Post by Must Read on Feb 11, 2003 21:20:43 GMT -5
The OC Register printed a very fine and deserving article on UCI and John Speraw today:
Tuesday, February 11, 2003
UCI success built on imagination
A new coach, Speraw, with his own style has the Anteaters No.1 in men's volleyball.
By JANIS CARR
The Orange County Register
A laid-back style and visualization techniques have helped John Speraw, right, take UCI to No. 1 in volleyball.
Kevin Sullivan/The Orange County Register
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<br>
IRVINE – The players gather like moths in the center of the Crawford Hall lobby, drawn together by a single bright force. There, in the middle, sits the light that has given UC Irvine's men's volleyball team the insight, the focus and inspiration that has vaulted the Anteaters into the No. 1 spot.
They look, they listen to ... the television.
Without an available conference room, first-year coach John Speraw holds his film sessions and pregame preparations smack in the middle of the athletic department. His modest, untidy office certainly wouldn't fit all 20 players and mushrooming expectations that are hanging around the UCI campus.
[image]http://www.ocregister.com/newsimages/sports/uci.jpg[/image]
"Being No. 1 is thrilling, exciting, but we still have a lot of work to do," said Speraw, whose Anteaters play USC tonight at 7 at Crawford Hall.
Like his film sessions, Speraw is open about his approach to taking the Anteaters from mediocrity to the top of collegiate volleyball. His style combines a laid-back attitude and visualization/meditation with cutting-edge physiology techniques. Before every match, Speraw has his players sit and for 15 minutes visualize potential match situations and strategies. It allows the players to relax and prepare for whatever they might see. "I know it helped me as a player," Speraw said. "Visualization is a proven technique." Sort of Zen Master meets Gray's Anatomy.
His daily three-hour practices begin with sprints and tricky footwork, when a player must navigate rope ladders laid on the gym floor – first frontward, then sideways, then reverse and back again.
He then focuses on sprint work and techniques, maybe one or two skills individually with his players instead of wholesale practices. There are no spikes at the head, screaming, ranting or raving. Order and precision reign.
"I've never yelled at the team," said Speraw, a lanky 31-year-old with a shaved head. "My job is to be out there and teach. I know it sounds like a cliche, but I like to go out there and show them what they need."
Setter David Kniffin prefers Speraw's low-key style over hands-on, in-your-face coaching.
"It's very helpful that way," Kniffin said. "Coach focuses on more of the things we are going through and what we need to do. He is more of a practice coach than playing coach."
Kniffin, a senior, said the visualization sessions have made a difference.
"Now in a match, I match up better because I've already gone up against the other guy," Kniffin said.
Much of the Anteaters' success lies in a balanced attack. Five players are averaging two or more kills, with Jimmy Pelzel out in front with 4.54 a game. Overall, Irvine's kill percentage is .338, and it has enabled the Anteaters (12-2) to beat No. 2 Hawaii, No. 4 Pepperdine, No. 5 Long Beach State, No. 6 Stanford and No. 7 UCLA (twice). "Clearly we have strengths and weaknesses, but one of our strengths is the fact that we can distribute the ball evenly, and that makes it difficult for teams to scout," Speraw said. Speraw, who recently finished a book on exercise physiology and has a bachelor of science degree in microbiology and molecular genetics, said his intellectual approach to coaching isn't revolutionary, but he believes it works.
"I know I'm not (Lakers coach) Phil Jackson, but as far as the visualization goes, I do know there are things that made me a better player," Speraw said.
Speraw played middle blocker for UCLA from 1990-95 and was a member of two national championship teams (1993, '95).
Speraw, an assistant at UCLA for seven seasons before landing the UCI job, moved up quickly in volleyball circles. He served as an assistant for the Youth national team in 1998 and 2000, the World University Games team in '97 and '99 and the Pan American Games team in '99. He's now the coach of the U.S. junior national team.
He said it didn't take a lot to propel the Anteaters to the top, where they have stayed for two weeks. Irvine is expected to drop out of the No. 1 spot after losing to Cal State Northridge last week. Speraw said many of the pieces were already in place when he arrived in August, taking over from Charlie Brande.
Brande, spread thinly between the men's and women's programs, decided to concentrate on the women's team.
Brande said Speraw has instituted a UCLA-style blocking system that is one of the keys this season.
"I think I taught them to play volleyball, and he taught them to play men's volleyball," Brande said.
Said Speraw: "The backbone was here, the foundation clearly was built and put in place. All I had to do was develop a recruiting base and hire a new staff." And according to assistant Mike Rupp, the most important piece arrived in the summer.
