The Volleyball By Design Podcast

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...

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...

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 performanceHelping athletes reset and “snap back” after mistakesDeveloping leadership and accountability within your teamCreating...

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 goalsHow they designed drills to maximize volume, efficiency, and...

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...

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:RTGHow 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...

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...

What if your offense could consistently create 1 on 0's without relying on predetermined play calls?In this episode, I break down the Motion Offense, an advanced offensive system that has been used successfully for over 15 years at the collegiate level. Rather than relying on called plays, this system teaches players to read, react, and create offensive advantages based on pass location, spacing,...

I recently joined another volleyball podcast called the Win By Two podcast for one of my favorite coaching conversations I've had in a long time. We dive into building championship culture, developing players, creating standards of excellence, why mentorship matters, and the biggest mistakes youth coaches make. If you're serious about becoming a better coach, this episode is for you. We dive...

On this episode, we have former Ukrainian National Team libero Pylyp Harmash joins the podcast to break down what separates great passers and defenders from everyone else.In this conversation, we dive into the modern techniques being taught at the highest levels of volleyball, why passing should be coached differently than serving, and how movement—not platform—is often the missing piece for most...