Welcome to the Badger Region Downtime Blog. This page is dedicated to everything that we can do while not spending time in the gym. That means we’ll look for input and information on everything from online challenges to updating your recruiting profile to stay-at-home workouts and books to read.

This page will be updated about once a day with a new Downtime Activity that we’d love to share with our Badger Region members and beyond.

Today’s downtime update (May 26)

Today’s focus: Moving on

The unofficial start to summer is now in our review mirror. Now that Memorial Day is behind us, it’s time to look ahead. For most of Wisconsin, the state is slowly starting to re-open, and that means we are starting to return to our “new normal.”

So as we emerge from our quarantines, it is time to say good night (not good-bye) to the daily Downtime Blog. Don’t worry, it’s not going anywhere. It’s going to find a permanent home on our website and we will add to it when we find out about other great activities to help pass the time.

But as we look forward, it also gives us a chance to reflect on the three months of posts that we have put together here.

  • 12: Number of posts about ways to educate your self — from books to podcasts to mental training
  • 10: Number of posts about keeping up your skills and how to do that at home.
  • 8: Number of posts about hands-on projects or craft-like activities
  • 8: Number of posts about nutrition or physical wellness
  • 7: Number of posts about webinars and online gatherings to help you stay engaged
  • 6: Number of posts about contests or opportunities to share your thoughts to win Badger Region prizes
  • 4: Number of holidays we told you to celebrate in your own way (Easter, Earth Day, Memorial Day and Mother’s Day)
  • 4: Number of posts about recruiting and ways to look ahead to playing volleyball in college
  • 4: Number of posts about ways to connect with your teams or teammates during a pandemic.
  • 7: Number of other miscellaneous posts about everything from cool videos to officiating.

We will miss supplying this blog to you on a daily basis, but we know your summer is going to be great — and we’ll be here if you need us in the future.

Stay healthy, stay safe.

Previous posts

Today’s focus: Enjoy your Memorial Day and remember the ones we lost.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

Today’s focus: A time capsule

How will you remember the global pandemic of 2020? What will historians say about these unprecedented times?

Some of us may want to remember we’re experiencing and how we’re feeling, so why not take some time to put together your own personal time capsule? It’s a pretty easy task, and when you open it in so many years, you will be grateful you took the time to create such a memory. 

The Art of Coaching Volleyball offers these tips to creating your own messages in a bottle: 

  • Pictures of people you are social distancing with
  • All About Me – including age, a list of favorites, friends & what you want to be when you grow up
  • How I’m Feeling
  • My Community
  • What I Am Doing to Keep Busy
  • Handprints
  • Special Occasions Celebrated 
  • Letter to Myself
  • Interview Your Parents
  • Letter from Your Parents

Be creative — you can add many other memory keepsakes to your time capsule!

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

May 24: Mental training

Sometimes it might be hard to stay entertained and smiling during a global pandemic. Now, more than ever, it’s important to take care of yourself, your mind and your emotions — all things that will benefit you when you return to volleyball. Here are a few starters:

For more “traditional” mental training opportunities, check out these resources from the AVCA Education Timeout webinars that have recently taken place (some are only open to AVCA members)

You can also look up all the great information supplied by CAP clinician Dan Mickle, who presented in Wisconsin back in December. He is an expert in mental health training for athletes. Check out his website: https://www.danmickle.com/

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

May 23: Invite guest speakers

Whether it’s current college players who are alums of your club or someone in the game who can share advice or knowledge, guest speakers are well received. And you might be surprised who you can get.

Remember, the big-time players and coaches are quarantined just like everybody else, so they have some extra time.

Athletes such Lindsey Berg, Dustin Watten and Kerry Walsh-Jennings (who appeared on “Top Chef” last night) are just a few we have seen talking to Badger Region clubs over the past few weeks.

People are super willing to give back right now because they realize what a bummer this is for the kids.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

 

May 21: National and local honors

USA Volleyball has launched its digital USA Volleyball Hall of Fame experience to celebrate the accomplishments of 18 legends being inducted as part of the Class of 2020. The digital experience can be accessed at go.usav.org/2020HOFDigital.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony was originally slated to take place in Minneapolis on May 20 but pivoted to a digital experience induction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new format includes videos showcasing bios and acceptance speeches for the 18 inductees and how they helped shape the sport of volleyball whether as a player, coach, official or leader.

This year, Badger Region member John Nelson is being honored with the Junior Assembly Outstanding Clinician award. Nelson has been heavily involved in running junior work crew clinics in the region for clubs in the western and northern part of Wisconsin. He is also very active in officiating matches for the Wisconsin Volleyball Conference.

Congratulations, John! For the full press release, click here.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

May 20: Training Young Kids at Home

Today at 2 p.m. Central Time, Ruth Nelson (Founder of Bring Your Own Parent and GoKids Youth Sports) offers a prescription for training young kids at home during the COVID-19 timeout.

Have you had an interesting time keeping kids active at home?  Your prescription is let them enjoy 30 minutes/day of having active FUN online! Watch a short video clip, answer 3 age-appropriate questions, jump into that exercise and track your progress daily or weekly. It’s also great for parents to join in the activity and have FUN learning while engaging in a little one-on-one time with their kids!

Club coaches: Alert your team parents about his online training session.

The session will be streamed live on Facebook, so make sure you follow The Art of Coaching Volleyball Facebook Page to join in on the training. Click here to register: https://www.theartofoachingvolleyball.com/aoc-virtual-clinic-registration/

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

May 19: Nutrition

We saw this post on the Sports Imports social media last week and thought it would be ideal for Badger Region members as part of our Downtime Blog: Young athletes don’t always understand nutrition basics, and the American food landscape has been set up for easy overeating – especially when it comes to less healthy options. As a parent, this environment makes it tricky to teach portion and serving sizes to children. Help educate your child about nutritional serving sizes with these five facts in mind.

Topics that can help young athletes stay healthy from a nutritional perspective include:
* Understanding portion size
* Knowing what it means to be “full”
* Teaching a few portion control options
* Controlling habits
* Helping kids know what to pick and how much to pick

To check out the tons of great information from our friends at TrueSport: https://bit.ly/3cNiuhg

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

Previous posts

May 18: Beach webinar with April Ross and Alix Klineman

Listen in as two-time Olympian April Ross and her partner Alix Klineman discuss their transition from indoor to beach, what they’ve done to improve their skills individually and as a team, and what they’re doing to reach their goal of taking home gold in Tokyo next summer.

