Saturday, August 09, 2025

Coaching Wizardry (Notes)

Stand on the shoulders of giants, learning from this granular presentation of the thought processes behind decision-making. 


1. "Leave your inner player behind." Players are self-focused, coaches cannot be. Coaches focus on team performance. 


2. Be consistent in how we present ourself every day. 



3. Good chemistry ulimately reflects practice. Trust starts here. Coaches 'know' how we want practice to 'look'. Make that happen. 


4. What matters in the moment? Exceptional players and coaches know what to give the team in the moment. 



5. Coach from the BOTTOM UP. This reminds me about the Michael Connelly character Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch. "Everybody counts or nobody counts." Dean Smith knew that the reserves on the team often needed more recognition and support. The stars get theirs.



6. The Psychology of Practice


Find balance between addressing a problem and 'spotlighting' a perceived negative. I worked to ask players what we needed to improve upon... "Everything." 

Every excellent team needs 'identity'. "This is our strength." Overemphasis on "need areas" sometimes impacts confidence. 

7. Coaching to the performance. This addresses what's happening real time. 


Keeping our team at optimal "emotional state" is something coaches can impact. 

Summary:


Lagniappe. ChatGPT Plus shared highlights from the Volleyball Coaching Wizards Project. 

The Volleyball Coaching Wizards Project is a compelling effort to distill the wisdom of elite volleyball coaches into accessible, thoughtful guidance for all levels of the sport. Here are its key concepts:

1. Purpose & Scope

  • The goal is to collect and share the coaching philosophies, mental frameworks, and methodologies of highly successful volleyball coaches—from grassroots to national teams, indoor to beach—without focusing solely on drills or tactics. It’s about understanding how they think, how they lead.volleyballcoachingwizards.com+12Google Books+12Amazon+12

  • Its mission is to inspire and inform coaches worldwide and to build a meaningful volleyball coaching literature akin to what exists in other sports.volleyballcoachingwizards.com+3Google Books+3Amazon+3

2. Interview-Based, Human-Centered Approach

  • Rather than formulaic exchanges, the project uses conversational, in-depth interviews to let coaches share their stories, beliefs, challenges, decision‑making processes, and philosophies—going beyond just their resumes.volleyballcoachingwizards.com

  • There's an emphasis on capturing their thinking and thought processes—not just what they do, but why and how they do it.

3. Diverse Voices Across the Sport

4. Multi‑Format Sharing

  • Insights are distributed via books, podcasts, blog posts, video and audio clips, making it easier for coaches to consume—whether they're reading, listening, or watching.volleyballcoachingwizards.com+1

5. Ongoing, Expansive Project

6. Creating a Coaching Legacy

  • A broader ambition of the project is to elevate volleyball coaching into a recognized literature, enriching the intellectual and philosophical foundations of the sport beyond mere playbooks or drill compilations.






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Friday, August 08, 2025

Make Better Decisions

Life rewards better decisions followed by better execution. So does sport. Great process improves results:

Process equals:

  • Vision (what do you see?)
  • Decision (what are your choices?)
  • Execution (what happened)
Analogy: OODA Loops (Colonel John Boyd, dogfighting)

  • Observe
  • Orient 
  • Decide
  • Act 
Thinking sorts into strategic (tactical) and reflexive (read and react). The best way to play better is to play a lot. A variety of alternatives exist to increase decision-making and touches. 

From ChatGPT Plus:

In volleyball, the equivalent of "small-sided games" from soccer or basketball are small-court or reduced-player formats that keep rallies short, force more contacts per player, and increase decision-making opportunities.

Here are some volleyball analogues:

1. 2v2 or 3v3 on a Shortened Court

  • How it works: Reduce team size and/or court space (e.g., half court width, 2/3 length).

  • Effect: Everyone is constantly involved — serve, receive, set, attack, block, defend.

  • Decision-Making Focus: Reading hitter tendencies, quick transition decisions, adapting to smaller court angles.

2. “Queen/King of the Court”

  • How it works: One side is the “champion,” challengers rotate in quickly. Often 2v2, 3v3, or 4v4.

  • Effect: High volume of short, intense points; competitive pressure builds decision speed.

  • Decision-Making Focus: Quick adaptation to opponent strengths, serve targeting, point construction.

