Our story

Sideout is the perfect platform for everyone who wants to learn more about volleyball and beach volleyball both on a general level, and on a more detailed level. Founded by three guys from Førde, a city located at the west coast of Norway, we provide a podcast and a blog, our very own training program tailor-made for our sports, and a brand new platform made to inspire coaches and players to learn from the best coaches and players in the world. We aim for people who want to learn and develop by adding 1 % every day, and hope that you can do that by joining our journey!

Lars Fredrik and Bjarne Nikolai, despite their young age, already have extensive experience from both volleyball and beach volleyball. They both have a background from ToppVolley Norge, both have won silver medals at the under age world championships in beach volleyball, they have played volleyball professionally in Europe, and they are currently members of the Norwegian national team. Bjarne Nikolai has also played college volleyball for Long Beach State in the NCAA, where he contributed greatly to their 2018 championship win. For the 21-22 season, Lars Fredrik plays as a setter for Koll Volley in the Norwegian Mizuno league, while Bjarne is an outside hitter for Amysoft Lycurgus in the Dutch Eredivisie. We have asked the guys to tell us the story behind Sideout.

Why did you decide to start a project like Sideout?

The idea for Sideout really started with good talks about volleyball through many years, where we at some point were joking about how we should record these conversations and share them with others. We have always had an interest in contributing to the development of volleyball and beach volleyball in Norway and other countries, and that is the main reason for why we chose to start Sideout. We felt like a podcast was something the volleyball community in Norway would listen to, but we were still really curious to how people would perceive a project like this. After preparing for a while, we released the first episode in January 2021. So far, the response has been really positive, and we are really thankful for all the questions and feedback we have received.  

Step by step, Sideout has developed into more than a podcast, and we are now building a platform for both volleyball and beach volleyball. We have added Sideout Performance, our own tailor-made training program for our sports. Our latest project, Sideout Volleycast, aims to develop both players and coaches, providing interviews with some of the greatest players and coaches in the world.    

What do you want to achieve with this project?

We most definitely wish to contribute to the development of volleyball and beach volleyball in Norway and other countries, both for players, coaches and people in other roles, by passing on the knowledge and experience we have from our sports. If we can inspire people, either by giving hints and ideas, or by fueling discussions on how we can get better both as individuals and together, then Sideout is a success in our eyes. It is vital that the people who work with our sports always aim to develop, and we want to highlight that even though there are many good things happening in our community, there is still an enormous potential for improvement every day. Our own knowledge and experience will be one part of the project, but most importantly we will bring in other experienced players and coaches who can showcase how things are done in different environments around the globe. By this, we hope to create a fun learning environment for those who want to develop within our sports. 

What can we expect from Sideout in the future?

For us, the goal is to always strive for improvement, and keep developing the platform step by step. For the podcast, we aim to publish one episode each week. Most of the episodes will be in Norwegian, but also English, especially when we have international guests. Bendik, our writer, will keep publishing on our blog from time to time, both in English and Norwegian, about various topics within our sports. We will keep developing Sideout Performance, and hopefully create a product that many players and teams can use for high quality physical practice around the world, in an easy accessible way. And last, but not least, we will keep building Sideout Volleycast, adding in-depth interviews with more great coaches and players who can tell us about their experiences from our sports.

Who did you create Sideout for?

Sideout is for everyone who loves volleyball and beach volleyball, regardless of level and experience. But, since we are really concerned with creating learning and development, our content is first and foremost made for users with the same passion. Are you a player passionate about development, or a coach who needs inspiration or help with challenges in your team? No matter what role you have in our sports, we hope to be able to help and inspire you to take that next step.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

We want a lot of feedback about your experience with Sideout! Feedback and questions are a vital part of making us a little bit better every day. If we can get 1-2 % better each time we produce something, then we are on the right track. And if you like what we are doing, we would appreciate you sharing your experience with as many as possible! You can reach us on Facebook or Instagram, or by mail to post@sideout.no.