The stream will go live on Facebook, so make sure to follow the Art of Coaching Volleyball Facebook page so you can join in on the conversation! The event begins at 2 p.m. Central Time.

Click here to register: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/aoc-virtual-clinic-registration/

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

May 17: USAVed (Part II)

Have you checked out USAVed since we last introduced you to this site a few weeks ago? Since we spoke, USA Volleyball has added a number of videos to help athletes and coaches.

They include:

  • Kara Kessans, athletic trainer for the U.S. Women’s National Team, discusses good and poor landing mechanics in volleyball using graphical and video examples from the U.S. Women’s National Team.
  • Erin Virtue, assistant coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team, covers the basic tools every offensive coordinator needs to run an effective offense. Learn how to stress blocking schemes by asking meaningful questions and preparing your quarterbacks.
  • John Crawley, high performance director for team sports at the USOPC, introduces a simple, structured approach to training in order to create an athlete-centered learning environment.
  •  Tama Miyashiro, assistant coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team, discusses the team’s passing philosophy and concepts through an individual teaching approach while also providing coaches with insights and best practices for teaching passing.
  • Jimmy Stitz, strength and conditioning coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team, outlines the weight room aspect of long-term athletic development for volleyball and covers the progressions associated with all levels of player development.

For links to all these great videos, click here: https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/Education/USAVed

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

May 15: Kids helping kids

Many clubs do a good job fostering positive relationships between their older and younger players, and with more free time available, now is a better time than ever.

As part of today’s Downtime Blog, we encourage directors to give their teams sets of questions and activities (like cooking or painting) that they can do over FaceTime together. Or maybe have them write letters to each other and send them small gifts or candy. Everyone loves to get real mail.

Besides, these kids are probably done listening to all the adults in their at-home workouts, team meetings and eLearning that they are doing at home right now.

It’s easy, it’s a fun way to bond and it adds to the family atmosphere that a club can offer.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

May 14: Training rotations to kids and parents

If you’re a volleyball coach, you undoubtedly have a solid understanding of how rotations work. But the less experienced players on your team or in your club may not. Art of Coaching Volleyball’s Mark Barnard, the head coach of the Oregon State University women’s team, offers this tutorial for young players (and parents): https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/understanding-rotations/

Items covered in the presentation:

  • Where you need to be standing when the ball is served relative to your teammates (Mark breaks it down for each position: right back, right front, middle front, left front, left back and middle back)
  • How a standard serve-receive formation looks
  • The rule on where your body needs to be positioned to be legally to the right, left or in front of another player
  • How the rotation rule is different for the serving team than for the receiving team

No excuses the next time the ref calls you out of rotation!

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

May 13: Meet the women on the National Teams

Our partners at the Junior Volleyball Recruiting Association (JVRA) are at it again with another webinar featuring the U.S. Women’s National Team. The meeting is open to anyone — youth athlete, coach, director, official, you name it.

The event is hosted by former Penn State Associate Head Coach Salima Rockwell and former national team setter Lindsey Berg and will feature Karsta Lowe, Hannah Tapp, Lora Webster and Justine Wong-Orantes.

The event is put on by the JVRA, The Cuore Project and VolleyOn.

The online gathering starts at 7 p.m. Central Time. Register by clicking here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3568280676684910091

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

May 12: Staying in shape

Whether you need to get ready for your high school season, your college season or your summer season, staying in shape during these crazy times is crucial. Our partners at Art of Coaching Volleyball have five great at-home workouts from DePaul University women’s coach Marie Zidek, who is also a certified strength and conditioning coach.

To view the workouts, click here: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/volleyball-home-workouts/?inf_contact_key=1a05985e188116a5768db2e5ec4f72ae09c74070ac2bf3cfa7869e3cfd4ff832

They include a:

  • Bodyweight conditioning and strength workout
  • A jumping, stability and agility workout
  • A full body strength workout
  • Agility and conditioning workout
  • A cardio and shoulder strength workout

Now get moving!

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

May 11: Your favorite coach

Alrighty folks. The Badger Region prize closet is open again, and we’re giving away swag to random winners if you contribute. As part of today’s Downtime Blog, we want you to share on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram who was your most influential coach or mentor in the volleyball world? And tell us why.

What has made them special? What makes them a hero in the volleyball community?

All of the responses we receive will be put into a hat for some Badger Region or Frisco Mo swag, and we will share some of the responses in future newsletters, social media posts and on our website. Go ahead and brag about all those great individuals we have in the volleyball community, and learn about the many others who you probably don’t know.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

May 10: Enjoy Mother’s Day

Take time to be with your mom — virtually or in person. Appreciate her. Thank her for being there for you.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

 

May 9: College visits

Heading off to college in the near future but can’t get to campus right now due to COVID-19? Take a virtual college tour. Virtual tours will come in very handy if you can’t make to campus for a camp or a match of the potential college that you hope to one day be a part of.

One thing for sure is that virtual tours save you the cost (and time) it takes to travel to your destination.

Here are a few links to get you started:
* YouVisit: https://www.youvisit.com/collegesearch/
* CampusTours: https://campustours.com/
* eCampusTours: https://www.ecampustours.com/
* Visit the college website itself or see what Google Maps has to offer

To be honest, there’s nothing like stepping on campus for your first time and really experiencing the college or university. But these will satisfy your hunger and answer lots of questions you may have in the meantime.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

May 8: Blueprint Volleyball

Blueprint Volleyball will host a one-hour virtual roundtable at 7 p.m. (CT) tonight (May 98). During the roundtable, Blueprint founders Samila Rockwel (Former Penn State Association Head Coach), Kevin Hambly (Standford University), and Hugh McCutcheon (University of Minnesota) will be analyzing the game of volleyball and will have an open discussion with a Q&A session. The event is open to college, high school and club volleyball coaches, and attendees will be able to submit questions to the hosts. The roundtable is free to registrants, however, spots are limited and will fill up quickly.

Blueprint held its first live coaching clinic in May of 2019 in Dallas, TX.  Attending coaches received on-court and classroom education, as well as social and one on one time with Rockwell, Hambly, and McCutcheon. They planned to host another clinic, but due to the unpredictable effects of COVID-19, the May 2020 clinic was canceled. Because of the live clinic cancellation, the Blueprint team felt a webinar will allow them to still connect with coaches who want to take a deep dive into the analytics of the game and learn why Blueprint is so unique.  Registration for the roundtable is open now, and a spot can be reserved here.

