Why Volleyball Festival Feels Like Family | Bryan Kelly

What makes Volleyball Festival so much more than just another volleyball tournament?

Coach Chijo sits down with Bryan Kelly, President of Volleyball Festival, during Volleyball Festival in Phoenix to learn why thousands of players and families return year after year.

Bryan shares the story behind the tournament's family culture, the traditions that have been passed down for more than four decades, and why creating lifelong memories matters just as much as winning matches. From personalized player touches and the famous Player Party to gift exchanges and the legacy of Volleyball Festival founders Dave and Bernice Epperson, Bryan explains what makes Festival unlike any other tournament.

Super Helper Isabella also joins the conversation to ask questions from a player's perspective about what she sees that makes Volleyball Festival so special.

Whether you're a player, coach, or parent, this episode is a reminder that volleyball is about much more than wins and losses.

In this episode:

• Why Volleyball Festival feels like family

• The traditions that make Festival unique

• Creating lifelong memories through volleyball

• Why every player deserves to feel special

• The importance of sportsmanship and community

• Coach Chijo's free clinics at Volleyball Festival

• Super Helper, Isabella's perspective as a player

Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

What do parents really want from coaches?

In this episode of the Coach Chijo Podcast, Coach Chijo sits down with Dina Snook, former volleyball player, volleyball parent, and Coach Chijo Operations Manager, to discuss the coach-parent-player relationship from a perspective many coaches rarely hear.

Dina shares her experiences raising athletes through years of club and college volleyball, what parents notice from the sidelines, and how coaches can build stronger relationships with both players and families.

Topics include:

•  Why positive coaching matters 
•  Helping athletes recover from mistakes 
•  The difference between correction and criticism 
•  Why players shouldn't compete in fear 
•  Understanding different athlete personalities 
•  How parents and coaches can work together 
•  Why communication builds trust 
•  Open practices vs. closed practices 
•  When athletes want to quit and how parents should respond 
•  Creating a better experience for players and families 

Whether you're a coach, parent, or athlete, this conversation offers valuable insight into building healthier team environments and helping players reach their potential.

Who gets the opportunity to play volleyball?

In this episode of the Coach Chijo Podcast, Coach Chijo sits down with Coach Johnitta Clemons, Director of Volleyball at Game Day Sports Academy (GSA) in Bakersfield, California, for a powerful conversation about diversity, accessibility, and the future of volleyball.

Coach Clemons shares how GSA has built one of the most diverse volleyball communities in California and discusses the barriers many families face when trying to access club volleyball. From fundraising and transportation challenges to creating opportunities through programs like Starlings Volleyball, this conversation explores what it takes to make the sport available to more athletes.

The episode also takes a deeply personal turn as Coach Chijo shares his experience growing up in Japan, struggling to fit in, and how volleyball became the outlet that ultimately changed his life.

This conversation goes beyond volleyball. It's about opportunity, belonging, mentorship, resilience, and the impact coaches can have on young people.

In This Episode

• Coach Johnitta Clemons' volleyball journey
 • Building a diverse volleyball community
 • The cost of club volleyball and access challenges
 • How fundraising can help athletes participate
 • The mission of Starlings Volleyball
 • Transportation and socioeconomic barriers in youth sports
 • Why representation matters
 • Coach Chijo's personal story growing up in Japan
 • How volleyball can change and even save lives
 • Coaching with purpose and heart

Mentioned in This Episode

• Game Day Sports Academy (GSA)
 • Saving Destiny Youth Foundation
 • Starlings Volleyball

In this episode of the Coach Chijo Podcast, Coach Chijo sits down with Coach Kristen, Director of Tuba City Volleyball, Head Coach at Tuba City High School, physical therapist, wife, mother, and community leader on Navajo Nation.

Coach Kristen shares her journey from helping Tuba City High School win its first-ever Arizona state championship in 2012 to now leading the next generation of athletes in her community. The conversation explores the realities of growing up and playing sports on the reservation, the challenges of limited resources and long travel distances, and why athletics can be life-changing for young people.

They also discuss coaching philosophy, mentorship, communication, building confidence, and how great coaches help athletes succeed both on and off the court.

This is a powerful conversation about leadership, resilience, service, and the impact one coach can have on a community.

