Written by Paola Rodriguez
I was one of the super-nerds that sent in a recording to the Coach Your Brains Out podcast to announce to the world (or the 23 listeners of the podcast) that my favorite episode of the first 50 was the one with Joe Trinsey. I said it then, and I’ll say it now: the numbers don’t lie. To me, it makes sense that in order to make sound judgements we should be able to show that our ideas are verifiable and repeatable. The general idea that our decisions in life should be informed by empirical evidence, is one that resonates strongly with me. Still, in sports, we tend to fall back on conventional wisdom, and many coaches rely on their idea of what “should” happen to create a game plan. But Joe Trinsey reminds us that oftentimes the data reveal a different truth, and to “coach in reality” we have to face this truth.
This episode covers the basics of how to create a simple stat line that you can chart in practice and games, even if you don’t have a full analytics team on the bench. Joe breaks down the skills in order of importance for each skill level. Heck, he even answers the age-old question, “Do gamers exist?” From the risks and benefits of the caldron to understanding how tight your team should set, pass and dig (spoiler alert: not tight at all!), this is about an hour of very insightful analysis of the current knowledge on volleyball statistics.
Every sport on the planet is evolving because of the power of analytics. Professional franchises spend millions of dollars on teams of people that can crunch the numbers and find a slight edge on the competition. This movement has changed the way teams choose their draft picks, use their bullpen, and go for it on 4th down. In volleyball, it also seems to be changing how frequently a float serve is used and where our middle back defender is positioned. So, if you want to be a better coach and a better person, you should listen to this episode. Trust me, I’m a doctor.
Joe’s articles discussed in the interview:
Joe’s Podcast – The VolleyCast