Amazing how things can change so quickly. At the age of 26, I look back on posts I've written over the years and how my goals and views on life have changed. After a long struggle to find a new title after coming to terms with the fact that I would not have a career as an indoor player, I have decided on one of my favorite John Wooden quotes (all quotes actually) of all time.
Although the blog will continue to focus on volleyball, I will also open up a bit more about personal happenings compared to what I had done previously. Volleyball is a huge part of my life - it's brought many people into my lives that have made me a better person, and I hope that I have been able to have a similar influence on many teammates, players I've coached, or simply players I've shared the court with. After putting my two weeks in at Mercer (more on that shortly), I was able to find a job 9 days later because of networking I had done in the volleyball community back in Chicago. As a matter of fact, while I have been lucky to be employed the majority of my life, almost every job I have gotten has been due to friendships I have made in the community - and I've even been able to return the favor by helping others obtain employment as well.
I've had many highs and many lows - and the valleys have been deep. However, I've always been able to keep focused on the present and push through, usually with the aid of others close to me, or even simply finding inspiration through reading other people's experiences. I hope to perhaps use this blog as a way to return the favor.
For now, let me give a cliff notes' version of the last 6 months and then I'll go into more detail next time (REALLY gonna try to make posts daily - but I know I've said that before). Realized Division I Coaching was not for me, put my two weeks in, came home, found a job a week and a half later (which I LOVE) - currently living in LaGrange Park with stepdad but hoping to move to Naperville in the near future. Played indoor this spring, slowly started to get back into shape, playing sand now and feeling like I'm having a pretty good season. Working on registering a business that runs camps/clinics/tournaments. Happier than I've been in a long time.
More to come later!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Coaching at the Division I level: Off the Court
I'll skip the usual apology for laziness regarding updating the blog: I've actually had MANY situations that I'd like to write about, but to be honest I feel it's best to keep it in private at times, so I've been doing quite a bit of self-reflection. If you're curious feel free to msg me privately and I'll tell you all about it.
In August, I packed my car up and drove down to Georgia to begin graduate classes/assistant coaching for Mercer University, a Division I program that competes in the Atlantic Sun conference. At 25, this is probably the highest level of coaching I can get to, and I was very excited for the opportunity.
As someone who has coached junior college and Division III programs, I really was unsure of what to expect. Looking back on this last month, it was probably the opposite of what I expected (not that it's a bad thing). The first thing that blew my mind was how much heavier the administrative side is. Setting up pre-season, tape exchanges, itineraries for weekends we travel as well as other office work takes up the majority of my time, compared to my other gigs where as an assistant I was basically at practices and that was the extent of what I did. I've learned an incredible amount in the 5 weeks I've been here, and feel that when I leave the school for other ventures, I will be much more knowledgeable that I was when I arrived.
The facilities are amazing: The girls play in a huge arena, the training facilities are top notch, and the workout room has everything they need (it's a bit small for big teams like Lacrosse, but with 15 players we have no space issues). They along with every other team have their own lounge (we share ours with softball, so technically I suppose it isn't all ours), with nice couches and a projector screen to watch tv or game film. I wish these girls could come back with me on a visit to Newbury to truly appreciate how lucky they are, because there's not much "wanting" being done around here!
Classes started 2 weeks ago and I'm enjoying it - it's a lot of work, but the class sizes are small, the teachers are much more personable, and the classmates are very engaged. It's rough in the aspect of you have class once a week from 4:30-8:45 at night, but I do enjoy how that gives me more time to focus on coaching. I'd be lying if I didn't say it's tough to find a balance, but my teachers understand and I'm doing my best to find a happy medium.
The weather here is wonderful - hot and humid, and although some of the locals don't like the humidity I'll take this over snow any day. The only gripe I have with Macon is the bugs... cockroaches are generally accepted here. Creep the hell out of me. I don't think that'll be one of the things I get used to. I've only found 2 in my apartment, I caught one and launched him outside, the next one wasn't so lucky. Nor will any future ones that decide they want to free-load off of us.
I do miss home. There's no doubt about it. The people here are VERY nice, but once I get done with my obligations, all I want to do is go to my room and correspond with people back in Chicago, which is odd because I didn't feel that way at all in Boston. Perhaps it's a bunch of events that took place while I was home the last 7 months, but it'd take a hell of a job offer for me not to head back there once my time's done here.
Although I have more to write, Joe Trinsey (former college opponent who gave me a nudge to update the blog) had a good idea for me to break updates up into separate posts rather than be as long-winded as usual. I'll take his advice. Next time I'll talk a little more about what happens on the court!
