The Volleyball By Design Podcast

By Brian SinghSports Volleyball

The Volleyball By Design Podcast episodes

October 05Winning Is Not For Everyone (But The Pursuit Is)
Most players think showing up to practice is the sacrifice. It's not. In this episode, I show coaches how to teach their athletes what a serious competitor actually looks like.
In this episode:
The line in the volleyball manual that every player signs, and why most don't understand it
Why showing up is the floor, not the ceiling
The ladder every athlete has to climb
How Daenan went from club to one of the best middles in the world
The honest truth: some gifted kids make it on talent, and some hard workers won't make it at all
The player who never made the roster but changed the whole program
How to teach this to every kid in your gym, even the ones who won't make it
Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com
Click here to join my workshop - http://volleyballworkshop.com
Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB
25 min
September 28How to Optimize Your Rotation (And Win More Close Sets)
Most coaches pick their starting rotation the same way every match: setter serves first, best hitter up front, and go. But your starting rotation quietly decides which rotations get extra turns in close sets, and that can be the difference between winning and losing.
In this episode, I break down how to analyze your rotation data and build a strategy to improve your sideout and breakpoint percentages. We dive into:
The three default rotation strategies most coaches use, and why they might be costing you points
The surprising research on how often each server comes up for a third serve in a close set
A simple formula to measure your rotation efficiency, and what the number tells you
What to do if you don't have any data yet (three quick strategies you can use tonight)
How to match your best rotations against your opponent's best server
Why so many top teams choose to receive first, and the one situation where serving first makes sense
If you want the full system, including how to place your players inside each rotation, join me for the live training inside DVA.
Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com
Click here to join my workshop - http://volleyballworkshop.com
Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB
25 min
September 21The Lego Method: The Secret To Faster Skill Acquisition (Passing Edition)
Every parent knows Lego instructions are so clear a five-year-old can build the set on the box without help. What if you taught your athletes the same way? In this episode, I break down the exact method I use to teach skills so clearly that any athlete on your team, at any level, can pick them up faster, using passing as the live example so you can apply it in your gym this week.
Why most coaches unintentionally slow down their own athletes' skill acquisition without realizing it
The 3-part framework you can use to break any skill into "Lego pieces" your players can actually follow
The one detail in a passing platform almost every coach fails to correct
Why teaching movement before mechanics changes how fast your athletes improve
How to apply this method to any skill you teach, not just passing
Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com
Click here to join my workshop - http://volleyballworkshop.com
Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB
26 min
September 14The Invisible Curriculum: 5 Things Your Practice Plan Doesn't Show
Your practice plan has drills, reps, and systems on it. But there's a second curriculum running underneath your entire season that no one writes down and it might be shaping your team more than anything you actually drew up.
In this episode, I break down 5 unwritten lessons every coach is teaching whether they mean to or not, and the exact moments in practice where you're either building your culture or quietly letting it slip.
These aren't drills. They're moments. And how you respond to them is the real program you're building. In this episode we dive into:
The customer service idea
Culture
Standard of excellence
Getting pixie dusted
Response to pressure/adversity
Team first mentality
Coachability
Modelling
And a few more key concepts
Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com
Click here for my workshop - http://volleyballworkshop.com
Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB
29 min
September 07From Knowing Nothing About Volleyball to Building a Coaching Career — Lessons Every Coach Should Hear
In this episode, I share my journey from knowing very little about volleyball to building a career coaching at the high school, club, and college as well as eventually working alongside some of the best coaches and athletes in the game.
Along the way, I share some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about becoming a better coach and building a successful volleyball program.
In this episode, we discuss:
How I went from basketball player to volleyball coach
The biggest mistakes I made early in my coaching career
Why finding a mentor can accelerate your development
The importance of having a plan for your volleyball program
Why coaches need to be lifelong learners
Building culture, identity, and systems within a program
What I learned from working with elite coaches
Why player development should go beyond simply teaching positions
How to build a championship-level volleyball program
Why coaching education is so important for the future of volleyball
If you're interested in growing as a volleyball coach, I'd love to have you in my community - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com
Click here for my workshop - http://volleyballworkshop.com
Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB
1 hr 8 min
August 31How Elite Volleyball Teams Build Culture, Systems & Winning Habits With National Team Player Daenan Gyimah
In this episode, I share part of a presentation from Canadian National Team and professional volleyball player Daenan Gyimah, as he gives coaches an inside look at what happens at the highest levels of the game.
We discuss:
Building strong team pillars and mental performance
Helping athletes reset and “snap back” after mistakes
Developing leadership and accountability within your team
Creating stronger team culture and chemistry
Why elite teams need clear systems and expectations
How high-performance teams structure their practices
What makes teams like Japan so effective
Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com
Click here to join my free workshop - http://volleyballworkshop.com
Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB
24 min
August 24Team Canada: What I learned From A Week Inside The Senior Men's National Team
This past week I had the privilege spending a week training with the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team and came away with a ton of lessons that coaches at any level can apply to their own gym.
In this episode, I share:
How the head coach planned each practice around player availability, injuries, load management, and practice goals
How they designed drills to maximize volume, efficiency, and game-like reps
Specific training ideas for serve receive, middle attacks, blocking, and 6-on-6
How they used competition and scoring systems to increase intensity
How technology and a serving machine were used to replicate game speed
The importance of players being prepared and warmed up well before practice
What stood out most about the mindset and competitiveness of the players
Practical lessons you can take from Team Canada and apply in your own gym immediately
Click Here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com
Join my workshop at http://volleyballworkshop.com
Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB
36 min
August 17 Two Simple Tools To Build More Resilient Athletes With Mental Skills Coach Paige Tonz
In this episode, you will hear from mental skills coach Paige Tonz as she shares two practical mental-performance tools from her presentation at DVA LIVE 2026.
First, Paige breaks down the pre-serve routine—a simple way to add a mental component to an athlete’s existing physical routine so they can manage pressure, reduce overthinking, and step into each serve with greater confidence.
Then, she introduces the Bounce Back Tracker, a simple way for coaches to stop focusing only on mistakes and start measuring resilience. Instead of asking how often an athlete makes an error, coaches can track how quickly they respond and get back on track.
Two simple tools that can help athletes become more confident, composed, and resilient under pressure.
You can watch this training and all the other trainings at DVA LIVE 2026 by clicking here - http://volleyballworkshop.com/dvalive2026
Join Digital Volleyball Academy by clicking here - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com
Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB
17 min
August 10The Art of Drill Design with Canadian Senior Men's National Team Coach Dan Lewis
In this episode, I share a part of a live training that Dan did with our coaches about drill design. You can see what his thought process is and how efficient his drill designs are based on fundamental principles. He dives into:
RTG
How to incorporate training the mechanics
Phases of the game and how to train them
The importance of inputing the ball
And a few more key concepts
Click here to purchase DVA LIVE 2026 - http://volleyballworkshop.com/dvalive2026
Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com
Reach out via instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB
28 min
August 03 Use these Volleyball Games At Your Next Practice
In this episode, I share some of my favourite volleyball games I've picked up while coaching with Nike Volleyball. These games keep players engaged, create healthy competition, and still reinforce important volleyball skills but more importantly, they're fun.
If you're looking for fresh ideas to bring energy into your gym, this episode is packed with games you can start using at your very next practice.

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com
Click here to join my workshop - www.volleyballworkshop.com/dvalive
Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB
25 min

About The Volleyball By Design Podcast

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The Volleyball By Design podcast gives coaches simple, actionable, step by step strategies so you can get clarity in your coaching and apply what you learn right away.