2026 MNVBCA Coaches Clinic Recap

Join Darin Swenson (Litchfield), Becca Pulju (Sebeka), and Greg Ueland (Roseville) as they discuss their highlights from this year's MNVBCA Coaches Clinic.  Another great clinic and another great recap.  Listen in to get a couple more ideas as you prepare for the 2026 season. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back, Minnesota Volleyball Coaches. It is the first week of August, which means the clinic is done, and we're back to talk about it. So we're going to get right into it. This is our third annual uh Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Clinic recap. And I am joined, as always, by our clinic director, Greg Uland. How are you doing, Greg? I'm great. And our executive secretary of the association, Becca Puglia of Sabika. How are you doing, Becca?

SPEAKER_03 0:25

I'm good. Good morning, guys.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

Morning. You guys got your list? You guys ready to go? So ready. Yes. So ready. All right. So for those listening, if this is your first clinic recap, we just kind of go through, we've each generated a list of uh items that we're taking away from the clinic. Um, we always say if you go to a clinic, you go to some type of training, you're not gonna walk away with a a thousand things necessarily, but if you can take a handful of ideas that you can implement, uh, you're gonna be good to go and it was worth your time. All right. Any volunteers who wants to go first to take the number one seed off the board.

SPEAKER_03 0:58

I I'm going first because I say it every year. But the best thing about the clinic is what do we have? 265 coaches from all across Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and I think there might have been a North Dakota or South Dakota one too. Um, all coming together, and it is a unique group of people. Like you couldn't just spot a volleyball coach. They don't have a look because we're all very different. But everyone is just so open to sharing ideas and less the like I always say it's what my soul needs to get back in the spirit of coaching after like you know long offseason. It just kind of is like reinvigorating that I love to do this job and talking with like I could say they're my people, and it you you know, connect those relationships with people, even though that you don't see all the time, but it's like not, you know, you have this volleyball's in common, and so it just feels like a big family reunion. Everyone's getting together, sharing ideas, and it just sort of gets everything right in my heart and my head to get ready for the season.

SPEAKER_02 1:50

I I totally co-sign Becca, that was at the top of my list as well. Um, you know, having coached other sports and things like there's just something special about the Minnesota volleyball uh community in general, and the the collaboration stands out, but it is, I kind of am in awe sometimes that this is my job and I get to do this because of the relationships. Like some of my coaching idols when I started 20 years ago now have become my friends, and it just kind of I even have goosebumps now talking about it. Like this is this is real life. We're friends with a lot of people we wouldn't imagine. And like when your top coaches in the state and kind of the traditional powers are willing to share, uh, which they do every year, I think that just speaks volumes about our volleyball community.

SPEAKER_00 2:39

Yeah, I I agree. Uh you guys said it very well. Um, and I tell I tell people this all the time. I tell my players all the time that the volleyball community is unique. Like I if you ask me, is there any like rivalry like within Minnesota that I'm aware of in which like it's a rivalry because those two coaches just don't get along? I can't name one. Yeah, not saying there's not one out there, but I just don't know of one, right? Um, because even the ones that you would think, you'll still see those two coaches like talking and and sharing ideas and telling old stories. And um, yeah, that's it's just a it's a really fun, uh, really fun event uh that I look forward to as you guys have said uh every year. Um and I I walk away from it just just feeling good, feeling as Recca said, reinvigorated, ready for the season. Now we got two weeks in order to get every all our ducks in a row. All right. Uh Greg, you want to go next? Sure.

SPEAKER_02 3:34

I mean, I have to throw out Kirsten um Bernthal Booth. What an amazing keynote speaker. And yet again, somebody who's just an everyday person. Like I think a lot of times, again, this speaks to the volleyball community, I think, in general. We kind of idolize these coaches and we see them on TV coaching these high-level Division I or pro teams, and and we kind of are in awe of them. And then when we get to meet them up close and personal, she's a mom. Oh, she's in my age group. Oh, she has is experiencing the same life things that I am. And that's the cool thing about the clinic. So, you people who have not come or can't, like, you get to just talk life and all the things with people on the side and just working with her. She's so gracious, she's so kind, she's so generous, um, and just real. And she gave us so many great things. I wasn't able to go to all of her sessions or just see small things, but I took away so many little, just quick things that can really help me and my coaching or help our programmer help lots of things. So, what an amazing keynote speaker.

SPEAKER_03 4:42

Yeah, I didn't get to hear her speak because I was at the registration table, but I got to visit with her at Coach's social, which we'll get to later. But I feel called out, Greg, because she was. I was like talking to my mom friend. Like we are our kids, are, you know, same life points. And but what I she just was so personable and she was willing, and everyone she talked to, she wanted to get to know their name and what school they were at and where was that, and you know, geographically in Minnesota. And then she, you know, she was like, you know, she's from Nebraska volleyball. Nebraska has, I mean, volleyball, that's a volleyball state, but she's like, holy cow, I thought Nebraska was awesome, and like the coaches, you know, like longevity of coaches and just the working together. But she's like, Minnesota is amazing. So it was nice to hear that. I mean, we know that we're awesome, but it was nice to have someone who's also from like a huge volleyball state who's as knowledgeable as she is, really give us props. Um, she was just so willing to share like her ideas and things that worked for her that on a personal level, and my assistant coaches went to her sessions and they were as equally impressed with her overall. So I'm good job, Greg securing her as a speaker. I know she was supposed to be there last year, but the Olympics came in the way. So that was a she was a really good addition to the to the clinic this year.