In August, I packed my car up and drove down to Georgia to begin graduate classes/assistant coaching for Mercer University, a Division I program that competes in the Atlantic Sun conference. At 25, this is probably the highest level of coaching I can get to, and I was very excited for the opportunity.
As someone who has coached junior college and Division III programs, I really was unsure of what to expect. Looking back on this last month, it was probably the opposite of what I expected (not that it's a bad thing). The first thing that blew my mind was how much heavier the administrative side is. Setting up pre-season, tape exchanges, itineraries for weekends we travel as well as other office work takes up the majority of my time, compared to my other gigs where as an assistant I was basically at practices and that was the extent of what I did. I've learned an incredible amount in the 5 weeks I've been here, and feel that when I leave the school for other ventures, I will be much more knowledgeable that I was when I arrived.
The facilities are amazing: The girls play in a huge arena, the training facilities are top notch, and the workout room has everything they need (it's a bit small for big teams like Lacrosse, but with 15 players we have no space issues). They along with every other team have their own lounge (we share ours with softball, so technically I suppose it isn't all ours), with nice couches and a projector screen to watch tv or game film. I wish these girls could come back with me on a visit to Newbury to truly appreciate how lucky they are, because there's not much "wanting" being done around here!
Classes started 2 weeks ago and I'm enjoying it - it's a lot of work, but the class sizes are small, the teachers are much more personable, and the classmates are very engaged. It's rough in the aspect of you have class once a week from 4:30-8:45 at night, but I do enjoy how that gives me more time to focus on coaching. I'd be lying if I didn't say it's tough to find a balance, but my teachers understand and I'm doing my best to find a happy medium.
The weather here is wonderful - hot and humid, and although some of the locals don't like the humidity I'll take this over snow any day. The only gripe I have with Macon is the bugs... cockroaches are generally accepted here. Creep the hell out of me. I don't think that'll be one of the things I get used to. I've only found 2 in my apartment, I caught one and launched him outside, the next one wasn't so lucky. Nor will any future ones that decide they want to free-load off of us.
I do miss home. There's no doubt about it. The people here are VERY nice, but once I get done with my obligations, all I want to do is go to my room and correspond with people back in Chicago, which is odd because I didn't feel that way at all in Boston. Perhaps it's a bunch of events that took place while I was home the last 7 months, but it'd take a hell of a job offer for me not to head back there once my time's done here.
Although I have more to write, Joe Trinsey (former college opponent who gave me a nudge to update the blog) had a good idea for me to break updates up into separate posts rather than be as long-winded as usual. I'll take his advice. Next time I'll talk a little more about what happens on the court!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Summer Recap
Although I have been terrible with the lack of updates this summer, discovering that a few of my relatives have blogs of their own and catching up on their lives has inspired me to take the time to give a cliff-notes version of how the summer has gone (their blogs have also re-inforced the fact that my blog is UGLY on the eyes - I may be contacting them for a little help on cleaning it up!). With about 2 weeks left before I begin the next chapter of my life, it's time to reflect on the last few months.
Graduate School: Although the process took MUCH longer than expected, I am officially accepted into the Masters of Collaborative Education program at Mercer University in Macon, GA! I'll serve as the Graduate Assistant for their women's volleyball team, which competes at the Division I level. I leave in two weeks, and will be beginning my duties upon arriving the first week of August. I am sad to leave Chicago yet again, but am very excited for the chance to coach this team. The coach and I share similar philosophies, the players are dedicated and are hungry to bounce back from last season, and the campus is gorgeous. I look forward to helping the team reach its goals!
Volleyball (Player): It has been the most successful season of my brief doubles career by far. Started it off with a personal-best in a pro tournament 7th place in Michigan. Took a 9th at my first EVP tournament of the season. Took 3rd in the Open division of the Volleywood tournament, and had my partner's leg not decided to cramp we may have won it the way we were playing. Won both co-ed tournaments I played, and plan on 3-peating this Sunday. The last tournament of the year for me is the Corona Wide Open on July 31st, and although the competition is going to be tough, I feel that my partner is strong and the old-school rules with the big court will cater to our playing style.
This is the first season I was able to get in the sand earlier than May, and boy did it pay off. I've been able to practice with some of Chicago's best talent, and have taken games off of players I couldn't touch the last few years. Although my quest for a blocker didn't work out at the beginning of the season, I believe I've given myself a good enough reputation where I'll have options the next sand season (getting one for my last tournament is something I'm definitely excited for!). Perhaps most exciting is the fact that I may have a sponsor that will allow me to travel and compete on the AVP tour next season, which would be a BIG step forward. Keep your fingers crossed!
