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

In episode 26, Chuck and Brian welcome four of the club's female coaches, Casey Jenkins, Amber Wood, Kira Campbell, and Sue Rose to the podcast for our "Ladies' Night" episode to share their experiences as players, coaches, parents, and maternal figures within the volleyball community.

This episode highlights topics such as the variety of experiences and perspectives that female coaches bring to the volleyball community, challenges that female coaches face, and the importance of female representation in the coaching ranks.

Segment 1: (0:00 - 24:24)

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 se...

If you thought Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) just applied to D1 College athletes (like we did!), boy were you wrong!  Courtney Altemus from Advance NIL joins Chuck and Brian to set the record straight.

In Episode 24 of Bump. Set. Mic, we dive deep into the world of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights, focusing on how it's changing things in the college world and also impacting high school athletes, too. NIL has been a game-changer in the sports world, allowing athletes to profit from their personal brand, but what does this mean for high school students n...

Ever wonder if you should try to squeeze in Strength and Conditioning Training during the Season?  We have the science and data to answer that question!  Ever wonder how your athlete should be eating at a tournament to keep fresh all day long?  Listen to what we learned!

In Episode 23, Chuck and Brian welcome back Emily Neff from Relentless Athletics to share her findings from her research on In-Season strength training.  The results will surprise you!  Suffice to say, you are probably doing it wrong!

In Segment 1 Emily explains why it is important for young athle...

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 crea...

In Episode 21, Chuck and Brian travel to Baltimore, MD for the JVA Charm City Classic to talk to Team Mom, Parent, and Former D1 athlete, Natalie McIlhenny.

This episode talks about what to expect as a new parent venturing into the world of club Volleyball and is a MUST LISTEN for all parents.  Natalie does an amazing job of putting things into perspective and gives her tips, tricks, and lessons learned from 4 years of Club Volleyball.

In Segment 1, we discuss the benefits of playing club volleyball, and all of the ways that parents can enhance t...

The first episode of 2025 finds Chuck and Brian at TNT's just-opened new facility, the Armory!

In Segment 1, we talk about the benefits of the new facility now that it's open - and how it came to fruition.

Segment 2 answers some important questions about the start of the club volleyball tournament season as posted by our Facebook friends at Volleyball Moms.  Wanna hear out take on teams yelling "Balls Up", Sandbagging and what to do if you are feeling duped by your club?  Join us in a fun conversation about important issues facing the club volleyball wo...

In episode 19, Chuck and Brian ventured to the new TNT Armory facility scheduled to open in January to meet up with 13U Coach John Kutsuzawa, a.k.a. JK3.

John will be coaching the National TNT 13 Roadrunner team this season and has played volleyball for over 30 years. JK3 has coached CYO, high school, adults, and beach players. He has previous club stops at East Coast Power and GPS Crush prior to coming to TNT. 

Ever wonder what to expect from 13 year old players and how much you can challenge them?  JK3 shares shares his thoughts on...

In episode 18, Chuck and Brian caught up with TNT Coach Randy Syracuse. Randy recently joined TNT to continue his volleyball journey with our club, and we couldn't be happier that he's now with us.

Randy's journey includes expereince as both a professional player and a NCAA Division 1 coach. He also has a long track record of recruiting and training talented academic and athletic students. Randy has achieved multiple championships and medals as a player in various countries along the way, and he has quite a bit of experience in club volleyball, too.

On this episode...

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 a...

In Episode 16, TNT is pleased and honored to be able to present a volleyball dicussion with legendary Penn State Coach Russ Rose from a recent chat with TNT Director of Operations Leon Kasperski. The chat occurred in advance of Coach Rose's 11/10/24 visit to TNT to conduct both coach and player clinics.

This special episode features numerous clips taken from that chat, each one followed by a discussion between Chuck and Brian about the topics just mentioned.

In segment one, Russ shares his thoughts about club philosophy, skill acquisition at the younger age groups, and overall...

In Episode 15, Chuck invites Brian and TNT 15U Platinum Head Coach Rob Reifsteck and 15U National Head Coach LJ Brothers to his home to discuss volleyball from their perspectives as younger male coaches. They discuss their beginnings in volleyball, how they got started coaching teenage girls.  We hear their thoughts about the upcoming club season and goals for their 15U teams.  They discuss the differences in coaching boys vs. girls, and how they go about translating knowledge they gained as players to the next generation of players now that they are coaches themselves.  We also discuss the challenges that you...

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...

In Episode 13, Chuck and Brian welcome 12U Coach Jamal Corbin to the podcast to discuss the expectations of players at that age group along with some of his experiences over the years coaching both girls’ and boys’ volleyball.

Also debuting in this episode is Chuck’s first public singing performance (not really, but that sounds good). 

For parents and players new to the club, wondering what the expectations are for players at that level, this episode is one we hope you find helpful.

In segment 1, we meet Jamal, hear about his coaching background, and his...

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...

In Episode 11, Brian and Chuck talk about the following topics:

1) The value of managing your own facility and how it helps build a club.

2) Aftermath of High School Tryouts and whether "Politics" play a part in decisions.