SPEAKER_00 5:47

Yeah, I was able to, I think she did she did four sessions. I saw either all or part of three of them. Is that a different one for the fourth one? But I got a list of things that I pulled from hers. Um, and like some of these are like, and that's the other thing. Like, it doesn't have to be like this big idea that, like, all right, you went to this clinic and all right, they're giving you this whole new offensive system that it's gonna take you a month to implement and you just gotta stick with it and it'll work or whatnot. Like uh a lot of just little things and either new ideas or things that I've been thinking about, and the way that she shared them and the way the the benefits that uh they could uh give um kind of encourage me to look more into it. So I have one, just simple one. I mean, um she said she would have kids like write post-it notes at the beginning of practice, one thing mental, one thing physical that they're gonna focus on getting better at that day. And then they put up on a wall and throughout practice, like water breaks, they just go and they check in, like, hey, how are you doing on those? Right. So just quick little things, but it helps get kids to uh I think the point is helped get kids to really think about what they're doing rather than just showing up and going through the motions. Um, she also talked about uh like journaling and visual uh visualization. That's something I've been kicking around with uh for a few years, this idea of journaling. Um, and I I'm I'm just gonna do it. I'm just gonna do it. I already ordered them. They got, they're in. Um each kid's gonna get a journal. Um, and it's gonna be something in my mind that they will uh it's not just for this season, it's gonna be, well, if you're a senior, it's just for this season. Um, but it's gonna be something that they'll hang on to and just, you know, from year to year. And we'll give them prompts uh from time to time. And like I've got some other ideas from other uh sources as far as what they can write in. Um like one I like it, one I just thought was neat. Like, hey, you're going into uh say it's playoffs, right? Um, you know, hopefully we get to a section championship uh uh match sometime. And they just visualize, hey, what what is everything that you're gonna experience there? Like all the senses. What are you gonna see? What are you gonna smell? What are you gonna hear? What are you gonna, you know, things like that just uh get you in that mindset. Um another one was just the idea of uh game day routines. Uh she had a lot of routines for other things, but like the game day routines. And we started doing this a couple years ago of having we have a snack basket or like bucket like on the bench. Uh so like during games, like if they just need like they just need a little like uh applesauce pouch or something like that in between sets. But she talked about like after school, right? So after school, they'd have stuff and you know, if they need a little snack coming out out of school and they're super hungry having something available, um little things like that. And then the the last thing I'll mention um for our booth is like, because this is something that I'm I'm constantly thinking about. Like I'm I'm constantly just torn and it just uh uh just eats at me this idea of on my team, there's gonna be kids that just don't see the court a whole lot, right? And how do you how do you keep them involved? And and one of the things that you know a lot of people do is like, well, that kid's gonna take some stats, that kid's gonna, you know, track this, right? And I wasn't completely sold on that being a buy-in until she added the idea that empower them to share that information with you. Like if you're if you're having them track passing, okay, if that kid who's tracking passing is starting to notice something, like encourage them, empower them to speak up, right? And say, hey, you know, number seven is is passing a 0.5 right now, right? And maybe we should target that kid more, right? So it that gives them, they're not just doing a you know, a uh a job, you know, it's becoming more of a purpose, you know. So those are the things I I pulled from uh Kirsten's session.

SPEAKER_03 9:39

I love the post-it notes. That's sorry. Um my daughter ran cross-country one season, COVID season when we didn't have volleyball right away. So she did cross country for a little bit before we started. And that was one thing their coach had him do. And she had it on her mirror and it was affirmations, and she looked every day. And when she went to college, I noticed that post-it note is still on her bulletin, it was went on her bulletin board with her. Like, so that was just a huge thing. Like, and I've always said, Oh, I should do that. And now you just solidified, I need to do that. Like, that was really empowering for my kids. I'm not sure why I haven't adopted it sooner, but I'm going to know. Thanks, Darren.

SPEAKER_02 10:10

Yeah, Darren, it was funny because I was reimagining some of the things I heard. So thanks. You allowed me to take some extra notes right now. Um, but the thing that I also appreciated, I mean, I love the non-volleyball things so much, but the specific volleyball sessions, um, what I took away from her, and just a good reminder, I think we overcomplicate the game of volleyball so much as coaches sometimes. And she just reassured, like everything she was doing was simplifying the game. And I loved her out of system stuff, um, talking about, you know, just simplifying out of system and not making it so complicated. And and then, you know, we I think we just also follow rules so much in coaching volleyball. And she was like, you gotta do what's best for your team. Like, who takes the second ball? Like that whole discussion I thought was really powerful. And then blocking too, like just reassuring, like simplifying the game. Like you don't need to overcomplicate your block moves. Like, you can just take that simple lock step over to close the block. Like, we don't need to make it so complicated for kids. So that's what I really appreciated about her volleyball-specific sessions.

SPEAKER_00 11:19

Yeah, we're gonna snake draft this because I'm gonna go again because what you just said um leads into uh number five on my list. Uh so John Yunker's session from Lakeville uh North. Um, now John didn't invent this phrase. I don't think he's the first person to ever think this, uh, but he said it uh right before his session. I was talking to Brian Hines from uh Albany, and he said something similar to this. And I had also, when I got back from the clinic, I'm walking my dogs, listening to the volley pod with Todd Maddox, which who was at our clinic, and we'll get to that later as well. Um, and he was talking with uh Bear Grassle from formerly from Sonoma State, right? And the one thing that they all kind of were talking about is this idea of just finding ways to get your best players on the court and finding ways to get your best players touching the ball most often, right? Um, where sometimes, I'll admit, I get stuck into how can I get the most kids on the court, right? How can I get the most kids involved? And that isn't necessarily the best. I'm fine, it's I find it's not necessarily the best strategy to find the most success, right? Um, it may it may make you feel good because you're getting 10 kids involved, but are you is is that your best lineup? Is that your best six rotations? Is that gonna give you your best chance to be successful? And if I'm being honest with my with myself, looking back over the years, I I don't think I can say yes, right? Um, you know, so that's been getting me to think, um, like with kids that we got coming back, like what what should we be looking at? And we got to be looking at creative and uh looking at it creatively. And I we're kicking around the idea. I'm talking with my assistant coaches, we might, we might look at running a 4-2 this year, right? Um, for a variety of reasons. One, we're not we don't have the greatest ball control. Um, so we have a lot of tight passes, right? Um, and if we're running a 6'2 or even a 5'1, our setters in the back row, those tight passes can be tough for kids to deal with. Okay, a lot easier if they can just go up and take a swing at it or if they could push it over, um, you know, things like that. And you go back to who's taking that second ball. You know, you run a 4-2. Now you could run a 4-2 with both your setters still staying in. So now your right back is still a setter, right? And they might take that second ball. You know, so we're look- I'm just trying to look at ways to you mentioned like not overcomplicating the game. Actually, it's simplifying things a lot more. And I think it it might give us uh more uh positive opportunities um than if we ran, you know, a tradition or a 5-1 or a 6-2 or something, something super crazy. Okay, so I did a 4-2 my first year.

SPEAKER_03 13:59

Because we had really bad awful ball control, and it was the most effective ever because I mean, tight balls, out of control. You know, like we had it got better as the year went on, but I still didn't switch it because we were more offensive, we had options, like they had to respect the setter of the net. Like sometimes you just gotta do things that are I mean, it's basic. Like, you know, if you say that allowed, they're like, what? But it worked for that team at that time and they got more wins than I thought we were going to, and they had success and grew from it. So you do what you gotta do, I think.

SPEAKER_00 14:25

Yeah. And and uh as far as I know, that right side uh hitter from Maple Grove is not transferring to Litchfield. Yeah. Um so I saw her in the All-Star match and on a reel. Um, but you know, if if you don't have a you know a lights out right side hitter, you know, is it better to have your setter in the front row all the time to deal with those issues? Or, you know, have a you know, a you know, less than offensive threat right side just because you can, right? So that's what that's what we're kicking around with, and that's it'll be interesting to see how uh can we piggy tail on that and just go right to the all-star game? Let's do it.

