progression_volleyball

Dear Cut Athletes: You Have Options

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 21:26:16 GMT

In 2013, I won the Midwest Beach Championships. 12 years before that, I was cut for the 2nd time from a high school sport - and it was crucial for my growth as an athlete.

Coach Bryan (right) and Joe Baker after winning the Midwest Beach Volleyball Championships.

To the cut athlete:

I will not sugar-coat it: Getting cut sucks.

I felt that pain not once, but twice in high school. My dad had warned me in 6th grade that "If I didn't work harder, I'd be lucky to make my high school team." That hurt, but to his credit, he wasn't wrong.

The first time, it was easy to make excuses: I had just finished football season and hadn't touch a basketball leading up to tryouts. I was rusty.

But the second time? I worked my ass off between those tryouts. I actually had a pretty good tryout, to the point where players on the team that were not friends went out of their way to tell me as much after the rosters had been finalized.

It was a terrible feeling - as bad as any I've experienced as an athlete. Because to this day, I'll always have to wonder what I could have done in basketball had I heeded my dad's advice and put more time and effort into my craft before those tryouts.

At the same time, I think it was one of the best things to happen to me. Because at the same time, I started to fall in love with volleyball. And that experience put me in a position to make a pact with myself: If I was going to pursue another sport, I would never look myself in the mirror again and know I didn't do enough.

My work ethic in volleyball stemmed from that experience. And that's what I want to talk with you about.

Before we get into the work, I want you to know: You are enough EXACTLY as you are today. You are so much more than a volleyball player. Every athlete I coach is unique in what their passions are, how they prefer to spend their time, and what their individual goals are. Contrary to what some circles will tell you, you are not defined by how well you hit a leather ball over a net, or how good you are at keeping it from hitting the ground.

And that being said, I want you to know: You have choices here. And the only one that can tell you what the best choice is for what YOU want is you. And I hope the below helps you as you figure out what to do next.

There are two roads to choose from every time we fall short on the court. The first is "I'm not satisfied with the results. I'm not finished with my journey. It's time to play catch-up with my peers, and to do that I'm going to have to out-work them". The second is "I would like to have won the game/made the team/been named a starter, but looking at the full spectrum of everything else I'm doing, it is not worth the sacrifices needed to continue."

Again - you are valid/enough even if you choose not to go after it. You are more than a volleyball athlete. I have coached players that have stayed in the sport recreationally and have gone on to achieve incredible things off the court. Some of the most amazing people I've coached objectively were some of my 'weakest' players - and they were only lacking in skill because they were achieving so much beyond volleyball.

And if you choose that first option? Here are things I did on my way up that ultimately forced groups to allow me to play with them.

*A lot of individual touches. Do you have a yard and a ball? An outdoor beach court by your house? Pass to yourself. Set to yourself. Hit the ball against a wall that won't get you in trouble. Build your fundamentals/touch to the ball. In 2010, I spent an hour a day five times a week by myself hitting shots on an empty court. By the end of the summer, I was a completely different player.

*Open gyms. There is so much value to just playing the game, and it's a low-cost way to get a lot of repetition. I would also get to open gyms 30 minutes early (if they allow) so I could get a good warm-up, practice jump-serving, and if someone else was early we could do setting/hitting or serve/pass together.

*Off-the-court athletic development. Are you eating clean? Are you sleeping enough? Are you working out/stretching? Resting and rehabbing appropriately? Every day, you're either catching up or falling behind. Anyone that's playing club but aren't taking care of themselves outside of that programming is going to get surpassed by those that do.

Our program has had over 30 athletes go on to play in college. They all were very unique people, but one thing they all had in common was they committed themselves to the work day-in and day-out .

*Sacrifice. When I was working my way up, I was at open gym every Friday night while my friends went out. I ate clean while my friends enjoyed food that I would have preferred to eat. My friends watched shows, I would break down game film. If you want to be great, and you are not a genetic outlier, there are no short-cuts/compromises: You have to sacrifice, because if you aren't doing that, your peers will continue to catch and surpass you.

*Self-awareness. I'm going to break this into two parts:

1) Are you honest with yourself on your biggest areas of improvement? Can you accurately assess if your biggest challenges are fundamentals, physicality, mental toughness, Volleyball IQ? Are you training in a manner that is addressing your biggest weaknesses?

2) Are you actually getting the guidance you need from your respective programs? We've had athletes come to us with 5+ years of travel ball experience, and yet within the first month, we're telling them basic education that they had never been given before.

There is a huge shortage of technically-trained coaches at the youth sports level right now. It is not enough to "Play Club". You need mentors that are able to provide clear feedback on what you need to improve at, as well as put you in situations where you're able to put in the work in those areas.

It is important to find an environment where a coach is there to show you what you can be, not be destructively critical of what you're not. You need a coach that won't give you a lesser education because you're not at the same level as some of your peers. You are capable of growth, you deserve nothing less than a coach's best. Choose your coaches wisely.

To conclude: If you want this, now is not the time to be discouraged: Now is the time to be determined. The universe is telling you there's work to be done: Figure out the biggest areas of improvement, and be relentless in your pursuit to work on those areas.

As a former undersized athlete that eventually had a great collegiate/adult career, I want you to know: I truly believe you can accomplish what you're willing to work for.

I leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Randy Pausch: "Brick Walls Are There For A Reason: To Prove How Badly You Want Things."

So: How badly do you want this? Answer honestly, act accordingly.

Keep your head up. Be true to yourself, work hard for whatever is most important to you, things will get better.

I believe in you, I wish you luck in whatever you decide to do.

Coaching People vs. Players

Tue, 20 May 2025 17:35:03 GMT

You could say I'm a volleyball coach and you'd be right. But I think what we do is so much more than teaching kids how to hit a leather ball over a net, or how to prevent it from touching the ground. To me, volleyball is simply the platform.

I work with young people who are trying to figure out where their place is in the world. I work with people who have passions for things where their talents are not natural. I work with people who have experienced a lot of trauma at a time where the path forward is not always clear.

I am lucky to be able to help guide many of these people through athletics. I empathized with my best teachers as they gave their best efforts to people who went out of their way to not give theirs. And in their defense, many of those kids attended those classes out of obligation. I chose sports because I wanted to have that impact those teachers had on me, but I also wanted to do it in areas where kids chose to be there.

I have worked with some of the best athletes in my area. I have worked with athletes that have wanted to play at the collegiate/professional level. I have worked with athletes who loved the sport, but wanted it to be secondary to other areas of their lives.
I have worked with athletes who simply loved playing games, and wanted an environment where they can improve their skills and have fun. I have worked with kids who are brand new to sports, are terrified of failure, and just need a space to learn how to move forward when they aren't where they want to be.

I felt a large part of my success with my athletes comes from adapting my coaching to what each athlete needed. But I don't think that's commonplace in youth sports today, and I think it's something we need to talk about more.

I am a part of some pretty large coaching groups, and I see incredibly detailed articles and debates about things like proper mechanics, drill-to-play ratio, statistics, and more.

But when it comes to connecting to individuals and how they want to prioritize volleyball in their lives, I think there's room for a lot more discussion.

A group of 12 year olds were really struggling in a passing drill. I'm not talking about bad passing, I'm talking cannot move their feet to get to the ball to even perform a bad pass. All I asked them to do was to try to make the play with no worries about the results, but it was clear it wasn't happening.

So we sat in the sand and talked about it. When I asked them about what was holding them back, one spoke up:

"You know Coach, I hear everything you're saying. But everywhere else I've played when I made mistakes, I was yelled at or punished - and the hard part was I was never told how to do it better."

Think that type of coaching could make a kid "uncoachable?"

Another practice, a kid who's usually a rockstar struggled with basic mechanics. Usually they are receptive to feedback, that day it was not happening. My knee-jerk internal reaction was to judge, but at the water break I pulled them to the side and asked if they were OK.

And then the waterworks. Their friend had taken their life a couple days ago. They were processing that, as well as that they felt the school was more interested on covering it up instead of providing counsel to the kids. They mentioned how they had their own mental health issues and how this was affecting them.

I can't imagine what they were feeling as they began practice. I was very close to missing my opportunity to connect with my athlete. At that moment, it was clear how important executing a good bump set wasn't . I asked if they wanted to continue to practice, they said yes. And the focus that day became about letting loose and having fun (and ironically, their technique seemed to get better immediately). They texted me when they got home, I continued to check in, and things seemed to improve from there.

What would have happened if I yelled at them, punished them, put them on the sideline?

Are there other kids carrying burdens I'm missing? As a whole, are we connecting with our kids beyond their ability to play a sport?

Individual incidents aside, I think we're missing a big issue that's becoming more and more commonplace in youth sports. Everything is so specialized when it comes to training and competing, but the program-player connection seems anything but that.

One of the things that shifting to beach vs. indoor allowed me to accomplish was offering high-level development while giving kids a little more flexibility. Because for those that want to play in college, yes, they may need a practice regimen that runs year-round (that doesn't mean playing 12 months of the year - it means recovering when you need to recover, it means lifting when you should be lifting, it means doing the things that will ultimately help a player reach their peak potential).

But I have athletes that excel in other sports. I have athletes that play instruments really well, or are part of theatre/musicals. I have one athlete that participates in Model UN, I have others that do mission trips.

My athletes are so much more than volleyball players. And it breaks my heart to see some of my hardest-working athletes feel stressed because they are well-rounded, but everything outside of our program makes them feel "If you aren't dedicating every moment to this sport, you don't want it bad enough/you're not doing enough." It concerns me when some of my high-performing kids are functioning on minimal sleep, already depending on caffeine, and dealing with overuse injuries from years of non-stop schedules that even pro athletes don't subscribe to.

Do we not remember what our summers were like one generation ago? Nowadays it's nationals, tryouts, high school camp, summer league, beach training, college camps, and more. Summer break used to meant they take a break - now summer break could refer to July when 4-6 of my kids inevitably get injured because everyone is putting pressure on them/they're overdoing it. Don't do the high school programming? Risk getting cut. Don't do the club tryouts? We may not have a spot for you in November (which deserves its own post, because in our region July tryouts don't hold a spot as much as hold the families hostage if they don't like what their situation is come club season).

Our kids deserve better. It should be so much more balanced. I am grateful to be able to sit with my athletes, ask them "What do you want volleyball to be in your life?", learn about all the things that make them who they are, and based on THEIR personalities, we make a plan of attack that makes sense to them.

In July, athletes will be evaluated on how tall they are, how fast they move, and their ability to perform the skills. Often, they won't be asked about what they want to accomplish with volleyball, what they do outside of the sport, and if the program is a good fit for everything that makes them who they are.

To coaches, I ask you to consider the full spectrum of your athletes when recruiting them to your program. To parents, I ask you to protect your kids from environments that provide for them solely on how they can contribute to a team's success. To players, I hope you take time to reflect and ask yourselves what YOU want, and have the courage to leave environments that are not aligned/compatible with those goals.

Club Parents: Before You Sign That Contract!

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 22:33:38 GMT

Let me tell you a story from my 20-year high school reunion - I promise it's relevant, I'll get right to the reason why as soon as I finish.

I ran into a female classmate that I hadn't seen since we left. We had spent 12 years of schooling together, and she was the athlete of my class. She was good at every sport she played, was a hard worker, and incredibly nice to everyone on top of that. If you asked her, she would have told you I was more mathlete than athlete. 5'5", 95 pounds, size 12 shoe going into high school. People looked at me to help them with their upcoming quiz, not as a strong teammate on the field or court.

Something we didn't realize was we had the same teacher as our coach at high school - they coached her in basketball and me in volleyball. And that night, we shared all the horror stories of how he treated us - the name-calling, bullying, destroying of our confidence even though years later we realized he had no background in either sport and had no validation in the things he made us feel about ourselves. Both of us walked away from youth sports feeling pretty down about ourselves.

18 months after graduating high school, and I got lucky enough to have volleyball come back into my life, along with a mentor that began to show me what I could be vs. what I wasn't. That translated into a collegiate playing career, coaching career, semi-pro beach career, with a peak of winning the Midwest Beach Championships 10 years after thinking I'd never play again. It's taken me to 39 states and twice across international lines. It introduced me to my soulmate and many of the people that will populate our wedding one day.

And I almost missed out on all of it because I had a coach that didn't know what I needed.

Sadly, I learned that the coach destroyed Erin's love for the game and she never played again. And she regained her confidence, is happily married with a beautiful family, and she's still a badass athlete, so she's doing OK. But I can't help but wonder how many youth sports athletes leave their sport feeling worse about who they are because of coaches like ours?

I'm not telling you every coach is as toxic as ours. I am telling you the only requirement to be a club coach nowadays is to take a 3-hour certification that is mostly about liability. I'm telling you many programs will not be able to tell you who your coach will be not because they're "still figuring out who's coaching who", but because they're taking more checks than they have coaches. You'll see many of the programs that have been promoting their tryouts since May begin to talk about how they're looking for coaches in September-November.

And to me, that is incredibly backwards - especially given what they're demanding you commit before high school tryouts take place.

I know there are not many programs that can guarantee you what you're signing. I do believe most programs will take those same kids in November, and I believe if they don't, then you probably dodged a bullet, and that bullet comes in the form of a poor developmental experience.

Youth sports is a 37 billion dollar a year and rising industry. Parents - you are not the customer, you are the product. And I say that simply because I see how many of you are sacrificing so much time and money, and how much of your kid's childhood is being spent in these gyms, and I believe if you're paying a premium price, you deserve a premium service. And so many of you are getting an experience much lesser than what's being advertised.

If a program expects you to sign/do a down payment in July, they should be able to commit the quality of coach you'll receive. You should be able at minimum to narrow it down to 2-3 coaches, and they should be able to give you an overview of their background (Frankly, I think programs should be trying out for families vs. the other way around. In our program, families experience a one-time practice, parents watch, and if they like the quality of instruction, they're welcome to join our program. One of the many perks to beach doubles/not needing specific positional players).

Too often we look at the success of the top teams of programs when discussing what makes a program "elite". Respectfully, I think that speaks more to a program's marketing/recruitment than their quality of instruction. An elite program is one that gives a similar opportunity for growth for their non 1's teams. I think of Strive in Maryland (A non-profit that has 3 coaches for each team! Special shout-out to Jenn and John), Gaston Galaxy in NC, Iowa Select in Iowa, The Edge and Aggression in Illinois, just to name a few. Tournaments shouldn't be the bar, but the measuring stick - and the focus shouldn't just be on fielding the best teams, it should be about developing the kids we have.

Too many kids are leaving club with over-trained bodies, burnt out minds, and insecurity about their skills. This is your moment to demand more. Once that contract is signed/check clears, there's no turning back, so choose wisely!

To conclude, I wish you luck this weekend as you look for a program. I hope you demand the same amount of commitment from your program that they're asking of you. I hope you have faith in the idea that you will not fall behind if you do not accept a contract in July because you cannot get transparency on what that contract provides. And I hope you settle for nothing less than a program that coaches for your kids, vs. your kids playing for them.

There are always ways to stay in the sport outside the norm - sometimes, the best lesson youth sports teaches in 2024 is to take the road less traveled if the common path is not giving you the same opportunity as the peers you're trying to catch.

Progression Volleyball runs 10-week sessions throughout the year / offers "Try-Us-Outs" for families that would like to evaluate our staff before making a commitment. We work with 11 and up athletes of all ages and levels. For those in the Chicagoland area, Fall Information can be found here and Winter Information can be found here .

A Letter To Our College Athletes

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 08:36:48 GMT

To Amanda, Bella, Bri, Crystal, Ella, Halle, Jess, Kyla, Nicolette, Phoenix, Kyla, and Sarah,

A quick story: Tuesday afternoon I found myself watching the Nebraska Beach Volleyball practice next to Jordan Larson. The girls had just finished some warm-up drills and Coach Reyes put them on three courts to scrimmage in preparation of their season opener that took place Thursday. The wind was causing chaos, but the girls were working hard, laughing and having a good time along the way.

"Oh to be young again." Coach Larson said as she watched them scramble around their respective courts.

Here's arguably one of the most successful athletes in the history of our sport. She's a 3-time Olympic medalist, including winning gold in 2020 while being named Most Valuable Player / Best Outside Hitter. She's literally lived countless athlete's childhood dream. And she's watching these girls flail around the sand and she's jealous of them .

Has there ever been a better case for the quote "It's not the destination, it's the journey" by Ralph Waldo Emerson?

By the end of the weekend, all thirteen of you will have completed your season opener for your college beach seasons. Some of you may win, some may lose, some may not get the opportunity they were hoping for.

I remember many of you as high school kids, hopeful to one day have this very opportunity, but nervous/uncertain about what doors would open for you.

You kept working. One day at a time. Thousands of reps. Social life sacrifices. Homework in the car to and from practice. That version of you would be so proud to see the young women you've all become. You've all come so far from where we've started - and you're truly just getting started, both as players and people.

I hope that you find the lessons from the adversity. It's no different than it was as we trained. When we lose points, our opponents are giving us the opportunity to figure out how we need to adapt. When our teammates struggle, these are the moments that high fives and belief from peers carry more meaning. If we aren't in the role we want, I hope you have the courage to talk to your coach to ask about what you need to work on to earn the opportunity - and then I hope you do it.

But my hope for you, above all else, is that you find the gratitude in the opportunity to be a part of it all. And I hope you can be present, and find the joys that come from being a college athlete. It'll go by faster than you think.

I remember not always getting along with my college squad. None of those issues stick with me nowadays. I remember the good times. I miss the good times. And while I haven't yet hit 40, I've already lost my coach (who was only 29 at the time) and two of my teammates.

As you get older, you start to realize where the real wins and losses lie.

I hope you compete with everything you have, because you've earned the opportunity to be the best you can be this weekend - even if that's not your actual best. I hope you give yourself grace for the mistakes, because it's important to remember your 2021 gold medalist April Ross lost 46% of her plays the year she won the gold medal (I bet you thought you'd heard me say that for the last time, you'd be wrong!).

Win or lose, I am so grateful that I've had a chance to part of your journey - whether we just met this winter or you've been in our sand for years. I see the very best in all of you. Your results will never change that. And I hope when you look in the mirror, you see the same thing I do.

You deserve nothing less.

I wish you all luck this weekend, I and the other coaches are rooting for you. We are always a message away if you need anything.

Your Coach and Fan,

Bryan

Tryouts That Prioritize The Athlete

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 05:18:59 GMT

While top players are notified of their coach and teammates, newer athletes are expected to cut a check / sign a contract in July - only to wait until November/December to know what they paid for. We feel those athletes deserve better.

When club tryouts moved from November to July, there were some pretty immediate repercussions. Every year since they've swapped to summer tryouts, I've gotten messages between Thanksgiving and Christmas from parents. They all come from various programs, but the story is always similar.

"When we tried out in the summer they sold a lot of good things to us. But now that season has started <we don't have a coach that knows how to teach the athletes> <our team is a mix of kids that doesn't really make sense> <I'm being put in a position that differs from the one I signed up to play>. We don't want to stay, but they won't give our deposit back if we walk away.

That is so unethical in our opinion. At Progression we strive to be transparent and provide equal opportunities to all our athletes. With that in mind, we'd love to give a brief breakdown of our Try-Us-Outs .

We will offer 4's for 11-14U (We believe 4's is a great way to teach young kids all the fundamentals - no more middles never getting to pass or backrow players never learning how to attack. We want our kids to have an all-around skill-set once they get to high school so they can be more versatile/have a better chance of making their teams) and 2's for 15-18U. We will accept the first 24 11-14U and 32 15-18U athletes that want to join. Our tryouts will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8pm starting 7/18. But here's the twist: You aren't trying out for us. We're trying out for you.

We will run a 2-hour introductory practice for the athletes, and parents are welcome to stay and watch to see what they're paying for. Sessions will be ran by the same coaches your players will work with during camp. Immediately following play we will conduct an optional Q&A session to address any questions parents may have about our program/beach in general.

The stigma of "you have to play club to play in college" is outdated. Clubs have continued to get bigger and bigger while we haven't adjusted the coaching education to meet the demand. How are rawer athletes supposed to catch the peers ahead of them if they're getting a lesser education? Focus has become more about bids and travel tournaments than the development that actually helps athletes become the best version of themselves of which they're capable. That's why we've created a system that ensures every athlete gets the 1's team treatment. All our coaches work with all our players. So whether you're a college-bound athlete or a player brand new to the sand, you're given the same mentors, learn the same systems, and are provided the same opportunity for growth.

Don't take our word for it - click here to sign up and let us show you.

July has become a very stressful time for parents and players as they're rushed to decide what to do next season weeks after the previous one concluded. Are you a parent or player that is struggling to navigate your youth sports journey? Contact us with your question/situation and we'll do our best to address as many topics as possible!

The Role Of Youth Sports In Teenage Depression

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 15:38:55 GMT

Youth sports is supposed to help young athletes build confidence in themselves. But as focus shifts from outcome to income, is it doing the opposite?

TW: Suicide, Depression

My father was the head coach of my 5th-8th grade basketball team. While I would adopt a lot of my coaching philosophy from people like John Wooden, Lou Holtz, Karch Kiraly and others, a lot of my foundation as a coach came from those four years playing under my dad.

He let the team decide if the focus would be on winning or playing time (while making sure everyone would play at least a quarter no matter what). There was a big disparity in talent between the starters and non-starters, but he made sure everyone was respected regardless of their role. He challenged us to be our best while never making us feel like wins or losses defined us.

I remember having a conversation with my dad as I began my coaching career. He said something that has stuck with me ever since:

"You guys won a lot, but that wasn't the point. For most kids, youth sports is where they first experience failure. Teaching them how to work through that will ultimately help them in their relationships, education, and career."

25 years later, youth sports looks a lot different than it did back then. Youth sports is booming financially , but at what cost? A recent study shows teenage depressed doubled from 2010 to 2019 - and that was before the pandemic.

Social media certainly has its role. Looking at the current state of youth sports, I cannot help but wonder if it's doing more harm than good.

The Good Bad and Ugly of Youth Sports

Nothing prepares you for when a parent calls you to tell you their child tried to take their own life. The pause felt like an eternity before they told me they didn't succeed - and then they asked me to go visit their child that evening in the ward.

I didn't know what to expect when I walked in. When I walked into the community room they were in, their back was to me. When I tapped them on the shoulder, they bounded out of the chair and jumped into my arms. We ended up talking for about 90 minutes that night about a variety of topics, from volleyball, to the challenges of being a teenager in general, to specific things to their situation.

I remember the first time a player told me about their own suicidal attempts years after I had coached them. I had no idea the burden they had carried - on the outside they were a beacon of joy towards myself and everyone on their team, and I would have thought that was one person who didn't battle depression.

Those players' stories have had positive outcomes - but it doesn't always work that way. One of my former athletes did take their own life. They were an All-American whose smile is burned into my mind to this day.

It just goes to show you never know what someone's going through. But looking at the above study, it's safe to say that many kids could use a self-esteem boost.

I've never lost sight of the absurdity that my life is spent teaching people how to hit a ball over the net - or prevent it from hitting the ground on their side. But helping athletes see the best in themselves is the real reason I coach. I've always felt it was important that while I want to push my kids to be the best they could be, I would never resort to methods that would make them feel like they were lesser when they fell short of goals.

Parents: If your child had a mental health episode, would their youth sports coach be an ally? Or would they be the cause?

A few years ago, I had a 12 year old that was super sweet and very talented, but there were moments working on skills where would just freeze on the court. The rest of the kids were similar, so we sat in the sand to talk about it. I mentioned how we had been making mistakes, but there was no consequences. We were there to learn how to be successful, not to just immediately do the skills right. All I was asking was for them to give their best effort - so what held them back from that effort?

They raised their hand and said "Coach, I hear what you're saying. But everyone else I play, when I make a mistake, I get yelled at, punished, or put on the sideline. And the worst part is, they don't tell me how to do it right. "

One last story: One of my hardest-working kids was having a rough practice. On the surface, it just seemed like they weren't engaged in the drill. I was nudging them for a better effort, but this day they seemed completely disinterested.

I was confused, so at the water break, I pulled them to the side and asked what was going on. They burst into tears, told me about how their friend took their own life, how they battled depression themselves and how upset they were that their school seemed more interested in sweeping the news under the rug than supporting help to the students.

I immediately shifted my tone/focus for the rest of the practice, they had a better second half of practice, and I checked in on them a few times a day just to see how they were doing. I talked to their father a couple days later and they thanked me for the support.

I think about how many kids go to practice carrying similar burdens. What happens when a coach just chews them out, punishes them, and makes them feel like a failure? Youth sports should be a place kids go to get a recharge from the challenges they face in their lives. But when the environment serves to do the opposite, how much does youth sports contribute to the mental health woes?

Kids watch as the top teams in their organization get the best coaches and a better education, meanwhile they're left to feel like if they aren't viewed as providing value for their team, they don't get the same opportunities for growth.

What is that teaching our kids?

I recently read a book by Brene Brown where she talks about belonging vs. fitting in. I immediately thought about the current landscape of youth sports and felt that would be a good measurement of what makes a youth sports program truly successful. How many kids truly felt a sense of belonging in their programs, and how many were fitting in?

Many kids are forced early to abandon sports they love because to play in high school, they're expected to play travel ball (and in some cases, travel sports won't even let their players participate for their high school). In our region, nationals ended last June and within a week, girls were back in the gym with tryout t-shirts for the next season. Many of them have parents that are forced to cut a check to lock in a spot for the next season, but they will not know their teammates or coach until November/December. In some cases they'll be told the team needs them to play a different position than they signed up for. If they do not like the situation that they're put in, they're left with the choice to lose their down payment (often hundreds and sometimes more) or to stick it out.