3. Wash Games with Fewer Players

  • How it works: Teams earn a point only by winning two balls in a row or a serve-receive/transition combo. Use 3v3 or 4v4 to keep touches high.

  • Effect: Adds tactical sequencing — players must think about the next rally before the current one ends.

  • Decision-Making Focus: Managing momentum, strategic risk-taking.

4. “Chaos Ball” or “Continuous Play”

  • How it works: Coach feeds unpredictable balls after every contact (or at random intervals). Teams play 3v3 or 4v4.

  • Effect: Players get more out-of-system touches and must adapt on the fly.

  • Decision-Making Focus: Reading the ball, adjusting coverage, improvising attack choices.

5. Overload Games

  • How it works: 3v2 or 4v3 — the smaller side gets more touches, must defend and transition faster.

  • Effect: Increases reps under disadvantage or advantage conditions.

  • Decision-Making Focus: Exploiting overloads offensively, defending outnumbered situations.

Why these work:
In volleyball, just like in soccer’s small-sided games, the key drivers are:

  • More ball contacts per player → more skill refinement.

  • Reduced space & numbers → faster reads and decision-making.

  • Repetition under realistic game pressure → stronger transfer to full 6v6 play.

Lagniappe. In Adam Grant's "Think Again," he recommends that everyone keep a "rethinking scorecard." Track "lessons learned" resulting in thinking differently. Restated, "win or learn." 

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More on Analogy

Analogies are everywhere. They allow you a different, clarifying perspective. They may assist in complex problem-solving. 

Baseball, starting in late March and ending in early November is "a marathon not a sprint." Official volleyball matches start in September and can end in mid-November, a "sprint not a marathon." 

Basketball is called "not a contact sport but a collision sport." Volleyball is neither and some players turn to volleyball because they don't enjoy the contact. 

There's little "psychological warfare" in volleyball. A notable exception occurred between Cuba and Brazil during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Brazil had beaten Cuba 3-0 in the preliminaries and led 2-1 in the semifinals. The Cuban Captain, Mireya Luis, encouraged her teammates to start talking trash. The Cubans rallied to win the final sets 15-13 and 15-12, nearly inciting a brawl. 


ChatGPT provides additional insight into volleyball analogy:

Prompt: Analogy offers a powerful tool to understand potential associations or relationships that add clarity. Please suggest half a dozen analogies pertinent to volleyball

ChatGPT response: 

Absolutely — analogies can make abstract or complex ideas more accessible, especially in coaching and learning. Here are six analogies tailored to volleyball that connect key concepts with more familiar or vivid experiences:

1. Setter as the Quarterback

Analogy: A setter is to volleyball what a quarterback is to football.
Insight: Both direct the offense, make split-second decisions, and elevate their teammates by distributing the ball with precision and vision.

2. Blocking as a Chess Match

Analogy: Blocking in volleyball is like a chess game at the net.
Insight: It’s not about brute strength—it’s about anticipation, positioning, and reading the opponent’s moves before they happen.

3. Serve Receive as a Symphony's Opening

Analogy: Serve receive is like the opening note of a symphony—if it's off, the whole piece suffers.
Insight: A clean pass sets the tempo and enables every other part of the play to function smoothly.

4. Transition Offense as a Fast-Break in Basketball

Analogy: Transitioning from defense to offense in volleyball is like a basketball fast break.
Insight: Success depends on speed, timing, communication, and capitalizing on an unorganized opponent.

5. Team Chemistry as an Orchestra

Analogy: A volleyball team is like an orchestra—each player has a role, and success depends on coordination, not solo brilliance.
Insight: Miscommunication or selfish play is like an instrument out of tune—it disrupts the harmony.

6. Practice Reps as Compound Interest

Analogy: Daily practice is like compound interest—it doesn’t seem like much at first, but it builds over time into something powerful.
Insight: Consistent reps build automaticity, confidence, and long-term gains.

Lagniappe. At your leisure, learn more about the value and application of analogy. 

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Thursday, August 07, 2025

Commitment

Commitment, there is no substitution. 

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Volleyball and Leadership

Why Play Sports?

Students can learn a musical instrument, join drama, the Chess Club, Math Team, or robotics. Each develops valuable skills.

Sports, however, offer something distinct - the pursuit of excellence within the interdependence of team.

