Bump, Set, Mic...The TNT Volleyball Podcast

In Episode 12 Brian and Chuck welcome Emily Neff to talk about the importance of strength training for young female athletes. Emily is the founder of Relentless Athletics, a company that specializes in training girls and helping them succeed while also helping them prevent injuries. If you are the parent or coach of a young female athlete, you don't want to miss this episode!

Visit them at Relentless Athletics (relentlessathleticsllc.com)

In Segment 1, we meet Emily and learn the science behind why young girls are far more prone to injury. We learn about steps that parents and coaches can take to reduce the chances of getting hurt. We learn how over-training impacts girls and strategies to take to reduce injuries in multi-sport athletes. Finally, we talk about strategies to train while in season versus out of season.

In Segment 2, Emily walks through the volleyball ages from 12U to 18U and explains differenet goals when training girls at each age. When should you start training? When should you try to increase vertical? How do volleyball players train differently from other sports?

2:06 Meet Emily Neff

4:34 How do girls train differently from boys?

5:38 The baby giraffe syndrome and the science behind training girls

7:45 Should we train girls for speed and agility?

9:15 Volleyball Moms question of the episode. Hurt during tryouts...bad timing?

11:00 Strategies for Multi-Sport athletes.

13:30 Over-Training and what we can do to prevent injury.

16:00 Why so many ACL injuries in girls?

22:00 When to start strength training for young girls

22:30 Training strategies for in-season versus off-season

26:40 Strategies for age groups from 12U through 18U

38:42 Do volleyball players train defferently from other sports?

40:50 Volleyball Moms Question 2 - How to increase vertical.

50:00 Parent responsibilities to prevent injuries.

51:45 What's new at TNT.

In Episode 22, Chuck and Brian talk to Volleyball Lifer and College Coach Eli Porr and Volleyball Dad and TNT Club Director Leon Kasperski as they discuss their thoughts on the College Recruiting process.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone considering playing college volleyball or simply trying to decide if college volleyball is right for them.

In Segment 1, we discuss what college coaches are actually looking for when scouting volleyball players. The answers may surprise you! What are the attributes and skills coaches prioritize in recruits? What makes a player stand out? How do you create a recruiting video? What is more inportant to a coach, Performance or Potential? When should you start the recruiting process? And is it possible to get recruited when you play on a subpar team with non-college minded players?

In Segment 2, we discuss the role that parents play in the recruiting process. What can parents do to help their athlete get recruited, and IMPORTANTLY, what do they sometimes do that helps ensure that their athlete does NOT get recruited? Do college coaches care about high school and club statistics? How important are the measurables such as height, vertical, and jump touch? This segment answers all of thsoe questions.

In Segment 3 we talk about the Club's role in the recruiting process while trying to avoid getting sucked into the world of NIL and the dreaded Transfer Portal! We also educate athletes on the college visit process and answer the question regardng the importance of College Showcase events. Finally, we end the segment explaining the role the club can play when scheduling events to make sure athletes are noticed by colleges they are most likely to attend and talk about future plans for discussion of recruting with some of our players.

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Segment 1: What Colleges are Looking for From Players and Families

1:15 Intro of our guests, Eli Porr and Leon Kasperski

3:20 Episode Goals

4:00 The numbers of players who continue playing in college and the level of competition for available positions

7:50 What the attributes / skills are that coaches look for in players

13:25 Evaluating actual performance vs. potential and the differences at each level

14:55 Playing D1 vs. D2 or D3 --- making the best decision for yourself

18:01 The role of film in recruiting and what to send to coaches

23:35 What to focus on when a coach visits your match and you're having an "off-day" such as sound technique

Segment 2: The Role of Parents in the Process and Performance Metrics Valued by Coaches

29:50 The appropriate role for a parent to take in recruiting

36:15 The role of parents in club vs. a high school or college program

38:10 The importance of player recommendations coaches receive, espeically from coaches they know

41:00 The value of going to camps and clinics at the schools in which a player has interest

42:14 Recruiting services --- are they worth it?

45:30 The stats / performance metrics that coaches look for the most

49:36 Training activities to engage in to maximize your potential

51:45 Chuck's soapbox - fix the summer tryouts!

52:19 When should players serious about playing at the next level get started on the recruiting process?

Segment 3: The Role of the Club and Coaches in the Process and the Changing Landscape of College Sports

57:25 What role do club and high school coaches ideally play in the recruiting process?

