Coach Your Brains Out

• 1:23 - Thoughts on what the basis of in-game feedback should be (based on what the coaches think their players need vs. based on what the players want).
• 2:04 - Should feedback be given based on past success?
• 3:42 - Defining “guided discovery” and what role it should play when giving feedback.
• 9:41 - Will forcing athletes to describe concepts and techniques in their own words create a better understanding?
• 10:57 - Reflecting on Jamie Morrison’s episode on storytelling, how often does Andrew find himself using stories within practice, and has it been effective?
• 13:14 - Creating intriguing names for drills to make it seem more exciting.
• 15:13 - Balancing the “silliness” of naming drills with the actual competence of a certain drill to keep it fun, but also maintain its credibility.
• 18:04 - Using the components of internal, external and holistic feedback, how would John structure his practices?
• 20:37 - The most effective external feedback drills that coaches can implement into their practices.
• 25:40 - Should coaches change internal ques or keys based on the athlete they approach (e.g. “slow to fast”)?
• 29:31 - Are keys more so a tool for the coach or a solution given to the athlete?
• 30:35 - Major feedback for coaches with regards to communication with their players.
• 36:30 - A little bit about Nils’ new job working as the head coach for Baker University.
  Books

Coach Your Brains Out: The Art and Science of Coaching Volleyball

The Inner Knight: Train and Compete Like a Champion

Contact us for bulk orders: [email protected] 

Become a Patron to support the show.

• 1:56 - Introducing today's topic: Feedback (Chapter 4 of the CYBO book).
• 2:08 - What is effective feedback?
• 2:59 - In terms of feedback, does “guiding” imply that the athlete is guided to only one solution? Or is it more flexible?
• 3:36 - How can coaches determine if an athlete is ready to receive feedback?
• 5:45 - Are TV’s and other video playback devices valuable in giving effective feedback?
• 7:04 - Should athletes be intentionally directed to watch video feedback? Or should coaches put less emphasis on it?
• 8:25 - Should coaches direct athletes to certain aspects of technique in video playback?
• 10:22 - In John’s experience, have his players consistently requested feedback?
• 11:17 - In general, have the players that request feedback consistently demonstrated improvement?
• 11:54 - Dealing with athletes who constantly request feedback.
• 15:04 - Should coaches encourage their athletes to give each other feedback, and what does that look like?
  • Specifically in terms of beach volleyball partners.
• 21:05 - Is it valuable to the player to have a fired up and encouraging coach?
• 24:08 - Giving “non-cognitive” affirmations at a constant rate.
• 27:04 - Balancing giving effective informative feedback while also being a lively coach.

Books

Coach Your Brains Out: The Art and Science of Coaching Volleyball

The Inner Knight: Train and Compete Like a Champion

Contact us for bulk orders: [email protected] 

Become a Patron to support the show.

• 1:24 - Applying “directness” to communication between Russ and his players.
• 2:56 - In Russ’ experience, has being direct with his athletes ever backfired?
• 4:51 - Has there ever been a time where Russ has avoided being direct?
• 7:48 - Does Russ communicate differently with a group of athletes compared to individuals? And how does he adjust?
• 10:05 - What kind of messages should coaches communicate to their athletes when they are successful (e.g. winning streak, defending champions).
• 14:06 - How did Russ address his program’s 109-match winning streak?
• 17:02 - Describing Russ’ approach to the recruiting process.
• 18:13 - When communicating with recruits, how directly involved was Russ?
• 21:37 - How did Russ cultivate the key components/characteristics of his championship teams?
• 23:12 - What statistics does Russ value and why does he value them?
• 27:29 - Russ’ advice for new and aspiring coaches.
• 29:31 - Would Russ want to work with coaches outside of just volleyball?

Books

Coach Your Brains Out: The Art and Science of Coaching Volleyball

The Inner Knight: Train and Compete Like a Champion

Contact us for bulk orders: [email protected] 

Become a Patron to support the show.

