Get two days of insider access to some of the best volleyball coaches in the game

Warning: May cause spontaneous practice planning on the flight home

Partners in coaching education:

Partners in coaching education:

Meet the Coaches

There’s no single “right” way to coach volleyball, and that’s what makes our clinics so valuable. You’ll learn from an incredible lineup of coaches who bring decades of experience at the club, high school, college and national team levels. Each presenter offers a unique philosophy, style and toolbox of training methods, all designed to help you discover new ideas, sharpen your approach, and become the best coach you can be.

Matt Ulmer

Head Coach,
University of Kansas

Steve Aird

Head Coach,
Indiana University

Marie Zidek

Head Coach,
DePaul University

Leanne Ulmer

Head Coach,
Carthage College

Terry Liskevych

AOC Founder,
Former USA Head Coach,
3-time Olympic Coach

Russ Rose

AOC Founder,
Penn State University ’79-’21,
7-time NCAA Champion

Fun Fact: Four of Russ’s seven national championships came in a row (2007–10). He’s also the winningest coach in NCAA DI history!

Everything You Need to Coach with Confidence

Every coach wants fresh ideas, proven strategies, and the confidence to bring out the best in their athletes. At our clinics, you’ll learn directly from some of the most experienced coaches in the game while also gaining a network of peers, tools you can use right away in your gym, and resources to keep learning long after the clinic ends. With expert-led sessions, live Q&A, on-demand video, and even the chance to win prizes and access special discounts, you’ll leave more connected, more prepared, and more energized for your season.

Learn from top coaches on the court

Discover the must-know training tips experienced coaches have developed over years of trial and error, like how they run great practices, their favorite drills and how they shape a winning culture.

Get your questions answered

Connect with presenters during breaks to dive deeper into their sessions or talk about your own team. Virtual attendees enjoy a dedicated Q&A on Sunday.

Watch every session on demand

Replay multi-angle video of every court and lecture session after the clinic (including any you didn’t get to watch during the live clinic) and keep online access for life.

Take home notes and drills in the clinic handbook

Receive a robust handbook with notes and drills prior to the clinic (for both in-person and virtual attendees). Bring it back to your gym as a ready-to-use resource.

Earn continuing education hours

Need CEUs? No problem. You’ll receive a certificate documenting your clinic hours that can be submitted for professional development credit.

The Clinic Schedule

All times in CDT. Schedule is subject to change.

8:30 AM

Doors open

9:00 AM

Welcome & Clinic introduction

9:15 AM

Court – Keys for training the six skills (All Coaches)

10:00 AM

Break

10:10 AM

Court – Training dominant outside hitters (Russ Rose)
Classroom – Problem solving for success (Amanda Berkley)

10:40 AM

Break

10:50 AM

Court – Short court games: Developing control close to the net (Marie Zidek)
Classroom – Building leadership in your team (Terry Liskevych)

11:20 AM

Break

11:30 AM

Court – The 8 Ss of passing (Amanda Berkley)
Classroom – Scouting and match prep (Russ Rose)

12:00 PM

Lunch break (1 hour)

1:00 PM

Court – High efficiency serving (Steve Aird)
Classroom – Teaching players to get more out of watching film (Marie Zidek)

1:30 PM

Break

1:40 PM

Court – Designing a team defense that works (Terry Liskevych)
Classroom – Building and sustaining a winning program (Russ Rose)

2:10 PM

Break

2:20 PM

Court – A blueprint for smarter practices (Amanda Berkley)
Classroom – Marketing your program (Steve Aird)

2:50 PM

Break

3:00 PM

Court – Training game-changing liberos (Russ Rose)
Classroom – Lessons from a coaching legend (Terry Liskevych)

3:30 PM

Break

3:45 PM

Court – Blocking techniques and tactics (Steve Aird)
Classroom – Scheduling for success: Managing athlete workload (Marie Zidek)

4:15 PM

Break

4:25 PM

Court – Drills for less than 12 players (All Coaches)

5:00 PM

Saturday wrap-up

8:30 AM

Doors open

9:00 AM

Saturday intro

9:10 AM

Court – How to build injury prevention and conditioning into training (Marie Zidek)

9:40 AM

Break

9:50 AM

Court – Mastering the setter/middle connection (Amanda Berkley)

10:20 AM

Break

10:30 AM

Court – First swing offense vs. defense (Rose & Liskevych)

11:00 AM

Break

11:10 AM

Special session! Generations of insight: A live coaching conversation with Leanne & Matt Ulmer

11:50 AM

Break

12:05 PM

Court – 6v6 drills for every level (All Coaches)

12:50 PM

Sunday wrap-up

1:00 PM

Live Q&A for virtual attendees

How do you want to join?

