Coaching Management 18.11 by Momentummedia

Coaching Management VOL. XVIII NO. 11

VOLLEYBALL

POSTSEASON

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CONTENTS

Coaching Management Volleyball Edition Postseason 2010 Vol. XVIII, No. 11

27 35

Fierce & Focused

LOCKER ROOM

Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 New NCAA recruiting proposal would delay verbal offers … Missouri implements summer dead period … Drawing in fans with a family-centered festival … Restarting a team … Cheyney players offer a finances workshop.

Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Tammy Richardson Oak Mountain H.S., Birmingham, Ala.

COVER STORY

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How do you bring out the relentless competitor in each of your athletes? This article offers an innovative strategy, complete with five components of preparation and five phases of attack.

LEADERSHIP

Quelling the Critics

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Nowadays, coaches get bombarded with criticism from every angle. In response, they are learning how to absorb, deflect, and stand firm.

AVCA CONVENTION PREVEW

VOLLEYBALL COURT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Coaching Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 PRODUCT LAUNCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 More Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 On the cover: University of Illinois All-American Laura DeBruler gives it her all in a match against Minnesota. Our cover story, beginning on page 14, provides advice on teaching athletes to be competitive. Photo by Mark Cowan.

seminars and events . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A look at the events slated for the 2010 Convention in Kansas City, including a host of networking opportunities.

hall of fame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Congratulations to the four inductees into the AVCA Hall of Fame: Irene Matlock, Carl McGown, Dave Shoji, and Sports Imports, Inc.

Exhibitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Advance information about the exhibitors who will be at the Volleyball Marketplace this year. Now Playing on the Web

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Publisher Mark Goldberg Editor-in-Chief Eleanor Frankel Associate Editors Abigail Funk, Dennis Read Assistant Editors R.J. Anderson, Kenny Berkowitz, Patrick Bohn, Mike Phelps Special Projects Dave Wohlhueter

Marketing Director Sheryl Shaffer Business Manager Pennie Small Administrative Assistant Sharon Barbell Circulation Director Dave Dubin Circulation Manager Sandra Earle Ad Materials Coordinator Mike Townsend

Art Director Pamela Crawford Production Director Maria Bise Production Assistant Natalie Couch Graphic Artist Trish Landsparger Prepress Manager Neal Betts

Advertising Sales Associates (607) 257-6970 Diedra Harkenrider, ext. 24 Pat Wertman, ext. 21 Business and Editorial Offices 31 Dutch Mill Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 257-6970, Fax (607) 257-7328 info@MomentumMedia.com

The Coaching Management Volleyball edition is published in April and November by MAG, Inc., and is distributed free to college and high school coaches in the United States and Canada.

unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Coaching Management, P.O. Box 4806, Ithaca, N.Y. 14852. Printed in the U.S.A.

Mailing lists for Coaching Management Volleyball are provided by the Clell Wade Coaches Directory.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD Delaying the Offer Should athletes in their first few years of high school be receiving college scholarship offers? A lot of people don’t think so, and if a proposal by the NCAA Division I Recruiting and Athletics Personnel Issues Cabinet passes, coaches will no longer be able to make such early offers.

The Cabinet has drawn up new rules that would prohibit schools from making a verbal scholarship commitment before July 1 of an athlete’s senior year of high school. Colleges would also be required to have five semesters of a high school recruit’s transcript on file before any scholarship could be presented. There are currently no NCAA rules specifically governing unofficial verbal offers.

Petrina Long, Senior Associate Athletic Director at UCLA and Chair of the Cabinet, said that tying scholarship offers to established academic performance is a crucial part of the legislation. “We felt that the fifth term is a point at which someone can evaluate whether a young person is on track to meet [a particular institution’s] academic entrance criteria,” she told The NCAA News. Ray Bechard, Head Coach at the University of Kansas, feels the rule would allow high school athletes to ultimately make better decisions about which college to commit to. “It would help put control of the recruiting process back in the hands of the recruits by allowing them to make their decisions based on more information,” he says. “In some cases it’s good to get the recruiting process over with sooner,” Bechard continues. “But there are a lot more cases where kids aren’t sure where they want to go, yet they feel pressure to commit, so they say yes to a school that turns out to not be the best fit for them. We’re seeing more transfers than we did before and making decisions so early in the process may account for some of them.”

Coaching Management

The trend for high school volleyball players to commit to colleges earlier and earlier began about 10 years ago. “My first few years here in the

One more problem with early commitments is that a program can change significantly in two or three years. “The picture that was painted for that high school sophomore or junior may be different than what they find when they actually arrive on campus,” Bechard says. “The roster can change because of injuries or transfers. The program could have a new coach. These days, you might even be in a different league.” Another proposed Division I recruiting rule would allow coaches more opportunities to talk with prospective studentathletes or their parents. Under the proposal, which is similar to one currently used in men’s basketball, coaches would be allowed to call recruits once per month beginning Aug. 1 after their sophomore year of high school. Beginning Aug. 1 after an athlete’s junior year, coaches would be allowed to call twice a week. Currently, coaches in most sports, including volleyball, are limited to one call a week beginning on July 1 after a high school athlete’s junior year. “Any legislation that creates opportunities for the program and the student-athlete to get to know each other better is good legislation,” Bechard says. “Ultimately, the studentathletes are still in control because it’s up to them if they want to talk with a coach or not.” Both proposals will work their way through the NCAA legislative process this school year and could be rejected

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JOHN DAVIS/AP photo

A new NCAA Division I rules proposal would prohibit coaches from offering scholarships to athletes before July 1 of their senior year in high school. Currently, there are no guidelines on unofficial verbal offers. Above, top recruits in South Dakota go head-to-head in the South Dakota All-Star Games last summer.

But Bechard does question how effective such a rule would be. “I think there’s some anxiety among coaches about whether the rule could actually be enforced,” he says. “Hopefully, once the ground rules are set, the student-athletes and the people helping them will abide by the rule because they won’t want to jeopardize their eligibility. If parents will say, ‘We know what the rules are, and we’re going to follow them,’ I think coaches will fall in line.”

1990s, we went through a process where the athlete would make their official visit during their senior year before we made an offer,” Bechard says. “That gave kids a real opportunity to get a sense of what being on campus was like. Then when we moved our official signing date up three or four months, the whole process got accelerated.”

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD or modified significantly at several points along the way. The measures will likely face their first votes in January and could be in effect as soon as next summer.

Summer Time-Out In the ongoing debate over whether high school athletes should be given a mandatory break during the summer, Missouri is the latest state to take a side. Earlier this year, the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) passed a by-law requiring a nine-day “dead period” for all schools and set a limit of 25 contact days between athletes and coaches, which went into effect this past summer.

and take a mental and physical break before the season begins. “Athletics has almost become a job in high school,” she continues. “It’s one thing to do that in college, but it’s unfortunate to see it at the high school level. I’ve learned to back off to avoid kids burning out.” The respite clearly hasn’t affected the Ozark squad. Last season, the team captured the Class 4 state title. “If you’re self disciplined, one week off

isn’t going to affect you,” she says. “Our girls know they have to be ready coming off our breaks. They’re not sitting on the couch that week. They’re out being active.” Justis has children who are dedicated athletes, but she says her family relishes the time off. “My family doesn’t even think about sports during that time,” she says. “It’s not too long, but it’s enough to get our batteries recharged and excited to work again when we come back.”

MSHSAA Executive Director Kerwin Urhahn says the dead period allows coaches and players to take a break and not worry about falling behind. “We always stipulate to players that summer time is voluntary,” he says. “But as a former coach, I understand that it can be difficult for an athlete to say, ‘I won’t be showing up this week.’”

“Parents love it because it gives them a chance to schedule a vacation,” Justis says. “It also gives the girls an opportunity to let their hair down

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Urhahn says that for some coaches, the dead period is going to take time to get used to, but that he’s gotten a number of positive e-mails from parents. “Any time you have something that’s new, there are people who are going to be unsure about the viability of it going in,” he says. “Change is tough. But for the most part, our schools and parents support the idea.”

Family Fun A few years ago, Pete Waite, Head Coach at the University of Wisconsin, received a letter from the mother of a young fan. She wrote about how some nights before putting her daughter to bed, the two would read from the Wisconsin volleyball game program, pretend to be players on the team, and create imaginary stories about them.

During the dead period, athletes and coaches are not allowed to use school facilities, including the weightroom. In addition, coaches cannot have contact with athletes on or off campus. Becky Justis, Head Coach at Ozark High School, is one coach who welcomed the new rule. Although her school already had a dead period in place from the end of July through the first week in August, she also gives her players the week of July 4 off. She’s found that both the students and their parents appreciate the extra break.

The new statewide rule seeks to provide schools with flexibility, as the nine down days are chosen by each school individually. “Each school is different in terms of the sports they offer, and they understand their coaches’ needs best,” Urhahn says. “Because of that, we thought it was best for them to set their own dead period.”

While this level of fan involvement may not be common in college volleyball, the Badgers aren’t surprised by it. For nearly a decade, the team has been reaching out to families in its local community, which has grown its fan base by leaps and bounds. That support helped the Badgers finish third in NCAA Division I attendance in 2009.

In Missouri, high school athletes were handed a mandatory nine-day time-out from their sport teams this summer. “It gives the girls an opportunity to let their hair down and take a mental and physical break before the season begins,” says Ozark (Mo.) High School Head Coach Becky Justis. An Ozark player competes, above.

A large part of the Badgers’ commitment centers on the Wisconsin Volleyball Fan Fest, a free event the program has hosted each year since 2002 that brings families face to face with the players. This year, kids were able to participate in on-

Coaching Management

LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD court activities with the team, test their vertical jump, and try on a UW uniform. Younger family members could get their faces painted, color in pictures of volleyball players and school mascot Bucky Badger, and even jump around in an inflatable bounce castle. “It’s a great way to get the young kids excited about our sport and have them make direct contact with our players,” Waite says. “The kids attending range in age from two years old to middle school. It’s not a camp, a clinic, or anything skill related. It’s just

a time to learn about the program and have fun.” Between 500 and 600 fans attended this year’s Fan Fest, which also included an intrasquad scrimmage, time for autographs, and question and answer session with coaches and players. Waite talks to fans about the upcoming season, preseason training, any new rules, and ticket information. He also introduces new players. “Usually the kids will ask if I used to be a player or wonder when our players started with

volleyball, because they want to know when they can start, too,” Waite says. “It’s a nice way for us to interact with the fans.” The family-friendly atmosphere surrounding Wisconsin volleyball continues through the season, and includes players visiting local elementary schools to give demonstrations. “We’ll give out a free ticket to each student, and they’ll run home to their parents and say, ‘We have to go to this game,’” Waite says. “When you make a connection with the fans at an early age, they’re going to pester their parents to come out to the matches and see the team,” he continues. “Once they’re there, they’ll be sold on what a great event you have and become lifelong fans.” At home games, the bond between players and young fans grows even stronger. “Before the match, all the kids come down and line the perimeter of the court,” Waite says. “There can be hundreds surrounding the court. When the starters are announced, they run and slap hands with all of the kids. Sometimes parents will come down and hold an infant’s hand out there to get a high five. Then after each match, we make a point of having the players stay to greet fans. “We know the power of the family is with the kids,” he continues. “We just need to get them in the door. Then they keep coming back.”