"He's the reason," Rupp said, pointing to Speraw.
Tuesday, February 11, 2003
UCI success built on imagination
A new coach, Speraw, with his own style has the Anteaters No.1 in men's volleyball.
By JANIS CARR
The Orange County Register
A laid-back style and visualization techniques have helped John Speraw, right, take UCI to No. 1 in volleyball.
Kevin Sullivan/The Orange County Register
------------------------------------------------------------------------
<br>
IRVINE – The players gather like moths in the center of the Crawford Hall lobby, drawn together by a single bright force. There, in the middle, sits the light that has given UC Irvine's men's volleyball team the insight, the focus and inspiration that has vaulted the Anteaters into the No. 1 spot.
They look, they listen to ... the television.
Without an available conference room, first-year coach John Speraw holds his film sessions and pregame preparations smack in the middle of the athletic department. His modest, untidy office certainly wouldn't fit all 20 players and mushrooming expectations that are hanging around the UCI campus.
[image]http://www.ocregister.com/newsimages/sports/uci.jpg[/image]
"Being No. 1 is thrilling, exciting, but we still have a lot of work to do," said Speraw, whose Anteaters play USC tonight at 7 at Crawford Hall.
Like his film sessions, Speraw is open about his approach to taking the Anteaters from mediocrity to the top of collegiate volleyball. His style combines a laid-back attitude and visualization/meditation with cutting-edge physiology techniques. Before every match, Speraw has his players sit and for 15 minutes visualize potential match situations and strategies. It allows the players to relax and prepare for whatever they might see. "I know it helped me as a player," Speraw said. "Visualization is a proven technique." Sort of Zen Master meets Gray's Anatomy.
His daily three-hour practices begin with sprints and tricky footwork, when a player must navigate rope ladders laid on the gym floor – first frontward, then sideways, then reverse and back again.
He then focuses on sprint work and techniques, maybe one or two skills individually with his players instead of wholesale practices. There are no spikes at the head, screaming, ranting or raving. Order and precision reign.
"I've never yelled at the team," said Speraw, a lanky 31-year-old with a shaved head. "My job is to be out there and teach. I know it sounds like a cliche, but I like to go out there and show them what they need."
Setter David Kniffin prefers Speraw's low-key style over hands-on, in-your-face coaching.
"It's very helpful that way," Kniffin said. "Coach focuses on more of the things we are going through and what we need to do. He is more of a practice coach than playing coach."
Kniffin, a senior, said the visualization sessions have made a difference.
"Now in a match, I match up better because I've already gone up against the other guy," Kniffin said.
Much of the Anteaters' success lies in a balanced attack. Five players are averaging two or more kills, with Jimmy Pelzel out in front with 4.54 a game. Overall, Irvine's kill percentage is .338, and it has enabled the Anteaters (12-2) to beat No. 2 Hawaii, No. 4 Pepperdine, No. 5 Long Beach State, No. 6 Stanford and No. 7 UCLA (twice). "Clearly we have strengths and weaknesses, but one of our strengths is the fact that we can distribute the ball evenly, and that makes it difficult for teams to scout," Speraw said. Speraw, who recently finished a book on exercise physiology and has a bachelor of science degree in microbiology and molecular genetics, said his intellectual approach to coaching isn't revolutionary, but he believes it works.
"I know I'm not (Lakers coach) Phil Jackson, but as far as the visualization goes, I do know there are things that made me a better player," Speraw said.
Speraw played middle blocker for UCLA from 1990-95 and was a member of two national championship teams (1993, '95).
Speraw, an assistant at UCLA for seven seasons before landing the UCI job, moved up quickly in volleyball circles. He served as an assistant for the Youth national team in 1998 and 2000, the World University Games team in '97 and '99 and the Pan American Games team in '99. He's now the coach of the U.S. junior national team.
He said it didn't take a lot to propel the Anteaters to the top, where they have stayed for two weeks. Irvine is expected to drop out of the No. 1 spot after losing to Cal State Northridge last week. Speraw said many of the pieces were already in place when he arrived in August, taking over from Charlie Brande.
Brande, spread thinly between the men's and women's programs, decided to concentrate on the women's team.
Brande said Speraw has instituted a UCLA-style blocking system that is one of the keys this season.
"I think I taught them to play volleyball, and he taught them to play men's volleyball," Brande said.
Said Speraw: "The backbone was here, the foundation clearly was built and put in place. All I had to do was develop a recruiting base and hire a new staff." And according to assistant Mike Rupp, the most important piece arrived in the summer.
"He's the reason," Rupp said, pointing to Speraw.