Join us in the gym for the immersive AOC in-person clinic experience or keep it simple by watching from home with a virtual ticket. Either way you’re going to finish the weekend a better coach than you started!

In Person

Get up close and personal with
legendary coaches

Nothing beats the energy of being in the gym. Watch live court demos, ask questions face-to-face, and connect with hundreds of coaches who share your passion.

✔️ Courtside view of drills and demonstrations
✔️ Direct access to presenters during breaks
✔️ Printed handbook with notes and drills
✔️ Chance to network and win prizes 
✔️ Lifetime on-demand access to every session
✔️ Certificate for continuing education hours

Online

Learn on your schedule,
from anywhere

Can’t make it in person? Our virtual clinics bring the entire experience to you with flexibility to watch what you want, when you want.

✔️ On-demand access to every session, for life
✔️ Digital handbook with notes and drills
✔️ Dedicated virtual Q&A on Sunday afternoon
✔️ Chat with fellow online attendees
✔️ Save on travel while learning from the best
✔️ Certificate for continuing education hours

15 Years of Clinics, by the Numbers

Since 2011, The Art of Coaching Volleyball has brought together coaches from every level of the game to learn, connect, and grow. Our clinics have become a trusted space for sharing ideas, sparking inspiration, and shaping better coaching for thousands of teams.

40+

Cities

200+

Presenting Coaches

3,000+

Coaching Sessions

18,000+

Attendees

3k+

Coaching Sessions

15k+

Attendees

What’s it like to attend?

“I am extremely happy with the amount of knowledge I gained in this clinic. I signed up to learn new drills to run in my high school program but I left with new ideas for every aspect of coaching that will help me not only better train my athletes but build a strong volleyball culture at my school. I am looking forward to implementing many of the ideas I learned in this clinic and appreciate the opportunity to learn from some of the best coaches in the game!”

“I chose this clinic because of the variety of coaches and coaching during the clinic. Everyone was so personable and willing to talk with the coaches to bounce ideas off of. The presenters truly want you to love the game and succeed in your own programs. This clinic has made me more confident as a coach.”

“I’ve never coached or played volleyball and I agreed to coach my school’s 12-14’s after a request from my students. I had no idea what I was doing and the clinic helped me to become a competent coach after having almost zero volleyball know-how. I’ve now fallen in love with the sport! I strongly feel that AOC resources are 100% worth the money I’ve spent on them.”

“I have been to several coaching clinics, but this one was by far the most organized, and had the best coaching lineup with the best information that I have ever seen. The coaches presented the information so that every coach, no matter what kind of experience they have, could benefit from the information. I loved being able to listen to the coaches explain a process, then use the girls to demonstrate the process so that we could get a visual to use with our own team. The schedule was maintained really well, and I came away from this clinic feeling more prepared to coach high school varsity for the first time. I am extremely grateful!”

“The AOC clinic was a well-oiled machine with useful comprehensive and relevant material. The combination of personalities, experience and philosophy of the presenters was priceless! So glad I invested my time and money to attend; my players will benefit from what I learned.

“I love everything about the AOC clinics. I learned a lot of new tactics, drills, practice strategies. I was also reaffirmed in what I know and what to still teach. That is particularly helpful given all the noise in social media.”

 

“I really like coming to these clinics. Very well organized and great speakers. Lots of great drills, planning, how to maximize gym time, how to connect with and maximize talent and the list goes on. Skill and drill work in all areas of the game as well as how to lead a program on and off the court. Highly recommend!”

Save on Tickets

Register in a group of 2+ coaches to save up to 15% on in-person tickets.

AOC Premium Members save an extra 10% on clinic tickets. Join for as little as $12.99.

Register by February 27 to save 10% on in-person tickets and summer virtual clinics.

Register in a group of 2+ coaches to save up to 15% on in-person tickets.

AOC Premium Members save an extra 10% on clinic tickets. Join for as little as $12.99.

Find the Ticket that Suits Your Needs

Pay by credit card, check or Purchase Order. Invoice option available during checkout.
AOC Premium members save 10% on clinics. All discounts will be displayed during checkout.

IN-PERSON TICKETS

Full Clinic
1 Coach

$32499

Full Clinic
2-5 Coaches

$29999

each

Full Clinic
6+ Coaches

$27499

each

Saturday Only
Flat Rate

$19999

VIRTUAL TICKETS

Full Clinic
Flat Rate

$14999

TICKET PRICING

1 Coach

$324.99

2-5 Coaches

$299.99 /coach

6+ Coaches

$274.99 /coach

Saturday only

$199.99 /coach

Online Only

$149.99 /coach

Tickets

The numbers below include tickets for this event already in your cart. Clicking "Get Tickets" will allow you to edit any existing attendee information as well as change ticket quantities.
Chicago Clinic IN-PERSON Ticket: Full Clinic
1 coach: $324.99
2-5 coaches: $299.99 each
6+ coaches: $274.99 each
$ 324.99
Unlimited
Chicago Clinic IN-PERSON Ticket: Saturday Only
$ 199.99
Unlimited
Chicago Clinic VIRTUAL Ticket
$ 149.99
Unlimited