The event is co-sponsored by Sports Imports and the Junior Volleyball Recruiting Association.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

May 7: Recruiting webinar

Need help with your recruiting profile? Can you use some help knowing what to include in your video highlights? The Next College Student Athlete (NCSA) and USA Volleyball have partnered for a educational webinar that will take place at 5 p.m. (CT) tonight (May 7).

The event, which we are highlighting in today’s Downtime Blog, is titled “Volleyball Recruiting: How to Gain Exposure with Video.”

A special guest speaker who has extensive experience in editing and producing videos will also present.

Every athlete who registers will receive a free NCSA recruiting profile, providing them with nationwide exposure to college coaches in their sport.

REGISTER BY CLICKING HERE.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

May 6: Don’t forget to vote.

If you’re an adult member of the Badger Region, you should have received an email on May 1 on how to vote in the current Board of Directors elections.

This email was sent to all adult players, coaches, officials and other full members who are signed up for the 2019-20 season.

The positions of President, Metro Milwaukee Rep and a single At-Large Rep are on the ballot.

Have questions? Let us know and we’ll get you a copy of the ballot if you didn’t get one (or you can’t find it in your junk mail).

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

May 5: Check out the AVCA’s resources

Over 22,000 people subscribe to the free AVCA YouTube channel. Are you one of them? As part of today’s Downtime Blog, we suggest that you become one if you aren’t already.

Users can watch videos (for free) by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCZRPN6Zw5qItHUyXX8BwhQ.

Content ranges and goes back quite a long way and includes material such as:

  • AVCA Tips of the Week
  • Award ceremonies
  • News from around the volleyball world
  • Updates from the AVCA Convention
  • Much more!

Whether you are a coach, athlete or just a volleyball junkie, the AVCA sites on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and the world wide web are ideal to help you continue to learn and grow.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

May 4: What do you miss most?

Yes, the “Safe-At-Home” order can make our new normal “boring.” COVID-19 has probably made us all appreciate the lives we had before the pandemic. Our question for you today is what do you miss the most?

  • Is it the time spent with friends?
  • Is it the practices and tournaments?
  • Is it the ability to go out to eat at a restaurant?
  • Is it the chance to watch live sports?
  • Is it the opportunity to go shopping?
  • Is it the time you could be spending in school or church?
  • Is it a favorite coach or teacher?

We want to hear from you. Share what you miss most since having to be away from others that we used to see on a daily or weekly basis.

We’ll draw names at random for some Badger Region swag at the end of the week.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

May 3: Volleyball crafting, anyone?

Can’t go outside? What better way to spend part of the day than by doing some volleyball crafts. You’ve probably seen many of these hand-made favorites at tournaments and in the hotel rooms of volleyball families, so many are probably familiar to you.

The best part, many of these can probably be made with items you have around the house. We even recommend using some old shirts, jerseys or apparel your daughter doesn’t wear anymore to come up with the volleyball craft creations listed below.

Here are a few you can try today:

  • Volleyball wall art
  • Volleyball luggage tags
  • Volleyball snack bins
  • Volleyball locker or hotel decorations
  • Volleyball cookies (yes, please!)
  • Volleyball hair scrunchies or headbands
  • Volleyball ornaments
  • Volleyball jewelry
  • Volleyball-themed tie-dyed apparel

There’s tons more, just Google “volleyball crafts” or jump on Pinterest and do the same.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

May 2: Say thank you!

Today’s Downtime Blog asks you to thank a health-care employee or any other front-line worker who is working every day to help others stay healthy or recover from disease. Take time to post a thank you on your social media, share a  photo of them, write them a hand-written letter, and maybe even send them a few masks.

I think we have all learned that frontline health workers and first responders are the backbone of our communities, especially in times like these.

While we might not be able to thank all of these heroes face-to-face, we can use the media we do have to appreciate them a little bit extra.

If you haven’t heard, New York City erupts in cheers at 7 p.m. local time every evening to celebrate those on front-line workers. Residents bang pots and pans, cheer like they are at a sporting event and show their support for first responders (and each other).

After all, we’re all in this together.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

May 1: Get outside

Here we are, another Friday stuck at home. But it doesn’t have to be boring. We looked at the great material on the website of the Wisconsin Department of Tournament (www.travelwisconsin.com) and found a lot of links to virtual tours, scenic blogs and lots of things to inspire us once the COVID-19 pandemic has loosened its grip on us.

Even before that happens though, there’s nothing stopping you from jumping on your bike and taking a ride through the countryside or along beautiful Lake Michigan. There are many miles of trails that are open, as well as many municipal, county and (as of today) state parks.

Plus, the weather today looks wonderful statewide. Maybe you can get outside and do some fun stuff — or some clean-up.

But if you can’t get out right now, Travel Wisconsin gas ways for you to think about future trips and have fun while learning about the Badger State There’s even a virtual tour of Frank Lloyd Wright properties around the state.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 30: Give a listen

Podcasts are a great way to listen to things you enjoy without tying you down to a computer, tablet or book. Download them to your phone and go — while you’re working out, while you’re cleaning the house or while you’re in the car. Here are a few that we found might be worth your time as part of today’s Downtime Blog:

  • When Badger Region hosted a CAP III clinic in December, we met Sara Lippitt, who brings us her podcast “Dig & Swing.” Check out this new podcast: https://www.facebook.com/digandswing/
  • The Viral Volley Podcast: Volleyball from sport court to the sand court
  • Gods to Ghosts Volleyball: Dedicated to preserving the rich history of the sport of volleyball
  • Match Point: Aces Only: Brings athletes together to talk about men’s and boys volleyball
  • Coach Your Brains Out: From Gold Medal Squared
  • Off the Block: From writer and editor Vinnie Lopes
  • Let’s Joust: Created for anyone who wants to tackle the sport one-on-one
  • Get the Pancake: Talking philosophy, Olympics and everything in between
  • Have more? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com and we’ll add them to the list.

For a complete list, click here: https://www.listennotes.com/best-volleyball-podcasts-259/

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 29: Get cookin’

We are almost two months into our “Safer At Home” orders, and hopefully kids have learned a few things while in the confines of our own houses. And by a few things, we don’t mean how to work on a float serve or drive your parents crazy.

