, parents fall prey to the illusionary pressure of jumping clubs because the other club is 'better' for recruiting. Talented players will be recruited, not because of the club team, but rather because of the efforts of the families with the recruiting process. I don't recruit a player because they are on a certain team, I recruit a player because they are talented.

That being said - PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE just slow down and enjoy the fact that your daughter has a good coach and seems to be enjoying the wonderful sport of volleyball.

Volleyball Sport Court Clarification

In my post about the Lone Star tournament, I had used the Sport Court playing surface to illustrate a volleyball technique example. In doing so, I am afraid I may have expressed a critical opinion of Sport Court and I wish to be clear that I view Sport Court in a very positive way.

Coach,

I love to read your posts and appreciate your efforts to educate parents and players so don't take this the wrong way. My daughter plays on a 14's National travel team and I attend every tournament in which she plays. As the Sport Court dealer in Virginia I just want to point out that it's not the Sport Court that's the problem. It's the event organizers. They make the courts small so they can squeeze in more courts, players and parents to generate more cash!

Thanks for all the great info! G

I agree completely with "G". The Sport Court playing surface is not the problem with the approaches of the left side hitters - it is how the tournament organizers lay out the courts which is the problem. If I was a left side hitter, I would also be taking an approach which kept me away from Grandpa's feet. In a perfect world, having an extra couple of feet available for the playing surface would allow for better volleyball (better approaches, more room for better serves, more room to chase down digs and errant passes).

As "G" referenced, there seems to be an underlying theme of event organizers being more concerned with making money than anything else and this belief is being echoed by many of the readers who contact me.

While I don't want to advertise for Sport Court, it is only because of such portable volleyball playing surfaces that I don't have to drive all over a city trying to find some obscure school where there are two gyms, just to see a couple of players. It is SO MUCH EASIER to just roam around a convention center, with my handy palm device (by they way, you know half the time us coaches are just playing video games on our palm right?), to see all of my necessary Prospective Student Athletes.

This luxury of just seeing all athletes in one building, with a Starbucks no less, is one reason that I feel a number of programs have started to pass on going out to the Las Vegas tournament recently. Chasing around the ever growing city of Las Vegas, trying to get to a gym before the wave ends, is not a real fun thing (plus, it is usually President's and Valentines Weekend rolled into one with half of Los Angeles out for a good time).

Let me conclude by clearly stating that my reference with Sport Court was not meant to blame the company or their outstanding product as a reason for the incorrect left side approaches of hitters. In my experience, Sport Court is the dominant portable playing surface for the sport of volleyball.

Lone Star Qualifier Observations

I was one of the 286 college volleyball coaches stalking the Dallas Convention Center in conjunction with Lone Star National Qualifier.

Some random observations:

