More about Coach Litch...

THE BEGINNING

The introduction to the game I love was met with an eyeball roll and some choice words. Entering high school I was 14 and the normal football, basketball, baseball kid. 9th grade was my athletic turning point when a rather small, bespectacled PE teacher introduced volleyball to us 'super jocks'. The choice words came when this PE teacher refused to let us play hoops or dodgeball or whatever goofy thing we wanted to do and insisted we learn volleyball. We were furious for about a minute until several of Coach Ball's upperclassmen put on a demonstration for us. I was hooked! I had only seen my uncles playing volleyball at reunions and was NOT impressed by this game those old hippies attempted to play. Arnie Ball changed that. This was some very cool stuff! 

PRIORITIZING

While I continued playing football and basketball, volleyball was a true calling. It overtook me. I was lucky to have this fantastic high school coach (same small PE teacher) who became an extension of the things my dad had taught me in youth sports as a child. Let me be clear, I have many new-school training techniques that I always draw from, but I have old-school values when it comes to sports and I thank my dad and Arnie Ball. These values paid off as while in high school as we won four high school state championships and went undefeated all four years. I must admit that in my freshman year we won the JV state title while the varsity dominated the big tournament. You see, I was still trying to figure out how to put my hands together to pass but got to watch these older guys play really well. Back then all these major events were held at Ball State and is where I began a love of the game and a goal of playing at BSU, or in Cali. BSU was the easiest choice because I had a family who were very involved. They did NOT want to see me play in California. 

BEING FLEXIBLE

High school is also where my philosophies of the game began. Arnie deemed me a setter right away, but I also blocked middle and played middle back. Yep, think about that a little! It’s why I value the complete player today who can move around the court, be flexible for their team and has an understanding of how the entire game connects. Volleyball itself is the ultimate process game as it simply doesn’t work unless the process flows. I credit my ability to play several positions with my ultimate rise as an elite setter. Training in other positions ultimately helped me with my teammates. As a setter I could relate to what they experienced in their own roles. I knew what they were dealing with and that helped me become a better setter. 

COLLEGE TIME

I was recruited to play and study at Ball State University, one of the men’s volleyball powerhouses in the nation at that time, nearly always ranked somewhere in the Top 10. My volleyball career had taken shape in University Gym at BSU and my senior year of high school BSU hosted the NCAA Final Four. My future school hosting UCLA and USC in our house on ABC was all the nudge I needed to select Ball State. 

As a freshman, I could only crack a really good lineup as a defensive specialist; my sophomore year I hit and blocked right side; followed by my junior and senior year at setter, though my senior year our middle broke a finger. So once again I had to shift into the middle and set. This was a bit tougher in college at 6'2 against Penn State, Ohio State, Pepperdine, UCLA, etc.! Ironically, this was our year to advance to the Final Four, after losing heartbreaking championship matches my first three years, all to OSU! I was named MVP and All-American that season and graduated that summer. By the way, as further evidence of this flexible philosophy, during the semi-final match vs. UCLA I was setting in a 5-1 and we were struggling offensively. Coach wanted to shift to a 6-2 using me to set from the back row and hit/pass when in the front row. We used this lineup in sets 2/3. Summary...in my senior year of college volleyball I was a 5-1 setter blocking RS (common); I was a 5-1 setter blocking middle (very uncommon); and I ended as a 6-2 setter, both setting, passing and hitting. 

POST COLLEGE 

As you can see, I’ve played many positions and did what I was asked to do. The adjustments I was asked to make never held me back. In fact, they made me better. Each step of my playing career I improved WHILE being asked to play numerous positions! 

Following graduation I aggressively dabbled with a playing career, even getting a quick opportunity with the USA men’s team training in Balboa Park in San Diego. Our guys had just won Gold in LA in '84 and saw 3-4 top players retire. I was part of a group fighting for a few spots. '85 was also a huge turning point in men's volleyball. The Soviets had gotten huge, with several players at around 7'. This is verified as I was able to play them in '83 and knew that my chance at International volleyball just got tougher. Thanks, Vlad! 

The years after college were spent rehabbing injuries, traveling, meeting thousands of people and learning. I played everywhere I could, sand or court, working camps and clinics under numerous top coaches and absorbing information. I also spent part of a couple seasons assisting my old high school coach, Arnie Ball, as he had taken over a college men’s program that was running fast. At that time I was rehabbing a nasty knee injury and helping Arnie with the guys at IPFW. It was an awesome experience. Nevertheless, Part One, or the 'playing years'  was coming to a close. Time to grow up.  