The best teams are player-driven. Teammates hold each other accountable for high performance. Model excellence at home, in school, and on the court.

Only six players are on the floor. Whether you’re in the game or on the sideline, be fully engaged. Be ready to contribute. Study the match in real time. Does your opponent serve randomly, or do they target seams and sidelines? Do they serve short or long? Are they attacking with power or playing the tip game? Want the ball to be hit to you. 

Everyone leads - by leading themselves, energizing teammates, being coachable, and representing their team well on and off the court. Leadership is not about a title; it’s about action. Each of you creates the “volleyball experience.” Whether starter or reserve, excel in your role. Ask daily, “What do I bring to the team?”

Sport builds problem-solving tools that transfer across life. Your family is a team. Your classmates are a team. Your colleagues will be a team. Through sport, you learn how to give more and get more from every team you’re part of.

Leadership is influence. "The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best is today."

Servant leadership. Serve the team. 

Push through with PUSH-T. 

Compile leadership examples. Create a list meaningful to you. Here's a starter set:

  • Nelson Mandela's father always spoke last to share a more informed opinion. 
  • Admiral Stockdale, a prisoner of war, injured himself so that he could not be used as a propaganda tool. 
  • Arlene Blum led an all-female team to climb Annapurna, one of 14 Nepalese peaks over 8,000 meters. 

Lagniappe. ChatGPT Plus shares "360 Degree Leadership" 

360-degree leadership in sports refers to the idea that effective leadership is not limited to people in formal authority (like coaches, captains, or general managers) but can, and should, be exercised in all directions:

  • Leading up → influencing coaches, administrators, or owners in constructive ways.

  • Leading across → supporting and collaborating with peers/teammates.

  • Leading down → guiding younger players, rookies, or those with less experience.

  • Leading self → practicing discipline, resilience, and accountability.

Here’s a breakdown of how it applies in sports:

1. Leading Up (Players to Coaches/Staff)

  • Athletes can influence coaching staff by demonstrating professionalism, offering honest feedback, and setting examples of preparation.

  • Example: A veteran player respectfully challenging a strategy or suggesting adjustments, showing initiative rather than passively following orders.

  • This strengthens trust between athletes and coaches.

2. Leading Across (Peer-to-Peer)

  • Leadership among teammates often matters more than coach-led direction during competition.

  • Teammates who hold each other accountable, encourage effort, and maintain positive morale create strong team cultures.

  • Example: In soccer, a midfielder organizing the defense and attack—even without being the captain—exercises lateral leadership.

3. Leading Down (Veterans to Rookies)

  • Experienced athletes mentor younger players, modeling professionalism and passing on team values.

  • This reduces generational gaps and builds long-term cultural continuity.

  • Example: An NBA veteran teaching rookies how to manage travel, recovery, and media pressure.

4. Leading Self

  • Athletes who manage their own habits (nutrition, training, mental health) set a “silent” leadership standard.

  • Self-leadership builds credibility—teammates respect someone who consistently performs and prepares at a high level.

  • Example: Tom Brady or Serena Williams, whose discipline inspired peers without constant verbal direction.

Why 360-Degree Leadership Matters in Sports

  • Resilience: Teams with distributed leadership adapt better when star players or coaches are absent.

  • Culture: Leadership at all levels prevents toxic dynamics by embedding accountability and respect throughout.

  • Performance: When everyone feels empowered to lead, it raises standards across the entire organization.

👉 In short, 360-degree leadership in sports means that leadership is not a position but a responsibility shared by everyone—from star athletes to role players, coaches to trainers. It fosters a culture where influence flows in every direction, making teams more adaptable, cohesive, and high-performing.



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Coaching Lessons Cross Domains

As a coach, I wanted to help players find solutions. That's adding value. This basketball thread from JVG (Jeff Van Gundy) is a terrific share. Notes were extracted from a podcast. Many apply across sports. If you're a role player, figure out how to excel at what you'll be asked to do. 

Extra points of emphasis:

1. Don't beat yourself. 

2. Excel at fundamentals. 

3. Communication inspires intensity which inspires physicality. 

Additional notes:

  • Simplicity is powerful. 
  • "Stars have multiple solutions."
  • MVB 25 has to be louder than opponents.
  • Give honest feedback. Mediocre isn't good.
  • Play the possession, this play. 
  • Effort! 
  • Don't ignore "secondary producers"...it's not enough to stop stars
  • Passing to open opportunity is a winning strategy. 
  • Trust is a must.
  • If you're a role player, you still need "core skills." 
You cannot overcome poor fundamentals with trick plays.
 

