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Hand slaps between coaches with new beach players. There will be play- are totally optional. I tell ers that improve faster than others. I’m in 1. players to do the customary 101 favor of sometimes switching partnerships hand slap on side switches. Some during a season to reward the hard workers have argued that it takes away the and to keep them all well-rounded, while competitive edge, and I tell them many extremely successful programs put a that did it and he’s premium on keeping pairs together. Either plenty competitive. Coaches can check way, the lineups should change, if only in with each other, but time is at a Nine etiquette guidelines for slightly, over the course of a season to premium on a side switch, and we’re reflect the present strength of each pair. It’s trying to deliver secret information. college beach coaches not a valid excuse in late April that your Usually, one coach goes under the net always-defeated 3s are stronger than your alongside the court while the other one by฀David฀Fischer฀•฀Photos:฀Peter฀Brouillet undefeated 4s just because you began the goes around the pole. If there’s eye- season with a clear conscience. contact and proximity, you’re probably be present. If weather or travel delays mean that doing the hand slap, but it’s a non-issue. another school shows up during your scheduled Float above the arguing. Beach coaches practice time, make an effort to give them at least just don’t argue calls directly with the When in doubt, pretend you’re at a one court to get the travel out. There are usually 4. officials, nor are we allowed to. I know public beach. There are no “private” an odd number of courts at a facility – the “sched- we are competitive. I know calls go the wrong way 2. practices the way there are with indoor uled” school naturally gets more courts. sometimes. The extent of my overt arguing was teams – there’d be no way to curtain off your when one of the prettiest handsets you ever saw courts at a public beach. On the other hand, don’t Turn in a guilt-free lineup. The rules was called on one of my players, and I stood up, have your team (or yourself) sit down and scout state that your lineup must have your placed both hands on my head in genuine shock, another’s practice. I haven’t seen anybody do it, 3. pairs in the order of strength – your 1s said nothing, then sat down a few seconds later. but we don’t want one program to ruin it for must, in the coach’s opinion, be stronger than (By the way, the rules state that coaches must sit, everybody. Let’s also remind our players to keep your 2s, your 2s stronger than your 3s, and so on. but many just don’t – some games are just too ex- the profanity down to a bare minimum, especially It can be very tricky knowing exactly the correct citing, some umbrellas too flimsy, some chairs too when kids or administrators or parents might order, especially early in the season, especially wet. I don’t have a problem with the standing.)

18 digbeachvolleyball.com | 2016 #3 If there is a blatant incorrect call, timeouts should be taken in each team’s burn a timeout (or hope that it’s a original box. That’s where their water side switch) and suggest to either is. If a team doesn’t want to take the of your players that they politely timeout because of the long walk, they ask the official for clarification. can remain on their side of the court. If you’ve already taken your If they want to be like Ron Lang, the timeout, just remember that you next server can spin the ball on her have to win volleyball games by 2 finger at the service line, staring at their points. Sideout. opponents who think the timeout will somehow help. Be flexible, appreciate the sport we have, and There needs to be an NCAA 5. be willing to improve Championship for the Top it. We, and our beach volleyball- 9. Pairs in addition to the playing players, have no legiti- Top Schools. Some fantastic pairs mate gripe. We travel to beautiful from around the country had a great locations to play and coach beach season but no post-season. Every other volleyball, and a majority of remotely similar sport has an individual people would strongly consider and a school championship. Also, swapping places with us. When BRUIN BOARD MEETING: UCLA Coach Stein Metzger talks strategy with his young stars, without a post-season for the top pairs, a host proposes a different start Megan and Nicole McNamara. coaches will water down their #1 pairs time, playing order, or even a dif- to gain wins down the lineup. The ferent date, do what you can do players aren’t relied upon to communicate and 1s should be the strongest and most to accommodate. I’m amazed at how fluidly soft- remember a game plan for 7 whole points in a prestigious match – it’s the 1s! Your best player ball and games are moved around, and row, we’re not teaching them how to play. deserves her best partner if we want the game they’ve got