SPEAKER_03 15:02

Okay, so all-star game, we just kind of pivot a little bit because of the floor conditions that you know, just it was so muggy and stuff. But I actually didn't mind that we were both in that gym. You could kind of go back and forth between the courts really easily. We didn't get to hear Groves or Andy announcing, but it was still it was good volleyball. And I thought the teams, like Saik, did an excellent job dividing those teams because they were all very evenly matched. And for one two-hour practice, those kids were like the connections were there. And what I love about it, and we switched, what is it, two, three years ago to add all of our all state players, not just the seniors. Yep. That game has just gotten so much better. Like Lakeville South right side. We will not see her next year because she'll be at school already, or so many, or um Ellery from Wilmer. She'll be at Michigan, you know, like we won't get to see those kids play because they're gonna be at their division one schools or even division two schools. So this year's game, I felt like it had a ton of talent, and that was exceptional volleyball that everybody got to watch. And I like the timed format. I think the switches we made to the All-Star game have made it just exponentially just way better experience for coaches, fans, everybody.

SPEAKER_00 16:08

I agree. The the time format I I find um it's different and it's fun. And both years that we've done it now, we did it last year for the first time. Um, you see some people like uh appreciate the fact that the time is a factor. You know, so last year I remember I saw I was watching Ellery's uh mom, who's a uh uh former coach and coaches club, like she recognized that hey, like we have to close this gap in order, you know, because she's thinking ahead about how you're gonna win this whole round robin thing, right? So she's yelling at kids, go get the ball, go get the ball. And then um this year, I'm I'm the R2 on one of the courts, and uh Dan Westby's uh team, the team he's coaching, is uh on my court, and they were down like 11 and they're coming back, and uh there's like a minute left, and they've closed it to like three points, and you hear Dan like getting off the bench, he's like, get the ball, get the ball, you know. You know, so it even though it's just a fun exhibition type thing, there is still a competitiveness um in the players and the coaches that is that is just fun to see.

SPEAKER_02 17:15

I I got the privilege of being able to coach this year. Um, and you it is hard to like, you just want to have fun, but it's hard to contain the competitiveness. And it was just fun, though, working with a variety of coaches that I don't get to interact with, so I got to know them a lot better, like Travis from Fillmore Central, Hannah from Apple Valley, and of course Ron Wendorf, who I had never met before, the legend from Wyndham, like so cool. And then the girls from all the different classes mixing and different grades, like they have a lot of fun, and it's funny to watch them too, because it's they're kind of tentative to start. Like who they're all dogs, right? Like they are on the All-State team for a reason. So they're dogs. So it's fun to see like how kind and like no one wants to take charge, and then all of a sudden they just really get after it and kind of find their mojo. But it even though we went zero and three, um, it was a lot of fun to to coach in that match and get to meet a lot of awesome girls and coaches.

SPEAKER_03 18:17

When the legends are that's kind of a cool thing. Jim Lee, I think that was his when we started with the 50th anniversary. That's where he kind of honored some of those, and we kept that going. So, you know, Janet Golden Lanquist, who was a part of this organization for since the beginning beginning, maybe. I don't know. She's been here forever. Um, and so it was nice to sit and visit with her. And I got, you know, she's from my area, but just to see the legends, and so those kids see also see the connection. Like these people have made, you know, like all of those coaches. It was just cool for them to come back and again speaks to the volleyball community, that family that we have.

SPEAKER_00 18:47

So yeah. And for for me, it also like you hear of these kids, these metro kids that play, but we don't, I don't see them a whole lot. Um, because one, I don't I don't get in to see a lot of the metro uh club scene. Um, and then if like these big schools, these big players, I don't see until maybe the state tournament, right? Um and that was fun, that was fun to see. And one that um uh so Kaylin Bjorkland from Lakeville South, I remember watching her last year a little bit, but I'm up I'm way up in the Grand Casino. So like it's just a different, it it's a different feel, it's a different look versus now I'm right on the court, right by the standard watching this player play, and I can hear her as well. And that's the thing uh that stood out to me is that you watch these players, um, like the type of teammates they are. Like she in particular, I after the first match, I walked up to her. I'm like, I love your energy. Like you don't, you you know a lot of these kids, and some of these kids you don't, but you are you are so positive with them. You were you could tell that you're still competitive, like you want to win, right? But you're not competitive in a way that it's like like distancing from like the other hey, this kid's like, you know. Um, so that was that was super fun uh to watch as well. So yeah, the all-star, all-star match, always a great time. I wish, I wish if I think there's some coaches that have never been to it, so they don't really understand what they're missing. Um, but I encourage any coach that's down there for the clinic, stay for the all-star match. Uh, it is it is super fun to watch.

SPEAKER_02 20:18

All right, who's got another one? I can uh go next. We address Dan. So I'm gonna kind of do a two-part, but I thought Dan's session was phenomenal at the end. Dan Westby, right? Dan Westby, sorry. Dan Westby's session was phenomenal at the end for a multitude of reasons, right? Like I feel like when he presents, it's relevant to all coaches at all levels and wherever they are in their coaching journey, right? Like whether you're about to be a brand new coach or you've been doing it forever, like you're gonna be challenged by Dan. And I think the beauty of Dan's presentation is you don't have to do it exactly like Marshall, but everything he does, um, you can kind of make it your own. Like I've stolen several things from Dan throughout the years that I feel like have been pivotal in making our practices better or our program better. And, but I made it the Roseville way, right? Like I was able to edit that. So that's a special thing that I feel like Dan offers. And then I'm gonna tie it in because I got to kind of oversee the coaches panel, which I thought was so great. Um, and I think the really cool thing in there is we had a lot of newer coaches in there asking some really great questions. And the cool thing that was a big takeaway is they had a lot of great advice, but there was a difference of opinion amongst the panel on how to handle things. And I just think that also is a very important point. Like when you go to these clinics, like not everything is going to work exactly for you and your program, but how can I edit or change that or uh make it work for our program? And also knowing yourself, your coach. Coaching and your program to know that some of these things won't work for us. Um, but I just thought finally Becca Roo, like she's amazing. We need to keep pushing her. Like her advice was great. Steve Willingham from Lakeville South did awesome. Dan Westby, and then Missy Foslin. I really liked a lot of the things she added to, especially because a lot of our coaches are young mothers. She talked about being a mother and like the balance of that. So there's just so many good things that came out of that and Dan's session. So I kind of sorry, I took two on one there.