We want our student athletes to think about what is being put on the dinner table (or the breakfast and lunch table). And could they be involved in preparing a portion of the meal — or the full meal all together?

For today’s Downtime Blog, we challenge kids to cook a meal — not just hot dogs or macaroni & cheese. Open a cookbook. Search out some fun recipes on the internet. Try something new.

We don’t know how cool different foods can be until we try them.

Now get cookin’.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 28: Hit the pavement

Some of us aren’t lucky enough to have a brother, sister, parent or roommate who we can practice our volleyball skills with. But that should not prevent us from still getting some valuable touches on the ball, even though we can’t be a gym right now.

That being said, our friends at the Art of Coaching Volleyball have come up with some free videos they call the Driveway Drills: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/6-driveway-drills/.

These drills are not very time consuming and offer a fun way to work on skills by yourself in the driveway.

Skills include:

  • Serving with a  rebounder
  • Setting through a hoop
  • Attacking footwork
  • Attacking arm swing reps with a rebounder
  • Garage door blocking
  • Driveway handball

One thing to consider with all these skills: Take video of yourself in action and critique yourself. You’ll learn a lot by seeing and doing.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 27: What have we learned?

We’re in uncharted territory as a society. We’re nervous. We’re worried. Our anxiety levels are at a new all-time high.

But, as all of our coaches tell us, adversity brings about an opportunity to learn and get better. So, with the difficulty of managing our lives amid the COVID-19 outbreak, we ask you this: What have you learned from recent events that have made you a better person?

Maybe you’ve learned that you have a passion for cooking. You’ve learned that family is more important than anything else. Maybe you’ve learned the value of patience. Maybe you’ve learned that volleyball is your everything and you miss it more than anything.

Post your responses on Facebook or email them to brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com. All entries must come with the name, email address and age of the person submitting. We will use the best entries in future newsletters and website postings. And, we’ll open up the Badger Region prize closet and given prizes to some random winners.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 26: Volleyball Hall of Fame

The International Volleyball Hall of Fame has a vision of bringing volleyball and its history to the world. It works to preserve the history of the sport in its birthplace of Holyoke, Mass., by honoring, promoting and sharing its history with the world.

The Volleyball Hall of Fame, at 444 Dwight St. in Holyoke opened to the public on June 6, 1987. A two-day volleyball tournament was hosted by the Volleyball Hall of Fame to celebrate the grand opening.

A total of 146 men and women from 24 countries around the world have since been inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame. The international appeal of the sport explains a shift in the pool of inductees since 1998. Since that time, inductees have come from around the world and contribute to the honoring of the sport and its home in Holyoke. 

Each year the Hall hosts an induction ceremony, a charity motorcycle ride, men’s college volleyball tournament, two high school tournaments, all-star showcases, battle of the badge events and more to raise awareness about the institution.

For more information and even to donate:

Instagram: @vbhalloffame
Facebook: @vbhalloffame
Twitter: @vbhalloffame
Website: volleyhall.org

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

April 25: Focus on the future

Create a student-athlete volleyball vision board. (From our friends in the Arizona Region of USA Volleyball)

What are your goals? What are your academic goals? What are your volleyball goals?

A vision board helps you clarify and concentrate on the realistic goals most important to you. Do you want to make your high school team or the region’s high performance team? Do you want to reduce errors and improve your kill percentage? Maybe you want to jump higher.

Olympic athletes have used vision boards for decades to help them improve their performance.

How to create a vision board:

  • Create a list of goals
  • Find pictures representing your goals from old magazines or your favorite websites
  • Make a collage of your photos on a large piece of construction paper or poster board
  • Add motivational words expressing how you want to FEEL once you accomplish your goals
  • Once you’re done creating, hang your board in a place where you’ll see it every morning… in a place where you’ll be able to spend a few minutes focusing on it each day.
  • Don’t hesitate to update it from time to time.
  • Be sure your vision board includes academics. If your long-term goal is to play in college, you’ll need those good grades, too!

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.


April 24: Enjoy the day!

Wisconsin’s dairy industry is calling for federal help as farmers have begun dumping milk because of falling demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite empty grocery store shelves in recent weeks, widespread closures of schools and restaurants — coupled with falling exports — have led to a sharp drop in demand.

Drink a glass of milk, put that extra slice of cheese on your sandwich, enjoy some yogurt with your breakfast. The Wisconsin dairy industry — like many of the state’s industries and small businesses — need your help.

It’s Friday, and many families would usually dine out tonight. Consider ordering some takeout or delivery tonight. Maybe you’re a golfer and a local course is available. How about taking advantage of your local library’s curbside pickup? 

Our Downtime Blog pick of the day: Do something you enjoy. Eat something you crave. Enjoy the day!

Hopefully this will all be over soon and we will be able to return to some sort of “new normal.”

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

Today’s focus: Recruiting profiles

What are you doing during this downtime to improve your recruiting profile?

That’s a question the Badger Beacon looks at in-depth today thanks to a pair of college coaching panels we helped organize over the past two weeks.

Our first story comes to us thanks to the 10 coaches and former coaches who took part in the Badger Region/Junior Volleyball Recruiting Association webinar that took place April 9. The second story uses the information shared with us during the Badger Region/AVCA coaches panel to educate families about the recruiting process.

Some of the topics covered include:
* What should I put in a recruiting video?
* What advice do you have for athletes during this time of isolation?
* Should I be worried about losing opportunities to get in front of coaches during the downtime?
* Much, much more!

Check out the stories in today’s newsletter: Click here.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 22: Earth Day!

Let’s celebrate our beautiful planet today! Did you know that today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day?

Although it’s not an option to really celebrate this with our friends in the community, there are still plenty of ways to show appreciation for the planet. Here are some great ideas:

* Put out a bird feeder or a hummingbird feeder
* Start a garden — even if it is a small herb garden
* Learn about composting and start your own compost
* Look for ways to decrease pollution in your own home
* Cut down on the amount of electricity you use by going outside
* Reduce, reuse and recycle
* Make art projects from recycling bin materials
* Pick up garbage and litter in your neighborhood when you are on your next walk

Earth Day discussion should help us think about what it means to be a member of a  community in times of major crises like we are currently going through. We hope you use this time to be a better community member with Mother Earth.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 21: Nominate, nominate, nominate!

