The Volleyball By Design Podcast

This past week I had the privilege spending a week training with the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team and came away with a ton of lessons that coaches at any level can apply to their own gym.

In this episode, I share:

• How the head coach planned each practice around player availability, injuries, load management, and practice goals
• How they designed drills to maximize volume, efficiency, and game-like reps
• Specific training ideas for serve receive, middle attacks, blocking, and 6-on-6
• How they used competition and scoring systems to increase intensity
• How technology and a serving machine were used to replicate game speed
• The importance of players being prepared and warmed up well before practice
• What stood out most about the mindset and competitiveness of the players
• Practical lessons you can take from Team Canada and apply in your own gym immediately

Click Here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com

Join my workshop at http://volleyballworkshop.com

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB

 

In this episode, you will hear from mental skills coach Paige Tonz as she shares two practical mental-performance tools from her presentation at DVA LIVE 2026.

First, Paige breaks down the pre-serve routine—a simple way to add a mental component to an athlete’s existing physical routine so they can manage pressure, reduce overthinking, and step into each serve with greater confidence.

Then, she introduces the Bounce Back Tracker, a simple way for coaches to stop focusing only on mistakes and start measuring resilience. Instead of asking how often an athlete makes an error, coaches can track how quickly they respond and get back on track.

Two simple tools that can help athletes become more confident, composed, and resilient under pressure.

You can watch this training and all the other trainings at DVA LIVE 2026 by clicking here - http://volleyballworkshop.com/dvalive2026

Join Digital Volleyball Academy by clicking here - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB

In this episode, I share a part of a live training that Dan did with our coaches about drill design. You can see what his thought process is and how efficient his drill designs are based on fundamental principles. He dives into:

• RTG
• How to incorporate training the mechanics 
• Phases of the game and how to train them 
• The importance of inputing the ball 
• And a few more key concepts 

Click here to purchase DVA LIVE 2026 - http://volleyballworkshop.com/dvalive2026

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com

Reach out via instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB

In this episode, I share some of my favourite volleyball games I've picked up while coaching with Nike Volleyball. These games keep players engaged, create healthy competition, and still reinforce important volleyball skills but more importantly, they're fun. 

If you're looking for fresh ideas to bring energy into your gym, this episode is packed with games you can start using at your very next practice.

 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com

Click here to join my workshop - www.volleyballworkshop.com/dvalive

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB

What if your offense could consistently create 1 on 0's without relying on predetermined play calls?

In this episode, I break down the Motion Offense, an advanced offensive system that has been used successfully for over 15 years at the collegiate level. Rather than relying on called plays, this system teaches players to read, react, and create offensive advantages based on pass location, spacing, and timing.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How the Motion Offense creates 1 on 0's opportunities without a play call.
• The three base positions that form the foundation of the offense.
• How middles, pipe hitters, and setters work together to create offensive advantages.
• Why spacing and "gap control" are critical to the system's success.
• The importance of reading pass location instead of memorizing set calls.
• The biggest challenges coaches face when implementing this offense.
• Why player development and organization are essential for executing the system at a high level.

Whether you coach high school, club, college, or university volleyball, this episode will challenge the way you think about offensive systems and give you practical ideas for building a faster, more dynamic attack.

Click here to join DVA and see this training live with video - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com

Click here to join DVA LIVE - www.volleyballworkshop.com

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB

I recently joined another volleyball podcast called the Win By Two podcast for one of my favorite coaching conversations I've had in a long time. We dive into building championship culture, developing players, creating standards of excellence, why mentorship matters, and the biggest mistakes youth coaches make. If you're serious about becoming a better coach, this episode is for you. 

We dive into: 

• Building championship culture
• The biggest coaching mistakes to avoid
• Why mentorship changes everything
• Developing players the right way
• Planning practices with purpose
• Creating standards that drive success
• Coaching beyond drills and systems
• Lessons from 20 years on the court

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.volleyballacademy.com 

Join my workshop - volleyballworkshop.com 

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB

On this episode, we have former Ukrainian National Team libero Pylyp Harmash joins the podcast to break down what separates great passers and defenders from everyone else.

In this conversation, we dive into the modern techniques being taught at the highest levels of volleyball, why passing should be coached differently than serving, and how movement—not platform—is often the missing piece for most athletes.

We also discuss the differences between European and North American training environments and what coaches can do to better prepare their players.

In this episode we cover:

• The difference between closed skills and open skills—and why it matters for coaching.
• How to handle float serves using your feet instead of your hands.
• Why distance from the net changes everything in serve receive.
• Proper body positioning, hip rotation, and angle creation for consistent passing.
• The 3-step movement pattern elite passers use.
• How to pass topspin serves more effectively.
• Why the traditional split step may be hurting modern defenders.
• Key differences between volleyball development in Ukraine and North America.
• Why more quality repetitions still matter in player development.

Whether you coach youth, high school, college, or club volleyball, this episode is packed with practical concepts you can immediately apply in your own gym.

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com

Click here to join my workshop - www.volleyballworkshop.com

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB

In this episode, US Men's National Team libero Erik Shoji did a presentation for our coaches where he shares the 8 key characteristics of successful volleyball programs from a player's perspective. We dive into: 

• Practice 
• Match Prep 
• Communication 
• Standards 
• Relationships 
• Competition 
• Passing Fundamentals 
• Reading 
• Culture 
• And a few more key concepts 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com

Join my workshop at www.volleyballworkshop.com

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB

In this episode, I share my experience attending a professional team practice and the coaching lessons that stood out most.

From maximizing athlete reps and minimizing downtime to creative drill design and skill development, you'll get an inside look at how elite teams structure training for efficiency and impact.

Whether you're coaching youth, club, high school, or college volleyball, you'll come away with practical ideas you can apply to your own practices right away.

 

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com

Click here to join my workshop - volleyballworkshop.com

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB

In this episode, I sit down with former Canadian National Team setter and Olympian Brett Walsh (@Brettjwalsh) to break down the key skills that separate good setters from great ones.

We dive into setter footwork, hand positioning, jump setting, and the importance of transferring energy efficiently through the body. Brett also shares his thoughts on developing decision-making, reading the game, creating offensive advantages, and helping setters become more than just ball distributors.

Topics in this episode include: 

• One-foot vs. two-foot setter footwork
• Hand positioning and ball contact
• Jump setting mechanics
• Setter decision-making 
• Training the setter position 
• Vision and reading the game
• How setters can dictate the flow of a match rather than simply set the ball 

Check out his setter academy on IG @precisionvolleyballacademy

Click here to join Digital Volleyball Academy - www.digitalvolleyballacademy.com 

Click here to join my workshop - volleyballworkshop.com

Reach out via Instagram @BrianSingh_CoachB