This is what happens when an international playing career evolves into a mission to develop the next generation. In this episode, I host Andrii Diachkov, a former professional volleyball player who represented the Ukrainian national team and is now one of the most respected international coaches, developing players in the United States.

Andrii’s journey began in Ukraine, before taking him to some of the highest levels of professional volleyball in Europe. Over a 15-year professional career, he competed in Italy, Greece, Russia, and France. Along the way, he experienced different cultures, coaching philosophies, and environments that shaped the way he now leads athletes today.

Andrii shares what it was like stepping away from competition and finding a new purpose through mentorship, player development, and leadership. He talks about the differences between European and American volleyball culture, what young athletes in the U.S. can learn from the international game, and how one can reach anything they set their mind to with dedication and hard work.

Today, Andrii is helping grow the game in Texas, one of the pillar coaches in the NTDP, and has an amazing social media following on his "Volleyball Advice" pages:Website: https://volleyballadvice.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/volleyball.advice/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Volleyball.adviceAndrii is a coach who turned a global volleyball career into a mission bigger than himself.

Welcome to the Club.

🎧 Listen here:

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalCoachesClub

🛜 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2gSvhZ4hPjNXEv4jizYhSm

🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/international-coaches-club/id1852331462

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/international_coaches_club/

This episode is about leadership and how to use coaching as a platform to inspire young athletes. In this episode, I host Alma Kovaci Lee, the longtime head volleyball coach at Army West Point and one of the most respected leaders in college volleyball.Alma’s journey began in Albania before bringing her career to the United States, where she became a standout player at Temple University and later played professionally while representing the Albanian National Team. Those experiences shaped the perspective she now brings into coaching at one of the most unique leadership institutions in the world.Coaching at West Point requires far more than teaching volleyball. Alma shares what it means to develop leaders in an environment built on discipline, accountability, service, and character. She speaks about building culture, earning trust, and helping athletes grow through adversity while balancing the demands that come with representing something bigger than themselves.Over the course of her career, Alma has built Army Volleyball into one of the premier programs in the Patriot League while becoming the winningest coach in program history. More importantly, she has built a reputation for developing strong people and athletes.Alma is a coach whose story reflects perseverance, humility, and leadership at the highest level.Welcome to the Club.🎧 Listen here:▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalCoachesClub🛜 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2gSvhZ4hPjNXEv4jizYhSm🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/international-coaches-club/id1852331462📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/international_coaches_club/

This is the story of WHY I started this podcast, for the coaches who want to think outside the box and re-route to the US. In this episode, I host Ashleigh Van Vliet, a Maltese basketball player who returned to her alma mater as a coach after a journey spans continents, cultures, and every level of the game.Ashleigh’s story begins in Australia and continues through the U.S. college system at Idaho State, where she became one of the program’s most accomplished players. From there, her career expanded across Europe, with her playing professionally in multiple countries and representing the Maltese national team for over a decade. Those experiences didn’t just shape her as a player, they built the global perspective she now brings into coaching.Transitioning from a long professional career into coaching is not simple. Ashleigh shares what it takes to step away from competing and step into leading, and how her time overseas influenced the way she develops players today. She speaks about accountability, culture, and what it really means to connect with athletes who are navigating their own paths.Ashleigh is a coach who has lived the full journey and now uses it to build the next generation of players in the US.Welcome to the Club.