SPEAKER_00 22:30

No, that's all right. Yeah, the one thing that Dan uh I've I've heard Dan present over the years uh many times, and I do not miss one of his sessions because I it's just always awesome. Um, but the thing he kept what he started with, he's like, um, don't do something just because you were at a clinic and you saw it. Okay. Um, like it's got to make sense to you. And he gave some examples of, and I remember being at one of these sessions years ago as at St. Cloud State, and there was some uh well-known coaches of very established, respected, successful programs. I'm not gonna call them out. Um, but they were they were um explaining how they do things. It was specifically middle footwork for middle attackers. And I remember Dan like asking questions like, why do you do it that way? You know, and they explained it and he he let them explain it. But in the end, he's like, that doesn't make sense to us. Like it just it does make sense to us, so we're not doing it, right? Um, and I respect him for that. And obviously, like it like it's working for him, right? 10 state championships and you know, they yeah, okay. Um yeah, yeah. But then also like, you know, just the little things you you say, just how you structure a practice, right? It's not necessarily the drill that you do, just like why you do that drill, how long you do that drill for. And that's the thing in the in the book. He's got a lot of things that are just like, are you gonna do it this way or this way? Right. Um, and that goes back to Yunker's uh session too, is like why? Like be able to explain why you're doing it that way. Don't just um don't just do it because you saw it, right? Um, but that that's yeah, that's one of the that's one of the things that I I always take from him. Oh, oh, the timing thing. You know, he talked about like um middle, like hitters. He's like, what we're gonna run slides, but we're doing it for three minutes, right? Why? Because kids love to hit, right? And if they know they're only getting three minutes, they're gonna be they're gonna lock in and they're gonna try to make those three minutes the best three minutes rather than a 10 minutes and like whatever, right?

SPEAKER_03 24:28

So did you see his plan he passed out like some coaches got that? He said he passed that out. So we took that too. The timing one, I'm bringing the clock. I have a little manage, a stats girl. I'm like, you, I would like you to be at practice because I need her to just run instead of me like trying to do it on my watch or whatever, yeah, like on the board, someone running that time. I think that's just that I agree. They're okay. I'm gonna go hard for three minutes or two minutes or whatever it is. I love that.

SPEAKER_02 24:50

I love when the stars align and when we have a clinic and it seems like there's just themes that permeate all sessions. And I thought one that I heard over and over is you can have high expectations for kids and hold them accountable and all of the things. It's just that key is the word why. Like, why are we doing this? And you better have thought it out yourself too. Like, why are we doing this? Is it because it's just everyone else is doing it or it's cute or it looks good? Or what is it? What's the why for us, for our program, for this team right now? And I feel like that permeated like pretty much every session. I mean, even with our keynote, Kirsten, she talked about that over and over. So um, I just that was cool when the stars align and all of the sessions kind of go after that.

SPEAKER_00 25:40

All right, we lost Becca for a second. Hopefully she'll come back. Oh, oh, there she's back.

SPEAKER_01 25:44

There she is. Come on, Becca, did I annoy you and you left? Come on. Was it something we said?

SPEAKER_03 25:50

Was it a PD? Well, tell me your why. And I just I lost it. I lost it.

SPEAKER_02 25:54

And it's not that kind of why. It's not that kind of why coaches out in Minnesota.

SPEAKER_03 25:58

It's not no, and that is every that's I feel like it's everywhere, like on social media. Like, that's my why. That's a big thing. But like I I think it was Wesby a couple years ago that said the same thing, or somebody, and I do ask my kids, like, why are we doing this? And they look at, you know, like now they're used to it, same in the classroom. Like, why? Like this, we're doing this. They need to know the why. I want to know the why as a learner myself. So I think that if we're intentional about that, like not every second, like what's your why? But like, why is this drill important or why are you doing it that way? Like, those are important questions to ask.

SPEAKER_02 26:29

And I think, sorry to belabor the point, but I think as a young coach, like looking back, and probably all of us can say that we kind of just did things the way we were coached and taught and parented. And we didn't necessarily say why because that wasn't as big of a deal 20 years ago. However, I do remember some great players that I had that challenged me on that. And ever since then, one thing that we do a lot of times with certain teams is we even post on the practice plan alongside it just a quick why are we doing this drill? And that's been super beneficial.

SPEAKER_03 27:04

So a lot of times it'll be like, because our passing was 1.7. This is what yep.

SPEAKER_00 27:10

So I'm gonna, I'm gonna uh kind of um string a lot of things together here to get to my next one, right? Because one thing that uh some of us got a book, uh the human cutchen book, and I started reading that uh this weekend. Um, and he starts off talking about that, you know, like the the why, you know, this is gotta be intentional and uh the reason you're doing things. Um and he was the former gopher coach, and we have the current gopher coach, Keegan Cook there. Um and I saw I caught the end of his session, um, which kind of wrapped up a lot of the the focuses of what he was working on. But it was this whole idea of the constraints environment or constrained environments. And um, I've heard other coaches talk about this, and I like it, you know. Um, but the thing I take away from that, and we started doing it more um like this summer with things, is when we're starting a any type of drill or any type of scrimmage um to think beyond just starting it with a serve or starting it with a free ball, right? Um, you know, we like one example that I think kind of ties in with this, because he mentioned in there that change the way that the rally begins, you know, and there's many ways that you can do this, but try to think of it in a way that uh what's something that you need to get better at and make that the way that you start, right? So we talked about um or we did this a few times this summer that uh we start our serve, you know, so the way that we start is a middle attack, right? So the serving team gets a free ball, but they have to set to the middle, and that's how it begins, right? Um, so trying to one get more controlled reps to the middle, because we're not we're not out of system setting to our middle. We're we're just not that team, right? Um, and as a result, middles don't get a lot of practice in game like situations. So this was a way that we could force that uh and not only good practice for our middles, but good practice for our defenders and our blocks to have to deal with that more often. So just being a little bit more intentional in how you're starting things, and I think that was one of the big uh big things that you know he focuses on is you know constraining your drill so that you're actually getting out of the drill what you want to get out of the drill rather than just volleyball.

SPEAKER_03 29:25

I realized I got that book and I started reading it, and I'm like, oh shoot, I read this. I did it. I left I a group of us, I led a PD session for a whole year with other coaches at our school. We did that book, and I was like, oh, whoops, well, that's all right. I'm gonna gift it to a new coach we have one school and whatever kind of thing. But I totally just yeah, but it's and I gave it to one I had to my daughter to read one too. She's like, oh, that's kind of interesting. So it's good.