From 15-18, if athletes play for their high school and compete in a nationals program for club, they will not get an off-season for four straight years. Aside from the rise in overuse injuries , these kids experience mental burnout. But they don't have a clear alternative if they want to make their high school team and possibly play in college (a carrot that's being dangled to parents by governing bodies, even though roughly 12 out of 13 high school athletes will not play a varsity sport in college .

It doesn't have to be that way - but as long as people in power are looking at youth sports as a financial opportunity instead of a chance to build life skills in children (seriously - click that link and read the report outline. Tell me if anything there strikes me as viewing kids and their families as anything other than consumers), things will continue to be challenging.

How Do We Improve Current Conditions?

The challenge we face is, the power lies with parents' checkbooks. As long as they accept the current conditions, organizations have no incentive to change them. I also think parents are in a tough spot, because many governing bodies and 'expert' articles act as borderline propaganda keeping parents looking at youth sports as a return on investment/scholarship opportunity for college. I believe once the 93% of families that won't make it to the next level start realizing that maybe they need something different than the 'norm', programs will have to accommodate that.

There are programs that are leading the charge for change - but we're having to build our audience from the ground up as our ideologies don't align with the bigger bodies in our industry. Many parents think "things have to be this way", but is it true?

My friend runs a true not-for-profit club on the east coast. They're a smaller organization, but they have 3 coaches per team . Don't believe me? Here's their coaching staff page . Their prices are modest too compared to many clubs. So if an organization can sustain itself when the money truly goes back to the program, why are we accepting of when programs hire high school kids or coaches with no experience?

Our program is beach, but I believe we've created a sweet spot for high-level development, flexibility of scheduling, and equal opportunity for growth from top-to-bottom:

*Four 10-11 week sessions with three one-month pauses allow for athletes to take breaks, play other sports, or invest time into other hobbies. Youth sports should work around your life, not the other way around.
*Cap of 8 kids per court to ensure everyone gets individual attention

*Every group gets the same coaches, same system, and the same opportunity for growth.

*In-house competition to give players game-like experience without having to pay for airfare/hotel/etc. But our college-track athletes do travel for competitive tournaments on their own accord.

I believe many kids do get a good experience from their organizations - and if they have good coaches and teammates they get along with, that's great. But so many athletes "fit in". They know it's not a great situation, but it's what they have to do to keep up with their peers in their minds. Then when the system doesn't serve them, they feel that there's something wrong with them.

This has been a problem I've been trying to address since I started Progression, and given the recent studies, it's as relevant as ever.

Parents, players, coaches: I challenge you to make sure youth sports environments serve to help kids see the best of themselves/avoid contributing to these statistics. Youth sports done wrong can destroy a kid's self-worth. But by setting a higher bar for what a youth sports program should provide for kids, I truly think it can be one of the best tools to build it up.

For anyone that's interested in joining the cause of making youth sports a better place for kid, you can reach Coach Bryan at Bryan@progressionvolleyball.com

Reflections on 38 Years of Life/20 Years of Coaching

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 19:00:18 GMT

Me on what appears to be my 7th birthday. Dreaming then, dreaming now!

Last week I celebrated my 38th birthday. I know a lot of people dread getting older - I always look at it as 'making it' to the new year. Once my college coach passed away 15 years ago at the age of 29, my perspective on aging changed pretty drastically.

A more important milestone this year is this fall will mark my 20th year of coaching. I feel grateful for the opportunity to do what I do for a living. On one hand, it seems silly to have your life revolve around a game where we hit a leather ball over the net. But I've always wanted to inspire others, and I'm lucky to have found a fun way to do it.

37 was a very uncomfortable year - but a lot of growth came from it. I had to completely re-format my program to adapt to the new club tryouts, and while we took it on the chin this summer, I feel we've created something special. I'm grateful to feel like I have the right staff in place to help me bring it on a larger scale to both Chicago and beyond. For a long time I've had to do so much hands-on work in the facility, I feel like I've done a terrible job of marketing/letting people know what we're doing.

So: I'm getting outside my comfort zone here. I'm 'shooting my shot'. I'd like to talk about what I've been doing over the last two decades, where we're going, and if you feel this information may benefit people you know (parents/players/coaches), then I shamelessly ask you to share this. Because after trying to partner with organizations within our sport, I think it's clear that as long as what we're doing is focused on the families and not on the margins, we're going to have to build our audience on our own.

I don't believe I'm the 'best' coach out there. But I think I'm as good as any volleyball coach. And I don't say that from a place of arrogance - coaches are thieves, and a lot of what I do came from learning from people that have been doing this a lot longer than I have. I have been lucky to work with some of the best players and coaches in the world. But this sport's giants are accessible to those that are willing to reach out. I think anyone can do what I do if they're willing to put the time in.

And I've put the time in. I spent my first three years coaching for free learning under Bob Vilsoet at Harper. As far as I know, I'm the only college athlete that was also coaching college at the same time - I was working Lasell's sideline as an assistant in 2008, then months later walked into that same gym representing Newbury and thrashed their men's team, all while their girls cheered for their assistant coach. I remember how frustrated a few of their guys were to see their peers cheering on their opponent.

As I approached graduation, I emailed every Division I coach in the country over the span of 2 weeks looking for GA/Assistant work. I proceeded to take a job at Mercer University in Macon Georgia. It was surreal to go from playing at a school that didn't have a gym to a 5,000 seat arena, a team lounge w/ a projector screen, and a training room that was bigger than our entire workout facility.

I learned a lot about the game in the six years I coached college. I also saw a lot of things I didn't like. I'll detail those things in my book - all I'll say here is I quickly realized helping others get better/caring about who they are as people was why I coached. I didn't like the idea of using athletes as cogs in my machine at all costs to win games, so I came back home and started working a 9-to-5.

Bless Nicole Snyder's heart for asking me to coach at her former middle school. It was a big shift from 6-footers to 6th-graders. But I loved working with those kids. As our season came close to an end, the school asked if I would coach their 7th grade team.

I said I'd coach, but I wanted the 8th graders. I had ran a weekend camp for each grade, and when I met the 8th graders, I started the camp by asking each person what skill they wanted to improve on the most.

Their answers broke my heart: They collectively told me that they weren't any good, and that their previous coaches had told them they sucked. They hadn't won a game for 3 years. But they reminded me a lot of my younger self. I spent my first 3 years playing volleyball with no idea what I was doing. I was short, big-footed, and my coach was a parent that had no background on the sport.

On paper, we weren't very good at the sport. But the thing is, this is a sport that takes time. People don't peak into their 30's (and on the beach, sometimes their 40's). These kids just needed guidance. Youth sports is supposed to teach kids how to respond to failure, not feel like one. So I told the school my terms and they gave me the 8th grade team.

We won one full match and a few other sets. But those girls improved so much. We had fun while we did it. We celebrated the good plays and learned from the bad plays - and there were many learning moments. But I don't think those girls could have asked much more of themselves, and I hope all these years later those young women are crushing their education/relationships/careers with confidence that if they love something, but they need to work to achieve whatever they want to achieve, they can do it if they're willing to put the work in.

I spent the next few years coaching club, including working for one full-time. I coached everything from 18-1's to 15-7's (and my goodness, that 15-7's team was special. They'll get their own chapter in my book). Fast-forwarding, because I know this is getting long and I want to get to my point, I started to realize that perception and reality in youth sports are not aligned. And I think it was and is destroying kids, misleading parents, and burning out coaches.

I've spent the last 8 years building Progression. It hasn't been easy. I spent over a quarter of a million dollars over 3 years to lease 2 sand courts, only to get undercut by the owner and a club director who I brought into the sand industry because he told me about how he used his indoor program in the suburbs to fund programming in the city to help lower-income kids (that was a lie, and I'm tired of tip-toeing around that person. I wish no ill-will on him or his program, but I'm tired of pretending like he wasn't/isn't a fraud. Our last conversation, he told me "don't give me a gold mine idea - I'll take it." Would have liked that transparency when he was telling me all about how it was about the kids years before).

I was lucky enough to find an opportunity to build 2 courts of my own. I had no money, I had no credit, I had no collateral. But I had my reputation and a strong business plan, and through funding within the volleyball community, we built two state-of-the-art courts that I believe are the nicest two indoor beach courts you'll find (AVP Pro Ed Rateledge called it a "Slice of Hermosa Beach" - I'll take it!). It was about a year of uncertainty, a few months of chaotic building, and we were open.

6 months later, the pandemic hit.

The biggest challenge wasn't navigating the pandemic - we put a plan in place that avoided a single positive case within our program the first 18 months we re-opened. The biggest challenge has been the way indoor programs have adjusted - which is to require athletes to commit to their program year-round. A lot of us in Chicago were shocked at how indoor programs with well over 100 kids in their beach program dwindled to the dozens as kids were in 'open gyms' from the moment Nationals ended to the official tryout dates. Tournament directors that were always filling up their events had to cancel many of them due to a lack of interest. Many of our athletes that usually train with us in the summer were given an ultimatum by their clubs: Try out and cut a check in July, or else you may not have a spot in November.

Accepting the reality that kids in the area would no longer be able to juggle both, we created a new year-round calendar for our athletes that 2 sessions in is being very well-received: We have a fall session, winter session, spring session, and summer camp, with one-month pauses in February/May/August. Groups are capped at 16 (8 per court), and every group gets the exact same high-level coaches. I feel the measuring stick for a youth sports program is "How different does the training look for the newest team vs. the strongest team". One of the biggest perks to our beach program is I feel we can look a parent in the eye and guarantee them the same quality of education regardless of the level of their child. We play games in-house on the weekends to provide game experience without requiring parents to spend a lot on travel/hotel/etc.

We have girls that play other sports that can actually play those other sports. We have girls that have never played before, but within weeks they have a solid foundation to build their fundamentals. Our top athletes do travel at their own discretion, and we bring in some of Chicago's best women to truly prepare them for the speed they'll experience in college.

The kicker is, you could play all 4 sessions and the total would be $3,200. Some families pay more than that for travel alone each year. Our focus is on the development, because all the travel in the world won't get an athlete recruited if they aren't a certain level, and we've had some girls recruited off of film that primarily shows footage from our courts. The TALENT of the athlete is what gets them recruited, so we put our focus on making sure we help our athletes be the best they can be.

The Aspen Institute estimates that youth sports is a $30 billion dollar industry and rising . At the same time, nearly half of youth sports injuries are due to over-use. In our region, volleyball players that play both high school and club literally get no off-season for four years if they participate at nationals. So while revenue continues to go up, the numbers are tied to quantity of participation, not quality of programming.

For those that are in a good situation, I would never encourage them to leave a good thing. There are certainly kids that are of a certain level which have found good coaches/teammates to surround themselves with. But many kids play for programs because of two reasons: 1) They join programs which do not prioritize them because they want to "keep up with the Joneses", and they've been led to believe club is the only option to success. Many join programs where the peers they are trying to catch get better coaching/development, which widens the gap further. 2) They haven't had a good experience at one program, so they go to another club thinking the issue was the original club - only to find out they're going to be put on the lower teams/given the same experience at the new program.

The elephant in the room is, larger programs will not prioritize the development of their rawer athletes. Many of these athletes thrive when they're given the "1's team treatment" - but some never get to experience that. We've had so many parents and players tell us they learned more in weeks with us than they did years elsewhere. I don't say that to boast - I say that to express many parents and players can and should demand more from the programs they invest so much time and money to join.

For those in the Chicagoland area, if you or someone you know loves the sport but hasn't had a good youth sports experience, we'd love to have them come in. Don't take my word on all of the above - we do one-time lessons for kids, and if they don't like, they don't have to come back. THEY try US out, vs. the other way around. If they're willing to give their best effort and be respectful of their peers, we're happy to have them.

For those that coach, feel the way I feel, but feel 'stuck' where they're at, reach out. It isn't an easy path, but there ARE ways to provide an alternative option for young athletes. I'd love to help you find the best way to do it for your situation.

For everyone else that's made it this far, I appreciate your support, I wish you well in your own endeavors, and I hope you'll continue to follow us as we build a youth sports model that truly prioritizes the physical and mental well-being of all its athletes.

No kid held back, no kid left behind. The way youth sports should be.

A Letter To Parents Of Cut Athletes

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 03:56:48 GMT

Progress as an athlete isn't linear - and at some points adversity is unavoidable. How we respond to that adversity makes all the difference.

Parents, I get it.

You see how hard your kid works all year. You see how important it is for them to make their team. Maybe some of their friends made the team and they didn't, which can be very uncomfortable for all parties involved.

If you read my blog directed at kids who didn't make the team , you know I was cut twice in high school. The time right after was pretty brutal - but that was truly a moment I needed to experience in order to eventually find my true potential.

Burger King Drive-Thru, York road, a few minutes from my house. My dad was pushing me to put more time into my game in the off-season. I was pushing back in some form. He then told me if I didn't start working harder I'd be lucky to make the high school team.

I cried my eyes out. I was immature and took it as him not believing in me. And then he let me choose my own path, and then I got cut twice.

I know it wasn't easy for him to watch me go through it, but it was clear that the only way I was going to understand what I needed to do to be successful was to experience that failure. He made sure to let me know he was truly sorry it happened and he was always in my corner. That mattered. And from that point on, when I got a 2nd chance as an athlete in volleyball, I vowed to never give anything less than my best.

I'm sure he wanted to drag me to the court to drill. But it was important for him to let me carve my own path.

I have seen some parents on-line talk about the politics at play at their school - they feel their child should have made the team. Focusing on that is not beneficial to the athlete. The truth is, life will not always be fair. We cannot protect our children from that - but we can prepare them on how to move forward when it happens.

That's the question to ask: "What are you going to do about it?" Because if they really want it, perhaps this is a time to get in the weight room, take lessons to work on their biggest areas of improvement, join an adult league/participate in open gyms, or find other methods to fine-tune their game that may be available in their area.

One other thing to consider: I believe a lot of parents are frustrated because their child just played a full year of club, only to fall short at tryouts. If this happened, they may want to consider if there's a better organization for their child if they're not getting the proper development at their current one. It isn't always the case, but I think many programs focus on travel tournaments and power leagues, when the majority of the growth for up-and-coming players is done at practice (when practice is ran properly).

I think parents can raise the bar on their expectations of some of these programs given the amount of time and money they're spending.

To conclude, just keep reinforcing how much you care about them. I think kids put a lot of self-validation in their accomplishments vs. how hard they work. Let them know you'll always support them, give them a little time for things to settle down, and then evaluate different options for the next few months for them. Just because they aren't playing for the school doesn't mean they have to stop their journey.

Years from now, they may feel not making the team was a blessing in disguise.

Dear Cut Athletes: It Gets Better

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 15:06:29 GMT

Getting cut twice in high school basketball was one of the toughest experiences in my life. Looking back on it, it was also the key to the success that followed years later.

To The Ones That Didn't Make It,

I know you're not feeling great right now. I was cut in high school basketball twice: It's one of the most emotionally painful memories I have from my childhood.

But I wanted you to know: It gets better. And in some cases, this type of adversity is what's required to unleash the greatness in you. I know it was for me. Leading up to my own experience getting cut, I was a hard worker, but only when I had to be. I played my sport during season and didn't do much beyond that (I'm not even 40, but back when I was in high school, you didn't have to play travel ball to make teams - pretty crazy to think about nowadays!). I had worked really hard between freshmen and sophomore year, but I'll always wonder what could have been had I put that effort in during my junior high years.

So when I got cut in basketball a 2nd time, I had a decision to make: Was I willing to put the time in to improve as needed to try making the team the following year, or did I want to focus my time and efforts elsewhere?

I had made the varsity squad for volleyball my first two years in high school (my freshmen year was the first year they had a program, so it was much easier to make that team), and so I decided two things: 1) I would focus my efforts on volleyball 2) I was going to work in a manner that ensured I'd never wonder 'What if?' the same way I had to with basketball.

That drive led me to a successful collegiate indoor career/adult beach career. It wasn't easy though. I played every Friday night while my friends went out and socialized. I was always arriving early to open gyms/leagues/tournaments to make sure I got a proper warm-up/stretching routine in. I had to change my diet and learn how to fuel my body before/during/after events.

For the better part of 12 years, I outworked my opponents. And I lost a lot for years. But I focused on my improvement, and as long as I kept working, I continued to climb the ranks.

I don't think my path was for everyone. I think there's nothing wrong with people that don't want a sport to be their primary focus. I work with athletes that felt bad for 'quitting' volleyball - but some of the most impressive human beings I've gotten to coach had the same passion for other things (other sports, music, acting, hobbies, etc.). If something else is lighting a fire in your soul, then put your effort into that!

But for those that are currently on the outside looking in, that feel like they aren't ready to be done with volleyball, you've got a decision to make: Will you commit to the work?

Will you put the work in on the court and refine your fundamentals? (Note to parents: Quality of development matters more than quantity of play. So make sure you're enrolling them in a program that actually prioritizing your child's individual growth. A good coach can guide a kid to their peak potential: Bad coaches will hold kids back as their peers continue to grow. Choose your training environment wisely!)

Will you put the work in off the court? Will you lift to become a better athlete? Will you stretch/rehab to keep your muscles/joints healthy?

Will you record and break down your mechanics? (This is one of the best tools for an up-and-coming athlete that gets under-utilized. Look at the mechanics of players whom you want to play like, look at yours, and see if there are things you can improve!)

Will you cut out sugary/unhealthy foods?

Will you get to bed at a reasonable hour vs. sitting on social media until the late hours of the night?

I'm truly sorry you're dealing with getting cut. But you DO have choice. As Randy Pausch once said "Brick Walls are there for a reason: To prove how badly you want things"

How bad do you want this?

I've never met a truly hard worker that didn't eventually get to where they wanted to go. It takes some of us longer than others. But if this is what you want, go get it and be relentless in your process. I believe in you.

I wish you luck regardless of what path you decide to embark on. Keep your head up, better days are ahead.

Don't Sign A Bad Youth Sports Contract!

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 13:31:45 GMT

Ask yourselves: "Is my child playing for this organization, or is this organization coaching for my child?" Because if the answer isn't the latter, you may be better off looking for a healthier environment.

Many players and parents are happy with their youth sports experience. They have a team they like and a coach that cares about them. Many high-level players have already received verbal offers from their club to return to the same team the following year. Those people don't need this piece. I have many athletes that have already verbally committed to their next season, and as they know their coaches/teammates, they're already looking forward to a scenario that they're familiar with. They are lucky and should absolutely take advantage of that.

But for those that had dysfunctional teams, toxic coaches, or just a non-satisfactory experience, this is for you - especially if you're now feeling pressure about decisions for next season.

Imagine going to a car dealership. Your salesperson goes over all the awards they've received and how great their cars are. You go back to their office, and they expect you to put a down payment down/commit to buying the car - and then later, you'll find out what car you actually got.

It may be the car you hoped for - but there's a very good chance it won't be. Once you buy it, there is no refund, there is no turning back. But if you don't sign the contract, they leverage the idea that others want to buy cars, and by not signing you may be missing out on the car you originally hoped to obtain when you walked in the dealership.

That would be crazy right? And yet, that's exactly what families are being asked to do right now with July tryouts.

Many programs don't even have the amount of coaches that they'll need for the amount of kids they're signing. This will lead to coaches being hired months from now that are underqualified to actually teach the fundamentals/have the patience with athletes on how to work through adversity. There are also a lot of teams made up of 'extra' players. Many clubs nowadays will do anything to avoid cuts - not because they have the coaches/the pieces fit, but because their margins are based on quantity of athletes participating, not the quality of instruction. Many of the kids that need the most guidance get put in situations that provide the least. Yet, they're expected to pay the same amount and commit the same amount of time.

Also, between high school and club volleyball runs year-round for athletes. Players hopped off the plane for nationals and right back in the gym.
Professionals take off-seasons, but in our region, from 15-18, you pretty much are expected to play year-round. It causes mental burnout and physical injuries. 94% of high school athletes will not play in college. Think about that. Yet we put 16 out of 17 kids into these year-round expensive training situations, many which not only come with coaches that can't properly teach them the fundamentals, but also destroy their confidence.

This isn't because it's good for your athlete. It's because an off-season for them means an off-season for checks being cut. It's because the people up top are approaching this like commissioners of professional sports. Not only that, the revenue is more than the NFL / NCAA - and rising.

I am not anti-program, but I am absolutely pro-family. And I see so much more risk vs. reward for a parent to sign a contract for a situation they're neither excited nor certain about. Why do families have to commit their time and money to a program that can't even commit what's being paid for?

The elephant in the room is, if your child is a certain talent, they play by different rules. Certain high-level athletes and their parents will get multiple calls from local club directors if word spreads that they may be looking for a different program. Truly elite athletes can say "I'm not ready to make that decision" and they'll be given all the time they need if the program feels it's in their best interests.

Many big programs provide two very different experiences: The kids that are pivotal for success will be given all the bells and whistles to succeed: The ones that truly need development get some of the least guidance/flexibility. They're more disposable to the director.

But let's be clear: This isn't what youth sports should be. Not every athlete will achieve the same success, but all athletes that commit the same time/money deserve the same opportunity for development.

Parents, I recognize you want to give your kids every opportunity possible to succeed. I understand what the norms are right now for youth sports. But at some point, you need to recognize when outside parties do not have your best interests in mind. You have to recognize when the norm isn't normal.

All I ask is that if your gut is telling you a situation is not good for your athlete, don't be afraid to have a talk with them about what youth sports should and shouldn't be about. Be firm on expecting a program to be able to tell you who your team/coach will be before signing a contract. If a program tries to bully you, perhaps that's a sign that they don't have your child's best interests in mind.

But you do. So do your due diligence. You won't regret it.

You have tough decisions in front of you, but if you're building your child's self-esteem at home, doing your research, and having the right conversations with the right directors, there is a better opportunity out there for you.

I wish you luck!

Finding Solutions In Sports And Society

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Wed, 25 May 2022 14:27:46 GMT

Hello all,

My social media has been flooded with reactions to what happened yesterday in Texas. After sleeping on it, I found myself wanting to talk to my athletes - as well as anyone else that may feel a lot of anger/hurt this morning.

I don't hide it from my older athletes as much, and today I come clean to all my readers: I consider myself a pretty good volleyball coach. But what I'm really doing is teaching my kids life lessons. I want to help my athletes realize they can achieve their dreams through hard work. I want to teach them to do everything they do to the best of their ability. I want them to know they're still valid even when they don't perform at that level. I want them to learn how to work well with teams.

On top of all that, I want to teach them how to deal with adversity - because life is going to throw a lot at them. That's why I don't get hung up on wins and losses. When we lose, that's an opportunity to figure out something we can do better. Was it strategy issues? What can we do differently next time to possibly achieve a better result? Did our fundamentals falter? If so, what do we need to do at our next practices to be better prepared for the next competition? Did we lose our heads? How can we make sure next time we don't self-inflict some of our issues?

While many of my athletes will not play sports beyond high school, I certainly hope that these lessons will help them with their education, relationships, and careers.

But today? There's no room for a head-fake. It's time to take volleyball out of the equation. Because it isn't important compared to other things we're dealing with as a society. And while I'd love to shield you from the realities of this world, that isn't realistic in 2022.

I think a lot of people look at our country as two separate teams right now. But that's not accurate. We're all in this together. It's literally in the country's name: The United States of America.

Isn't feeling too united this morning, is it?

What I do feel is that our country is a very dysfunctional team. And that's not a judgment - it's just an observation. Power in our country is like playing time on a team. There's far more demand than supply, and some players are going to have to take a role that they may not like sometimes.

One thing I stress to my athletes is that if they're ever frustrated with their role on a team, there's a right way and wrong way to handle it. "I feel I should be starting" or "I don't think <player> is better than me" isn't going to get the response they're hoping for.

But "What can I do to earn a bigger role on the team?" is a very fair question. And it's ultimately their best bet to get what they want. Because I have no issue telling a player what the other player is doing that has earned them their time on the court - and then it's up to them to put the work in to earn their own time.

One thing that's been really hard to watch is how it's become normalized to just point fingers at each other. It's certainly a recipe for disaster on a youth sports team, and it's not going to be any better in society.

Once the loss has occurred, destructive criticism isn't the solution. I think it's important to be able to take a step back and look for constructive solutions. What were some of the causes of this loss? What are some things we can put in place to make sure those same things can't keep happening?

The thing is, there will always be losses. I think something that we simplify too much is, there will always be some people that do bad things. There will always be corruption. There will always be people that want to cause chaos, as well as those that crave power - and will step on anyone that tries to get in their way. There is no solution that changes that.

But when tragedy strikes, what we can do is come together as a team and try to figure out the best way to move forward. How can we make it harder for these situations to happen? For my 2nd-amendment friends, I'm not suggesting taking guns away: But I do think there's an objective conversation to make it harder to obtain one for people that may not be capable of handling one responsibly. We do this with driver's licenses, weapons should be no different.

It can't be guns vs. no guns. That's not a viable conversation. So the question is, what's the best procedures we can put in place to make it harder for incidents like this to occur? Whether we agree or not, that should be a unified goal with all those participating in the discussion, because the goal has to be to reduce these shootings.

When we lose sight of that last sentence, that's when we're further divided.

It's important not to let tragedy pull us apart. Some people absolutely want that for their own personal gain/power. We cannot let them create that narrative as we have for the last few years. One of the biggest issues I see is representatives of our country not acting like leaders. They're acting like players that are hell-bent to get their playing time regardless of whether or not it's in the best interests of the team. And so when losses occur, they are outspoken to their constituents on why it's the other players' fault, less concerned on how to get a better result the next game, but fully focused on making sure they get on the court vs. the 'other' players.

