JOHN MAYER IS COACHING HIS BRAINS OUT - Sandcast Interview (2 of 2)

·33 min·3 clips

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This episode is part two of an interview with John Mayer, co-host of Coach Your Brains Out and head coach of LMU beach volleyball. Mayer reflects on his coaching evolution, noting that while he coached club and at Santa Monica College during his playing career, it was initially a 'plan B' as he focused on being a professional beach volleyball player. He identifies key influences, including Ken Stanley at Pierce College, Jason Watson, Casey Kreider, Bernie Holiday, and motor learning experts like Andy Bass and Rob Gray. Mayer emphasizes that college coaching requires being a generalist, not a specialist, due to the diverse responsibilities like recruiting, analytics, psychology, and marketing. He discusses the non-coaching aspects of the job, framing them as challenges to embrace rather than threats, and defines mastery as waking up excited about all tasks, even mundane ones like practice planning. The conversation covers the Coach Your Brains Out podcast, which is entering its tenth year, and new series like a motor learning series, a sports psychology series with Bernie Holiday, and 'Reason Your Brains Out', which debates controversial coaching claims with opposing viewpoints. Mayer details his role at LMU, where he took over in 2015, building the program from ground zero with a minimal budget to a top contender with a full staff, six scholarships, and a new on-campus facility. He highlights players like Valma Pretty, Michelle Schaefer, and Isabelle Rafael for the upcoming season. The discussion touches on the growth of college beach volleyball, noting how it has developed American women's players with skills like hand-setting, contrasting with older pros who relied on bump-setting. Mayer critiques the NCAA tournament's shift to single elimination, preferring double elimination for a 16-team field to better determine the best team. He previews LMU's season opener in Hawaii against top teams like USC, UCLA, and Stanford, emphasizing the value of playing strong opponents for feedback. The episode concludes with Mayer promoting his email and the podcast, and discussing his dynamic with co-host Billy Allen, highlighting their complementary strengths and friendship.

As heard by us

John on coaching becoming an identity while helping build LMU's next chapter.

John's shift from chasing a beach volleyball career into coaching gives the episode its clearest thread. Coaching had been there for years, from club work in college to Santa Monica College while he was still playing, but it began as a second thought before becoming more of an…

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Why you'd press play

Press play when a coaching path that started as thought B and LMU's underdog ambition sound better than a generic victory speech.

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