How to Reduce Team Drama | Coach Blase | Ep. 18

How do you reduce drama on a volleyball team?

This is Part 2 of my conversation with Coach Blase. In Part 1, The Playing Time Problem, we talked about fairness, equality, winning, development, and why playing time creates so much conflict between coaches, players, and parents.

I ended that episode by asking Coach Blase what advice he would give young coaches struggling to handle playing-time issues.

This episode begins with his answer.

And that answer leads us into a much bigger discussion about how coaches can proactively reduce drama on their teams.

Coach Blase believes better-informed parents and players can mean less drama. He explains why he regularly educates parents about what's happening in practice, questions the idea of closed practices, and argues that parents should be viewed as part of the team's support system rather than the enemy.

Then he shares an idea that even surprised me: having parents become cleared and participate in practices as assistant coaches.

We also discuss why coaches need to remain open to change, even after decades of experience, and why being vulnerable enough to receive feedback can make you a better coach.

Coach Blase shares how he had a parent track his interactions with every athlete during practice. What he discovered was eye-opening: some players received no attention at all, while others heard almost nothing but corrections.

That leads to another important lesson: You have to be the coach for all of your players.

Ultimately, reducing drama requires transparency, communication, education, vulnerability, and a willingness to do things differently.

It's not my team.

It's our team.

Keep learning. Keep growing. And remember, let's play volleyball because it's fun.

Just GO!