Coach Your Brains Out

• 0:41 - Dan’s thoughts on being able to coach/work with his wife (having the opportunity to create crossover between coaching styles).
• 4:42 - Key factors to Dan’s success coaching a smaller program at Lewis University.
  • 5:18 - Importance of recruiting coachable players with good work ethic.
  • 7:16 - Lewis University’s volleyball popularity among the general students.
• 8:32 - Disadvantages of a small volleyball program and university.
  • 8:38 - Less of a social life in comparison to larger universities + harder to find ways to stay engaged within the community.
  • 9:49 - Younger alumni (younger program) who generally aren’t able to help fund the program yet.
• 10:33 - Importance of Dan’s team culture/philosophy (having fun, team mentality, being outside the box, and ownership and pride of the program).
  • 10:47 - Having fun + developing team mentality: enjoying competing in practice and in games as well as team activities outside the gym.
  • 12:49 - Maintaining team culture despite Covid limitations.
  • 13:04 - Journal writing.
  • 13:19 - Reading sports psychology and volleyball related books as a team (e.g. The Inner Game of Tennis).
• 15:16 - Making sure that players have self-discipline and put in the work to get better as a player and an individual. 
• 16:17 - Importance of learning about the history of the Lewis University volleyball program (being proud of the program).
• 17:55 - How Dan makes sure and can tell that his players are invested in the team culture.
• 20:26 - How Dan’s team culture and philosophy is reflected in and improves the team’s performance.
• 22:34 - What is done in practice to help close the gap between potentially more “talented” teams.
• 24:56 - Dan’s recruiting process (particularly how he finds the right players for the program).
• 27:49 - How Dan frames the program’s success when talking with his players.

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• 0:38 - What has changed in the last decade that has allowed pitchers to increase their pitching speeds (despite the factor of genetics).
• 2:12 - Active range of motion vs passive range of motion.
• 3:08 - At what point can athletes transition from focusing on developing healthy shoulders to focusing on increasing their speed?
• 5:03 - In terms of volleyball, what can be done to increase hitting speed?
  • 5:34 - Using weighted arm sleeves to develop faster arm swings.
• 5:59 - Developing clean and efficient arm swings is a large factor in increasing speed.
• 8:02 - How Vic would structure exercises using weighted arm sleeves.
• 11:19 - In addition to developing healthier shoulders, will a lower load also help people hit harder and throw harder?
• 13:13 - Are there benefits of measuring players’ spike and serve speeds?
  • 14:28 - Using measurable and visual results to increase motivation.
• 15:40 - What kind of coaching styles and methods have worked for Vic?
  • 16:01 - Identifying anchor points
  • 16:28 - Verbal and visual cues (in the form of analogies and metaphors)
  • 17:20 - Time constraints
• 19:08 - How Vic discovered these coaching methods.
• 20:49 - How players have responded to Vic’s coaching + example of how Vic walks a player through practice.
• 23:41 - Vic’s new overhead sports practice facility in Amarillo, Texas.

• 0:46 - How Vic was introduced to and gained an appreciation for volleyball.
• 1:52 - When and why Vic made the transition from playing in the majors to coaching - using his own experience to help younger, developing players.
• 3:27 - Simple and inexpensive warm-ups and routines coaches can teach to players and implement within their own practice.
• 6:50 - More expensive and heavy-duty equipment to invest in for better shoulder health (e.g. crossover symmetry, motion capture equipment).
  • Marc Pro device mentioned: https://marcpro.com/product-category/devices/
• 9:38 - What part of Vic’s previous coaching that he would try to do differently.
• 12:01 - Applying shoulder techniques in volleyball (preventing the full extension of arm above your head in a straight downward motion).
• 14:52 - Posture’s effects on shoulder health.
• 15:40 - Should you lower your elbow when extending your arm and shoulder?
• 17:11 - Developing correct arm swings in younger players who have to compensate for lower reach above the net.
• 19:25 - How to correct high elbow and extended shoulder motions that lead to weaker shoulders.
• 22:25 - Aqua bags, and utilization of them during practice.
• 24:43 - Using weighted balls during practice (weighted med balls, weighted baseballs, aquabags).
• 27:05 - Implementing practice methods that Vic uses in a volleyball context.
• 28:43 - Pre and post practice exercises and routines to maintain shoulder health.
  • Pre-practice -  Crossover symmetry and band exercises.
  • Post-practice -  Eccentric exercises.
• 29:39 - Repetition counts for pre and post practice exercises.
• 32:17 - Benefits of soft tissue massages (using lacrosse balls and foam rollers).

Show Notes (Angie Akers episode 2)

• 1:11 - Challenges Angie faced when transitioning to coaching April and Alix + dealing with the pressure of coaching an already successful team.
• 1:57 - Adjusting coaching to fit the circumstances within their team.
• 5:06 - Dealing with awkwardness and discomfort within teams to develop better relationships later.
• 7:58 - Transitioning from an Assistant Coach for the Dutch to a Head Coach with Team USA.
• 9:49 - Describing April and Alix’s excellence.
• 12:35 - Implementing “Dutch Directness” in practice and coaching.
• 15:14 - Will the US national team develop more cohesiveness between teams, modeling after other foreign teams.
• 16:40 - Tailoring coaching to the individual (particularly in the case with April and Alix).
• 17:45 - Dealing with differences in scouting judgement before games (e.g. wanting to serve different players.
• 18:10 - “Don’t get married to your plan” - being adaptive and flexible with strategies during games.
• 19:23 - Reflecting on the year - what Angie wants to work on as a coach.
• 21:19 - What Angie is “dominating” in: areas she believes she’s doing well in.
• 21:54 - Listener Questions
  • 22:05 - The most difficult part of coaching the A-Team/April and Alix.
  • 22:41 - April’s perspective on facing disappointment or undesired results.
  • 24:10 - Angie’s favorite part of the Olympic experience

• 1:11 - How Angie ended up coaching April and Alix and representing Team USA in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics.
• 4:15 - How Angie used a pre-mortem exercise to prepare for the Olympic Games, and avoid potential mishaps while accomplishing their goals.
• 4:56 - Covid 19’s limitations on relationship building and team building exercises during the Olympics.
• 6:43 - Facing and preparing for heat and humidity in Tokyo.
• 9:27 - Written form of a pre-mortem to manage anxiety and nerves.
• 10:53 - Role of past FIVB tournament results in preparation and practice, and identification of what was needed and when.
• 13:01 - Why they sat out of the Gstaad tournament.
• 15:30 - How the Olympic format and preparation helped them dominate their opponents during the Olympics.
• 17:03 - How Angie used film study to structure practice and prepare during downtime between games..
• 17:56 - Emulation of “playing” against opponents during practice and warmups.
• 19:20 - Would Angie have coached an underdog team differently than April and Alix?
• 20:16 - How Angie, April, and Alix approached every match.
• 21:18 - How John and Andrew would approach every match.
• 22:49 - Circumstantial warm up/preparation for different tournaments vs relatively consistent warm up/preparation (e.g. Cancun compared to a colder environment).
• 24:00 - Enjoying the Tokyo Olympic activities.
• 25:32 - Finding a routine during the Olympics, and filling up free time while staying mentally sharp.

-Story of resiliency 

-Handling pain

-Building leaders

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-Specializing at a young age

-The skill of being a good teammate

-Changing roles

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-Mental training

-Pushing through valleys

-Coach and team's role

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-Expectations

-Physical and mental preparation

-Enjoying the work

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

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

-Monitoring stress

-Antifragility and injury prevention

-Keeping athletes healthy

-Concussions and common injuries

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

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