Lagniappe. Long video. Eat it in bites. 

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Wednesday, August 06, 2025

Comparisons

 


Choose a positive attitude. We seldom choose what happens to us but we choose how we respond. 

Comparing ourselves to others means less than comparing ourselves to the person we were yesterday. Consistently work on personal growth.

Had a great day? Be grateful and continue to "chop wood, carry water." 

Had a tough day? Resolve to be better and "chop wood, carry water." 

Mom shared a worthy lesson. "Nobody is better than you...and you are no better than anyone else."

Each of us has lessons to share with others. We never know when a simple lesson will change a life. 

Lagniappe. Other philosophies can teach us a lot. From ChatGPT Plus:

The mantra “Chop wood, carry water” comes from Zen Buddhism and has since been adopted in sports, leadership, and personal development as a reminder of the power of discipline and process. It has layers of meaning:

1. Origins in Zen Practice

In Zen, the phrase often appears in the form:
"Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water."

The lesson is that no matter how much wisdom or success you attain, the fundamentals of life remain the same. Daily tasks, routines, and responsibilities don’t vanish. Enlightenment doesn’t exempt anyone from work—it changes how you experience it.

2. Discipline and Mastery

The mantra emphasizes focusing on the process rather than the outcome. Mastery comes from repeating simple, essential actions with care.

  • In sports: Practicing footwork, conditioning, serving, or defensive stance may feel mundane, but they create the foundation for peak performance.

  • In leadership: Building trust, showing up prepared, holding teammates accountable—small acts compound into culture and results.

  • In life: Progress happens in the daily habits, not in sudden breakthroughs.

3. Humility and Grounding

It serves as a counterweight to ego. Success often tempts people to skip fundamentals or assume they’ve “graduated” from basic work. “Chop wood, carry water” insists that the basics always matter.

It also helps to anchor people in the present moment. The wood and water tasks are repetitive but essential—just like breath in meditation, or dribbling in basketball, or passing in volleyball. Done with mindfulness, they become opportunities for growth.

4. Resilience and Simplicity

When challenges arise, returning to the mantra reminds us:

  • Don’t overcomplicate.

  • Do the work in front of you.

  • Trust that consistent effort builds resilience.

It strips away excuses. Instead of being paralyzed by setbacks or distracted by lofty ambitions, you get back to the next right action—chopping your wood, carrying your water.

✅ In short, “Chop wood, carry water” is a philosophy of discipline, humility, and presence, reminding us that greatness is built on ordinary tasks done with extraordinary consistency.




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"Skin in the Game"

All opinions in the blog are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of any Melrose organization or department. 

"Skin in the Game" implies having "investment at risk," more than a casual investment in the outcome. There's a similar adage, "eating your own cooking."

Nassim Taleb wrote Skin in the Game referencing the need for justice, honor, and sacrifice. He emphasized four points early:

1) Assessing information, in his words, a "bull***t detector."

2) Symmetry, examination from both sides 

3) Asymmetrical information (what does one side know the other doesn't?)

4) Rationality (are we making sensible decisions?)

How can we use this in our sports universe? 

Information. A quote from Michael Connelly's "Two Kinds of Truth" applies. "He knew there were two kinds of truth in this world. The truth that was the unalterable bedrock of one’s life and mission. And the other, malleable truth of politicians, charlatans, corrupt lawyers, and their clients, bent and molded to serve whatever purpose was at hand."

If a coach or a reporter asks us for information in confidence, commit to the first kind of truth - strengths and limitations of a player without throwing them under the bus. If someone volunteers information, do we have a way or another source to confirm?

Similarly, honesty includes "I don't know," when that is the truth. 

Symmetry. When discussing a team, player, or area for discussion, what are the alternatives and information available? Understanding symmetry also includes our own cognitive bias and intrinsic bias. For example, during team selection, I have an intrinsic bias for the more athletic player. Yet, I have seen "less athletic" players in terms of speed or quickness with exceptional skill that forged excellence. 

