Category Archives: All The Rest

Six rotation outside hitters. Liberos, defensive specialists. Contesting a play to reverse the call. Sideout scoring. Jump float. Kick saves. Number of substitutions. Purple cards. It’s safe to say our sport has changed quite a bit in the past decade. As a former player turned coach who has been told way too many times “thingsContinue reading “5 Things That Haven’t Changed About Volleyball”

In 2006, I met Zeke Bratkowski. Bratkowski, who played for The University of Georgia in the early 1950’s, was a standout quarterback for the university who went on to play professionally for the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers. He also served two years in the U.S. Air Force (while he was still with theContinue reading “A Lesson In Chill From One of the Greats – Zeke Bratkowski”

There’s a phenomenon in volleyball these days. The genesis is unknown, but if you watch any high school, club or college match you will hear one common thing said over and over again – “we’re fine.” It’s unclear when it changed from older versions of self-soothing, like, “my bad” or the rather demanding, albeit whiny, motivators of yoreContinue reading “WE’RE FINE! (no, seriously) WE’RE FINE!”

CHAPTER 1 Mrs. Cockshutt was my first ever coach, well, she was actually my P.E. teacher. I was eight years old in the 4th grade and was beginning my year at a new school. Having skipped 3rd grade, I was a year and a half (if not two full years) younger than everyone else inContinue reading “From Player to Coach: Understanding My Coaching Philosophy”

So, I was going to say former athlete, but if you are anything like me, you know that once you are an athlete you’re always an athlete. Physical limitations and injuries may sideline us for a bit, but eventually we make our way back onto the field. It isn’t a perfect science (and I wish some of theseContinue reading “Confessions of a Lifetime Athlete”

Teammates are for life. Anyone who has played a sport longer than a year or two knows that there is a special bond between people who have gone into battle together. A roster full of strangers at the start of a season, you are molded into a team over the next seven or eight months. Strangers no more,Continue reading “Teammates Are For Life”

I have written a lot about the benefits playing sports had on my life. Truly an amazing experience and one in which to this very day and this very moment, I can cite incredible opportunities and experiences. But, I didn’t escape unscathed. Sometimes I scratch my head at my thought process and think to myself “man, sports really messedContinue reading “Sports Messed Me Up!”

When my daughter was a baby, I spent a lot of time helping her fall asleep. An extrovert even in the womb, it was hard for her to settle down for the night. Never ready for the party to end, too much to say, too much to still see and experience. She was tired, but didn’tContinue reading “Breathing With God”

This morning at church, I sat in the front row and sobbed. My contorted face and streaming tears were only visible to the musicians on the stage in front of me. I doubt anybody saw me, even though, I wasn’t trying to hide my tears. They flowed freely, the rows behind me unaware. This morning, my AuntContinue reading “Eventually, It Breaks”