SPEAKER_02 29:47

But I just whoops. And and like another, I mean, a shout out to Keegan. I mean, they report and he has prioritized our clinic and being there. Um, obviously it's mutually uh beneficial, right? But I think that speaks volume of him and his character and what his belief in Minnesota volleyball to prioritize our clinic always. Um, and he has done so every year since he's been here. So I I really appreciate and I love love, how intellectual he is. Sometimes I'm like, okay, I gotta get my brain warmed up before a Keegan session, because you got to really think. And I love that though, like, because sometimes, again, going back to that point, like thinking bigger, like even your example, Darren, the of what he talked about about how we change how the rally begins. But there's just a lot of like how you run a drill, where you put people, like he just makes you think a little bit deeper and bigger than the drill itself, which I really love. Anybody want to go next? If not, I got another one.

SPEAKER_03 30:49

Okay, I went to one full session. Like I peeked in a few of them, but the one full one I went to was um Kim Woody from Eau Claire. And so UW, I think UW systems, there's some strong volleyball programs in the UW system. And I watched a lot of it on TV. And you know, our friend Marty, his daughters have played there. So I've had a little interest, like, oh, I know they're really good. And so watching, I've watched them, so it was interested to hear her talk. And one of the one of the demonstrators is like my good friend from high school, her son. So it was kind of cute to watch him play. And his she texts me afterward and he said, Mom, I didn't play very good when Becca was watching. So she's like, that's adorable. He was looking to see if I was there. So, like, again, volleyball brings everyone together. But she was really focused on, you know, when you're sending that third ball over, whether it's a free ball or what you're doing, the other people on your court need to be looking through the net, across the net, just tell them what's open. And I think that's a hard skill for kids to learn to like see what's open. Like I've had, I've had a few players that, you know, especially my left backs that usually can tell their hitters what shots are there. And sometimes I think they're kind of just BS in it, but other times I do. There's there's been a few that actually pay attention, you know? And it's usually kids that have played a lot of volleyball or been around a lot, you know, like my own children. That was a big thing. I drilled into their head, like, know what's going on. So the way she was teaching that, and the kids were getting frustrated and it was kind of hard. And she worked through that with them and she's like, nope, not my like she was she was tough, and I really liked her approach to teaching it to the boys. And the boys are, you know, it's kind of fun to watch boys play volleyball, like, whoa, they're hitting the ball, like they're going for it. But the idea of looking through the net is something I'm bringing and bringing to my practice. Like, if we're sending over, and we do drills like that, we do the four where you push it into the pins from the other backside, you know, that kind of stuff, but intentional about where we want them to look, you know, and maybe even putting people over there to so just still people over there so they could practice at first, kind of train that progression of what you're seeing through the net and how you translate that to go deep, corner, you know, donut, whatever, whatever you're saying to your hitter. But just being intentional with that, I think will be good for our my kids on most levels to see the other side of the net.

SPEAKER_00 32:57

Right. And I'm gonna I'm gonna tie that into because I think you can combine that idea with something that I saw at Ami's session. Um, you know, so the this idea of just not not watching the ball. And I can't remember if Ami said it or somebody else said it, but like once the ball has like left the hands, like it was killed. It was yeah, it was you don't get any more information, right? Um, so you gotta be looking looking somewhere else. Um so Ami was doing something with the setters where uh there is just kind of partner stuff, but they'd have to like uh either do like fist or hand or something like that. So it would force the setters to quit looking at the ball, look at something else, right? Now in a game, you're not gonna be say, fist, hand, you know. But it's just that idea of quit looking at the ball, right? Um, and I think that's something that, you know, I agree. I was watching that that uh that session with Woody with the boys, and and she's saying, this is what you guys need to do. And like she's stuck with it for a while, right? Because they just were not doing it. Um, but that might have been like, you know, in the teaching world, we talked about scaffolding, right? Um so uh you go to rather than telling them, hey, what's open, maybe you just slow it down and you do something like that, where somebody is just on the other side and they're just giving a hand signal. Maybe it's number fingers, or maybe it's you got colors or something like that. And that so now they're not thinking like strategically game-wise, they're just learning the habit of taking the eyes off the ball, looking across the net for stuff, right? And make what they're looking for easy. And then as they start getting in that habit, now they can start elevating what they're looking for and what they're communicating.

SPEAKER_03 34:31

So I'm gonna use the phrase that all the time. Once you've had two hits, the ball is not telling you, like it's not telling you anything else. Like, look, look, look over there. Same with your blockers, your like all of those things, like just understanding that phrase, like that's huge. Just you know, like you go to the clinic, you hear all of these things, and I always say if you take a couple things from it, it's gonna be good for like it's always good to grow. But don't you're not gonna, you know, if you if you try to listen to every session and take notes, you're gonna look at it today and be like, what did I write down? I have no idea. I've I was that coach, I was that young coach, like all these notes and all these diagrams and arrows, and I didn't know what the heck it even meant when I looked at it two days later. So now I try to just take a few things, and I was fortunate enough to have Mr. Euland come to camp with us this summer too. So I kind of felt like I had some learning already, like just some things he did with my kids that now my kids have heard that we're gonna incorporate the way we say, you know, just a couple changes helps each year.

SPEAKER_02 35:21

So formal, Mr. Eulin. Um the one the one thing that's so funny you say that because I always try to like what were my five big aha's? And honestly, what Kim spoke to that looking through the net, because we train so much eye sequencing on defense, right? Like the defensive element of it, but we don't necessarily, and that was kind of an aha, maybe that's just me. Um but like the the IQ of looking through the net on offense as well to see, and obviously we train to see what's open and stuff, but just being more intentional about that, that was kind of a big takeaway that we need to spend more time and not just the hitter, but everyone around them, like looking and kind of already seeing what's available in advance. So I really love that. And just a quick shout out with that, because that was on my list. I really appreciate the demonstrators. The Marshall girls were fantastic, and all of the boys. It has been fun to add the boys in because they are just kind of goofy and they're game for anything, and they're really good examples because it's a lot of new learning for them. So they're they're learning right on the spot. And it was cool. Like Keegan and Kim in particular, they kind of demonstrated coaching in the clinic, right? They weren't just telling us these were the drills, but they role-modeled coaching and how they would coach doing the drill, which I think was really helpful for some coaches. Like, oh, like that's here are some adaptations. This is the thing that they would say instead. But a huge shout out to all of our boys from various schools in the metro and the Marshall girls for demonstrating they killed it.

SPEAKER_03 36:58

I think that's a big one. I mean, you are out there in front of, you know, not only a big name coach is probably instructing you, but there's a couple hundred coaches watching you. Like it's intimidating a little bit, you know. Like I've talked to kids in the past, they're like, well, it's just sort of scary. Everyone's looking at you, and hey, I'm you know, Keegan just telling me, like, oh my God. You know, like just it's a little overwhelming for kids. So yeah, they did a great job. So thank you. And thanks for lining them up, Greg. That was that's a big deal to get those kids.

