If the coach writes the team standards on the board, John Mayer says they become wallpaper. When the players write them, they come alive.
In part two of JP Nerbun's conversation with John Mayer, head beach volleyball coach at Loyola Marymount and the 2025 AVCA National Coach of the Year, John walks through the systems behind his culture: battle buddies, a competitive cauldron, player-written standards, and culture committees that give every player real responsibility. He also explains why autonomy does not mean anything goes.
If your team nods along to the culture but does not own it, this conversation gives you a concrete blueprint for shared ownership.
3 Quotes | 2 Questions | 1 Resource
Your fast-track to the episode's most actionable ideas.
"You don't know till you go."
John Mayer
"Autonomy doesn't mean anything goes and you can do whatever. The coach is there to organize and cultivate choices."
John Mayer
"If I just put all that on the board, it becomes wallpaper. But when it's their ideas, when it's their discussion, when it's meaningful to them, it becomes living."
John Mayer
Q1: What is one decision about how our team runs that you think you should have a say in, and why?
Q2: Who on this team helps you stay locked in on your intention during practice, and how could you do that for someone else?
The Competitive Cauldron by Anson Dorrance
John runs a version of the tracked, ranked practice system Dorrance built at North Carolina after watching Dean Smith's practices. It raises intensity through visible standings rather than punishment.
See how the Cauldron works
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