Summer Clinics: I ran a ton of lessons this summer, and really enjoyed watching players progress. Last weekend I played a tournament where a few of my players made their doubles debut, and one team won their division while the other took a 3rd place. It was great to see them get some positive results from all the hard work they put in, and my only regret is that I won't get to watch them progress the next 2 years. With their work ethic, I have no doubt they'll continue to move up!
Although I was hoping for a longer post, I've got to get moving - but I have some other thoughts cluttering my mind which I'll share in the near future. Until next time...
2 last things:
1) As mentioned earlier, while I like the content I put in this blog, it could use a facelift regarding how it looks. Anyone have any experience with this that would be willing to help?
2) Most of you probably have heard the saying "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans". Obviously, things have changed a bit since I first started writing this blog. Although I'm not against the possibility, my plans for the future at the moment do not include playing indoor in Europe. That being said, I could use a new name for the blog. Suggestions are welcome :)
Graduate School: Although the process took MUCH longer than expected, I am officially accepted into the Masters of Collaborative Education program at Mercer University in Macon, GA! I'll serve as the Graduate Assistant for their women's volleyball team, which competes at the Division I level. I leave in two weeks, and will be beginning my duties upon arriving the first week of August. I am sad to leave Chicago yet again, but am very excited for the chance to coach this team. The coach and I share similar philosophies, the players are dedicated and are hungry to bounce back from last season, and the campus is gorgeous. I look forward to helping the team reach its goals!
Volleyball (Player): It has been the most successful season of my brief doubles career by far. Started it off with a personal-best in a pro tournament 7th place in Michigan. Took a 9th at my first EVP tournament of the season. Took 3rd in the Open division of the Volleywood tournament, and had my partner's leg not decided to cramp we may have won it the way we were playing. Won both co-ed tournaments I played, and plan on 3-peating this Sunday. The last tournament of the year for me is the Corona Wide Open on July 31st, and although the competition is going to be tough, I feel that my partner is strong and the old-school rules with the big court will cater to our playing style.
This is the first season I was able to get in the sand earlier than May, and boy did it pay off. I've been able to practice with some of Chicago's best talent, and have taken games off of players I couldn't touch the last few years. Although my quest for a blocker didn't work out at the beginning of the season, I believe I've given myself a good enough reputation where I'll have options the next sand season (getting one for my last tournament is something I'm definitely excited for!). Perhaps most exciting is the fact that I may have a sponsor that will allow me to travel and compete on the AVP tour next season, which would be a BIG step forward. Keep your fingers crossed!
Summer Clinics: I ran a ton of lessons this summer, and really enjoyed watching players progress. Last weekend I played a tournament where a few of my players made their doubles debut, and one team won their division while the other took a 3rd place. It was great to see them get some positive results from all the hard work they put in, and my only regret is that I won't get to watch them progress the next 2 years. With their work ethic, I have no doubt they'll continue to move up!
Although I was hoping for a longer post, I've got to get moving - but I have some other thoughts cluttering my mind which I'll share in the near future. Until next time...
2 last things:
1) As mentioned earlier, while I like the content I put in this blog, it could use a facelift regarding how it looks. Anyone have any experience with this that would be willing to help?
2) Most of you probably have heard the saying "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans". Obviously, things have changed a bit since I first started writing this blog. Although I'm not against the possibility, my plans for the future at the moment do not include playing indoor in Europe. That being said, I could use a new name for the blog. Suggestions are welcome :)
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Woodenisms
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5249709 - ESPN has a lot of other great articles from people that were close to him, give it a look!
Coach, Teacher, Hero: Rest in Peace John Wooden
If I had a "Mount Rushmore" of the mentors that have helped shape me as a player, coach, and human being, the four people would be my father, John Wooden, Dave Hildebrandt (first coach at Newbury) and Bob Vilsoet (Women's coach at Harper that talked me into playing again when I was 19). Woke up at 5:45 am today to turn on ESPN for news that I had been preparing myself for since yesterday: John Wooden died of natural causes at the age of 99.
Where to even start? My father set a strong foundation for how to conduct yourself as an athlete both on and off the court, but John Wooden's books really took it to the next level for me. I remember picking up a John Wooden book for the first time in September of 2006. It took me two days to read his book about the Pyramid of Success which he created, and it completely blew my mind.
