Tom is the USA Assistant Coach with Karch Kiraly and Georgia University Women’s Head Coach. Tom is one of the most talented hardest working young coaches we have ever met. He has taken LMU (Former Program) to a Top 25 program in just a few years and just recently working with Karch Kiraly brought home the USA women’s first Gold in a major competition. We are proud of the 120+ Videos we have filmed with him!
This volleyball practice plan is a D1 NCAA College Women’s Indoor Reading the Game Practice. This practice will help coaches with important concepts and drills related to the topic. Additionally Andor and Tom filmed individual videos in Tom office discussing the topic.
In this post I wanted to reference some important resources to help when using science to develop a team game play principals and a volleyball coaching philosophy. This article is less about sharing opinions and more about referencing other studies and articles in order to have a foundation from which to analyses your own philosophies.
In this video, Andor Gyulai Volleyball1on1.com founder and owner introduces Tom Black and what to expect from the practice! Tom Black is one of the top young up and coming volleyball coaches in the country. He currently works with the USA National Women’s team daily with head coach Karch Kiraly and Reed Sunahara.
Tom Black – LMU women’s head coach and USA women’s assistant coach breaks down and explains the “Read the Game” volleyball practice plan he runs the Lions through. “Read the Game” was developed by many of the USA national team coaches before the 2012 Olympics, including Karch Kiraly, Ron Larson, Hugh McCutcheon, and Paula Weishoff.
In this video Ron Larson former USA assistant coach works with the LMU volleyball setters in a tutor drill.
Ron is an incredible coach and this series of videos highlights a number of important talking points for setters.
This includes:
• Consistent Contact Point
• High hands
• Follow through
• Feel – Getting an Intuitive feeling for the location of your sets.
This great drill works on all skills including passing, setting and tipping. Why we like the drill is that players work on skills while warming up thus making more productive use of practice time.
Working on all skills, this volleyball drill improves passing, setting and spiking. Again like the previous drill this warm up is game like and over the net as it builds skills. With limited gym time many coaches are having success using drills like this to start practice!
To see 12 similar drills by NAIA champion coach and Volleybal1lon1 instructor Dan Fisher click here.
Go here for a list of all warm ups in our library.
In this video Ron Larson former USA assistant coach and Tom Black do a progression on the previous setter tutor drill. Now the setters are running the middle blockers through a series of attacks and hits.
In this video Tom offers the quote of the day as well as explains the goals and drills for the practice. I like this video as it gives coaches a great look at how they should consider setting up their practices as well as using quotes and other inspirations stories to motivate and inspire the players.
Continuous Blocking Drill and the Split Step Stretch-Shortening Cycle is a great video series that will expose you to new concepts in volleyball blocking and defense. The Split Step Stretch-Shortening Cycle has been used for years now by elite tennis players to move more effectively across the court and cover more ground.
The transition toss volleyball drill works on transition hitting as well as “Read the Game” blocking and defense. The drill fits nicely into a progression from the setter tutor drills already run as well as working on the split step stretch-shortening cycle concepts.
This drill emphasis includes “reading the game” for blockers and defenders, as well as working on the fundamentals of transition and getting off the net after you block so that you get a good attack.
Click here for the full “Read the Game” practice and all of Tom Black’s 170+ Volleyball Videos and Drills
Compete with transition emphasis volleyball drill is the final progression of the practice and in many ways works to improve and emphasize all that the team has worked on thus far in the practice. Note: We have added the conversation from the office where Tom discusses this competition drill.
AVCA Video Tip of the Week – Diggers verses Spikers. This is a great drill to help defenders play better defense by being better at reading hitters. The drill will help defenders look at attackers arm swing, shoulders and more so that they read better on defense.
The LMU 50 drill is used to wind down practice. Stats are kept for serving and passing accuracy.
Tom compliments the team on a good practice and one player is chosen by their teammate for being the best at helping the team improve.
Tom goes over the finer points of the setter tutor drill and how they are improving.
Note I also included videos of the drill being performed!
Update to this post – I recently watched LMU Setter and it is remarkable her improvement as well as her impact on the game since working with Ron Larson!
Tom and Andor have an in depth talk over how this new technique “Split Step Stretch-Shortening Cycle” borrowed from tennis converts to volleyball. Note we have included the videos of the drill in action too.
Tom emphasizes how at every level you need to focus on simple basics to stay on track. In this video Tom and Andor discuss in detail the Team Transition Tutor Drill.
Tom has phenomenal insight into how competition puts skills into action. In this video tom reviews the last drill from practice namely the Compete with Transition Emphasis Drill. Click here for the full “Read the Game” practice and all of Tom Black’s 170+ Volleyball Videos and Drills Note: We have added the videos from the…
Tom lends his insight into how the jump float server is so effective in the women’s game and how the men’s game is catching onto the trend. John is one of the expert in the area and has done more research on the subject than anyone we know of. This video should be watched by all female volleyball coaches.
Tom talks at length of how LMU NCAA Women’s Sand Volleyball Program is having a huge benefits for the indoor game of all his players on both squads. Also how sand volleyball helps indoor volleyball.
Tom explains how the “Reading the Game for Volleyball” concept has evolved and become the dominating force in volleyball coaching. Also he talks about his experience with Karch Kiraly, Hugh McCutcheon, and other USA volleyball staff on developing the concept.
Tom is congratulated on being named the USA women’s assistant coach under head coach Karch Kiraly and in this video shares his experience of what this job entails.
In this video Tom shares some of the best research into how coaches should teach athletes to learn, particularly motor skill learning for volleyball. Again this is a video all coaches should watch. For new coaches this video conveys critical concepts that most top coaches follow and use for teaching and coaching.
Tom tells how great learners are tested, push through harder levels, then achieve success. Plus he shares a funny story from his first year at LMU as a coach. This story is extremely revealing as it shows Tom Black’s focus on the process rather than the end result. Watch the video and see if you agree.
Tom talks how the greatest part of coaching is learning how to learn and it’s never ending process. This video is incredible! It may just change everything in terms of how you coach and what is your end goal as a coach.
This is the first indoor volleyball practice plan we filmed with Tom Black and the LMU Women’s Team. Tom is an incredible coach and currently an assistant coach with Karch Kiraly on the women’s national team. This practice is very revealing to what great coaches do and how the little things add up to greatness.
Practice Plan #1 – Part 1 of 10 – Includes practice introduction, team goals / debriefing and also the quote of the day. Some great insightful videos that will help any coach become a better coach. Particularly if you are not currently using a quote of the day or have created a united team goal.
Practice Plan #1 – Part 2 of 10 – Team warm up drills and practice overview. You will notice Tom always tries to make the drill as game like as possible and on the net if possible.
Practice Plan #1 – Part 4 of 10 – Outside and Middle Hitter Tutor Volleyball Drills – These drills are set up to work on specific needs of either the outside hitters or the middle attackers! Great series of videos!
Practice Plan #1 – Part 5 of 10 – 6 on 6 Out of System, Chaos 3 Ball Team Wash Drill. This is a great drill to put everything the team has worked on so far into action in a real game like situation.
Practice Plan #1 – Part 6 of 10 – 6 on 6 Out of System, Chaos 3 Ball Team Wash Drill (Part 2)