• 1:06 - Introducing Russ, and his legacy as former head coach of the Penn State women's volleyball program.
• 1:27 - What Russ will miss the most about coaching volleyball at Penn State.
• 5:33 - Russ’ thoughts on if the strong desire to win can be a developed quality, or if it has to already exist in potential recruits.
• 7:05 - What can coaches do to develop competitiveness in their players?
• 9:13 - How can volleyball players and coaches find and develop a balance of being competitive, but also enjoying the sport?
• 10:44 - Differentiating the players that say they want to win and the players that show they want to win.
  • What does that look like?
• 14:55 - Even if he knows he is going to win a match, does Russ still prepare in the same way?
• 16:40 - What kind of practice environment has Russ cultivated, and what made practices successful in his eyes?
• 20:32 - What does Russ mean when he wants his players to “go hard” in practices.
• 24:39 - In challenging scenarios, does Russ believe in actively guiding his players, or letting them figure out a solution?
• 26:14 - In a team with a smaller roster, how would Russ address a lack of effort among the players, or individuals?
• 29:02 - Did Russ adjust his practices based on the physical or mental state of his players?
• 34:21 - Is there anything Russ changed in his coaching strategy across his entire career that made a significant difference?
• 35:51 - Russ’ travel story about a trip to Washington, and how it reflects his coaching strategy.

Coach Your Brains Out: The Art and Science of Coaching Volleyball

The Inner Knight: Train and Compete Like a Champion

Contact us for bulk orders: [email protected]

Become a Patron to support the show.

• 1:30 - Based on what Andy has seen so far, what are his expectations for the Pirates this season?
• 2:41 - Will Andy travel with the players this year, or continue working with the coaches on the mental side?
• 3:18 -  What are environmental constraints, and how can they be used?
• 6:56 - Explaining the differences between “task” and “environment”
• 11:43 - Using the example of a high net vs. a low net to explain these ideas.
• 16:49 - In baseball practices, are environmental constraints used purposefully?
• 18:14 - What environmental constraints can be observed indoors?
• 22:46 - Should athletes (particularly college athletes) practice at the same time that their games would usually take place at?
• 26:33 - Other factors besides the task, the organism, and the environment with respect to environmental constraints.
• 28:57 - Is it important for coaches to know and recognize the differences in the aspects that they are constraining?

Coach Your Brains Out: The Art and Science of Coaching Volleyball

The Inner Knight: Train and Compete Like a Champion

Become a Patron to support the show.

• 1:04 - What are pre-mortems and post-mortems and where did they come from?
  • Note: this idea is also referenced by Angie Akers in this previous CYBO episode: https://www.blog.goldmedalsquared.com/podcast/episode/3c92044d/preparing-for-the-olympics-with-angie-akers
• 4:05 - John’s thoughts on what the most important principles coaches should understand or learn before implementing pre-mortem exercises.
• 9:38 - Given the maturity needed to properly execute pre-mortem exercises, at what age group can be considered the starting point or cutoff at which these exercises can begin to be implemented?
• 13:50 - How can coaches tell when players have developed a strong relationship with their teammates and reached a point of maturity where pre-mortem exercises can be implemented?
• 16:40 - Should pre-mortems be changed or implemented in a different way based on the skill or success of teams?
• 19:14 - How to encourage players to open up to coaches and their teammates and communicate their feelings and thoughts freely.
• 25:54 - How to determine which idea should be prioritized among the others
• 29:03 - Have there been common themes that emerge when implementing pre-mortem exercises across different sports?
• 33:22 - After identifying the initial issue or focus, what is the next step to be taken?
  • Using the A-Team and the problem of humidity when competing as the example
• 39:30 - What kind of changes did John Mayer’s implementation of pre-mortem exercises make by the end of the season?
• 43:18 - John’s book recommendations for coaches.

Books

Coach Your Brains Out: The Art and Science of Coaching Volleyball

The Inner Knight: Train and Compete Like a Champion

Become a Patron to support the show.