TIME TO COACH

Part Two came when my alma mater offered me the head women’s coaching job. I was just 26 and the youngest D1 coach in America. Honestly, I knew some volleyball but had no idea how to run a college program. Out of necessity and with lots of help we figured it out fairly quickly. Looking back I still don't know how we did it, though. Basically, I didn't know all I didn't know!  

The women's program lived in the shadows of the men and that infuriated me. BSU women’s rarely had +500 records and I just can't stand mediocrity. I'd rather fall flat on my face than be average forever. So we went to work and within 3 years won our first Mid-American Championship and started a run of those championships and NCAA tournaments that was pretty impressive. The athletes and our staff changed the culture one day one and we didn't flinch, no matter how challenging things were. We set a process and we stuck to it, making adjustments that only helped us move forward. Failure didn't set up back as long as we remained focused on the process. And we failed a lot because the schedule I built was very challenging. I had friends all over the country coaching elite college teams and I wanted us to be like them. So, we played them all the time even knowing it would frequently end in a loss. But these matches raised our bar. Our kids began seeing volleyball excellence rather than playing in a comfort zone all the time. Then we started winning some of those matches and never looked back. 

For many years we won, won and won. Yet, I’m most proud that our athletes graduated EVERY time. If we recruited your daughter and she attended she was going to graduate! And, only two players in 20 years transferred. This is an unheard of statistic around D1 college volleyball today, so much so that there is now a Transfer Portal so athletes can easily leave their chosen schools. Our athletes stayed! And we WON, a lot! 

FAMILY TIME

Part Two also included the growth of my family. My daughters were born and got to experience all the fun we had building one of the top 'low-budget' volleyball programs in America. They got to grow up in a D1 gym and traveled with teams to Europe and Brazil, not to mention numerous recruiting trips with their old man. It was a lot of fun! And on tough weekends on the job, I got to go home to a family that instantly erased all the stress of working in an industry that is 100% reliant on the successes of 18-22 year olds. Being at BSU provided a great home to raise a family. 

COACHING YOUTH

Part Three was my transition to the youth game. Club volleyball had exploded in the midwest in the early 2000s with most of the power clubs operating large facilities. I began this work with some hesitation as I’m not a fan of club volleyball, in general. It is simply done wrong too often. My focus in club volleyball was simple...player development! When I took money from members I found it critical to provide player development, meaning simply that that member's child should be improving. Winning matches, or lower divisions of tournaments is nice but not at the expense of developing EACH and EVERY athlete who is paying fees. With that as our priority, my clubs steadily began winning matches, then tournaments, including at the OPEN level. The formula is simple and I will never deviate from it. 

JUST LIKE YOU....PARENTING

Part Four overlapped the others and was my experience as a VolleyDad. Yes, I have shagged balls with the best of them. As you now know, I was a D1 coach and actually recruited the same Nationals in Orlando, Atlanta or Salt Lake City that my kids played in. With my college gear on, I shagged balls with the other dads, watched Sam and/or Syd play, then sprinted to catch a prospect play on the other end of some convention center here in America. For years, if they weren't playing, they'd often travel and help evaluate players. This was an activity my own father also loved, as long as there was a round of golf in it for him. And there always was! 

As a parent, I’ve seen what you've seen. I've seen my kids benched; I’ve seen them in pain; I’ve seen their joy; and I’ve coached them as well. During their teen years,  I experienced their college recruiting with them, simply doing what other parents do, though I possessed a lot more inside information. In the end, my oldest, Sam, decided not to play in college and became a Special Ed teacher. Trust me, this decision came after many long chats. She was physically banged up with some chronic stress fractures in both legs and wanted to focus on her special ed degree and being a normal student. I was proud that she was able to come to this decision...and I know it wasn’t easy for her. My youngest accepted a full scholarship after going through the full recruiting process and played down in TN at Austin Peay University. There famous sport chant is 'Let's Go P' and it's still funny! I was equally proud of all Syd accomplished. As you can see, I have literally seen recruiting from every angle...player, college coach, club director, club coach and parent. And, I’ve been a recruiting coordinator overseeing the recruiting of entire clubs. 

These experiences are ALL critical to me. I’ve experienced quite a bit and witnessed others experience their trials, tribulations and successes. Because of these perspectives my tool box is full, but can get fuller. I have a variety of thoughts that might provide assistance. Most importantly, I have no interest in telling you what to do and worry that that goes on in your lives too often. I’m a friend and have no bias. I don’t care what club you participate in or school you attend. I simply want to help you define your goals and think through your best pathway. You will know those answers once you know all the questions. 4uVB is here FOR YOU!