He won 10 NCAA National Championships in 12 years, but winning was never discussed. Effort was his focus, playing with class, never criticizing a fellow teammate. His quotes are timeless: "Be quick, but don't hurry" "Failure to prepare is preparing to fail", and so many more will stay with me until the day I die. Even at the age of 98, he wrote a book about mentoring, and although he talked a lot about sports figures, he also talked about how people can influence those off the court, discussing some of his mentors (President Abraham Lincoln and Mother Teresa were two of his favorites).
I never met John Wooden. E-mailed him once just to see what would happen, and received a generic response that was automated (He was in his mid 90's - I didn't take it personal). I don't like to do the "What if" thing, but I am certain of one thing: If I had never been graced with the teachings and philosophies of John Wooden, I would not be where I am today. My approach to sports (and life for that matter) completely changed after reading his books.
I have no tattoos yet, but if I was ever to get one, it would be the pyramid of success on my back, because I do my best to use this as a guidance to how to act both on and off the court.
Rest in peace John Wooden - I was blessed to stumble upon your books. The world was a better place for your contributions.
I will post links upon my return to Chicago of various Wooden clippings.
Where to even start? My father set a strong foundation for how to conduct yourself as an athlete both on and off the court, but John Wooden's books really took it to the next level for me. I remember picking up a John Wooden book for the first time in September of 2006. It took me two days to read his book about the Pyramid of Success which he created, and it completely blew my mind.
He won 10 NCAA National Championships in 12 years, but winning was never discussed. Effort was his focus, playing with class, never criticizing a fellow teammate. His quotes are timeless: "Be quick, but don't hurry" "Failure to prepare is preparing to fail", and so many more will stay with me until the day I die. Even at the age of 98, he wrote a book about mentoring, and although he talked a lot about sports figures, he also talked about how people can influence those off the court, discussing some of his mentors (President Abraham Lincoln and Mother Teresa were two of his favorites).
I never met John Wooden. E-mailed him once just to see what would happen, and received a generic response that was automated (He was in his mid 90's - I didn't take it personal). I don't like to do the "What if" thing, but I am certain of one thing: If I had never been graced with the teachings and philosophies of John Wooden, I would not be where I am today. My approach to sports (and life for that matter) completely changed after reading his books.
I have no tattoos yet, but if I was ever to get one, it would be the pyramid of success on my back, because I do my best to use this as a guidance to how to act both on and off the court.
Rest in peace John Wooden - I was blessed to stumble upon your books. The world was a better place for your contributions.
I will post links upon my return to Chicago of various Wooden clippings.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Greetings from Macon - Recap from 1st Tournament of Summer and some Words of Wisdom.
Writing this one from Georgia - enjoying a nice weekend away from the normal grind. I've been working incredibly hard on the court, and as starting on the 12th I'll have 6 straight weekends with tournaments, I figured this would be a nice calm before the storm. Looking forward to moving here in two months to begin the coaching gig!
As usual I'm terrible with updates, but I'll do my best to catch everyone up. I've been practicing every day that the weather has allowed for the last 2 months, and I can definitely see the payoff. Opened up the pro season with the MPVA event last Saturday in Grand Haven, Michigan. Although it was hard to lock in someone to play with as USAV Indoor Nationals was going on during the same weekend, I was lucky and pulled in Brett Benfield 2 days before the tournament. He's a seasoned veteran that definitely brings a lot to the table, and after a basic practice session on Thursday, we set out to Michigan to do some damage.
It wouldn't be easy. As I had no points on this tour as I've never played an MPVA event, we were seeded 22nd out of 27 teams. That gave us a 1st-round match-up against 11 seed Eli Masud/Travis Wilson, another team from Chicago. They had won an EVP event 2 years ago, and Travis partnered with former D-III opponent John Kessenich to make the AVP Muskegeon Main Draw last year, taking a game from Olympians Sean Rosenthal and Jake Gibb. Our work was cut out for us, but I felt they may come out flat, and it's all about who's better that match.
Before getting into details about the tournament, let me give a shout-out to the MPVA - Rick and his staff were on top of everything being organized, and kept things moving better than any sand tournament I've played in previously. I have no issue continuing to travel 3 hours each way to these tournaments knowing the quality they're going to put out (hopefully I'm not jinxing them!).
Weather was gorgeous, and we arrived early to warm-up. Travis shows up about 15 minutes before first serve, and Eli runs up about 5 minutes beforehand. Brett and I both had a feeling they weren't going to be crisp, and sure enough we were able to sideout well and serve aggressively. Brett was very effective with his skyball, and I resorted to floats as I had NO timing jump-serving in the deeper sand (Nothing in Chicago compares to this stuff - I was always early as I wasn't hanging in the air is long, and the one jumper I made all day was a waffle). We won the first game 22-20, and the second was a barnburner.