Restarting a Team

University of Wisconsin sophomore outside hitter Kirby Toon poses with two participants in the Badgers’ annual Fan Fest, a free event that brings families face to face with players. Between 500 and 600 fans attended this year.

Coaching Management

Dan Spencer, Head Coach at Elderton (Pa.) High School, likens his situation the past couple of years to playing a game of ping pong. Only, in this case, Spencer and his players were the ball. Two years ago, the school

board in the Armstrong School District decided to close Elderton due to declining enrollment and the amount of money it would take to fix up the school. Its students were dispersed to the district’s other three high schools. Spencer became Head Coach at nearby West Shamokin High School— also in the Armstrong district and Elderton’s bitter rival—and many of his players followed. Meanwhile, unhappy with the district’s decision to close Elderton, a number of community members started a grassroots campaign to elect new board members who would revive Elderton. The campaign was a success and the school re-opened this fall. One year after departing the school, Spencer and the original Elderton players returned, eager to restart the program. “I like playing ping pong, but I found that being the ball is not nearly as much fun,” Spencer says. “Once we got to West Shamokin, we settled in and accepted our situation. Then, all of a sudden, we went back the other way. It was quite an adjustment for all of our students.” Having coached at Elderton since the 1980s, Spencer says he never doubted he would return to the school if it reopened. And because he has been coaching his current crop of players since they were in seventh grade, it hasn’t been difficult for him to bring the Elderton program back. The toughest part, he found, was leaving behind the players at West Shamokin. “During the one season at West Shamokin, we had a great team and we accomplished a lot,” Spencer says. “We won our district championship and made it to the state tournament. But to me, the biggest success of the entire year was what the players did internally. The close friendships that developed

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD among former rivals were exceptional.” But just because the players are no longer teammates doesn’t mean the friendships have dissolved. Elderton and West Shamokin met on the court in a tournament during the first

before the teams combined,” Spencer says. “It was competitive, but when the smoke cleared we had our arms around each other.” While the situation for Spencer and his players the last two years has not been ideal,

Spencer feels the school’s one-year closure strengthened the Elderton community. “The students always liked what they had here, but they sort of grew complacent. Now they understand they should be more active in supporting the school.” week of regular season action this year, and the feeling around the match was unlike any other in the rivalry’s history. “It was much friendlier and more positive than the year

they’ve stayed positive and tried to roll with the punches. “It’s like anything in life,” Spencer says. “You can either make the best of what you’ve got or sit around and mope because you don’t have what

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you want. This is where we are now, and it’s all worked out.” And, in some ways, Spencer feels the school’s one-year closure strengthened the Elderton community. “The students always liked what they had here, but they sort of grew complacent,” he says. “Now they understand they should be more involved and active in supporting the school so it doesn’t go away again. You don’t realize what you’ve got until it disappears. “I’ve also seen increased activity in the community among our boosters and parents, who are determined to make this a better experience than what it was two years ago,” Spencer continues. “We had one of the biggest volleyball crowds we’ve had in a long time here for an exhibition match early in the season. The community fought

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to bring the school back and now they’re trying real hard to make it better than it was.”

Serving Up Financial Advice At Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, where every varsity team is expected to perform community service once a semester, student-athletes are well versed on conducting skills clinics, working with the Police Athletic League, holding cancer awareness benefits, and mentoring middle school students. The volleyball team, however, decided to try something new last semester, offering a finances workshop to the entire student body. “A lot of young people struggle with personal finance,” says Lydia Harsley, who served as Interim Head Coach in 2009-10

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and has since returned to her position as Athletic Academic Coordinator. “They don’t understand how it works, and if, for example, there’s been damage to their credit score, they don’t know how to fix it. We decided to educate students on that.”

emerged with free workbooks to help manage their money.

After presenting the idea to the team and Athletic Director China Jude, setting up the workshop was simple. Harsley walked to a local bank branch, found the officers responsible for outreach, and set a date for them to come to campus.

Instead of sponsoring a typical community service project, the volleyball team at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania hosted a finances workshop for students this winter. Above, setter Crystal Limes serves during a match this year.

Players assisted Harsley in publicizing the event through fliers and word of mouth, and attended the event en masse wearing their team polos. During the hour-long workshop, students learned the basics of credit, received expert advice about their own finances, and

“It definitely worked out well for our students,” says Harsley. “They had a ton of questions, mostly about paying student loans and getting their credit scores back to where they should be. Meeting with people who could answer their questions went a long way toward teaching them to be fiscally responsible.” Team captain Manoucheca Julce, who used the workshop to research her credit score, agrees. “Financial responsibility is something that everybody needs to know about,” she says. “Whether we like it or not, the world revolves around money, so we have to take care of ours. That’s part of the reason we’re here at college: to learn how to live our lives well.”

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Tammy Richardson

Oak Mountain High School, Birmingham, Ala.

In 2006, after 26 years as Head Coach at Pelham (Ala.) High School, which included 1,140 wins, 17 state tournament appearances, and two state championships, Tammy Richardson decided it was time to retire from coaching. She was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 and had no plans to return to the sidelines—until she received a phone call from a friend at Oak Mountain High School in Birmingham. That conversation opened the door, and in 2009, Richardson took over the struggling program at Oak Mountain, which had suffered through three straight losing seasons and managed only two wins the previous year.

Q&A

Richardson immediately invigorated the squad, taking the team to the state tournament after a dramatic victory over Pelham in the regional final. The Eagles finished 36-22, and the veteran coach took home Shelby County Volleyball Coach of the Year honors. During the course of her career, Richardson has helped more than 50 of her players receive college scholarships and produced two high school All-Americans and one National Player of the Year. She was named the state volleyball coach of the year in 1993, the Alabama State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance Female Coach of the Year in 1996, and the National Federation Section 3 Volleyball Coach of the Year in 1999. In this interview, Richardson discusses returning to coaching, rebuilding the Oak Mountain program, and her future.

CM: Why did you decide to retire from Pelham? Richardson: I had been offered a position with Lemak Sports Medicine & Orthopedics in Birmingham [a group that focuses on health and wellness for athletes, active professionals, and youth] about five years before I retired from teaching and coaching at Pelham. We tried to figure out something where I could work for Lemak and continue coaching, but we couldn’t do it. They said, “When you’re ready to retire from coaching, just let us know.” I had always wanted to have another career, and in 2006 I decided it was the right time.

DENNIS VICTORY/THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS

What do you do at Lemak? I do marketing for them. I like meeting different people and being around people. I have a lot of contacts throughout the state and the Southeast, so I feel I am valuable to the company. Why did you decide to take the position at Oak Mountain? Honestly, I had no intention of getting back into coaching. I liked the way my life was going. A friend I used to teach with at Pelham had become an assistant principal at Oak Mountain, and she called to ask if I was interested in their position. I said no. She asked me to just come over to talk with them, and I said no again. Then she called back again, so out of courtesy to my friend, I met with the principal. She was just awesome, and that sparked my interest. The principal told me to give her a dollar figure for what it would take for me to

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Junior Sara Goodwin, spiking above, led Oak Mountain in digs this season, helping the squad reach its second consecutive state tournament.

Coaching Management

Q&A accept the job. I put something down, not ever thinking it would come through. I never gave it a second thought. They called me back the next day and said, “Okay, we’ll meet that.” And here I am. They also let me bring in my own staff and have my own strength and conditioning coach. I’m really glad I went for it—it’s been exciting.

there was a calm and the players could realize what it was about. At first, it was hard for the kids to get used to what it takes to get to the next level, but they eventually stepped up, the parents were supportive, and everything came together. For me, it was a great experience and a fun challenge.

What was their reaction to the “tornado?” After about two weeks, some of them wanted to quit. They hadn’t been pushed like that before. I needed to continually remind them that this was a process—that all the hard work was going to pay off in the end. I would ask them if being more competitive was what they wanted, “At first, it was hard for the kids to because there are prices get used to what it takes to get to to pay to get what you want. The answer was the next level … After about two always yes. Even through weeks, some of them wanted to the season, there were kids who wanted to quit, quit. I needed to continually remind but they didn’t. How does concentrating on coaching and not being a teacher at the same time affect you? I am totally refreshed. Instead of dragging at the end of the school day, I’m

them this was a process—all the hard work was going to pay off.”

excited to get on the court. I travel a lot with my job at Lemak, but I arrange my schedule so I can be at the school at 2:30 ready to go. I wish every coach could have a situation like mine. How did you turn Oak Mountain around in just one season? I had seen them play in 2008 and felt they were very talented. They just didn’t know how to play the game or make the correct decisions during play. So that is what I worked on. What was your mindset entering that year? I’ve always believed in doing thorough preparation before you start something, so I did my best to prepare the parents and kids for what it was going to be like. Early on, I explained that the year was going to be the total opposite of what they had experienced before. My goal was to take them to a higher level, and to do that, I needed a big commitment from them. When I came in, it was crazy—like being in a tornado. But when it was all over,

When we won the regional final in a five-game match, it was a great moment. Several of the players told me they didn’t believe they could do what I said we’d do. That match was against Pelham? Yes. We had lost to Pelham twice that year and at the end of the season, we had to face them at regionals. Whoever won that match went on to the state tournament. We beat them the first two games, and they beat us the next two. Then we won in the fifth game. It was bittersweet because I had coached the seniors on that Pelham team when they were freshmen. I felt bad for them, but I was more excited that my Oak Mountain kids rose to the occasion. These players had worked very hard and never been through anything like this before. Is strength and conditioning an important part of your program? I think it’s a huge part of training, especially in high school. Over the years I’ve experimented with a lot of different strength and conditioning programs. The one I’ve finally stuck with is very sport-specific. It’s aggressive, it’s innovative, and it’s not your typical leg lifts and

squats. You’re in the weightroom, but the lifts and activities are very different. How often does your team strength train? It’s year round but the main work is done during the off-season. When we get in season, because we play so much, I have to give their legs some rest. We try to have at least one day of strength work per week during the season. What is your philosophy on helping your players move on to compete in college? There have been very few of my players who have not been able to play at some college level. You can find a spot somewhere for almost any girl. I talk to all my kids about the recruiting process and all the things they have to get done in high school, like keeping their grades up, if they want to play in college. Part of the process is just knowing the girls well and thinking about what type of situation they’re going to thrive in, whether it has to do with the school, the course of study, the type of coach, or the girls on the team. There are a lot of dynamics that come into play when you’re trying to help a kid find a college. Is there anything you don’t like about the recruiting process? I’m not sure I like the idea of a kid being able to commit early. Often they undergo a change of heart—whether they want to admit it or not. When I talk to college coaches today about my kids who are juniors, they say, “We’re not even recruiting juniors. We’re looking at freshmen and sophomores right now.” That’s just crazy. What does the future hold for you? I’ll evaluate where I stand at the end of the year. This program is on the right path, and it would have to be something really great for me to want to come back and coach again next year. It’s not that I don’t want to come back, but I’ve got a 10-year-old daughter and she comes first. She also plays volleyball, so I’m going to be involved in the sport somehow. It’ll be nice being a spectator, although I don’t know if I’ll be able to sit with other parents. I might have to sit by myself. I have to get that coach mindset out of my brain.

Setter Signals ... Libero Location ... Adjustable Digs Those are the titles of just three of the instructional videos now posted on CoachesNetwork.com. Also check out the vidoes on preparing for practice and improving service return. Find them all at: CoachesNetwork.com.

