The Volleyball By Design Podcast

40 Episodes
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By: Brian Singh

The Volleyball By Design podcast gives you simple, actionable, step by step strategies so you can get clarity in your training and apply what you learn right away.

Building A Culture Of Excellence In High Performance Sport
#256
Last Monday at 12:05 PM

An article was shared with me by national team player Daenan Gyimah that was created by the national team sports psych coach. I think it's a very important conversation that coaches should be aware of and implementing in their program. In this episode, we dive into:

 

7 Components of high performance culture  A culture of excellence  Understanding the culture matrix  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy or visit www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com 

Click here to join my free workshop or visit www.volleyballworkshop.com

Reach out via In...


Roadmap To A National Championship With 7 Time National Championship Coach Ken Bentley
#255
05/19/2025

In this episode we are privileged to welcome the 2024-2025 USPORTS Womens volleyball national championship coach Ken Bentley who secured his 7th national championship in his career. He shares a wealth of knowledge including: 

Strength Training Program and Philosophy  Off season planning and schedule  Training technical work  Planning for upcoming season  Match Preparation  What made him win a championship  Setting technical work  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy or visit www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com 

Click here to join my free workshop or visit www.volleyballworkshop.com

Reach out via In...


Let's Build Your Offense From The Ground Up
#254
05/12/2025

In this episode I walk you through a step by step approach to building your offense from the ground up. We start at the very beginning on advance through to higher level conversation. We dive into: 

The goal of your offense  Type of offense  How to determine who's playing what position  Hitting Lanes  Number System  Middle Attacker  1 on 1's  Setter Attack  Out of System Play  2nd Contact  Offensive Plays  Backcourt Attack  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy or visit www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com

Click here to join my free workshop or vi...


Every Volleyball Equipment You Need, In Priority Order, Given A Budget
#253
05/05/2025

I was asked, if I had a limited budget what volleyball aids and equipment would I get in order of importance. This question led me to record this episode and list all the volleyball equipment that I see head coaches have in their gyms and in order of importance so you can prioritize your purchases. 

We dive into: 

Volleyball Equipment  First Aid  Technology in your gym  Software  Accessories  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy or visit www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com 

Click here to join my free workshop or visit...


What Pros Are Doing That We Can Apply To Our Athletes
#252
04/28/2025

In this episode, I share about a ProAm League I started this year consisting of Pro & University players. What's interesting are the things we can learn from these pro players and apply in our gym. Throughout the first set of matches, I noticed things that make these pro's great and I discuss what we can bring to our athletes. In this episode, I dive into:

Velocity  Setters  Perception  Ball control  Middles  Preparation  And a few more key concepts 

Visit www.coachbleague.ca to watch games and check out the league

Click here to join Digital Volleyb...


Increase Your Players Vertical Jump Today With Strength & Conditioning Coach Reid Hall
#251
04/21/2025

In this episode, we go back in the fault to an episode where Reid Hall dives into 4 key areas of strength and jump training. We talk about

Strength Training Schedules  Strength Training (Bilateral & Unilateral)  Posterior Chain  Jump Technique Increasing Power Output  Injury Prevention & Rehabilitation 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy or go to www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com

Click here to join my free workshop OR go to www.volleyballworkshop.com

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


Velocity Based Training & Strength Training For Volleyball Players With Head Strength Coach Cole Hergott of Trinity Western University
#250
04/14/2025

In this episode we are privileged to welcome Cole Hergott to the podcast who is the strength & conditioning coach for all varsity teams and players at Trinity Western University. He's been a part of a couple national championships with the volleyball program and we dive into how strength training plays a vital role in that. We talk about

Scheduling for off season and in season  How many days a week do the teams strength train and what does it look like  All the exercises volleyball players should be doing  Velocity Based Training  1 x 20 and 5 x 5  How to strength train...


The Technical Differences Between Digging, Reception & Scoop Defense
#249
04/07/2025

In this short episode, I go through some technical differences between the 3 as well as the pros and cons for different techniques. We dive into:

Which muscles you're using for each one  Stance and Position  Pro's and Cons Which one is the best  Some interactive things you can do to see the difference  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy or visit www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com

Click here to join my free workshop or visit www.volleyballworkshop.com

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSIngh_CoachB


A Complete Breakdown Of Winning The First National Championship In Program History With Head Coach Grant Wilson
#248
03/31/2025

In this episode, we are privileged to have on National Championship Coach Grant Wilson who is the head coach of the men's volleyball program at Brandon University who just won their first ever USports National Championship! 