It's dysfunctional on youth sports teams, and it's certainly dysfunctional in society.

I don't come to you all with solutions. But I do come to you with a better method of finding them. Because for years, I've been watching us respond to losses in a manner that will only continue to have them pile up .

When I coached Division I, one of the biggest challenges is you have 12-16 athletes that were all incredibly successful that come from unique circumstances. Some had coaches that cracked the whip, others had coaches that coddled them for fear they'd leave for another team. And now you have to get them all to buy into one mission statement/philosophy that may not align with what they've done up to this point. It isn't always easy, and egos need to be put to the side: But when done correctly, the results can be a beautiful thing.

It is a lot harder when the team is 330 million deep, and you have people with a lot of reach to those people trying to divide us further. So when that happens, I hope this letter comes to mind. I hope you remember that you have a choice on how you respond. I hope you can focus less on who's to blame and more on solutions on how to move forward.

Because that's how we make this conversation occur less and less. Real leadership comes from accountability, action, and implementation. And we can do better as a team. I will share with you the cardinal rule I learned on the debate team at the age of 15 that has stayed with me all these years: You don't attack the person, you attack the argument.

I think we all can be better teammates. And I hope no matter what others do, you don't let their actions of others affect your ability to focus on the arguments instead of who is making them.

Real progress requires that of us.

I love you all. We're all in this together, let's be better teammates.

Why I Switched From Indoor To Beach Volleyball

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 19 May 2022 17:12:39 GMT

My coaching career has been completely backwards compared to the norm. I had coached 6 years of college only to realize that my reasons for coaching didn’t mesh with what that job required. I have a lot of respect for my friends that coach college – it is a LOT of work beyond what’s done on the court, long hours for pay that doesn’t match the effort.

Beyond that, it’s about the programs more than the players. It’s just the reality of the situation. And I coach for the players. I came home and shifted to coaching kids while working a normal 9-to-5. After one toxic boss made a comment implying I would never find anything better, I immediately contacted some club directors, had phone interviews the next day, signed an offer that week and put my 2 weeks in.

It may not have been the same pay, but that was the moment I knew that outcome outweighed income to me. I was here to inspire people, not to be a cog in someone else's machine.

18 months of doing a little bit of everything for a club really opened my eyes to the other side of the sport I hadn’t always seen as a college coach. There was a lot of good, a lot of bad, and a LOT of ugly. I served as college liaison for the program, and I was blown away as I sat with family after family and continued to hear about a lot of myths they were being sold on what they should do/not do. I had heard so much about how ‘crazy’ sports parents were. What I found myself feeling is “Given how much parents pay, what they’re being sold, and what they’re actually getting out of it, I’m surprised they’re not crazier!”

BUT, there was a lot of good that came from it as well. 5 weeks after working my last day for the other company, I began overseeing our beach program. I had run some beach camps for little kids back when I first started coaching, but that was essentially glorified babysitting. This was the first time I had both the technical knowledge of doubles (I had been playing at the open level for 5 years and had the luxury of learning from a lot of players much smarter than me) as well as the caliber of kids that could play two-on-two.

Our program had 86 kids. One session in particular comes to mind: We had 2 courts and the club gave me 40 11–14-year-olds. That was crazy to me, but the club directors had no experience with beach and gave me the reins to figure it out.

I hired 3 other coaches, so I borrowed two grass nets from a friend. We made ‘stations’ – the sand courts would be used for actual gameplay, and the grass courts would be used for skill-work (serve and pass, bump setting, etc.). I would make 4 evenly sized groups depending on the amount that showed that day based on who was closest in level as they warmed up with the other coaches, and then once they were done, I’d assign them to their starting courts/coaches.

After 10 minutes, they would get a water break and rotate courts to work on new things with a different coach. At the end of practice, we would play games on all courts and rotate to make sure all of them got equal time on the sand and grass courts.

It was a lot of set up initially, but once we got into a rhythm it was as smooth as any program I’ve ran. It was great too because every coach had unique things they were noticing, and we could adapt practice plans week-to-week that truly focused on what those groups specifically needed. We had kids that would go on to win tournaments, as well as plenty that were brand new and getting a great foundation of their all-around skills. Top-to-bottom, everyone was having fun.

In the fall, we had a large increase in our indoor tryout numbers. That season I was assisting our top 18’s team, took over a 15-7’s team (yes, we had that many kids at that age!), and was floating around helping some of our newer coaches. It was a good experience and I loved working with the kids. I think the coaches had good intent. But the same realization just kept popping in my head as I saw certain kids get different qualities of education vs. others:

“In beach, I can give every kid the same opportunity for growth – it’s not possible to do that for indoor.”

I think some people in my area think I’m ‘anti-club’. I hate that stigma. I am pro “every kid deserves the same opportunity for development”, and I think indoor makes that challenging - especially the bigger an organization gets. It is almost impossible to get the exact number of players you need at each position at a similar level. The other challenge is, the better you’re doing, the more families want to join your program. The bigger you get, the more coaches you need. The more coaches you need, the bigger the disparity between the top and bottom kids.

If your goal is to make money, that model makes sense. But if your goal is to provide a positive experience for every single athlete, that just doesn’t work. And most big clubs have HUGE turnover year-to-year. But the only reason they don't have to modify the quality of their education at the bottom is there will always be a large group of disgruntled athletes that will be coming over from other programs. So as long as they can fill in those gaps, they can continue to generate great numbers even if a large portion of their customers will walk away unhappy with the product.

It’s also really unfair for the high school freshmen that have the drive, but are a little further behind physically than their peers. They get cut, and then the stronger kids play while the cut kids don’t have a viable program (as an example, my club didn’t run anything beyond privates for cut kids, and being honest they weren’t always the highest-quality coaches running them). Then tryouts roll around, the high school kids are in game-shape, and the cut kids are not. Now the gap widens because the kids that make the high school teams are getting the better coaches, while the cut kids get ‘the other coaches’.

That’s why Progression was born. Because the more kids that join our beach program, the more hours our coaches coach. But EVERY coach is qualified to work with their athletes. I personally have worked with every athlete in our program. This week I will work with some of my area’s best athletes, some of the newest athletes, and everyone in-between.

And that’s the way it should be. No athletes held back, no athletes left behind. When done right, beach volleyball can be the healthiest youth sport out there. It’s lower-impact on the joints, players have more control of their own schedule, doubles allows for a player to learn every skill vs. specializing. And I look forward to spending the rest of my life advocating for why parents and players that aren’t currently satisfied with the current system should allow themselves to break free from the norm and try something that’s more tailored to their needs.

If you're happy at your indoor program, and you have coaches that are giving you good development, directors that are responsive to your concerns, and a healthy environment, then by all means, stay in a good situation. I would never imply that people that are benefitting from the current system to walk away from a good thing.

But for those reading this that are trying to provide for your kid in a culture that isn't as interested in their well-being, I ask you to consider: Could there be a better option for you?

I believe that option could be beach volleyball. I hope you'll join me on my journey to put the youth back into youth sports.

So Your Kid Wants To Play Division I?

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 02:16:25 GMT

(I posted this in an online group of parents and had a lot of positive feedback/requests to have it shareable. So I decided to tidy it up a bit and share with our community as well.)

Someone wrote a post asking about what it takes to be recruited by the best schools in the country.

I have both coached Division I and worked with players as juniors that have made it to some of the programs that person listed. Here's some of the metrics I would say are required to play Division I:

* Genetic lottery winner . There are outliers, but the majority have natural gifts that can't be taught. One athlete that had multiple 4-year scholarship offers as a junior was a 6'1" OH with a 10'5" jump touch.

* Steady fundamentals. Obviously high school kids are unfinished products, but unless you have the above athleticism/high ceiling due to it, you have to play your position better, both with your physical mechanics as well as your mental understanding of how to use them.

* You have to have a training program that actually prepares you for that level. This is what most parents probably don't realize. The majority of clubs do not have coaches/enough kids at that truly elite level to train the kids to get to that top 1% level. And even some that do are more focused on training their top teams to win vs. actually focusing on the individual. One parent that's a former Division I athlete had a child on a top-5 team in the country for their respective age group, but they recognized that while the team was getting better from February to June, the actual individuals were not being refined/improving at the same rate.

On that note...

* Athletes have to do a lot of their own rest and recovery. Between high school and club, kids are being overtrained. This is not a matter of opinion. But there's no high level development alternative for kids that want to compete at the elite level but have an off-season. So parents and players have to do their due diligence on athletic recovery - stretching, proper weight training, nutrition, sleep, etc.

Many clubs sell 'athletic development', many fall incredibly short. I worked for a club that put over a hundred kids in front of a giant screen that guided a fast workout, as a small amount of coaches tried their best to correct form but couldn't possibly focus on everyone.

* Kids at this level have to LOVE the work . Parents, this is the biggest intangible you need to understand. Division I is WORK. 6am weights, go to class, individual practice, team practice, rehab, study hall, long road trips. A study showed D1 athletes averaged 39 hours a week academically and 36 hours a week athletically.

If your kids don't LOVE practice, if they get fairly discouraged after losses vs. determined to figure it out for the next time, if they love other things outside of volleyball, Division I is probably not what they think it is. They have to be resilient. How much can they be challenged, how bad can things be going, and they come back with that same fire and intensity play after play?

Remember: There are 450,000 high school girls playing high school and less than 6,000 4-year scholarships. So my advice? Make sure your kids get the grades. It's injury-proof, it ensures they will get merit aid, and you have a lot more control of obtaining that vs. the scholarship.

So many athletes would enjoy youth sports if they didn't feel the pressure to play in college. All my Division I athletes got to that level because their drive was natural. So keep that in mind as your kid navigates their youth sports journey - it shouldn't be about keeping up with the Joneses'. It should be about kids building confidence, having fun while doing it, and making memories that they'll look back fondly on as they get older.

If you have any other questions, I'm happy to answer them in the comments!

An Open Letter To My Female Athletes

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 18:29:51 GMT

(I started writing this on Women's International Day but ran out of time. As far as I'm concerned we can celebrate them more than one day a year though, so here's the finished product a day late!)

To my female athletes,

For the last 18 years, I've had the privilege of working with young women from little kids touching a volleyball for the first time to some of the best players of their respective age groups.

Today is (edit: yesterday was) my father's 60th birthday as well as International Women's Day. You may ask how I can tie those two things together, but it actually makes a lot of sense to me.

My father was as good of a coach as I've ever had, and I've had some pretty good ones. The team had a pretty big disparity between the level of talent between the starters and non-starters, but for four years he created a culture where we understood that every single player brought value to the team. Over the course of four years, his goal was for us to understand that we were going to lose - and how we responded to that would ultimately help us as we dealt with adversity in our education, relationships and careers.

This letter is for all my players, past and present, as well as any other female in athletics. For those I've coached, I want you to know what a privilege it's been to be part of your youth sports experience. For parents and players that may be reading this but don't know me, I hope you know it's always a privilege to be a part of your youth sports experience - and your mentors should treat it accordingly.

A lot of players I've worked with over the years have come from programs where that hasn't been the case. Sometimes, players have not been as naturally gifted as some of their other peers, and they watched as those people received better opportunities for growth. Many were screamed at, being told they weren't good by the people whose jobs were supposed to be to help them figure out how to perform at a higher level.

Simply put, a lot of coaches have done quite the opposite of what my dad instilled in me all those years ago. They made the players who looked to them for mentorship feel inadequate for no other reason than they didn't have the proper guidance to get the job done.

I want you to know that if you feel that's relatable to you or your child, that says a lot more about the coach than the player.

Because there is greatness in you - even if you don't feel it right now.

I am finally getting to a phase in my coaching career where my athletes are now young adults in the working world. It has been such a joy to watch many of my athletes thrive off the court, and it's always nice to hear them talk about how things from their playing days have translated to other aspects of their lives.

94% of kids that play high school sports don't play in college. Think about that - about 16 out of 17. That doesn't mean that non-college athletes are 'bad'. There are over 450,000 high school females playing volleyball, and less than 6,000 scholarship opportunities for four-year schools. Doing the math, the supply simply doesn't meet the demand.

That's why I don't want my athletes to pin their self-esteem solely on their win-loss record. I want tournaments to simply be a measuring stick - are we improving from tournament to tournament? When things don't go the way we want (which is inevitable), what is the lesson to take from that experience, and how will we use our next practices to grow from that?

Athletics are challenging. No matter how much effort people put in, the record at the end of an event will always be .500 - someone has to lose no matter how hard everyone competes. So I think it's silly to use win-losses, or even playing time (No matter how loaded a team can be with talent, only 6 can be on a court at a time for indoor - so why do we put so much emphasis on playing time?) as a metric for how well someone is doing.

As I learned from Dr. Jerry Lynch, you never 100% control the results, but you always 100% control competing like crazy with your hair on fire. And I hope that's where you put your self-esteem as you move forward. I hope you give yourself credit for how much work you put into your athletic career - it's not easy to go year-round, but that's somewhat required for indoor volleyball players nowadays (that's applicable in many sports as travel ball has become a business - but that's another blog for another time). I hope you don't lose sight of the progress you make along the way even if you're not winning as much as you'd like. I hope you realize you're going to have off-days - and how you respond to them is more important than the fact that they happen.

I hope you realize that as a young athlete, there is so much life ahead of you, and there is so much more to life than how well we hit a leather ball over the net, or how well we do at keeping it from hitting on portion of the floor.

Some of my most casual athletes have gone on to do some of the most incredible things off of the court. I've gotten to work with players who have gone on to work at NASA and Disney. Others have gone into the medical field and are saving lives. Some go to law school, others become teachers and coaches and inspire others to do great things. Some get married and start raising families, others travel the world.

You deserve to take the time to find out your passion and pursue it to the greatest ability. You deserve ownership of the balance in your life of what you're doing. You deserve to write your story of what you want to do with your life. And I promise you - there is greatness in you, with whatever you choose to do.

If you're in a situation where those that should be reminding you of the same things are doing more damage than good, I hope you can find the confidence in yourself to find a different path - even if it's one less traveled.

For those that I've worked with directly, I look forward to watching as you continue to make our world a better place - and I'm always a message away if you need anything.

Life, Death, And Coaching

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 14:36:32 GMT

I was 17 when my driver's ed teacher passed away. It's been almost twenty years, but I remember attending his wake like it was yesterday. I was blown away by the turnout. Thousands of people showed up that day, and the line was out the door. I had never seen anything like it.

As I sat in line waiting to pay my respects, I listened to the stories being shared by people around me. From childhood friends to fellow teachers to students like me, everyone had unique stories about how he impacted their lives. He was only in his late 50's when he passed, but it was clear he made the most of his time here. He was an incredible person, and his impact has never left me to this day.

Growing up, my dad had always instilled in me to consider how my actions affected those around me. But the wake was the first time I felt a clear-cut purpose: When I died, I wanted to know I did everything I could to leave a similar impact.

When my college coach passed away at age 29, it was a wake-up call that tomorrow's promised to no one. I've been very aware of my mortality ever since - I think it's where a lot of my social anxiety comes from. Not death, but the idea of making the most of my time here.

Last night before falling asleep I read about Demaryius Thomas passing away . He was only 33 years old - younger than me. He had overcome so much to not only have a hall of fame career on the field, but also to create a hall of fame impact off of it. He had so much good to do still. It triggers that feeling I had when Coach Dave passed away.

It upsets me. It wasn't fucking fair when Coach Dave left us, and this doesn't seem fair either.

But it's reality, and it's what has me writing this at 4:30 in the morning. Death comes for all of us. That may sound dark but I never forget that. I don't want to forget it. What if I die tomorrow? Will I have done everything I could to leave this world better than I found it? I don't fear it, but I do feel motivated by it.

It's why I decided to walk away from chasing the AVP dream to focus on coaching, and it's the real reason behind why my friends will tell you I'm incredibly hard to lock in for social gatherings. I feel a lot of guilt for not being more outgoing for that matter, but I just feel like that's not why I'm here. I'd like to think I'm always a message away if my friends REALLY need anything, but I feel I can do more as a coach for the greater good. These kids need me more than my friends need me at their parties/outings.

Just last night, I had a player return to the sand for the first time in months. She's a freshman in high school. I remember her first practice with us - she was incredibly shy but I could see her gifts. She was hesitant to swing at the ball for fear of messing up. I told her mistakes are part of life and I wanted to see GLORIOUS ones in practice - and I'd help her figure out how to correct it when she made them. One of my new favorite quotes is "mistakes don't define you - they refine you".

BOOM - she launched her first swing way out of bounds. But there was a confidence behind that miss that was unlocked, and I heard a few parents on the sidelines shout with excitement. They understood why this lost point was actually a win: People had been apparently been trying to get her to be more aggressive for quite some time and that was the first time they had seen her take a swing like that. Over time, the hits became more accurate, and her true personality is coming out.

Fast forward to last night, and as we come off the court I tell her how great it was to have her back at practice. "It's great to be back - it's such a confidence booster."

Music to my ears. I don't know if she'll continue to play volleyball long-term. I know that confidence will help her be successful with whatever she chooses to do.

That's why I coach.

I've had the privilege of working with some of the best athletes in my area year in and year out. I'm so proud of these players and it's an absolute pleasure to help them be prepared to succeed at the next level - and many have indeed been successful. But I'm equally grateful to work with kids like the one above. There are a lot of them that need that reminder of what they are vs. what they aren't. It's why I work as much as I do. Because for whatever reason, my life has gifted me with the opportunity to positively influence young athletes.

So many of these kids don't yet realize how incredible they are or have the confidence that they can accomplish great things. Many of them are feeling quite the opposite due to coaches that have made them feel inferior to their peers as people because of their lack of natural talents as players.

The real victories are helping those kids realize they are not defined by those coaches. They're not supposed to be finished products. Our jobs as coaches are supposed to be to help them figure it out. Contrary to the current youth sports culture, it shouldn't be about victories and scholarships: It should be about teaching kids to be the best they can be and having fun while doing it.

It's a privilege to be chosen to oversee a child's youth sports experience. I think a lot of coaches aren't always treating it that way - and I think parents need to be more in-tune with the quality of mentoring their kids are getting. A good coach can change lives for the better: A bad one can really damage a kid.

94% of high school athletes won't play in college. So what are we doing for the roughly 16 out of 17 that will end their athletic journey with us? Have we used our platform to build these kids up or tear them down?

For my competitive readers that may consider that a soft take, I also find many of my players happen to play a lot better when they're given that confidence. When they can give their physical/mental best effort without fear of getting yelled at or punished, it's truly the best chance they have to win.

I feel like Mr. Rogers did when he began his children's show on TV. I feel there are a lot of parallels with what I'm trying to do in youth sports and what he did with television. Here's an incredible tool to help kids find their self-esteem (TV for him, youth sports for me), and yet we're watching it be used in damaging manners (violence on TV for him, abusive coaching for me). When I watched the documentary on Mr. Rogers, I connected so much with his frustration of how a positive tool was being used in such a negative way, all because of money. It's challenging to work in an industry where profits are tied to the quantity of athletes enrolled vs. the quality of education provided, but that's where we're at.

Maybe you'll think I'm crazy, but I know my purpose is to change that, or at worst offer an alternative for those that feel the same way I do about it.

I sometimes wonder if I should focus more on my income than the outcome, or maybe spend less time working and more time socially. But deaths like DT's like this remind me of why I've chosen this journey. I don't know what happens to me after death: I know that those still here will reflect on what my life meant to them.

I hope when that time comes, it was that I saw the best in them. I hope I helped people see the best in themselves. I hope I helped people through tough times when they needed it - and for the MANY people that have helped me, I hoped they knew I've tried to pay it forward if I didn't pay it back. To those I clashed with, I hope they know it was never personal. I'm sure if we truly understood each other it would have been different. In the end I'd like to think we're trying our best with the hand life's dealt us. I think everyone has good in them, even if their environment has skewed their perspective to be something that seems otherwise from the outside.

If there's an afterlife, I look forward to being reunited with people like Coach Dave. I'll look forward to seeing people again down the road when they cross over too. And if there isn't? Then I have peace of mind knowing I spent my time trying to leave whatever impact one youth sports coach can have on his community.

In the meantime, there's work to be done.

I love you all. Be good to each other, be good to yourselves.

The True Benefits of Beach Volleyball

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 20:13:18 GMT

Why NOT To Start A Beach Program

This morning I woke up to an article from one of our sport's governing bodies regarding beach volleyball for juniors. Take a look at the first paragraph:

"Many clubs are recognizing the value of having a beach program because of the rapid growth in the sport’s popularity and participation. Rather than lose your athletes to a nearby beach club for a few months, consider starting a beach program to retain your customers your round. In order to develop your beach program and retain your athletes, it’s essential to have options for them to compete."

The verbiage on this is incredibly important. Their goal of a beach program is to keep the checks coming in year-round. It's about participation and the money that comes with it. "Retaining" athletes is the focal point vs. developing them.

This article in particular caught my attention because while there are a lot of positive effects of playing beach volleyball for young athletes, none of them were discussed. It was about creating competitive opportunities that made parents want to play beach, instead of the actual benefits a program can provide an athlete. I'll address those benefits later. I'd like to share the reasons I shifted my focus from indoor to beach after eleven years as a collegiate/club coach.

The Challenges of Running An Indoor Club

If the goal is to provide every athlete the same opportunity for growth, the current model for indoor provides quite a challenge. Every 10-12 kids require a coach. The bigger a program gets, the more coaches a program needs. The more coaches a program needs, the bigger the disparity is between the top and bottom coaches.

Even if you train your "lower" coaches in-house, at some point other clubs in the region will poach those coaches: The allure of coaching a 3's/4's team to a 1's/2's team is appealing to aspiring coaches. There's also the delicate balance of trying to prepare teams to win tournaments while also providing individual growth for the athletes.

The schedule is grueling. A team practice needs position players to be able to practice game-like scenarios. Sports science says kids should be able to take time off to avoid overuse injuries - but between high school and club ball, anyone playing nationals in the summer will go year-round. There are very few alternative programs that offer high-level training as well as some schedule flexibility.

Simply put, it's almost impossible for a program to offer equal opportunity for all athletes regardless of how good the intentions of their staff may be, and it's basically a year-round commitment if you want any chance of playing at the next level. Some people mistake my writings for being 'anti-club' - I know many great indoor clubs, with great coaches and directors that have the kids' best interests in mind. Some of my best friends are in the industry. I have many fond memories from my indoor coaching days. But the fact remains, there are challenges within our sport that make the task of running a club difficult even for the most caring of coaches.

The Real Reasons To Run A Beach Program

During the time I was at my final indoor coaching gig, a friend offered to finance it if I wanted to start my own club to do it differently. The potential was lucrative financially, but I politely declined.

I had left collegiate coaching for juniors because I felt working with kids provided an opportunity to make coaching about development of the individuals vs. wins and losses. However, the more I talked to parents and players, and the more I learned about travel ball culture, the more difficult I felt it would be to maintain that. Even with my own program, the bigger my program became, the harder it would be to maintain the culture that led us to have success in the first place.

Once I had the chance to coach beach, I realized a lot of the indoor issues were no longer a factor. I ran the beach program for my club the last two seasons I was there, and I saw so many positives to the culture of the doubles game.

Every kid learned every skill - with two on two, tall athletes didn't get stuck in the middle and had the opportunity to pass. Undersized kids get the chance to learn a proper arm swing. There is no playing time drama. The lower impact on the sand is much friendlier to joints, and there are far less injuries due to that.

It became clear to me that in order to provide the experience I wanted for all my athletes, beach was the answer. Progression was born, and while it's been a roller coaster with building a facility and finding our place within our community, the quality of the programming has been what I had hoped from the get-go.

The bigger our program becomes, the more hours our coaches coach - but every kid top-to-bottom receives the same opportunity for growth. This summer our mornings started with 12-14 year old athletes that were brand new to the sport, followed by our advanced high school athletes. The same coaches worked with both sets of athletes. Our system also allows families to create their own training schedule. If a player wants to play in college, they can sign up for 3-4 sessions per week. If they love the sport but have other things above it on the totem pole, there's no reason they can't go 2-4 times per month. It can vary month-to-month depending on the schedule of the family. Regardless of what one's commitment is, the quality of the instruction never falters.

No kid held back, no kid left behind. The programming is truly for the players, and while we're still in our early phase, it's been enjoyable for all parties involved. I believe beach volleyball can be the ultimate youth sport for families that want high-level development while having flexibility with their schedule.

Finding A Balance Between Indoor and Beach

As youth sports become more monetized (Currently a 19 billion dollar industry, projected to hit $77 billion by 2026 prior to the pandemic), it has become less about the quality of instruction, or guidance of young athletes. Instead, it has shifted to qualifiers, nationals, showcases, recruiting agencies and year-round participation. Revenue is generated not by the quality of our coaching, but by the quantity of athletes registered. Programs market aggressively during school season to allure kids to their program to tryout, everyone 'makes it', and then they scramble for coaches to work with the 'leftover' kids. The rawest athletes often get coaches that are even rawer at teaching the sport.

Over the years, most kids on top teams stay, and then programs watch as a substantial amount of their regional players leave to try their luck elsewhere - but they replenish their rosters with new kids that had equally bad experiences at the other clubs in the area. One thing we don't talk about is the substantial turnover many 'top tier' programs see at the regional level. It makes it incredibly hard for parents to accurately research what programs will actually provide the experience they need.

I played indoor for almost 20 years, and there's an energy in a raucous gym that is electric: I am grateful for my career on the hard court, and many of my favorite volleyball moments stemmed from that part of my playing experience. Indoor has plenty of positives, and it isn't going anywhere. High school volleyball is growing by the thousands each year. There are many more playing opportunities in college for indoor vs. beach at the moment. Some kids simply don't like getting sandy!