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MARK COWAN

Laura DeBruler competes with intensity for the University of Illinois, a team that uses author Jeff Janssenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideas in its training. The senior All-American became the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career kills leader in September before suffering an ACL injury in October.

COVER STORY

FIERCE & FOCUSED

BY JEFF JANSSEN

How do you bring out the relentless competitor in each of your athletes? This article offers an innovative strategy, complete with five components of preparation and five phases of attack.

f you’re like most volleyball coaches, when you look at your team, you see a mixture of personalities. You see leaders and followers. You see young women who are outspoken and some who are quiet. You see athletes with style and those who like the basics. While you may value this diversity, you probably want all your athletes to share one quality: competitiveness. If every athlete on your squad has fire in her eyes and a fierce desire to win, your job gets a lot easier. But can you develop competitive drive in athletes? Many prominent coaches believe you can. “I think you can create a competitor from a kid who’s not sure he wants to compete,” says Penn State University Head Football Coach Joe Paterno, a man who has seen almost every kind of athlete

in six decades of coaching. “In a lot of cases, it’s because he doesn’t think he can compete. If you can create situations where he can have some success, and he feels that he can compete, you can bring him along.” Coaching legend John Wooden placed competitive greatness at the top of his famous Pyramid of Success and felt the other qualities are all part of creating a competitor. “I think competitiveness can be developed to a great extent,” he said. University of Tennessee Head Women’s Basketball Coach Pat Summitt also believes you can develop competitiveness, but not without time and effort. “Can you bring it out?” she says. “I think you bring some of that out, but I don’t think that you can all of a sudden make someone a competitor.” So how do you teach competitiveness? How can you “bring out” the competi-

Jeff Janssen is the Director of Sports Leadership Academies at several universities, including North Carolina, Illinois, Michigan, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, and Arkansas. His most recent book is titled How to Develop Relentless Competitors and he can be reached through his Web site: www.jeffjanssen.com.

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Coaching Management

COVER STORY

tive nature in even the most laid back players? Just as we break down physical skills, I believe we can provide athletes a step-by-step “what it means to compete” process so they can learn and improve in this important area. By identifying the components of the competitive mindset and response, we can then teach, coach, and provide athletes with feedback on how to compete. Creating A Competitor Picture this terrifying but hopefully instructive image: A young mother is watching from a park bench as her two-year-old daughter plays on the playground when suddenly a strange man comes out from behind a tree, grabs the child, and tries to run away quickly. What kind of response would you expect from the mother? Almost certainly she would become an instant Competitor (with a capital C!). She would feel a burst of adrenaline and emotion, and fight with all

her strength. No matter how meek and mild she might normally be, a raging inferno of passion, intensity, focus, and persistence would burn inside of her. She would physically confront the abductor and do whatever it takes to get her child back. Losing her child is just not an option. That is an extreme example, for sure. But it demonstrates that anyone can instantly become a fierce and focused Competitor. Therefore, I’d like to propose that lying dormant within all of us is a ferocious Competitor. It awakens and kicks in when something we perceive as very valuable to us is threatened. In the mother’s case, the potential loss of her child brought out her ability to fight. In an athlete’s case, a threatened loss of status, respect, pride, or approval

The following drills are great ways to bring out the relentless competitor in volleyball athletes:

1. Compensation Contributed by Joe Sagula, Head Coach at the University of North Carolina, this drill forces three players to overcome a disadvantage. It not only trains physical and mental toughness, but also creativity.

Set up: Three players are on side A and six

players are on side B. The coach initiates the ball to side A with either a free ball toss or an attack, setting the intensity of the drill by the difficulty of the initial ball.

DIRECTIONS: The drill ends when side A

scores seven points against side B, with the last two points scored back to back. Any player on side A can score and they can attack from anywhere along the net. If any player on either side does not make an effort to play the ball, side A goes to 0. (This ensures that side A plays its heart out and side B does not go easy on side A.)

CO MP E T I T I V E DR I LL S 16

Coaching Management

can kick in its own protective and competitive response. If you can help your athletes discover what is most valuable to them—what they

“I was not a naturally competitive person, but I learned a lot of my competitiveness during those tough drills. I was humiliated and knew that I had to get harder and tougher.” are willing to fight for and protect—you tap into the power of their competitiveness. Then, you may be able to help them find and bring forth the latent Competitor deep inside of them. At the same time, I agree with Coach Summitt that you can not expect an over-

2. Momentum Mover Contributed by Matt Giufre, Head Coach at State University of New York at New Paltz, this drill provides athletes with experience in building momentum and stopping the momentum of an opponent. It is played for a set amount of time (not points), usually 10 minutes.

Set up: Sides A and B both consist of six play-

ers in normal rotation. The number of points gained after each rally varies depending on the momentum built.

DIRECTIONS:

Side A serves. If side A wins the rally, they do not get a point, but instead receive a tossed ball from the coach. If side A wins the rally on the tossed ball, they get one point and another tossed ball. If side A wins the second tossed ball, add two more points to the score and they get another tossed ball. Winning the third tossed ball gains side A three more points. Each consecutive tossed ball is worth one more point than the previous one. Once side B stops side A, side B serves for the chance to win the rally and receive tosses. The actual served ball is never worth a point, just the opportunity to receive tosses. Once a serve takes place, the first tossed ball is worth one point again. Teams rotate every time they win the serve, just like a normal volleyball game.

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night transformation in furthering competitive drive. Developing Competitors is a process—it may be weeks, months, and even years in the making. Soccer superstar Carla Overbeck says her evolution from a timid and passive freshman at the University of North Carolina into one of her sport’s toughest Competitors and a U.S. National Team captain was very gradual. “I was not a naturally competitive person, but I learned a lot of my competitiveness during those tough drills at UNC,” Overbeck says. “I was humiliated and knew that I had to get harder and tougher. As a player, you want to have your teammates believe that you belong there. You want them to respect you. By the end of my sophomore, junior, and senior years, I loved the competition. It was all just about being comfortable with it.” Five Components Since analogies are often instructive in teaching challenging concepts, I have developed a military analogy to help athletes learn exactly what it means to compete. It not only provides a simple process to use, but also a strong visual image and symbol. In so doing, I am not equating actual war with the games of athletics. The two are obviously far different in some critical ways—most notably real lives are on the line in war situations. In no way do I want to minimize or demean the extreme sacrifices made by military personnel and their families. My goal with the analogy is simply to help coaches and athletes create an aggressive, attacking, and competitive mindset by presenting something that people can relate to. The analogy I use is a missile attack, which is designed to overwhelm, confuse, intimidate, disrupt, disable, and demoralize the opposition—very much the same thing your team is trying to do to your opponent by being fiercely competitive. Like competitiveness, effective missile strikes share five key components of attack. They are: Purposeful: To be maximally effective, a war must have a compelling purpose to motivate the troops and justify the sacrifices being made. There must be solid reasons and motivations to warrant the extreme effort that goes into waging war. Those who are fighting must firmly believe in the purpose of the war to sufficiently summon the courage, 18

Coaching Management

passion, and resolve to participate in it. In the athletics arena, athletes must have a similar belief to be relentless. To help your athletes identify and connect with their specific passion and purpose for competing, you can ask them the following questions: n What fuels you? What do you desperately want? n Do you want to try to do something special that has never been done before? n Are you defending something you have rightfully earned that others are trying to take away from you? n Has someone not shown you the respect you deserve? n Do you take pride in representing yourself, your team, your family, and your school? n Do you want to be remembered as one of the best teams ever and leave a legacy that stands the test of time? Powerful: Missiles are a destructive force of power, which is analogous to the strong motivation and force of a Competitor. Competitiveness is, in essence, the harnessing of the explosive power of passion, desire, rage, and fury into a single streamlined, powerful, and destructive force, like a missile. The power is packed in the explosive warhead of controlled intensity that the athlete brings to competition. Whenever possible, you want your athletes to overwhelm and devastate your competition with the intensity, power, and explosiveness of their strikes. The more you intimidate the opponent, the greater chance they will back down, perhaps retreat, or in some cases, surrender early. Planned: Strategic planning is also a critical part of an effective attack. Since competitiveness is much more than just brute force, you can build your athletes’ will to win by making intelligent choices on when, where, and how they are going to strike the opponent. Your team should have a variety of missiles in its arsenal depending on the particular challenge at hand and strategically plan how best to deploy them. This is especially important when an opponent has just as much or more

firepower than you do. In these cases, you must develop a calculated and coordinated plan of attack designed to take out your opponent’s strengths and target their weaknesses. Precise: A missile attack can only be successful if it hits the mark. Your athletes will need to know exactly when, where, and how to strike your opponents to best weaken and disable them. They will need to identify and then hone in on the target. Further, like smart bombs and heatseeking missiles that can adjust to moving and ever-changing targets, your athletes

Each time your athletes compete there should always be something important they are passionately fighting for. This could be a spot on the team, the chance to compete for a conference championship, or the pride in representing themselves and the team. must make split-second decisions and accurate course corrections during the heat of battle. It’s often their decisionmaking skills and the adjustments they need to make within the battle that determine the ultimate winner and loser, especially when the teams are near equally matched. How precisely your athletes are able to execute and adapt their game plan will have a big bearing on the final outcome. Persistent: Finally, just as one lone missile is rarely enough to win a war, a one-shot burst of competitiveness is seldom sufficient to win a game. Rather, true competitiveness is often a progressive and persistent onslaught of strategic force over time that eventually wears down the opponent. Your goal is to bombard your opponents with wave after wave of missile strikes to disorient, disrupt, disable, and demoralize them. Remember, too, that your opponents are also launching their own attacks and counterattacks, so your team must have the persistence and mental toughness to survive the setbacks, casualties, and CoachesNetwork.com

COVER STORY

damages during the battle. Your athletes must believe that their relentless and persistent approach sooner or later will break the will of the opponent and result in a hard-fought victory. Five Phases In analyzing what it means to compete, you’ll discover there are five phases that a Competitor goes through prior to and during competition. Expanding on our missile strike analogy, here is a brief overview of the five phases. Phase One: Declare War. Developing Competitors starts with helping your athletes recognize and understand their purpose for going to war. Each time they compete there should always be something important they are passionately fighting for. This could be a spot on the team, the chance to compete for a conference championship, or the pride in representing themselves and the team. Your athletes must specifically identify what they are fighting for and commit to pursuing or defending it at all costs.