• My $1.25 parking spot on Friday skyrocketed to $5.00 on Saturday with an attendant making sure it was paid correctly. At least an attendant being there meant a receipt could be had. $1.25 I can cover, but $5.00 is going back to the school for reimbursement.
• It was so cold in the gym on Saturday, I thought it was going to snow. I had my jacket zipped all the way up and was about ready to go buy a ski cap for my ears. When parents are sitting on the sidelines covered in blankets like it is a Swiss ski lodge, it may be a little too cold.
• The ball handling rules are constantly changing, so it is hard to know what is what, but I believe that the FIVB rules are similar to the NCAA rules with much leeway given to 'athletic plays' and setting; if this is the case, then the officials are still trying to grasp this rule. Don't get me wrong, I DO NOT LIKE the current rule because it dumbs down our sport (back in the day, somehow, someway, players could run and set a ball without it spinning like one of Jupiter's moons - I guess volleyball evolution has eliminated this ability in human kind, so the rules had to be adjusted to save the game from the same fate as boccie ball). Back to the officials - the calls have no consistency; a player flies across the court, pivots and sets a high ball and gets called for a double, another player is standing back row, perfectly stable (non moving, no motion, hair not even swaying in the sub-zero air conditioning) and brutally doubles a ball and it does not get called.
• I saw a major college coach, top 10 in the country during some seasons, walking around the tournament in a faded Hawaiian style shirt (at least it had the school's name on the shirt), beat up back pack, 80's big hair and listening to their IPOD. Funny, but professionally disappointing.
• Thank goodness they had a big Starbucks out in the lobby - It did have airport style pricing ($3.25 for a scone!), but it allowed for some caffeine, sugar and relative quiet to refocus a bit before wading back into the masses.
• All players make mistakes and young (high school) players make a lot of mistakes. I know I am guilty of this stance, but coaches must allow for mistakes. We cannot get too demonstrative, no matter how disappointed we are, when a mistake happens. It is a good reminder for me to 'tighten up' my demeanor when I watch other coaches during matches. When a player makes a bone head play, criticizing them in front of team mates and family is not going to help anything. Also, match time is not teaching time, that is for practice - match time is for small reminders of good technique and strategy; this is one reason volleyball is a tough game to coach. We are the adults and must act like it.
• One of the consequences of club style tournament play is a 'lightening' of the competitive weight, which is not a good thing. I take the future focus of competing, as it relates to developing college volleyball players (so please ignore this if your daughter does not wish to move up to college ball) and these club formats have too much play. When you play 4 to 6 matches per day, it is hard to get focused for each match and easy to 'forget' (thus not learn) when things went bad. This fire and forget mentality does not translate well into college volleyball where per match emphasis and consequences are significant. College coaches stress the importance of each match and that teams cannot just go through the motions and quickly move on to whatever is next in their day - It drives college coaches BONKERS when after a tough loss, the players are joking around and talking about drivel at the post match meal. This is also one of the reasons international players are attractive as student-athletes because their playing background lends a seriousness to each match.
• Sport Court playing surfaces have created an abundance of fool's gold passers. It is not hard to pass a serve when the server can only go 7 feet behind the end line and is serving in a crazy environment. When these same passers get to college, on single courts with 25+ feet of serving area, they get lit up. A bit of advice for Potential Student Athletes - If you are struggling to consistently pass the ball in club and you are an outside hitter, then your main focus in practice and camps should be improving your serve receive. Not only will this make you more attractive as a recruit, it will empower earlier playing time as a college student-athlete.
• Sport Court playing surfaces have created a generation of outside hitters with technically incorrect left side approaches. Because of the geometry of volleyball and the mass majority of left side hitters being right handed, outside hitters should come from a number of feet outside the court on their attack approach. Unfortunately, the rather narrow Sport Court and fans in chairs with their feet on the surface, forces left side attackers to come straight in on their approach. The ramifications are that they cannot hit angle with power and when they do, many times it is physically incorrect (swinging away from the body line with the thumb down, which creates undue stress on the shoulder), and it also makes sets which are one foot too wide bad sets when they really are not bad sets. One of the first things we emphasise to our incoming outside hitters is that they must release to outside the pole on the left side so they can attack with power on all types of sets and stay physically healthy.
• A number of college coaches have developed amnesia with NCAA rules. It is against the rules for any conversation between a Junior in high school PSA's parents and a coach. Too see college coaches engaging in long conversations with parents while sitting on a 17's court is disappointing. Of course, we don't wish to be rude when a parent asks a question or says hello, but there is difference between a courteous answer and a long conversation. Cheating is cheating and please understand that a coach who cheats during the recruiting process should be your first impression of that coach for your daughter's potential experience in college.
• The Lone Star organizers had a Kids Zone for amusement which was a good idea, but it had a BASKETBALL COURT!!! You have got to be kidding me! On all levels of education, basketball is the sharpest thorn in the side for all volleyball coaches and programs. The last thing I want to see is a basketball court inside a National Qualifier! Do you think at a major basketball AAU tournament they have a volleyball court set up somewhere for entertainment? Why do we do these things to our self? National Qualifiers should be events of volleyball propaganda which rival anything the two major political parties could generate. It should be wall to wall volleyball with NOTHING else - Everyone in that building should think they have gone to Volleyball Heaven.
• I did like the Lone Star banners which were on the street poles around the convention center - These are small things which lend themselves to the presentation of our sport as big time.
• When college coaches (mainly assistants) roll in on Saturday morning looking like it was a Saturday morning when they were in college, you know too much fun was had on Friday night. I tend to forget that when you are in your 20's, you are in your 20's and will act like you are in your 20's. The funny part or scary part, is when coaches are in their 40's and act like they are in their 20's - the recovery time is not as quick and it shows!