The Badger Region is happy to once again partner with the AVCA to offer the AVCA/Badger Region Awards Program. This program is designed to recognize outstanding coaches and club directors within our region which will then be shared with the AVCA for consideration for national awards. It also serves to highlight clubs that are investing in and developing their coaching talent, while making the statement that Badger Region is committed to promoting good coaching and club management.

Nominations forms can be found here:

Considering the circumstances of COVID-19 interrupting the season, please highlight what action the Club Director/Coach has taken to reach others during this difficult time.

Winners will be selected by committee review consisting of Badger Region board members and staff. The deadline is April 30. Questions can be directed to scott@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

April 20: Home school

When it comes to coaching, time spent working on specific skills is already at a premium. Those precious practice hours are needed for the development of on-court chemistry, helping players find their roles and putting everyone in the best spot to succeed when the season rolls around.

But what do you do when you can’t practice…at all? Welcome to Home School,  where Kyle Mashima (SoloStats Live) walks you through the ins and outs of shelter-in-place training. In a time when social distancing matters more than ever, there are still ways to eke out those precious volleyball hours.

The skills are broken down as follows:

Chapter 1: Serving: https://spark.adobe.com/page/6R5SM117vzmTG/
Chapter 2: Eye Work: https://spark.adobe.com/page/3XJmPOvNr0uom/
Chapter 3: Setting: https://spark.adobe.com/page/x9ulrLjwlRekf/
Chapter 4: Attacking: https://spark.adobe.com/page/qQ7zyHJERzwe5/
Extra credit: Setting: https://spark.adobe.com/page/AIUoqpP92oYMH/

Thank you to our friends at the AVCA for sharing these valuable presentations during our time of isolation.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 19: By the numbers

We take stats. We watch videos. We scout. But what do we do with that information?

U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team technical coordinator Nate Ngo explains a simple workflow that can be used by coaches at all levels and sports. In part two of the video, Ngo will show us his workflow and how he looks at data for the men’s national team.

Check out the recorded Hudl webinar by clicking here.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 18: Ancora Imparo

These unprecedented days have a silver lining: more time to learn, something important for coaches and players alike. Certainly, keeping the team learning and united is key in team sports, and video chats can help. USA Volleyball’s John Kessel, the director of sports development, wants to share other ways to ancora imparo that have worked for him over the decades as part of today’s Downtime Blog.

For the full list, click here: https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/Features/2020/April/16/Ancora-Imparo-Redux

Ideas include:

  • Practicing with ANY family member
  • Re-kindling and sharing the love of the game
  • Diving into the FIVB, NORCECA, CEV, VCT and Vorld ParaVolley websites
  • Listen to podcasts, Facebook Live and other broadcasts
  • Remember to laugh

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 17: A fun Q&A tonight!

Want a fun getaway during this downtime? Register now for a live Q&A with members of the U.S. Women’s National Team. The webinar starts at 7 p.m. (CST) tonight, April 17 and will feature Annie Drews, Micha Hancock, Jordan Larson and Haleigh Washington.

The online gathering is organized by Salima Rockwell (president of the JVRA and former association head coach at Penn State University), former national team setter Lindsey Berg (founder of the Cuore Project) and the folks at VolleyOn.

You can register for this sure-to-be-fun webinar at www.volleyontogether.org.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 16: The new USAVed

Thank you USA Volleyball for leading during this difficult time.

Our nation’s governing body has come up with a free online educational video series featuring topics ranging from reading the court to defensive schemes and more.

Top volleyball coaches and High Performance leaders will share their knowledge to give you tips, tools and ideas to better your game on and off the court!

The first group of educators includes Karch Kiraly discussing reading the game, Technical Coordinator Jeff Liu talking “Stats 101” and Luka Slabe demonstrating blocking systems basics.

Watch now! https://go.usav.org/USAVed

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 13: 50 things to do from HP

Our friends at USA Volleyball’s High Performance department have come up with 50 things for athletes to master during lockdown and broke them into six categories:

  • Home: Wash and dry a load of laundry, learn how to iron, learn how to sew
  • Kitchen: Learn how to boil, fry and scramble an egg, learn three ways to cook a potato
  • Team: Mail a letter to a teammate, watch a USAV National Team match
  • Lifeskills: Learn how to make a budget, test the smoke alarms, learn about active listening
  • Learn: Write a resume, watch a documentary
  • Active: Do online yoga, research athlete recovery methods, stretch for 30 minutes

Check out all 50 ideas by clicking here.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 14: Fitness finds

We are almost a month into our quarantine, and lots of people are going stir crazy. That means we need to get out and do something, but that’s not really an option right now. So it’s time to check out some of the great home-workout programs and services that are out there.

One that we have heard good things about is the Peloton digital app. It is free for the next 90 days and has a lot of good body-weight exercises for strength, walking or running outside, yoga, etc.

You will also find that Instagram has been having a lot of USAV athletes and former collegiate athletes takeover their feeds and their stories. How cool is that — to learn from someone who has been through what it takes to succeed?

Start off by checking out USA Volleyball on Instagram (@USAVolleyball). Then, check your cable or streaming service — there are lots of videos on there, too, that part of your subscriptions that you probably didn’t know were there.

We also would like to share info that Planet Fitness, YMCAs, 24-Hour Fitness, Gold’s Gym, Life Time and others such as Beach Body have online videos to share. Check out a great list here: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/fitness/a31792038/coronavirus-live-stream-workout-classes/

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 13: Favorite quote

We hope that you enjoyed a nice day off yesterday to celebrate Easter with your family in a healthy and safe way.

Now it’s time to come back to the Downtime Blog. Last week we asked you to do a little research on the history of volleyball, now we pose a similar question. In today’s downtime blog, we ask you, “What’s your favorite motivational quote?” Here’s one from volleyball great Flo Hyman (look her up if you don’t know who she is):

“To be true to oneself is the ultimate test in life. To have the courage and sensitivity to follow your hidden dreams and stand fall against the odds that are bound to fall in your path. Life is too short and precious to be dealt with in any other fashion. This thought I hold dear to my heart, and I always try to be true to myself and others that I might encounter along the way.” – Flo Hyman

Share your favorite quote with us in the comments and we will draw a winner at the end of the week. The winner gets a bag of Badger Region swag!

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 12: Take time to enjoy Easter today!

