Ohio University Head Volleyball Coach;
Epic Journey Leadership - Founder;
Ohio State University Head Coach (2008 - 2019);
Back-to-Back-to-Back Sweet 16 appearances (2014-16);
Ohio University Head Volleyball Coach from 2003 to 2007;
4x Mid-American Conference (MAC) Coach of the Year;
5x MAC ChampionsOhio University’s Geoff Carlston shares his inspirational observations on coaching with an emphasis on grace and compassion. He shares his personal experiences that helped develop his philosophy towards coaching volleyball with the intent of both coaching the sport and developing the human beings in your program. Using techniques he has shared in the business world as well as strategies he uses at Ohio University, Carlston provides valuable insights on how to handle all the complexities and difficulties you will encounter coaching volleyball.
Build a trusting environment where players learn to share their lives with their coach
Carlston discusses the events in their world weighing on your players and how to help them transition from their daily life into their volleyball world and back to be more successful people. By refocusing your own approach to practice, he shares how you build a trusting atmosphere where players learn to be more supportive and understanding. This culture shift helps your team develop as a group and leads to a group that will be more successful at volleyball.
Learn to be a transformative coach instead of just a transactional coach
Coach Carlston shares his goals to help transform his players instead of just simply processing their views and dealing with daily issues. By learning to listen and be purposeful, Carlston helps you improve your personal relationships with players to be far more impactful than simply teaching them volleyball skills and techniques.
Take your coaching to the next level
Carlston shares techniques that help you reevaluate why you are coaching to help you be more effective as a coach. He discusses the large amount of stresses everyone carries around and helps you to help understand your players and give them the advice to handle volleyball and whatever else life throws at them. Carlston helps you dig deeper into why you are coaching and allows you to reflect on how you can be more purposeful in impacting young people.
By helping you refocus your coaching energy, Carlston shares the philosophy to be a better coach and a better person. Those skills will then translate into you helping players be better athletes and better people. He summarizes his outlook on coaching like this: “Grace in coaching, compassionately, curiously, doing your work, owning your work, and then sharing that with your teams…. That is coaching!”
This is the video every coach needs in a time like this!
52 minutes. 2024.
VD-06189B: with Geoff Carlston,
Ohio University Head Volleyball Coach;
Epic Journey Leadership - Founder;
Ohio State University Head Coach (2008 - 2019);
Back-to-Back-to-Back Sweet 16 appearances (2014-16);
Ohio University Head Volleyball Coach from 2003 to 2007;
4x Mid-American Conference (MAC) Coach of the Year;
5x MAC ChampionsCoaches are always looking for ways to enhance our team culture on the court. In this fantastic video, Ohio’s Geoff Carlston demonstrates a transformative team drill that he calls “Plus 25 Culture ''. This video takes you step-by-step through this drill and breaks down variations that you can add to your team to help you develop and maintain a positive atmosphere and culture on your team.
Build a trusting environment where players give and receive feedback from their peers
Carlston discusses methods to build trust within your players where they feel comfortable to give feedback and help them accept feedback from each other. He provides some simple “rules” on how players can communicate to provide constructive feedback and then techniques to receive that feedback. Carlston believes peer-based feedback is as valuable as coaching feedback, and you have to train your team how to provide that feedback properly.
Coach Carlston begins by setting up the drill and breaks down what he calls a “fix it” mindset. He uses a “fix it” mentality to quickly restart the drill to keep the action high before pausing to share comments that reflect positive culture traits seen in the drill. This allows his team to work on any volleyball related skills or topic.
Learn how to modify a drill to work on team culture AND focus on a technical skill
Carlston demonstrates his favorite drill for working on team culture and shows how that drill can be used to focus on whatever volleyball skill you want to focus on at a particular time while simultaneously having the players give positive feedback on their teammates. He explains how some of the elements of the Plus 25 Culture drill can be used in pretty much any drill to keep the whole gym focused on communication. By putting the power of observation into the hands of the players, Carlston helps them be accountable for the focused skill as well as how to provide feedback to each other.
As Carlston goes through his drill he explains how he wants his players to talk to each other in the gym. He describes the tone of his players’ voices, their use of everyone’s names, his player’s eye contact and even what happens if someone does not react positively.
Keep your players moving and learning
Carlston shares how Plus 25 Culture can be a quick, daily warm up that gets the players moving quickly and setting the tone for continual feedback. Carlston asks the players what they enjoyed about the drill. Their positive comments and enthusiasm helps you understand how the communication improved quickly within that group of players during the short coaching session.
Coach Carlston shares a philosophy where you determine what is important to your team culture and then provides techniques to reinforce that culture within this simple drill. The Plus 25 Culture drill can be used for a shorter or longer period, as he explains techniques to adjust the drill as you go to focus on a different set of skills while continuing to focus on your culture goals. Throughout the drill, Carlston demonstrates how energy and attitude can immediately improve when players know others are looking to provide feedback on effort and execution, which translates into improved player communication in matches when it becomes integrated in your team culture.
As the video moves on, he describes the many benefits of running a drill like this every day. He finds that his teams are very positive and become unafraid of making mistakes and even become better conditioned.
In this breakthrough video, Coach Geoff Carlston demonstrates a great drill that is a refreshing departure from the typical “drill.” Carlston teaches his team how to work together but also, he encourages individuals to find their voice in the gym. In today’s environment, this video is a must-have resource for volleyball coaches at all levels of competition!
53 minutes. 2024.
VD-06189C: with Geoff Carlston,
Ohio University Head Volleyball Coach;
Epic Journey Leadership - Founder;
Ohio State University Head Coach (2008 - 2019);
Back-to-Back-to-Back Sweet 16 appearances (2014-16);
Ohio University Head Volleyball Coach from 2003 to 2007;
4x Mid-American Conference (MAC) Coach of the Year;
5x MAC ChampionsUnderstanding the 3 Middle Hitter Offense
Looking for a creative offensive system that may help your team win more matches? The 3 middle hitter offense might be an effective alternative to the traditional offensive approach.
Coach Carlston describes several benefits of using a 3 middle hitter offense, including the ability to promote a faster offense and having more hitting options that can stress your opponent’s defense.
When run effectively, the 3 middle hitter offense can get your opponent to think more about how to defend your team than about what they plan to do as a team.
Carlston also discusses the type of setters, hitters and passers that can set up a 3 middle hitter offense for success, along with consideration about the time investment needed.
He then walks through a traditional 3 middle hitter system for each serve receive rotation and the wide range of hitting options it provides, along with the flexibility in adjusting blocking schemes that can optimize match-ups with your opponent.
Drills for Your Team to Practice the 3 Middle Hitter Offense
Coach Carlston shares three different drills to help train players how to attack and defend out of the 3 middle hitter system. This includes emphasizing rapid transition from defense to multiple quick attack options and practicing implementing a faster, aggressive offense off of free balls and digs.
Throughout the drills, he emphasizes the importance and opportunity of communication between setters and hitters, as well as the need for player flexibility and ability to benefit from hitter audibles. Along the way, he also shares insights into how to strengthen connections between coaches and players, in addition to fostering a culture of growth errors that will lead to greater individual and team success.
Through this video, Coach Carlston describes how to leverage a unique 3 middle hitter system and its many options to enhance the creativity, flexibility and effectiveness of your offense.
50 minutes. 2024.