Michael Gomez joins us for volleyball, sports and life from another perspective. After a 20 year jaunt in the corporate world at Bose and Sony Electronics, Michael shifted his focus. He discovered photography at Sony and spent his free time shooting anyone willing to be photographed. That led him to explore everything from weddings to portraits to family photos. But there’s another dynamic, his volleyball life from high school to college and the pros. BJ met Michael where his volleyball and...

Our “Beach Legends” series continues. In this episode, Adam Johnson joins us to talk about his volleyball journey. We start with a little history. Adam shares how he started playing at the Laguna Beach Volleyball Club and about the value of being a multi-sport athlete. He talks about the AVP grind, missing the sport and playing some 4-man. Then we move on to the synergies between beach and indoor, how he teaches, and where he, and the sport, are headed these days. So, listen in for a great...

More breaking news in this episode. Accomplished player, coach and author of Coach Your Brains Out and host of the podcast of the same name, Billy Allen’s volleyball life is fascinating. An AVP Tour regular since 2004, Billy finds ways to grow the game for himself and those he coaches. And Billy also writes. In addition to his “Coach Your Brains Out” guide, he has authored The Inner Knight about training and competing and other fictional works including his “Blood” trilogy, with the latest...

We’ve had a few “breaking news” items with a few of our recent guests. In our session today, we talk with Deitre Collins-Parker. From last person chosen for her high school team, to college standout, to Olympian, to a college and club coaching career, and now…well, you’ll need to listen to hear about her move to the Pro Volleyball Federation. Enjoy!

This is an extra treat for the holidays at a different hour for us. John Kessel joined us to talk all things volleyball and his latest labor of love, Puma Hills Mountain Retreat. You’ll be interested in all the work that John does and he has a request for us all to find ways to grow the game in our own way. We worked out the logistics to get John with us and had a great conversation with Cody’s dad. 

Nick Toth, Assistant Coach at Kings High School joins us to talk about their championship run and his coaching journey. We learn about how to keep the coaching fire burning and how coaches learn from each other and support their teams. There's a lot more to Nick's journey, so check out our conversation.

Dan Mickle, head women’s coach at York College (DIII) and lead coach of the USA Volleyball ParaBeach program joins us to talk about tryouts. Dan’s experience in performance psychology and mental skills training gives him a unique perspective. We talk about some of the challenges of tryouts at college, high school and club levels. What opportunities are we missing when we cut an athlete? How might we help them with ongoing roles in the support of the sport? How can better communication make...

Coach Craig Friedrichsen joins us for a second visit. Last time we talked about competition with and among our least experienced players. Craig shares a revelation from his recent work helping his U10 players hit the ball harder. We also cover some of his learning from other podcasts and videos and his recent addition of journaling for his team. Maybe we will spark some new thinking for you. Have a listen.

Beth Van Fleet joins us this week. Beth is the head coach of the Georgia State University “Sandy Panthers” who completed a successful 2023 campaign with their second consecutive NCAA National Championship appearance. She currently serves as the Chair of the AVCA All-America Committee and as the beach representative on the AVCA Board of Directors. Beth is an accomplished beach and indoor player, having earned Bronze and Silver medals on the NORCECA Beach Volleyball circuit. We talk about...

Today, we are talking with Connor Swigart. Connor talks with us about his motivations to start coaching. His Liberty Hurricanes High School Girls are a high performing program in Eastern Pennsylvania. Connor talks ecological dynamics and his curiosity about learning more about this approach to coaching. We talk about expanding range, error amplification and how we might play with constraints and how to help players improve their ability to score.

In this episode, Lauren Haight joins us to talk high school and club volleyball in lovely Michigan and beyond. The conversation covered developing a volleyball IQ camp for kids, how we might build trust with players and parents, how coaches behave and more. Have a listen.

In this conversation, Jay Hosack of George Mason joins us shortly after hosting the NCAA Men’s Championships. BJ has worked with Jay in USAV CAP programs and knows he’s an expert at getting his players to achieve their best. We’ll talk about that and other topics, so have a listen. 