60:00 The recruiting visit process and how to maximize the benefits of official and non-official visits

66:00 The NIL and how it is changing college sports

72:00 Opinions on college showcase events

75:04 The club's role in the recruiting process here at TNT

79:40 Guest contact information for questions and more information about the college recruiting process

82:45 Plans for future podcast discussion of recruiting and wrap-up

We're hitting the mid-season mark, and it's time to check in with the minds behind the game. In this special roundtable episode, we sit down with TNT Coaches, Players and Directors to break down the highs, lows, and surprises of the season so far.

We’re talking team development, tactical adjustments, what players are learning, and how coaches are keeping their squads focused for the stretch run. Expect honest insights, behind-the-scenes strategy, and plenty of volleyball wisdom.

Whether you're a player, coach, or just a fan of the game, this episode gives you a front-row seat to how TNT insiders navigate the grind of the season.

Segment 1: (0:00 - 26:00)

In this segment, we meet Coaches Andrew Lee and Jordan Robinson. Topics covered are the critical points they are emphasizing with players:

• Balancing the desire to push players yet also avoid player burnout,
• Achievling player development through high level competition,
• Rewarding and challenging aspects of coaching so far, and
• How building culture and setting standards helps to maximize player and team achievements.

Segment 2: (26:00 - 32:04)

Segment 2 features players Harper, Abby, and Pilar who popped in before their team practices to share some player perspectives on their journey so far this season with their teams.

Topics covered regarding the player experience so far this season include:

• How players try to support each other on and off the court,
• Dealing with the emotional aspects of the game when facing adversity,
• What they feel are the best ways for coaches to motivate players during the difficult times,
• Challenges they've faced,
• Areas of their game they feel have improved the most, and
• Favorite memories so far from this year's club experience.

Segment 3:

Part 1 (32:04 - 52:20)

Coach Dave Noll joins the discussion before the start of his team's practice as the segment begins. Topics covered with Dave include:

• How to develop team chemistry and the importance of that in the overall team concept,
• Keeping the players motivated during challenging times,
• Fostering a positive team culture, and strategies for doing so.

Next, Andrew, Jordan, and Dave have a routndtable discussion on:

• How they each approach communication with players and families in club volleyball and
• How that differs vs. other volleyball experiences (high school, college, etc.).
• The role of a floating coach and a succesful head coach / assistant coach dynamic
• How players rise to leadership roles within their teams.

Part 2 (52:20 - 94:00) Coach Sam Moyerman offers his perspective on the ongoing discussion of how leaders rise to those roles on his teams.

Andrew, Jordan, and Sam continue the roundtable discussion on:

• The need for accountability on a team and how that takes place on the teams they coach,
• Helping players to become more responsible and self-aware off the court
• Philosophies on (and the importance of) establishing rules and consequences along with routines.
• How to encourage athletes to reflect more on their personal goals vs. a team's wins
• Promoting awareness within a team of individual player goals and intangibles that appeal to coaches at the next level.

This segment ends discussion of the biggest learning moments these coaches have personally experienced in their time as coaches, along with how they personally stay focused and energized throughout the season.

Segment 4: (94:00 - 117:44)

In the final segment Chuck puts on the "Club Director hat" to discuss the season so far from an administrative perspective. Topics discussed include:

• TNT's growth and new initiatives this season,
• The most significant challenges that have popped up and how they've been addressed,
• Establishing and maintaining effective communication among all stakeholders in the club,
• The effectiveness of the new training programs that have been put in place, and
• How to maintain the club culture and expectations of a growing club.

We end the episode discussing the logistical challenges for the club as well as the future plans for club, as well as the upcoming program offerings here at TNT, including summer tryouts and open gyms.

In Episode 14, Chuck and Brian met up with TNT 14U National Coach Sam Moyerman to discuss the value of statistics in volleyball and suggestions for proper use of them within the concept of a team.

Given that there are many different opinions about stats, Sam presents a lot of valuable information about which are most important and how they should be valued by coaches, players, and parents. The need to balance the coach's “eye-test” with what statistics say was an interesting aspect of the discussion, too.

In segment one, we meet Sam, hear some about his coaching background, and he shares his thoughts about the benefits of stats as part of his coaching, those which relate most to each position, and team stats he feels are most important.

For segment two, the guys continue the discussion of the importance of using stats to help make decisions, plan practices, instruct players, and the value of them for parents, too.

