Arie Selinger, Head Coach, 1984 USA Volleyball Women’s Olympic Team, wrote “Setting for the Setter”. He believes the setter is the most important player on the court who’s qualities include: play-maker, architect, decision maker, cooperative, an extension of the coach, perceptive, great mental stamina, leader, hard working, creative, disciplined, crafty, aware, well liked, and inspires trust and confidence.

Chuck Erbe, Head Coach of the 1981 USC Trojans that won the first NCAA Championship, credits his “Thoughts on Setters” to Doug Beal with the following characteristics: intelligence, self confidence, “sponge” characteristic (accepting responsibility), emotional stability, and a disciplined work ethic.

John Kessel’s “The Coach’s Encylopedia” has a section “Thoughts on Setting and Setters” which he too credits to Doug Beal. He believes a setter should have or develop the following four traits: intelligence, self-confidence, “sponge” characteristic, and emotional stability.

John Dunning, Stanford Head Coach, has a video called “Becoming a Championship Setter”; he states a setter should have the following qualities: leadership, hardest working (work ethic), a communicator, a strategist, a student of the game, a psychologist, accountable, consistent, trustworthy, disciplined, crafty, tough, a competitor, a listener and creative.

It is interesting to research these documents and follow the thought process over time. There are obviously many attributes of a setter and these great coaches have mane overlaps. I have found there are three essential mental qualities that should be prevalent throughout all aspects of a setter’s life: confidence, leadership, and intelligence.

Confidence

Confidence is a mental stabilizer. A setter needs to be sure of themselves, carry themselves with the highest esteem, and believe they are the best on the court. Confidence enables a setter to handle the ball mindlessly at critical portions of a match, distribute it to the best hitter on the floor, and their confidence will be infectious to the other players on the court. Confidence allows a setter to take constructive criticism from the coach, deflect negativity from players, and build positive, consistent team chemistry. The setter understands they will not always be a perfect player, understands their weaknesses, but their teammates always believe they are a great setter and have confidence in their sets and as their court leader.

Leadership

Leadership provides focus. The setter has to personally accept the team goal and make it a mission. Through this mission the setter needs to regulate the team standards, manage the team environment, and motivate teammates by being the example everyday of striving towards this goal. The team agreed on the goal and it is the setter’s job to make the goal the first priority. She must not be swayed by negative emotion or opinions of the group when they are not relative to their goal. The setter confronts conflict and resolves issues to keep emotional stability throughout the team. The setter is optimistic, but realistic in their teammate’s abilities and sets the correct hitter (not their favorite hitter) in all situations in order to win a point, set, or match. It is the end result that the team is trying to achieve and it is the setter’s responsibility to make sure the team stays on course.

Intelligence

The setter asserts the coach’s game-plan, thoughts, and ideas on to the court. The setter sets the team offense based on research and percentages, but trusts their emotion and knows when to take a calculated risk. The setter reads the opponents block, defense, match characteristics, and adjusts to the flow of the game and sets the tempo. The setter knows when to push the team, how to direct the team, and how to pick-up the team. The setter will set the emotion and tone on the court that the players will follow. The setter will understand they are the example. The setter must always keep the goal in mind and express it to the team.

In the future, I hope to post those past documents from the great coaches of our game. If you have any piece to share, I would appreciate the opportunity to view them! :-)

The FIVB has a great collection of video clips from the 2008 Olympics.

It includes a compilation of team rotations and skills and the best players by skill. The videos do take some time to download, but they are pretty impressive once open. Check them out sometime:

Women’s Team Clips by country, rotation, and skills:

http://www.fivb.org/en/technical/olympics/2008/women/

Women’s Best Player by skill:

http://www.fivb.org/en/technical/olympics/2008/women/ (same page – just click on the left navigation bar)

Men’s Team Clips by country, rotation, and skills:

http://www.fivb.org/en/technical/olympics/2008/men/

Men’s Best Player by skill:

http://www.fivb.org/en/technical/olympics/2008/men/#nowhere

The FIVB also provides a short technical team analysis. Here is an example of the Olympic Gold Medal Winning USA Team:

The USA improved in the preliminary round and won in group A; after tight victories in the quarter and half finals against SRB 3:2 and RUS 3:2, the team won the final convincingly
3:1 against BRA.

Short characterization

USA Gold Medal

Team in general

· Team formation with plenty of veteran, experienced players – with ITA and BRA oldest team of the tournament (average age 30.4 years, 6 players from the OG 2004, no player born after 82); together with RUS as the tallest team (average with libero >200 cm).

· Excellently organized and structured game; manner of playing intelligently adapted to the respective opponent (computer assisted game control).