I absolutely think there's a way to find a balance for athletes to play both. But as time goes on, one thing I'm concerned about is indoor organizations that want to run beach programs for the wrong reasons. They don't see beach for all the positives listed above: They see the financial value in not having kids go elsewhere to play it. And that article is an example of what the powers-that-be are selling to coaches: It's about income, not necessarily outcome. And locally, we see very strong indoor programs run large beach programs where kids aren't being given the proper instruction - many fundamentals translate, but the change in surface, spacing and strategy of the game requires a teaching of the game that differs from what we do on the hard court.

On the uglier side, some will leverage it come registration time. I talk to parents and players all the time who express their concern regarding this already. There's an unspoken understanding that come indoor tryouts, people that played for their programming exclusively will be considered over those that did not - in some cases, they'll be punished for training with other programs, even if they improved dramatically during that time.

Parents, I encourage you to consider beach for your indoor athlete if they haven't tried it - but be very careful about where you do it and why. You're paying for your child's individual growth. That should never be compromised. By using beach to create a fun and flexible experience for families, we can have the best of both worlds. We can provide high level (and FUN) development for kids while allowing volleyball to work around a child's life, instead of the other way around.

With the right culture in place, youth sports can truly be about the youth again.

To The Kids That Didn't Make The Team

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 18:56:26 GMT

To the cut kids: It's gonna get better.

It's going to be OK.

It stings, and there's nothing that I can say that'll take that away. Expectations are the thief of joy, and even if someone goes into tryouts assuming they'll get cut, if there wasn't a sliver of hope that they'd make it, they wouldn't have shown up.

But I'd like to tell you a little bit about my experience getting cut - twice. I'd like to share the things that I had to process over time, and I'd also like to share with you why I think getting cut was the best thing to ever happen to me as an athlete - and why it can be good for you as well.

I was cut both times from basketball in high school. I couldn't remember any details of the first time I was cut from high school basketball. I remember tryouts were days after football, and while I was disappointed, I had the built-in excuse that I was just rusty as I hadn't been playing much.

But getting cut my sophomore year, after leaving football and spending the 6 months leading up to it training my butt off? Ouch. That was a dark moment. One of the lowest in my life to be honest. My dad had provided foreshadowing in 6th grade. He told me if I didn't start working outside of basketball season that I would struggle to make the team. I was starting for my very-small grade school, I didn't heed his warnings, and that was that.

Over time, the sting went away, and I continued to play basketball for fun. I found some adult groups to play with. But over time, I gravitated towards volleyball. I found myself eager to do the work that I didn't seem to enjoy as much in basketball. I decided I wanted to try and go somewhere with the sport, and I didn't need my dad to lay out the situation: Life had done it for me.

If I want to succeed in this volleyball, I need to put the work in.

It's your turn to assess your situation. You have some decisions to make, and in my opinion there is not a right/wrong choice: You make the choice that fits what you want, and then you make it right.

Choice #1: If you want to stay with the sport, you want to play at a high level, and don't want to feel this way again? You're going to have to work. You're going to need to figure out where your weaknesses are: What are the athletes making the team able to do that I'm not? You need to work on your fundamentals so you can get the job done on the court. You'll also need to take care of yourself as an athlete, and that goes well beyond playing. Are you in the weight room? Are you stretching and taking care of your flexibility? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating healthy?

Choice #2: Some people may not like this, but hear me out . It's OK if you don't want to do all that work and play the sport for fun . One thing that bothers me is when we say kids 'quit' a sport where they're required to play year-round to be included. And there are opportunities to play beyond travel ball. On top of that, the reason some people may not do the things from Choice #1 is because they have other interests to invest their time into. It could be their academics, it could be other sports, it could be other hobbies.

The choice is ultimately yours on why you play and how much you're willing to put into your game. What I want you to know is you're not defined by being cut - but what you do afterwards will determine the opportunities that you'll have as you move forward.

I have coached kids that play year-round and literally can't get enough of the sport. I've coached kids that have played once or twice a month and just enjoy playing for fun. I've coached everything in-between. The kids that enjoy their experience the most are the ones that do it on their own terms.

Personally? When I was cut, not wanting to feel that again sparked something in me. It allowed me to assess what was really important to me, as well as the understanding of what I needed to do if I wanted to have better results. That life lesson ultimately gave me the drive necessary to have a successful collegiate volleyball career, travel to 39 states and once overseas as a player and coach, and connected me with the girl of my dreams, on top of thousands of other people that wouldn't have been in my life had I not played the sport. More importantly, when I didn't achieve certain goals, while it was disappointing it didn't gnaw at me the same way: I knew I did everything I could to succeed, and sometimes it just doesn't go according to plan.

But looking back, that 'failure' led to some of the best things in my life currently. My life went on. Yours will too. It will get better. Keep your head up, evaluate what's important to you, make your goals, and then get after it.

Simone Biles And Mental Health In Youth Sports

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 22:13:42 GMT

Imagine spending your entire life dedicating yourself to your craft to the point where you are undoubtedly the greatest in the world to do it.

Coincidentally, that craft is something that people do with the goal of competing to be the best in the world. The odds are so stacked against you - on top of dealing with abuse from the system that's supposed to be protecting you - and yet you pull it off.

Imagine becoming so good at it that you are literally the only person on the planet that's capable of doing what you do.

You've done what so many dream of doing, but 99.99999% of people will never experience.

Years into your career, you are blazing the trail, pushing your body to limits we've never seen - and continually raising the bar on what the human can do. In case you need visuals to imagine, how about this video .

Now imagine, after a decade of dominance, judges start to give you lower scores for no other reason than concerns that other gymnasts will hurt themselves trying to do what you d o. Add a pandemic to the mix and some issues a few days leading up to competition with positive tests within the team, and imagine all the things that you're having to process.

And now? All those people that used to talk about pursuing greatness - the greatness you've exuded for 8 straight years, where you've won every competition you've entered - the same ones that complain about everyone-gets-a-trophy, they now turn on you because you make a decision to protect yourself/feel you aren't where you need to be to help your team. They disregard the fact that you've been told that they'll openly punish you for doing things your opponents can't, and they call you a quitter instead of questioning the system that basically said "you're so good that we need to give your opponents an unfair advantage to keep things competitive."

That's what we're witnessing, and as a former competitive athlete/current coach, it sickens me. Where is the objectivity? This is the freaking Olympics. Why is the outrage not at the broken system, but the person which the system broke?

Simone Biles is the bar. Her accolades are undeniable. 4 olympic medals, 19 world championships medals, and from 2013 to now she hadn't lost a major competition. They've literally named moves after her because she's the only person in the history of her sport who has pulled them off successfully. And people are going to call her soft / a quitter?

Forgive my language: But get the fuck out of here. This isn't a matter of opinion, and if you feel otherwise, you're basing your opinion off skewed resources. Her body of work is as impressive as any athlete that's competed.

Now, let's talk about why her openness about the situation is important to youth sports, because it's very relevant in 2021.

Players and parents are putting themselves into toxic situations because of fear. It's a huge problem we have to address. I have had parents use the term 'hateful' to describe the coaches at their child's program - only to sign them back up the following year. The reason? Fear of the unknown. They get treated like crap, but at least they know the kids and are part of a group. Fear that things could get even worse somewhere else. In some cases for high-level athletes, threats from directors to use their connections to actually hurt the kids' chances at playing at certain schools.

Youth sports is a booming industry financially - and we're killing kids more than ever. And so many of them would benefit from walking away from bad situations, but FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) continually prevails. And certain programs absolutely leverage that FOMO.

Normally in my state, travel ball tryouts occur after high school season. This year? The region took a vote in May to move it up to July - weeks after the last season ends, and before high school season even starts.

I have had a huge amount of parents and players express their displeasure on the change privately. But one parent put it pretty bluntly: "We're slaves, it's pretty sad isn't it?"

That's why Simone's decision matters to me, and it's why it should matter to you. This isn't about quitting. This is about mental health. This is about pushing back against a system that openly promotes injustice towards individuals for its own good. And it's bad to see it at the Olympics, and it's certainly bad to see it in youth sports.

Because goddammit, we're coaching 11-18 year olds. These are kids. This isn't supposed to be about bids or championships. This isn't supposed to be about playing in college (16 out of 17 high school athletes won't), and it's not supposed to be about scholarships (99 out of 100 won't receive them). It's supposed to be about the kids and helping them develop into strong adults, not about how much they can help our program beat other programs.

It's supposed to be about teaching kids how to deal with failure. How to work towards goals, and how to respond when you fall short of some of them. It's supposed to be about building resilience, giving one's best effort, and working well with others.

It should be about coaches helping them through their mistakes, not chewing them out when they do it wrong.

And if we're doing it right, we should be teaching kids about having ownership of their own life. That if they commit to a goal, to go for it with everything - but also to know when maybe it's time to take a break or change course.

Because on top of all this, it's supposed to be fun .

Families currently spend thousands of dollars a year, countless hours of travel, only to serve the program that should be serving them. It makes no sense to me. And powers-that-be are only trying to tilt the scales more in their favor - it's why pre-pandemic, a report projected youth sports to be a 77 billion dollar industry by 2026 .

Youth sports sure doesn't seem like it's about the youth nowadays, does it?

We don't call someone a quitter when they leave a toxic job for a new one - quite the opposite. We don't call someone a quitter when they stand up for themselves and pull themselves out of an abusive relationship. And yet, here we are, witnessing a system breaking its greatest athlete, someone who has been a wonderful ambassador to the sport their entire career - and we're taking it out on the athlete instead of questioning that system.

What are we teaching our kids?

I don't know how this plays out. But I have hope. I think Simone will let the games play out, then speak out on exactly what happened. I hope people take those words to heart, and I hope parents and players pay close attention. I hope they consider if the greatest Olympian of all-time can respect herself enough to listen to that inner-voice that says "this situation isn't healthy for me", that maybe they can do the same.

Because no athlete deserves to be abused by the system that's supposed to protect them.

One Year, Zero Cases

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 19:47:30 GMT

There's an irony to using the phrase "coaches are thieves" when I snagged that line from another coach. But it's true: So many of the things I preach to our athletes came from coaches that influenced me.

But there are a few originals of mine. One of them is "If luck is when preparation meets opportunity, you better cover your half of the deal".

And for the last year, we've gotten incredibly lucky - but we also prepared. Today marks one year since we re-opened our doors - and I'm proud to say we did not have a single positive case affect our program during that time.

It has not been an easy journey. I'd like to share it with you. Three reasons: First, I know there are other people that have had similar experiences, and watching videos of nurses/teachers/etc. that felt very isolated in their beliefs on what should be done to keep people safe, and I wanted them to know there are others that share those beliefs. Second, I wanted to write a bit about the experience as I know the details will only get hazier with time. I could probably write a book on the last year, but this will do just fine.

And finally, I'm writing it because while I don't boast about a lot of accomplishments, this one means something to me. I have spent the last year doing whatever it took to serve my community. It's taken its toll on me financially and mentally. So while I don't have a tangible asset to show for the effort, I want people to know that while it was incredibly hard, it was and is feasible to run a sustainable program while following the health department guidelines to a T.

We had two and a half months to prepare. The toughest decision early on was to stay inside or go outside? There was ample evidence that being outdoors was better to avoid transmission. But last year we didn't have the information we had now, and a few challenges remained: We were going to have to share bathrooms with other groups with no control over the sanitation: How did we feel about that? If a player got sun-sickness and showed symptoms that were most likely not COVID-related, but were aligned with what we were supposed to look for, we were supposed to quarantine the athletes. We regularly have players that would show up without eating and would need to sit out: Was it worth risking a two-week quarantine for groups every time that happened?

Ultimately, we decided to use our indoor facility. It actually worked out fairly well: We ran into no weather-related issues, the temperature was consistent and players did not experience heat-related issues, and we had full control of bathroom sanitation as well as everything else. Our players that wanted to participate in tournaments did so, but our social distancing protocols at practice were enforced in a manner so that even if a case did come in our program, all participants would have been considered low-risk.

We put 15 minutes between each practice to sanitize/swap out tables/chairs/volleyballs. We had 2 courts, so we made 4 sets of volleyballs so that no two groups ever used the same volleyballs back-to-back. Coaches were masked even when it wasn't required of the players. Players had their own table, and we had medical-grade sanitizer (80% alcohol) at each table. Players sanitized right before going onto / after getting off their court. We asked players to avoid high-fives/unnecessary contact, and while occasionally the excitement of a great play got the best of them, as a whole they got creative with their air high-fives/celebrations.

We frequently kept in touch with the IDPH to make sure our protocol matched what they recommended. For all the controversy in the media, their guidance was pretty clear from the get-go, and creating a risk mitigation plan based on their parameters undoubtedly led to our zero-case accomplishment. I am thankful to Matt, Omayra, and everyone else who took my calls/emails and helped me along the way. I know their jobs were incredibly challenging over the last year, and I hope their supervisors recognize their efforts as they really did step up to pretty much every question I brought their way.

From a programming perspective, it went great. Administratively? By far the toughest year of my life.

My parents and players were phenomenal this year. I seriously don't think we're giving enough credit to their flexibility. Month-to-month, our athletes' schedules were being tossed around like ragdolls. We would work around a school/travel program schedule to make a training schedule of our own, only to have to start over when those organizations would change their practice schedule. It was a constant state of adjustments for our families, but we worked together and made the best of it we could. Those first few months were crazy with week-to-week schedule changes, although it became a bit more structured as the year went on.

The mask mandate provided the biggest challenge. When the state made that announcement last August, I went to the mayor of our town to discuss what options we may have: We were functioning in a manner that was Phase III compliant, even though we were in Phase IV. All our groups were pre-determined: We didn't have any programming where random people participated with random people. We hadn't had any cases leading up to that point, and I was hopeful that there was some wiggle room.

I worked with him on creating a waiver that parents/players would basically state they understood the IDPH regulations, and were choosing to participate without a mask regardless. For the first week or so things went well. Then, an anonymous complaint came in to the state about what we were doing. I explained I was told the municipalities were the ones enforcing the health code restrictions, and I worked with mine to create that waiver. I was told in no uncertain terms that the state DCEO (Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) were the only ones that could grant exceptions - and at this point no exceptions were being granted.

I said I would respect their rules, but I had one concern: Would they hold my competitors to the same standard? I knew that my adults were not going to be happy with the new rule, and if they were given the opportunity to go maskless elsewhere I'd be losing a huge chunk of my business. They assured me everyone would be held to the same standard.

Sure enough, the other two places did not enforce the rules, and a lot of my renters left. That was bad enough - then November's surge hit and we were all limited to one-on-one activity only for two months. To make matters worse, other programs continued to run normal programming, and the state said that despite the fact that we had no positive cases in our program to date, we would not be able to do non one-on-one programming until the case numbers went down.

So basically, I was given a choice: Stay true to my morals and pay for everyone else's behavior, or break the rules because others were getting away with it. Meanwhile, I'm getting daily calls about rentals/training, only to get 'thanks anyways' when the mask mandate / one on one limitations were brought up.

These were some of the darkest days of the pandemic for me. I had gone to school and bought into the social responsibility stuff I learned en route to my business degree. I had worked in quality control and learned about adjusting protocol for our lab when regulations changed. And, despite feeling completely qualified to handle a pandemic, I was somewhat being treated like a fool by a large part of my community.

But there was a quote that I heard early in the pandemic that struck me: “In the end, it will be impossible to know if we overreacted or did too much, but it will be QUITE apparent if we under reacted or did too little.” I am sure many people will point out that other places ran events, and as far as they know there was no serious consequences that followed.

Maybe. All I know is, to this day there's always the risk of infection - even if it's far less as people get vaccinated. I was lucky where I didn't lose anyone on a first-degree basis, but I knew all too many people that weren't so lucky. Parents of friends/acquaintances. Siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends - there was a run where I knew four people that lost loved ones on the same day.

I know a lot of organizations skirted the rules because they simply didn't know any other way to stay sustainable. And I empathize with that - but I also can't help but wonder if perhaps the last year should be a wake-up call in youth sports. Organizations like ours should be in place to serve the community - not the other way around - and if the current state of youth sports can't survive without constant participation of X amount of kids, then maybe we need to re-evaluate the model. I'm all for capitalism and sustainability, but it shouldn't be so difficult to create playing opportunities for kids that avoid unnecessary risks to their health/the health of those around them.

So to those that thought what we did was over-the-top, just know it was from a place of love. It wasn't political, it was humanitarian. I knew I could never 100% guarantee we wouldn't have a case in our program. What I knew was I could put certain things in place that ensured I knew there was nothing more we could do to protect our players while providing a fun environment at the same time. And on that note, I know we succeeded.

To my Progression Family - parents, players, staff - I am beyond thankful for your patronage at our facility. I am thankful for your willingness to accept the parameters we put in place even though other places didn't require them. I appreciate the kind words throughout the year - there were a handful of times where a conversation with a parent was exactly what I needed to keep going.

I feel I've gotten much closer to many of our patrons through this experience, and as things continue to go back to a new sense of normalcy, we look forward to continue striving to provide the best programming possible for them.

And with any luck, next year's cake picture will have two candles :)

Bryan's Beach Blog Chapter 10: The Art of Winning Ugly

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 18:26:48 GMT

"It's not sexy, but it works." - Adam Gustafson caught on camera while watching Joe Baker and I play at Waupaca 2012. He was right - it wasn't always pretty, but Birdman and I had a knack for coming out on top in close matches.

Every Thursday, Coach Bryan will be writing a recurring piece detailing his journey to getting back in shape/training to be the best beach player he can be. You can read the last excerpt here .

Last time we were here, I had just come off one of my best playing days since I started playing again a few years back.

This Sunday was a much different story. Rough night of sleep, and didn't end up eating breakfast (Note to young athletes: WE HAVE TO EAT BEFORE PLAYING. Every time our athletes struggle with the outdoor heat, it's rarely dehydration: The athletes just haven't eaten. I know this. And I still screwed up!)

Luckily the bay is temperature-controlled, so I wasn't dealing with dizzyness/nausea: What I did have was dead legs. I'm not talking about being slower and jumping less: I'm saying I'd try to take my last two steps of my approach, and my legs would just give.

My defense was poor due to a lack of chase, and I had a lot of poor attacks due to my timing being all jacked up. Despite this, I ended up coming out with a 4-1 record, with my loss being 29-31 and a lot of unforced errors on my end.

3 of my wins were only by 2 points as well. So a few plays could have went the other way and I'm looking at a 1-4 record instead.

As a coach, I stand on the shoulders of giants: The majority of what I preach to players is something from other coaches/players that resonated with me. But one original quote: If Luck is when Preparation meets Opportunity, you have to cover your half of the deal.

I'd be willing to bet that my record has been fairly strong in close matches for my career. And in many cases, luck has presented itself in the form of opportunity. So what have I done to prepare for those moments?

One thing I try to get our athletes to do every time we play is follow the story of the match. Too many players get sucked into the score/results while losing focus on the process. I think anyone can do it, but it does take effort to make it part of your game.

By the technical time-out, 12-9, 11-10, etc., these are the things I'm trying to figure out:

* What are we doing well? How do we continue to do so?
* What are we not doing well? How do we improve that?
* What is the other team doing well? How do we stop them from doing that?
* What is the other team not doing well? How do we exploit that?

These are things that every competitive athlete should be assessing as a match goes on. Because at 14-14, if I've figured out the answers to those questions, and my opponent hasn't, barring a meltdown in our physical play I feel confident that I'm going to come out on top more often than not.

Our game is so cerebral. A new quote I've been trying to instill in our young athletes is there are two players and four corners. I want them constantly trying to figure out what the other team is leaving open, and how to take advantage of that. I also want them to be self-aware of where they're at in relation to their partner/make sure they are balanced and ready to chase on defense. If the other team finds a weakness, the sooner we can adapt to take that away, the less damage the other team can do.

The best teams I've seen are not the ones that are always perfect with their fundamentals: They're the ones that figure out a way to get the job done when things aren't going well. They're the ones that don't break mentally when things get tough physically, make a new plan, and execute it. You cannot let a bad play turn into a bad game. You cannot wait for the big plays to bring the energy: The energy is what gives you a better chance of making the big play.

When adversity strikes, are you going to find a way to try to win ugly, or will you just end up playing ugly?

Next Tuesday is supposed to be a high of 81, so checking now to see if our KOB guys are gonna try to go outside. We recently upgraded our software a bit and now stream matches on both Twitch AND our Facebook page. Excited to continue to expand ways to bring content to you all!

Until next time, be good to each other & may the lines bounce in your favor :)

Have a question/topic you'd like covered in a future blog? Contact us and let us know!

Bryan's Beach Blog Chapter 9: The Need For Rest & Recovery

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 19:43:59 GMT

On the way home from Louisville after USAV Indoor Nationals in 2013. My teammates teased me about it, I said if they didn't feel this way after 3 days of playing they didn't go hard enough!

Every Thursday, Coach Bryan will be writing a recurring piece detailing his journey to getting back in shape/training to be the best beach player he can be. You can read the last excerpt here .

As of 4:30 on Tuesday, I was looking for a sub for our men's KOB group. I had missed the last three weeks as well. Work has been busy, and I haven't been able to do the things I wanted to for my body over the last month. I've been good with my diet, but my shoulder has been sore and as my left leg is an inch longer than my right, I have a history of back issues when I'm not taking the time to stretch on a regular basis.

It was becoming clear that a sub wasn't available, and I decided to allow myself to just play for 2 hours and have a good time. I stepped on the court for some king of the court to warm up, and moved like the tin man for the first 3 passes.

Uh oh. This could be a rough night.

I channeled the wisdom of Dr. Jerry Lynch: You cannot 100% control the results - but you always 100% control competing like crazy with your hair on fire. I told myself I was going to give my best effort, compete with my partners to the best of my ability, and whatever happened happened.

I proceeded to have the best physical day of ball I can remember since opening the new facility. My arm was firing well, and my legs loosened up pretty quickly - my approach felt explosive and I felt like my cross-court swing was sharper than it's been in quite some time.

I sat in my office for about 30 minutes after and reflected on the night: I had no right to feel that good: I've hopped in to play a few times over the last 3 weeks and felt rough. What happened?

What I realized was I had a really good night of sleep Monday night. 7 1/2 hours of deep sleep. Normally I get about 6, and I wake up a few times a night. I struggle to get good sleep on a day-to-day basis, but I've noticed when I get a good night, the next day I perform athletically at a much higher level.

On the flip side of that, I've had 3 instances of bad play that were bad enough that I can pin-point them: 2 of the KOB's where I didn't make it to the winners' pool, and one Sunday that I went 1-5. The W/L record wasn't what bothered me: I lose all the time, it's part of sports. But my mind wasn't as sharp in adjusting in-game, and physically I was fighting my body to do what I wanted it to do those days.

All three days, I had less than 6 hours of sleep.

As we speak, our high school volleyball athletes are playing both for their high schools and clubs at the same time. I know some kids going right from one practice to the next - 4 hours of play in one day, on top of their school obligations and anything else they may want to do as a kid.

I'm concerned for my athletes. I've been concerned for years - and if you feel I'm over-reacting, don't take my word for it: Dr. James Andrews is the Michael Jordan of sports surgery, and he's been trying to get parents and players to stop letting kids over-train for years . If you don't read the article, this sentence is all you need to see: “The culture of sports, youth sports pretty much dominates parents’ thinking and coaches’ thinking. And it’s hard to crack into that culture to kind of get them to understand that sometimes, they’re doing more harm than good with the pressure they put on these young kids to specialize and play year-round and play two leagues at the same time.”

I spoke to a friend whose daughter just played a tournament in Kentucky. We were discussing the workload these kids have, and I mentioned how every qualifier/national event I've gone to, it never ceases to amaze me how many 11-18 year olds are on the bench on crutches/in a sling. "It's funny you mention that - I actually had the thought how I had never seen so many knee braces on athletes!"

It doesn't have to be this way.

When the pandemic first hit, I watched a lot of webinars about re-introducing our kids to sports, and one primary message was consistent: We have to ease the kids back in. We have to be aware of the kids who haven't been able to exercise for the last few months, and we have to plan our practices accordingly to build up their endurance/stamina.

The current landscape may not give athletes the opportunity to strike that balance. If they want to play high school and travel ball, and those schedules coincide, then that's the hand their dealt. So it's that much more important that they're taking care of their bodies. Proper sleep, proper nutrition, and stretching, working out in a manner to maintain core strength/flexibility are all keys to an athlete being able to perform at a high level if they're playing 2-4 hours a day, 5-7 days a week.

Over my career, I watched certain athletes put the time into playing, but not the things listed above. And the sad thing is, if they cut their training time in half and focused on getting their bodies ready for competition, they probably would have had much better results. But having a good touch to the ball doesn't do you any good if you can't physically handle the grind of playing these grueling tournaments. It's not about who's the best on paper: It's who can get their body to perform at a high level in those semi-finals and finals. It's who can play 3 matches earlier in the day without their body seizing up. It's who can find that extra gear in the tiebreaker set, when everyone's tired, when everyone's body is telling them to stand instead of staying low, when everyone's having to work that much harder to do the little things that often separate the victor and the defeated.

Who's prepared their body for the task at hand?

I've always felt there's a difference between being a good player and being a good athlete. You want to be both. If you're a good player, but you don't have the physical ability to get to the ball, your passing/setting/hitting ability doesn't matter. If you're an elite athlete, but you can't get the right spacing to contact the ball properly, all you'll do is hit the ball further out of bounds. It's important to find that balance: Learning the fundamentals to be able to execute on the court, as well as preparing your body to be able to perform those fundamentals.