significantly larger teams, equipment played at the highest level. And let’s not do away loads, and staffs. Still, duals and The structure of a dual is a work in with the flighted pairs tournaments. Beach volley- have lots of moving parts, and we as coaches can progress, and we owe it to the sport to ball is historically played in format, help find solutions to minor problems. At times, 7. come up with something better. Clearly, with multiple matches in a day. Conditioning I’ve only had 1 healthy player for an exhibi- a shady program could recruit six super athletes, should matter, and great stories are yet to be tion 6s match. Multiple times, I’ve asked our play them at the 3-4-5, and kick everybody’s butt. written about players giving gutsy performances opponent’s coach if she has an extra player, and To me, a win at the 3-4-5 is pretty meek – more in their 3rd, or even 4th (gasp!) match of the day. we’ve created a hybrid pair to play, rather than like a tie than a victory. Even a 1-4-5 victory is a Give your 3s and 2s a chance to see how they have four healthy players sit. If there’s not a 4th little tenuous. The rules in place to prevent stack- stack up against other schools’ 1s. They definitely available, how about using a GA, strength coach, ing don’t prevent stacking. Switching the 1s and will remember those matches, win or lose. The or an alum? Similarly, when one of the sched- 2s when you know your real 1s are doomed might AVCA had a fantastic tournament format for Top uled schools doesn’t have an exhibition 6s, a pair feel legal since they only moved one slot, but it is Pairs / Top Schools that took the same number of from another university can usually be found, also a classic “stack.” The up/down one-slot rule days as the NCAA Championship – bring it back! since events usually involve multiple schools. I also causes ridiculous situations. If a 1s player To not gently but persistently lobby for an NCAA don’t think there’s a victim, especially when you has a sprained ankle but is still healthy enough to Pairs Championship is just poor etiquette. DiG consider it’s an exhibition match. Beach volleyball hobble through a match at the 5s, the coach cur- should be played when possible – open courts rently must play her at the 1s or 2s where she’ll and bench players don’t jibe with our sport. If get clobbered. Having her at the 1s or 2s also vio- this means a rule needs to change, let’s do it. Flex- lates the “order of strength” rule. My proposal: we ibility is also required during pre-match warmups do away with the up/down one slot rule, have the – there’s a balance between opportunistic taking 6s match count, and if there’s a 3-3 tie, the stron- of courts and “hogging” all the good courts. Keep ger wins count more (winning at 1-2-5 is better an eye out for fairness and if you see a team look- than at 3-4-6, because 1+2+5 is a smaller number ing for a place to warm-up, look for a solution. than 3+4+6). You just add up the corresponding numbers of where the wins took place, and the Coach when we’re allowed to low score takes the cake. Or, to really mix things coach. Giving extra advice to our up, if two universities are only playing each other, 6. players might make the difference in a how about School A picks 2 names out of a hat match (for good or for ill), but other than during and plays 2 random players from School B? Have a timeout, a side switch, or between sets, it is each player play 3 matches with 3 randomly- not allowed. Rather than make the officials issue drawn partners and I bet we’ll have enough data their warnings and red cards, let’s take the high to know which school is stronger. Better solutions road and respect the spirit of the rules. Personally, are out there if we put our heads together. my favorite timeouts are when the players catch their breath, grab a drink, discuss what’s going Have your players cross under the net on with each other, and maybe I or one of our on side switches. Switching sides was other coaches adds a suggestion or two as they 8. never meant to be a timeout. Walk- head back to do work. From the coaches box, I’ll ing around the poles is purely an attempt to get whoop and clap when we make a great play (it’s extra-detailed instruction from the coach and it allowed), I’ll verbally suggest a timeout to our forces the referee to determine whether the stroll players if I think it’s needed (it’s allowed), but around the pole is slowing the game down. It is. I won’t say “sideout” after a mistake (it’s a grey If a player doesn’t feel like walking under the net, David Fischer coaches beach and indoor volleyball area). The partners should be calming each other she can jog around. They’re athletes, and they’re for UNCW. Fischer, who lives in Wilmington, North down and helping each other stay on task. If the in the middle of a game. And while we’re at it, Carolina, played 14 seasons on the AVP tour.

2016 #3 | digbeachvolleyball.com 19