April 11: Read to lead

Your online learning or enrichment classes are done for the week and you probably don’t have a lot of major things to do this weekend. So that means it’s a perfect opportunity to do a little reading. We recommend thumbing through some books on leadership. How to be a better teammate, a better coach, a better leader. Then, share those ideas that you learn with your team, your coach and your family. 

Some of the common ones for coaches are “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey, “Eleven Rings” from Phil Jackson, “The Talent Code” from Daniel Coyle and “Relentless” from trainer Tim Grover.

Young athletes will appreciate “Breakaway” from Alex Morgan, “Bring Your A Game” by Jennifer Etnier, “The Talent Code,” “Thrive” by Brendan Brazier, and “Champion Minded” by Allistair McCaw.

Sports parents should check out “Grit” from Angela Duckworth, “The Sports Gene” from David Epstein, “The Mindful Athlete” by George Mumford, and “How Children Succeed” by Paul Tough. 

Volleyball Magazine also came up with their list: https://volleyballmag.com/volleyball-books-033120/.

And, of course, tell us what books you recommend during this downtime!

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

April 10: Talking to kids during COVID-19

As a parent during these uncertain and difficult times, the correct way to talk to your kids about COVID-19 might feel like walking a tight rope. How much should you share? How do you talk about school closures? How do you explain the importance of social distancing and CDC guidelines without terrifying them? Essentially, how do you keep kids both calm AND accountable?

There is no single script that works in these situations, but there are some general principles for communication to make sure kids feel safe and understand their part to play in the current crisis.

Check all the ways to talk to kids from our partners at TrueSport by clicking here.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 9: Contact Prep Dig

The nationwide shutdowns due to the coronavirus response impact all of us – players, club coaches, college coaches, club directors and more. Now imagine that your job is to interact with these groups as your full-time job.

For Chris Fitzgerald, the pandemic brought his travels across the upper Midwest to a grinding halt. A native of a small town in northern Iowa, Fitzgerald is general manager for Prep Dig and one of its lead writers. You might not know his face, but you know his name, as he writes multiple articles on youth athletes – many from the Badger Region – on a weekly basis.He visits practices. He’s at tournaments. He talks with college coaches. He meets regularly with club directors. Now all of that has stopped. 

But that doesn’t mean he still isn’t looking for great leads on stories. Fitzgerald encourages clubs, coaches, events parents and athletes to reach out to him to update rosters, schedules and other noteworthy news for the Wisconsin high school and club seasons. For more on Fitzgerald and how to send  your ideas to him, check out our story in today’s Badger Beacon newsletter. (Click here)

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 8: Meet our officials

A good referee often goes unnoticed in a volleyball match. And, in our humble opinion, we have a lot of great, unknown refs in the Badger Region. We also do a lot to train our officials (along with our athletes and coaches), so that helps a lot.

But we don’t want our officials to go unnoticed during this Downtime. Starting today, we are going to be featuring one official each week (every Wednesday) in a cool video that each ref puts together. They have the freedom to talk about themselves, the game and what they miss most about it during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This week, we start off with 13-year official. Mark Berman. To watch the video sent in by Berman, click here.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

April 7: See some great matches

Over the course of the last few years, we’ve had some great finales to the NCAA seasons. That’s why in today’s Downtime Blog, we want you to take some time to watch a National Championship match on YouTube.

Need some suggestions, here are a few:

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

April 6: Contest time!

Another Monday, another contest. At each year’s Badger Region Championships, we get hundreds of people guessing how many jellybeans are in our container. Well, why wait until #BRChamps2020? We’ve got the jellybeans counted and ready to go, so why not?

Take a look at the photo we have here. How many jelly beans do you think are inside? Make a post in the comments. Deadline to make a guess: Friday, April 10. The winner closest to the official number will win some cool Badger Region swag (when we get back to the office)!

Usually, we ask for a donation to our charity of choice for that year, but we don’t have an online donation system set up. If you’d like to make a donation to what should have been this year’s recipient: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, click here.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 5: Stay educated and motivated

Art of Coaching Volleyball is organizing what they are calling the Founders’ Chats (six of them to be precise) to help all of us stay educated and motivated during the COVID-19 response. All videos include conversation with either Terry Liskevych, John Dunning or Russ Rose — the founders of Art of Coaching. Topics include:

  • Team communication during the shutdown
  • Creating at-home training
  • Remaining flexible and creative during the hiatus
  • Ways to grow and learn outside of the gym
  • Scholarship and roster decision amidst the season break
  • Analyzing video at home.Register for any and all of these videos: Click here

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 4: Time to shop!

What do we normally do on weekends? Go shopping right? Well, with the majority of malls and stores closed, we have to resort to online shopping — which most of us do anyway. So, on this fine Saturday, we want to encourage you to check out the following:

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 3: Organizing Team Meetings

Zoom, GoToMeeting, Google Hangouts, HouseParty, and many others are experiencing a boom in usage thanks to all the quarantining that we have been enduring over the past two weeks. Users, both young and old, are really enjoying how staying in contact with their peers has provided positive emotional support during these challenging times.

That’s why we want to encourage you, coaches and directors, to have some online team meetings. You don’t have to have a reason to bring them together or an agenda to go through. Get the kids laughing (trust us, they’ll do that on their own). From our experience, they’ll spend the first few group chats laughing at the faces each other are making or asking how to use the technology.

Some ideas on your group meetings:

  • Celebrate (is it someone’s birthday, did someone just commit to a college?)
  • Share stories about what they’ve been experiencing
  • What are you doing to stay busy?
  • How are you keeping your skills sharp?
  • What books/publications have you been reading?
  • Any cool workouts to stay in shape that you have found?

You get the idea. Download them (laptop is probably best). And have fun!

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 2: Thanking those who have helped you

A former player once told an official at a big national-qualifying event how much he loved it when she officiated his matches. She was fair. She was unbiased. And she was darn good, he said. After telling his coach that story, his coach helped introduce the two of them so he could tell her face to face.

Turns out, the official was Olympic referee Patty Salvatore. But that didn’t matter.

The two struck up conversations about volleyball, about high school, about food, about travel. It didn’t matter. What mattered was the sport brought them together.

While you may not have been inspired by an Olympic referee, we want you to take some time to write to a coach, director, official — anyone in our sport, who assisted you on your journey. There are so many great people who are leaders in volleyball, but even fewer who are thanked for their efforts.

