The VolleyPod presented by The Art of Coaching Volleyball
Jul 24, 2026 · 37 min · 13 segments
Coach Bear Grassell shares his volleyball coaching philosophies, focusing on player development, game strategy, and building a positive team culture. Perfect for coaches and players looking to elevate…
Bear GrasslGuestTod MattoxHostDavis RansomHostAnd, uh, let's get into from, from culture, you talked a little bit about the idea of play.
But when you come into a place, give us a little bit of a background as far as experience of your players.
But right now, let's say on your Marin team, how many kids were experienced club players? Did you have non-club players? What was your makeup look like?
And, but we also had some-- But we had maybe three-quarters of the roster that had.
But I mean, if you play enough, you get better, and there's a kid who did not play high school varsity volleyball who is now a fully functioning, capable volleyball player because she spent an entire year of doing all the moves, playing all the volleyball.
But over time, the, the couple of things that I do think are important skill-wise that needs a little bit of ball and a partner or a little bit of, I don't know, people call it tutoring or whatever you call it these days, is platform angles, balls that are outside your body.
You know, uh, there's not a single thing you're gonna hear me say that one of my guys hasn't said first, and so this is one of them.
Uh, but if you-- People talk about dipping shoulders and, and, you know, putting their chin under their shoulder and lifting the, lifting the, the shoulder closest to the ball.
And if you, if you think about just sending balls back the direction they came from is a pretty high priority in volleyball.
Things that hit you and keep going in the same direction is sort of the opposite of our goal.
And, uh, let's get into from, from culture, you talked a little bit about the idea of play.
But when you come into a place, give us a little bit of a background as far as experience of your players.
But right now, let's say on your Marin team, how many kids were experienced club players? Did you have non-club players? What was your makeup look like?
And, but we also had some-- But we had maybe three-quarters of the roster that had.
But I mean, if you play enough, you get better, and there's a kid who did not play high school varsity volleyball who is now a fully functioning, capable volleyball player because she spent an entire year of doing all the moves, playing all the volleyball.
But over time, the, the couple of things that I do think are important skill-wise that needs a little bit of ball and a partner or a little bit of, I don't know, people call it tutoring or whatever you call it these days, is platform angles, balls that are outside your body.
You know, uh, there's not a single thing you're gonna hear me say that one of my guys hasn't said first, and so this is one of them.
Uh, but if you-- People talk about dipping shoulders and, and, you know, putting their chin under their shoulder and lifting the, lifting the, the shoulder closest to the ball.
And if you, if you think about just sending balls back the direction they came from is a pretty high priority in volleyball.
Things that hit you and keep going in the same direction is sort of the opposite of our goal.
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