Phase Two: Ready. The Ready phase encompasses all the planning and preparation that goes into battle. You must prepare your athletes fully to be ready to fight, which includes building the mindset and confidence necessary to be successful. It also means preparing the right game plan by analyzing the opponent to determine their particular strengths and weaknesses. Phase Three: Aim. Once the planning phase is complete, your athletes must then narrow their focus to the specific targets they want to strike within the competition. These targets are based on negating your opponent’s strengths while at the same time exploiting their weaknesses. To be successful, your athletes must bring a high level of focus to execute the task at hand, blocking out all distractions. They should lock in on their targets and be ready to fire when the time is right. Phase Four: Fire. This is where your athletes unleash the intelligent and intense firepower put in place by the previous phases. They engage in bat-

tle using the passion and planning to attack the opponent across from them where they are most vulnerable. The calculated and fierce attack is a clear message to your opponent that you have done your homework and have come to fight. Phase Five: Fight to the Finish. Using their deep reserves of passion and purpose, your athletes must commit to fighting fiercely and intelligently until the competition is won. There should be absolutely no let up on the part of your athletes—ideally, they should get stronger as the match goes on. This relentless approach makes it hard for your opponents to match your intensity throughout the competition. Many of them will eventually succumb to the constant pressure. These five phases are the keys to the competitive response. By sharing them with your team members and incorporating them into your training (see “Competitive Drills” on page 16), you can teach your athletes what it takes to be a Competitor. n

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2010 AVCA Annual Convention • December 15-19 • Kansas City

Show-Me Preview

fter setting records across the board at the 2009 convention in Tampa, the AVCA Convention proved its Show is THE place to be for all things volleyball! What better place than the Show-Me State for the AVCA to bring The Show in 2010! If you are even the least-bit interested in volleyball, several days of renowned education, networking events, and volleyball action have made this an annual can’t-miss event. As you explore the following convention preview, you will get an inside look into this year’s energetic and eclectic destination city, as well as some of the elements that go into making this event a Show you can’t afford to miss! Kansas City Here We Come An energetic city forged by a rich history, Kansas City is brimming with activities to keep you entertained— eclectic cuisine, swinging jazz, one-ofa-kind museums, a thriving arts scene, and fantastic shopping. At the center

Coaching Management

of it all is the Kansas City Power & Light District, located only two blocks from AVCA Convention hotels and one block from the Sprint Center. The Power & Light District offers over 50 restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues, so whether you are looking for some world-renowned Kansas City barbecue, meeting friends at a jazz hotspot, or anything in-between, you will find it all within walking distance in downtown Kansas City. Nation’s Leader in Volleyball Coaching Education Over 65 educational sessions makes its Convention THE signature event for the nation’s leader in volleyball coaching education. Five days of unparalleled educational excellence starts with the Pre-Convention Seminar on Wednesday, and lasts through Saturday afternoon. This year’s line-up of speakers includes six AVCA Hall of Fame members, five defending collegiate national

champions, both U.S. National Team head coaches, and many other noteworthy presenters. Spectator Saturday One of the most exciting parts of the AVCA Convention is the electrifying volleyball action that surrounds it. Thursday night, the epic semifinal matches will set the stage for Saturday’s championship tilt. Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m., the Under Armour® All-America Volleyball Match & Skills Competition is back on a new day and time, as 24 of the top high school players in the country put their skills on display in historic Municipal Auditorium. This three-set match is complemented by skills challenges that put these future standouts and their talents on display. Saturday night, it’s back to the college game as the final two teams battle for the right to be called Champion. All of the collegiate action will take place at the Sprint Center. CoachesNetwork.com

2010 AVCA Annual Convention Preview The Volleyball Marketplace to Be What was once called the AVCA Exhibit Show is now Volleyball Marketplace, a unique, inclusive design that encompasses the many different faces of volleyball and your convention experience. Walk around the floor of the Marketplace, and meet individuals and groups from all facets of the game—college, high school, juniors, beach, and international —while taking advantage of features such as the AVCA Career Center, Silent Auction, and Message and E-mail Center. Systematically situated among the activity is the largest gathering of volleyball-specific vendors in the nation. Visit with over 100 companies, comprised of organizations who have been essential contributors to the volleyball industry for many years, as well as innovators and entrepreneurs who have the latest products and services available to volleyball coaches. Keep Your Networking from Not Working This is the one time each year that college, club, and high school coaches will all be together in the same location sharing stories, talking shop, and teaching each other about the

game. Networking is a major part of the convention experience and this year the AVCA convention schedule is loaded with opportunities to catch-up with old friends and make new ones including the following:

the Year awards. AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet presented by Zamst:

Nfinity 80’s Party co-sponsored by Worldwide Sport Supply: A huge hit in

It’s time to celebrate the players and commemorate the year that was in women’s college volleyball, as elegance, excitement, and entertainment rule the evening.

its 2009 debut, attendees can dance the night away—80’s style!

Champions Party presented by the NCAA, AVCA, and Kansas City LOC: Get

Under Armour Opening Night Reception featuring casino night presented by 1st Place Volleyball: Kick off your

convention week on Wednesday night by playing blackjack, poker, Texas Hold’em, roulette, and craps to win chips that can be turned in for a chance to win prizes at the end of the night. Spalding Reception and Coaches Tournament: An annual Friday night

favorite in Volleyball Marketplace, as attendees get to lace up and display their playing skills in front of their peers. It’s also a great time to walk around and visit with over 100 exhibitors who have the latest products and services available to volleyball coaches. jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon:

Don’t miss this opportunity to recognize the success of your coaching peers as the 2010 AVCA Hall of Fame class will be recognized as well as taking time to honor the top coaches at each level with the annual Coach of

yourself ready for the championship match as food, drinks, and music will be on hand for this party held prior to the championship match in the KC Power & Light District. Texas Hold’em Tournament and Party:

Test your poker skills in this threehour tournament and win prizes from giftcertificates.com. AVCA Networking Luncheon & Bowling Tournament – Enjoy an all-you-can

eat buffet lunch and all-you-can drink beer, wine, and soft drinks, then showcase your bowling skills in the inaugural AVCA Bowling Tournament. Participants can choose to form their own team or be placed on a team by the AVCA. Prizes will be awarded to the winning team and the person with the highest and lowest score. Go to the AVCA Convention website at www.avca.org/kcconvention2010 for complete information.

2010 AVCA Annual Convention SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCE Wednesday, December 15 7:30 a.m. – 6:45 p.m. NCAA/AVCA Minority Coaches Workshop 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Pre-Convention Seminar Noon – 3 p.m. AVCA Networking Luncheon & Bowling Tournament

10:45 – 11:45 a.m. AVCA Annual Meeting Noon – 2:30 p.m. jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon 2:30 – 5:30 p.m. Volleyball Marketplace 3 – 5:15 p.m. Educational Sessions

4:30 – 5:30 p.m. AVCA Convention 101: What Every First-Time Attendee Needs to Know

6 & 8 p.m. NCAA Semifinal Matches

8 p.m. – 11 p.m. Under Armour Opening Night Reception featuring casino night presented by 1st Place Volleyball

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Educational Sessions

Thursday, December 16 8 – 10:30 a.m. General Meetings

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Friday, December 17 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Volleyball Marketplace Noon – 1:15 p.m. USAV Men’s A2 Red vs. Blue Exhibition Match

5:30 – 7:30 p.m. AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet presented by Zamst 7:30 – 10 p.m. Spalding Reception and Coaches Tournament 10:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. Texas Hold ‘em Tournament & Party 10:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. Nfinity 80’s Party co-sponsored by Worldwide Sport Supply

Saturday, December 18 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Volleyball Marketplace 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Heart of America/AVCA Holiday Tournament

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Educational Sessions 3 – 5 p.m. Under Armour® All-America Volleyball Match & Skills Competition 4:30 – 6:45 p.m. NCAA/AVCA Minority Coaches Committee Kids Clinic 5:30 – 7 p.m. Champions Party 7:30 p.m. NCAA Championship Match

Sunday, December 19 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. NCSA/AVCA Fall Girls’ Talent Showcase 12:30 – 6 p.m. Heart of America/AVCA Holiday Tournament

Coaching Management

2010 AVCA Annual Convention Preview

AVCA

Hall of Fame

he AVCA annually recognizes those who have reached the pinnacle of their profession and the sport of volleyball with the AVCA Hall of Fame. The 2010 and eighth annual AVCA Hall of Fame class features Irene Matlock, Carl McGown, Dave Shoji, and Sports Imports, Inc. The 2010 AVCA Hall of Fame class will be inducted in ceremonies Dec. 16 at the jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon, held in conjunction with the 2010 AVCA Annual Convention in Kansas City, Mo.

League Coach of the Year eight times and NWAACC Coach of the Year three times.

“This Hall of Fame class is wonderfully representative of the broad community that is the AVCA,” said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. “The four inductees have been leaders in completely different sectors of our sport, yet all bright stars in our volleyball galaxy.”

“Although it is hard to believe, wins were never a motivation for her. Teaching was at the core of her passion,” said Pamela Parks, Associate Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator at Eastern Washington University in her nomination of Matlock. Her philosophy was that if her athletes “understood why they were doing something they would be able to do it on their own and master it.”

The induction of these four honorees will bring the total number of AVCA Hall of Fame honorees to 52 in its eight years of existence. The 2010 AVCA Hall of Fame class is a follows: ______________ Irene Matlock

was head women’s volleyball coach at Community Colleges of Spokane from 19862004, where she amassed 715 wins and captured four Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) championships. Prior to coaching CCS, she won over 100 matches and four state championships with Sandpoint High School in Idaho. Matlock won numerous awards during her head coaching tenure, highlighted by the Tachikara/AVCA JC/CC National Coach of the Year honor in 1994. The 2001 Tachikara/AVCA West Region JC/CC West Region Coach of the Year was also named NWAACC East

Coaching Management

Matlock earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from the University of Washington, and a Master of Science in physical education from Eastern Washington University. In addition to her coaching duties at CCS, she spent 10 years as its athletic commissioner, and is still a physical education instructor there to this day.

______________ Carl McGown

has over 30 years of international coaching experience under his belt. After serving as an assistant coach for the United States in the 1970 World Championships in Bulgaria, he went on to become head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team from 19731976, later taking on the role of technical advisor to the National Team in 1980. Since then, McGown has mentored teams in seven different Olympic Games and has also coached the National Team in seven different World Championships, including 1974, ‘82, ‘86, ‘90, ‘94, ‘98, and ‘02. In addition, McGown has coached in the World University Games, as well as the Pan American Games. His most recent head coaching experience was in the 2007-08 Swiss A League, where he led LUC to the regular season title, the Coppe Suisse Championship,

and the Swiss League Championship. McGown is also the first coach in Brigham Young University men’s volleyball history, having led the Cougars through 13 seasons of NCAA competition. He compiled a career record of 225-137 (.622) while at the helm, in addition to winning two NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship titles and twice garnering Tachikara/AVCA National Coach of the Year honors. McGown is the founder of Gold Medal Squared, a provider of volleyball camps and clinics across the United States and Canada, and is a member of the FIVB Coaching Commission. McGown graduated from Long Beach City College in 1961 and earned a master’s degree in physical education in 1964 from BYU. He went on to obtain his Ph.D. in both Motor Skill Learning and Administration from the University of Oregon in 1971. He is also an accomplished author, having worked on six books and appearing in numerous scholarly publications and journals. “I consider Dr. McGown the greatest mind if the game of volleyball today,” wrote University of Washington head women’s volleyball coach Jim McLaughlin in his endorsement letter of McGown. “In fact, in my estimation, because of his practice methods, systems, and match preparation, he is the best volleyball coach in the United States, and, probably, in the world today.” ______________ In 2009, University of Hawai’i coach Dave Shoji became just the second head coach in NCAA Division I women’s volleyball history to reach the 1,000-win milestone, as he now has accumulated 1,016 career victories, ranking second all-time in Division I. The campaign was