Simply put, we must do the things off of the court to prepare ourselves to excel while on it.

Wrapping up summer programming details, I'm hopeful I'm close to getting myself back in that weight room/on the court on a regular basis again. For those that are looking to improve their game, I recommend the replay from Tuesday night (It's only up for 2 weeks from the play date, so 4/27). Lots of talk between my partners and I on strategy, and I'm really enjoying feedback from people saying they're getting a lot out of the commentary.

Have a great week, be good to yourselves, and maybe I'll see you during #FilmFriday tomorrow at noon!

Have a question/topic you'd like covered in a future blog? Contact us and let us know!

Bryan's Beach Blog Chapter 8: Battling On And Off The Court

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 21:52:20 GMT

Photo shoot with my better half, 2018. I had a REALLY rough day mentally. These shots always serve as a reminder that you never know what pain people are hiding. Photo Credit: Michael Gomez Photography .

Every Thursday, Coach Bryan will be writing a recurring piece detailing his journey to getting back in shape/training to be the best beach player he can be. You can read the last excerpt here .

I had my first meeting w/ a counselor this morning.

It wasn't anything too crazy - we've got plenty of time to dig deep. It was an opportunity to get to know each other a bit and just get an overview of what we're trying to accomplish together.

As an athlete, my primary goal was simple: To be the best I can be individually. In a sense, that's what we determined for me as a person as well during our session. We talked about some things I can add to my day-to-day routine that may help with efficiency/getting through the tougher days.

You may say this blog isn't very volleyball-focused, and you're not wrong. The truth is, at 36 playing volleyball is supposed to be supplementary to what's really important. I'm not making my living with it. I do enjoy playing, but when things get busy, I know how important it isn't. I told everyone this was not going to be all the positive stuff, and I think our mental health plays a very big role on our ability to focus on what we're doing as competitors.

My mom broke her foot on Friday - she's doing well, but I wanted to spend time with her this week and help her out as she got used to the new normal for the next 3 months. We're working on our summer camps/programs, as well as a few other things in the works. I'm also maintaining the current programming, and with the weather fluctuating as spring begins to make its move, there's a lot of changes/correspondence with all our renters.

Simply put, I don't have a lot of free time, and while sometimes volleyball is exactly what I want to do to work through tougher times , at other moments, I just need a break. It's kind of like working in an ice cream shop: Sometimes, you just want to eat something else, no matter how much you love ice cream (I love both).

I think it's important to stick to commitments - and don't let the last few weeks fool you: I am still making this push to play. But the truth is, if I don't take care of my mental health, I'm not going to make a very good run. I have to be dialed in when I play, I have to be able to focus on the areas of improvement, and I have to give myself structure that will allow me to make this run in the manner I want.

I hope that people reading my blogs are taking bits and pieces that are relatable to their own experience. But we have to be aware that everyone is different. Everyone has different things in their life that make their situation unique. I think it's important for people to really be aware of what they need and make sure they're acting accordingly.

For me right now, I feel like I just need to focus on other things in the short-term. I'm going to postpone one more #FilmFriday as I have a speaking engagement Saturday and want to fine-tune it, among everything else on my to-do list. But I'm also going to focus on getting better sleep, eating at the right times, and rehab the shoulder so I can play without worrying about it. It's tough because with coaching I do have to serve a lot at some of my lessons - so I don't want to over-do it before I even get started.

So to those that are ready from a volleyball perspective, I offer simple advice: Give your best, but realize when what's best for you may not always be what you're doing on the court. It may be what I'm doing with my mental process, it may be your exercise, it may be your nutrition, it may be sleep, it may be rehabbing your body. Recognize that playing for the sake of playing isn't always beneficial. You have to put the time in - but you have to do things off the court that will allow you to perform with a clear mind when you're on the court. If deep down you need a change of this nature, and someone tries to tell you otherwise, just remind yourself that it's not them that has to deal with the consequences of not taking care of yourself. Some people have good intentions, but you have to do what's best for you.

And for all those reading? Be good to yourself. It baffles me that there's a stigma with talking to someone/trying to get tools to make your life better. I've wanted to do this for a long time - finances have prevented me from making it happen for quite some time. It was getting to a point where I felt it was more costly to wait. There's lots to be done, but I'm excited to get myself in a better state of mind, so I can be better when I'm training, and hopefully these blogs will go back to talking about the fun stuff. And if you've always wanted to, but have felt self-conscious about doing so, I'm always a DM away and happy to give you any insight that may benefit you.

Have a great night everyone - we'll see you next Tuesday if not earlier.

Have a question/topic you'd like covered in a future blog? Contact us and let us know!

Bryan's Beach Blog Chapter 7: Competing For Your Own Purpose

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 20:59:04 GMT

2014 Match at North Avenue Beach - We lost a close one against this team that I believe came from Venezuela - I recall it being one of the most competitive battles I ever had on a volleyball court.

Every Thursday, Coach Bryan will be writing a recurring piece detailing his journey to getting back in shape/training to be the best beach player he can be. You can read the last excerpt here .

Russell Westbrook is an NBA superstar who was voted League MVP in 2017. A few days ago, he recorded a 35-point 20-assist triple double - if you don't understand what that is, that's OK: All you need to know is it's never been done in the history of the league .

After his extraordinary feat, a high-profile sports analyst grilled him, talking about what his game was lacking that would hold him back from ever winning a championship. Literary pieces and sound bytes of this nature have really dulled my passion for following sports as a fan over the years. However, Westbrook's response came through my social media, and I'm glad I didn't miss it:

"A championship don't change my life... My legacy is what I do off the floor, how many people I'm able to impact and inspire along my journey man. That's how I keep my head down and keep pushing because it's very important that you don't let the negativity seep in, because it's been like that my whole career, honestly."

Absolutely loved it. And feel there's something to take from this, especially for the 11-18U athletes and their parents.

16 out of 17 won't play in college. 99 out of 100 won't get an athletic scholarship. of the 1% that make it to play on scholarship, about 1% of those athletes will continue to play for money beyond college.

The point is, no matter how good you are, there's always a way to measure how good you aren't - and you don't have to do that to yourself. Playing to be the best you can be is your best bet to achieve the best results of which you are capable. Measuring yourself on your effort (which can be 100% controlled at all times) and not the results (which you'll never have 100% control over, no matter how hard you try) can make for a much more enjoyable athletic experience.

There is such a peace of mind that comes when you tune out all the outside negativity and focus on your process. There's also a peace of mind in knowing that, if you have other hobbies/commitments that don't make athletics your primary focus, you don't have to be defined by your win/loss record. So many great people I've met through coaching may not have won as many games as their peers - while the competitively driven athletes were putting extra time in additional practices or in the weight room, they were busy interning or studying for their craft outside of volleyball - many of them preparing to change the world for the better in ways that transcend the court.

You can control your own journey, and you owe no apologies to anyone else along the way for why you play the game.

If you personally don't like the results of your athletic events, you have to look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself: What am I going to do about it? If my current training/playing regimen isn't allowing me to get the results I want, then what am I going to add to give me the edge necessary to change the outcome?

One thing I try to stress to my athletes is this: There's no wrong level of commitment to athletics - as long as you honor whatever commitments you make. It's OK to play for the love of the game, the social aspect of belonging to a high school team, to simply feel like you're part of something bigger than yourself. Sports can and should be fun.

I've had parts of my life where volleyball has been my #1 priority: I've also had moments where playing could not be further down the list. Sometimes that can vary week-to-week depending on my workload. What's important is that I'm self-aware of what's important to me in the moment, and that I'm putting the work in that aligns with my goals. It's part of why I haven't played the last two Tuesdays.

So: My advice to you? Whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability. For those that chase greatness, be a competitor in the classroom, the workplace, the court - and your competition is with yourself to be the best you can be. When you're on the volleyball court? Leave it all on the floor. Give your absolute best effort.

But if volleyball is secondary to you to your career/education, and after a particularly difficult day you just need to play a game and unwind a bit, then be good to yourself and don't beat yourself up over every mistake. Let the game be a game.

Find a balance in your life doing what you want to do, live your life balancing those things as best you can, and don't let anyone steer you away from your true passions. If you're enjoying the balance you've created for yourself, then you're winning in life.

Working on my own balancing act as we speak. Hoping for playing to become a bigger part of my life in the near future - for now, work and mental health are the priority. Looking forward to getting back at it next Tuesday, and #FilmFridays continue tomorrow. Until next blog!

Have a question/topic you'd like covered in a future blog? Contact us and let us know!

Bryan's Beach Blog Chapter 6: Connecting With Your Partner

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 21:54:28 GMT

2014 Rosemont Champs - Gotta give credit to the EVP for creating a unique venue. Jerrod Quillen and I weren't perfect, but as a whole he was one of the easiest partners to connect with on the court and I did my best to reciprocate.

Every Thursday, Coach Bryan will be writing a recurring piece detailing his journey to getting back in shape/training to be the best beach player he can be. You can read the last excerpt here .

After 8 straight Tuesdays battling alongside and against some of my volleyball brothers, I decided to take the evening off and watch the action from the sidelines (technically end lines in my case).

I was really impressed with the level of play - I feel like this new King of the Beach format we started using two months ago has dialed people in to play every point with purpose. People were starting to understand that one bad run could be the difference between competing for that night's crown or dropping down to the lower pool. Players sulked less and strategized more.

We've had a lot of parity in the group. No one has always made it to the upper bracket, nor has anyone been stuck in the lower bracket. So, as I watched Tuesday's action, I thought about what the defining qualities were that separated who came out on top week after week.

While physical ability played into it, I feel the biggest factor has been mental: Who is connecting best with their partners?

We play with six different people over the span of two hours, and everyone has their own set of strengths and weaknesses. Which player did the best job of figuring out what their partners' were, as well as the best way to compliment them?

Who was figuring out where their partner wanted their sets? Up and down or more of a push set? Higher in the air or faster tempo? Who was communicating with their partner on how to better the ball when they were out of system? Who was scanning the other side after setting the ball and giving their partner data on what was exposed by the defense?

Who was the partner that was picking their partner up after a rough play, and who were the partners that got stuck in their own head after bad plays and didn't allow for that connection/reset?

Some of these aren't necessarily tangible: But if they were, I assure you the people with the best statistics in these categories are the ones having the best results week in and week out.

It's not easy to protect a court with only one partner, especially as you play against better competition who are equipped with a variety of hits/shots to find the exposed areas. The teams that try to guess and chase have a much harder time compared to two athletes coordinating their tactics to balance their areas of responsibility. Having two defenders working together to limit the amount of attacks that can score successfully can often be the difference between the winner and loser of a match.

The big boys that play at our facility must have been running out of luck finding a sub, because I got a call to play tonight after I coach. Looking forward to sharing the court with some guys I haven't balled with for quite some time: I'll spend the first few plays calibrating my sets to what they want, figuring out our defensive system, and trying to play in a manner that brings out their best qualities. I may do a bonus blog talking about tonight's action, we'll see!

Film on Twitch tomorrow at noon CST, then back to the KOB next Tuesday. Hope to see you there!

Have a question/topic you'd like covered in a future blog? Contact us and let us know!

Bryan's Beach Blog Chapter 5: For The Love Of The Game

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 03:03:56 GMT

2014 Big Dig - My last Open-level tournament win. My arm was hanging by a thread at this point, but I always seemed to play my best when I was having fun.

Every Thursday, Coach Bryan will be writing a recurring piece detailing his journey to getting back in shape/training to be the best beach player he can be. You can read the last excerpt here .

It's been a crazy week.

Friday my Aunt Melissa passed away. I received a text message informing me at noon - the exact time I was set to go live for our first #FilmFridays session (reminder that I'll be live again tomorrow at noon for episode 2!).

Melissa is the first family member I've lost from the generation directly before mine (I realize how lucky I am to say that at 36), and a reminder that time is passing me by. I did cancel my Friday evening lesson as I was feeling pretty numb, then worked 24 hours combined on Saturday/Sunday. I really hadn't had much time to process everything going on.

Monday evening I had to coach, and my advanced juniors/adult group wanted to work on reception of tough serves. I hadn't planned on that, but gave what I had that night. 45 minutes of aggressive float/jump serves, and mid-way through as my arm is starting to get achy I'm already thinking of getting a sub for Tuesday's KOB. Then we scrimmaged for an hour, and while I wasn't hitting aggressively I was playing defense/transitioning fast.

I woke up Tuesday and my body felt ROUGH. I have not gone back-to-back days successfully in lord knows how long. But it was really the first moment I was able to take a breath in 96 hours. And when I did, I had the feeling:

Mentally, I need this.

Before I started my own business, volleyball was simply my passion. I played because I loved the game. It was always a great stress reliever. It's admittedly been a challenge to feel that way since I've made running facilities my full-time gig. I've wanted to want to play more than I actually wanted to play, if that makes sense. Kind of like someone that works at an ice cream shop: When you're around it all day, at some point you don't want to eat all that often.

But with everything going on in my life, that desire to just go on the court and ball for 2 hours rushed back to me. Didn't care if I went 0-6, I wanted to just let loose for two hours and I'd accept whatever the results were. Avoid injury and just be with the boys.

First game of the night was a bit bumpy, losing 18-21. I never like losing, but it didn't sit with me all that long: I knew I had better ball in me.

I made plenty of mistakes - but none of them weighed me down the way they did the week before. My body was tight but I felt so... loose. My defense flowed - I felt very at ease/patient, and I felt I was initiating better footwork, allowing myself to get to balls I had stabbed at to no avail the week before. I felt my transition was extremely smooth - we talked about spacing last week, and I really think it's been the saving grace given I'm the least athletic of the eight guys on a weekly basis. I had my share of missed serves, but as a whole I felt I was moving the opponents quite a bit, disrupting their offense and giving my partner and I ample opportunities to capitalize.

I know a very select few players that can truly play better high-level ball when they're angry/emotional. If I ever had that gear in me, that has changed dramatically as my physicality has deteriorated. As a whole, this game is so cerebral, and the previous week, I felt my physical issues completely compromised my ability to process my play in the moment. It's hard to strategize when you're distracted by everything that feels wrong.

Luckily, none of that was a problem this time around.

There was one close game in particular where both teams were making some pretty bad unforced errors going into the final stretch of play - including some of my worst plays of the night.

But I had a confidence in the outcome that I had felt plenty of times during my competitive days. I could feel the bad plays the other team made sitting with them - and mine were just rolling off of me. Because while it can be hard to remember in the moment, one bad play only equals one point for the other team - unless we carry that negative energy to the next play and disrupt our focus at the task at hand.

Sure enough, despite those errors by me, we came out victorious. Didn't drop a game the rest of the night, and for the fifth time in eight weeks, I walked off the court in the top spot.

If you asked me to give you my favorite quote as a player/coach, it'd be hard to pick just one. Perhaps it would be John Wooden's definition of success . But in that top tier would be a simple statement Ed Rateledge shared with me in 2017:

" Expectations are the thief of joy".

The previous week, I was struggling early, really feeling how my body felt like crap, recognizing the results were not what I knew I was capable of achieving, and dwelling on that the majority of the night: The film doesn't lie and you can hear me just dialed in on the glass being half-empty that night. This week? My body easily felt worse. But I just let go . I didn't even fret about wins and losses, good or bad play, or anything results-based. I let go of all expectations and just played for the love of the game . And sure enough, I truly felt like I couldn't have played better with what I had that night.

It was great for two hours to just be an oversized kid playing a game I love.

I've already decided I'll be taking next week off - but I still plan on live-streaming and commentating. I'm going to try to get footage from both courts and provide coaching commentary with a side of playful banter with the guys.

Sometimes, the best thing we can do for our game is remember it's just a game. That doesn't mean not competing hard: It just means not making such a big deal out of when it's not going our way. Not only will we play better, but we'll have more fun in the process.

One last thing, more important than anything volleyball-related. I have always been notoriously bad for thanking family members for cards/gifts/etc. Arguably one of my worst habits. For whatever reason, I snapped out of that and messaged my aunt this December after her Christmas card arrived. I thanked her for the card, as well as the overall role she played in my life. It was exactly what I would have wanted to say had I been able to have one last chat with her.

If you ever get the urge to tell someone you love how you feel, just do it. You won't regret it.

Hopefully I see some of you tomorrow on the Twitch stream (I may try to multi-stream it to Facebook too - not sure if I'll pull it off but I'll share on social media).

Have a question/topic you'd like covered in a future blog? Contact us and let us know!

Bryan's Beach Blog Chapter 4: Why Spacing Matters

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 19:57:15 GMT

March 6th, 2011 - 10 years ago from the Saturday before I wrote this. It's been quite some time since I had a view that high up in the air while attacking!

Every Thursday, Coach Bryan will be writing a recurring piece detailing his journey to getting back in shape/training to be the best beach player he can be. You can read the last excerpt here .

Tuesday was the toughest day of ball I've played in quite some time.

The previous five weeks of our men's KOB group I had made it to the winner's pool. Then this week came around and it was a perfect storm. My left leg was feeling pretty off - I had bowled with my dad the day before for his birthday, and my left glute was incredibly tight - Kristin (Shameless shout-out to my wonderful better half by the way - for the last 6 months she self-taught herself and last week passed her ACE certification to be able to become a personal trainer. Her determination when she goes after something is admirable) was trying to loosen it, and if she was interrogating me I would have told her whatever information she wanted - the pain was 9 out of 10, and I have a pretty high tolerance. Our cat has also decided I'm on call to feed her 24/7 and decided she wanted a 3am snack - and no wasn't being taken for an answer.

I did a pretty good job of taking care of myself throughout that day, but admittedly the week before had been busy and I did no arm rehab. Despite that, I walked on the court feeling pretty confident mentally.

And then the games started.

Mike and Steve had been in my pool the previous week, and neither made it to the winners' pool. It was not due to a lack of ability: They're two of the more athletic guys in the group. At 6'4 and 6'5, they're also one of the bigger teams when paired together.

My first match was against them, and it started well enough: We weren't playing great, but we found ways to side out and went into the 3rd side switch only down 10-11.

And then the pace picked up.

There were some really good, really LONG volleys. Unfortunately, we found ourselves on the losing end of them: A 10-3 run to finish the game gave them the 21-14 victory. More importantly, we were only one game in, my leg was not firing well (I actually liked how aggressive I was moving upon watching the film: I just couldn't get off the ground, and my attacking suffered accordingly), and I was feeling fatigued in a way I hadn't since the first week.

I won my next two games, but the point difference forced me to the lower pool. I went 2-1 in that pool as well, but we were all pretty rough, and I would say it was some of the worst ball I played. I definitely was struggling to strategize with my partner because I was just trying to find my legs/catch my break between plays all night.

I wasn't able to review the film until late last Wednesday, but one thing became clear in my losses: Bad spacing.

I think, along with moving with proper mechanics in the sand, spacing is the most important thing to teach our athletes. One of my favorite stories about Kerri and Misty as a team (Just saw a stat that said they had a 384-16 record... to put that in perspective, you could lose just once every 20 matches you played and they still had a better winning percentage while playing against the best competition in the country. What a team) was that they would sometimes train with a bungie cord attaching them to each other. The idea was if a dig got launched out of system, they had to stay close so that the next ball could be simpler.

I tell our athletes all the time about this story, and I try to get them to create an imaginary bungie between them and their partner: There is no bad pass that's playable: Only a bad transition. Don't apologize to your partner: Hustle to make their set (and your attack) easier. The best teams aren't always in system: The best teams are the ones that can better the ball when things get chaotic.

Tuesday I failed at that. I was launching my sets to my first partner - I thought he was taking a straight approach, but film doesn't lie: I was pushing my sets outside his body. Missing a right-handed hitter to their left compromises their ability to use their core, and I didn't put him in a position to succeed. I feel that was the biggest controllable factor that went over my head, and the results spoke for themselves. I did get to play with that partner again in the lower pool, and we proceeded to win convincingly after talking it out and giving him a faster-tempo set, which also happened to be located in a better spot.

The second loss of the night was the same issue but in a different manner. I was setting the ball more up-and-down, but my partner was coming in straight. As a right-handed hitter on the left-side, I learned from Jeff Nygaard to come in at an angle because right-handed hitters cores naturally can snap forward and to the left - not so much to the right. So, by taking a straight approach, it makes it really hard to have access to the sharper part of the cross-court when attacking.

Did I lose you? Hopefully not: If so, don't fret: I'll be going live tomorrow on Twitch at noon ( link ) to start a new segment called #FilmFridays where we break down film, and when you can see it, the above information will make a lot more sense.

My partner that match is a great attacker. But some of the passes were off the net, and it's that much more important to kick out when this happens. It's really hard to hit a ball coming from almost directly behind you.

Spacing is so important. It goes beyond hitting: I need to transition forward before my partner passes the ball so I don't have to chase after a good pass. After passing I need to transition to make the set simpler for my partner - or at higher levels, get to the spot I need to be to connect with a tempo set. On defense, we utilize the tightness of the set to determine our spacing, to put ourselves closer to the shots that will be in the air for less time, and give ourselves the chance to pursue others that will be in the air longer.

Simply put: You can have the best technique when it comes to passing, setting, and hitting, but none of that matters if you don't get yourself underneath the ball in the right position. And the better you transition as the ball's going to your partner, the less you have to scramble to catch up to it once it's your turn to contact the ball.

When my spacing was right, despite my poor physical play/condition I won each match. I think it's a testament to the above.

That being said, I put in a good cardio session tomorrow. I have shoulder rehab scheduled between coaching sessions this afternoon, and looking forward to continue to stretch each day leading up to the next KOB.

Losing isn't fun. But it's an opportunity for us to be self-aware and figure out what we need to work on to be better prepared for the next battle.

I'm looking forward to mine next Tuesday. Have a great rest of your week everyone, and if you're free, maybe I'll see you tomorrow!

Have a question/topic you'd like covered in a future blog? Contact us and let us know!

How To Crush Your Tryouts

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 16:10:52 GMT

This photo brought me back to my days of trying out - standing among my peers, feeling both excitement and nerves about what was about to happen.

Today is the first day of tryouts for many high school volleyball players in my state. As someone who's been cut, made teams, and ran tryouts as a coach, I wanted to give them a little advice on how to make the most of their opportunity today.

Dear Athlete,

Feeling anxious today? That's totally OK - probably even a good thing. Lou Holtz used to say if you didn't get anxious before a big game (or tryout in this instance) that it didn't matter enough to you. Bill Russell, arguably the greatest winner we've ever seen (11 NBA titles in 13 seasons), used to throw up before every game.

I'm not suggesting being that anxious, but you get the point.

There are some things I want to share with you to hopefully give you the confidence to make the most of your tryout. And that really has to be the goal: The ugly truth is, you do not have 100% control of the results, no matter how hard you work today. But that's sports in general: Every volleyball match, one team has to win and one team has to lose.

What we do have 100% control of is how we conduct ourselves: The process. And that's what I want to talk about with you today.

You control your energy: How much effort are you giving? That's physical and mental. Are you dialed in when your coach is speaking? Are you locking eyes with them when they talk? Are you paying attention to what they're saying? You may think you already know what they're talking about, but you may not know something later. Building the habit of always giving the coach the feeling you're listening when they're speaking is important - make sure when their eyes scan the group and make it to you, they get the right impression.

You control your intent. When I say intent, I mean what you're trying to accomplish on the court. To be specific, let's use serving as an example. Are you standing at the line afraid about screwing up, or are you going to give your best effort to put that ball over the net to a precise location? Neither guarantees success, but I can tell you I've never met a server (or a player doing any skill) that was more successful by being hesitant versus a player that just goes for it.

You're going to make errors. Make sure you give yourself the best chance possible by trying to make the play vs. trying to not screw up - there's a huge difference, and I promise you'll play better when you get after it.

When you do make mistakes, you control how you respond to them. There are two paths to go down. The first is to get down on yourself, more nervous, or embrace negative emotions that are destructive to you and will make it harder to perform the task the next time. The second is your best bet: Assess why it happened. Was it my footwork? Was I not low enough? Was I early/late to contacting the ball? Then, try to give yourself a positive statement. "I'm going to beat the ball to the spot next time" "I'm going to swing earlier so it doesn't hit my forearm next time", and then learn from it. If you don't know what you did wrong, don't be afraid to ask a coach for feedback. They know most athletes are not finished products, and everyone is going to make mistakes. They may choose you over your peers if your level of play is close if they believe you're more willing to be coached/can develop better skills faster.

You control your attitude - even when it doesn't feel like it. Remember: EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES. This game is hard. 25-15 looks like a blowout on paper, but that team that won lost 3 out of 8 plays!

How you respond to those points/plays that don't go your way matter. You need to show competitive toughness. That means giving the best effort you have, being the best teammate you can be, and keep your enthusiasm on the court, no matter how good/bad things are going. That means keeping your head up when you make mistakes, and that means being there for your peers when they make mistakes too. This is a very team-focused game, and you need to show your ability to help make your teammates better in ways that go beyond the physical part of the game.

If your skills aren't as good as you'd like them to be that day, then you at least need to show the coach that you deal with adversity well/won't shut down when it happens during season. This is as important as anything for those that may be on the bubble for making their team or not.

At the end of the day, if you walk out of tryouts saying "Good or bad, I gave the best I had today" - that is literally all you can control. Giving your best physical/mental best effort every moment of tryouts is your best chance of success - it's as simple as that.

Process over results. Do your best. Have fun: We all play better when we enjoy what we're doing.

I wish you luck!

