Dennis in Colorado Springs: Day Two (Humbling)

Dear Players, Parents, and Friends of the Skill Ignition Volleyball Club,

After 14 hours of on court instruction and classroom instruction, I am admittedly bushed. Let's face it, I'm not a spring chicken anymore, but, I must say, being a part of something this big, this incredible makes me wish it would never end. For as much as I think I know about the sport of volleyball, I'm slapped back to reality at every turn when I listen to the real "professionals" talk about things and offer their slant on the sport of volleyball.

What touched me today was the classroom instruction that centered on the myths surrounding the coaching of volleyball, which I found interesting. For those of us that coach, this might be a bit painful to hear, but, here's a couple of examples:

1. How many coaches have you heard that, in order to increase the chances of completing an attack hit, the hitter must snap their wrist? I know I've been guilty of encouraging players to snap their wrist. But, what is the reality? Based on studies conducted by USA Volleyball and others, wrist snap has virtually NOTHING to do the speed of the attacked ball. There are other factors we could discuss, but, for this discussion, the wrist snap really doesn't even occur until AFTER the ball has left the hitter's hand. In fact, high speed photography clearly shows that, at the point of contact, the wrist actually reflexes BACK a bit. And, how long is the volleyball in contact with the hitter's hand? LESS THAN, LESS THAN 0.010 seconds. Stop and think about that. LESS THAN ONE TENTH OF A SECOND. It certainly takes LONGER for you to snap your wrist than it does for the ball to contact your wrist. It would be more correct to encourage players to "reach high" and "contact the top half of the ball". Any hitting action on the TOP half of the ball generates spin.
1. They also presented a study that I found fascinating. Sorry, but I am an engineer and find numbers and statistics fascinating. After the Beijing Olympics, USA Volleyball did a study of the Men's Olympic Volleyball Team and the TOTAL amount of time, in ALL of their Olympic matches, that the ball was in contact in their players. A match may last 1-2 hours and they play 7-8 matches at the Olympics? Care to guess? See "ANSWER" below for the answer.
2. It was hammered home again and again that, as coaches, we need to realize something about what it is we are doing. We are teachers. The question was asked, by a show of hands, how many coaches learned to ride a bike as a child? All hands went up. Then, how many of you learned first by pretending to pedal the right pedal only, then the left, then practicing how to hold the handle bars? We laughed. Then, they asked, how many of us had a bike riding coach that took us thru the trials and tribulations of learning the process? Coaches need to teach, then get out of the way. Are we are practicing to practice? Or, are we practicing to perform? If we are practicing to perform, then our practices MUST consist of random opportunities for the players.
3. Another "I'm guilty of this from time-to-time", is the concept of tell players to watch the ball into their arms when passing. Fact is, your eyes should be looking toward the passing target at the point of contact, not at your arms.
4. USA Volleyball and it's Olympic coaching staff have reiterated it clearly that, "Reading is the most important volleyball skill. If you can read a hitter, are you a better defender and blocker? If you can read a server, isn't your serve receive better? If you can read a defense and blockers, aren't you a better setter? So, our question to each of you is, 'How do you teach your players to read?'". 
1. Hugh McCuthcheon (US Women's Olympic Volleyball Coach) said it best, I think. "See, look, see, look." "See" is more of a broad focus and "look" is a closer focus. His example was defense, "See" the pass, "look" at the setter, "see" the set (speed, location, direction), "look" at the hitter...then dig the hit.

I have spent a long, long time searching for the "answers" and am so glad I've been exposed to them. I am 100% sure that I am a more knowledgeable coach and I just hope to be able to put the teachings to practical use on the court.

ANSWER: .................................................................................................................................................................................................27.4 seconds! The question is, what are you doing the rest of the time during the match?

Dennis: Day One at USA Volleyball CAP III Training in Colorado Springs

Dear Players, Parents, Coaches, and Friends of the Skill Ignition Volleyball Club;

Who amongst us wouldn’t have their heart swell with pride from the moment they walked into the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado? Which of you wouldn’t marvel at the highly developed and advanced skills of the untold thousands that have passed through the gates of this magnificent facility? Who wouldn’t find a strange amount of solace in realizing the level of commitment and personal sacrifice made by those incredible athletes that are a part of US Olympic history?