Happy Easter to all.

NCAA Sand Volleyball - No, No and again No.

I have written a few posts about the potential adoption of Sand Volleyball as an NCAA sport (I believe they are all listed under the Bad Call label on the right side of the page) and feel compelled to once more express my opinion.

The latest addition of Coaching Volleyball (an AVCA publication) has two editorials about the merits of supporting Sand Volleyball as an NCAA sport for women. I absolutely believe that this is a bad idea and will significantly detract from the support, exposure and respect of NCAA Women's Volleyball.

Please allow me to qualify (and quantify) my opinion:

• For a number of years I played professional beach volleyball for a living; I was not top 10, but I was good enough to call it my job. Beach volleyball is a great sport and one in which I still play at any opportunity. I very much support the benefits of playing beach volleyball as it relates to increasing indoor volleyball abilities. I am not anti-sand volleyball, I am against any entity which detracts from the professional improvement of being a college volleyball coach.
• The AVCA leadership is concerned with increasing participatory numbers, both in terms of coaches and players. Unfortunately, they have clearly demonstrated that increasing the professional satisfaction (salary, support, lifestyle, etc.) of being a volleyball coach is not the focus.
• To this end, if the AVCA wanted to increase the number of females playing college volleyball, then it should have done everything possible to ensure the passing of the legislation to award a 13th scholarship to women's volleyball. Unless I missed something, the AVCA was MIA when the the NCAA convention killed the proposal, after it had already passed round one of protocol. Could have effectively been over 300 more players in NCAA Division I volleyball.
  
