It’s that point of yr once more! Time to look again on the happenings of final yr, which noticed it’s tenth anniversary, and and to present some thought to what may be forward for the brand new one. So right here goes!
By the way in which, this put up’s featured picture is one thing created by DALLE by way of ChatGPT. For some purpose, it at all times desires to place hats on coaches heads. Perhaps they’re meant to be seashore coaches.
Job change
Apparently, identical to in 2022, a job change tops the checklist of huge occasions for me in 2023. As I introduced in Could, I left my place as Assistant Coach at Radford College to turn out to be the Strategic Supervisor for Expertise at Volleyball England. In that function I oversee the entire nationwide group packages. I’m additionally the Efficiency Director for Indoor (there are separate ones for Seaside and Sitting). Whereas I began the place on the finish of Could, a sluggish visa course of didn’t see me really transfer again to England till September.
Most of my work within the place in 2023 was creating a brand new 5-year plan for the Expertise packages. I talked with individuals across the nation. Met and shared my ideas with the Expertise Working Group, after which with the Volleyball for Life Subgroup (the previous sits beneath the latter). Then, lastly, close to the tip of October I introduced to the Volleyball England Board. Whereas the planning work in a strategic function by no means actually ends, that presentation marked the purpose at which my group and I might begin focusing extra on implementation. And there’s lots of implementing to do! I’ll be a busy boy on that entrance this yr.
Journey & Training
The one actual journey I did in 2023 that wasn’t linked to shifting to England was my journey over there in April to attend Cup Finals weekend. And previous to that, to hang around within the gymnasium with a training buddy who was getting ready his group to play in one of many finals. It additionally ended up being once I received provided the Volleyball England job, however that was by no means my objective for going.
I did spend a while over the Summer season going by way of content material on USA Volleyball’s new teaching schooling system (effectively, new in comparison with the previous CAP system). That’s one thing I really want to get again to, because it form of slipped away with the England transfer pending.
In all probability the most important academic growth for me final yr was beginning to take heed to audio books. Coach to Coach was the primary. I listened to that whereas strolling on campus at Radford. I’ve since additionally listened to Pep Guardiola: The Evolution, The Robust Stuff by Cody Royle, and Begin with Why by Simon Sinek.
In fact, I’ve saved studying as effectively. The Set Level – Securing the way forward for volleyball, produced by the FIVB, was an fascinating have a look at the enterprise facet of the sport. How We Be taught to Transfer by Rob Grey and The 5 Dysfunctions of a Workforce are on the checklist as effectively.
Content material
There have been 65 new posts to the weblog in 2023, together with the 1500th again in August. I believed that may symbolize an increase over 2022, nevertheless it didn’t. Final yr was really my least lively running a blog yr to this point. I do know I didn’t put up as a lot whereas I used to be at Radford due to constraints I used to be beneath (time and in any other case).
Running a blog wasn’t the one factor I used to be creating content material for, after all. I additionally accomplished publication of the Wizard Girls ebook I used to be engaged on. Over the Summer season I received severe about writing The Excellent Drill, which I’ve had in thoughts for some time. It took longer than deliberate, however I lastly completed that proper round Christmas. All of the planning work I used to be doing for Volleyball England (a lot of which had content material components) minimize in to my alternatives to develop extra stuff, although, particularly of a extra course-oriented nature.
I did slightly bit of labor within the educational analysis house, nevertheless it wasn’t something that labored towards precise publication. What I managed to perform was to evaluate a paper submitted for journal publication, nevertheless. The request was from a fairly excessive degree journal, and was fairly a shock.
Web site visitors
The massive milestone for the weblog was reaching the two.5 million lifetime web page views mark. That was hit in September.
And some data fell in the course of the yr as effectively. August turned the primary month to register over than 60,000 web page views, and even September’s tally got here in greater than for any month in 2022. In early September the location’s 1-day readership report fell, with the practically 2900 web page views finally edging out the mark set again in 2016. Apparently, in contrast to the previous peak that was pushed by one put up getting 2300 views, this time no single put up had greater than 250.
By late November, the location had already surpassed the whole readership from 2022. It wasn’t a sample of persistently higher efficiency, nevertheless. Sure, January, February, April, July, and August noticed readership considerably greater than the yr earlier than. March, Could, and November we really down from 2022, although. All collectively, nevertheless, it really works out to rise in readership of about 8% year-over-year.
Right here’s the 2023 geographic distribution. Not overly surprisingly, it’s practically an identical to 2022. The Philippines swapped locations with the UK, and France got here in to interchange China in ninth, however that it for variations.
These are final yr’s most considered posts.
- Volleyball Attempt-Out Drill Concepts
- Volleyball Set Diagram
- Methods to train the overhand serve to volleyball inexperienced persons
- Whose ball? Seam tasks
- Placing collectively a beginning line-up
- Pin hitter in volleyball – what’s it?
- Volleyball hitter protection technique
- Ice-breaking and bonding video games
- Favourite drills/video games to apply serve obtain?
- What does out of system imply in volleyball?
Waiting for the brand new yr
Launching The Excellent Drill is the brand new yr’s first precedence. The book model is all set, however I have to undergo proofing for the print model earlier than that one can go up in shops. I’ll have to decide on whether or not to supply an audio model.
Video-based content material – be it course or single seminar in nature – is on my thoughts quite a bit proper now. There are issues I need to develop in my England function to facilitate coach growth. A few of which will crossover to my work right here, however some gained’t.
Again over the Summer season I began work on the following ebook I’ve within the queue to place out. Not surprisingly, it stalled out given the whole lot that’s occurred since. It’s going to be on volleyball recruitment. I’ve wished to do an replace to 1 I printed as a joint undertaking again in 2011, however by no means appeared to do it. The timing is sweet now as a result of I have to do some work on serving to English children who need to give the US a shot.
I need to get again into analysis productiveness as soon as extra. I did a bit extra information assortment over the vacation break. Now I have to put that to make use of in a significant vogue. In my Volleyball England function I additionally get a stream of requests to assist with analysis efforts. These aren’t actually for me to be a lot of an lively participant, although.
And now that I’m in England once more, journey prospects turn out to be fairly fascinating. I’ve a few journeys in thoughts that may be a mixture of connecting with teaching associates and creating relationships for England. There’s additionally the prospect of a serious journey in my England function, however that’s contingent on getting some exterior help.
Want me luck!
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