In this episode, we dive into the entire season and a complete breakdown of what it took to win a national championship. We talk about:

Seasonal Planning  Practice Structure  Understanding how to look at stats and film  Match Prep  Block-Defense  Serving Strategy  Culture  Visualization  And a few more concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy or visit www.digitalvol...


Strategies & Fallacies On Coaching The Next Generation In Volleyball
#247
03/24/2025

A little bit of a different episode, but on today's show we dive into strategies that will help equip you with the tools you need to coach this current generation of athletes. We dive into:

Coaching Strategies  Different types of learners  Mental Toughness  Coaching Delivery  And a few more strategies to help coach your athletes 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy OR www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com 

Click here to join my free workshop OR www.volleyballworkshop.com

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


Strategies on Improving Your Players Individual Defense Part 2
#246
03/17/2025

I did an episode back in December of 2024 where I shared 10 strategies on improving your teams individual defense. In this episode, I dive deeper and share some more strategies as well talk motor patterns that your players should have in their toolbox to play better defense. In this episode we dive into:

Mindset  How to train the defensive mindset  Reading  Movement Patterns  Technical work with defense  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


15 Strategies To Maintain Consistent Energy And Motivation From Your Players Throughout The Season
#245
03/10/2025

With a long volleyball season, coaches are sometimes faced with a challenge of keeping the energy high at practices as well as maintaining motivation throughout the season. In this episode I share 15 strategies you can implement to ensure players stay focused, and have consistent energy and motivation for the entire season. We dive into:

The phases of a season 15 strategies you can implement today  How to plan for these strategies at the beginning of your season  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free work...


How To Fix The Most Common Errors With Inexperienced Or Young Players
#244
03/03/2025

When training inexperienced athletes, they always tend to make the same mistakes and sometimes that can be frustrating as a coach if you don't know how to help them. In this episode I share strategies to fix the most common errors you'll see in the technical skills of our game. We dive into:

How to fix the most common errors in passing  Concept of Shadowing  Fixing attacking issues  Using Video  Gaining court awareness  Strength training  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Rea...


Teaching Your Players To Attack Efficiently By Understanding Biomechanics with Former Pro & National Team Player Issac Kneubuhl
#243
02/24/2025

In this episode we go back into vault with a great interview diving into the mechanics of attacking with Issac. We dive into:

How to generate the most power on the ball Understanding the mechanics of the swing  Myths about the arm swing  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to register for my free workshop

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


Volleyball Is A Game Of Chess Not Checkers
#242
02/17/2025

In this episode, we talk about tactical strategies you can use to approach the game. We dive into: 

Match Prep  Defensive Systems  Offensive Systems  20-20 Rule  Serving Strategies  Playing for the next play And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


Tactical Strategies To Improve Your Block Defense
#241
02/10/2025

In this episode, we pose a lot of questions that coaches need to consider when setting up their block defense. You cannot play the same defense on every team so how can we tactically create an advantage in a match? In this episode we dive into:

Capitalizing on 3 rotations  Blocking various offensive systems  Understanding how to tactically play the setter- middle  Out of system & In system blocking  Adjusting mid match  And a few other key points 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagra...


Strategies To Help Your Players Mental Skills & Mindset with Mental Skills Coach Tharsheka Natkunam
#240
02/03/2025

In the episode, we go back into the vault and pull one of the top 10 most listened to episodes on the podcast. You'll hear an interview I did with mental skills coach Tharsheka Natkunam who works with our men's volleyball team as well as many other varsity teams. She is an expert in the field of mental skills training. 

We cover topics like:

How to prepare mentally for serve receive  How to bounce back after committing an error  How to to not dwell on the mistake you just made  How to deal with a player with low...


Teaching Your Players How to Move Efficiently In Order To Pass More Balls
#239
01/27/2025

When we talk about passing and ball control, most of the times the conversation revolves around platform and angle but movement is also vital to passing successfully. In this episode we dive into ways you can coach your players to move more efficiently resulting in more balls being passed to target. We talk about: 

Body Positioning  Efficient movement  Passing to the side as well as front and back  Float vs Spin reception  Spacing  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out...