That doesn't mean excluding character issues (if known) or aptitude, such as the ability to learn and execute new information. 

Asymmetrical information. In the stock market, asymmetrical information includes "inside information." In sports, there may be physical or mental health data, or character information that only one side knows. In "Gridiron Genius," Patriots special assistant Mike Lombardi shared that he maintained contact with SEC sororities to access character data on football players from the women. At lower levels, accessing information be impossible. 

Rationality. Taleb writes, “Rationality is not what has internal logic, but what makes you survive.” Others may see our job through a lens of relationship or performance. I heard about an AD (not in our city) who received a complaint about a coach's personnel decision. The AD said, "the team is 21-1, suggesting the coach knows what he's doing." 

Taleb distinguishes 'survival' in the real world from academic judgements. When we have "skin in the game," we are incentivized to make different decisions than if we don't. "Incentive asymmetries—such as when someone enjoys upside but others bear the risk—lead to irrational behavior." 

If a player has an injury, the coach or management may have upside to the player playing, when the player does not. A player may decide to sit out ahead of a pro draft when their school wants them to play. 

"Skin in the game" changes how we view situations. The portfolio manager whose money is invested alongside investors shares benefit and risk. The British monarchy famously put its sons in harm's way during war. Taleb shares, "You can’t be a lord if you aren’t a lord."

Lagniappe. Players bring hardware (body) and software (decision-making). In Elon Musk, Isaacson writes, "Most importantly, regarding the car as a piece of software rather than just hardware allowed it to be continuously upgraded. New features could be delivered over the air." As coaches, we should understand the potential distinction.  

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Managing Pressure

"Pressure is playing a $5 Nassau with $2 in your pocket." - Professional golfer Lee Trevino.

Professional and Olympic athletes embraced Stoic philosophy whose key tenet is "Control what you can control." 

Regardless of the stakes, focus on the matter at hand: 

1) Know your job. 

2) Focus on doing it well. "Be where your feet are." 

3) Be detail-oriented... communicate and execute.

4) Keep the team first. 

The mini-huddles between plays allow for positive messaging, encouragement, and refocusing on the "next play." 

"Dot B" = .B = "stop and take a breath." A cleansing breath allows you to focus on the next play. 

Focus on the process, not on the outcome. TTP means "trust the process." Game action or even tryouts are the tip of the iceberg of preparation that you have invested to become proficient. 

In Performing Under Pressure, Weisinger and Pawliw-Fry emphasize building a "COTE of arms," - confidence, optimism, tenacity, and enthusiasm. 

  • "Confidence comes from proven success." Take ownership of your ability, game understanding, athleticism, and resilience. 
  • Optimism says, "Run your race." Do what you did that got you here. 
  • Tenacity. Embrace the grind. From the opening serve or serve-receive, be the honey badger. The honey badger has no fear. It's in the fight. 
  • Enthusiasm. "Nothing great is ever accomplished without enthusiasm." You are surrounded by teammates who love volleyball and love to compete. Enjoy the ride. 
Lagniappe. Mireya Luis had only one fear in volleyball, that someday her foot would get caught in the net.
 

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Tuesday, August 05, 2025

Win Your Race - FAA

Winning your race is about doing your best. Remember that Washington Post investigative journalist Bob Woodward kept a sign of his desk, "FAA." That didn't mean "Federal Aviation Administration." 

FOCUS and ACT AGGRESSIVELY

Woodward viewed his job as obtaining and writing "the best available version of the truth" because the whole truth is never available.

Focus, attend to details, and give your best effort. FAA. 

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Confirmation Bias

All opinions in the blog are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of any Melrose organization.

"Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms one's existing beliefs while ignoring or dismissing contradictory evidence." - Brave Browser AI Assist

Cognitive biases distort our judgment on simple and complex issues. Once professional sports teams shunned the concept of sports gambling (SG) or locating franchises in Las Vegas, a gambling hub. Now the industry bombards viewer with ads for SG with tiny disclaimers.

It's rare for anyone to emphasize information or literature that violates their self-interest.


Consider the 'banners' hanging in the gym. Who wouldn't use them as examples of sustainable competitive advantage in recruiting local youngsters? Playing for MVB gives young women a high chance of playing for a competitive team.