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2010 AVCA Annual Convention Preview the ninth NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship to which Shoji has marched the Rainbow Wahine, and the program’s 28th NCAA Tournament appearance overall. Hawai’i, under Shoji’s guidance, has also made 25 NCAA Regional Appearances and totaled 18, 30-plus win seasons. During his time at the helm, Shoji and the Rainbow Wahine have captured four national championships: an AIAW title in 1979 and three NCAA Division I crowns (1982, ’83, and ‘87). The accolades for Shoji have poured in over the years. He is a 10-time conference coach of the year and has twice been selected the AVCA National Coach of the Year (1982 and 2009). Shoji was honored with an All-Time Great Coach Award in the Donald S. Shondell Contemporary Division by USA Volleyball in 2002. He has also recently been inducted into the Hawai‘i Sports Hall of Fame and was named as the coach of the NCAA 25th Anniversary team. Shoji was a two-sport athlete at UC Santa Barbara, where he played baseball for a year, along with three years of volleyball. He earned All-America honors as a volleyball player in 1968 and ’69 and earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education. After spending two years in the U.S. Army, Shoji returned to Hawai’i to coach the Kalani High School girls’ and boys’ volleyball teams

and later took an assistant coaching job at Punahou School. In 1975, a 28-yearold Shoji took over the then-secondyear volleyball program. In 1981, Shoji became UH’s first full-time coach for a women’s program. Shoji was also responsible for the start of the men’s volleyball program in 1978, serving as the men’s coach at UH from 197885, compiling a record of 81-48 and leading the team to a Western Collegiate Volleyball Conference title in 1980. “Dave is a great and gracious competitor,” says AVCA Hall of Fame member and former University of Nebraska head coach Terry Pettit in an endorsement letter of Shoji’s nomination. “The Hawai’i fans, I believe, reflect his demeanor and sportsmanship. As last year’s participation in the NCAA semifinals gives evidence, no one has maintained a top-level program for as long as Dave Shoji at the University of Hawai’i.” ______________ Sports Imports, Inc.

is the official net system of the AVCA, and has been a supporter of the association since the association’s inception in 1981. Founded in 1976 by Ken Dunlap, Doug Beal, and Mark Watson, all former volleyball coaches, Sports Imports set out to provide the industry with a safe volleyball net system. It was the first to

replace dangerous guy wires with an inground sleeve system. The company has since installed more than 19,000 systems in gyms and arenas across the United States. The exclusive distributor of Senoh net systems in North America, Sports Imports is the official net system of both the NCAA Championships and the Olympic Games via the FIVB. Sports Imports is based in Columbus, Ohio, and is a recognized leader in the volleyball community. By educating volleyball coaches and administrators on the value and safety of the sleeve and upright system, Sports Imports has helped transform the quality of volleyball equipment across the country. “They have been one of the first sponsors of the AVCA and have been through thick and thin with our coaches’ organization,” said Terry Liskevych, Oregon State University head volleyball coach, and cofounder of the AVCA, in his nomination letter. “In addition, under the leadership of the Dunlap family—both the late Ken Dunlap and son Dave Dunlap and now President Brad Underwood—Sports Imports has done many extraordinary things for the sport of volleyball, as an event facilitator, sponsor, benefactor, contributor, innovator and most importantly as a loyal friend to everyone in this great sport.”

Under Armour All-America Volleyball Match & Skills Competition Under Armour® and the AVCA will present the 2010 Under Armour All-America Volleyball Match & Skills Competition at historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Mo., as part of the 2010 AVCA Annual Convention. The annual event, televised nationally on ESPNU, features a three-set volleyball match, as well as a series of individual skills competitions that will showcase the competing athletes’ superlative abilities. In a change from the previous two years, the third-annual event will be played on Saturday, Dec. 18 at 3 p.m. CST, the same day as the NCAA Division I Championship finals. In 2008 and 2009 the event was held on Sunday following the collegiate championship match. Featured in the event will be 24 Under Armour Girls’ High School All-Americans

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as selected by the AVCA. By highlighting the top high school recruits going to the nation’s best programs, this event is a great opportunity to steal a glimpse into the future of volleyball’s elite.

More information on the Under Armour All-America Volleyball Match & Skills Competition can be found at www.avca.org/under-armour-volleyball.

Municipal Auditorium has held nearly every type of event since the arena opened in 1936, including the most NCAA Final Four® championships hosted by any venue in the country. It is currently the home of the Missouri State High School Athletic Association Girls’ Volleyball State Championships and the University of Missouri-Kansas City men’s basketball team. Tickets to the event are $10, and are on sale through Ticketmaster and the Municipal Auditorium box office. The television premier is set for Monday, Dec. 27, 2010 at 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPNU.

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2010 AVCA Annual Convention EXHIBITORS Specializes in the design, manufacture, and distribution of plyometric and resistance training products www.atinnovate.com Baden Sports. . . . . . . . . . 727, 729, 826 & 828 34114 21st Ave. South, Federal Way, WA 98003 Athletic balls and accessories www.badensports.com

Bison Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 914 603 “L” St. Lincoln, NE 68508 www.bisoninc.com Bison offers the highest-quality volleyball systems for the most competitive play to the most economical. See ad on page 37

The following companies are exhibiting at Volleyball Marketplace on December 15-19, 2010 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. This list is current as of November 3, 2010. Company names are followed by their booth numbers at the convention. 1st Place Volleyball. . . . . . . 417, 419, 421, 516, 518 & 520 225 Commercial Dr. St. Augustine, FL 32092 America’s #1 club volleyball dealer (jerseys, shorts, knee pads, balls, ball carts, etc.) www.1stplacevolleyball.comPO

Active Ankle Systems, Inc.. . . . . . . 220 P.O. Box 1001, Gardner, KS 66030 www.activeankle.com Foot/ankle products See ad on page 3

AcuSpike. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 811, 910, 912 & 911 1191 Hickory Thicket Dr. Benton, AR 72019 Volleyball training system www.acuspike.com Amateur Athletic Union. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 816 1910 Hotel Plaza Blvd. Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 National, multi-sport organization offering local and national events for juniors (indoor and beach). AAU Girls’ Junior National Volleyball Championships held annually in Orlando, FL www.aauvolleyball.org American International Sports Teams, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335 3887 SW Harbor Dr. Lees Summit, MO 64082 Provides quality sports travel tours internationally for teams and individuals www.aist.us Asics America Corporation . . . . . . . . 613, 615, 712 & 714 29 Parker, Ste. 100 Irvine, CA 92618 Footwear, apparel and accessories manufacturer. www.asics.com American Volleyball Coaches Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 706 2365 Harrodsburg Rd., Ste. A325 Lexington, KY 40504 The mission of the AVCA is to advance the sport of volleyball and its coaches. www.avca.org Athletic Training Innovations. . . . . . . . . . . 704 1344 Danville Kenner, LA 70062

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Blazer Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 832 1112 Hills Rd. Fremont, NE 68025 www.blazerathletic.com Volleyball equipment and training See ad on page 19

ezXchanges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 P.O. Box 513 Bellow Falls, VT 05101 Online video exchange system www.ezxchanges.com Fellowship of Christian Athletes. . . . . . . . 210 8701 Leeds Rd. Kansas City, MO 64129 Sports ministry to coaches and athletes www.fcacoaches101.com Front Rush. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 812 350 S. Main St., Ste. 715 Doylestown, PA 18901 Recruiting software www.frontrush.com Game Tape Xchange. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 805 711 N. Scottsdale Rd. Tempe, AZ 85281 Internet film exchange www.gametapexchange.com

Championship Productions . . . . . . 804 & 806 2730 Graham St. Ames, IA 50010 Educational coaching DVDs www.championshipproductions.com

Gared. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 & 208 707 N. 2nd, Ste. 220 St. Louis, MO 63102 Full line of competitive and recreational volleyball equipment, including indoor and outdoor systems, padding, nets, storage equipment, and training aids www.garedsports.com

Clell Wade Coaches Directory, Inc.. . . . . . 715 P.O. Box 177 Cassville, MO 65625 Publishes a coaches’ directory in print and on the Web www.coachesdirectory.com

Globus Sport and Health Technologies . . 438 18 Eustace Dr. West Hartford, CT 06110 Volleyball shooting machines and electrical muscle stimulators for sport training www.globussht.com.

Club Volleyball Gear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 18434 Technology Dr. Morgan Hill, CA 95037 Manufactures affordable volleyball spike trainers for high school, club, and individuals www.clubvolleyballgear.com

Hasty Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 906 1015 Enterprise St. Ottawa, KS 66067 Medals, trophies and plaques www.hastyawards.com

Coaching Management . . . . . . . . . 205 31 Dutch Mill Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850 www.coachesnetwork.com Magazine for college and high school head coaches See ad on page 40

College Coaches Network. . . . . . . Booth 301 11250 Tomahawk Creek Pkwy. Lenexa, KS 66211 More than 2,300 college teams have found out how our Web site makes it easy to locate and evaluate athletes. Search athlete profiles provided by high school coaches, club coaches, parents, and athletes themselves. www.collegecoaches.net ata Project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407 & 409 535 Huntress St. Clay Center, KS 67432 The world leader in volleyball statistical and video analysis and event management software www.dataproject.com Demosphere International, Inc.. . . . . . . . . 807 306 N. Washington St. Falls Church, VA 22046 Web site and registration services for organization of all sites www.demosphere.com

Dimensional Software—Volleyball ACE and TapRecorder . . . . . . . 721 & 820 Four Main St., Ste. 60B Los Altos, CA 94023 www.ace4vb.com Volleyball ACE and the TapRecorder with Practice Stats are the best stat-keeping tools around. Use our products during matches or games to make practice more efficient and to perfect your game. See ad on page 13

Hudl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 & 306 151 N 8th St., Ste. 250 Lincoln, NE 68508 Online video editing, distribution, and analysis system www.hudl.com Insight Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339 184 Pearl St., Ste. 300 Toronto, ON M5H 1L5 www.insightsports.com iXL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 830 105 S Jefferson, Ste. C3 Keamey, MO 64060 iXL Ultimate Sports Hydration powered by Rate Electrolyte Matrix delievers unparalleled taste, nutrition, and performance to young athletes. Our raspberry memonade is in the pink bottle that was developed specifically for volleyball athletes. www.ixldou.com Jaypro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 904 976 Hartford Tpke. Waterford, CT 06385 Volleyball, basketball, soccer, baseball, and football equipment www.jaypro.com jostens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609 & 708 5501 American Blvd. Minneapolis, MN 55437 Championship rings, jewelry, and awards www.jostens.com Junior Volleyball Association. . . . . . . . . . . 915 2365 Harrodsburg Rd., Ste. A325 Lexington, KY 40504 The mission of the JVA is to promote the growth of youth and junior volleyball through program and resource development, education, and events. www.jvavolleybal.org CoachesNetwork.com

2010 AVCA Annual Convention EXHIBITORS Lodestone Social Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607 815-A Brazos #553 Austin, TX 78701 Social media and camp Web site programs that will increase attendance, monetize fans, improve camp registrations, gain media ,and showcase your program to recruits and parents www.lodestonesocial.com

Otis Spunkmeyer, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 716 14490 Catalina St. San Leandro, CA 94577 Known as a pioneer in the fresh baked cookie business and a leader in the sweet baked goods industry www.spunkmeyer.com

Main Street Outfitters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 707 108 Esplanade, Ste. 360 Lexington, KY 40507 Apparel www.mainstreetoutfitters.com

Performance Conditioning. . . . . . . . . . . . . 403 P.O. Box 6819 Lincoln, NE 68506 Improve athletic performance through the conditioning process www.performancecondition.com