• The current financial state of NCAA athletics is not good. When Stanford, known to have the largest endowment in higher education and Division I athletics, is cutting staff and possibly athletic programs, things are not good. The AVCA should be screaming in protest that college volleyball programs are being cut and acting as an advocate to ensure no more are eliminated.
• Athletic Department budgets are all being reduced; some are huge cuts while others are small adjustments. These reductions are not going to be felt by football or the basketballs - these sports have successfully sold to the schools and the public that their sport is a money making entity (or potential) or central the promotion of the school - these reductions will be felt by the remaining sports. Of these remaining sports, softball, volleyball and baseball enjoy the largest per player support. The AVCA should be very active in promoting the value of college volleyball and what a great return on investment our sport achieves.
• With Athletic Department budget cuts, volleyball coaches are all facing either salary freezes or reductions (either outright, furloughs or costs (health, parking, etc.) increasing with no corresponding salary increase). Again, the AVCA should be an active participant in the effort to ensure that the economic crises is minimally felt by those coaches it represents. I am talking about all coaches in education, not just college coaches - the junior high school coach in Titusville, Florida is probably going to see a cut in their coaching stipend because the economy is bad, yet I really doubt the junior high football coach will also take a cut to their stipend.
• With all the challenges that college volleyball is facing in the next 2 to 4 years, the AVCA should be doing everything it possibly can to ensure the continued professional progress of the college volleyball, NOT going off on some chase to help the NCAA justify its hypocrisy in gargantuan support of football and basketball - that is all the interest the NCAA has in sand volleyball.
• College volleyball coaches are literally in the position of not being rewarded for professional achievement while the athletic departments hide behind the curtain of economic crises. Each time a football or basketball coach achieves something significant (winning season, regular season or conference tournament championship, post season appearance, etc), they will be financially rewarded. This will not be the case for all volleyball coaches; instead of a raise when a volleyball coach lifts a team to their first winning season in 20 years, the coach will get a "good job" from the AD's - The AVCA should be more concerned with supporting those that are in the fold now instead of that which is not.
• The NCAA is not concerned or invested in female emerging sports. What the NCAA is concerned about is balancing the equity equation to try and satisfy federal law. 85 scholarships, 15 +/- coaches for football and annual (non-salary) operating costs into the tens of millions. How does the NCAA justify this hypocrisy? By developing women's bowling, and fencing, and rifle, and now sand volleyball. The AVCA is a willing partner in supporting this tremendous inequity.
• College Volleyball is a house that is weathering a storm; programs are being cut, assistant coaching position hires are being delayed or not renewed, budgets are being significantly cut, new head coach positions are being salaried at a lower level upon new hire; we are weathering a storm. The AVCA should be the loudest and most demonstrative national advocate of making sure our house survives this storm undamaged. Instead, the AVCA is more concerned with building a shed out in the back yard in the middle of the storm. In challenging times, we must focus on what is important and fundamental and that is college volleyball.
• In supporting sand volleyball, college coaches will unwittingly add months to their work schedule, be paid proportionately less and increase the time demands and injury potential to their current student athletes.
• The hardest working coaches in NCAA athletics are the track and field coaches. They all start with cross country in the fall (while training all the outdoor track and field kids when the weather is good), then move into indoor track and field in the winter, then to outdoor track and field for the late spring. If any of the outdoor track and field athletes achieve national times or marks, the NCAA championships are in early summer - the track and field coaches will literally have just a month off before having to get ready for the fall's incoming kids - they have no off season. This will be the path that sand volleyball lays upon college volleyball coaches.
• The AVCA is supporting a huge increase in the work load of current college volleyball coaches by its support of sand volleyball. Because of the weather differences in north and south states, sand volleyball cannot get ramped up until late spring. Also, college coaches will not support a dual season of indoor non-traditional season being done at the same time as sand volleyball, which pushes the sand volleyball season well into late April. If it is to truly be a sport, not just some tournaments, then this sport, like softball and baseball will run into the summer months. I really don't like the idea of a 10 month working schedule. One of the reason's I enjoy coaching college volleyball and accept the lower pay scale is because I have plenty of off time for family, friends and kung fu competitions (not really).
• Speaking of pay, anyone who believes that college volleyball coaches will be paid anything other than a couple of thousand extra dollars to coach sand volleyball truly has their heads buried in the sand. This is a cheap, easy way for the NCAA and Athletic Departments to achieve their equity objectives. Current college volleyball coaches will be adding hundreds of hours of work and more overnight travel days for a couple of thousand dollars.
• In one of the Editorials, it asks the question why we would not support sand volleyball? My answer is simple, because it is not indoor college volleyball. We need to quit being distracted by things which do not clearly improve the standing of indoor volleyball. Women's basketball, Men's basketball and football do not get involved with things that are not clearly and directly beneficial to their sport. Do you see Men's basketball supporting any of these recreational 3 on 3 tournaments? Or football getting behind flag football or rugby? My gosh, if there was ever a close sport to football it is rugby - Are the football coaches promoting a spring time sport of rugby? No, even though it would allow for 20 hours per week of coaching and conditioning for a couple of months, they are smart enough to know it does not directly benefit their sport. When football coaches are smarter than volleyball coaches, it is a sad day (apologies to my uncle).
• There is already any number of outlets for players to play sand volleyball; the sport is in no need of the assistance of volleyball coaches or the NCAA. We are not talking about cricket or team handball. Sand volleyball courts are everywhere - almost all college campuses have courts, larger cities have multi-court business operations, any city with a beach has courts and on all of these courts are tournaments, leagues and pick-up games. The opportunity is there to play for college players who want to play sand volleyball; it is not demanded or handed to them on a silver platter like indoor, but to find a tournament or league or get together with friends to play some games is so very easy. Just look at the AVP and their entry tournaments and grass roots efforts in the sport; this is where players can go to get games and develop - not the NCAA.