Bryan's Beach Blog Chapter 3: The Importance of Intent

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 14:39:20 GMT

2013 Waupaca Finals, trying to figure out (unsuccessfully) how to stop Billy Kolinske/Skylar Del Sol. Photo Credit: Michael Gomez Photography .

Every Thursday, Coach Bryan will be writing a recurring piece detailing his journey to getting back in shape/training to be the best beach player he can be. You can read the last excerpt here .

I had an interesting conversation with one of the players from the Tuesday KOB group. It started after pool play concluded. Our group of four was particularly challenging that evening: Our sub was a first-time player in the group but very talented: The other two guys were arguably the most physical two in our group that night. I was the fourth, and I knew I had my work cut out for me.

Everyone played incredibly hard, and as a whole I'd say everyone played very well. As I tell my players, no matter how hard each team works two people have to lose every point. I snuck into the winner's pool, but my buddy got the short end of the stick that night - he lost 3 closely contested matches.

"What did I do wrong?" He asked as he sat in the sand looking dejected. He felt he had played well physically - and he did. "MAXIMUM EFFORT!" is something he always says after crash-landing diving for the ball, and indeed, there was no extra energy to be exerted. But while sometimes that's just how the breaks go, I did feel there was one thing missing from his game: Something you can't chart, something that I feel separates those who seem to always find a way to win vs. those that just fall short.

He's one of the best athletes I've shared the court with. 6'5", incredibly athletic for his viking-esque frame, and a versatile skill-set. Physically and fundamentally there isn't a blatant weakness you can exploit. He has a high volleyball IQ.

I remember the first time I played him in a tournament. It was 2011 in Racine WI. After a grueling split of the first two sets, the third set started with 2 tape shots (hits that hit the top of the net) by me to score points. And for years, that match has become a bit of a mythical creature: he'd tell the story of that match, and it turned into three, then four, and at one point EIGHT tape shots. Think about your friend that caught a fish and every time they boast about it, you notice the size of the fish gets bigger.

I've played with and against my friend for a decade. On some nights, you can see it coming: A ball hits the line, he just misses a diving save, someone has a weird play happen and it scores against him: And he's completely bewildered about it.

The legitimacy of the point in his mind has a tendency to cloud his focus on the next play at hand. Bad breaks turn into emotion, emotion clouds logic and reason, and there's a distraction from the play at hand.

In our game together, the last one for the pool, our communication broke down. Things were pretty steady for most of the game, and then a few bad breaks happened. A great serve that landed on the line. A hit that went just out of bounds. And all of a sudden, we're no longer playing with purpose. The effort was always there, but our strategy chats disappeared, our defense became random (I take credit for my shortcomings too as I ended up cheating on defense trying to do too much to compensate - a topic for another blog), and we lost by a few points.

Beach doubles is an incredibly chess-like game. Don't get me wrong: Indoor 6's has a huge depth to its strategy as you move up the ranks. But with two people trying to cover an entire court, a team can strategically manipulate their opponents in ways you can't in indoor 6's.

On top of the physical battle, beach doubles is a sport of mental fortitude: Which team can stay more dialed in on the task at hand? Who can stay in the moment?

It's challenging to maintain a balance with this. We need to assess what's happened in past plays to make good decisions, without getting consumed by those details. We can't get distracted by worrying about the future result of winning or losing - but we also need to be aware of when time is running out in a match/when we may need to make a drastic move.

There is no magic equation that will always guarantee victory. But put two teams against each other playing at a similar physical level, and I'll give the advantage to the team that has intent on every play. As matches go on, a team should be assessing what's working and what's not for both sides. If things are going well? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If things aren't? A change needs to be made.

Simply put, we must have intent with what we do on every play to have the best chance possible to succeed.

We continued the conversation the following day: My friend had watched the film, and he recognized the breakdown in communication. I owned my part of it - I got caught up in the moment as well and played sloppy in the process. It was a good moment of self-awareness by both of us. Randy Pausch once said "experience is what you get when you don't get what you want", and I do feel it was a good experience for both of us.

Arm is sore, but I feel like it's firing better every week. Just need to get the vertical back so I can have better range with it. Still having mobility issues in serve receive and I found myself forcing my cut-shot at times, but just need to put the reps in and be patient. For now, a few days of shoulder rehab, starting a stretching program the better half is helping me establish to focus on some of my physical weaknesses, and back at it next Tuesday.

Be good to yourself, be good to others, and I'll see you next Thursday (maybe Tuesday if you watch the live stream ).

Have a question/topic you'd like covered in a future blog? Contact us and let us know!

Bryan's Beach Blog Chapter 2: One Step Forward, Many To Go

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 21:52:22 GMT

Warming up before a 2013 semi-final in Clearwater Beach. 8 years ago Wednesday. The physical part of the game was MUCH easier back then. Photo Credit: Michael Gomez Photography

Every Thursday, Coach Bryan will be writing a recurring piece detailing his journey to getting back in shape/training to be the best beach player he can be. You can read the first excerpt here .

Hello everyone! Last time we spoke, I was in the process of bouncing back from arguably the worst night of ball I've played in years.

One thing that I've missed from competing was the anticipation: I always had my calendar dates circled for the next tournament. It could be as big as Waupaca or as small as a local 2's event, but there was always something I was preparing for.

It has been 4 years since I've had that feeling - I haven't trained to compete since 2017. But after last week's poor showing, I was very dialed in to properly take care of myself leading up to the next KOB.

I did 2 days of my shoulder rehab - I wanted to sneak a 3rd in, but some days work throws me some curveballs and I have to prioritize it. I tried to get better sleep, as well as proper hydration/nutrition. The group plays just for fun, but it was nice to feel that excitement again: Three more days, two more days, one more day...

On Tuesday (the day of the KOB), I stretched in between work sessions. I arrived early to the facility early to get things set up so that I could actually get a warm up in (which still wasn't the full warm-up I want, but we'll get there).

We'll get to the results, but one thing I try to instill in our athletes is championships aren't just won on the tournament days, or even just at practice. You have to outwork your peers, and that's an around-the-clock process. Some may have success due to natural talent. At some point, they'll run into an opponent with those same gifts and a work ethic to match.

The commitment to myself paid off: I went 5-1 but more importantly I felt much better physically - it was night and day from the previous week. My vertical is still MIA but I felt faster, my arm was definitely firing better, and as a whole my passing felt smoother given I was able to get my legs more involved in the process.

Win-loss record aside, progress can be a beautiful thing, and it was evident. But there's still a lot of work to be done.

I did a physical assessment yesterday, and from an athleticism perspective I have made some goals that I'll be chasing in the weight room. I want to improve my core strength and flexibility. I'd like to get my vertical back, and I'd like to improve my arm strength/stability. My hamstrings need a LOT of work.

As a player, I need to fine tune a few things as well, although I probably won't start incorporating training for it until the above is handled. But even just when I play, here are a few of the things I'm noticing from the film:

*I need to transition closer to the setter - on the right side I need to line up closer to my setter to have an easier time attacking line, and I also need to shorten my approach until my legs are stronger. My first two steps aren't getting me where I need to be to get my last two more up-and-down (less crucial in shallow sand, but ours is deep), so while I'll lose a bit of power I feel my range will be better. I'm also really wide on defense - I'm putting myself in decent locations, but when balls are hit to my left or right I'm just stabbing instead of using a push-step and actually trying to shape the ball. I also think it'll give me better chases on shots.

I'm also having a really weird habit of not taking my eyes to the defender when I'm calling a shot for my partner after my set. I run and teach a very simple process: Set the ball and turn your head (April Ross is PHENOMENAL with this) - is the blocker there? If no, NOBODY! If yes, where is the defender?

I have been calling high line a lot without actually doing this process. Maybe it's just because it's typically open, but teams are running a lot of bait-and-switches, and I felt this was the factor in my one loss Tuesday. So I'll be trying to be more disciplined with that moving forward.

On a positive note, I feel like I'm in a really good place mentally. Perhaps it's knowing I have the mic on me, but I just feel like I'm handling adversity with as much poise as I've ever felt. One game my partner and I started down 1-6, but we stayed the course and turned it into a 21-19 victory.

It was far from flawless: My lone loss started with a 5-2 lead and unfortunately we had some untimely physical errors - but from a mental perspective I felt we kept our composure. Mental mistakes to be corrected, but nothing due to over-reaction/emotion.

Lots to do still, but this was a step in the right direction.

For now, back to the grind. See you all next week!

Have a question/topic you'd like covered in a future blog? Contact us and let us know!

Bryan's Beach Blog Chapter 1: Getting Through The Bad Days

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 22:02:00 GMT

Every Thursday, Coach Bryan will be writing a recurring piece detailing his journey to getting back in shape/training to be the best beach player he can be. This is the first piece in the series. If there's anything specific you'd like him to discuss, please message us and we'll do our best to cover it!

I have a long path ahead of me. I told everyone this wasn't gonna be all sunshine and rainbows.

A couple days ago was the first Tuesday I tried to live-stream our men's KOB group while being mic'd up. Definitely some technical difficulties to work through. I made the bonehead move to wear literally the thinnest shirt I had, so the transmitter was flying off of it left and right. There is a wired mic that allowed me to clip the transmitter to my shorts, but the reception kept having issues. By the end I had changed shirts and I believe it'll work better next time, but it was a lot of trial and error.

As a player, this was the first time since starting to play a few weeks ago that I played 2 physical sessions in a 3-day span. I felt pretty good on Sunday, but yesterday I walked into the sandbox feeling pretty weak. My arm hadn't fully recovered and the swings I took reflected as much. More importantly my right knee/quad was just a little off and I was really struggling with my approach - if I went at my normal rhythm I wasn't getting the jump I needed, but every time I tried to step-close aggressively my right leg would give a bit - one swing in particular I really tried to get up, only to almost fall, burying the ball in the net in the process.

36 isn't old in the big scheme of things, but the recovery time sure isn't what it used to be. I walked off the court in a pretty dark place that night.

Here's the thing: I knew that's the result I deserved. I haven't put the time into training/working out, and my lack of recovery from Sunday was the first time I had really felt the impact of that. It didn't help that I didn't eat enough going into practice - I felt like I was running on empty a lot of the 2 hours because in essence I was. Add the fumbling of the mic every few plays and I wasn't dialed into the task at hand as much as a competitor should be.

Objectively, I played the way I prepared: Poorly. My frustration was knowing what it's going to take to fix all of this, and already feeling pretty crunched for time on a day-to-day basis.

Did I bite off more than I can chew with this mission?

After a meal and talking it out with Kristin a bit, the answer was no. This is part of the journey. As much as my ego hates to accept it, days like yesterday are really more what I want to broadcast than the victorious days anyways.

We don't talk enough about the adversity athletes face en route to their goals. Pushing through it is what separates the best from their equally-talented peers.

Because there is good that comes from the bad days - if we allow it to. Don't get me wrong: I was definitely frustrated with some of the shortcomings. But one thing I was pleased with was my overall poise when the play was at hand. I felt like strategically I made choices with intent. I felt like I never allowed myself to disconnect from my partner when things got rough. I went 3-3 but secured 2nd out of 8 players overall on the night because I won all my tiebreaks due to points scored in losses.

It was one of my ugliest sessions physically in a long time. But when the ball was in play, I felt I kept my composure mentally. It was the best I had that night.

Once I stopped feeling bad for myself, I assessed the things I need to address: I owe it to myself to prioritize my nutrition, especially on the days I'm playing. There's ALWAYS going to be more work: I need to shut it down earlier so I can get a proper warm-up/stretch in vs. setting things up while everyone else is on the court.

I need to rehab my shoulder consistent with the amount I'm playing. When done properly I feel I still have a pretty good attacking game: But last night it had no pop, and defenders were rightfully playing me accordingly, picking up a lot of shots that typically are available, and pushing me to force shots that led to a lot of unforced errors. It was a bad attacking performance: if I've had a worse one, I couldn't tell you when it was.

Simply put, what little time I've dedicated to myself over the last year has solely been as a player. It's time to become a better athlete again.

Bad days on the court suck. It's always tough when you know you're capable of doing much better. But we have two paths we can go down after days like Tuesday: We can be destructively critical of ourselves and let it hurt us, or we can be constructive and use that experience to focus on efforts where they need to be so we get a better result next time.

Today's a new day. Lots to do work-wise, but lots of stretching and good nutrition are on the agenda. Going to try to avoid play and focus on strengthening my core/improving my flexibility, will give it another go next Tuesday.

I'll be writing these updates each Wednesday with the goal of posting on Thursday. If you have anything specific you'd like addressed, please don't hesitate to reach out - I want to keep the content relevant!

Stay safe, be good to each other, BE GOOD TO YOURSELF, and I look forward to sharing this journey with you all.

Fighting Against Injustice In Youth Sports

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 14:56:08 GMT

I was on a podcast Wednesday and looking back at the interview, I was admittedly a bit... sharper in my tone than usual. Over the years I've done my best to be more tactful in my delivery of what I feel. But listening to a little bit of the replay, the frustration is evident in my voice.

While the tone wasn't my intent at the time, I 100% stand by my message. The topic that got me going was the question about transgender athletes in athletics. And while I do think in certain situations there's a discussion to be had, my frustration stems from the idea that people are having this conversation with the goal of "avoiding having opportunities taken away from hundreds of thousands of girls in youth sports".

For those that want to make that argument: I hear you. But I think your efforts can be re-directed towards situations that occur far more frequently.

I watch on a regular basis kid after kid come to our program, terrified to make mistakes, playing with a hesitation in their game that puts a blatant ceiling on what they are able to accomplish. Above every X and O in my book, to be a successful coach I have to be able to get my kids to play relentless/full speed. Part of that process requires young athletes to recognize that they have to be more willing to try to make the play vs. trying to not mess up. I need them to understand they won't get punished for errors - especially at practice where we're learning our limits and pushing our boundaries as athletes.

But here's the problem: Kids are smart. And they're aware. And in many cases, they're coming from situations where they do get punished/yelled at for routine mistakes. Here's a list of scenarios to ponder:

*Kids playing for programs where they lined up 13 year olds on the wall. The tallest group become the 1's team, coached by the best coaches. The shortest kids are on the lowest team, and in one scenario my friend's 5'3" daughter was assigned a high school kid coaching them. (This is a nationally-renowned club by the way).

*Kids who have been put in competitive cauldrons at club practice, and the better or worse they do, the better or worse the quality of coaching they receive.

I know some people will argue is part of sports. Hear me out: When I coached club, I did always tell my parents that playing time was a privilege not a right, and I had to teach my kids to compete. But they all paid the same amount to play. They all want to get better individually. So it was always my goal (and in my opinion, my job) to ensure every kid got the same attention/opportunity for growth no matter what their skill level.

Unfortunately, this is not the norm. And our kids realize it. The fear those situations create is preventing them from playing with the confidence needed to succeed.

*Last one although the examples are plentiful: One of the sweetest, hardest working 8th graders I have in our program gave Kristin and I a Christmas Card. "Thank you for not yelling at me when I mess up."

Literally, as a coach, I feel this is the least I can do.

If I come off as angry, I want to clarify: I LOVE our athletes. I LOVE the families that come in the door. I'm not an angry person. I am passionate about using youth sports to better kids' lives. It breaks my heart when it does the exact opposite, and I am passionate speaking out against it because at the moment, the industry is fairly accepting of the above situations as the norm.

I will continue to coach with love, and I will continue to speak out when I see great kids getting a lesser opportunity for no other reason than having peers that happen to be bigger/faster/stronger.

Coaches: Please don't ruin your kids' youth sports experience chasing wins. Coach to win, but not by alienating the less talented kids and focusing all your energy on the biggest/fastest/strongest.

Parents: Stay aware of what's happening in practices and don't let any coach tell you your child deserves anything less than the same opportunity for growth as their peers if they're putting the effort in, regardless of their talent. I know a lot of you are worried about giving your kids the best opportunities possible, and sometimes with changing programs, you worry about what could go wrong vs. what could go right. Just know that if a program is making your kid question their self-worth or potential, you're always better off looking elsewhere.

Kids: Never let a coach make you question your value. Our job isn't to berate you for what you're not - it's to give you the tools and push you to find out what you're capable of becoming. But it should never come at the expense of your self-esteem.

You are more than your ability to pass, set, or hit. You are more than your win/loss record. You are more than your playing time vs. your peers.

You are unique. You are wonderful. You are enough.

Conquering Your Brick Walls

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 07 Jan 2021 14:02:10 GMT

7 years (and 6 abs) ago, my partner and I pulled off the most satisfying win of my volleyball career.

I woke up this morning and my friend Jerrod had tagged me in a Facebook memory: The picture you see in the background was the two of us after winning the first event of the 2014 Bradford Beach series.

Aside from being our first victory together as a team, the team we defeated in the final was Billy Kolinske and Kyle Buckley.

There's a saying that goes "Brick Walls are there for a reason: To prove how badly you want things." As a competitor in beach volleyball, Billy and Kyle were the toughest brick wall I ever competed to get through.

And brick may not do them justice.

At 6'6", Billy is pretty well-known player on the AVP tour now, but he built a portion of his foundation by terrorizing Joe Baker and I with his Monstar-esque wingspan and versatile side-out game. Kyle Buckley isn't as well-known outside of the Midwest, but Kyle was one of if not the smartest players I ever played against. A fairly tall defender, his mechanics were absolutely beautiful. There literally wasn't a part of his game I felt we could expose where he wouldn't make an adjustment if needed. He had a goofy personality, but underneath it was a killer instinct that always seemed to help him make the big plays when he needed them most.

Over a span of 2 years I had lost a match to them in 12 tournaments, a few times losing twice to them in the same day. 4 semi-finals, 6 finals.

But as time went on, you could see the gap was narrowing. The first few encounters were simple beatings: We were a formality en route to them playing their true competition that day. Over time, we were becoming better players, our system was getting cleaner, and we were improving our nutrition. We started taking sets off of them.

The 13th time was the charm. 20-18 in the third set of the final. We played a little above our normal level, they played below theirs. It could have EASILY gone the other way. But if luck is when preparation meets opportunity, you still have to do your half of the deal.

I had prepared for years. Opportunity struck. I feel lucky to have achieved it.

That's the thing that makes these victories special - they're never guaranteed until that final point hits. There are a few players in the Midwest I never took a full match off of. I had taken matches from them separately, but never as a team. I say confidently I never lost to another team so many times.

All these years later, when I think of this victory, much like that final point, I still think about the path to get there more than the day itself. For me, the journey truly is greater than the destination. It was always about the journey to get to that point. When I'd defeat someone for the first time, I always thought back to the beatings I had to take before I was ready to overcome them. I'd think about the practices, the workouts, the sacrifice to the social life.

The sweetest triumphs are never the ones that are easy. They're the ones that on paper looked to be the most unlikely. The ones where we're David and the opponent is Goliath. Who doesn't like a good underdog?

Ed Rateledge once told me "Expectations are the thief of joy." and I've never forgotten that. It also makes sense that the most improbable wins are the most enjoyable ones.

Championships aren't only won during the match - far from it. It's countless practices, early morning alarms, cutting out the foods that taste the best, missed social gatherings, and a lot of losses to build up the experience to know what it takes to get to the top.

It's not easy to be the last team standing. There are a LOT of hard workers out there. There are incredibly talented people. There are people that have the same goals and drive that you have.

But the supply for victory never meets the demand.

For those who are competing for something: What are you doing to conquer your brick walls?

Are those that consider you their brick walls out-working you?

Train accordingly.

A Letter To The Other Sixteen

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 19:13:36 GMT

Did you know that for every high school girls’ volleyball athlete that makes it to play in college, sixteen athletes will not?

This piece is for the ‘other sixteen’.

Ironically, I’ve coached volleyball for sixteen years, but the last decade have been focused at the juniors level. And let me tell you: I’ve had the privilege to work with some INCREDIBLE people that didn’t end up playing in college. They were hard workers, great teammates, and improved greatly from start-to-finish.

But they were so much more than just volleyball players.

I have coached musicians and actors. I’ve supported my athletes at their high school matches: watching them at their high school musicals has always taken my breath away. I went to support them, but I always found myself genuinely feeling like I would have gladly paid for those shows even had I not had a player participating in them.

I have coached free spirits. One of our athletes was one of the top people in their class and had opportunities to play in college. After looking at the landscape of things, they followed their heart, chose to renovate a sprinter van and now travel the country with their significant other and dog, blogging about their journey the entire way.

Many people may have feared the unknowns that come with decisions like that: But she’s living life on her terms. She's exactly who she wants to be. She's happy . There’s great power with that type of ownership of one’s life.

I have coached resilient people. One athlete in particular always comes to mind from early in my coaching career. Her father contacted me about a private lesson. The day before it was set to happen, he contacted me saying they were going to skip it – they felt the process was political and she didn’t stand a chance no matter what. I asked if they’d still meet & I’d refund their money if they felt it wasn’t worth it.

We talked about what volleyball meant to her and it was clear she had a passion for the sport. I said “Look – if you love the sport, and you don’t try out, you will always run the risk of wondering ‘what if’. If the star player in your position gets hurt or quits, will you wonder if you could have made a difference? You can’t control the coaching staff, but you control what YOU do to give you the chance to go after what you want”.

We did a few weeks of lessons. She ended up getting cut. But we found other ways for her to play the sport, and a few years later she sent me a paper she wrote in college about how that was the moment she stopped letting the fear of failure stop her from going after what she wants. She’s now a successful graphic designer.

Some of my former players are changing the world for the better in ways that have nothing to do with volleyball. Others are still finding their path, and that’s OK – take it from a 35-year-old that’s still soul-searching a bit to this day. But at the end of the day, every single athlete that comes through our program has had something of value to bring to this planet – and the majority of the time, it has nothing to do with our sport.

To define any of my athletes by the level they play our sport would be a disservice to them. They deserve better. So do you.

So to those of you that see their friends signing NLI’s, and you aren’t, and you’re feeling like you’re not ‘keeping up with the Joneses’, just remember: They’re not the norm. 94% of athletes are in the exact same boat. You have not 'failed', you are not alone.

As a human being, you are not defined by how well you hit a leather ball over a net, or how good you are and keeping that same ball from hitting the ground on your side. You are so much more than that.

You have greatness in you – even if you haven’t quite figured it out yet. My advice to you? Both in and out of athletics, find groups that appreciate YOU for exactly who you are. Find people for your tribe that remind you what you can be, not abuse you about what you’re not. Surround yourself with those that help build you up.

Life doesn’t always turn out exactly as we want. Doors will shut on us that we hoped would always be open. But some of the greatest things in life can come from those 'other' opportunities. Sometimes it takes years, but things end up working out the way they should.

I say with confidence that some of the greatest things in YOUR life are still to come. Work hard, be good to others, and enjoy the journey along the way.

I see you, I appreciate you, and I wish you the best.

Using Your Serve As A Weapon

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 16:38:50 GMT

Early in my career, Mike Daurenheim was one of the best players in the Midwest. I used to watch him use the first set to ‘test’ the other team – he’d serve a variety of a serves from all over the court. By the second game, he locked on to a weakness the other team had and exploited it the rest of the match.

From that point on, I always told myself I’d prioritize making my serve a weapon. I think of the biggest upsets of my career, both as the winner/loser, and one common element for all those matches was tough serving from the winning team.

When I first teach serving, I tell my athletes of all levels the same thing.

We do one of two things with our serve: We either give them an easy opportunity to do what they want/give up a free point, or we use it to create chaos – and we’re in the business of chaos.

EVERY serve should have a purpose – and it goes beyond serving player X.

Each passer has four corners that they have to move to protect – their deep corner, deep middle, short corner, and short middle. How do they pass from each location? How do they transition to hit when passing short vs. deep?

You can serve from their line, the middle, or cross court. How do they handle those angles? Do they struggle when the ball is coming from one of these angles? Now the server can choose a dozen different looks to give the passer.

What about arc/pace? Do they struggle when you put some heat on it? If you lob a deep ball to the back line, do they drop-step to get behind it, or do they stand up and try to overhand pass it? Do you change your speeds the way a pitcher may alternate between their fastball and change-up?

Are they more effective attacking from the pins or the middle? What serving locations can you choose that make them work harder to get to those spots on the court?

There are so many different ways to use serving to your advantage – but above everything, you have to have intent.

As servers, we want to disrupt the rhythm of the other team. Keeping them guessing on how the play will be initiated is a great way to do it. It makes big teams not-so-big – once they’re off the net, they’re just like everyone else. It can lead to unforced errors by the other team. It can be one of the biggest factors for two evenly-matched teams when deciding who will be victorious that match.

Remember: The serve is the ONE thing that’s just you and the ball. Build your routine. Practice it in a manner where you can put it where you need to. Be aware of what the other team wants to do and use the serve in a manner that takes that away.

Serve wisely.

(Photo Credit: Michael Gomez Photography )

What We Know And Don't Know About COVID In Youth Sports

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 18:21:43 GMT

Let's have an objective analysis on the state of athletics in my local community.

The rollercoaster continues.

On Monday the IHSA announced they would allow athletes to participate in club activities during their spring seasons (normally, when girls volleyball runs in the fall, no outside training is allowed while in season for participants). About 24 hours later, due to cases being on the rise again, our county and three others will be going back to Phase III protocol effective Friday.

There has been a lot of chatter on social media about the decision. A lot of people are understandably upset about the changes. There are MANY opinions on the subject matter.

I am certainly no scientist. There are huge portions of the state I cannot speak on. I’m going to stay in my lane and focus on what I know from my actual experiences the last 4.5 months. The details below will not be about what I have heard or read on social media.

I simply ask you to reflect on it with your own experiences. These are not judgments: They’re observations that I think should be considered as athletic directors react to the recent decision by the state.