Massaging Insoles by Healthy Feet, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713 1216 Sussex St. Boynton Beach, FL 33436 Therapeutic, glycerin-filled massaging sport insole. www.massaginginsoles.com

Rotate 123. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 238 Stanford Ave. Menco Park, CA 94025 The fastest way to generate your rotations, formations, and substitutions www.rotate123.com

Mateflex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 2007 Beechgrove Pl. Utica, NY 13501 Modular volleyball flooring for both event use and gymnasium www.mateflex.com MaxPreps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 818 4080 Plaza Goldorado Circle, Ste. A Cameron Park, CA 95682 America’s source for high school sports www.maxpreps.com Mikasa Sports USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 & 208 1821 Kettering Irvine, CA 92614 Game balls, training balls, kneepads, air pumps, and gauges www.mikasasports.com Mizuno USA . . . . . . . . . . . 413, 415, 512 & 514 4925 Avalon Ridge Pky. Norcross, GA 30071 Offers volleyball performance apparel, footwear, and accessories www.mizunousa.com Molten For the Real Game. . . . . 315, 317, 319, 321, 414, 416, 418 & 420 1170 Trademark Dr., Ste. 109 Reno, NV 89521 Inflatable sports products/balls—volleyballs, basketballs, and soccer balls www.moltenusa.com National Collegiate Scouting Association. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 709 1415 N. Dayton St., 4th floor Chicago, IL 60642 Scouting organization that matches college coaches with qualified student-athletes www.ncsasports.org Nfinity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506 & 508 1226 Spring St. NW Atlanta, GA 30363 High performance, women-specific volleyball gear www.nfinity.com/volleyball Nike Team Sports. . . 837, 936, 938, 937 & 939 One Bowerman Dr. Beaverton, OR 97005 Footwear, apparel, and uniforms www.niketeam.com Noah Volleyball. . 735, 737, 739, 834, 836 & 838 317 W. Market St. Athens, AL 35611 www.noahbasketball.com One Call Now. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 617 726 Grant St. Troy, OH 45373 How fast can you reach your players and parents when a game is cancelled or there is a last minute schedule change? Eliminate the timeconsuming manual phone tree and reach every player instantly with just one call. With One Call Now, team calling has never been easier. www.onecallnow.com CoachesNetwork.com

Roxy Athletix/Quiksilver Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 717 & 719 3187 Pullman St. Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Fashionable and functional volleyball jerseys, shorts, warm-ups, kneepads, and much more. Innovation and style for the ultimate in athletic performance apparel www.roxy.com/athletix Russell Brands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426 & 428 1 Fruit of the Loom Dr. Bowling Green, KY 42101 Team apparel www.russellathletic.com San Antonio CVB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405 203 S. St. Mary’s St., Ste. 200 San Antonio, TX 78205 The official travel source for San Antonio www.visitsanantonio.com

Schelde North America. . . 219 & 310 4180 44th St. SE, Ste. C Grand Rapids, MI 49512 www.scheldesports.com Exclusive distributors of Schelde brand volleyball net systems See ad on page 17

Scoutware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703 & 802 1444 Farnsworth Ave. Ste. 404 Aurora, IL 60175 Relationship-management tool used to successfully recruit athletes, raise money, sell tickets, foster support in both local and corporate communities, and demonstrate compliance within NCAA guidelines www.scoutware.com Selling for Coaches—Dan Tudor. . . . . . . . 814 455 Kern St., Ste. D Shafter, CA 93263 Unique, personalized training program designed to teach college coaches how to sell, recruit, and communicate more effectively www.dantudor.com

SnapSports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 803 & 902 2330 California Ave. Salt Lake City, UT 84104 The industry leader in manufacturing sports surfacing components for indoor and outdoor use. Our products meet today’s demands for aesthetics, safety, and performance. www.snapsports.com

Spalding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430, 432 & 434 15415 Greenway Cleveland, OH 44111 www.spalding.com Manufacturer of indoor/outdoor balls and equipment See ad on page 4

Sport Court . . 305, 307 309, 404, 406 & 408 939 South 700 West Salt Lake City, UT 84104 Sport flooring surfaces www.sportcourt.com Sportwide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 & 300 1325 North Broad St. Carlinville, IL 62626 Apparel and accessories www.sportwide.com

Sports Attack. . . . . . . . . . . . . 603 & 702 P.O. Box 1529 Verdi, NV 89439 www.sportsattack.com Sports Attack offers professional volleyball serving machines. See ad on Inside Back Cover

Sports Imports (SENOH). . . 517, 519, 521, 616, 618 & 620

P.O. Box 21040 Columbus, OH 43221 www.sportsimports.com Sports Imports offers indoor and sand volleyball net systems. See ad on page 10 Sportsworx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333 P.O. Box 2829 Covington, LA 70434 Most dynamic, innovative athletic scholarship resource available to high school athletes and their parents today www.sportsworx.com Stat Easy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337 www.stateasysports.com Software program to quickly capture statistics for any sport, instantly analyze those statistics to turn them into valuable information in real time, and effortlessly synchronize the statistics with video www.stateasysports.com Tachikara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 & 213 8000 W. 110th St., Ste. 150 Overland, KS 66210 Tachikara is the leading manufacturer of competition volleyballs and accessories. www.tachikara.com

Side-Out Foundation and Dig Pink.329 & 331 P.O. Box 884 Annandale, VA 22003 Breast cancer foundation. Raise funds through the sport of volleyball for the fight against breast cancer www.side-out.org

Tandem Sport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 & 500 440 Baxter Ave. Louisville, KY 40204 Tandem Sport carries sports medicine, sports equipment, volleyball accessoryies, and training devices. www.tandemsport.com

Smack Sportswear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302 22251 Wilmington Ave. Carson, CA 90745 One-stop shop for indoor and sand volleyball. Team apparel company that manufactures custom apparel and offers numbering, lettering, embroidery, screen-printing, balls, shoes, and other volleyball gear and equipment. www.smacksportswear.com

Terry Pettit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303 4251 Applegate Ct. Ft. Collins, CO 80526 Terry Pettit’s book Talent and the Secret Life of Teams is a collection of writings on coaching, leadership, and team building by one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history. Terry also speaks, consults, and makes presentations to teams and organizations. www.terrypettit.com

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2010 AVCA Annual Convention EXHIBITORS The Graphic Edge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 808 743 Hwy 30 E Carroll, IA 51401 Screenprint and embroidered items www.thegraphicedge.com

USA Athletes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 13095 S Mur Len Rd. Olathe, KS, 66062 Sports tours–education through competition www.usaai.org

Third Degree Sportswear. . . . . . . . . 207 & 214 15422 Electronic Lane Huntington Beach, CA 92649 The leader in custom-made team apparel and accessories. Manufacturing U.S.A.-made products since 1988 www.thirddegreesportswear.com

USA Volleyball. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 & 412 715 South Circle Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80910 USA Volleyball is the national governing body of the sport of volleyball. www.usavolleyball.org

Traveling Teams, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 605 143 Cady Center, Ste. 214 Northville, MI 48167 Leading provider of cost-free travel accommodation services for youth sports teams and event directors www.travelingteams.com

VB Superstore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304 22251 Wilmington Ave. Carson, CA 90745 Everything for indoor and beach volleyball www.vbsuperstore.com

Two-Year Head Coaches Committee. . . . . 402 2365 Harrodsburg Rd., Ste. A325 Lexington, KY 40504

Vertical Athletics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 903 204 W. Spear St., Ste 2741 Carson City, NV 89703 Tall-sized athletic apparel and adjustable headbands www.verticalathletics.com

Under Armour. . . . . . . . . 236, 238, 237 & 336 1020 Hull St. Ste. 300 Baltimore, MD 21230 Performance apparel and accessories www.underarmour.com

Wilson Sporting Goods Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . 918 8750 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Chicago, IL 60631 Volleyball equipment manufacturer www.wilson.com/volleyball

University Athlete. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 8330 Washington Place NE, Ste. A, Albuquerque, NM 87113 Premier communication tool connecting collegiate coaches and athletes in girls’ volleyball www.universityathlete.com

Win 3 Marketing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 450 W. Menomonee St., #2 Chicago, IL 60614 Sustainable funding for athletics www.win3marketing.com

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Worldwide Sport Supply . . 502 & 504 145 North Jensen Rd. Vestal, NY 13850 www.wwsport.com Your official team and volleyball gear supplier, we offer a wide variety of volleyball shoes, apparel, accessories and equipment. See ad on page 7

ZAMST...........................619, 621, 718 & 720

P.O. Box 641324 Los Angeles, CA 90064 www.zamst.com The leading brand of injury prevention products in Japan and used by professionals worldwide. ZAMST offers a complete line of injury prevention equipment, including ankle and knee braces, waist wraps, patellar supports, and unique icing equipment. See ad on page Inside Front Cover ZEM Gear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 731 P.O. Box 1556 Miami, FL 33149 We deliver minimal footwear with maximum protection, allowing feet to do what they were designed to do in their natural state. While wearing ZEMs, you can spread, flex, and articulate all parts of your foot–getting everything you need and nothing you don’t. Our four-way stretch Lycra uppers and softmolded rubber bottoms allow the foot to move with complete freedom. Six unique highfrequency tech bands keep the ZEMs securely in place around the foot. www.zemgear.com

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leadership

Quelling the Critics

owadays, coaches get bombarded with criticism from every angle. N In response, they are learning how to absorb, deflect, and stand firm.

MICHAEL KLEIN

uring his 20-plus years coaching, Jim Long can recall only a couple of instances when someone really got under his skin. But one in particular stands out to the Brenham (Texas) High School Head Baseball Coach. No matter what Long did, a parent of one of his athletes took issue with the

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BY MIKE PHELPS coach’s decisions. The parent constantly approached Long with complaints after games and eventually went to the athletic director and school board to air his criticisms. Long even had to defend himself in front of school board members. Fortunately, the board sided with Long, but the whole process made him aware of an emerging reality: handling negative feedback effectively is part of a coach’s job.

“For whatever reason, I’ve found that fans today, especially parents, think they have a right to do or say whatever they want when it comes to coaches and athletics,” Long says. “We’re not going to stop them, so it’s up to each coach to understand the best way to deal with Mike Phelps is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management. He can be reached at: mp@MomentumMedia.com.