Confirmation bias shows up in our preference for media consumption, reading, politics, religion, economics, and leisure time activity. It appears in education. I'm watching a series (The Great Courses) on American Military History by General Wesley Clark. General Clark grew up in Arkansas, learning about "The War Between the States." Later he was valedictorian at West Point and a Rhodes Scholar. Sport is not war but similarities exist in the importance of philosophy, organization, preparation and training, people, strategies, and operations.

Lagniappe. I'm agnostic on jump serves. A critical point in this video is consistency of the toss - regardless of your serve.

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Monday, August 04, 2025

SIx-Word Stories

"For Sale, baby shoes. Never worn." This six word story identifies the genre, popularly misattributed to Ernest Hemingway.

Use your imagination. Write your story.

"Chase the rainbow; last caught 2012."

"Put it down; keep it up."

"MVB truth...effort is never wasted." 

"There will always be another train." 

"You can't get back wasted time." 

"Always be truthful; easier to remember."

"Believe in yourself or nobody will." 

"The best players make teammates better."

"There's a word in English - youneverknow." 

"No whining, no complaining, no excuses." 

"Nobody ever regrets giving their best." 

"Remember this, we believe in you."

Add your own, better than these.

Lagniappe. SR tips. 

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"What Are Your Expectations?"*

*Adapted from my basketball blog. All opinions expressed in the blog are solely mine. The blog is not an official publication of any Melrose organization and does not represent any other opinions. 

 "I'm a salesman," wrote Chuck Daly in Daly Wisdom. He understood that almost everyone sells something. Teachers sell the value of learning. Doctors sell the importance of self-care and following instructions. Coaches sell our process, creating value, and the relevance of buy-in.

Imagine this. At the first meeting with parents, each brings in a card with the answer to this. "What are your expectations for your child and family from this experience?" 

Think about it from the parent perspective. 

  • "I want my child to be part of a team."
  • "I want my child to learn volleyball principles."
  • "I want my child to learn how to work better with others."
  • "I want my child to learn the value of commitment, discipline, and effort."
  • "I want my child to learn how to cope with failure and success."
  • "I want sport success to translate into better performance in other endeavors and throughout life." 
What if these are the answers?
  • "I expect my child and my family to be respected."
  • "I expect my child to be a starter and contributor."
  • "I expect my child to get as many minutes and shots as the best player on the team." 
  • "I expect my child to be All-State and All-Scholastic."
  • "I expect my child to earn a college scholarship."
  • "I expect my child to play professional volleyball." 
One set of "wants" is theoretically possible and one is partly possible but expecting guarantees are unreasonable. 

Everyone brings "baggage" and "expectations" from and to our experiences. If we handed out and received those cards, we'd have clarity on what parents want. 

Don't hand out those cards. It might have value to ask parents the rhetorical question, "what are your volleyball expectations?" 

Lagniappe. "I asked, “If you could pick one trait that would predict how someone would turn out, what would it be?” “That’s easy,” he said. “How willing they are to change their mind about what they think they know.”" - "Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results" by Shane Parrish


 

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Sunday, August 03, 2025

Tryouts

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely mine. The blog is not an official publication of Melrose Volleyball or any Melrose organization. 

I can't comment from any experience about volleyball tryouts, so I'm sharing a video from Coach Martin.

In basketball, we'd assess:

  • Core skills
  • Drill performance
  • Scrimmaging
  • Assess "competitive character"
  • Assess size, athleticism
  • Look for intangibles (enthusiasm, interaction with teammates) to speculate at potential 


Coach Scott Celli and his staff have vast experience at all aspects of recruiting within the community, tryouts, team selection, player and team development. As a coach, I enjoy hearing other coaches' approaches. 

Lagniappe. Coaching styles vary. Pete Carroll discusses (language) 
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Great Ideas Cross Cultures, Languages, and Boundaries

Great ideas cross boundaries and language. Life offers opportunities to craft excellence. Extrapolate from the Twitter message to our lifes. 

Ikigai - Purpose

Purpose propels us. Think about great historical leaders like Abraham Lincoln. The Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863 offered new beginnings to twenty percent without status. 

In "Drive" Dan Pink shares three motivational values - autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Play great volleyball because you love the game. 

