Episode 26 - Dain Blanton : On his second time on the show, Head Coach of the 2021 National Champions USC Beach Volleyball Team joins us to talk about winning the championship! Dain is now the only person in volleyball to win an NCAA Championship as a player, an Olympic gold medal, an AVP title, and an NCAA Championship as a coach (plus 3 more as a volunteer assistant)

USC BEACH Volleyball Team Home Page: https://bit.ly/2TkL1Gk

Dain's IG: @dainblanton

In This Episode we Discuss:

-Dain's experience as a Volunteer (4 years)

-How it feels to win after a pandemic

-Contributions & responsibilities from Dain's coaching staff

-Breakdown of how the team pairings are created

-How Dain addresses the "pressure" of winning

-How Dain evokes the best version of his players

-What Dain wants from his players after they graduate

-Winning as an everyday culture at practice

-Dain's vision of presenting the costs of what it takes to win

-Expecting to win with belief, confidence, & humility

-The idea of "Inspired Leadership" and how it translates

-How to create an environment of winning

-The rivalry between USC & UCLA

-Facilitating an environment of empowerment

-Being an agent of change for your environment

-How to stay calm & keep a level headed demeanor

-What this win means for the sport of Beach Volleyball