Segment three features discussion about the stats that are correlated to winning vs. losing, including some potential surprises, tools available for recording and analyzing stats, and the episode ends with some stat-related questions from our friends at volleyball moms before a brief wrap-up.

Timeline:

1:17 Meet Coach Sam

4:00 Sam’s coaching philosophy, reflections on some past coaching experiences, and discussion of goals for 14 National for the coming season

10:00 Benefits of using stats ... what to focus on stats-wise as a coach, using the stats as well as the eye-test to make informed judgements, and those most important to a team and for each individual position

18:30 The role of stats in determining a team’s approach to serving

22:22 Using statistical data to help plan more effective practices

26:13 Sharing stats with players and how to use them to help explain coaching decisions and set goals for player and team improvement

30:25 Benefits for parents being aware of the objective nature of statistics and understanding them so that they can support their player off the court and engage in positive discussions about player performance vs. negative ones

35:48 Stats that are the most important in terms of college recruiting

39:38 Thoughts on coaches who are reluctant to use statistics as part of their process, relying solely on the eye-test instead and the dangers of doing so

43:20 How the importance of some stats changes at various age levels

47:30 How stats are perhaps underutilized in certain situations

50:00 Significant numbers and thresholds that correlate to winning in relation to certain stats

53:35 Stats that surprisingly do not have as much correlation to winning as one might think

61:00 Tools that are available for those interested in collecting and using stats

67:00 Stat-related questions from Volleyball Moms

75:47 Wrap-Up

In Episode 17, Chuck and Brian got together a few days after the recent tryouts for the remaining 15-18U teams to discuss TNT's approach to the tryout process. Tryouts are stressful for Players, Parents and Coaches alike. This episode takes listeners behind the scenes of the process that takes place from the time the tryout is completed until the teams are fomed.

In segment one, Chuck and Brian talk about the steps that are taken by the club before, during and after a tryout. We learn how TNT schedules and conducts their tryouts, and how no positions are offered before the tryout. How are players rated? How do coaches evaluate players? How are team rosters built? What if players want to compare offers? Can players 'Move Up'? Why does it take so long? All of these questions are discussed during Segment 2. The segment ends with discussion on the dilemma of not having enough spots for all who wish to play, and ways TNT tries to find homes for as many players as possible.

Segment two answers specific questions sent by TNT parents and players immediately after tryouts were conducted. What does loyalty mean to a club? Why do players get moved to lower teams? Chuck and Brian go though some data that explains why some positions (OH, DSL) become more competitive as players get older. We answer the common question about why a player didn't make a team and where she "fell short". A recommendation made for those looking for in-depth feedback about a player's performance and what they need to improve in order to make a team. The segment concludes with advice for families about what to do if an offer is not received. As always, we finish by answering some great Volleyball Moms questions about tryouts.

Timeline:

2:11 TNT's approach to the process to conducting the tryout itself

9:11 The decision on how many teams to fill prior to TNT conducting a callback session

10:30 The process of extending offers

12:00 Challenges the club faces in extending offers, having to wait for responses, and having to start the process all over again for each offer that's not accepted

14:56 Clubs who do not allow for wait time, extend offers right after tryouts expecting immediate response, and how some even fill teams before tryouts

18:09 The current reality of more players trying out than we can extend offers to at TNT

20:24 How the club determines the number of teams to offer at each age group

24:21 The importance of loyalty to the club and the role it plays in the process of filling teams at TNT

26:27 Addressing concerns brought up about players who are no longer on the same level of team as in past years --- or recevied no offer at all

28:42 How the game changes as the players get older and its impact on tryouts with some postiions that become even more competitive as a result

32:20 Discussion about why the evaluation of a player at tryouts is not one that will give the in-depth feedback about a player's performance that some parents desire if an offer is not received

34:16 Explaining why private lessons are the route to go for in-depth feedback about player performance if tryouts don't go a players' way

36:10 What families should and should not do after tryouts if an offer is not received

38:45 Reasons for the decision to forego the 15-18U callbacks at TNT after tryouts were held

40:32 The unpredicable nature of the older age groups (17 and 18U) when it comes to tryouts from year to year

45:08 Volleyball Moms question #1 - a parent venting about a player who didn't receive an offer

48:11 Volleyball Mom's question #2 - is an in-house league just a money grab?

50:00 Wrap-up