SPEAKER_00 37:22

Yeah, that's gonna segue into my next one here. Um, because I walked in, uh, so Todd Todd Maddox of the volleypod and uh Art of Coaching Volleyball, we got him to come out from San Diego. And it it was fun to get to uh meet him. You know, I've listened to his podcast for years now and watched a number of his videos, but to meet him in person uh was fun. You know, we went out to eat with him on Tuesday night. I talked to him a little bit there. Um, but one of his sessions, his first session, was um this idea of I mean one of the ideas is to get more playing by modifying just your the equipment in a sense. So rather than using the net, he had these kind of bunchy chords that you stretch and it just allows you to get more net uh I do air quotes, like people who are listening to this are gonna see that. Um uh net uh but then he has the kids play on that, right? And the the thing that I really enjoyed about it is that the this particular session, I think, was designed more for um younger players, like more beginner players, maybe like a junior high or a 12U team or something like that, right? But you have the high school boys out there, right? Um but then, and I didn't realize this because I had walked in after he had said this, uh, but I'm just watching this one group of boys, and I'm like, it's four, four guys playing together. They had groups of four, and all of them are hitting left-handed and they're not very good at it. And I'm like, that's that's kind of rare that you get four left-handers uh uh playing volleyball together. Um, but then I'm talking to Todd afterwards, and he had mentioned that he had kind of told them to do different things, like, you know, hey, when you serve, everyone serve and hit left-handed or whatnot. And I think what he was trying to do is he was trying to decrease the level of play in order to emphasize the point, right? Because if these guys are just hitting at a uh a girl's net height and they're just given free reign just to start wailing away at stuff, like the the drill's not gonna last very long, right? So that to me was um show on how a coach recognized the situation, recognized that he in order to be effective in what he was trying to communicate, he had to modify things. And I think that's what coaching is, right? Is you see what you have and you see how you can make changes in order to get the result that you know you're you're looking for. So yeah, I liked uh I didn't see all of Todd's uh sessions, I saw uh a part of two, but those were uh those were two that I uh or those are the two sessions I like. And just meeting the guy. He's he's a great guy, he knows he's got a lot of creative ideas, so it was fun. All right, who's got another one?

SPEAKER_03 40:03

He was an interesting guy to get to know and talk to, and again, I read his book and different things. So it's fun to put, you know, someone that I read his book last year that was our list, and then to like have dinner with him and chit chat a little bit. He was just a cool dude, did great ideas, and um now he's also setting out we're getting all the members write his new book, the PDF of his new book. Yep. So then that's huge. Like he just he built a he built a fan base here in Minnesota, I think a little bit this week.

SPEAKER_02 40:27

Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. One other um kind of highlight to me, and this is always one of the hardest things organizing the clinic is getting high school coaches to present. Um, so all of you out there, feel free to reach out to any of us if you ever have interest, because sometimes that's how we know about it. But a lot of high school coaches have this imposter syndrome sometimes that they aren't good enough or they don't know how to present, or what they have people wouldn't like to listen to. And quite frankly, I would I would challenge that because I think some of our best sessions come from high school coaches because they're doing what we are doing. And we need the headliners, we want the college coaches, we want kind of the volleyball um people out in the world to come in and the professional people now too, which is cool. But it's the high school coaches, and every session I popped into, I got a lot out of and enjoyed. So, like John Younger and Aaron Horn and Nicole Christensen and Dan, Becca, Steve, and Missy on that panel, and then Dan on his, and then Ryan Donnell, who came and spoke about his journey to winning a state championship in the boys. So I thought they were all great. One little specific call out was to Aaron Horn's session, former gopher great, who now is the head coach at Crete and Durham Hall. One thing I thought that she did that was super vulnerable and brave is her school and some schools, the parents and players are allowed to give feedback and then they get that feedback in return, like a survey kind of thing, and they get that feedback in return. Well, she shared with all of us that she got some not so flattering feedback from a few parents. And I thought the thing that was really cool is this they just had an informational meeting. She shared that feedback with everybody at the meeting and then kind of talked through it or explained her why. And it was a good conversation point. And I'm not saying that to say that that would work for everybody out there. Um, but I just thought it was kind of a very brave, bold thing for a coach to do and also kind of address the elephant in the room, number one. And number two, kind of then you get to control the narrative and the story back. And number three, it'll probably, like some parents, like people have reasonable um things that they can give critique on sometimes, but that might um have some parents maybe not give such crazy feedback sometimes when they know that it might be addressed, even though they didn't get called out individually. They're kind of like, oops, um, that kind of sounds crazy now. So I just I think that was such a cool takeaway and something that I totally am gonna take from her. And they're our competitors. So again, going back to that story, like we can all learn even from people in our conference and our competitors. But I appreciated all of them and and them sharing at the clinic this year.

SPEAKER_00 43:21

Yeah. I that that would be like a courageous thing to do is like, hey, you got this negative feedback. I'm just gonna tell you this is what I got. Here's and and also because sometimes maybe that negative feedback, I think what you were implying is uh because they didn't understand why, you know, going back to that, uh they didn't understand why we did it. You know, if you understand why we do it, now maybe you have a different perspective. Okay, and you you still might not agree with it, but now you can maybe still respect the decision, right? Um you mentioned uh Ryan Danell. I did sit in Ryan Denell's uh session. I initially went there to fix a tech problem for him. And as I was walking uh back up the um kind of Of the the walkway there. Um, I heard him say something. I'm like, oh, that piqued my interest. So I stuck around and basically watched the whole thing. Um, and he, yeah, he's got a he, it was a great session. It was a great session. I'm glad, I'm glad I stuck around for it. Um, and one of the things, and and this is once again, it's not new, but it's this idea of just like having courageous conversations and honest conversations. Um, I still, I still think sometimes I shy away from giving the honest uh assessment or the honest communication because of the concern that it's one gonna hurt somebody's feelings when not doing that is maybe just as bad because now you're giving them maybe a false, false hope or false impression of where what role they have on the team. Um and I've I've talked with, you know, you mentioned earlier Becca Roo. I've talked to Becca Roo about this uh a number of times as well. It's just, you know, you go through that first week of practice, those first week of tryouts, and then you, you know, whether you uh do you meet with every player and talk about what their role is going to be, uh, or do you not? Do you just kind of just let it just naturally like I don't remember when I played in high school, I didn't have, I don't remember having a conversation with my head coach about like, hey, this is a team you're on, this is your um, this is your role on the team. Uh basically we just got, you know, it's kind of old school. The list was posted, so to speak, and like that's your team you're on. And uh, all right, now now we I guess we just go play games, right? And if the coach says I start, I start. If I don't, and maybe I'll get in. I don't know, right?