If there’s someone you think deserves recognition, share your story with us. Just email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com, and we’ll look for ways to share your note of gratitude.

Have other ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

April 1: Have a laugh

Happy April Fool’s Day! Time to share some of our favorite volleyball jokes … many of them just as good as all the Dad Jokes out there.

  • Why are fish bad at volleyball?
    They are afraid of the net
  • Why was Cinderella taken off the volleyball team?
    She ran away from the ball
  • Why couldn’t the volleyball player cross the road?
    There were too many bumps
  • What do blockers and waiters have in common?
    If they do a good job, there will be a big tip
  • Where do ghosts play volleyball?
    On a volleyball corpse
  • Why do volleyball players want to join the armed forces
    For the chance to gain some experience in the service.
  • What does a police officer do on the volleyball court
    Serve and protect
  • What do a dentist and a volleyball coach have in common?
    They both use drills
  • Why did the volleyball player get kicked out of the party?
    He spiked the punch
  • Why didn’t the volleyball player blame his hand for the bad serve?
    It was the foot’s fault

Have ideas for our Downtime Blog (or a great volleyball joke)? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

March 31: Test your knowledge

Now that we are all experts in how to Google, let’s use it to learn about the past. No, we’re not talking about educating ourselves about the Industrial Revolution or Italian Renaissance painters, we’re talking about knowing the key players and moments in our sport’s past.

  • Who were the key players in volleyball history?
  • What were the key events?
  • What coaches were the most influential over the years?
  • Who were the most notable teams?
  • What stands out as amazing (good or bad) in our sport’s history?
  • Who are the most recognized athletes/coaches in our sport around the world (past or present)?
  • If you could go back in time and play on any one team (beach or indoor), what would it be or who would it be with?
  • If you could interview anyone (alive or deceased) in the world of volleyball, who would you like to sit down with over a cup of coffee?

Take some time to learn about our sport and share your findings with us (and your friends).

Have ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

March 30: Take a seat

There are so many ways to adapt volleyball to our current situation, and one of our favorites is to get the family together and play some sitting volleyball.

Hang a string between two chairs, set some rudimentary boundaries, and grab a ball. You won’t realize how hard it is (and maybe how out-of-shape you are) until you try it. You can play one vs. one, two vs. two, or make up some other rules to modify them to your families’ size and space you got.

Don’t know how to play sitting volleyball? Check out the USA women’s gold medal match from the 2016 Paralympics here: https://youtu.be/_42QdKCHaAM

Have ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

March 29: Care a little for yourself

Take care of yourself, pamper yourself, make yourself laugh. That will help you through any situation, not just a COVID-19 outbreak. Here are a few tips to helps kids, coaches, adults, anyone through:

  • Go for a walk
  • Put your device down and read a magazine or book
  • Prepare your favorite beverage and sip it slowly
  • Turn on your favorite song, turn it up and dance
  • Grab a pen and paper and write down five compliments that you’d give yourself
  • Watch the clouds
  • Draw, color, sketch, doodle — even if you aren’t that good
  • Stretch. 
  • Get positve feedback. Ask three friends what they love about you.
  • Think of your favorite moment you spent with a family member of friend. Write about it and send it to them.
  • Acknowledge your blessings. Make a list of 10 things you are grateful for.
  • Learn a skill. Decide what it is and who will teach you.
  • Karaoke
  • Watch the sunrise or sunset … or even both in the same day.
  • Dress like your back in the 70s, 80s or 90s
  • Spring clean up. Do yard work for yourself or for a neighbor.
  • Game night!
  • Build something .. even if it is only out of duct tape or playing cards
  • Re-enact a movie scene
  • Draw a view. Look out your window and just draw.
  • Re-create a music video or a famous painting.
  • Donate your time to a good cause.
  • Play Name-That-Tune from your playlists or a playlist of a friend or family member. Have ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

 

March 28: Some volleyball brain games.

Pick up a newspaper (kids: ask your parents what that is) and you can’t make it through without finding a brain-teasing crossword puzzle. It’s a Sunday must for some people.

While we were looking for great things to include in this blog, we came across a pretty big volleyball crossword puzzle on a blogger’s page. Give the volleyball crossword puzzle a try: https://thinkingbeyondthebox2018.wordpress.com/

If crossword puzzles aren’t your forte, do the massive volleyball word search: https://thinkingbeyondthebox2018.wordpress.com/2020/03/18/volleyball-word-search/?fbclid=IwAR3xVynhegqmne5tp_dSxkghfyglL-th-J5wN5ZPzw6YuylgmQ5_4uC7ugE. The thing about the word search: They don’t tell you which words you are actually in the puzzle. See how many you can find and then share it with your friends and followers!

Have ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

March 27: Grab some popcorn

On a typical Friday or Saturday night, many of us want to catch a movie, but while local cinemas are closed, that isn’t as easy as it once was. But with technology, you might be able to download or stream some movies that might be perfect for you and your family. Check out our movie lists here:

    • For a quick volleyball fix (and by quick, we mean quick):
      • “The Miracle Season.” A great flick from 2018 based on a true story starring Helen Hunt.
      • “Sideout.” A comedy/drama starring C. Thomas Howell and a few actual volleyball players from the early 1990s. 
      • “Meet the Fockers.” Every competitive athlete will understand that even pool volleyball means business.
      • “Cast Away.” How Wilson did not get a best supporting actor nomination at the Oscars is beyond us.
      • No, we will not be recommending “Top Gun.” That beach volleyball scene was awful.
    • Movies all teams will want to watch:
      • “Miracle”
      • “Hoosiers”
      • “Remember the Titans”
      • “Friday Night Lights”
      • “A League of Their Own”
      • “Rudy”
      • “Coach Carter”
      • “The Sandlot”
      • “The Blind Side”
      • “We Are Marshall”
    • Sports comedy movies:
      • “Major League”
      • “White Men Can’t Jump”
      • “The Mighty Ducks”
      • “Semi Pro”
      • “The Longest Yard”
      • “Dodgeball”
      • “The Waterboy”
      • “Happy Gilmore”
      • “Kingpin”

Share your favorite movies with us, too. Have ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

March 26: Grab a pen

Cards and letters brighten anyone’s day.

So, since you have a little bit more free time on your hands, why not write a hand-written note to someone at a nursing home? Tell them about what got you started in volleyball, who some of your inspirations are, and what keeps you motivated.