• 1:09 - Segwaying into this second part, John dives into the second scenario, and explains how it contrasts the scenario with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
  • Showcasing autonomy within the team huddle
• 2:43 - John’s thoughts on what the coach’s role should be in terms of creating team support and raising morale.
• 4:24 - Benefits of giving the players/team more autonomy in situations like the Cavaliers and Warriors scenarios.
  • “Players play the game”
• 8:16 - Based on Steve Kerr’s method of supporting the Warriors, how would he have reacted if he was coaching the Cavaliers during their mishap with the J.R. Smith situation?
• 11:20 - Analyzing a scenario that took place during a timeout from the U.S. women's national water polo team at the London 2012 Olympics.
  • Context: U.S. were winning in the very last seconds of the game in a game against Australia
• 14:18 - What was running through Adam’s head during the end of the water polo game?
• 17:06 - How were Adam and the team able to effectively respond?
  • Past mistakes allowed for the opportunity to grow and respond more effectively in similar situations that they were not able to overcome in the past
• 21:01 - Recurring themes or qualities of coaches that are able to effectively overcome adversity in close matches.
  • Importance of being more personal and connected with your players
• 26:44 - How to effectively control or manage situations where players are slacking off, and how to set high expectations without yelling or freaking out.
  • What kind of language should be used?

Read Billy's new book! The Inner Knight: Train and Compete Like a Champion

Get CYBO the book! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1098630904

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/coachyourbrainsout

• 1:30 - John’s role in the Olympic process, and which teams he is currently working with.
• 3:27 - Common themes or occurrences John has noticed within high level teams that he has worked with.
• 8:24 - How and why do these themes occur in these scenarios?
  • “Beginning with the end in mind” - determining the purpose of and goals of the team
• 10:46 - Diving into specific scenarios, particularly one from when LeBron James was playing in the 2018 NBA Playoffs with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
  • Specifically analyzing the body language and communication between the team.
• 16:39 - John’s beliefs and thoughts on what part of the Cavaliers’ situation was the most detrimental to their play. 
• 18:04 - John’s thoughts on what a much more effective response to the situation would look like.
• 19:50 - Regardless of the consequences of destroying the morale of the team, is it still reasonable that LeBron was recognizably upset at J.R. Smith?
• 22:50 - Addressing the need for someone to step up and raise the morale.

Books:

The Inner Knight: Train and Compete Like a Champion

Get CYBO the book!

Support the show

• 1:14 - The most important recovery principles that coaches should understand.
  • Building blocks of recovery
• 3:36 - Why sleep is so important in the recovery process.
• 7:56 - Given a 10 minute daily period spent focused on recovery, what are the most important principles that athletes should prioritize.
  • Geared individually - the most effective recovery methods are different for each person
• 11:43 - Beau’s recommendations for recovery tools.
• 14:39 - Beau’s issues with most “healers” and “gurus” in the sports world.
  • Dependent on the situation and their intentions
• 16:46 - Should coaches push athletes to work hard when they are still sore from previous workouts and practices?
• 18:05 - Beau’s thoughts on training specific to volleyball.
• 19:33 - The most effective methods by which coaches can keep their athletes “injury free”.
• 21:13 - Should strength training be specific to the sport?
• 23:49 - How did Beau get where he is now?
• 25:12 - How coaches should best support athletes with a fear of failure.
• 27:12 - Beau’s takeaways from his experience losing to Hawaii in the NCAA national championship game.

Read Billy's new book! The Inner Knight: Train and Compete Like a Champion

Get CYBO the book! 

Support the show

• 1:25 - Describing Beau’s experience winning the Super Bowl as a chiropractor for the Los Angeles Rams.
• 2:53 - Recalling how Beau started working with the Rams. 
• 5:02 - Describing Beau’s “three week tryout” period with the Rams.
• 6:36 - Beau’s perspective and observations about the Rams’ culture that helps them be successful. 
  • “We not me” culture
• 9:36 - Examples of the “we not me” culture implemented in the Rams.
• 11:00 - How does the Rams’ coaching stand out from the rest? What is done to make it be considered “elite”?
• 12:49 - What both volleyball coaches and players can learn from the structure and training of football.
• 15:19 - After working with the Rams for the last six years, how would Beau restructure practices or his coaching style if he were to return to coaching volleyball?
• 18:01 - On the flip side, what can football coaches and players learn/take away from volleyball?
• 20:33 - From Beau’s experience and perspective being coached by Marv Dunphy at Pepperdine, what makes his coaching style so effective?
• 22:43 - Describing Beau’s memorable takeaways and stories from when Marv was coaching him.
• 26:14 - Does Beau think Marv would be successful coaching a football program regardless of his knowledge of the sport?

Read Billy's new book! The Inner Knight: Train and Compete Like a Champion

Get CYBO the book! 

Support the show