I’m in touch with the county and state health department on a fairly regular basis to make sure we’re up-to-date on what recommendations are. When we shifted to Phase IV and max participant numbers were increased from 10 to 50, I asked if anything had changed from a medical perspective. It was made clear that this was done for strictly economical purposes: Cases were low enough where they felt we could loosen the restrictions a bit, and this would help businesses like restaurants where 50 patrons vs. 10 can be the difference between surviving or not. But the parameters on protocol were the same: 6 feet apart, constant sanitation, limit unnecessary contact as much as possible. Effective August 15th, all indoor athletic activities were required to have participants wear masks.

Those are the recommendations. This is what I know. This is what I also know:

*I’ve watched about a dozen Facebook Live athletic events from people in my local community. Not a single one followed the health department guidelines.

*I’ve watched a large portion of people on my newsfeeds post media of them in groups of people not following the health department’s guidelines.

*I’ve had parents and players tell me about numerous situations where their other athletic activities have been in direct conflict with the above recommendations. I’ve seen it with my own eyes as I drive around town and see fields with spectators and teams closely huddled in situations where it wouldn’t be hard to simply put themselves an arm’s length apart.

*I’ve seen that other local indoor organizations have not been requiring the mask mandate that the health department has recommended post-August 15th – even after we had a small outbreak at an outdoor facility less than an hour away from us.

*I know a lot of people who have gotten it, had no symptoms, and have been physically OK. I also know some high-caliber young athletes who have been completely compromised by this – including trips to the hospital due to having difficulty breathing. I have a former player who was in the hospital 3 times and is now over two months with lingering effects.

*In one particularly interesting situation, I had someone contact me about renting the courts for their daughter’s birthday, it’d be about a group of 30. When I explained our mitigation plan, they understood why that wouldn’t work out. Then the following exchange happened:

Customer: “Honestly, I don’t blame you. There was a party in the city a couple weeks ago, everyone got it.”

Me (confused): “You saw this on the news?”

Customer: “No, it was someone I know. An older guy died, another person is in the ICU. It’s crazy.”

This person was completely serious.

Up to this point, I had thought “I really hope it doesn’t take someone losing someone close to them to start taking this seriously”. I never considered the idea that some people would truly embrace the idea that this is just the way it is, and live their lives on their own terms no matter what happened moving forward.

I’m not here to tell anyone what this virus is or isn’t. There are plenty of sources that will reinforce the idea that this is ‘just the flu’, that the death rate is incredibly low, or that this is all some political hoax. I will not judge them for having a different set of sources that they’ve been conditioned to trust.

But this is what isn’t a matter of opinion: Anyone actually being objective can see that our community, both in and out of youth sports, has completely failed in following the basic safety protocols the health departments have put in place. Cases are back on the rise, we’re already watching other states have their hospitals overwhelmed again, and if something wasn’t done, it was only a matter of time before our healthcare system was threatened as well.

For those mad at the state, I have a couple questions:

Have you followed protocols?

If so, do you feel everyone around you has followed protocols?

If not, where should your frustration be directed?

I think one thing we can all agree on is we’d like to provide our kids with as much normalcy as possible, regardless of what we feel about the virus. I’ll conclude with a line my friend said months back, and it’s always stayed in the back of my mind.

“Not following basic safety protocols is like not touching the line when running suicides. It doesn’t matter how you feel, we are all going back to the line.”

Just Get Better

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 15:29:30 GMT

"Good players don't get missed."

While recording a podcast with two other coaches and talking about recruiting, one of them made this statement. They’re right you know: In 16 years, I have never seen an athlete with Division I caliber talent/drive not make it.

If you’re good enough, they’re going to find you.

It’s such a simple concept in such a complex time, and yet I think a lot of parents and players get distracted from it.

The first three are stolen from Pat Powers (coaches are thieves!), but these are the five things that college coaches care about when recruiting an athlete.

1) Will this player make our program better?

2) Can this player be coached? If they come from a different philosophy are they adaptable?

3) Do they make their teammates better or worse? How do they handle adversity?

4) For the 99% of kids that won’t get an athletic scholarship, do they have the grades/financial means to attend my school?

5) What is their character? Will the player be a liability when left to their own devices?

I am sure various coaches will order them in importance differently or add little footnotes, but this is what matters.

It’s not the organization you play for – some get the genetic outliers/train them, but know EVERY organization has far more kids not make it vs. ones that do (and for those that claim every 17’s/18’s player gets recruited, I would love to know how many athletes from 12-16 went through the program and didn’t make it that far).

It’s not the amount of championships you have – National Opens carry weight obviously, but there are so many tournaments that won’t properly reflect one’s ability to compete at the collegiate level – the coaches know it, you should too.

It’s not the combines/showcases you go to. I recognize the value of making in-person connections with coaches. But if you’re good enough, those same coaches will be interested in you if you send a good email/highlight tape. You may even be more interesting to them as they’ll feel like they’re on your short-list.

And if you’re not good enough? Then the combine/showcase simply shows those coaches that. That's the other elephant in the room that we don't talk about: Combines/Showcases will help the athletes that are already good enough. They can still connect with those coaches with the emails/highlight tapes. There isn't an event in the country that will benefit an athlete if they're not up to snub.

Think about the NFL Combine: You have to be invited to participate. The players there are already vetted/of interest to the coaches. I don't want to crush anyone's dreams, but I also think it's the responsibility of us 'experts' to be honest with players and not sell them something that's not realistic.

So, all that being said, what do I suggest to those that want to play in college?

JUST. GET. BETTER.

Put the work in. And I mean WORK. Make sure you're putting your time in the weight room to improve your athleticism. Take care of your core/flexibility - I cannot recommend yoga enough. Make sure you're taking care of your diet/sleep.

Work on your weak points of your game. For my freshmen/sophomores already trying to reach out to coaches, don't send film saying "do you have a spot for me" - send film asking what you need to work on the next 1-4 years - then do it.

Get outside your comfort zone. You hit cross really well? What about your line shot? Do you have shots? Does your technique look the same leading up to contact for your hits/shots or do you have tells?

Raise your basement.

Continue to be self-aware. Constantly look at your game for holes, then put the time in to fill them.

Are you hearing me? JUST. GET. BETTER. There is no short-cut. The demand FAR exceeds the supply. In girls' high school volleyball last year, there were over 450,000 high school players nationally. There are less than 6,000 scholarships.

Simply put, the best way to make it to the college level is to do everything with your training to be the best player you can possibly be. Don't let others tell you otherwise.

Remember: Good players don't get missed.

The Importance Of Tournaments In Youth Sports

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 14:20:01 GMT

When talking about juniors beach volleyball, a director recently asked me: "Do you think competition is part of the overall experience?"

They had posted on a coaches forum talking about their program. Four years in, their numbers have grown drastically and overall they were pleased, but they noticed for beach that kids didn't seem interested in tournament participation, and they were trying to figure out how to change that.

The short answer to me was "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" - but I also know the director is looking around and seeing all these programs tout their tournament victories after every weekend, and it's easy for people in their position to feel like they're falling behind. So I'd like to expand a bit.

The below is just my opinion - but it's rooted in quite a bit of experience. I've coached kids of all levels/commitments - from National Champions and All-Americans to a group of friends whose parents just want them to learn a little bit about the sport and play together. I've also watched how a bad youth sports experience can destroy a kid's love for the game. If anything comes off as harsh, just know I'm firm on my beliefs because I feel as directors, it's important to not lose sight of the responsibility we have to parents and players who are investing their time and money - regardless of their level of play or how competitive they are.

So: back to the original question: What role does competition play in an athlete's overall experience?

Let's start by talking about the word 'competitive'. To me, being competitive means giving your physical/mental best effort, every play. You can win without being competitive, you can lose while being competitive. The win/loss record does not reflect competitiveness. For those that don't agree, I ask you this: If my kid gives 100% every play, what else can they do to give themselves a chance to win?

So, let's make something clear: If you run the programming right, while tournaments can be part of the youth sports experience, they aren't the only way to run a competitive program.

I do push our kids to put value in that competitive drive they have while on the court. I want them to be excited to work on self-improvement - even if it means a LOT of mistakes along the way. I want our kids to challenge their opponents and vice-versa, pushing them to be the best they can be - and I want them to do it while never losing respect for them. I think it's silly when we adopt a club-vs-club mentality - these kids are all 11-to-18 years old, they all have common bonds in what their goals and dreams are for the sport - and some organizations ingrain a youth-sports-turf-war mentality into them. It was eye-opening when I started working for clubs and I saw the way kids were being told to view other clubs - in some cases those kids had good friends at the other program, and they were being taught to think they were the 'enemy'.

I don't consider this being 'competitive', nor do I think that should be part of the overall experience.

In regards to pushing kids into playing tournaments/not playing tournaments, for the ones that are driven it doesn't take a lot of nudging. Those college-bound athletes I coached, I didn't really have to 'push' them. I simply had to provide the blueprint, and in some cases, they went above and beyond themselves. I assessed where they were at, helped them fine-tune the areas of improvement, provided schedules for tournaments (and in many cases, the parents found out-of-state tournaments themselves), and made sure they were utilizing their training time efficiently. To pretend I 'created' their success would be a disservice for how hard they worked.

But for them, they were some of the best in the area, and they needed a coach that would push them not to just roll over 16-to-18 year olds - they needed coaching that prepared them for when they were the freshman playing against 19-22 year olds. That was the part of their experience I was responsible for - to create competitive moments every time we step on the court.

I've also had those kids that love playing sports, but they are more focused on their future careers, or other hobbies (other sports, music, acting, etc.), and wanted athletics to be secondary vs. primary in their lives. For indoor, it's tricky because a team of 10-12 kids needs everyone committed/aligned to be successful. In beach, we have an easier time providing exactly what a kid wants without alienating others in the program. So I still hold them to the same standards at practice (physical/mental best effort every play, respect your teammates) - but some of them may never play a tournament throughout the year.

I think used properly, competition is valuable for coaches to assess what their kids are retaining/what we need to work on next. It's why we end every practice with game-like scenarios - I need to see what they do when a coach isn't providing feedback, what they're figuring out, and where they need more guidance. It's how we develop our next practice plan. But when we solely focus on the results of the kids' tournaments instead of the process they're playing with, we miss out on our own learning opportunities, and it can prevent us from making sure we're giving these kids exactly what they need.

So yes, competition matters. But it doesn't have to be a one-size-fits-all thing. If you have kids that want to travel and compete, then provide the resources (and training) to be able to do so. If you have kids that are loving the practices, great - give them in-house competition opportunities so they can still play the game without having to travel and sacrifice the time and money that requires.

So often we label a club 'elite' because of the tournaments its top teams win. To me, an 'elite' program is not labeled based on the results from tournaments - that's subjective given the disparity of level of play from event to event.

To be 'elite', I feel a program has to be able to offer good training to kids of ALL levels. Anyone can get results from the genetic lottery winners - who can coach the athletes that need the most guidance? Who can provide good training to those that need more reps to learn a skill?

Who can provide a beneficial youth sports experience to EVERY kid that buys in - regardless of physical/mental ability?

To the coach that asked the original question: Build a program that does that, and the rest will take care of itself.

Why I've Been Outspoken About Youth Sports Culture

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 14:45:29 GMT

This is my story. It is long, but for those that misunderstand my intent or perhaps even don't like me, I hope you'll at least give me the chance to understand the 'why' behind the 'what'.

Before we begin, I didn't write this to cause controversy. There's a quote I heard today from Dave Chapelle that resonated with me.

"Sometimes, you have to be a lion so you can be the lamb you really are."

I am really tired of being the lion. I know I've rubbed some people the wrong way, and I'm sorry if I ever came off (or actually made) it personal. I'm sorry when my emotion skewed my words to be more malicious than intended. I have tried to be better in recent times, but I know it's a work in progress, and know if I've hurt anyone unintentionally along the way, I'm open for conversation and am interested in making it right.

I just want these kids to have a little more control of their youth sports experience. They need that. Because I know the stories that don't make social media. I have coached kids that have dealt with severe trauma - youth sports should be something that helps to cope with it vs. amplifying some of those issues.

Our influence is never neutral, and I simply am trying to do my part to make sure we don't let kids slip through the cracks - or worse.

Below are some of my experiences as a youth sports athlete, things I witnessed as I began my coaching career, and why I hope moving forward to focus more on the positives of our philosophy vs. speaking out against the practices of others.

"All non-Italians on the left, all Italians on the right."

I was a freshman on the football team. At 5'5" 95 pounds with a size 12 shoe, I was more of a tackling dummy than anything that season. But I had some street-smarts at a young age, and that day, McDermand was 10% Italian. I watched in horror as my not-so-lucky friends were hazed by the upper-classmen. I don't know if the coaches knew it was happening, but regardless, it was an eye-opening moment to me.

This was my first experience with bullying in youth sports. But it's stuck with me to this day.

6 months later I tried out for the volleyball team as I was cut from basketball and wanted a competitive outlet. My freshman year was the first one our school had a boys' volleyball program, and the pond was suited for a small fish like me. I had grown 5 inches (which was nice - I was tired of huffing those clown feet with little legs), and after a few matches on JV I had been asked to suit up with varsity.

One of the first van rides, I made the mistake of trying to crack jokes with the guys and said something to one of the seniors. He paused, looked at me, and said "you look like Forrest Gump when he was a little kid."

For the next 3 years, I was Gump.

The nickname I could deal with. What bothered me was the feeling that no matter how hard I tried (and I did - the sting of getting cut from basketball made me realize my work ethic needed a serious adjustment), the attention seemed to be focused on my taller counterparts, regardless of how interested they were in the sport. I remember a practice starting, and our 'coach' telling the 2 varsity captains "take <6'5" freshman> to the other court and teach him an approach. If he can't do it in an hour we're all running".

I am thankful that I had a lot of great coaches along the way as well - but in those high school years, I began to experience a lot of flaws with the current culture of youth sports.

So when I literally stumbled into coaching in 2005, I made a pact with myself that every kid gets the same opportunity for development from me. I was going to care about my athletes. I never wanted my kids to experience some of the things I described above, and while I couldn't control what happened outside my program, I'd do my best inside.

There were a lot of rude awakenings along the way.

The beginning was pretty smooth. I learned a lot during my three years as a volunteer assistant at a local community college, and after transferring to play Division III Men's Volleyball I actually found myself assisting a Women's Division III Program in the fall between my junior and senior season (I am sure the guys at that school didn't enjoy their classmates cheering ME on against them at their own home match).

I found myself really loving the actual work with the athletes, and leading up to graduation I emailed virtually every Division I school in the country looking for opportuntities. I didn't hear back from 99% of them, but a few got back to me, and I ended up at a D-I program only 6 months after graduating at the age of 25.

"Awesome, this is where I want to be, this is my calling."

And then, as a two-time college transfer, I watched the head coach sell the school to kids with exceptional volleyball talent, but a clear vision on what they wanted that DIDN'T mesh with our school. I listened to coaches yell across offices as they scoured the internet for celebrities/wealthy people whose kids played their sport, openly saying who cares if they're good if their parents become a booster.

To clarify, I know there are INCREDIBLE college coaches out there. Jay Hosack at GMU, Michelle Piantadosi-Lima at Eckerd or Travis Hudson from WKU are borderline heroes to me. There are coaches like them that find an incredibly difficult balance of staying above the shady recruiting practices of many of their peers, preach about the process vs. the results, and openly love their players regardless of wins or losses - and they still find success in the W/L column.

But as a whole, there's a lot of improvement to be done. And during my time there, there were a few situations that ultimately led to my irreconcilable moment with college coaching.

I told my coach in between semesters I would not be coming back. They didn't want to lose my apartment to another sport, so they swore me to not tell the girls until the last minute.

I LOVED these kids. They worked their asses off. Started the season 2-10, stayed together, finished with a 12-8 run and made a conference tournament they weren't predicted to make. That team embodied everything you want in a group.

And without any context, I had to tell them I was stepping down and leaving town the next morning. I've done my best to reach out years later and make sure they understood what that team meant to me, but it still puts a pit in my stomach writing about it all these years later.

These are the stories of college athletics that we don't talk about.

I came back home, and a friend asked me about doing a volunteer coaching gig for a 6th grade team at her old junior high where she did her own community service. In the process, we did some camps for the other grades, and I'd start every camp by asking the girls how long they played and what they wanted to get better at. When I got to the 8th grade, they all in unison said "We don't know, our other coaches told us we sucked."

I truly think that was the moment I knew my own youth sports situation was not that unusual - and the moment I decided to be a voice for those that aren't heard. The school asked if I'd coach the 7th graders, who had a lot of talented kids, some with club experience. I said I would only coach if I got to work with those 8th graders.

We won 1 match and 1 additional set that season. It was the first time that group of kids won anything. It was one of my favorite coaching experiences of my life.

I took a full-time coaching job for a local club. I served as college liaison, ran the beach program, ran tournaments, coached some teams and assisted others. It was a valuable experience, because after primarily coaching college, it showed me things about the 11-18U volleyball community that I simply didn't know about (I had played 2 years for VERY small clubs in high school, but nothing that compared to the current culture).

While it's illegal for college coaches to contact underclassmen, I watched recruiting agencies call freshman on their cell phones (thanks to the governing bodies who pocketed $ from those agencies in exchange for contact information), ask them if they've done A/B/C, and when they said no told them they were behind if they wanted to play in college - and they could catch them up for a 4-figure price.

I remember getting scolded by a director after attending one of our beach participants' middle school matches, because the school was lower-income/lower talent than a different match that was a town over.

I thought maybe it was truly unexpected when after Year 1 of tryouts, we had a surplus of kids that required us to grab 4-5 extra coaches last-minute (and literally, they took ANYONE that could take the IMPACT certification - pretty sure we took a parent with no playing/coaching experience) - only to have them tell me we didn't need more coaches when I tried getting ahead of it in Year 2, then they did it again.

I watched the director congratulate every single group of parents with the exact same "We're excited to let you know that you MADE IT" speech - even though no one would actually get cut - and how the parents ate it up. And why shouldn't they? They believe they're talking to someone who's an expert in their field.

And then I watched the 'left-over' kids get the fill-in coaches, and how the director would act like these families were so out-of-line when they'd express concerns over the quality of their child's development when it was clear they weren't getting the proper bang for their buck.

When I started my own youth sports organization, my hope was to show the titans of the industry a system that was healthier for kids. I was lucky enough to speak with a certain individual with a LOT of power for 90 minutes thanks to a mutual contact. They were polite, it was a very candid conversation, and they agreed with all the points I made regarding the current culture/the flaws with the current recruiting landscape.

But they were also making substantial amounts of money by doing these huge combines in conjunction with the biggest agency there is. They were endorsing these programs in ways that contradicted what they admitted to me in that meeting. And the line that made me realize I was going to be doing this alone was "well, if it's selling out, it must have some value".

They could have been naive to the fact that their marketing of the events was the primary reason it was selling out. But it's hard to imagine someone THAT powerful got to that point without realizing their influence in those events.

A top organization lining up 100 13-year-olds on the wall by height. The tallest 10 were the 1's team, given the best 13U coaches in the club. My friend's daughter, a STUD athlete but only 5'3, was put on the 13-8's team w/ a 17-year-old coach.

An organization who would literally ignore phone calls/emails from the undersized kids requesting private lessons to try and catch up to their peers, only to watch those lessons being done with the 'elite' athletes.

One of the best kids I ever had the pleasure of doing private work with got cut because even though their high school coach told them point-blank they did great at tryouts, they missed a few of the OPTIONAL yoga sessions (Are any tryouts even tryouts anymore, or is it just to give coaches one last shot to make sure they didn't miss a diamond in the rough?)

And look, I get it: While the pandemic is making it's mark, if you've made it this far, you NEED to read this article on youth sports being projected to be a $77 billion industry by 2026 . While the report is no longer available, look at the amount of bullet-points involving actual developments versus the amount of ways they were trying to generate an additional $60 billion over the next 6 years.

I'm all for generating income, but there is a social responsibility to do it without destroying the outcome of certain kids' youth sports experience. And right now, quantity is focused on more so than quality.

Which leads us to what I'll conclude on, which is the current pandemic we're in.

What I know is what I don't know. I am aware of the sensitivity of this subject for certain people. All I can tell you is that my job as a youth sports director is to do everything possible to limit risk for my kids, and every webinar I've watched has preached small-groups and limit the crossing of athletes when able. Don't take my word for it - here's the Aspen Institute's resources .

Or maybe, read this powerful article from a 4-time All-American volleyball athlete who played professionally in South Korea during the beginning of the pandemic, who also happens to devote her studies to epidemiology .

I am not going to create a similar list of things I've seen in the last month that leave me concerned (and they do). All I'll do is plead with organizations: Please don't hide behind waivers and cut corners on what the above resources are recommending. Parents/Players, please hold all of us accountable as you enroll your kids. I do think it's telling that the billion-dollar pro sports/NCAA industries have been waiting to re-start, and I cannot help but worry about our 11-to-18 year old kids being the guinea pigs for what will happen once we start lifting safety protocols.

Moving forward, I am declaring myself in 'lamb-mode'. I am going to focus on our youth sports model, truly the only thing I can control. I'm going to be more public on showing what we do and why we do it. Every kid gets the same coaches, every kid gets the same system, every kid gets the same opportunities for growth and development - all while we're taking above-and-beyond measures to mitigate risk .

If you like it, I hope you'll join us on our journey.

Equal opportunity for development for EVERY kid that joins our program. Player safety being the #1 priority at all times. That's the mission statement. I look forward to sharing our experiences to anyone who feels it will help them achieve the same for their own kids. If you ever feel there's room for collaboration, please don't hesitate to contact me.

I love you all, and appreciate the opportunity to work with our kids. June has been great, but the best is yet to come.

- Coach Bryan

Using A Break To Build Young Athletes

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 16:52:39 GMT

"I'm used to be in the middle of my season. How do I not fall behind?" The truth is, this break may be exactly what you needed.

The last few weeks have certainly been an adjustment for most of us. Our athletes have certainly been no exception there.

Normally, club volleyball players would be getting ready for indoor nationals. Our players would be fine-tuning their beach games at our indoor facility before summer hits. And now? Everyone seems to be in a holding pattern.

How do we 'keep up' as athletes during times like this?

The truth is, this may help our players unlock their true athletic potential.

According to Dr. James Andrews (arguably the world's best sports surgeon), athletes should be taking 2 months off of their primary sport at minimum each year . This can be difficult when high school and travel ball seasons combine for a schedule that can run year-round. With the fear of not keeping up with one's peers, many athletes will put themselves through a 51-week-a-year season, which can lead to orthopedic injuries at young ages.

With the current landscape, our athletes are being somewhat forced into these 'breaks'.

But they don't have to stop getting stronger.

Even from the comfort of one's home, there are plenty of on-line resources for workouts that athletes can do to stay in shape so that they're ready to go once athletics resume. A great new series (free of charge!) Is Reid's Workouts COVID 19 At Home Volleyball Workouts . I appreciate Reid's work because he understands the type of workouts volleyball athletes need, and I think you'll like his content!

Yoga is a great way to become a better athlete, and many companies (like CorePower's free online videos ) are offering free resources online. It's important to keep one's flexibility in tact to avoid injury once they start competing again.

It is a choice to get better each day - but luckily with the internet, our athletes can take advantage of this break to come back to their respective sports better than ever.

Make sure you're not falling behind!

Why Student-Athletes Need To Be Proactive In Their Recruiting Process

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 17:02:11 GMT

For years I have gone against the grain with recruiting agencies. Here's an objective look on why you should too.

I want you to think about the process of buying a house or car. Put yourself in a position where getting one that meets your needs is crucial for the next chapter of your life. Perhaps you're a first-time homeowner looking to build equity. Maybe your family is expanding and it's time to embrace the mini-van life.

Now imagine if statistically, 40% of homes would fall apart once you move in. Imagine 40% of cars will break down in 1-4 years. Also imagine if you couldn't re-sell either, and whatever money you invested into purchasing them would not be re-couped.

That sounds pretty bad right? Well, when it comes to college, statistically 40% of students that enroll in college have no degree to show for it within the first six years.

Think about that: 2 out of every 5 kids. Coaches: If you coach a ten player team and all of them attend college, odds are four of them will not have a degree to show for it.

So for those that read my posts or hear my videos where I'm pushing for a change in how we look for colleges, I want to make sure there's no misunderstanding. I don't want to be a 'wet blanket' (as I've been called before). I'm not trying to be anti-recruiting agency, or anti-anyone for that matter. I'm not trying to 'attack' any organization that does things the way many do - by telling kids to create profiles, reach out to as many coaches as possible, and see who gets back to them.

I simply want more kids to get what they dream of when they finally commit to their school. No one envisions going to school and not finishing - and yet a large portion of our kids do.

We can help high school students to make sure they don't fall into that statistic. In order to do so, we have to address the idea that maybe our current processes are outdated given the changes in the last 20 years.

I'm certainly not as young as I once was, but it wasn't THAT long ago that I was in high school. It was 2001, I was in a history class, and my teacher went a bit off-script and was talking to us about looking for colleges. This was before the housing crisis, tuition was rising but still fairly manageable, and student loans interest rates were incredibly low. So low, that our teacher was telling us that if we could get additional student loans, we should take it. He argued that we could never finance a car with rates as low as a student loan, so to do so would allow us to purchase one at a better rate.

That's the type of world we were in less than 20 years ago - but that's no longer the case. Tuition has skyrocketed in price , student loan forgiveness has become less forgiving , and the effects of making the wrong choice will be felt for much longer than it was for the previous generation.