I guess I am just screaming at the ocean on this topic, but I am really stunned that sand volleyball is receiving the support of the AVCA. It is not like the AVCA has a great track record as of late - the change to rally score has not come within mile of achieving what was promoted, the recent changes in ball handling rules were not supported by the mass of coaches yet the AVCA looked the other way while the NCAA passed the changes, and now with the economy in shambles and college volleyball programs being eliminated, the AVCA wants to empower college sand volleyball.

I do not doubt the popularity of sand volleyball, but popularity should not be the primary argument in this matter. Should sand volleyball become an NCAA sport, it will reduce the effective operating budgets of indoor volleyball (the pie is getting smaller folks, not bigger and it will be this way for the next 2 to 4 years), it will increase the work load of college coaches and it will take away from the media coverage of indoor volleyball.

I know I am right.

Club Volleyball - Regional or Travel Team?

I am the parent of a 7th grade PSA who loves volleyball. She is a 5'4 DS/L and according to her coach (been coaching school and club for 25 years) is very good (skilled and coachable) for her age and has only played 1 season in school and then this year in club. This past season she played in the 14U division for a small club and played in in some smaller in state (Indiana) tournaments. My question is when should I consider having her move up to a national or open team? Because of her age/grade she will get to play 2 years of 18U (Junior and Senior year). I have looked at some clubs that play in the CZ Shootout in Indy and the Midwest Power League and MPL Championship here in Indy as well as 1 local memorial tournament and the Holiday Inn Classic in southern Indiana. Then I have looked at some regional teams that play in the CZ Shootout, the MPL, the Presidents Day Cup in Dayton as well as 1 NQ and 1 national championships (assuming they qualify). And then I have looked at several clubs that travel all over the country playing in large tournaments and NQ's. I am just not sure how beneficial it is to spend the kind of money it takes to play National/Open @ her age and for that many years. I was considering keeping her on 1 of the better regional teams that plays a little bit of a mix but mostly here in the Midwest until her junior year and then have her play on a national/open team and then maybe again her senior year. Or would it be beneficial to move her up sooner then that and have her play national/open as long as possible? As I am new to the whole club ball scene any input would be gratefully appreciated as I want to do what is best for my daughter and there is so much conflicting information out there about what is best and how to get recruited and etc....

Thanks,

Confused VB Dad


Dear Confused VB Dad - I like your Internet handle! No shame in being honest. Well, the first thing that I can advise you to do is just RELAX!!! Your child is in 7th grade and old for her year in school!!! As an average song in the 80's once said, "Don't worry, be happy".

OK - Now that I have given you the equivalent of a club volleyball Valium, let's move on to answering your question(s).

1) Keep her and your family comfortable by having your daughter stay with a better regional team until her freshman year in high school. I agree that the cost versus benefit analysis does not make sense to go big this early.

2) Her sophomore year in high school, should she still enjoy club volleyball and sincerely wish to pursue the opportunity to play college volleyball, then have her join a National/Travel club team. Sophomore year is the Mark and Mail year for recruiting (mark the player and mail out the letter).

3) I would move her up to a National/Travel club team as a freshman if she is clearly better than anyone on the team and better than those players she is competing against - This would provide her the opportunity to increase her abilities because of who she is competing against.

As a seventh grader the focus should be to develop correct technique and have the opportunity to play the game. More important than the type of team (National, Travel, Regional) is the quality of the coach. You should be more concerned with the quality of the practice sessions.

Volleyball is a sport where you make the biggest jumps in ability by training. Playing is fun, but practice is where ability is increased. Be focused on how the trainings 'look' to you. A National or Open team may be good, but are they good because of latent talent or because of the type of training which they are receiving? At your daughter's age, I would want to see practices which are oriented towards correct technique, court movement patterns and free play situations that try to teach some of the nuances of the sport. College coaches pay the price for unhealthy technique learned by younger players.