Kaizen - Incremental gains 

"Marginal gains" craft big results. British cycling leveraged "one percent" gains into Tour de France and Olympic gold. Better hygiene reduced infections. Personal bedding enhanced sleep. Muscle massages improved recovery and performance. Daily one percent gains produce stagging 37+ fold results. 


Improve your platform skills one percent, your service toss one percent, your attack footwork one percent daily. 

Shoshin - Beginner's mind

The video tells the story. Live with a "Beginner's Mind," receptive to coaching and committed to learning. 


Hara Hachi Bu - "Temperance" 

Ben Franklin wrote of "temperance." As a young man, Franklin sought to achieve 13 virtues, not always successfully. "Temperance" or moderation came first. "Temperance — also known as restraint, the practice of self-control, abstention, discretion, and moderation."

You may know the expression, "moderation in all things." He also wrote that he would never fully achieve humility. "If I achieved humility, I would surely be proud of it."

You cannot smash every attack "full throttle." Using craft of your tip game, placement over power, and tooling the pin blocker's outside hand score points without overindulgence. 

Summary:
  • Purpose
  • Marginal gains
  • Beginner's mind
  • Temperance 
Lagniappe. Great is the enemy of good. Favor good passes over great ones. Excel at serve receive to earn court time and score points with the coaching staff. 


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Saturday, August 02, 2025

Defense, Philosophy, and YHPRUM's Law

There are only two goals - put the ball down and keep the ball up. Coach Martin shares some tips. 


1. "Everything's allowed." Or as Imagine Dragons sings, "Whatever it takes." 

2. Play high. Practice playing the ball higher, allowing more chances for better sets and fewer "out of system" balls. 

3. Use the middle of the court. When I first started watching MVB in 2002, I thought the setter's job was to run all over the place and then pass. Because sometimes it looked like that as Amanda Labella was running everywhere tracking balls down. The next Amanda (Hallett) benefited from a little better passing. She always reminded me of R2D2 the way she scooted around the court. And she was great at picking the ball off the net. 

4. Stay active. Get back in the action, covering defensively when the ball is attacked and be ready for the next play. 

There's a saying, "defense wins championships." Don't believe it. Balanced teams that can both defend and attack pressure the opposition. Be aggressive. 

Lagniappe. Choose a few items from this thread. Suggestions?

1. Preparation beats planning. Mike Tyson said, "Everyone's ready until they get hit in the mouth."

2. Birds born in a cage think flying is an illness. Play free. Learn to fly. 

3. YHPRUM's law. It's the inverse of Murphy's Law. What can go right will go right when you make it go right. 

 

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Keeping the Fire 'Lit'


Seek "sustainable competitive advantage." How? 
  • Work smarter and harder. 
  • Focus is a skill. Own coachability and attention to detail.
  • Have a clear personal philosophy, identity, and performance statement. 
  • Your identity statement might be, "I'm an outside hitter who comes to play every day, physically and mentally prepared.”
  • Your performance statement could include, "I make players around me better. I bring effort, energy, and technical skills to the court." 
  • Study the game. 
  • Be a great teammate by making teammates better. 
  • Ask better questions. One of my favorites, a specialty of my wife Ellen, is "How can I help?"
  • Craft your habits. You make your habits and your habits make you."
Lagniappe. Be a technician. 


  

 

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Friday, August 01, 2025

Be Intentional About Preparation

Effective process creates better results.

1) Have a plan, e.g. serve toss consistency, attack footwork, platform

2) Work your plan and measure results. (Cellphone video?) 

3) Review your results.

4) Go back to step 1 to refine (e.g. toss height, location; footwork consistency



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Achieving Superior Results*

*Adapted from my basketball blog

80 percent of drivers say that they're better than average. The other 20 percent have higher rates of depression. I think a similar poll of coaches would yield similar results.

Players and coaches benefit from thinking about self-improvement. Learn every day, open to acquiring new ideas and revising existing beliefs. 

Achieve superior coaching results

1. Do the Work

  • Do an apprenticeship with an established coach.
  • Coach to gain experience. 
  • Study the game (Books, courses, video, Clinics).
  • Journal. 
  • Get mentoring while coaching.

2. Get better players

  • Recruit within your community.
  • Recruit others if applicable and permitted.