In Segment 1, we share our experience of how valuable controling a practice facility is for the growth of a club.  We discuss how to start the process of finding a space and the issues TNT faced when trying to convert a warehouse into a volleyball gym.

In Segment 2, we answer the questions "Now What?" o...

In Episode 10, Brian and Chuck welcome Doug Blystone to the Bump Set Mic studio (aka Doug's back patio) and talk about qualities of the ideal coach.  Doug has coached high school, club, and college volleyball and is a CAP Cadre specializing in coaching the coaches.  In addition, Doug recently travelled to the United World Games (UWG) in Austria and shares his experiences in Europe as well as ideas for taking a team to the UWG in 2025.

In Segment 1, Doug talks about his volleyball journey and how he started coachevals.com as a way to help growth mindset co...

In Episode 9, Brian and Chuck welcome Coach Bob Quon as they discuss the role that young players play in building a club.  

In Segment 1, we talk about the TNT Regional program which has introduced hundreds of young players to volleyball that may not have had the opportunity to join a club and receive quality coaching.  We discuss the challenges faced when starting a grassroots program and feedback received from the parents.

In Segment 2,  we discuss the Community Outreach programs at TNT Volleyball, and how they are instrumental in introducing players and families to the world of c...

In Episode 8, Brian and Chuck talk about some important topics when trying out for a Club Volleyball team.  Special guests include 15U players Lea Ras and Ashlyn Kear, who provide inside from a player's perspective.  We test them with questions from the Volleyball Mom's Facebook page, including "What is the best volleyball shoe to wear?"

In Segment 1, we answer the following questions:

Do all clubs choose their teams early and use tryouts as a cash grab?

Is it better to play on a 2nd or 3rd team at a club when you can pl...

This abbreviated episide applies to the 2024 TNT Volleyball Club National team summer tryouts. 

In Episode 7 Brian and Chuck talk about The TNT Summer tryouts for 15U-17U National teams.

We discuss WHY are tryouts being held in July and what to do if you are NOT able to attend the tryout date.  We get it, summers are for family time, and we agree!  

In Episode 6 Brian and Chuck talk about Club Volleyball tryouts from an insider's perspective.

In Segment 1 we share strategies about how to prepare for upcoming tryouts.  We discuss how to find the right clubs, how to not get overlooked in registration, and insider tips on how to gain a significant advantage by getting noticed before tryouts even start!

In Segment 2 we share what coaches are actually looking for in tryouts.  Ever wonder why good players get overlooked?  We discuss things that athletes may focus on in the tryout that coaches don't care about.  We talk abou...

In Episode 5 we take you On Location to the 2024 AAU Girls Nationals in Orlando as Chuck sets up shop in the hotel lobby to interview players, parents and coaches.  Joining Chuck are players and parents from TNT 15U Venom as they share their experiences and advice from first time AAU Nationals participants.  Chuck then talks to 3 experienced TNT coaches to get ther perspective on why it is valuable for volleyball players and families to attend AAU Nationals, and some advice on how to make the most of the exprience.

Chuck's take on AAU Nationals - 1:00

Au...

In Episide 4, Brian and Chuck are On Location at AAU Nationals in Orlando, poolside at the Endless Summer Dockside Resort.  Joining them is the 3x self-proclaimed Coach of the Year, Andrew Lee as he explains how he was introduced to Volleyball as a player and coach and what keeps him coming back for more.   Andrew talks about his journey to becoming a college coach and High Performance Academy coach, and discusses what college coaches are looking for in players (and parents). 

Andrew also talks about his role as a club owner in the National Volleyball Association professional men...

In Eposide 3, we are On Location at AAU Nationals in Orlando.  Chuck and Brian talk to Leon Kasperski about his role in TNT and how he has helped grow a 4 team club to over 50 teams!  Chuck talks about the growth of the club and how AAU Nationals helped change the direction of TNT.  We also talk about some great online resources for players, parents and coaches and finish the episode with a huge shout out to our favorite Facebook Group...Volleyball Moms.

Meet the Unicorn (Leon Kasperski) - 3:10

TNT Nationals and the Path to Platinum - 1...

In Episode 2, Philadelphia legendary Coach Jea Lee joins Chuck and Brian to talk about what players should be doing once the club season has ended.  We start by discussing the importance of offseason  strength training and explain the reasons why players should explore sand and grass options.  Bonus track includes Chuck ranting about his opinion on summer club tryouts!

In Segment 2 the team talks about Private lessons as well as small group lessons.  Why they are valuable, and what they provide that you can't expect from the club season.

Just around the corner is the TNT...

In Episode 1, Chuck and Brian talk with TNT Volleyball Co-Founder John Kunzier to reminisce about how TNT got started.  They disucss the club scene back in 2016, and explain the vision for TNT and the decision to take on the larger well established clubs. They outline the mission of TNT, and how that mission and vision have enabled the club to grow to over 50 teams in 2024.

In Segment 2, John Kunzier explains his coaching philosophies and experience and how it all still applies to teams 25+ years after he coached at D1 LaSalle university.

Included in Episode 1