From the moment I arrived at the US Olympic Training Center to start my CAP III training through USA Volleyball, I’ve been, oddly enough, struck with a wave of emotions. I am very proud to be a part of this wonderful sport, and I’m even more proud of being able to be where Olympic dreams of Gold and international fame have come true for so many American athletes. The one thing that really took me by surprise was the fact that you just simply get a sense that things here are different, very different. Expectations are extremely high and one gets the sense that it would take someone special to be able to handle the expectations that are placed on the athletes here. But, at the same time, it is a comforting feeling, strangely, knowing that these athletes come here to train, to compete, and to win; all with a similar goal or vision. They are, most certainly, focused.

I’ve told this story dozens of times, but, those of you that know Tom Selleck, the actor, may not know that he played Open level volleyball back in his day. Open level volleyball means that he was skilled enough to play college volleyball and above. He obviously was an above average volleyball player. Back in the 1980s, he made an appearance on The Johnny Carson Show. For those that aren’t aware, Johnny Carson was a popular late night talk show host.

It was during one of the Olympic years and Tom Selleck was there to talk about his TV show and his support/sponsorship of the US Men’s Olympic Volleyball Team. He talked about how the team had invited him to Colorado Springs to practice with the team. He excitedly accepted and traveled to Colorado. But, as he says, it took him less than a minute of being on the court with these guys for him to know, “I was barely qualified to carry their gym bags.”

I’m reminded of his comments because, as I sit here mesmerized by the enormity of everything I’m experiencing, I again am humbled, completely humbled, in knowing that if Tom Selleck wasn’t qualified, what makes me qualified to even be here? Then, I think more about this concept I’ve coined called The Competitive Pyramid (well, at least I think I’ve coined that term, but, I’m not smart enough to have thought of it on my own, so, I won’t lay claim to the term) and I again am amazed at the steepness of the pyramid once you get past the lower levels of the pyramid.

Think of it this way, The Competitive Pyramid, when you’re young, playing in grade school or middle school, is more like climbing a flight of stairs. Get into high school, and things change. The pyramid steepens a bit. College? It steepens even some more. However, there are subtle changes as you progress from one level to the other. The leap from high school to college is within the reach of a decent percentage of high school athletes.

But, the slope of the pyramid suddenly becomes asymptotic, especially for players wanting to play at the upper levels of college, or that have aspirations to play beyond college. There have been famous US volleyball players who have enjoyed an international reputation, that have managed to navigate The Competitive Pyramid: Flo Hyman, Karch Kiraly, Misty May-Treanor, and Kerri Walsh to name but a few. Each has achieved incredible success in the sport of volleyball, and in life as well.

As a coach of youth athletes, I recognize my role in the lives of those that play on my team. I know that when I started coaching many years ago (for the record, LOL, before many of the kids that play in this club were born) that I was, likely, the last coach some kids ever had. I have taken this fact personally and have made it my personal mission to never, ever be a kids last coach. I was a far different coach than I am today, thank goodness!

Back then, I suffered from something that scares me to this day, something that I have come to believe is the genesis for why kids quit sports at such a young age. Again, I’m not sure if I coined this term or not, but, I call this the illusion of knowledge. It’s when we substitute our own vision of reality for what is commonly accepted or known as thee way to do something.

And, where do we tend to run into this phenomenon the most often? I’m a member of management in my real job, and I must say, I see a lot of the illusion of knowledge in management. But, sadly, I see it frequently in the ranks of youth coaches. The real sad part of suffering from the illusion of knowledge is that you have no idea you are infected. Coaches tend to stop listening to parents, players, even other coaches, because they shouldn’t be questioned, shouldn’t be challenged, and heaven forbid someone else might know something the coach doesn’t know.

I can trace my transformation to an exact event that happened in 2004. It was my first exposure to USA Volleyball training at the old Dexter High School, and it really did, literally, change my philosophy about coaching. I understood after that 4 hours of training that not only had I been a pretty horrible coach up to that moment, but also I suffered horribly from the illusion of knowledge. I was dramatically and forever changed as a result of that simple 4 hour class.

 To have been able to become a CAP Level I and II coach, and now, sitting here doing the groundwork for CAP III training, all I can tell you is, it's been well worth the time, the effort, and the money. Just to be able to step where past famous US Olympic athletes once walked is an incredible experience in and of itself. But, to be able to actually talk to USA Volleyball members that are former Olympic volleyball players, or the national director for some phase of the USA Volleyball program, or the former Men's Olympic Gold Medal volleyball coach, is what seriously humbles me. These people know at least...ohhhh...at least a billion times more about volleyball, about nutrition, about the psychology of coaching, and, and, and...I think you get the point.

