Do You Want Me to Answer that as Your Mom or as Your Coach?

My mother had a running question for me during the nine years that she was my coach. Whenever I would say something to her she would ask ‘Do you want me to answer that as your mom or as your coach?’ The decision was not always easy. When I was upset about a teammate I would normally ask for my Mom but when it was a controversial topic I would always ask for her to be my coach. It was nice of her to offer the distinction for me.

Fast Twitch Not Slow Twitch

Do you want to know my biggest pet peeve in volleyball? Coaches’ who want their players running long distances. Want to know why? It doesn’t relate to volleyball. You can argue it increases your endurance but in all honesty it is more damaging to your training then it is helpful. There is a tradition with Olympic athletes where they run to train but it is outdated. We’ve done the research and there are plenty of exercises that are a better use of time and will benefit your body as a volleyball player.

"L" Cone Drill

This is a drill that I learned from one of my favorite trainers. It emphasizes several different motions as well as quick changes in directions. I call it the L-drill simply because I don’t have another name for it. It’s a drill that uses cones and I have a lot of those drills stashed away in the back of my mind.

The reason it’s called the L drill is because the cones appear in an L shape, or a right triangle. The cones are about six feet apart, a little over one body length. The L can also be in reverse but I’ll talk about that a bit more later. If you decide to do this drill on grass you want to make sure there are no hazards like holes or sprinkler heads. You also want to make sure that the grass is dry so that you won’t slip. One thing you’ll notice in my drill is that I use filled water bottles with a wide base instead of cones. I personally don’t own cones but water bottles work just as well as long as they aren’t top heavy.

My Argument Against Team Shoes

When I was sixteen I was talking to my club coach, a Rice University men’s volleyball alum, about volleyball shoes. He pointed out that when he was playing in college, the team bought them a new pair of shoes every month because that’s how hard they were on their shoes. Personally, between club, high school, and personal training, I went through two pairs of shoes and four insoles a year between the ages of fourteen and nineteen. I wished my family could afford to change that to four shoes a year and eight insoles but that wasn’t in the cards. The constant jumping and change of direction wears down shoes very quickly and the longer you go in an over worn pair of shoes, the more likely you are to get injured. 

Ingrown Toenails

I bet most of you can guess the inspiration behind this post. I went running for the first time in two weeks  and I ended up waking up the next day to horrid pain and swelling on the corner of my big toe. Let me tell you, I’m not a morning person to begin with and this was not what I wanted to wake up to an hour before my alarm. I suddenly understood what other people had been complaining about when they had an ingrown toenail.

My Brother Planks Better Then You

Planking seems very simple as a concept, simply get on the ground and lift your core off the ground, and then hold. Anyone who has done a proper plank will tell you the holding part is harder than it looks but it is very beneficial. Apart from gaining a strong core, you will also strengthen your back, see better posture, and improve your balance among other things.

Capsaicin for Pain Relief

Capsaicin is a chemical compound found in certain peppers that make them hot. It is the most pungent in a group of chemicals called capsaicinoids. You’ll find it in most chili peppers and in some of the hottest peppers on the face of the Earth. When eaten, it makes you mouth burn, but when used in a topical cream, it can actually reduce your pain.

How to Read a Pool Sheet

When I am a tournament director, the question I hear the most is ‘how do I read this?’ It amazes me how many coaches, players, and parents haven’t been taught how to read a schedule or the results sheet for a tournament. So now, prepare for a rather long post.

How Exercise and Activity Can Reduce Stress, and Avoid and Alleviate the Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety – Aerobic Exercise

In the previous post in this series, we discussed how yoga can benefit not only your physical health but also your psychological health. You can find this post here. This post will focus on how aerobic exercise can benefit your overall health.

(Photo credit freedigitalphotos.net)

3 on 3, No Touch You're Out

 I have to give full credit to Amy Jones for this drill. She created it  when I was about ten,  playing with my best friend who is now a DI volleyball player. She, by the way, was the best at the drill the first time we tried it.

The goal of the drill is simple: be aggressive.

Karl-Anthony Towns Demonstrates Drive Step

Last week we talked baseball talent, this week I’m going to talk about a basketball player, a very young NBA player. Karl-Anthony Towns was signed by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2015 NBA draft at the age of nineteen. Before that he played on the Dominican Republic National team where they missed making it to the 2012 Olympics by one place. He was sixteen at that time. He has also racked up a ton of awards through his time playing.