I had a funny experience at the Monument City Classic Tournament. My Carolina Juniors 16s Team played the early match on Sunday morning. Our team arrived first at the court, chose the bench, and I sat down to sip my tea. On the adjacent court, a father turned around and stared at me awkwardly.  He exclaimed, “You’re Coach Rey!”. I said, “Last I checked.” I was taken aback. He went on, “I couldn’t sleep last night. Our team was playing well yesterday, but we just couldn’t buy a win. I thought, maybe some statistical information would help. So, I started looking up volleyball statistical software online in the middle of the night and came across your blog. And POOF, now you’re here!”. He said it was a bit surreal :)

I have received quite a few questions on volleyball stat software and I can only offer my advice based on the software I have used. At the University of Minnesota, I used the Data Project line of software, both Data Volley and Data Video.   I loved that software, but it can be quite complex and take quite a bit of time to enter all match information.  The University of Minnesota had a great Director of Volleyball Operations that would key the match live (where I would receive the information on a computer at the bench) and key incoming opponent match video when it arrived at their office. Its easy to do as a volleyball program if you have a Director Continue Reading

Alex Chappell, of GoTickets.com and a fellow reader of my blog, brought to my attention a helpful webpage of Team Management Tools.  I really think some of these applications and software will help in managing both my Division I team at Winthrop University and my juniors team at Carolina Juniors Volleyball.  Alex’s been friendly enough to let me share the list his team put together:

50 Team Management Tools John Wooden Wished He’d Had

1. Google Apps Team Edition – Though this is an application more for office work, the easy-to-use Google interface and familiar tools make it a no brainer when it comes to distributing emails, calendars, and more. Free trial for 30 days, but not too expensive after that.
2. Scrumy – Here’s a free application perfect for managing upcoming events for your team roster. Scrumy is easy and even fun to use. The interface is pared down to the bare bones, which makes it a real no frills deal, but good for what it does.

3. Sportsvite – This web-based application is the perfect tool for managing local teams and getting all your teammates in a row without having to do a lot of set-up. It is made for this, actually. What makes it even easier is the fact that you can connect with Facebook, allowing you to log in without having to go through the clunky sign-up process. Create events and even find teammates in your area.
4. Tom’s Planner – This planner is a bare bones, but powerful piece of online software. The interface is about as flexible and intuitive as this sort of thing gets, with right click and drag-n-drop functions, it couldn’t get much simpler. You can even give it a test drive without even having to sign up to see if it is for you.

5. TeamSnap – This is the definitive tool for anyone looking to be able to organize their team using online tools. TeamSnap offers specific templates no matter what your sport, and Continue Reading

The Winter Olympics started this week and I am always inspired by the performances of all athletes at the games. To be the best in their country is awesome. I enjoy cheering on the underdogs as much as a dominant performance by the USA. I get such a sense of pride and loyalty for the USA Continue Reading

Do you let your kids smoke?  Then why do you let them eat french fries?

Maybe I’m somewhat of a food nazi, but I believe proper nutrition is essential to the development of volleyball players.  Equally as important is eating right during long tournament weekends.  Unfortunately, food choices at convention centers are usually terrible and even “healthy” fast foods (subs, burritos, etc.) are often laced with unhealthy Continue Reading

Each week I provide my team little reminders to help keep them focused on our goal.

After a first great week of practice, it is easy for each of us to fall back into our old routines, to go our separate ways over the next four days, fall back into our own worlds, and “forget” about each other (this is what ordinary teams do).  Or we can make the extra effort to become a more than ordinary, an extra ordinary, an extraordinary team!

In order to become an extraordinary team, we need to make a commitment to change as well as reach out to one another.  There are three ways to change which will help us to bond and grow as a team:

1.    Exercise – At a minimum our dynamic stretching’s purpose is to use your body weight to stretch as well as strengthen.  It is crucial that you do these movements at least two days.  In addition, it is time to open up that 2010 Championship Manual (the black binder we provided to you at the Team meeting).  Towards the back of the binder is the workout section and find the Jump Training Workout.  Chose either Workout 1 or Workout 2.  Do this one day.  Locate the Agility Workouts.  Choose to do Agility Workout 1 or Agility Workout 2.  Do this one day.  Locate the Lifting (Initial Phase) page.  On the bottom is a Rotator Cuff Workout and an Ab Workout.  Do these on the days you do the Jump Training and Agility Workout.  If you are familiar with the weight room and have access to a weight room, you may substitute the Circuit Lifting Program for both the Jump Training and Agility Training.

2.    Nutrition – It is time to make a lifestyle change.  5 small healthy meals are better than 3 large meals a day.  Over the next four days, add in a snack.  In the 2010 Championship Manual is the Carolina Juniors Volleyball Nutrition Guide.  On the third page of the guide, under the “When to Eat” section, are examples of healthy snacks: Healthy (Low Sugar) Granola Bars or Smoothies are the examples.  Be sure to have add (not substitute for a meal) a healthy snack for each of the next four days.  In addition, consume 1 extra 8 ounce glass of water a day.

3.    Decide as a team a food group you will no longer eat for the month of December.  For example, no more sodas and sweet teas or no more fried foods or no more sweets and candy, etc.  I personally believe that you should not consume any of these, especially to be a top notch athlete, but what will the team commit to?

At practice on Sunday, provide the coaches with the exercises you performed, the additional snack you are eating, and the food group the team will abstain from eating in the month of December.  The discipline you perform now will make our team stronger.

