Episode 50 - Thoughts on the Libero Position with Dan Lewis

In this episode, Frank welcomes Team Canada Assistant Coach Dan Lewis to discuss the National Excellence Program, his illustrious career, the requirements to being a great libero, drill design and much more. (1:35) - How is training going with the National Excellence Program? (3:17) - What could school, club and provincial team coaches do to help athletes better develop structural tolerance? (5:20) - What is the make up of the athletes at the NEP this year? (9:33) - What type of sports did Dan play growing up?Finland Prevails at WJC, Continuing Tradition of Punching Above WeightLa finlande prouve que la compétence est plus forte que le nombre (French article) (12:30) - How did Dan's early success in University impact his athletic development? (15:30) - Why is competition with your teammates a very good thing? (18:44) - How did Dan turn pro early and how did it go early on? (22:53) - What kind of beach experience did Dan accumulate over the years and how did it help him be a better volleyball player? (29:45) - How did Dan transition to the libero position?Episode 26 with LP Mainville (32:22) - How did the libero position grow on Dan over time? (33:34) - How can you teach an athlete to embrace defence? (35:11) - What are the key elements a good libero must possess? (40:50) - Why is it so important for a libero to be a good line digger? (42:34) - What are the key points to a good hand pass?FIVB Technical Videos - Libero in Action (49:44) - How much arm push and wrist action should be used to hand pass? (51:23) - What are the key points to a good forearm pass? (58:07) - Are defenders too active pre-contact? (64:01) - Did Dan do a lot of deviated ball digging during training sessions as a libero? (70:02) - When did Dan realize he was also passionate about coaching? (74:22) - How did a short beach coaching stint impact Dan's coaching style? (76:50) - How can meditation and defining your values help you to grow as a coach? (79:50) - What is the biggest life lesson coach Lewis learned from his father? (83:48) - What are some lessons learned in regards to planning working with some great volleyball minds like Glenn Hoag and Stephane Antiga?Probability of Skill Transfer to Game (90:13) - How has becoming a father helped Dan become a better coach?2 Year Old on Strider Balance Bike (94:58) - How is Team Canada preparing for the last Olympic qualifying tournament?