The Clinic Venue

DePaul University

McGrath-Phillips Arena

2323 N Sheffield Ave,
Chicago, IL 60614

See it on a map

Where to Stay

Planning your trip to Chicago? Below are a few hotels near the clinic venue recommended by the DePaul staff. It’s a busy weekend in the city with several events taking place, so we recommend booking your accommodations early to secure the best options. You may also want to explore nearby Airbnb listings or other lodging options that fit your needs.

Hotel Lincoln
1816 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614
1.3 miles from clinic
Booking website

Claridge House
1244 N Dearborn Pkwy, Chicago, IL 60610
2.1 miles from clinic
Booking website

Homewood Suites by Hilton
40 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
3.6 miles from clinic
Booking website

Frequently Asked Questions

Can’t find your question answered here?
Contact us
!

Coaches of all levels will benefit from the wide range of information covered at the clinic. From skill fundamentals and drill ideas to mental training and game strategies, this clinic will give you an in-depth look at training techniques and teaching methods that some of the top coaches in the country use with their own teams. Whether you’re a beginning coach, an experienced professional or somewhere in between, you’ll walk away with new ideas and methods you can implement in your gym immediately.

The best possible viewing and learning experience will happen in person at the gym. Attending the clinic in person will give you a great overall experience with a clear view of everything happening on the court, exclusive access to the clinicians to ask questions face-to-face, a printed handbook for notes, the chance to take home prizes, networking opportunities with other local coaches and much more. There’s nothing quite like the experience of pulling one of the best volleyball coaches in the country aside and chatting with them about your own team!

Although the best possible viewing experience will happen in person at the gym, we understand that there are many reasons you may not want to travel to a clinic. Besides getting to watch from the comfort of your own home (in pjs … on the couch … near the fridge!), there are many benefits to attending an AOC clinic virtually, including:

  • Save money with cheaper tickets and no travel and hotel
  • Watch the clinic live or on demand if your schedule doesn’t allow for live viewing
  • Watch only the topics that appeal to you if you’re not interested in a certain session
  • Ask the clinicians questions in a dedicated Q&A session for virtual attendees
  • Receive a printable handbook PDF for note-taking during the clinic
  • Receive professional development hours for participating
  • Easily attend multiple clinics

Purchasing a virtual ticket gives you access to a lot of the same things you would get at the clinic if you attended in-person, including:

  • Access to the live clinic stream
  • The opportunity to ask the clinicians questions and get them answered in a virtual Q&A
  • A printable handbook PDF full of drills and notes from the clinicians
  • A certificate showing time spent at the clinic that can be submitted for continuing education hours
  • The ability to watch the clinic on demand for life
  • Access to discounts on gear and tools from AOC and its partners
  • Your ID for check-in (no ticket needed)
  • A pen / pencil / highlighter
  • Clothing that is comfortable for sitting in (no court activity required)
  • A water bottle that you can refill and snacks as desired
  • Cash / Check / Credit Card
  • An extra sweater, seat cushion, blanket, etc. if you would like some extra padding to sit on

No, Premium members will not be able to access the footage from the clinic unless they’ve purchased access. By purchasing a clinic ticket, you get to watch the event live and also get access to watch it on demand for life. Premium members receive a 10% discount off all clinic options – in-person tickets, virtual tickets and on-demand clinics.

AOC Premium members automatically receive a 10% discount on both in-person and virtual clinic tickets. Just make sure you’re signed into your Premium account when purchasing.

Early bird pricing is in effect until February 27, 2026. You’ll automatically save 10% on tickets until then!

You can save an additional 10-15% on in-person tickets if you attend with a group. Savings will vary based on the number of coaches in your group.

When you purchase a clinic ticket, a receipt will be emailed to you stating the amount paid. If you purchased a virtual ticket, you can sign in to your account and go here to view all of your past store purchases. If you cannot access your receipt either of these ways, please reach out to volleyball@theartofcoaching.com for assistance.

In-person ticket refund policy: You can receive a 90% refund of your in-person ticket up until 48 hours before the day of the clinic. After the 48-hour mark, no refunds will be available. For example, if the clinic begins on April 4, you can request a refund up until the end of the day on April 1.

Virtual ticket refund policy: You can receive a full refund of your virtual ticket up until 24 hours before the day of the clinic. Refund requests after the 24 hour mark will not be granted. For example, if the clinic begins on April 4, you can request a refund up until the end of the day on April 2.

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