We’ve been away from the podcast for a while and I’m catching up with converting our live streams to podcasts. This episode features BJ and me talking about high school programs. BJ had accepted a new head coaching and I was at the beginning of our boys’ playoffs here in Arizona. We talk about our programs, goals, sportsmanship and more. 

This week we catch up with Dr. Cecile Reynaud. Cecile has had quite a coaching journey. Starting right out of college, she led the Florida State Seminoles for 26 seasons notching 635 victories in that time. Cecile has been heavily involved in coaching education with USA Volleyball and has influenced many coaches around the world. But we’ve buried the lead here. Cecile has recently come out of retirement. As Vice President of Volleyball Operations, she is helping launch the Pro Volleyball...

Rod Wilde of Wilde4Volleyball.com joins us from Madison, Wisconsin this week. After our episode with Tom Sorensen, Rod and BJ connected for our second Pepperdine guest in a row. Rod has a long history in the sport. He was a member of the Waves’ NCAA Championship team and 8 years later won the title again as coach of the Waves. He was the first rookie coach to win an NCAA title after taking over from legend Marv Dunphy. We’ll talk with Rod about those times and other stories, including working...

This week we talk with former Olympian and current club coach Tom Sorensen. BJ and Tom share their Wisconsin roots and talk about Tom’s experiences, from high school to Pepperdine to the National team. We discuss coaching lessons from Marv Dunphy, John Wooden and Tom himself. You’ll be taping an X on your floor this week after listening to this one. Join us for a fun conversation.

After a week off, BJ and I give you a distraction from the constant Super Bowl fare. BJ is scanning the VCT (Volleyball Coaches and Trainers) Facebook topics of the week for some discussion. If you were active this week and want to hear us chat about your topic, stop by. Better yet, join in the chat with your ideas.    00:00:00 Introduction  00:03:52 Turkey Tragedy  00:08:55 History of the Game  00:20:15 Players' Emotions  00:36:20 What coaches do to make players nervous  ...

Our guest this week is Karen Jarvis from Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. Karen has coached both boys and girls in age groups from 12 to 18 in a community environment. We’ll talk about that in the session. Join us to learn about teaching kids about life with ball.

This week we have Diane Williams as our guest. Diane brings a different point of view. As a sports journalist, her journey through that craft and its intersection with basketball and volleyball generates interesting stories and encounters. Diane shares tales of a young female journalist in the 70’s and 80’s and how intertwined her path was and is with many influential volleyball players and coaches. Settle in for a great hour of storytelling.

Tim Toy joins us to talk about a journey through adversity that has led to a life of giving through the We Serve First Foundation. We talk about the gifts his late wife Ellen brought to him, the game and her athletes and the legacy left behind through the foundation. Join us, learn more and consider what it means to you.

Do you coach younger or beginner players? Are you new to coaching altogether? Jen Schutte joins us to talk about her journey and insights about coaching young players. We’ll discuss how she makes the game fun and productive for her young athletes. I know I’m stealing a few ideas from our session for my team. If you are an experienced coach or a parent, aunt, uncle or friend new to coaching, there is a lot to learn about helping grow the sport with these young athletes.

In this episode, we talk with Jim Keane and Dan Mickle about the Big Club experience. We recorded this as Girls’ Tryouts were in progress in much of the country and coaches, players and parents were stressing about their upcoming seasons. Let’s hear what they’ve experienced.

Mike Murphy, Head Coach of Prentice High School joins us to talk about how to deal with player injuries during a highly competitive season. We talk about other times when plans change and teams innovate. Have a listen.

Toby Manzanares, Head Coach at Rio Rancho High in Albuquerque, New Mexico joins BJ and me to talk about high school programs. Toby recently won his 500th career match. He will be honored on 12/16/22 at the AVCA Convention in Omaha. Toby has a lot to share, so join us for a great conversation.