By 'paying the price', I mean losing players to repetition injuries - you can only do something technically incorrect before some type of injury occurs. If the arm swing is not good, then shoulder problems will develop, if an approach is not correct, then stress fractures can occur, if a player drifts on the block, then ankles get blown. Some folks think that college coaches have a magic wand which will fix 5 to 7 years of learned muscle motor memory, but we don't. Now is the time to make sure your daughter is learning the correct technique to ensure a healthy, long term volleyball experience.

DO NOT worry about recruiting until she is a sophomore in high school and then you should only 'worry' about getting her information out to potential schools. Please just read my Recruiting Plan - It is what you need to do. If you get too far ahead of yourself, then you really run the risk of passing over what could be the best time of club volleyball.

As you indicated, your daughter has not been playing that long. It is now in which she will make quantum leaps (how often do you read the phrase 'quantum leaps' in any web page that is not written by someone dealing with technology or NASA?) in her abilities. Her volleyball learning curve is quite steep and will begin to flatten out in a few years. Now is the time to be amazed in how quickly she improves, how she applies new skills and makes some plays that completely make you burst with pride. It is much like riding a bike for the first time - don't look ahead to getting the mountain bike and miss the training wheels coming off.

Good luck and enjoy the ride.

Thursday Thoughts on Volleyball (mostly)

I need to again purge those thoughts bouncing around in my head:

• Some players just don't get it. "it" being things coaches are trying to do to make them better volleyball players. From telling them, to showing them, to filming them, to being nice, to being tough - Some players just don't have the ability to change and get better. In the end, all you can do is stay positive, maximize the talent they have and try not to put them in a position to hurt the team with the talent they don't have.

• I wonder if I will ever have a press conference as a volleyball coach. Not that I would want one all the time like football and basketball coaches do, but one would be cool.

• My goal is to be on ESPN SportsCenter. I have already been on one of the ESPN'ettes, but getting onto the main sports highlight program in the USA would be nice.

• It amazes me the number of volleyball players who do not control their weight better. Our sport is just so focused on being explosive and quick and having stamina that to carry extra weight is counter productive; it reduces ability, it increases odds of injury and it limits a team's overall odds of being victorious. Other women's sports are not necessarily in this position and I would argue that pound for pound or inch for inch, women's volleyball players are the best athletes in women's sports.

• Men over 30 should not wear designer blue jeans and wear shirts from Abercrombie - It just looks silly.

• Mom-Dad, your daughter is 13 years old and her knee pads are wider than her leg - DO NOT worry about club volleyball, winning and the future. Just enjoy the fact your daughter looks VERY happy when she spikes the ball over the net, or makes a great dig to keep the rally alive. Look at her face, that is all you should worry about!

• The economy will not affect the Big 3 sports no matter what is written or reported. Do you think Kentucky basketball was impacted by the economy? Coach Calipari's check will still cash out over 5 million times!!! That big sucking sound is ALL the fund raised money being shifted into basketball, basketball and football.

• The Spring Season is the best season for coaches - Not too much travel, only 4 available dates, no pressure, ability to try different things on offense and defense, just enough money left to eat somewhere good and the knowledge that the arriving fall players will make you much better than you are now (in theory!).

• I am glad we are not a Spring competition sport - I would be really working now and would not have the ability to enjoy the spring weather. My choice is to be inside during the change to winter as opposed to being inside in the change from winter. At least we can relax quite a bit over the Holidays instead of getting ramped up for the season.

• In the latest poll results (right side bar) - I am genuinely surprised about the number of folks going to 3 or more National Qualifiers. I figure that one would be considered local, which means two (or more) would be travel situations. That is a lot of money to pay for Club Volleyball tournaments. As I have written, my last few 'big' tournament experiences via USA Volleyball have been lacking - nothing that really garnered a big time look and feel. It seems as if USA Volleyball and those associated with the tourneys are intent on squeezing as much revenue out of each situation (from parking to admission to 5 dollar bottles of water) - It has really become shallow in the feel for me.

That is all - Now I can enjoy the rest of my day and I hope you will enjoy yours.