Simply put, it is in the students' best interest to consider all variables beyond athletics when making this choice.

For the 1% of athletes that will get an athletic scholarship, that's a wonderful opportunity to use athletics as a way to pay for your education. But for 99% of athletes, they will be on the hook for their college education. I feel it's incredibly important for students where money matters to know what their college education will provide for them AFTER they graduate.

What doors will their degree open? What's the average starting salary in their industry? How much can they afford to pay to go to college where the debt won't drown them? What type of learning environment do they thrive in? What social settings are they happiest in?

From there, it's important to look for schools that directly meet those needs. I think a lot of agencies ask the right questions - but they aren't challenging the answers to make sure the students have thought it through, and it becomes more about getting into any school instead of finding the absolute best fit. I also feel we aren't educating families on the proper way to build relationships at the school before applying, and researching to find any and all grants and scholarships the students are eligible for. Too often, parents and players pay the 'sticker price' of a college, potentially leaving thousands of dollars a year on the table that could have been used to buy a car, put a down payment on a house, travel, or for whatever use the student sees fit.

With the ability to research colleges being easier than ever before, as well as being able to contact faculty and staff via email and phone, it's never been easier for students to put the same diligence into their college search as adults do buying homes and cars. To me, 40% of students (athlete or not) not finishing what they started is an indicator that we can do a better job equipping them with the tools they need to finish what they start.

Tomorrow at 5pm, I'll be doing our 3rd episode of #WisdomWednesday, College Recruiting Edition live on our facebook page . We're going to steer a bit off athletics, and simply talk about 'where to start'. I've had multiple people email me over the last week saying they simply feel overwhelmed with their own search, so we will be discussing it to try and make it easier for everyone, and I'll answer any questions you may have about YOUR search process - free of charge.

If you have anything specific you'd like covered, feel free to contact us with your questions/comments and we'll be happy to address it. If you know any parent/player/coach that could benefit from it, feel free to share with them!

When I was a kid, college was talked about as being some of the best years of one's life. Nowadays choosing one can serve as some of the most stressful ones. It's time to make the college search process exciting again.

Want To Fix The Ref Shortage? Let's Protect Them.

Bpmcder@gmail.com (Bryan McDermand) — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 18:27:09 GMT

Toxic spectators have been labeled as the cause. The truth is, their behavior is more of an effect.

This morning, yet another ref shortage article crossed my newsfeed. I did a google search for 'ref shortage' and the results were plentiful . There were countless stories of abusive parents, coaches, administrators - some of these stories seem unreal.

But they're not. Even worse in my mind is how many are suggesting to 'solve' the problem.

Let's put the referees through more classes. Put them in a position to communicate better with those they're dealing with.

I've gone to a lot of matches for players I coach, from 6th grade games all the way to high school varsity. Let me tell you: It's not the refs who needs an adjustment in their communication.

The things I've heard and seen at matches have horrified me. Aside from the blatant bias in arguing any close call that doesn't go their way, the example it's setting for our kids on how to handle situations we don't like is something that should be a big concern to us all.

I cannot tell you how many times I've sat there and had to bite my lip because it wasn't my place to set an irate spectator straight.

But the administrators overseeing the event? They have every right to draw the line on what is appropriate and what is not.

If the line isn't drawn, then hyper-competitive people run the show. Again - their behavior is the effect of what happens when those in charge don't discipline it.

I am sure some people will tell me that it's too complicated. But when we're dealing with tournaments being affected because the supply of refs can't meet the demand, and it's not a secret that the reason for the shortage is the behavior of those surrounding them, I'd argue it's worth the effort.

3 Golden Rules:

1) (Courtesy of John O'Sullivan from Changing the Game Project - LOVE this one) - You can be a player, you can be a coach, you can be a ref, you can be a spectator - but you only get to be one.

2) Coaches can initiate a conversation based on a rule interpretation - not a judgment call.

3) Spectators are not allowed to talk at the ref during competition.

Tournament Directors: Don't ask people to like it - require them to follow it. Create a set of standards for clubs before they can register their teams. Mandate that they share it with anyone that will attend the events. Put signage all over the facility/event that makes it impossible for someone to claim ignorance. Be black-and-white with the expectations and enforce them accordingly.

Give everyone one warning: "The rules were made clear before you signed up. If you continue this behavior, you're choosing to be removed from the event. Do you understand?" If they don't comply, then you're not kicking them out: They're removing themselves.

Everyone else will thank you for it - not just the refs, but the spectators/coaches/players/workers that simply want their kids to compete in a healthy environment.

And if you get screamed at because the offender doesn't like it? Welcome to the current life of a ref.

Empowering Student-Athletes In Their Recruiting Process

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 08:22:34 GMT

The path to college has become a complex one. It doesn't have to be.

Lately, I've seen a lot of posts on social media/youth sports forums where people ask for recruiting guidance. These threads always get a lot of traffic, but at the risk of sounding harsh, I have yet to see a single answer that covers the whole spectrum of what a college search should address.

The main theme of these conversations end up tackling "How do I get my kid playing in college?" with most people talking about how kids can 'get noticed' by coaches.

This is definitely something that's important with the amount of athletes interested in playing collegiate sports vs. the amount of opportunities - the demand far exceeds the supply. But college is so much more than that!

What is a student-athlete's goals for after college graduation?
If they have picked a major, how much legwork have they done to come to that conclusion?
What's the average entry-level salary for people starting in that industry?
Do they thrive in/prefer specifics on the environment the school provides? Small vs. big campus? Class size preference?
Do they have other activities/clubs they want to join while at school?
What type of student-athlete balance are they looking for?
In regards to their sport, where do they value individual roles vs. team success? What type of coaching styles have they thrived in, and are there coaching styles that they don't mesh with?

There's plenty of other questions - and at a glance, it can be overwhelming.

If done incorrectly, it can be costly. Studies show 40% of students don't have a bachelor's degree to show within 6 years of enrolling in college . Students are taking on more debt than ever - much of it un-necessarily! Less than half of students that do earn their bachelor's degree do so within 4 years - and those additional years can cost the student additional tens of thousands of dollars.

The above information isn't shared to be doom and gloom - it's to explain why students need to conduct their college search with the same due diligence adults use to buy a car or home. It's important to cover the full spectrum (and purpose) of a student enrolling in college. The good news is, with the internet, researching schools/building relationships at each institution has never been easier and more time efficient! People just need the knowledge.

Which is why today, we're announcing (and conducting our first episode of) #WisdomWednesday: College Recruiting Edition!

Tonight (2/26), at 5pm Central Time, I'll be doing a FB Live on our Progression Facebook Page . Our goal will be to do a weekly live session to address various hot-button topics about college recruiting, as well as offer a Q&A session for players/parents/coaches that are looking to further their knowledge about how athletes can find the best school for them at the best price! The show will last for 30 minutes, although we may expand to 60 if there ends up being a good amount of questions.

To give some context on my background, I have:

*Transferred twice as a college student (dropped out of my 1st school, then community college to get my bearings, graduated with my bachelor's from the third)
*Spent 3 years as a collegiate athlete
*Spent 6 years as a collegiate coach (NJCAA Division III, NCAA Division III, NCAA Division I)
*Worked in an Admissions Department (Newbury College)

I've spent the last 7 years using that experience to speak to thousands of families and give them the tools necessary to conduct their college search efficiently. It's worked for many of them, and I'm hopeful it will work for you too!

We're excited to start sharing our knowledge with you - FREE of charge :)

Topics tonight will include but not limited to:

*What should I be thinking about before looking at schools?
*Once assessing my wants and needs, where do I go from there?
*What are some do's and don'ts when reaching out to schools?

And anything else YOU want to talk about.

Are you unable to watch live, but are interested in catching the replay? Do you have a question you'd like answered/a topic you'd like discussed? Contact Us in advance and we'll try to address it if time allows!

I hope to see you tonight - and if you know of anyone that may be interested, please send them this information!

-Coach Bryan

How To Assess The Level Of Different College Volleyball Divisions

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 16:32:01 GMT

Three Words: Film Doesn't Lie.

(TLDR Version: Athletes, below are links to matches from each division of play I could find on YouTube - you should use actual data and the eye-test to assess what division you want to play - not just go by some meme or what someone else says!)

I first started providing guidance to college-bound athletes in 2013. I served as college liaison for a local club. I would sit with families of all the 17-18U players and get to know them as people. What were their goals on the court? What were their goals off the court? What type of learning environment did they thrive in? Where did they prioritize individual opportunity vs. team success? A lot of thought should go into what an athlete's goals are for post-collegiate graduation before they even start their search.

One thing that surprised me early on was how many kids said they wanted to play Division I (this club was mid-tier at the time - good players, but we may have had 5 kids total that had the athleticism required for that level). When I asked if they had ever seen a Division II/III match, they said no! They simply felt that Division I was the highest level and that's what they wanted to pursue.

It is amazing how their stance changed once they were able to see a high-level Division III match.

In my opinion the three biggest differences between the divisions are these: 1) Athleticism 2) Disparity between the top and bottom 3) Time commitment expectations of the athlete. But don't take my word for it: Watch the links below and make your own assessment. Note that these are the top teams in each division - be sure to look around for regular season matches too!

In 2020 it's never been easier to find footage of collegiate volleyball online - take advantage!

Women's Championship Links

Women's 2019 NCAA Division I National Championship

Women's 2019 NCAA Division II National Championship

Women's 2019 NCAA Division III National Championship

Women's 2018 NAIA National Championship

Women's 2019 NJCAA Division I National Championship Highlights

Women's 2018 NJCAA Division II National Tournament Highlights

Women's 2017 NJCAA Division III National Championship
(Shout-out to Harper/Coach Bob Vilsoet - I got my start in coaching with him at that program 15 years ago!)

Men's Championship Links

Men's 2019 NCAA Division I/II National Championship

Men's 2018 NCAA Division III National Championship

Men's 2019 NAIA National Championship

How An Oscar Speech Relates To Youth Sports

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 15:57:02 GMT

In 2020, social media has become the primary tool for promoting youth sports. How can we make it more relatable?

There's nothing wrong with celebrating our kids that experience the success like the team on this side of the net - but it's important not to forget the defender on the floor either.

I found myself thinking about this a lot after watching Joaquin Phoenix's acceptance speech from the Oscars. Here's a little snippet:

“I do not feel elevated above any of my fellow nominees or anyone in this room because we share the same love, the love of film. And this form of expression has given me the most extraordinary life. I don’t know what I’d be without it. But I think the greatest gift that it’s given me and many of us in this room, is the opportunity to use our voice for the voiceless. ” - Joaquin Phoenix, accepting his Oscar for Best Actor.

Simply put, coaching kids give my life a lot of its purpose. At the surface level, volleyball coaches teach fundamentals/team systems, but when done correctly it can be so much more.

For many children, youth sports is their first experience with failure. Two teams playing for a result only one will obtain, no matter how hard everyone plays. As their coaches, we get to help them learn how to deal with the reality that sometimes, giving one's best won't yield the results they want. We can help kids break through self-imposed ceilings when they think they ‘can’t do X’. I say it all the time: Our lessons can transcend the court, and positively impact kids in their relationships, education, and later on in their careers.

But there are a lot of elephants in the room in youth sports today. That’s where ‘the opportunity to use our voice for the voiceless” hits me in my core.

Because those people need to be heard.

There are so many kids that come through our program that bring horror stories from previous youth sports experiences. Examples include but aren’t limited to: Being told they ‘suck’ (and sometimes with a few other expletive-laden words added in) – some of them being pre-teen. Coaches focusing on starters only and not even giving the non-starters the same opportunity for growth – even though they’re cutting the same check as the starters. High School Coaches cutting kids based on what club they played for (or didn’t play for) and not on their ability to perform the job compared to their peers.

Don’t get me wrong: I’ve coached ‘those kids’ and ‘those parents’ who come in with a very narrow perspective on how things should be. They think their kid should always be the of the show even though anyone being objective can understand why that isn't the case. But these are not those people. These are kids that were part of a program that they paid to join to further develop their game, only to be treated as a burden once they weren’t able to contribute to improving the brand of the program.

I've also coached kids who seemed to be 'difficult' at first impression, only to get to know them a little better and learn about their battles with anxiety/depression, or traumatic experiences in their life that they're working through. Sometimes, as a coach, a bad practice can feel like it's happening 'to us'. We need to hold kids accountable, but we also need to consider that with only a small amount of time with them, there can always be things we're not aware of that are contributing to their behavior.

One of the most bittersweet comments my parents bring to me on a pretty regular basis is “my child is smiling on the court again – thanks for helping them find the love of the game again.”

Who is taking the love away?

I know organizations post about tournament victories and college commits because it sells - and I'm not expecting that to change anytime soon. What I do think we can do better is balance our posts to give a more accurate portrayal of what the typical youth sport athlete will experience.

And let me tell you - there are some great ones out there.

Let’s talk about the player who had serious shoulder surgery at the age of 15, and her journey to making her first overhead serve over one year later (Let’s also talk about why kids that young are having surgeries more than ever).

Let’s talk about those tournaments where we fell short – but the 'a-ha moments' our teams experienced in the process.

Let’s talk about the players who choose to not play volleyball in college, but are incredible human beings. Let's celebrate what they do decide to do with their lives that's changing the world for the better.

This is a call-to-action to the like-minded coaches out there to be more outspoken for those athletes that all too often ‘slip through the cracks’. Because whether some people want to admit it or not, winning isn’t ‘normal’. Most kids that play youth sports will not end up playing in college. We can commend athletes that do incredible things, without making everyone else feel inferior if they’re not experiencing the same success.

Coaches, Parents, Players - what are some of the best unsung heroes you've encountered through youth sports? Who are some people whose impact goes beyond wins and losses? Let us know - perhaps it'll be the subject of an upcoming blog!

Adults: Let Our Kids Be More Than Athletes

Fri, 24 Jan 2020 18:02:27 GMT

The photo below came across my timeline.

A well-respected coach in the area posted it with the following:

"If this is NOT your mind set,

Quietly go to the bench,

Take your shoes off and

Go home."

Before people jump on me for the below take: I get it. The idea is supposed to be pushing athletes to be the best they can be. It's about work ethic. It's about caring about what one does. THAT philosophy is something we agree with at Progression. We have the same expectations of all our athletes: Commitment to be the physically/mentally strongest they can be during their time on the court. If they join our program, their best effort is the requirement, simple as that.

I've coached a LOT of different levels of kids from a lot of different backgrounds. When I saw the photo with the author's caption, I found myself thinking back to some of my kids who have had great work ethics and a good skill set - but they always questioned themselves, no matter how much positive reinforcement I bestowed upon them.

It breaks my heart when I see kids give their best, yet they constantly are getting hung up on every single mistake they make because they're getting sucked into the idea of always being compared to their peers. I coach some incredible players, and yet I'm frequently having to remind them of what they're capable of doing because they're always worried about how they're doing compared to others vs. focusing on being the best they can be.

Why are so many kids struggling with their self-esteem as an athlete today?

I'm a big believer in the Lou Holtz mantra of "Whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability", but memes/beliefs like the above alienate certain kids, and I can't help but take issue with that. Some of my 'worst' athletes have grown up to become some of the best human beings. It was a privilege to be a part of their youth sports experience, even if we didn't win any tournaments, and it was an honor to have some of them tell me how the lessons we taught on the court helped them with what they do now off of it.

They may not have gotten the absolute most out of their physical potential. They may not have done that extra session of weights. They may not have invested the time and money it takes to go to physical therapy to allow their body to perform at its peak year-round. They may not train more than 1-2 times a week.

It wasn't because they WEREN'T doing those things - it's because of what they WERE doing. Some of my athletes performed in musicals/plays. Some of them took internships at young ages to better prepare themselves for their careers (I always tell my future physical therapists I'll be needing their services when they graduate). Some of them worked part-time, or really wanted to focus on their studies.

To many, sports was supposed to be fun on top of being competitive.

Some of those athletes will change the world - and they'll do it for reasons well beyond sports.

When they were at practice, they gave their all. They weren't there to 'be average'.

But they also deserve the right to create their own work-life balance, and I can't help but feel like the current youth sports model somewhat challenges that right.

Play 51 weeks of the year or get left behind. That's how it feels to most of these kids. In many cases, that's exactly how it ends.

To the coach that posted the above, I ask this:

What happens when you have a team of hard working kids that simply have other interests when they're not at practice, and athletics is secondary to future careers/other hobbies?

When young athletes read this, how do you think they feel when they go to a loaded tournament, give their best, play the right way and have a losing record, and their coach chews them out due to the results?

We need to be better about making sure the PROCESS is where they nest their self-esteem, because that's what they control 100% of the time. The results don't always tell the tale.

There's over 450,000 girls playing high school volleyball. The law of averages show some of them HAVE to be 'average' - and some have to be below it. Some kids are going to lose more games than they win no matter how hard they work. At the end of every tournament, every match has someone lose, every tournament bracket has only one true champion.

That happens no matter how hard everyone works, and that's why results cannot objectively be the only measuring stick for our kids. It should be about them getting a little bit better every day, working towards being the best version of themselves they can be within the time they dedicate to their craft.

Adults: Push our kids to be the best version of themselves - but let's empower them to choose what they actually want to be. Let's not let them think that their win/loss record is the only thing that defines who they are as a person/player.

Perhaps we forget the freedom we had at their age that no longer exists for them.

Building Bridges In Youth Sports

Mon, 30 Dec 2019 21:08:44 GMT

I've spent the last 15 years "fighting" for a better youth sports culture. Frankly, I'm tired of it. I'm excited for collaboration.

TLDR: Here's my playing/coaching background, I've admittedly been brash with a lot of my conversations over the last 5 years. I spent the last couple years a lot less combative - but also more quiet in general. Moving forward, I hope to find a balance of being more vocal again while focusing more on collaborating with like-minded individuals vs. going head-to-head with people who see things differently. I also shared data that I feel is important for all youth sports participants (coaches/directors/players/parents) to know as they move forward, and hopefully it explains a little more of why I'm wired the way I am (and for those that have been at odds with me over the last few years, perhaps this could be the beginning of mending bridges).

I'm usually not one for resolutions. But this has been on my mind for quite some time now, and I think I'm ready for a change of pace.

I'm not your typical volleyball player/coach. I'd like to provide a little context to those who only know me from a distance. While I never 'made it' to the professional level, I've accumulated quite a range of experiences over my 15 years as a coach/administrator.

*I've coached NJCAA, NCAA Division III, and NCAA Division I. For two years, I actually coached women's Division III in the fall and participated in my men's season in the spring.
*I've worked in college admissions.
*I've worked for a club full-time, including serving as college liaison where I spoke to literally hundreds of families from various backgrounds.
*I've coached kids that had already won legitimate national championships (Open level), as well as kids who played in dress shoes because it's the only pair they've had.

I've seen the highest highs, and the lowest lows. As a player, it wasn't much different. I went into high school 5'5, 95 pounds, and lugging around size 12 feet.

*Given the fact that most the time I was just trying not to fall, I wasn't the most graceful athlete.
*I was bullied a large portion of my high school career.
*I had coaches who focused on the biggest/fastest/strongest and gave minimal focus to the 'other kids'.

Luckily I grew into my feet, had some coaches who helped me see what I could be vs. what I wasn't, and had a pretty good career for the next 12 years.

Overall, tough patches aside, I am incredibly blessed for the opportunities I've had and the experiences the sport has provided me. It's why I've dedicated my life to using the sport to give back to the next generation of players.

My message has always been set out to be a positive one: Youth sports should be fun for kids. It should be something they have control over. Youth sports should leave their participants better than they found them.

Overall, I'd like to think I'm a pretty positive person. Unfortunately, there are some elephants in the room that aren't easily discussed in certain circles: The study that shows more kids are quitting youth sports by age 13 than ever before. More kids are getting injured than ever before. For the first time in 30 years, high school sports participation actually decreased in the 2018-19 season.

If you don't believe me, read those articles I linked. I'm not trying to be the 'bad guy', or a Debbie Downer. But I care about these kids, and I think at some point, if we're involved with youth sports programming, we cannot be naive to that data. We cannot look at the numbers from a business perspective solely and say just because they go up, we've got a 'good' product.

What we have is 'experts' in our sport selling X/Y/Z to parents/players that trust them to lead them the right direction. Sometimes, that direction doesn't paint the whole picture.

"If I want to play in college, I was told I need to play for X organizations."

Those organizations will show you all the kids that win tournaments and commit to college - they won't tell you about all the kids that left after one year, did not make it to college, or that the majority of their teams won't win tournaments.

"If I want to play in college, I need to do Y combine."

Those combines will boast about the college coaches in attendance and previous attendees that have found schools through them - they won't tell you that if you aren't playing at a certain level, no combine/showcase will get you into one of those schools.

"If I want to play in college, I need to play my sport year-round."

The organizations will show all the examples of kids that played year-round that did make it to college - they won't talk about how the athlete was 6'0 as a 14 year old, or the work ethic that athlete had to earn the opportunity to play in college. Organizations can absolutely help athletes take their game to the next level, but sometimes I think we undersell how much of an athlete's success falls on their genetic build/own commitment to excellence.

I don't blame the organizations that have been marketing successfully with the above lines. I also don't blame parents and players for buying into them if they don't know any better.

But at some point, change has to be made before this bubble bursts - and it will.

Reading the previous lines, I realize that sounds negative: But at some point, if the data itself is trending in the wrong direction, there's nothing we can do to improve it without acknowledging it. From my time speaking with some of the titans in our industry, the biggest obstacle we're facing is from a business perspective, youth sports has never been better - and from a culture point of view it's never been more damaging (and expensive).

All I want to do is create a healthier and more balanced environment for the kids.

For the last 5 years, I admittedly butted heads. I invested time into conversations with people who weren't looking to change their perspective. In some cases, people I considered good friends cut ties, and even went as far as to spread falsehoods about me in order to 'protect their brand'.

Being open and honest, I feel a big reason I've been a lot more quiet over the last few years was because I was tired of 'fighting'. I'm heavily outnumbered in a pretty cut-throat region, and I needed a bit of a sabbatical.

But our new facility is open. Our new model is sustainable AND healthy for athletes. Month-to-month scheduling, athletes pick their own practice schedule, and every athlete gets the same coaches/system/opportunity for development. Whether they're new to sand or college-bound, everyone gets the same attention to detail, and we care about them regardless of what their own personal commitment to the sport may be.

I want to share it with others that may want the same thing we do for our kids.

I need to push through the worrying/stressing about how some people will respond, and start finding the people that want to collaborate. It's going to take a LOT of people to clean up our current youth sports culture.

So if you're like-minded and would like to work together, please reach out. I've talked to so many people that off-the-record feel the same way I do, but are afraid of breaking from the norm/'keeping up with the Joneses'.

It's time for us to be the Joneses.

Whether it's working together or simply keeping up with what we're doing at Progression, I hope you'll join me along the way.

Here's to an awesome 2020.

Primary vs. Secondary Goals When Competing

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 16:23:04 GMT

How do we get athletes to bring their best when their best is needed? The foundation of this is laid in the culture we create as coaches. .

I'm part of a few coaches' forums online, and one topic that's been coming up recently is punishments for losing. It's clear there are some coaches that are looking for ways to help their player to perform at the best when their best is needed, and they're struggling to get the team to perform under pressure.

I attended the Way of Champions workshop back in 2017, and it was an incredible experience. Dr. Jerry Lynch (The Golden State Warriors Sports Psychologist, who in his 90s was a ball of energy unlike anything I'd ever seen at his age), made such a simple but powerful statement that changed how I approached the concept of "pressure":

"We can never 100% control the results, but we can always compete like crazy with our hair on fire."

He repeated this statement over and over during the three-day seminar, and it really resonated with me. It's not always easy for us to accept, but sometimes we're going to do everything right and still be out-played: Other times, we may be making mistake after mistake and our opponent hands us the match by committing even more mistakes.

So: How do we apply this into our coaching? Personally, I like the concept of Primary vs. Secondary Goals .

Primary goals are what we control at all times: Our physical/mental effort, our response to our mistakes/the mistakes of teammates, respecting our opponents (and frankly, everyone around us!) and anything that we can do no matter what external circumstances are thrown at us.

Secondary goals are things that may matter to us, but other variables can prevent us from achieving them. Winning against a rival, earning a bid for a national-level tournament, individual accolades, etc.

I know it's unrealistic to not have results-based goals - some people are going to care about them, and that's OK. But when secondary goals overrule primary goals, it compromises the ability to do the things we control, and that's when "pressure" comes into play.

I often tell new parents to my program that I don't care about winning or losing. Many times, I'll get the raised eyebrow from at least one, and I'll ask them about it: Do you feel this is weird? I then ask them this:

"If I can get your child to give their physical/mental best every single play, what can you do that will give them a better opportunity to win?"

I have yet to get an answer.

The truth is, the more we want to win, the less we should be focused on winning while competing. Imagine Team A is tied 20-20 with Team B in a game to 25. Team A is focused on what they've used to be successful. Perhaps they'll be aware of what the other team has been doing well/how to take it away, or perhaps a weakness they can exploit to close out the game. Team B is looking nervously at the scoreboard, because they're thinking of the playoff rammifications of losing (or perhaps a punishment that comes if they don't win).

Who do you think is more prepared to compete like crazy with their hair on fire for the last 5 points?

If you want your teams to perform at the best they can each day, especially in the moments where a few points will dictate the outcome, create a culture that truly focuses on the primary goals. Be able to recognize the difference between a loss where your athletes did everything they could and one where they didn't bring their best. Hold them accountable after a win where their opponent beat themselves.

Simply put, if you want your kids to not succumb to pressure, do your best to not create it yourself.