Coaching Management

leadership

that criticism and not let it affect your team.” Just Ignore It? In the middle of a busy season with practices and games consuming all your time, it can be tempting to ignore criticism that comes your way and hope that it will eventually disappear. But that tactic can easily backfire. Chuck Wilcoxen, Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field Coach at Principia College, says it’s important to engage with anyone who is delivering criticism or negative feedback. “If someone is upset about something, sooner or later they have to

get it out,” he says. “If they sit on it, it’s going to simmer longer, and that just makes them more upset, which isn’t good for you, and isn’t good for the program. Even if it’s the same parent again and again with things you don’t think are justified, you have to let the person be heard.” That’s why instead of ignoring it, many coaches suggest developing a philosophy and strategy for dealing with negative feedback. And the number-one item of a good strategy is to always stay calm, even if the other person is not. “Getting mad is not productive whatsoever,” Long explains. “That can make you look worse than the person com-

While it’s important to have a great plan in place to deal with unsolicited feedback, you can also work on nipping any potential criticism in the bud through up-front communication. Keeping parents in the loop is a great place to start. “We have a parent meeting before the season begins to go over logistics, who’s going to play, and how we’ll make our decisions,” says Jim Long, Head Baseball Coach at Brenham (Texas) High School. “We talk a lot about playing time so people really understand what goes into it. You’ll always have people who disagree with you, but a meeting like that can help stop many complaints.” In addition to a preseason parents meeting, Ed Terwilliger, Head Football Coach at Olentangy High School in Lewis Center, Ohio, has a meeting with the parents of his team captains at the conclusion of each season, where he lays the groundwork for the upcoming off-season. Then, in May, he holds another meeting with all the parents to reaffirm his philosophy, clear up any questions, and discuss the summer schedule. “If someone comes to me with a complaint, my first question to them is, ‘Were you at my parent meeting?’ Usually they weren’t,” Terwilliger says. “At that time, I’ll pull out the handouts and catch them up on what we talked about.” Terwilliger is also proactive in dealing with any criticisms that may arise from game-to-game during the regular season. He hosts a weekly meeting with his players’ parents on Monday nights during the season where he shows game film from the previous weekend and discusses the upcoming opponent. “That’s a very positive thing,” he says, “because it allows me to go through the game, narrate, and explain the good, the bad, and the ugly.”

A LITTLE PREVENTION 28

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plaining, which you never want. You need to remember you’re dealing with people who, because of their emotions, are making ignorant decisions. When I think of it that way, these situations are a lot easier to deal with.” For Karen Kunka, Head Volleyball Coach at North Central College, staying calm requires taking a step back. Rather than responding immediately, she sets up a meeting to discuss the complaint. “If you let a discussion go on in the heat of the moment, you can get backed into a corner with someone screaming at you,” she says. Instead, Kunka likes to gain perspective on the situation and think through her solution, rather than being forced into a snap decision or appearing defensive. “You have to allow yourself to pull back from a situation a little bit,” she says. “I also like to have someone I can run things past, like an assistant coach, before I react.” Wilcoxen takes a similar approach. “Don’t react when you’re having the initial discussion,” he says. “Hash things out by yourself when you’re not dealing with any feelings of defensiveness or anger. With a little perspective, you may even find that the person has an excellent point that will make you a better coach.” In fact, Wilcoxen tries to learn from all feedback. “What may at first seem to be a petty complaint can actually be very valuable information,” he says. “For example, parents know things about their kids that coaches don’t. The first couple years I coached I was probably a little defensive, but the more open I was to others’ opinions, the more I learned. If a kid tells me they’re feeling great, and I find out from the parents that they’re not, that’s good information.” The Parent Trap For most coaches, the largest source of complaints is parents. That’s why many coaches have developed formal policies on how parents should voice their concerns. One standard and effective rule is to never talk to a parent about anything significant immediately following a contest. Whenever Long is confronted by a parent after a game, he’ll tell the parent that he’d be happy to speak with them and address the problem, but not right now. “I’ll ask them if we can set up a time the next day to discuss it,” he says. “It CoachesNetwork.com

leadership

gives me and the parent a little time to relax and think about the situation. People usually make dumb decisions when they’re really upset.” Kunka uses a similar policy, but with an added twist. She insists the player herself be involved in the discussion.

over her daughter’s playing time. “In my reply, I said that I would be happy to discuss this matter—with the parent and the child present at the same time,” Kunka says. “Nine times out of 10, the player doesn’t even know the parent sent the e-mail or called. I’m happy to talk with parents, but not without their child knowing Terwilliger doesn’t shy away from about it. “Usually, I don’t hear discussing a player’s place within from those parents again,” the team, but he always makes she continues. “They want to express their complaint sure the parent understands but they don’t want their one very important ground rule. child to know.” The question of whether “When we go into my office, to discuss playing time at all you’re asking me to be brutally with parents can be a tricky one. Long is one coach who honest and I will be.” does not. He explains to parents that playing time is For example, North Central’s 2008 based on what he feels is best for the squad included 18 freshmen among team and that his decisions must be nearly 30 players, and playing time was respected. “Parents will often criticize understandably limited. One freshman’s and say their child doesn’t have a fair parent e-mailed to voice her displeasure chance, but they don’t see what happens

Lead On the Field and Off

in practice every day,” he says. Ed Terwilliger, Head Football Coach at Olentangy High School in Lewis Center, Ohio, doesn’t shy away from discussing a player’s place within the team, but he always makes sure the parent understands one very important ground rule. “I explain up front that my goal is to be as positive as I can be when talking about players in public,” he says. “But when we go into my office, you’re asking me to be brutally honest and I will be. If you’re going to challenge or question me, you better be ready for the real answer. Also, we’re only going to talk about your child and no one else.” Beyond playing time, there are a host of other complaints parents may have brewing. Long tries to keep an ear open to them so they can be addressed quickly. If he believes a parent is having an adverse affect on the team, he will speak to the parent immediately. “I’ll bring the parent in and the first thing I’ll do is let them air things out,” he says. “Then I’ll try to explain exactly what’s going on and why we as coaches

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Coaching Management

leadership

do what we do. Once the parent has a chance to speak in private and vent, they usually calm down and you don’t have any further problems.” At Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur, Ga., Head Girls’ Basketball Coach Kathy Richey-Walton has found it effective to have one parent serve as a liaison between her and the rest of the parent group. “This parent is very good at finding out what the problem is, then telling the others he’ll talk to me and make sure I’m aware of their concerns,” she says. “From there, I’ll decide how the situation needs to be handled.”

media has a job to do, and I tell my players the same thing.” At Brenham, a local radio station broadcasts the school’s baseball games, and several newspapers regularly cover the team. Following each game, Long does a postgame interview with the radio crew, who can be critical of decisions Long makes during the contest. For example, during the state tournament last year, Brenham twice had runners thrown out at home with two outs. Long knew he’d face some second-guessing during the postgame show, but relished the opportunity to present his side of the story. Managing Media “I like to let people know where I’m Of course, unsolicited feedback isn’t coming from,” Long says. “They may dislimited to parents of players. Whether it’s agree with me, but at least they know the on television, over the radio, in the news- reason I did it. If a parent comes at you after a game, they don’t really deserve a response, but it’s nice to explain your“You head off a lot of problems self in the newspaper or on the radio so your side can just by being completely honest be heard.” from the get-go. Most misunderIf something is said or written in the media and standings are compounded by Long doesn’t have the people at either end feeling they chance to immediately respond, he’ll just let it go. have to hide something. If you’re For him, it’s not worth getwithholding any information or ting involved in a back-andforth. misrepresenting anything, your “It’s someone’s opinion,” anxiety is just going to spiral.” he says. “I don’t think I need to justify myself in every situation or call the reporter paper, or on the Internet, the media are to ask why he or she wrote this. I would also a regular source of criticism. never do that. If people think a sports However, criticism by the media writer has all the answers, then that’s should be handled very differently than their problem.” that from parents. When parents complain there is a lot of emotion involved Administrative Support that will remain until the situation is When complaints rise above gardealt with. Criticism from the media is den-variety venting, there is one more part of what sells newspapers and often strategy to employ: Keep school adminiswill be forgotten tomorrow. trators informed. “Whenever a situation Terwilliger’s football team gets a good develops, I will go to our administrators deal of media coverage and he says the to make them aware of what’s going on,” key with reporters is to take a profession- Richey-Walton says. “They appreciate al approach. Understand that their job being in the loop so they won’t be blindis to analyze your team’s performance sided if someone brings it up.” and that their criticism is not personal. Terwilliger agrees. “Administrators When there is controversy, explain your have so much on their plates, the last decisions and then let it go. thing they want is to be out in public “I embrace the media,” Terwilliger and hear about how the football coach says. “I’m not the kind of coach who will is an idiot,” he says. “Any information I get upset over an article and then refuse give to parents, I also give to my athletic to return their calls. I understand the director and principal. It’s documenta30

Coaching Management

tion that they can read at their leisure and say, ‘This is what Coach Terwilliger is doing.’” Keeping your administrators in the loop means little, however, if you’re not open and honest with them. “You head off a lot of problems just by being completely honest from the get-go,” Wilcoxen says. “Most misunderstandings are compounded by people at either end feeling they have to hide something. If you’re withholding any information or misrepresenting anything, your anxiety is just going to spiral.” Also remember that administrators can be your allies. “One of the things I’ve learned is to always have someone else in on the conversation if you foresee a problem,” Kunka says. “There have been times when someone has been really upset about something and didn’t get the response they wanted from me. So I’ve brought in to the meeting an assistant athletic director or our senior woman administrator. It’s important to have a third party present so there can’t be any ‘he said, she said,’ afterwards.” Keeping administrators informed also garners their support, which can mean criticism does not escalate in the first place. “If you do not have their backing, you can’t be successful,” Long says. “I don’t care what anybody says. You can be the greatest coach in the world, but if the school board and the athletic director do not back you up when someone complains, you can still lose your job.” Wilcoxen believes that the support he receives from administrators also makes him more confident when dealing with criticism. “If you feel you’re supported, you’re much more comfortable acknowledging you might have made a mistake,” he says. “I’ve always had what I feel to be unconditional support from my athletic directors. So I can say, ‘Well, maybe I screwed up,’ and not worry about losing my job. “But, even more important, that feeling of confidence then comes across to the people you’re speaking with,” he continues. “That allows a productive conversation where no one feels threatened—and really great things can happen.” n A version of this article is appearing in other sport-specific editions of Coaching Management.

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� The coach must complete the following courses: �

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� Fundamentals of Coaching (Sport-specific) or Teaching Sport Skills Level 2 – Certified Interscholastic Coach

� Level 1 Completion + (Core Courses and Elective Courses)

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Elective Courses: • Engaging Effectively with Parents • Teaching and Modeling Behavior • Teaching Sport Skills

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Learning from Peers Looking to gain a coaching edge in the off season?

Libero: The Definitive Guide!

