With four national championships under his belt, the current head coach of Nebraska’s Cornhuskers volleyball team is spilling the secrets to competing at his level. Hear Coach John Cook explain why he prefers practices to matches, and why he believes the best coaches start out as dedicated school teachers.

John also tells Janice what he learned from the Navy Seals when it comes to finding the leaders for his top team.

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: leaveitbetter@side-out.org

The winningest coach in Texas A&M history has thoughts on volleyball you may have never heard before. Laurie Corbelli knows how to rally her teams to perform at levels they’ve never reached. The current Volleyball Operations Consultant for the Pro Volleyball Federation is a former Olympic silver medalist. Whether it’s competing against her fellow coach husband, or attracting the best players in the world, Laurie has a story for you, with lessons to embrace.

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: leaveitbetter@side-out.org

At just 22 years old, Cecile Reynaud was thrust into being the Head Coach of Florida State University’s Women’s Volleyball program. As one of the top female coaches, Cecile recognized many women in the sports coaching world weren’t being taken as seriously as their male counterparts. So Cecile decided to do something about it. She’s now spent decades uplifting other female coaches across all sports.

Dr. Cecile Reynaud's lifetime of achievement and ambition is currently being put to the test as the Vice President of Volleyball Operations for the Pro Volleyball Federation.

Janice spoke to her just days before the Pro Volleyball Federation held its first ever national championship game.

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: leaveitbetter@side-out.org

On August 2nd, 2023, sports history was made at a volleyball game in Lincoln, Nebraska. More than 92,000 fans packed into a stadium to watch an NCAA match — making it the largest crowd to ever watch a women’s sport.

As the Director of Operations for the University of Nebraska’s Volleyball program, Lindsay Peterson helped put together the largest attended women’s game in history. How did it happen? How can it be repeated? And what’s next for the future of the sport in stadiums and on TV? Lindsay gives Janice her insider perspective.

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: leaveitbetter@side-out.org

Thinking about a career in professional volleyball? Star players Kendall White and Sydney Hilley share what it’s really like. From the NCAA, to the Omaha Supernovas, Kendall and Sydney are charting a path for future players with the United States’ Pro Volleyball Federation.

They’ve played professional volleyball for various countries around the world, where overcoming the language barrier is as difficult as dealing with the thousands of miles separating them from their friends and families. They talk to Janice about the differences competing back in the U.S. for the first time.

Learn about the mindset Sydney and Kendall bring to the court, where they’re trying to beat former teammates in front of a crowd of new fans.

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: leaveitbetter@side-out.org

If you treat your players like family, they will fight for you like family. That is one of Coach Cathy George’s principles. As the current Head Coach of the Grand Rapids Rise professional volleyball federation team, and the winningest coach in the history of Michigan State’s volleyball program, Cathy has dedicated her life to raising the best players in the sport. Often times that has involved inviting her players over to her home for the holidays, when they can’t be home with their families.

Through numerous NCAA tournament appearances, Cathy has learned the secret To pushing young players past their breaking points – helping them achieve new levels of skill they didn’t think reach.

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: leaveitbetter@side-out.org

What does it take not only rack up an impressive win streak, but to find the confidence to keep that streak going?

In 2023, Indiana Wesleyan University’s Candace Moats was honored with multiple ‘Coach of the Year’ awards, in part to her team finishing with a flawless 38 wins and zero losses season (the first time in 6 years for any NAIA volleyball team to accomplish).

Coach Moats has been coaching volleyball competitively for 40 years. She shares her advice for not caving to the high-stakes pressure. We also hear about the benefit of surrounding yourself with people that you may not always agree with.

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: leaveitbetter@side-out.org

Building a championship team takes great players that can be pushed to get better, AND great team staff that can push the coach to get better as well. Coach Erin Virtue leads the women’s volleyball team at the University of Michigan and serves as an Assistant Coach for the U.S Women’s National team.

Coach Virtue tells Janice how she and the national volleyball team had to re-shape the scouting system they were using so they could spot and recruit the best players the country has to offer. This episode is a unique look at how any sport can go from a talent pool of hundreds of thousands of active players, and trim it down to just a handful of the best of the best.

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: leaveitbetter@side-out.org