SPEAKER_03 45:36

The list would be posted for like after morning, the end of morning practice, and then we would all go to lunch, and I went to the same friend's house for lunch, like in every day of preseason. Well, then she didn't go back after lunch, you know what I mean? Like it was awkward, like, oh bye, I'm gonna go back to practice now. Like it's so bizarre. And now we we sit down with ours. I have usually two coaches sit down with kids, and in those difficult conversations, I've learned from my AD, who was my assistant coach for a long time. I have the kids repeat back to me. Like, what did I what did I say your role was going to be?

unknown 46:08

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 46:08

So it's clear. And that's been helpful to me because then even when I had parent conversations with, I said, Rem, the daughter was in with the parent. I said, Well, could you just tell your parents what your role was at our meeting? And it's kind of like, uh, you know, but we have to be intentional with that, I think, nowadays. And I think it's good for kids to know where they stand. And some years I kids kind of have known. Like one year we didn't graduate any seniors, so we sort of, okay, this is our team. And so we did a like a group meeting. I said, and I wits went down the line, like, okay, you know, Jalen, you're gonna be our setter. You're you know, like I just said it to everyone else. You're our primary passer. We want her to pass the ball in front of everyone. And then it was kind of like, okay, yep, she's our best passer. It's not a secret, like, let's just say it.

SPEAKER_00 46:46

Right, right. Yeah, and I think some coaches like uh talking with Beccaroo, like, um, not only do they have them repeat it, but they take that information home and communicate with the parents, and then there's like a you know, contract for lack of a better term, that the player and the parent both sign. So like now everybody, now it doesn't mean necessarily that you agree with it, right? But you acknowledge that this is what it is. Um, it can change, like, and that's in there. Like, you know, this is just at at this moment, at this time, this is what we're working with, and this is what we're going to be moving forward with. Um and things can change. It's probably not going to change like like day to day, right? Um, you know, because we got to develop rhythm and you know, consistency and things like that. But yeah, just having having those honest open communication. Um, that's just something personally, that's one of the things that I want to grow in as a coach, you know, entering year 22 or whatever. Um uh yeah, I just want to get I want to get better at that.

SPEAKER_03 47:49

One of my very first coaches' clinics ever was at St. Cloud State, and there was it was a classroom session, and Royslin from Foston was in there and a few other, you know, and I think it was her session essentially. And she was a smaller school, so I I went to that session and she talked about her handbook and her policies, and just I learned so much as a young coach, and I so I feel like I like that we had the panel, coaches panel, because I feel like that's feedback we get is young coaches, especially nowadays in the social media, like everything, it's a lot to navigate, and just honest communication is the biggest thing I always tell when I young coaches ask me, like, what's the big thing? I'm like, well, honest communication with kids, and it's sometimes it's uncomfortable to have those conversations. Like, I feel bad. Like I genuinely love you as a kid, but you're just this is a there's not a spot for you on this court all the time. Like, this is your role or whatever. But those conversations are hard. Like I lose sleep over those. And teaching coaches how to do that, I think isn't really important. And that's our clinic has done that for so many people.

SPEAKER_02 48:48

That the bad there, Greg. Yeah, the those difficult conversations are exactly it. And I think for a large number of our coaches, a lot of us are teachers and coaches and and embedded into the community day in and day out. And like I always say, like we have tryouts at our level, and there are girls that are told no or or get lesser roles than they maybe want. And I have to see them every day at school. But I think there is mutual respect when you're honest. It may, they may hate you for a while and they may not want to talk to you or whatever. But I think what do they always say? Clear is kind. Um, one thing I I took from, and Jackie Richter is always a highlight. Um, she presented, but one thing I took from her last year is even I know there was a difficult conversation or a difficult decision about around captainship. And she even advocated that sometimes when it, when you know in your head it's going to be something difficult to maybe even reach out to the parents and have a conversation. Now that's taking it another step, and just maybe for some people out in our listening world to think about. But um, I too have done that a couple of times, and it is really hard. It is like extremely hard, but I think some really good conversations came from that. So maybe even heading it off on the front end, like having that conversation with the kid, but then also calling the parents or setting up a meeting with the parents. Sometimes on the front end is can be very positive, but you got to do what works for you.

SPEAKER_00 50:16

All right. I have two more on my uh list. One of them is uh, well, no particular order. Uh we talked about the uh the coach of social. Uh the coach of social is always fun, and I thought it was a fun addition. Some coaches got together and said, hey, let's put a band together and play some live music. You know, so um uh they called themselves Big Ace and the Shanks. So Bo Schmidt from Rogers, Steve Willingham from like little South, Carl Kassenberg from Minatonka, and Marty Kibo from Maple Lake, you know, a little four-man band, and they they played 20 plus songs, you know, in little sets throughout the night. And I I thought it was just a fun, uh, fun little addition to to the clinic uh social.

SPEAKER_03 50:57

I thought it was like when they first floated the idea, because they've talked about it a couple times, and I'm like, okay, well, you gotta let me know. Like, I'm in charge of making sure we get that room and stuff. So I'm like, just gotta let me know, let me know. And then this year we started talking earlier and sooner, like, okay, we can make it happen. Um, and so I thought it was awesome. Like, what a fun atmosphere. Like, I love the coaches social, and I know some people go, and it's always kind of awkward at the beginning. I'm always the first one there, there's nobody there. And I'm like, oh, are people gonna come? And I have this anxiety of like, oh no, it's coming. And it's always great. And always people, I go to bed at a reasonable hour, usually, but some people stay out later, and it doesn't have to be it's not a wild party. You can just come and have some snacks and water and pop. Like, but it's a great opportunity for coaches just to network and visit. And adding the music was just super fun, and huge props to Leading Edge, who gave us a giant sponsorship, and they had drink tickets and just they were phenomenal at support of our clinic, and they have been. This they just really stepped it up this year. But I hope that the band's back again next year. There's already been lots of requests, so hopefully they'll come for round two.

SPEAKER_02 51:56

Well, you kind of set yourself up for doing it again when you say first rotation as part of your thing. So well, I did I I put that in there.

SPEAKER_00 52:05

They didn't they didn't uh they didn't take it out.

SPEAKER_03 52:07

They didn't take it out, they didn't say like, you know, one time only or like for a special event. No.

SPEAKER_00 52:12

They looked like they're having fun too. So I think I think we'll definitely be able to get them back um for next year.

SPEAKER_03 52:17

And like it was a lot of work. Like I got there earlier and they had they admit went early to set up, and then I got there, I don't know what time, seven something, and they were you know tuning everything, make I mean that was a lot of effort on their part to like set it up and then take it all down, and everyone else is still having fun, and you gotta take your put your drum set away, you know. Like so, but I think they had fun. Obviously, you you like play music, you like doing that, but I think we convince can convince them to do it again next year.