In this three-disk DVD, Todd Dagenais details the characteristics of the “libero” position and shows technical demonstrations to train all aspects of the libero. He also shows defensive concepts and strategies for building a defense with libero as the focal point. In the final segment, “Libero Tactics,” Dagenais shares the intangibles that you can implement with your libero to best help your team. 180 minutes. 2009

Price: $79.99

Item Number: VD-03308

John Dunning’s Taking Your Setting to the Next Level

Game Speed Ball Control Drills

Coach John Dunning shares with you a 4-part guide to assist you in taking your setting to the next level. His presentation spans a skill range including basic, intermediate and advanced levels of the position. This DVD includes “Characteristics of the ‘Total’ Setter, Setting Skills, Specific Sets, Zones and Footwork, and Tight Pass Setting Options. 67 minutes. 2008

Anne Kordes begins this instructional 4-part volleyball DVD with 10 2-, 3- and 4-person ball control drills. In part 2, Team Drills, Kordes presents seven creative drills that involve multiple players. In part 3, Team Wash Drills, Kordes shares player-initiated drills for maximum touches. In the final segment, Pepper Series, Kordes shares 16 different ball control challenges to reinforce technique at game speed. 2009

Price: $29.99

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Item Number: VD-03037A

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John Dunning’s Taking Your Passing & Defense to the Next Level

Coach Dunning begins by sharing the characteristics for great passing before moving into skill development areas that span ability levels from basic through advanced. He covers set-up and ready position, strike zone and early platform establishment. Next, Dunning teaches digging before moving to on-court applications, bringing game speed to the skills. 51 minutes. 2008

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Item Number: VD-03037B

Coaching Mental Toughness on the Court: Strategies and Drills

John Dunning’s Taking Your Attacking, Serving, & Blocking to the Next Level

Game Speed Passing Drills

In Part 1, Attacking, Coach Dunning shares technical and coach tactical goals for successful attacking. In Part 2, Serving, Dunning shares technique, strategies and ability-based progressions for the standing float serve, jump float, jump spin, short serve and deep court serve. In Part 3, Blocking, Dunning offers basic blocking instruction. 68 minutes. 2008

In this DVD, Coach Jerritt Elliott shares with you passing drills and concepts. Beginning with the basic stance, Elliott teaches a balanced posture from which quick and efficient movement can occur. Next, Elliott details movement patterns for serve and serve receive before moving into game speed drills. Throughout each sequence Elliott offers valuable coaching tips. 2009

Price: $39.99

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Coach Russ Rose’s drills focus on developing mentally tough servers, passers, setters, hitters, competitors, back row players and the team as a whole. All of the drills in this DVD provide unique challenges that will encourage your players to rally around their teammates in tough, competitive situations. Creating a mentally tough culture has earned Rose two national titles. 59 minutes. 2008 Item Number: VD-03065

Item Number: VD-03037C

Item Number: VD-03302

The Complete Guide to Serving: Technique, Tactics & Drills

Coach Russ Rose shares technical aspects of the standing serve, the jump float and the jump spin in this three-part DVD. In Part 2, Tactical Factors, Rose shares insight into maximizing service scoring opportunities for your individual athletes and your team as a whole. Part 3 features control, tactical and stamina drills designed to help “test” individual players and prepare your team. 32 minutes. 2008

Price: $39.99

Item Number: VD-03063

Order these books & DVD’s by using the form below. Learning from Peers

Stop Running in Circles! Play Games to Warm-Up

In this creative AVCA convention on-court presentation, legendary coaches Bill Neville and Bill Hamiter present you with a variety of activities and games that incorporate all of these essential elements of successful volleyball into your warm-up. Neville and Hamiter include mixing up drill combinations, varying the amount of ball touches and changing the skills you want to incorporate into your practice. 58 minutes. 2009

Price: $34.99

Item Number: VD-03209

The Complete Guide to Defense: Technique, Tactics, & Drills

In this four-part instructional volleyball DVD, Coach Lynch shares his defense techniques, tactics and drills. In Part 1, Lynch details the skill set for successful digging. In Part 2, Lynch highlights pepper drills. In Part 3, Lynch demonstrates run-through drills, and in Part 4, he shares a series of positional drills that require a player to move from their established base position to play defense. 40 minutes. 2009

Price: $39.99

Item Number: VD-03279

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The Nutrition Edge

Learn how proper nutrition can help your players reach their true potential through the valuable information presented in this collection prepared by Susan Kundrat, Sports Dietitian for the University of Illinois. Topics include recovery nutrition, nutrient timing, pregame meals, losing weight, caffeine, and hydration. It also includes case studies and a look at special situations including celiac disease and vegetarian athletes.

180 pages. 2010.

Price:

16.95

Item Number: 111002

Price: $39.99

Item Number: GD-01990

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This DVD features, innovative drills/variations. Included are warm-up drills, mobilities, speed development, sprint mechanic drills, non-resistive force production drills, resisted force production drills, complex drills, and ‘pure’ speed drills, athletic quickness drills, ball reaction drills, agility drills, program construction and more. 70 minutes. 2003

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Speed, Agility, and Quickness: Comprehensive Drills and Conditioning for Athletes!

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Volleyball Court Light & Easily Adjustable

The #6067NGS Aluminum Ace Power twopole system (without ground sleeves and net) adjusts easily for men’s (7’ 11-5/8”), women’s (7’ 4-1/8”), junior (7’), and youth (6’6”) heights. Constructed of 3.5-inch O.D. lower powder-coated aluminum tubing, these poles are high in strength and have a combined weight of 69 pounds. Ace Power volleyball poles are shippable via UPS.

Blazer Mfg. Co. • 800-322-2731 www.blazerathletic.com

Spalding’s volleyball systems include highstrength uprights for competitive play, powdercoated finish, spring-loaded pistons for easy adjustment regardless of competitive height, and an adjustable-height worm-gear winch to eliminate dangerous backlash. Spalding is the official net systems supplier to USA Volleyball and the official equipment supplier to the NFHS. Spalding Volleyball Equipment • 800-435-3865 www.spaldingequipment.com Circle No. 502

Circle No. 523

Ease & Durability

Built to last a lifetime and easy to use every day, the Schelde Collegiate 4000 Net System combines ultra-light weight with innovative engineering to make it one of volleyball’s most popular net systems. Schelde’s exclusive Unirail net attachment system provides quick eight adjustment, and the Collegiate 4000 is designed to be set up by one person in five minutes or less. Its Tecton duraluminum posts and fully sheathed, steel-gear linear winch come fully assembled and carry a limited lifetime warranty. Schelde North America • 888-SCHELDE (724-3533) www.scheldesports.com Circle No. 529

Tough as Steel

Bison’s CarbonMax™ composite is lighter than most aluminum poles and as stiff as rigid steel poles. A 26:1 worm-gear winch maximizes and maintains net tension, and an internal net-height adjuster allows easy adjustment even when the net is under tension. The posts and winches have lifetime warranties. Padding is available in 16 colors, and complete system orders include free padding lettering and lettered side tape covers. Bison, Inc. • 800-247-7668 www.bisoninc.com

Circle No. 504

Convertible TRAINING

High-Flying Posts

The VB7000K Carbon Fiber Volleyball Post System offers the ideal combination of lightness and stiffness. Unlike traditional metal uprights, carbon fiber uprights have no memory and will not permanently deflect like aluminum. In addition, the system includes an internal winch mechanism for perfect net height adjustments and a 26:1 ratio net-tensioning winch. The uprights and net winch are backed by a limited lifetime warranty.

Kalbree Sports • 877-311-8399 www.kalbreesports.com

High-Strength

The Spike/Set Stand with Ball Rack (#4900) is an outstanding training aid for spiking and setting. Welded with 1-1/4inch steel square tubing, it has a 30-inch height, a ball rack, and wheels that come off to make it a plyo box. Lightweight and easy to roll for storage, this product has a built-in ladder. The volleyball rack top removes and folds flat for storage. Blazer Mfg. Co. • 800-322-2731 www.blazerathletic.com

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Circle No. 527

Making Adjustments

Elegance & Innovation

Spalding volleyball equipment exceeds the highest standards for durability, performance, and ease-of-use. The new adjustable height referee platform has three levels of adjustment with bottom telescoping legs. The new standing platform dimensions have increased, providing additional area along with a thicker comfort pad for extended periods of standing. The referee platform provides four key elements: adjustability, collapsibility, moveability, and comfort.

Schelde’s Telescopic Pro Volleyball System sets the world standard for quick setup, elegant design, and innovative engineering. Spring-assisted, lightweight aluminum posts feature “pin-set” net height settings for men’s, women’s, and junior competition. The adjustable base allows posts to be set at precise depth in floor sleeves, and has a rubber foot that protects floors. The system is available with an international competition net or Kevlar competition net, and the posts and linear winch carry a limited lifetime warranty.

Spalding Volleyball Equipment • 800-435-3865 www.spaldingequipment.com Circle No. 503

Schelde North America • 888-SCHELDE (724-3533) www.scheldesports.com Circle No. 528

Coaching Management

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Coaches Aids Maximizing Practices

The new throwing head on the Attack II Volleyball Machine provides complete ball control, unlimited spins, and professionallevel speeds. Non-stop game tempo makes every minute of every practice effective, and the Attack II is perfect for drilling floaters, jump-serve receiving—digging, spiking, passing, and setting, all from a realistic over-the-net women’s release point. Don’t count on “hot air” for your training.

Sports Attack • 800-717-4251 www.sportsattack.com

Circle No. 505

Both the Gold and Silver models of the Volleyball Tutor can vary ball trajectory and speed to produce any desired set or pass while delivering serves at speeds up to 60 miles per hour. The Silver model’s 5 1/2-foot -high release point is perfect for sets, and it features a separate dial to control the amount of topspin and underspin on serves. The Silver model can also be angled down to practice dig drills. The Gold model can automatically throw six volleyballs at intervals ranging from five to 20 seconds. The unit is completely portable and is available with either AC or battery power. Sports Tutor • 800-448-8867 www.sportsmachines.com

Power & Strength

The Adjustable Power-Plyo Box comes in two sizes and provides the same function as a traditional plyo box. The smaller box adjusts from 18 to 30 inches high and the larger box adjusts from 30 to 42 inches high. This box allows athletes to develop power and strength with the ability for progression in one location. It features steel construction with a reinforced 3/4-inch non-slip plywood top, and is available in black and gray.

Power Systems, Inc. • 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com

At Your Service

Circle No. 506

Instant Feedback

Circle No. 509

Keeping Stats

The TapRecorder version 2 for Palm and Pocket PCs adds functionality and Pocket PC compatibility to this revolutionary, handheld software tool. Combined with PracticeStats™ templates for volleyball, the TapRecorder is an excellent tool for summarizing information right on the court, and its customized TapRecorder applications quickly and easily record the data you need. The TapRecorder will soon be available for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. It’s a must-have for recording stats in practice. Dimensional Software • 877-223-8225 www.ace4vb.com

Virtually all professional and college sports teams, including the NFL Scouting Combine, use the Vertec jump training system. It is the best way to evaluate and improve jump reach and lower-body explosive power. The Vertec jump training system challenges athletes to improve their vertical leap through instantaneous feedback and recognition. The process is simple, offering a true vertical target, visual motivation, and an immediate, accurate measure of success and growth. A wall-mounted version is now available.

High-Speed Solution

Sports Imports • 800-478-6497 www.sportsimports.com

Sports Attack • 800-717-4251 www.sportsattack.com

Circle No. 507

Circle No. 525

If the jump serve is the problem in your game, the Attack Volleyball Machine is the solution. The newly-designed throwing head provides extreme ball control at international-level speeds. Teams at all levels can all benefit from the Attack’s powerful game-simulating repetition delivered from a realistic over-the-net men’s release point. Don’t count on “air” to get you there—only the precision and speed of the Attack Volleyball Machine can do it. Circle No. 511

Coaching Breakthroughs

Explosiveness & Endurance

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For coaches who are serious about improving performance, Athlete Assessments provides the key tools to breakthrough performance. Identify your players’ individual strengths, limiting behaviors, and unique motivation strategies. Know how to push your players’ performance buttons, improve communication, and develop stronger team bonds. Coaches can be confident about how their team “works” and turn around performance issues before they result in a loss. Get your free Coach’s Pack today.

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Circle No. 508

The Pro Power Jumper will help athletes develop explosive power, increase jump height, and decrease reaction time for better overall performance. The Jumper can be used with maximal jumps to train for power or repeated jumps for reaction time and endurance. Featuring solid-steel construction for durability and long life, it comes with all the necessary harnesses and resistance tubes, and its 30” x 50” non-slip jumping platform is counterweighted on each end with a 45-pound plate. Circle No. 512

Coaching Management