Topics Discussed

• Growing up on Navajo Nation
 • Winning Tuba City's first state championship in 2012
 • The evolution of club volleyball in northern Arizona
 • Long travel distances for practices and competitions
 • Why sports are so important in reservation communities
 • Finding confidence and learning to communicate
 • The coaches who helped shape Coach Kristen's life
 • Building a volleyball program from the ground up
 • Coaching beyond wins and losses
 • Teaching life skills through sports
 • The need for more facilities and opportunities for athletes
 • Giving back to the community that raised you

Coach Blase has coached volleyball for nearly 50 years, including serving as Head Coach of the Australian Women's National Team. Today, he's coaching 12U and 15U athletes and helping develop the next generation of players.

In this episode of the Coach Chijo Podcast, we discuss what great coaching really looks like, why player development starts with self-awareness, and how coaches can create environments where athletes learn, grow, and enjoy the game.

Coach Blase shares stories from his coaching journey, lessons learned from international volleyball, thoughts on leadership, dealing with difficult situations, coaching burnout, and the importance of keeping volleyball fun.

Topics include:

• Coaching the Australian Women's National Team
• Why he now coaches 12U volleyball
• What coaches should look for at tryouts
• Building confidence and resilience in athletes
• Leadership on and off the court
• Helping players learn through discovery
• Managing pressure from parents and expectations
• Why great coaches coach for their players
• The surprising case against pepper

This episode is full of practical insights for coaches, players, and volleyball families looking to get more out of the game.

Follow Coach Chijo:
Instagram: @coachchijo
TikTok: @coachchijo
YouTube: @coachchijo

Just GO!

How do you run up to 50 volleyball tournaments a year across the country?

In this episode of the Coach Chijo Podcast, I sit down with Chris Hames from Top Court Events while we were in Las Vegas at the Emperor’s Cup Volleyball Tournament.

Top Court generously hosted me at the event so I could meet followers, sign autographs, and take photos with players and families throughout the weekend.

Chris shares what happens behind the scenes to organize major volleyball tournaments and the pressure that comes with managing events at such a high level. On the day we recorded this episode, Top Court was running THREE tournaments in THREE different cities at the same time.

We also talk about:
• Her volleyball career representing Australia
• Raising two daughters who played high-level volleyball
• The challenge of coaching your own kids
• Building positive tournament experiences for athletes and families
• What makes players actually enjoy the event experience

This was a really cool conversation about leadership, family, volleyball, and the people working behind the scenes to make these events happen.

🙌

JUST GO!

What Players Wish Coaches Knew | Isabella’s Perspective as a 16U Player

What do players actually wish coaches understood?

In this episode of the Coach Chijo Podcast, Isabella shares her perspective as a 16U club volleyball player and talks honestly about communication, confidence, mistakes, pressure, and what truly makes a coach impactful.

We talk about:
• How different athletes respond differently to coaching
• What players are thinking after mistakes
• Why communication style matters so much
• How coaches can build trust and confidence
• Things coaches may never hear directly from players
• What athletes really want from their coaches

This episode is a valuable listen for coaches, parents, and athletes who want to better understand the player experience and create stronger relationships within sports.

JUST GO!

What does it really take to build a volleyball brand online?

In this episode, Coach Donny and Coach Chijo sit down in Las Vegas during tournament weekend to talk about the reality behind content creation, social media growth, editing, filming, staff, pressure, burnout, and the work people never see behind the scenes.

We also talk about the sacrifices that come with constant travel, including missing family and balancing real life while trying to grow a brand and help people through volleyball.

Most importantly, we talk about how volleyball came into both of our lives during difficult times and why we feel called to give back to the volleyball community through coaching and content.

This was one of the most real conversations we’ve had.

🏐 New episodes every Sunday
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Follow Coach Donny

Subscribe to his YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@ElevateYourselfOfficial

One year ago, Monica and I were basically just “playing coach.”

Now we’re traveling across the country running volleyball clinics, building the Coach Chijo brand, meeting thousands of athletes, and recording our very first podcast episode.

In this episode, we talk about:
 • how everything started
 • what the early days looked like
 • building a brand from scratch
 • lessons we’ve learned along the way
 • what actually helps athletes become better players
 • and some behind-the-scenes stories from the journey so far

Huge shoutout to Baden Sports for supporting the journey.

If you’ve been following from the beginning, thank you.
 If you’re new here, welcome.

JUST GO!