Serve

· Good mixture of jump and float serves (appr. 73:27%) with variable techniques and excellent tactical adaptation. Above-average direct scores by forceful jump serves, mainly by No 13 Stanley (average by set 0,5)!

Reception

· Average reception performance; ranking ninth in players’ ranking – No 5 Lambourne (64 %) und No 8 Priddy (61 %) success. Depending on situation neat use of reception techniques.

· Mainly in 3-player formation – occasionally shift and take over by supporting on the weaker side of the fellow player; vary reception from overhand and in bump!

Set / Attack Complex 1 and Complex 2

· Organization of the sets intelligent, adapted to the opponent, technically skilled and varied (long and short paths) by the very experienced setter No 1 Ball (since the OG 2000)! Prefers first tempo sets (>27 %) with  2-4 m distance at in-between positions and back court sets (appr. 25 %) with Stanley (a bit higher) and Priddy over the middle of the net (Pipe).

· Attack in complex I : Speedy and variable attack; prefer to play long distances and high tempo over pos. 4; always elements of surprise by first attack from No 1 setter Ball – also when game continues!

· Attack in complex II: Varies and like to alter the attackers when game continues (Rally); deliberate quick transition game in transition situations (defence, covering, freeball)!

· Stanley (HF 1/pos. 2) as well as Salmon and Priddy (pos. 4) are put in difficult situations – attack from high sets (diagonal sets)

Block / Defense

· In connection with serve well adapted opponent-specific block-defense behavior, occasionally vary start and block positions of the net players!

· With 1.0 avg by set very successful as team – in the best blockers’ ranking list, there are  two outstanding blockers: No 4 Lee – ranking second (1.0 avg by set) and No 9 Millar – ranking fourth (0.79 avg by set)!

· Particular strengths in block at the outside positions 2 and 4; good support at the middle positions.

· Strict specialization on positions in defence (libero and middle blocker pos. 5); short-distance covering by back court player and net player not being involved in the block!

AVP TV Live from Riverside

Saturday: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 7:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Sunday: 9:30 a.m. to competition end (approximately 5 p.m.)

Women’s Final: 2:30 p.m. Men’s Final: 4 p.m.

http://www.avp.com/News/2009/04/Riverside-Streaming.aspx

I was looking at your resume and trying to figure out how you made the jump to college coaching. I would love to coach at that level, but am not sure when and how is the best way. Obviously the competition is steep.

Get a couple high school state titles, win a couple regional
tournaments in USAV, or maybe volunteer at a junior college? Do you
think there is a “best” way to go about it?

Any recommendations on where to start would be amazing. Thanks in Advance!

Before I answer your question about becoming a College Volleyball Coach, I highly recommend visiting The College Volleyball Coach’s blog, in particular three posts on becoming a College Volleyball Coach:

1. Volleyball Coaching Jobs
2. Volleyball Coaching Jobs, Part II
3. College Volleyball Coaching as a Career

The Coach provides some great answers and insight to this question. What I can offer you is my experience, my luck (the good and bad), and my recent struggle searching for my next coaching gig.

Fifteen years ago, I played volleyball for Arizona State University. Scott Swanson (current Associate Head Coach at the University of Minnesota) was a teammate. After college, I spent 10 years in the business world, international marketing, and continued to play in USAV indoor tournaments and AVP Qualifiers for fun. When my competitive playing days were over, the passion for the sport never fizzled. So I decided to help out as a ‘floater’ coach at a small club in South Carolina called Low Country Volleyball Club. I then ‘graduated’ to coach my own team for three more seasons. During the club off season, I was an assistant coach at the local high school, Bluffton High School. As I traveled to tournaments and sincerely enjoyed spending my weekend sitting inside a convention center as another perfect sunny 80 degree day passed outside, I often thought to myself, “How cool would it be to actually get paid to do what I love?” (all my time coaching club and as the assistant coach at the high school was done on a volunteer basis).

Luck came my way. A fellow beach player (Chris Keen) was, at the time, the Assistant Coach at Georgia Southern University. He decide to leave Georgia Southern to pursue his AVP dream (he’s now also the Volunteer Assistant at the University of Florida). He asked me about my interest in the position and gave my name to the Head Coach, Nicole McCray. My original plan was to coach club for one more year to see a particular group of girls through their senior year, but I couldn’t handle working a sales job any longer. So I took the Assistant Coaching position at GSU.

This stroke of good luck soon turned south after just one semester
at GSU. The Head Coach moved-on and the new coach brought in his own crew.  Fortunately, I was able to stay at GSU to coach the Men’s Club Team throughout the spring. I was also able to help out at Low Country Volleyball Club again and see those seniors through their final year of school.