Tell them about some of your favorite moments in the sports, and tell them what you hope the sport brings you. Maybe even ask for them to write a note back to you about their experiences in sports and in life. You’d be surprised what they are willing to share.

Check out the USA Today story on the topic: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/18/coronavirus-social-distancing-seniors-cards/2871335001/ 

In the article, we want to encourage you to throw in a little plug for their nursing home or assisted-care facility to introduce balloon volleyball. We’ve seen therapists of all kinds use balloon volleyball to help residents increase range of motion in their patients, increase their physical activity, and, maybe most importantly, increase the amount of socialization that they are doing.

Yes, let’s keep in mind social distancing, but let’s have some fun, too.

Have ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

March 25: Take a challenge

Everywhere you look, there is a new challenge on social media every day if you follow the number of volleyball-related channels that we do. So, let’s take a minute to look at few that you can either take or that you missed. While you’re checking these out, make sure to follow these handles on social media:

  • Take the FriscoMo #WannaPepperChallenge (@Friscomovb)
  • Take the Volleyball League of America (VLA) Quarantined Pepper Challenge (@VLAVolleyball on Instagram). Post it with hastag #VLAQuarantineChallenge
  • Take the #UnitedBallControl challenge on Instagram (From @_unitedballcontrol)
  • Take the Art of Coaching Volleyball Home Skills & Drills Challenge (@artofcoachingvb)

Follow #VolleyOn or @VolleyOnTogether on Instagram. Positive motivation for everyone who is dealing with the same problems amid the COVID-19 crisis

Have ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

March 24: Club director webinar

  • What are you and your club doing to get through these unprecedented times? Don’t feel like you’re alone out there. Clubs across the country are experiencing a lot of the same things that you probably are doing.

    That’s why our partners at Art of Coaching Volleyball are offering a FREE live stream for club directors with a panel that will discuss items including:

    • Finances and contracts — club dues, staff pay, tournament fees, facility fees, insurance, loans, etc.
    • Scheduling and rescheduling tournaments, practices and entire seasons
    • Communicating with coaches and players during the time off
    • How to better prepare for future situations like this.

The event will be at 2 p.m. CST on Wednesday, March 25. To register: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/register-for-club-director-live-stream/

The panel will include

  • Jen Cottrill (Legacy Volleyball Club)
  • Maggie Griffin (Nebraska One Volleyball Club)
  • Jodi Schramm (Premier Academy Volleyball Club)
  • Joaquin Acosta (A-4 Volleyball Club)
  • Moderator: Jim Stone (U.S. Girls Youth National Team)

Have ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

March 23: Time to color!

March 23: Grab a crayon

At the Badger Region Championships, we get dozens of kids to stop by the tournament desk to color and pass the time. Well, why wait for #BRChamps2020 for that opportunity? We want you to download the Beach or Badger Region Logo and spend some relaxing time giving them some color — or your own personal flair (stickers, glitter, paint, whatever).

And the best part? We’ll be giving away a Badger Region backpack from Molten to one winner who will be pulled out of hat. The deadline for sending in your design is Monday, March 30. Send a photo of your creation to brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com. Or you can text a photo of it to Brian Sharkey at 414-313-9055. Make sure to include a name, email address and age of the artist with all submissions.

Good luck, and have fun!

Have ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

March 22: Read & explore

Today’s focus: The Sharkey Family just enjoyed a fun (and cold) adventure throughout their neighborhood. What was it, you ask? They walked their neighborhood, where they admired some awesome chalk drawings on sidewalks and driveways. Parents in the neighborhood (who were all part of a group chat) set it up a few days in advance and told families (some with kids and some without) to spend Friday through Saturday decorating, then everyone can walk the neighborhood on Sunday to see the great creations.

So, what does this have to do with volleyball? We want you to come up with a volleyball scavenger hunt in your neighborhood. Have them hide volleyballs (real or fake) in their windows, draw volleyball scenes on their driveways/sidewalks or set up volleyball scenes in their yards for you to find.

If you have teammates who live nearby, we wouldn’t be opposed to you grabbing some chalk and decorating their sidewalks with some volleyball imagery, ringing the doorbell and driving away. Tell them, “You’ve been chalked.” All in good fun.

Get out and get some fresh air. It’s good exercise, and it’s even better to get out of the house.

Have ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

March 21: Read & explore

Thanks to technology, we have so many ways to read about the great athletes, teams, coaches and events that take place in the world of volleyball. So, during this downtime, take time to explore volleyball media that maybe you haven’t taken time to read or even knew about it. Here are a few:

  • Catch up on your Volleyball Magazine online. Didn’t know there was such a thing as Volleyball Magazine online? There is. It became a digital only product about two years ago. On the web: www.volleyballmag.com. On Instagram: vbmagazine
  • Read the stories about other athletes and peers on Prep Dig. The online site has great coverage of the midwest with Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan being covered by their reporters and editors. (Subscription required for most items)
  • For your international taste of volleyball, we also recommend checking out World of Volley.
  • The FIVB and USA Volleyball also have their own respective news pages.
  • Also make sure to check out your favorite college team’s men’s or women’s volleyball page and read up on their athletes and coaches.
  • FLO Volleyball is another great place for articles and videos.
  • Have others? Share them with me at brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

March 21: Officiating

This goes for everyone today! We want all of our athletes, coaches, directors, chaperones and parents to be better educated when it comes to our game. That means knowing the rules and learning how to officiate better. To do so, check out these links:

If you are interested in becoming an official, email membership@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com. You only have to be 16-years-old to be an official in the Badger Region!

Have ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.

March 19: Recruiting

Coaches and directors: Help your athlete be more recruitable to potential colleges and universities

    • Reach out to college recruiters via email
    • Introduce yourself and tell them who you are and why you are reaching out
    • Find out what their needs and wants are from potential student athletes
    •  Consider using the Junior Volleyball Recruiting Association resources. Watch a recruiting panel on “VolleyOnTogether” on Instagram at 7 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday, March 25.
    • Use Badger Region/AVCA tips to your advantage

Athletes:  Make yourself more recruitable to potential colleges and universities

March 18: Home Drills Challenge

Our first adventure is from our partners at The Art of Coaching Volleyball. There, they created a series dedicated to maintaining or building skills from the comforts of your own home or driveway.

To check out the videos and take the at-home challenge, click here: https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/home-drills-skills/

Have ideas for our Downtime Blog? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.