3. Excel at player development (PD)

  • Study PD trainers (e.g. Hanlen, Brickley, Kelbick, et al.). 
  • Use PD consultants. 
  • Develop a personal drill book, training manual

4. Teach better 

  • Create a video clip library.
  • Study teaching (e.g. Teach Like a Champion, The Coach's Guide to Teaching, Game Changer.
  • Self-assess (After Action Review, film and review practice).
  • Seek permission to watch established coaches' practice.

5. Learn strength, conditioning, and recovery

  • Study on your own.
  • Subcontract out to others (individual or group training).

6. Master the Head Game

Lagniappe. Assist from ChatGPT Plus

Basketball Coaching as a Holistic Discipline

When we discuss basketball coaching, focus beyond plays, drills, and the scoreboard. The best coaches know the game runs deeper. Coaching is a holistic discipline. It connects body, mind, and community to develop players who excel in basketball and in life.

The Physical Game

At the most visible level, basketball demands skill and fitness. Holistic coaching builds athletes’ bodies with an eye toward long-term health as well as peak performance. That means teaching sound mechanics to reduce injuries, balancing power with endurance, and emphasizing the basics—nutrition, recovery, and rest.

The Mental Game

Basketball is a game of decisions. Holistic coaches help players sharpen their basketball IQ: reading situations, anticipating movement, and adapting in real time. Just as important, players learn how to think about their thinking—the metacognitive habits that allow them to self-correct, stay focused, and raise awareness under pressure.

The Emotional Game

Successful players regulate emotions. Confidence, resilience, and composure matter. Holistic coaching creates environments where losses are lessons. Players learn to channel intensity without losing control, and to compete with passion while maintaining perspective.

The Social Game

Basketball is a team sport in the truest sense. Holistic coaching invests in culture—shared values of accountability, respect, and unselfishness. Players learn to communicate, listen, and encourage. Trust binds five individuals together as one.

Beyond the Court

The real test of holistic coaching isn’t just what shows up on game film, but life. Leadership, responsibility, and teamwork extend beyond the hardwood. When done well, basketball becomes a classroom for character—preparing players for careers, relationships, and challenges after their last game ends.

Integration Matters

The physical, mental, emotional, and social aren’t separate boxes. They’re  interwoven. A defensive lapse might stem from fatigue, frustration, or lack of trust. To address performance, coaches must address the whole person.

Lagniappe 2. "Joy is a competitive advantage." 

 

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Notebooks*

Notebooks Are Underrated. Here's Why.

Clayton Christensen, one of the most influential thinkers in business and innovation, had a habit that set him apart—even among Harvard Business School students. As John Coleman recalls in Critical Thinking Starts with Careful Questioning, Christensen kept a notebook to record the best questions his classmates asked. He didn’t just admire them—he studied them. At home, he’d reflect on why a particular question cut deeper or revealed more than others.

His habit wasn't about collecting answers. It was about improving the way he thought.

Coleman shares a few practices that sharpen critical thinking:

  • Hold your hypotheses loosely

  • Embrace the discomfort of not knowing

  • Listen more than you talk

  • Ask open-ended questions (avoid yes/no)

  • Consider the counterintuitive (don’t jump to conclusions)

  • Sit with a problem longer

  • Ask tough follow-ups

He closes with a reminder that’s both simple and profound:

“Learn to formulate and ask questions, rather than simply answering them.”

This approach to thoughtful inquiry is a cornerstone of how high achievers learn, lead, and solve problems.

Quick Note-Taking Hacks

Notebooks don’t have to be leather-bound and old-school—though they can be. Here are quick ways to capture what matters:

  1. Use a smartphone notes app

  2. Take a photo or screenshot

  3. Copy a URL and email it to yourself

  4. Send yourself a short text with keywords

Why It Matters

High performers track ideas, questions, and insights. What separates the great from the average isn’t just hard work—it’s structured thinking. They have systems to gather, sort, and share information well.

One of the emerging superpowers of artificial intelligence is helping us develop those systems—making us faster, clearer, and more organized in how we handle information.

Coaching begins with preparation, attention to detail, and sharing clear, impactful information. Start with a notebook. Physical or digital, it’s still one of the smartest tools you can carry.

Lagniappe. Let your best players know that you will coach them hard because that helps both them and their teammates. The best players I coached used notebooks. 

 *Shared from my basketball blog 

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