To help me find that next coaching job, I broke the piggy bank to gather what change I had left, and paid for a trip to the AVCA Convention in Sacramento. Not only would I be able to attend the Final Four, but I could network with the world of volleyball coaches. I think it was fate that the first person I saw when I walked into the hotel was Doug Beal. Then, by fate again, I happened to ride up the elevator with Mike Hebert. I honestly didn’t really know much about Mike at the time and only recognized him because he was wearing a Minnesota Volleyball shirt. I said to him, “Is Scott Swanson here?”. He looked at me like I was a lost soul.

At the convention, I did run into Scott. I hadn’t talked to or seen him in over 10 years. We caught up a little on life and he suggested I volunteer at the University of Minnesota for a semester (only a semester as they had an Olympic volunteer coming in the spring ;) I pondered the idea for a few months as I applied to every job opening available. Scott even introduced me to a couple coaches, but good luck was not on my side this time. So I booked a flight to Minneapolis in the spring, met Mike (for real this time) and I started as a volunteer coach for the University of Minnesota in the summer.

The volunteer position at the U of MN was priceless. I learned so much working at an elite program for Mike, Scott, and Laura Bush. On the flip-side, it has been a financial drain (as I “worked” full time as a volunteer at the U, with no other job). I am confident the experience will pay great dividends as I coach in the future.

The Struggle. It is now April. Even with Hall of Fame Coach, Mike Hebert (who seems to know everyone in the volleyball world) making calls for me and is really helping my job search, I have not been able to land one yet. I again paid my own way to go to AVCA Convention in Nebraska this past December, I have interviewed with a few schools, I don’t have enough experience for some of the openings, and I have actually turned down a couple positions. There just hasn’t been the right fit yet. I do not believe I am being picky, but I have learned quite a bit. I do not want to end up in another situation where I only coach for a semester at a school again. This is my lifelong career, I believe it is worth waiting a couple months for the right position.

So to answer your questions, I have been part of a juniors program
that has won two regional championships and a high school program that has been the state runner-up. Honestly, the first regional championship happened when I already started coaching in college. I was just fortunate, in a convoluted twist of events, to be a part of these programs when they won. So I do not believe a regional championship or high school state championship is a necessity to coach in college. I was able to land Georgia Southern based on who I knew.

Following is list of things I highly recommend to get your feet wet:

1. Volunteer at a University. The experience is priceless. Besides working with the immediate coaching staff, you will meet coaches throughout the conference.
2. Coach at college camps. You’ll get to network with college coaches.
3. Join the AVCA – and try to scrape some money together and attend the convention.
4. Attend USAV CAP Courses – Cecile Reynaud happened to be my cadre at one of my courses. I still keep in touch with her today and ask for advice.
5. Save money! I looked at the volunteer position at the U of MN as a college education, one in which I paid for by not getting paid.
6. Learn, learn, learn. I am a sponge when it comes to learning the game and all those associated with it.

Realize that a college coaching career will not lead you to success
financially, but it will spiritually. I have certainly struggled my first two years coaching. I have had to move three times, I am in my thirties and shared a cheap apartment with a college senior, and ramen noodles are again my best friend, but it is all completely worth it to me. As the saying goes, “Do what you love and you will never work another day in your life”.

How sweet is this?

Karch Kiraly Named USA Volleyball Women’s Assistant Coach

A friend of mine is about to break on to the AVP Tour. Big Jon as he’s known by the locals of South Carolina. A natural athlete that played professional basketball in Europe and picked up volleyball in his mid-twenties. A 6′7″ frame along with a 35″ vertical doesn’t hurt either. He’s unsure of his blocking game and came to me looking for a few pointers. Following is my advice.

There is so much about blocking. Here is some thought, perspective, and insight.

Compare your blocking game with the greats. Phil Dalhausser, in 2008 he led the AVP Tour with 2.12 blocks per game. Lambert, 2.04 blocks per game. Gibb 1.96. How many blocks per game are you getting? Two or three blocks a game is not a big number, so don’t put too much pressure
on yourself to HAVE to make blocks. In a game, you could get 30 block attempts (hits against you…this includes shots). Based on 2 blocks per game, that means 7% of all attacks against you will result in a
block (that means out of those 30 block attempts, 28 will be hit around
you). Make it a goal to get 3 blocks a game which correlates to 1 block for every 10 attempts (this would be phenomenal if you accomplished this goal).

Don’t beat yourself up mentally when you don’t get a block. Take another perspective. Did you force your opponent to alter their swing? Maybe their swing was not a 100% swing or you forced a shot. Accomplishing this goal can be as effective as a block. Trust your teammate for defense.