In one of the sessions this morning, we talked in depth about the power of words. We talked about we need to change the way people look at things, for example, we don't want to talk about "the program" because that lacks substance and is hard to define. What they prefer we talk about, and, therefore, we develop over time, is our culture. Subtle. Subtle, but powerful. All too often coaches tend to look at something they like and then pattern themselves after what they've seen without giving consideration to what their culture actually is and is that a good fit with their culture.

Mr. Neville (a legend in USA Volleyball and the former Men's lympic Gold Medal volleyball coach) talks about us joining him in his "way back" machine and traveling back to when Japan was the dominant volleyball power in the world. Of course, everyone wanted to know why the Japanese were so strong. Oddly enough, the Japanese were willing to share the secrets of their success, and coaches ate it up. But, Mr. Neville wanted to know why they would be so transparent. The Japanese coach told him that only the Japanese could run the Japanese system, and, if you want to copy it, go ahead. The message? The Americans weren't the Japanese, it's a different culture.

One of the things that I thought we did an excellent job of last year in our inaugural season as a volleyball club is that we established our club's culture. Sisu, inner determination, strength of will, guts. That defined our culture pretty good. And what I find rewarding is that even tho we've changed the club name, we haven't lost the culture of Sisu. I hope that we continue building and refining our club culture.

When I first walked into the gym, the "practice" gym, I was struck by how there was absolutely no doubt about where you were, you knew you were in a USA Volleyball gym! The walls had 15-20 inspirational quotes, all related to being a team, about character, and about setting goals. It was a subtle thing, but something that had a huge influence on me.

Then to have to demonstrate a drill for the CAP III class in front of the USA Volleyball cadre was, shall we say, made my pits sweat! I got some excellent feedback and was glad when it was over. It truly is incredible to see the differences in coaching styles as I watched the other coaches present their drill. You get a tremendous sense of what it must be like to play for these coaches (some I would love to play for, others, no way).

Today was 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM. Tomorrow is 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM! Yikes! I am afraid I need my beauty sleep. And you thought it was just fun and games, right?

Good night all...and I hope you get a sense for what it's like here. I wish everyone could experience this at some level. I'll be taking some pictures, which I plan to share with you. I'm just very proud to be here and enjoying the experience.

Team Night!

Tomorrow night is Skill Ignition Team Bonding Night at MPB! Since most of our teams have their first tournaments this Sunday, we wanted to give the girls a chance to get to know each other a little better before spending all day on the court.

The food is ordered, the Costco trip has been made, and the coaches are ready for four hours of tween- and teen-girl chaos. Most of the teams will be putting on skits, which should be interesting to say the least. There will be board games, perhaps some crafts, a refereeing clinic, and some pick-up volleyball. I'm sure we're forgetting about something, but that will be part of the fun!

Hope to see all of our players there.

Hump Day Morning Observations

It has been a heck of a week already, both in the good and in the slightly painful. I am learning a lot about myself, about others, and even more about the fragility of young girls. Having been one myself, and being a particularly sensitive person, I thought I was aware. What I'm learning is that no matter how much I think I know, and how much I try to soften blows when necessary, I will sometimes fail. And the thing is, as long as I do the very best I can, take responsibility, be accountable, and learn from it, I think that's OK. Obviously, the last thing I want to do is hurt or upset anyone. But because I'm an imperfect being, it will happen. And I can assure you, if I inadvertently hurt someone, it's going to hurt me, too.

My point, I suppose, is this: I would rather know if there's a problem so I can do my best to fix it, instead of not knowing, or only hearing about the issue when it's too late. Consider this an open invitation to contact me with your concerns. As hard as it may be for me to hear that I've done something less than perfectly, I need to hear about it so I can avoid the same mistakes in the future. I want to learn to be the best I can be in the realm of youth athletics, and I'm going to need your help. Thank you! 

Welcome to the Skill Ignition Blog!

I'm posting this when I really should be working. But then, that happens a lot this time of year! Practices officially began yesterday, and for many of us, our first tournaments are this weekend. Nothing like jumping right into it! I was at MPB on January 3 from about 4:30-9:30, and I have to say, I'm amazed again by what the Newtons have managed to pull off. Even with three teams practices at once, there was plenty of room, players could hear coaches talking without anyone having to yell, parents and other observers were able to watch fairly comfortably from the chairs along the wall, and, much to the chagrin of her daughter, a player on my 15U team, I even had a mom join in on a little scrimmage action! All in all, a very successful first practice. I'm looking forward to seeing what tonight will bring. See you there!