SPEAKER_00 52:40

Yeah. Yeah, and you mentioned uh leading edge being the uh sponsor for the culture social and one of our vendors. Um, I thought the vendors this year were exceptional. Um I they just don't like I don't I can't necessarily pinpoint why, um, but just this this was a memorable one. Uh Richard Scott and Cassie from Baden were there. So we had baden representation at the clinic for the first time in a number of years. Um and I thought that was awesome. I like I I stopped by honestly just uh like you know, thank them and like, hey, face to a name, but I ended up like actually staying there for a little while because I got information that I didn't know. Like I didn't know that there was a another leather ball that's just like the perfection. It just doesn't have all the logos, but it's the same leather, and you can get it for like half the price, you know. Because I was always, I'm like, I'd love to have more of those for practice because I'd like to practice with the ball that we play with, but I just can't, I can't pay that price for that many volleyballs. So I learned something that, you know, and I think that's ultimately what you do when you go speak to a vendor. Maybe you'll get some information that is valuable, and maybe you won't, and that's fine. You don't know unless you uh try. And I I tried and I learned something, so great.

SPEAKER_03 53:53

Yeah, they gave a lot of stuff away. I did lose in rock, paper, scissors to this guessing the number of dimples on that ball, and I didn't I gotta ear pump, but I'm not better. Air pump's great. Not a cart.

SPEAKER_00 54:06

It's not a cart, but it's not a cart.

SPEAKER_03 54:09

It's all right, I'm fine. Which, yeah, so I think they were great. And I liked the setup this year. The vendors, I felt like people could kind of go through and learn talk to them, and there's lots of fundraising ones, which we everyone at this day and age, everyone's need to do some sort of fundraising. So we had some first timers and we've had some people that have been there a bazillion times. So I thought it was a good mix of things.

SPEAKER_00 54:27

Absolutely. All right, so that's my list, guys.

SPEAKER_02 54:30

You guys got anything else that I I've got a couple uh quick things. First, first of all Jason Call. I don't know if anyone got to go to his, but he's from Premier Sports Psychology, and obviously um people can work with them directly. They work very closely with the University of Minnesota, and he's done a lot of the different teams at the University of Minnesota. But the thing, um, and I know him personally, I actually he is a personal trainer and he does classes at the gym I go to. So that's how I originally met him. And if you want to go to a killer class where you get your butt kicked, go to his. But um I just appreciated his session because he gave such tangible, like um, I went more to the one uh focusing on resilience and um like resets. It was very focused on different kinds of resets or cues um that kids can use. And I feel like we just sometimes say things like reset or refocus, but we don't actually give them tools how to. And I feel like he gave a variety of tools how to reset in that session and like ways to think about it, ways to teach, ways to talk about it. So I just thought it was very practical and it made something that's so big, right? Like a big thing, kind of more tangible, more concrete. So I really appreciated him um for that. And I loved a lot of the classroom sessions. I don't think they always get as much love. Uh oh, Becca, she's over it. Um, they don't get as much love um as they deserve. Um, but I do think the classroom sessions offer so much. And you can kind of just sit, chill, and kind of take in sometimes in there.

SPEAKER_03 56:13

Yeah, my assistant coaches went to his and they were really impressed. He did a good job.

SPEAKER_00 56:17

Awesome. Becca, you got any more?

SPEAKER_03 56:19

No, I my time apparently my Wi-Fi is only gonna last so long, too.

SPEAKER_00 56:22

So yeah, so we probably don't want you to talk much longer here. You'll get cut off.

SPEAKER_03 56:26

No, no, thanks. Great job organizing. I know Darren, you did the booklet, it was phenomenal this year, so we appreciate you. Not organizing. I know you always get like, oh, I don't want to do this anymore. It's too much work. And then we just say, Oh, good job, everyone's doing great. And we all like, okay, we're signing us up for next year. So good job, everyone.

SPEAKER_02 56:42

It is, it is. Um, it's so fun to kind of see it all come together, but it is the people. Like Becca, you do so much. Darren like crushed it when I asked him to do the booklet. I was nervous, but he's like, okay. Um, and it was phenomenal. Um, a lot of shout out to Kim too. She does so much details behind the scenes and makes sure everything's on point. And Lonnie, and we got to give a shout out to Tom and Mountsview. I mean, there's no, they're a great location. There's no perfect spot. And I know they were stressing about the floors, but we can't help always that the humidity is out of the off the chains. Um, and then just all the BOC, um, and in particular, some of the people in the BOC doing lots of little things behind the scenes. Um, so just so appreciative. And our guy Bo Lovedal, the assistant athletic director at Mountain Zoo, he just makes things happen.

SPEAKER_03 57:32

Bo no's, Bo no's stuff. He did awesome things. Remember that? I the Mountain Zoo parents, too, they were super. Like they had concession stands going, they did the dinner, which hopefully they made some money off of they did that yum. It was delicious that dinner that you had.

SPEAKER_00 57:46

Very good.

SPEAKER_03 57:46

They brought in food on so people didn't have to leave, which I appreciate when you're there all day and you want to stay for the all-star clinic, not having to find somewhere to eat. Because what happens is people then leave and they're like, eh, I'm not gonna go back. So it helps keep people at the venue for the all-star game. So those parents, I mean, they were fantastic, so super helpful, even setting up for things. So mom's view is a great site. They really they treat us well, and they, you know, I appreciate them.

SPEAKER_00 58:10

Yep. Well, I appreciate you guys. I appreciate all the work that you do for the clinic. I also appreciate the fact that you guys are willing to come on and recap it with me every year. Um, this is kind of a fun way to just uh to process it again. And like say, because we can't get to every uh session, this is just another way that we can learn about some of the sessions that we were not able to get to. Uh so I appreciate you guys taking time out of your day um in early August here. Um, well, we're gonna wrap it up there, and I'm gonna wish you guys hey, good luck. I know we all start on the 17th. Um, all our practices are probably gonna look a little bit different. Yeah. Uh start getting those practice plans together. Get your get your gym reserved, get your court time uh reserved. Okay, make sure your court's available. Okay, and it's not your floor's waxed. Yeah, yep, yep. Yeah, we've had uh, you know, everyone's probably dealt with that at some point that you can't get in the gym because schedules of the the finishing were were not in line with the start of the practice season, but but it's gonna be great. It's gonna be great. Uh, I'm looking forward to the season. Um looking forward to following uh uh both your programs and just everybody in general. It's gonna be it's it's always great. It's always great. Awesome.

SPEAKER_03 59:23

Thanks, Darren. Thanks for organizing the podcast. It's phenomenal. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 59:26

It's so great. Thank you. You bet. All right. Good luck to you guys this season. Good luck. Thank you. See ya.