How To Build A Strong Connection With Your Players To Unlock Another Level To Their Game
#238
01/20/2025

Connection is really important for a coach to have with their players. And when you can successfully build a strong connection with your players, it will unlock another level to their game that would not have been revealed if it wasn't for that connection. In this episode we dive into: 

1 on 1's  Questions to ask your players  Tea with Coach B Video Certain gestures that are important  Team Building  Celebrations  Some lessons about building connection  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop

Rea...


Mental Skills Training & How To Teach Your Athletes To Train Like A Pro With National Team Player Daenan Gyimah
#237
01/13/2025

In this episode, we are privileged once again to have Daenan Gyimah on the podcast where he dives into everything mental skills training and being a pro. We talk about:

The athletes mindset  Intangibles that will take athletes to the next level  Mental Skills & Mindset Training  Leadership  And a few other key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


Strategies When Starting A New Club To Ensure Growth
#236
01/06/2025

In this episode, I talk about some strategies you can use when starting a new volleyball club so that it can grow and become a place where many athletes want to come too. We dive into:

Identifying coaches  The importance of Experience  How to create an experience for athletes  Social Media  And a few other key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


Strategies On How You Should Approach A Match Or Tournament
#235
12/30/2024

In this episode, we go into the vault and pull the 2nd most listened to episode on the podcast over the last 5 years. We dive into strategies to help your team gain confidence and strategies on how to prepare for a match. We talk about:

Tournament Prep  Match Prep  Charting  Film  Practice  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


Key Coaching Takeaways To Apply In Your Gym From the 2024 AVCA Coaches Convention
#234
12/23/2024

In this episode, I dive into my key takeaways from the 2024 AVCA Convention that I believe will benefit all coaches to move the needle in your gym. I talk about:

Setter/Middle Relationship  New Routes for Middles  Different scoring systems to add to your drills Cues to read setters  Tactical Serving  Some Drills to add to your gym  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


Key Elements In Her Gym To Winning Multiple Championships With Professional Coach Desiree Tan
#233
12/16/2024

In this episode, I'm privileged to welcome professional coach out in Sweden, Desiree Tan to the podcast where she talks about the keys to all her successes in volleyball winning multiple championships. We dive into:

Pre-Season  Training  Practices  Drills she uses  Culture  Match Prep  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSIngh_CoachB


Pin Attackers, Middle Blockers & Effective Training Practices with National Team & Professional Coach Bruno Chateau
#232
12/09/2024

In this episode, we have the privilege of having national team and professional coach Bruno Chateau on where we dive into what goes into a successful volleyball program. We dive into: 

The difference between the mens and women's game  The difference between volleyball in France, Japan & the US Seasonal Planning  Practice Planning  Player Development  Drill Design  Pin Attackers  Middle Blockers  Culture 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


10 Strategies To Improve Your Players Individual Defense Today
#231
12/02/2024

In this episode, I share my top 10 strategies to improve your players individual defense. We dive into:

Mindset & Identity  Tools to equip your players with  Reading  Preparation  Film  Games  And a few other key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


Improve Your Teams Serve Receive By Fixing These 10 Common Mistakes
#230
11/25/2024

In this episode, I share 10 common serve receive errors that if you fix, will help your team be a much better passing team. We dive into: 

Physics and principles of passing  Misunderstandings  Common errors  Mindset shift your passers need to go through  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


5 Common Defensive Mistakes You Need To Address As A Coach
#229
11/18/2024

Over the last several weeks, I've been guest coaching in many teams gyms. I've noticed a pattern with defensive mistakes I wanted to share on the podcast. In this episode, I share 5 common defensive mistakes every coach needs to be aware of. In this episode we dive into:

5 Common Mistakes  How to Train some of these mistakes  A drill to help  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB

 

 


Step By Step Guide To Winning My Program's 1st ever Championship in just 8 weeks
#228
11/11/2024

I'm so proud to say I made history in the high school team I coached this season. For the first time in program history, we won the east region championship. In this episode, I walk you step by step exactly how I was able to accomplish this. We dive into: 

