Ep. 94: Dr. Deb Sazama-All Things Volleyball

About this episode

Coach Deb Sazama discusses coaching philosophy, athlete development, and the evolving landscape of volleyball.

In this episode of Clinically Pressed, we sit down with Coach Deb Sazama, head volleyball coach at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, to unpack a wide-ranging conversation on coaching philosophy, athlete development, and the rapidly evolving landscape of volleyball at both the collegiate and youth levels.Coach Sazama shares her unique journey into collegiate coaching and reflects on how her philosophy has evolved over time, highlighting the importance of intentional culture-building, adaptability, and focusing on the important things for athletes. The discussion dives into how she balances technical skill development with physical preparation, and how her staff approaches workload management to optimize performance while mitigating injury risk in a sport characterized by high repetitive demands.We also explore recruiting beyond the stat sheet, including the intangible qualities that separate athletes at the next level, and what it’s like coaching at the Division III level.The conversation then transitions into youth volleyball, where Coach Sazama offers valuable perspective on early specialization, year-round participation, and the increasing pressure placed on young…

People in this episode

Host: Clinically Pressed

Guest: Deb Sazama

Topics covered

• coaching philosophy
• athlete development
• volleyball
• injury risk
• youth sports

Keywords

• volleyball coaching
• athlete development
• injury prevention
• youth volleyball
• recruiting

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Wisconsin–La Crosse

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