The Volleyball By Design Podcast

In this episode, we go back into the vault. In 2021, I sat down with John Speraw, former head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team and UCLA, and now President and CEO of USA Volleyball. Recorded around the Tokyo Olympics, this conversation is packed with lessons from one of the best minds in the game that hold up just as well today.

In this episode:

Behind the scenes of the Tokyo Olympics

How John approaches seasonal planning

Practice structure and planning at the highest level

Why fundamentals still matter at every level

Game day preparation and approach

And much more

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com

Click here to join my workshop - http://volleyballworkshop.com

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB

Most players think showing up to practice is the sacrifice. It's not. In this episode, I show coaches how to teach their athletes what a serious competitor actually looks like.

In this episode:

The line in the volleyball manual that every player signs, and why most don't understand it

Why showing up is the floor, not the ceiling

The ladder every athlete has to climb

How Daenan went from club to one of the best middles in the world

The honest truth: some gifted kids make it on talent, and some hard workers won't make it at all

The player who never made the roster but changed the whole program

How to teach this to every kid in your gym, even the ones who won't make it

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com

Click here to join my workshop - http://volleyballworkshop.com

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB

Most coaches pick their starting rotation the same way every match: setter serves first, best hitter up front, and go. But your starting rotation quietly decides which rotations get extra turns in close sets, and that can be the difference between winning and losing.

In this episode, I break down how to analyze your rotation data and build a strategy to improve your sideout and breakpoint percentages. We dive into:

The three default rotation strategies most coaches use, and why they might be costing you points

The surprising research on how often each server comes up for a third serve in a close set

A simple formula to measure your rotation efficiency, and what the number tells you

What to do if you don't have any data yet (three quick strategies you can use tonight)

How to match your best rotations against your opponent's best server

Why so many top teams choose to receive first, and the one situation where serving first makes sense

If you want the full system, including how to place your players inside each rotation, join me for the live training inside DVA.

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com

Click here to join my workshop - http://volleyballworkshop.com

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB

Every parent knows Lego instructions are so clear a five-year-old can build the set on the box without help. What if you taught your athletes the same way? In this episode, I break down the exact method I use to teach skills so clearly that any athlete on your team, at any level, can pick them up faster, using passing as the live example so you can apply it in your gym this week.

Why most coaches unintentionally slow down their own athletes' skill acquisition without realizing it

The 3-part framework you can use to break any skill into "Lego pieces" your players can actually follow

The one detail in a passing platform almost every coach fails to correct

Why teaching movement before mechanics changes how fast your athletes improve

How to apply this method to any skill you teach, not just passing

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com

Click here to join my workshop - http://volleyballworkshop.com

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB

Your practice plan has drills, reps, and systems on it. But there's a second curriculum running underneath your entire season that no one writes down and it might be shaping your team more than anything you actually drew up.

In this episode, I break down 5 unwritten lessons every coach is teaching whether they mean to or not, and the exact moments in practice where you're either building your culture or quietly letting it slip.

These aren't drills. They're moments. And how you respond to them is the real program you're building. In this episode we dive into: 

The customer service idea 

Culture 

Standard of excellence 

Getting pixie dusted 

Response to pressure/adversity 

Team first mentality 

Coachability 

Modelling

And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com

Click here for my workshop - http://volleyballworkshop.com

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB