Isabella Asks Coach Chijo the Questions Every Volleyball Player Wants Answered | Part 2 | Ep. 12

What happens when Super Helper Isabella keeps asking the questions every volleyball player wishes they could ask their coach?

In Part 2, Isabella dives even deeper into the coaching decisions that players think about every tournament.

Coach Chijo explains exactly how he determines playing time, why attitude matters just as much as skill, and how players can earn opportunities long before match day. They also discuss handling pressure, creative coaching strategies, adapting during matches, and why practicing every situation makes better volleyball players.

If you haven't listened to Part 1, start there first, then come back for the rest of the conversation.

In this episode:

•  How Coach Chijo really decides playing time 
•  The "playing points" philosophy 
•  Why every player should learn every position 
•  Creative strategies that surprise opponents 
•  Why coaches should practice unusual situations 
•  A simple way to deal with stress before and during matches 
•  How communication builds better players and teams 
•  Isabella's toughest questions... and Coach Chijo's honest answers 

Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

What's up, everybody? Welcome to the Coach Chijo podcast. Real conversations about volleyball, coaching, growth, and the journey behind it all. Last week, Isabella turned the tables and asked me all kinds of tough questions. That was part one. If you haven't listened to or watched part one, I'd recommend that you start there. But today is part two, and she's gonna start off with more tough questions. Let's get into it. Just go.

SPEAKER_02 0:29

So how do you determine someone's playing time?

SPEAKER_00 0:32

Okay, so this all starts in practice. It all starts in practice. Uh how you practice is how you're going to play.

SPEAKER_03 0:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

Okay, so we make decisions during practice, especially those practices that lead up to a tournament, like the one practice before, two practices before. And every once in a while I will tell my team that I'm wiping the slate clean. I'm wiping the lineup. It's tryout time again. Because maybe we didn't do so hot in the last tournament, right? So why would I go back and use the same lineup?

SPEAKER_01 1:08

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

I want to figure out if there's something better. We're always looking for better. So we'll be in practice and uh it I treat it as a tryout. I tell my players to treat it like a tryout, right? You can't just sit on your heels and relax. Oh, I'm a starter, so I'm just I've already made it, right? And then you might slack off. You might start playing differently because you just think you've made it, right?

SPEAKER_03 1:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:38

And I also want to keep the other players who are not starters who or who maybe didn't get as much playing time in the last tournament, some hope. I gotta give them hope.

SPEAKER_03 1:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:49

Right? That, oh, okay, this practice or the next two practices, this is my opportunity to show what I got. And then I'll say even things like this. I'll say, Isabella, you've been playing middle. Um, is there another position that you've been wanting to try?

SPEAKER_02 2:07

And what if they say no?

SPEAKER_00 2:10

If they say no, I say, okay, that's great, but just think about it, and then I might go to somebody else. And her name is also named Isabella, and I'll say, Isabella, you've been playing uh the right pin. Opposite. Is there a position that you've been thinking about wanting to try?

SPEAKER_02 2:25

What if they say outside?

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Okay. I'll say, okay, you can try outside. And then in practice, you're gonna go play outside.

SPEAKER_03 2:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Or get reps hitting on the outside.

SPEAKER_03 2:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:38

I want to see it. If my setter, I I had a setter one time on a 16s team say, I just want to be a DS.

SPEAKER_01 2:46

Really?

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:48

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

And she was really good at being a DS. So I said, anybody else want to try setting? And then yeah, I I really don't like pigeonholing players, even at the high school level, you know. Maybe if you're talking about 17s, 18s, you've got to be a little more careful about this kind of stuff. But um, I am fairly free and I like to give opportunities. I like to have the players know that they have kind of still some say in what goes on with the team because I get so many questions on live streams and things like that, andor comments on my videos. Players say, Oh, my coach says I can only play outside, and I I really want to set, but she won't let me. And please help. I I really can't help you in that situation, but all I can say is if other coaches are listening to this or watching this podcast, just be open. Don't just assume that Isabella's forever a right side.

SPEAKER_03 3:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:56

Yeah. Let her try outside, let her try being libero if that's what she says. Yeah, whatever the player says, I want to try this, I say, sure, go ahead, go be libero, and we'll run some some game drills.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

That's nice.

SPEAKER_00 4:15

Now, if they do well, yeah, I might actually consider it. But it all depends on how well they do it. But at the very least, I want my players to know that I'm not like some dictator, and and they have some say in their future because they may be one position on this team, like you were one position, certain position, or positions on your last team. You go try out again, it's a whole different team. Yeah, different personnel. And the more flexible you are, like mindset-wise and open to things, and the more diverse your skill set is, the more valuable you're gonna be to future teams.

SPEAKER_02 4:57

Yeah, yeah, that's a great piece of advice.

SPEAKER_00 5:00

Yeah, like it. Because I I have one, I have a player who is on my 12U team. Camille. Shout out to Camille. Yep. She was a middle, but in practice, she practiced everything.

SPEAKER_02 5:16

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00 5:17

Back row too.

SPEAKER_02 5:18

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 5:18

What middle practices back row?

SPEAKER_02 5:20

Oh, not me. Okay, not me.

SPEAKER_00 5:23

Well, so um I saw her at Fast Forward to Regionals, and she's on an 18s team, comes running over and goes, guess what? Guess what? Guess what I'm playing? I go, volleyball. No, I'm libero.

SPEAKER_01 5:38

Wow. Yeah, that's so cool.

SPEAKER_00 5:41

I had another player who was a middle on my 12s team, and by the time she got to high school, guess what position she was playing?

SPEAKER_02 5:50

Libero.

SPEAKER_00 5:51

Nope.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

Setter.

SPEAKER_00 5:53

Setter.

SPEAKER_02 5:54

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 5:55

Setter.

SPEAKER_02 5:56

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 5:57

Because we like to practice everything. Yeah, even the older kids that I coach. I like to make sure that everybody gets reps on setting every practice, not just the setters. Everybody gets practice passing, digging, hitting. Even my setters get to hit. Because also you never know when you're gonna get an injury.

SPEAKER_02 6:17

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

Yeah. And the deeper the bench and the more diverse your team is, the better. That's my thinking, anyways. Yeah. Not that I think I know everything, but that's that's pretty good. That's in my brain behind my bald scalp.

SPEAKER_02 6:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:34

Now Oh, you were asking me how I determined playing time, though. Did I really answer that?

SPEAKER_02 6:40

I don't think so. No, because you said that you had another, didn't you say you had like another point to make on something?

SPEAKER_00 6:49

Yeah, I better get back to your question. Okay, so playing time.

SPEAKER_02 6:53

Yes. How do you determine a certain player's playing time?

SPEAKER_00 6:57

Okay, it's it's all kind of aggregate with the whole team. So in practice, again, I regroup, I tell them it's a tryout, I say, here are the things that we're looking for. Positive attitude, and just go, okay, just go on everything. That's the first thing we're gonna be looking for. So hey, guess what? If you were sub or you were on the bench before, this is your opportunity. You know, when you're on the bench, or sometime between practices or sets, I sometimes will get the question, hey coach, um, can you give me some tips on what I can work on, maybe you know, moving forward? Okay, so that's one thing for a coach to say, hey, you can work on this, or you can work on that, or you can do this. See, I actually let them do it in practice.

SPEAKER_03 7:42

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 7:43

Yeah. So if it's a bench player, maybe I try to have that player have a few extra reps at whatever skill or position, right? Yeah. If there's an A side and a B side and we're trying to do a like a game-like drill, six on six, uh, I'll put the the bench player and I'll say, Hey, you're now the lib for the first middle. Go to the other side. Right? Yeah. I need to see how she can handle it in a less pressured situation, not at the tournament. So I I do that, it's a tryout. Okay, and if there are times in practice where a player might shank a ball, but she gets up smiling, right? Positive attitude, good facial expression, and then go high fives another teammate, you know, like as they go back in line, if it's uh some kind of drill. That's I'll I'll stop the practice. I'll say, Isabella, you just earned some playing points.

SPEAKER_02 8:48

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 8:49

I call them playing points.

SPEAKER_02 8:50

Playing points.

SPEAKER_00 8:51

You just racked up a good handful of playing points. And I want everybody else to know that Isabella just shanked the ball and gave high fives all the way down the line going back to reset, and she is smiling and has a positive attitude. That's why she's earning playing points. Okay, let's keep going.

SPEAKER_02 9:10

Is there a certain amount of playing points that you have to accumulate, or what do playing points equal to? Like is there a certain number that you have, or is it just you get playing points, so you're just playing more?

unknown 9:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 9:24

Uh so this is the first time in public I'm gonna divul divulge a secret.

SPEAKER_02 9:30

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 9:30

Yeah. And if my former players are watching, they're gonna say, What? Okay. I never tallied those points, I never kept track, my assistant never had any kind of sheet where they were she was tracking the points or anything.

SPEAKER_02 9:48

Nothing.

SPEAKER_00 9:49

Nothing. This is the first time in public I'm saying this.

SPEAKER_02 9:55

Wow. What are your players thinking right now?

SPEAKER_00 9:58

I don't know, but but it this it'll still work because the whole point is I want to show off, right? If that's the okay word to use. I want to show you off and show the rest of the team this is what earns playing time. I want to remind them of what gets them in the court. Because, yeah, I do want skilled players on the court, but at the same time, I want to make sure the six that are on the court have positive attitude and they just go. Because even if there's a couple in there that are not the best at the skill in that position, but if those core six have the most positive attitude and the most just go attitude, something's gonna happen great.

SPEAKER_02 10:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:47

I think I'd rather have that.

SPEAKER_02 10:49

And then you can always coach skill.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

Yeah, yeah. And I do explain this to my players too. I don't necessarily always pick the highly skilled player for any given position. I have to look at the big picture of attitude. So again, I'm I'm trying at least to have the kind of bench players or the ones that had little playing time last tournament, kind of hope that okay, there's still opportunity. We're three months into the season, but I still have an opportunity to earn my way. Otherwise, I'll lose them. Right?

SPEAKER_01 11:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

If they think, oh, I'm forever on the bench. Wouldn't that suck if you it would, yeah. Right? So I want to kind of give you some hope.

SPEAKER_02 11:37

Okay. I'll would you like that? Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 11:41

Yeah. So yeah, I do playing points, and then yeah, we we make an initial lineup before we go to the tournament. And when I'm talking with my assistant coach, like if I'm working with Monica, who's been my longtime assistant coach, um, we'll we'll look at, we'll talk about stuff. Okay, we got we got we need these positions, okay. Who had the the best kind of intangible things, like the best attitude, just go? Who's on right now? Right? And then if we have to decide between two players, and you know, they're equally kind of skilled, maybe to fill one position, but one of them just had an amazing attitude the last two practices, we go with that one.

SPEAKER_01 12:27

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:29

During tournaments and during a match, I'm always looking, I not always, okay, I have to admit, but I try to look at the bench. Like if you're on the bench, you know, you're standing there at the end of the chairs. I try to look, and I also tell my assistant coach, kind of keep track of what's going on on the bench.

SPEAKER_03 12:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:47

What is their attitude? What is their body language? What are they doing? Are they just sticking, you know, standing around and kind of picking at their nails? Or are they cheering? Are they watching? Or are they, worst case, watching a different match facing the other way? You know? Yeah. So we're constantly looking and seeing, like, if we need someone to step up, who's the first off the bench?

SPEAKER_03 13:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:17

I actually asked Monica that. Like, if maybe we get a lead of eight points. I'll go to Monica and say, hey, who's the first off the bench? And she might say, Well, Isabella, because she was the one cheering the whole time and just looked so positive with great energy. Okay, all right, let's let's make a sub and get her in.

SPEAKER_02 13:39

Okay, nice. That's good. Because it keeps you keeps the players almost on their toes for sure, too. And then makes kind of, I want to say forces them, but always keeps it in the back of their mind to always be cheering. Because that helps a player a lot.

SPEAKER_03 13:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:54

Especially on the court if you're not if if someone if the team isn't doing so good on the court, it's nice to have like the backup, like your bench cheering you on.

SPEAKER_00 14:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:05

Know that someone has like support in you.

SPEAKER_00 14:07

It feels better.

SPEAKER_02 14:08

Yeah, it does for sure. Yeah. It's helped me a lot because I have such a supportive team. Love you, Club Boss.

SPEAKER_00 14:16

Now, here's the last last piece, okay? Before I decide and let a player go in who's been maybe on the bench for a while.

SPEAKER_01 14:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:24

I come up to you, hey, Isabella, are you ready to go in?

SPEAKER_01 14:27

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 14:28

See, that I look for that. Because sometimes I don't get that.

SPEAKER_01 14:31

Really?

SPEAKER_00 14:32

Yeah. I'll have a player just again, you'll have to watch the video on YouTube here, and they'll just look at me like this, go, maybe. Would you put that player in?

SPEAKER_02 14:44

I would not put that player in immediately. And I would not.

SPEAKER_00 14:48

Yeah. So I said, sorry, you don't seem to be ready. So I'll come. But I uh I don't just walk away. That'd be mean, right? And I would say, okay, you maybe you're you don't feel ready right now. You need to convince me you're ready. Okay, you need to convince me and the rest of the team that you're ready to go in. So guess what? I'll come back in a little bit and I'll ask you the same question. So just think about what you want to say in response when I come back later.

SPEAKER_01 15:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:16

And a lot of times I'll come back and the player's like, yes. You know?

unknown 15:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:23

Because she actually wanted to play, but the question kind of took her off balance a little bit. Because I don't I don't know that a lot of coaches would ask that.

SPEAKER_02 15:31

Yeah. It's nice. I like it.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

I like to communicate with my players as much as I can.

SPEAKER_02 15:37

That's a great that's uh one of the biggest things for me, like that I look for in a coach, is like they're able to communicate. Which we talked about this, yeah. The last podcast, or not the last podcast, because I don't know when this one's gonna be posted, but in episode three, the one that I did.

SPEAKER_00 15:55

Yeah, you were already in a podcast.

SPEAKER_02 15:57

Yes, yes. We talked about this, and that's one thing that players look for in coaches is being able to communicate with us.

SPEAKER_00 16:05

So you couldn't play for a coach that just never talks to you?

SPEAKER_02 16:09

That would be horrible.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

Are there any coaches listening to this and you never talk to your players during a match? Mmm, ooh, you're getting evil eye from Isabella here.

SPEAKER_02 16:19

Yeah, that would be very bad to play with.

SPEAKER_00 16:23

I know there are coaches that do that.

SPEAKER_02 16:25

Really?

SPEAKER_00 16:26

I mean, I guess everybody has a different way, different method.

SPEAKER_02 16:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:30

Yeah. Okay, so so far, um these questions are not that scary.

SPEAKER_02 16:36

No, they're not very scary. I just had to build up so you were good on your toes.

SPEAKER_00 16:41

Yeah. Do you have any more?

SPEAKER_02 16:43

Do you want like a scary question? Because then I'll think of it.

SPEAKER_00 16:46

Yeah. Think of a scary question. Really scary question. Ask me if I throw my clipboard when I'm mad.

SPEAKER_02 16:53

Do you?

SPEAKER_00 16:54

No.

SPEAKER_02 16:55

Okay. I was gonna be a little surprised if you did.

SPEAKER_00 16:58

Ask me if I throw chairs.

SPEAKER_02 17:00

Do you?

SPEAKER_00 17:01

No.

SPEAKER_02 17:02

Oh, okay. Well, do you throw anything?

SPEAKER_00 17:06

Um.

SPEAKER_02 17:07

Have you thrown anything?

SPEAKER_00 17:08

Have I thrown anything? I've accidentally thrown something.

SPEAKER_02 17:11

Okay. I don't know if that kind of.

SPEAKER_00 17:13

Like I I had my my clipboard or notebook or whatever, and I have a pen on it, you know, and I turn around quickly because something was happening, and my pen goes flying. We have to stop the match because there's a pen on the floor.

SPEAKER_03 17:26

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 17:27

But not intentionally, not because I was mad.

SPEAKER_02 17:30

Okay. It's third set, 14-14.

SPEAKER_00 17:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 17:36

You take a timeout. What do you tell your players?

SPEAKER_00 17:41

Okay, so imagine that you're one of the players coming off the court. The six on the court have to be on the bench, sitting. So I'll be in front of you like this.

SPEAKER_03 17:50

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 17:50

Okay? So again, if you're just listening to this, you're gonna have to watch the YouTube version. So I'll be over here, and my six players are sitting on the on the chair. Okay, and I kind of get down, I squat down. I don't like looking down at them. Okay? So then I say, hey, we're gonna breathe. And again, this is something we practice so they know we're doing this. We're gonna breathe in for four and out for four. So ready? So you close your eyes, close your eyes, and then you breathe in on a four count. One, two, three, four, and breathe out. Five, six, seven, eight. Alright, now, are you gonna go have some fun playing volleyball?

SPEAKER_02 18:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 18:33

Okay, let's go. That's it.

SPEAKER_02 18:37

So no talk about the game.

SPEAKER_00 18:39

No. What is there to talk about?

SPEAKER_02 18:41

I guess, yeah. I mean, no talk about like what next play to do, no nothing of that.

SPEAKER_00 18:47

Just no, we've practiced and practiced. Uh, who is it that said this? I think it was somebody correct me in the comments, but I think it was John Wooden, the basketball player that I mean, basketball coach at UCLA that won 10 national championships. Yeah. Said the, or it could have been another coach. Somebody correct me. But anyways, the thing was the practice, Jim, is my classroom to share and teach and guide you, but during the game, that's your time.

SPEAKER_03 19:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:22

I'm not on the court. I tell my players, am I wearing spandex?

SPEAKER_03 19:27

No.

SPEAKER_00 19:28

No. Am I wearing knee pads? No. You're the one wearing the knee pads and the volleyball shoes.

SPEAKER_02 19:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:36

You get to make the decisions while you're on the court.

SPEAKER_02 19:39

And you get to decide.

SPEAKER_00 19:41

Go figure out what to do at 14 all, and there's a captain, there's a leader, right? Because you know what? If that's all I do, and then they win it, then it's not like, hey, we won because I mapped out this thing for you.

SPEAKER_02 20:00

It's because you tried your hardest.

SPEAKER_00 20:03

Yeah, I want the players to know that they they got it.

SPEAKER_02 20:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:07

That's really powerful for the next game.

SPEAKER_02 20:10

It is, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 20:11

Yeah. Now, occasionally, like during certain timeouts, I might give some suggestions on, hey, we got a short block on the pin on the other side, you know, maybe go uh right side or give some suggestions about that. Right? Sometimes I'll give some really goofy instructions.

SPEAKER_02 20:31

How so? Like what what's the crazy, like I don't really know, play that you have.

SPEAKER_00 20:39

Okay, ready?

SPEAKER_02 20:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:42

So we were on service eve. Okay. And the other team was serving really, really tough serves to the to the back row. Like really deep, tough, fast serves. Okay. So I took a timeout and I told my players, okay, forget the service eve pattern. Everybody's gonna go back towards the end line. Like within within two, three feet of the end line, everybody's gonna be there. Just be careful of the side to side in the front and back rule. Make sure you're paying attention to that, but you're gonna be within a few feet of the end line.

SPEAKER_02 21:16

Like every single player.

SPEAKER_00 21:18

Every well, not the bench.

SPEAKER_02 21:20

Well, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:21

Just the six, yes.

SPEAKER_02 21:23

And everyone went?

SPEAKER_00 21:24

And then what do you think the next the next serve, where do you think it went?

SPEAKER_02 21:31

Very short.

SPEAKER_00 21:32

Nope.

SPEAKER_02 21:32

Really?

SPEAKER_00 21:33

We left the entire court open, almost 900 square feet. Guess where they served it?

SPEAKER_02 21:38

The end line?

SPEAKER_00 21:39

Out.

SPEAKER_02 21:39

Out.

SPEAKER_00 21:40

Way out.

SPEAKER_02 21:41

Really?

SPEAKER_00 21:42

I think it was a perception thing. The server player is used to serving behind the passers. So I put all my passers in the back.

SPEAKER_02 21:51

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 21:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:52

That's crazy. How does that work? Why wouldn't they serve short?

SPEAKER_00 21:56

I don't know. I was in total shock. And then they started serving short off. Us so guess what I did next?

SPEAKER_02 22:02

Put all your players to the front?

SPEAKER_00 22:04

Yep. All of them inside the 10-foot line. All of them. Guess where the next serve went?

SPEAKER_02 22:10

In the net.

SPEAKER_00 22:11

In the net.

SPEAKER_02 22:12

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 22:13

Because it has to be short, right? Before the players. I don't know. It was it was so weird.

SPEAKER_02 22:19

That is pretty weird.

SPEAKER_00 22:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:21

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 22:22

Um, we've had another play uh where, like, let's see, you play you play middle, right?

SPEAKER_03 22:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 22:30

Okay. Have you when you were playing middle on service eve, the pass goes between you and the outside hitter?

SPEAKER_03 22:38

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 22:38

So the setter is running in front of you, past you, to go get that ball to set.

SPEAKER_03 22:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

And typically, where do they set that ball?

SPEAKER_02 22:47

Outside.

SPEAKER_00 22:48

Outside. Guess what we did?

SPEAKER_02 22:50

Set the middle?

SPEAKER_00 22:51

Back set the middle.

SPEAKER_02 22:53

Oh, that's cool.

SPEAKER_00 22:54

Yeah. We back set the middle because the blockers on the other side are thinking, outside, go over there. And then the middle didn't have any blockers.

SPEAKER_02 23:03

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 23:03

Yeah, don't tell anybody that I do that.

unknown 23:06

Shh.

SPEAKER_00 23:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:07

Top secret.

SPEAKER_00 23:08

Is that cool?

SPEAKER_02 23:09

That is really cool.

SPEAKER_00 23:09

Would you want to run that play?

SPEAKER_02 23:10

Yes, I would love to run that play.

SPEAKER_00 23:12

It's a back two.

SPEAKER_02 23:14

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 23:15

Cool.

SPEAKER_02 23:16

That is really cool.

SPEAKER_00 23:17

Yeah. So, you know, there's no one rule that says you have to play volleyball a certain way. So I'm kind of like, I don't believe in out of system. People say there's out of system. I don't believe there is a out of system. Everything should be in your system, and that's why we practice everything in practice.

SPEAKER_03 23:41

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 23:41

Have you ever had a ball your teammate passes it or digs it and goes and hits the ceiling and comes down?

SPEAKER_02 23:47

I've had too many of those.

SPEAKER_00 23:48

Okay, how does your team do with those balls?

SPEAKER_02 23:51

Uh, not very good. Yeah. Because it's on in our thoughts, it's out of system, so it's harder.

SPEAKER_00 24:00

Okay. So I used to coach a school, the the gym ceiling was kind of low.

SPEAKER_03 24:05

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 24:05

So we practiced that. We practiced, like we would chuck balls into the ceiling, and then you have to play off of that.

SPEAKER_01 24:16

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 24:17

Why wouldn't you practice everything that would possibly happen in a game?

SPEAKER_01 24:21

Yeah, exactly.

unknown 24:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:23

Chasing down a ball that's way out of the line in the second touch, we practice those.

SPEAKER_02 24:30

Yeah. As you should. You need to practice everything so it's in your system.

SPEAKER_00 24:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:34

Just like you said.

SPEAKER_00 24:36

And we do the drill called the crappy s crappy set drill.

SPEAKER_02 24:40

Oh, yes, I remember you telling me about this drill.

SPEAKER_00 24:43

No offense to the setters out there, but what percentage of your sets are absolutely perfect?

SPEAKER_02 24:51

Very, very slow.

SPEAKER_00 24:52

100%?

unknown 24:53

No.

SPEAKER_00 24:54

50%? I mean, we're talking beautiful perfect set.

SPEAKER_02 24:59

Yeah. Very slow.

SPEAKER_00 25:00

25% of the time? Depends on the team. Could it be five? Three? 1%?

SPEAKER_02 25:07

Could be, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:08

Yeah. So we practice hitting crappy sets.

SPEAKER_02 25:12

Like way over your head, behind you, two on the net.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

Outside the antenna.

SPEAKER_02 25:18

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 25:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:19

Because you gotta practice everything in order to play everything.

SPEAKER_00 25:23

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 25:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:24

So I'm crazy like that.

SPEAKER_02 25:28

Where would you say like your craziness is on a scale from one to ten with coaching?

SPEAKER_00 25:33

Okay. Are we talking like nuts crazy or just creative crazy?

SPEAKER_02 25:38

Um nuts crazy.

SPEAKER_00 25:41

Because I don't want to come across in this podcast as some nut job.

SPEAKER_02 25:45

How about a little bit mix of both?

SPEAKER_00 25:47

Okay. So I was an art major.

SPEAKER_02 25:50

Wow, that's cool.

SPEAKER_00 25:52

And I've always kind of wanted to do not what other people were doing.

SPEAKER_01 25:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:58

I didn't want to be just following the whole herd. I just kind of wanted to do my own thing. Like everybody's doing that. So I'm just, why wouldn't I do something else?

SPEAKER_01 26:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:09

Why would I want to do what everybody else is doing? So I've always had that kind of personality mindset. And then I eventually became an art major and graduated with an art major, and that's all about. I mean, everything that we were taught was well, if you don't like what that looks like, paint over it. If you don't like how that clay looks, punch it and change it. If you don't like how that picture looks that you took, well, recompose it and take another one. Yeah. It's like there's no one way. There's no one way. I mean, you can make three different, you know, the same thing, whether it's a painting or a sculpture or a photograph, and you can do it three different ways.

SPEAKER_03 26:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:58

And I'd be okay with all of them. Like that's how we were taught to be. So that's how I guess I'm creative crazy, if I can say that.

SPEAKER_02 27:08

Creative crazy.

SPEAKER_00 27:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:09

That's pretty cool. Creative crazy.

SPEAKER_00 27:11

Yeah. And I like to have my players be that way.

SPEAKER_02 27:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:15

Right? I don't want you to be robots on the court.

SPEAKER_02 27:18

Do you want to be a robot on the court? I do not want to be a robot on the court.

SPEAKER_00 27:22

Yeah. I think there's too much of robot volleyball played.

SPEAKER_02 27:25

Yeah, there is for sure. I've seen it.

SPEAKER_00 27:27

You've seen it?

SPEAKER_02 27:28

Yeah, I've seen it.

SPEAKER_00 27:29

Same plays, same sets. Yes. They're losing three, four, or five points in a row and they don't change anything. Yeah. Nothing changes. Nothing. They just keep playing the same format. Same offense. Yeah. Is that weird?

SPEAKER_02 27:43

That is really weird.

SPEAKER_00 27:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:44

It's also can be on the coaches too for not teaching them to be different.

SPEAKER_00 27:49

Ooh, are we dissing on coaches now?

SPEAKER_02 27:51

Not all coaches. Some.

SPEAKER_00 27:55

Okay, here's an example. If we're getting killed on the right side. Okay, let's say there's a lefty oppo on the other side and just crushing it.

SPEAKER_03 28:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:07

And they're not even running anything through the middle. That's their favorite player. Guess where I put my middle blocker in base position?

SPEAKER_02 28:14

On the right side.

SPEAKER_00 28:16

Yeah. Just stand. I don't, not all the way over, but cheat over a little bit. You don't have to, nothing says the middle blocker has to stand in the middle of the net. Yeah. I have her like take one or two steps over, and that's the base position.

SPEAKER_03 28:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:33

Okay? Because then potentially can come step back in and block the middle. It might make it hard to go get that outside hitter, but if they're hitting if they're setting, you know, 60-70% their lefty 6'4 oppo.

SPEAKER_02 28:51

That'd be scary to go up against.

SPEAKER_00 28:53

Yeah, but we're gonna adjust for it. Yeah. Why would I continue to keep my middle in the middle because that's what you're supposed to do and keep getting crushed?

SPEAKER_02 29:02

Yeah, exactly. You have to adjust to the other team.

SPEAKER_00 29:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:06

Which means that you have to practice for it as well.

SPEAKER_00 29:09

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 29:09

So practice for everything and adjust to everything.

SPEAKER_00 29:12

But we well, I have to say we don't always practice everything we do in a game.

SPEAKER_02 29:17

Yeah, because that's very. There's millions, probably an infinite amount of different scenarios that could happen.

SPEAKER_00 29:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:25

You just practice for a lot.

SPEAKER_00 29:27

As much as you can, and then there's there have been times when I've done some stuff, some crazy changes in a timeout, and I've had to draw it out because it's nothing traditional. Yeah. We were playing against a team where the outside hitter was probably like 5'11, 6' and crushing the ball. High vertical, crushing the ball at about 11 feet off the net.

SPEAKER_03 29:52

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 29:53

Yeah, like straight down outside hitter. And our blockers just couldn't do much. So I took a timeout and I looked at my my toughest, grittiest player. Okay. And I said, Daly, right here. Just sit right here and put your hands up high just in case, you know, so you can protect your face. But I want you right in this spot. I don't care where everybody else goes, just figure it out. But Daly, you got this. Can you handle this? Can you handle tough?

SPEAKER_03 30:24

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 30:25

Yeah. Well, I don't know if I don't even remember if she said yes. I just made her do it. And I put her right there, where the outside hitter was hitting consistently. So out of the timeout, guess what happens?

SPEAKER_02 30:38

She hits the ball there.

SPEAKER_00 30:40

And we get a dig. We got to run a play. And she's like, Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:45

That's cool.

SPEAKER_00 30:46

Yeah, I don't know if Daly remembers that. It was at P and Q. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:50

That's really nice.

SPEAKER_00 30:51

That's so if she's watching this.

SPEAKER_02 30:54

Another shout-out.

SPEAKER_00 30:55

Another shout-out. She just she's she just graduated.

SPEAKER_02 30:59

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 30:59

Yeah, she played indoor and out and beach.

SPEAKER_02 31:02

So another question relating to stress.

SPEAKER_00 31:05

Is this a scary one?

SPEAKER_02 31:08

Kind of.

SPEAKER_00 31:09

Okay. So it's a serious one.

SPEAKER_02 31:10

Yes, serious one.

SPEAKER_00 31:11

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 31:12

So how do I, as a player, what would you recommend me to do to handle stress? Like if we're on serve receive or something, and like I just can't get any good passes, and I'm starting to weigh down on myself a lot. Like, how do I handle this stress?

SPEAKER_00 31:30

Ooh, I got the solution. I got it right here. Okay, there's another reason why you need to go on YouTube. Okay, those watching on YouTube, what is this? I'm holding something in front of the camera. Isabella, what is it?

SPEAKER_02 31:45

It's a toilet.

SPEAKER_00 31:46

It's a toilet. It has a lid. Okay. Every coach needs one of these.

SPEAKER_02 31:56

Every coach.

SPEAKER_00 31:56

Yeah. I keep a toilet in my coaching bag.

SPEAKER_02 32:00

Can I see this?

SPEAKER_00 32:01

Yeah. I stole it from my kids' play stuff when they were little. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:08

So what do you do with it?

SPEAKER_00 32:10

Okay, so take the take the nervousness or the mistake that you just made. Okay, open up the toilet. Show the camera. The lid is open. Okay. Put all that stress and the mistake into the toilet, throw it in there. Yep. Close the lid. Flush.

SPEAKER_01 32:32

Where?

SPEAKER_00 32:32

Just imaginary flush. Flush. Okay? Wash your hands. You always have to wash your hands after the bathroom, right?

SPEAKER_02 32:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:40

Okay. It's gone.

SPEAKER_02 32:42

It's gone.

SPEAKER_00 32:43

You flush away the stress, you flush away the mistakes, and it's gone. And who does not like potty humor? So literally, I have this in my bag, and uh let's say you're on my team. Well, based on everything I've said, would you even want to be on my team?

SPEAKER_01 33:00

I guess. You guess. I guess.

SPEAKER_00 33:03

Okay, let's say you're on my team and you're on the court and you're making some mistakes. Okay. I would say, I would call out Isabella, Isabella, and I would just show you this toilet from the bench. You've got to laugh. I'm showing you a toilet in the middle of a rally. Right? And I'll open the lid and I'll signal, like, put it in there. Right? Yeah. And then flush it. I'll make you flush, and I'll make you do the flushing.

SPEAKER_02 33:30

Imaginary flush.

SPEAKER_00 33:31

Yeah, on the court. And then say, wash your hands. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:37

And that's it. And then they're gone.

SPEAKER_00 33:39

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 33:39

Flushed away.

SPEAKER_00 33:40

Flushed away.

SPEAKER_02 33:41

Only good thoughts.

SPEAKER_00 33:43

I think. Now I'm not a I'm not like a like a medical professional or doctor or psychologist or anything like that, but I'm pretty sure that your brain cannot process smiling and humor simultaneously with nervousness or you know worrying about confidence. I I don't know that your brain can just do that at the same time. You're either nervous or you're giggling about some kind of stupid potty humor. Now, do you would you want to be on my team if this is what I do? Sure. Okay, that was not very confident.

SPEAKER_02 34:27

No, I I would definitely be on your team.

SPEAKER_00 34:29

Yeah. You just flush it away.

SPEAKER_02 34:31

Flush it all away.

SPEAKER_00 34:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:33

Only good thoughts, no stress.

SPEAKER_00 34:35

Yeah. Should I start um selling merch so it's toilets with my logo on it?

SPEAKER_02 34:41

That'd be pretty cool. I think a lot of coaches would buy that.

SPEAKER_00 34:43

Do you think my partner and sponsor, Baden Sports, would help me get a branded toilet?

SPEAKER_02 34:50

That'd be pretty cool. Then they can put this cool texture on it.

SPEAKER_00 34:54

Yes, from the Baden Matrix ball.

SPEAKER_02 34:56

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 34:58

Then I would have a volley toilet.

SPEAKER_02 35:01

Ooh. Volley toilet?

SPEAKER_00 35:03

It'd be a voilet.

SPEAKER_02 35:06

That sounds a little scary.

SPEAKER_00 35:07

Okay, volleyball toilet. But that's it. I get that asked so many times.

SPEAKER_01 35:13

Really?

SPEAKER_00 35:14

Yeah. How can I get more confidence? I'm nervous about going to an open gym. I'm open, I'm nervous about going to my first tryout. Ooh, I don't know if I'm gonna do very good. Or I'm going into ninth grade, going into high school, and going to tryouts with juniors, seniors in the gym, right? That have been at the school for two, three years. I get a little bit nervous. Well, just if you're at home, if you have a toilet at home. You can only do this if you have a toilet at home.

SPEAKER_01 35:48

Just or a kid's toilet, like a kid's toilet.

SPEAKER_00 35:51

But even a real one. Just open the lid. Literally open the lid and then throw your nervousness just into the toilet. And then just always, always, always remember, flush it. Okay. And then always, always remember, what do you do after that?

SPEAKER_02 36:08

Wash your hands.

SPEAKER_00 36:09

Wash your hands. There you go.

SPEAKER_02 36:10

It's very nice and clean.

SPEAKER_00 36:12

Yep. Seriously. You can't be nervous if you're just giggling. I mean, imagine yourself you're you're at home and you're throwing something imaginary into the toilet, flushing it, and washing your hands. You gotta you gotta chill out. Laugh at that. Right?

SPEAKER_02 36:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:33

And you forget about the stress because you're laughing, because you just threw your stress into a toilet. It's gone. Flush it and then wash your hands after.

SPEAKER_00 36:40

It's like if you dropped your ring or earring into the toilet and you just flushed it. It's gone. Right?

SPEAKER_02 36:48

That would suck.

SPEAKER_00 36:49

That would suck. But also in the same way, put the nervousness or lack of confidence or whatever or scariness in there and you flush it. It's not coming back. How are you gonna get it back?

SPEAKER_02 37:02

You can't.

SPEAKER_00 37:03

You can't. You have to go to the sewage treatment plant and go digging around for your nervousness. And are you gonna do that?

SPEAKER_02 37:11

No.

SPEAKER_00 37:11

No, because it doesn't smell very good, right?

SPEAKER_02 37:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:14

So yeah, it's gone. Trust me, it's gone. It's gone. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:18

These are great pieces of advice. I think this is what the players want to know. And if they have more questions, I'm sure they can comment them.

SPEAKER_00 37:28

They can comment or we just make another podcast.

SPEAKER_02 37:30

Yeah, that too. Part two.

SPEAKER_00 37:32

Oh, you know what would be cool? Put in the comments questions that Isabella did not ask.

SPEAKER_02 37:39

Yeah, and that you want me to ask.

SPEAKER_00 37:42

For the next episode of the Isabella Question or no, Isabella Interviews Coach Chijo Podcast.

SPEAKER_02 37:50

Oh, this could be like a series.

SPEAKER_00 37:52

This could be a series. Put it in the comments, right?

SPEAKER_02 37:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:55

Yeah. There you go.

SPEAKER_02 37:58

It's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 37:58

It's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 38:00

So awesome.

SPEAKER_00 38:01

Okay, so we'll catch everybody on the next episode. Thanks, Isabella, for asking me really scary questions. Um I I was a little bit nervous, but I hope I answered your questions.

SPEAKER_02 38:14

You did perfect. I hope I gave good questions.

SPEAKER_00 38:18

Those were awesome questions. They were not scary at all, actually.

SPEAKER_02 38:21

That's good.

SPEAKER_00 38:22

Yeah. Okay. We'll see you in the next episode. We'll see you in the next episode. Coach Chijo podcast. See ya.

SPEAKER_01 38:27

Bye.

SPEAKER_00 38:28

Appreciate you being here today. Keep learning, keep growing. And remember, let's play volleyball because it's fun. And we'll see you in the next episode. Just go.