Building your support system  Tryouts  Game Day  Training Schedule  Film  Tactical and Technical  Apps And so many other ingredients that went into this 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


How A Top Volleyball Program Operates With Associate Head Coach Of The University of Louisville Dan Meske
#227
11/04/2024

We are privileged to have on associate head coach at the university of Louisville Dan Meske who dives into what makes their program special and things you can implement in your program to take it to another level. We talk about:

Seasonal Planning  Strength Training Practice Planning & Structure  Culture  Match Prep  Film  And so much more 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


How To Plan & Execute An Efficient And Effective Practice
#226
10/28/2024

We want to ensure our players are developing at each practice and that our practices are designed for player and team development. In this episode we dive into:

Practice Planning (how to prepare a practice plan)  Key elements of your practice  Skill Development  Skill based practice vs team based practices  Practice Principles  Using technology to increase player development 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


How To Become Unstoppable On Offense With Out Of System Play
#225
10/21/2024

The conversation about OOS play is becoming more and more common because coaches are realizing how important it is in order to win games. In this episode we dive into:

Understanding OOS vs In system  Trends & Stats  Traditional vs Now  Technique and Execution  Drills  Common Mistakes & Objections  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


Strategies When Your Players Lose All Momentum
#224
10/14/2024

In this episode, I dive into strategies as well as painting the picture for when your team loses momentum in a match. As a coach, it can be really frustrating watching your team fall apart on the court and there is nothing you can do to help. In this episode we dive into:

Strategies on how to combat momentum shifts  Mental Skills training  Painting the picture of the situation  And a few more concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


Strategies On Coaching Players Who Might Doubt You
#223
10/07/2024

During my workshop, I got the question, "How can I coach players who might doubt my feedback (maybe because I wasn't a highest level athlete myself at my prime and I'd say I'm coaching a relatively high level)?" This question I know many coaches go through. In this episode, I walk you through how to solve this problem. We dive into:

Certain Beliefs  Player Development  Relationships  Structure  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here for my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


Step By Step Guide On How To Efficiently Train Inexperienced Players In Order To Compete With Experienced Players
#222
09/30/2024

One of the hardest things for coaches is to take an inexperienced player and have them compete with experienced players. The gap is so large sometimes. In this episode, I share a complete guide to get inexperienced players playing at the level where they can compete with experienced players. In this episode we dive into:

A roadmap to bridge the gap Understanding how to train fundamentals  12 Strategies to help bridge the gap  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out v...


Important Technical Strategies and Distinctions Between Passing Float vs Spin
#221
09/16/2024

There is a difference between passing a float vs a spin. Athletes need to understand the principles and how to apply them in various situations. In this episode, I go over how to pass both serves and what the difference is. We dive into:

Technique on passing float  Technique on passing spin  Major differences and how to adjust  Basic principles of passing  Exceptions given various situations  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


How To Create An Effective Offensive System
#220
09/09/2024

There are a lot of ways to run an offensive system. But there are certain elements of an offensive system that must happen. In this episode we dive into:

What is an offensive system  Zones  Types of offense  First Ball Side Out  Transition  Out of System  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB


2 Tactical Tools To Add To Your Middle Blockers
#219
09/02/2024

In this episode, I dive into 2 tactical items that we're seeing used at the pro and international level that you may want to teach or introduce to your team. In this episode we dive into:

Middle approach when setter is off the net  Plyometric vs Isometric Blocking  Reading and movement  And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to register for my free workshop

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB

 


A Simple Guide To Organizing How And When You'll Cover Every Volleyball Skill During Your Season
#218
08/26/2024

In this episode, I share a very simple approach to organizing when you'll be able to cover all the skills in our game during the course of your season. Time is one of our greatest enemies so having a strategy to be able to cover everything you need for your team is important. In this episode we talk about:

All the skills in our game  How to organize all those skills in our game during your season  Organizing systems  And a few more concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to watch my fr...


The Hard Truth I learnt This Summer About Competitive Volleyball
#217
08/19/2024

In this episode, I share some hard truths that I know many of us know but sometimes it's nice to get reacquainted with them before the season starts. We dive into:

6 truths that we need to accept  Common things across all coaches  What I would do differently  A few other key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy 

Click here to join my free workshop 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB