The Volleyball By Design Podcast

Every coach eventually faces it: a player who’s talented, maybe even your best, but is quietly dragging the whole team down. In this episode, I share the story of cutting my best player at Seneca, the step-by-step process I use when a player’s behaviour starts damaging team culture, and what to do when cutting isn’t an option. We dive into:Why one player can derail a volleyball team faster than...

In this episode, we go back into the vault. In 2021, I sat down with John Speraw, former head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team and UCLA, and now President and CEO of USA Volleyball. Recorded around the Tokyo Olympics, this conversation is packed with lessons from one of the best minds in the game that hold up just as well today.In this episode:Behind the scenes of the Tokyo OlympicsHow John...

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 itWhy showing up is the floor, not the ceilingThe ladder every athlete has to climbHow Daenan went from club to one of...

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...

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...

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...