Extra Credit – the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament starts this Friday.  Watch a match, find a player that plays your position, and report on their movement (verbally – no need to write this down) at practice.  Also, any comments on that match and those team chemistries is an extra bonus!

Darren Baker is a friend of mine that’s been playing beach volleyball for years.  Darren began playing volleyball at a competitive level since 1998.  Cutting his teeth on beach/sand volleyball while also playing club volleyball at the University of San Diego before returning to the Augusta, GA area.  He has played numerous outdoor tournaments at an Open level, including Columbia: AVP, Clash and Crown, EEVB, and Fudpuckers events.  Personal highlights are having played against or with Olympians Jose Loiola, Ricci Luyties, Alan Alan, and Phil Dalhausser.

By: Darren Baker

Looking at the statistics of doubles beach volleyball one might say to me: “But Darren, look at the number of blocks vs number of championships in last season’s AVP tour.  The top two blockers, Phil had 2.11 blocks per game and Sean had 1.71 blocks per game this translated into nine (9) championships, first on tour, and Hyden-Scott had four (4) championships second on tour.  You said that this isn’t important in DRILL practice”  At first glance there seems to be an undeniable correlation between blocks per game and championships.  Also lets look at digs per game, Casey Jennings who did not win a championship last year had the most digs at .39 more than John Hyden (the second best), but not as significant percentagewise as Phil’s .4 more blocks per game than the next closest.  All of the top backfield players hover around five digs per game.  I would suggest ignoring this stat as a predictor of elite play Todd Rogers is way down at 7th, and Sean Rosenthal is at 8th, both of whom won championships.  In other words, any top big man can find a backfield player who has around five (5) blocks per game, there are other qualities that are more important for winning championships.  More important to me is the most served player’s sideout and transition percentage during game.  As a big man, look at this stat and select the best defender from this.  If you are getting served regularly, also take into account setting ability.  As stated before this should be worked on in practice, in the game only aggressive attacking and conservative but accurate passing is called for.

Also, because Phil has the most blocks per game on tour, one would think that that would translate into Todd having more digs than anyone else on tour, in addition to more opposition’s hitting errors, but I do not have that stat.  This is not the case.  Todd has considerably less digs than the top defensive backfield player: Casey Jennings.  I would even guess that he is progressively getting less digs per season and not more.  If this is true: WOW!  I would say, however:  “Not a big deal.”  Read further for why.

What does this mean?  First, this means that total stuff blocks per game probably has little-to-no affect on backfield digs, but the opposite may not be true.  Second, even at 6′9,” Phil is nowhere near a very idealistic three (3) blocks per game, and Todd does not break an average of five (5) digs per game.  Now, because in the heat of the game there is usually only one thing that a locked-in player thinks about, and that is to make the best play on the next touch that they can.  One MIGHT suggest a cognitive goal, in-game, to be a combined average of seven (7) blocks and digs a game.  At first glance this would seem a great goals, and this would be consistent with Dalhausser-Rogers’ 6.92 and Hyden-Scott’s 7.03, but this does not tell the whole story.  Not taking into effect Phil’s digs and Todd blocks etc, which would probably bring their total above seven (7) combined per game.

Look at Casey Jennings and Matt Fuerbringer’s 7.06 combined blocks and digs per game, yet no championships last season.  This means that blocking is vastly more important that a secondary: total first touch defensive plays per game.  Looking at the stats that are available that is.

What does this mean for Joe average Open player looking to break into the professional tour, and for that matter top professional teams?

This means that the SINGLE MOST important in-game strategy for a doubles team should be to:  maximize blocks per game!  This means that the backfield defender should concentrate all thinking energy and experience into how to improve their partner’s blocks per game.  Even more than this, though good to have aces, a forced bad pass by a strong serve followed by a pull by the forward defender may not be as important as drawing the set close to the net (by serving short or deap, for instance)  The goal being: two (2) blocks per game for the defender that always blocks (the ideal situation, just look at the equal height team of Hyden-Scott) or for close to 50-50 split-blocking one (1) block per game for each blocker.

A goal of three (3) blocks per game though it appears to be a good goal is basically unreachable in the long run, if you find yourself almost at this goal, you will probably be the best team in the world.  The goal of two (2) blocks per game is a high goal by anyone’s standards, and will probably translate into championships in doubles at any level, any better is just icing on the cake!

Case in point is the gold medal team of Dalhausser-Rogers.  I would guess that the reason for their success in the last three-plus (3+) years of AVP play is twofold:  as discussed in the first blog, an emphasis in practice of Todd’s ability to pass and side out, and Phil’s ability to set, and an emphasis in game of enhancing Phil’s ability to stuff block the ball, in whatever way possible.  Though probably not conscience, this is where Todd’s ability to coach is enough to win them championships without a sideline coach and absence of Phil having traditional coaching in high school or college, noticeable by his goofy-footed approach (negative) and non-traditional great hands for a middle (positive).

For Phil this means, don’t get rid of Todd yet (in looking forward to the next Olympics), because he still has the ability to elevate your play to the best in the world, as proven by last seasons accolades and winnings.  If you find that Todd cannot keep up his sideout and transition game, or digs drop significantly below four per game, and your setting and blocking numbers have not changed, you need to look for a new partner in order to win gold in the next Olympics.

For everyone else this means that though digging and setting are important parts of the game and should not be ignored during PRACTICE, perhaps enhancing the blocker’s ability to stuff the ball and aggressive shot selection should be the first and second most important goals, respectively, for both players during IN-GAME doubles strategy.