Another point to consider, are you trying so hard to get a block that you are getting used? Are you reaching too far, stretching yourself to get a block? Are your hands out of position? Are your feet not in position making you late? A bad, undisciplined block is as good as a kill for the opponent. Don’t give away easy points this way. If you are late or your hands are out of position, don’t make matters worse. Go with the block you have set-up and trust your teammate to make a sweet dig.

At the University of Minnesota, READING the game was a major training priority. One of the things I learned under Hall of Fame Head Coach Mike Hebert is “PID”. PID is an acronym for Pattern IDentification. PID is a lot more complex in the indoor game, but some basic principles can be transferred to the outdoor game. The basics of PID is READING the type of pass. The pass often times will dictate how you will block Three types of passes to consider:

ON, OFF, or OVER

1) ON the net – This is a very good pass, you immediately know you will have to set up to block.

2) OFF the net – This is a pass where you have to make a judgement call of whether or not to block.

3) OVER or Tight pass – Get up to block the 2nd ball over.

Watch the first three passes in this clip and read what I have for each pass below:

Pass 1 – The first is an “ON” the net pass. Here the blocker recognized the good pass. Mirrored or followed his hitter (notice how he moved with his hitter immediately) and then he knew he had to set-up a good block.

Pass 2 – This is an OVER or tight pass. Notice how the blocker did not recognize the pass and thus was hit over. If the blocker read the over pass correctly, it would have been an easy block.

Pass 3 – This was part of the rally, in transition. This was another OVER or
tight pass. Again the blocker made an incorrect read and the other team scored an easy point on a 2nd ball over shot.

Of these three passes, the blocker only made one correct read. If he made a correct read on all three, he easily could have had three blocks (your goal).

Pass Identification or PID – ON, OFF, or OVER. Do this for every pass to the net: on an opponent serve receive and during a rally (often more important). Correct reads cause correct reactions, resulting in points.

This is lesson 1. The mental aspect of the game is as, if not more, important than the physical. I’ll get you some drills. More to come :)

In my previous blog, I mentioned Low Country Volleyball Club’s 18s Team winning the 18 Open Division of the USAV Palmetto Region to qualify the team for Nationals in Miami. I received the stats from the team’s championship weekend (we have a parent keep stats), and just for fun ;) compared them with the offensive stats of the 2008 Final Four Teams: Penn State, Stanford, Nebraska, and Texas. I was testing a coachingtheory of IPE (read my What is IPE blog if you are unfamiliar with this concept). Here are my findings:

• Final Four IPE average was .875, LC’s IPEwas .872 (better than Nebraska and almost as good as Penn State)
• Kill eff – LC’s was .433 (better than Nebraska and Stanford)
• Hitting % – LC was .310 (Nebraska was .270, Stanford .314, Texas .335, PSU .380)

I think at any level, the game comes down to efficiency and execution. Low Country proved to be efficient and executed at a championship level.

It’s the little club that could. Low Country Volleyball Club with a total of 3 teams in the entire club, won the 18 Open Division of the USAV Palmetto Region Championship this past weekend in Charlotte. This is the second year in a row the team won the region to advance to the USAV Nationals, held in Miami this July. I’m proud to say I coached at this club a number of years ago and it was a joy watching many of the girls I once coached win the championship…again. A club of three teams.

So how does a club of three teams dominate clubs that have that many teams in a single age group alone? Some of these clubs have 40 teams! The 73 year old club director and head coach of the 18s team is a big reason. You can teach old dogs new tricks, and this old dog wants to learn. He’s attended clinics by Mary Jo Peppler, John Kessel and the likes, and continues to adopt pieces of each of their coaching philosophies into his program. When I started coaching at the club, I was skeptical of his coaching practices. It seemed all the girls were doing was playing games. When were they to learn the intricate and dynamic movements of each individual skill? All they did was compete against each other at each practice. As time went by and I coached alongside Al Stern, I learned, as he learned, that kids learn best by pass, set, hit, pass, set, hit. USAV preaches this “pass, set, hit” practice philosophy as motor movement is best learned in this setting. Recently, I was fortunate to sit in on a practice by Head Coach, Beth Launiere at the University of Utah, her practices are run very similar. She too designs competitive, score-keeping practices in which motor skill learning through playing and competition are at an optimum.

At the club level, especially smaller clubs, gym time is at a premium. Many coaches spend at least half the practice coaching skills which can leave the girls actually playing volleyball for maybe 2 or 3 hours a week. Then when a tournament comes along on a weekend, we expect the girls to play well? It doesn’t often happen. The more time the girls have to play the game, the more time they have to learn the game. Skills are taught throughout these at practice through playing. A player is pulled off on the side to focus on one aspect of her game, then returns to a drill with a mental emphasis on that specific skill adjustment. I am learning, this type of player development is best. Seems to work for Low Country Volleyball Club and the University of Utah is doing pretty well too. ;)