I was confident we would pull the match out the whole time, but I KNEW it at 20-20, which actually was after a point for them. Brett overpassed a ball and I moved up to about 8 feet off the net to take the TKO ball from Travis. Luckily, it hit me right in my platform, but the force of the hit shot it off the court to the right. I yelled at Brett to go after it, and he crashed into the sponsor banners while popping it back onto the court. I put it in play, and although the other team put it away, you could just tell there was no way we were losing. After both team had set-points, we put it away at 26-24.
In the round of 16 we ran into 6-seed Brendan Enright and Jason Marenette (spelling on both those names are questionable). Enright is about 6-5 with LONG arms, and Marenette had a pretty nasty jump serve. They start out serving aggressively and keeping us on our heels, and we found ourselves in a 13-9 rut. Enright proceeds to argue Brett's skyball with the refs and the legality of it, at which point we realized they were nervous and started playing better. We pulled out the 22-20 win, and kept our momentum with a 21-17 set 2 victory to make it to the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals put us against Van Rees/Sullivan, and we made their job easy. Sullivan was a BIG block that set the pace with like 4 blocks to start the game, and the only way I can describe Van Rees was like a lefty Sean Rosenthal - arguably a top 3 defender at the tournament, very explosive with his hits, and even looked a bit like Rosie! They thumped us in the first set, and although we started playing better on our side of the net the second set, we just could not seem to get points on the serve.
This sent us to the loser's bracket, where the name of the team escapes me, but they had just beaten Brian Kramer and his partner Vince to face us, where the winner would make it to 7th and lock in a check for (sit down for this one) SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS. They were nice guys and a decent team, but I was shocked that Kramer hadn't beaten them. That's the beast of an all-day tournament I suppose. We disposed of them in straight sets to secure a 7th place finish and a re-match with Masud/Wilson, who were waiting all day for a chance to get revenge.
Revenge was an understatement. My serve-receive started to fall apart, they dug everything we hit, and I ended the match with the ugliest set of the day, capped off by a sky ball that found no sky (I swung a little hard, barely made contact, and it went about 10 feet in the air).
So we finished 7th out of 27, which is my best finish of my brief career playing pro events. I'm happy that we did well, but am excited to move forward with more training and get a better finish!
(Sidenote: Talked with Eli Masud after, really nice guy with a good head on his shoulders. If you follow Midwest sand volleyball, expect him to stay on top for the next 5-10 years).
One last thing before I wrap this up: Was hanging out at the apartment while the person hosting me is working and caught Bobby Knight doing a commencement speech at Trine University (apparently you can find info on it at Trine.edu). PHENOMENAL speaker. Aside from his great style, he had some great stuff that I found myself writing down so I didn't forget it. I'll share:
*The way to win is eliminating ways to lose: As someone that's always worked on the weakest part of my game, I thought this was a great way of talking about how consistency is important.
*Satisfaction is the first step towards losing.
*When you kick a tiger in the ass, you better have a plan for when he turns around: Definitely stealing that one!
*The will to prepare to win is more important than the will to win: Probably the most valuable thing I got out of his speech - and I couldn't agree more.
*See instead of look, listen instead of hear.
That's about it for now. Hit the website and see if you can find it - he had some great stories of coaching Jordan in the 84 Olympics as well!
Enjoy the weekend everyone.
As usual I'm terrible with updates, but I'll do my best to catch everyone up. I've been practicing every day that the weather has allowed for the last 2 months, and I can definitely see the payoff. Opened up the pro season with the MPVA event last Saturday in Grand Haven, Michigan. Although it was hard to lock in someone to play with as USAV Indoor Nationals was going on during the same weekend, I was lucky and pulled in Brett Benfield 2 days before the tournament. He's a seasoned veteran that definitely brings a lot to the table, and after a basic practice session on Thursday, we set out to Michigan to do some damage.
It wouldn't be easy. As I had no points on this tour as I've never played an MPVA event, we were seeded 22nd out of 27 teams. That gave us a 1st-round match-up against 11 seed Eli Masud/Travis Wilson, another team from Chicago. They had won an EVP event 2 years ago, and Travis partnered with former D-III opponent John Kessenich to make the AVP Muskegeon Main Draw last year, taking a game from Olympians Sean Rosenthal and Jake Gibb. Our work was cut out for us, but I felt they may come out flat, and it's all about who's better that match.
Before getting into details about the tournament, let me give a shout-out to the MPVA - Rick and his staff were on top of everything being organized, and kept things moving better than any sand tournament I've played in previously. I have no issue continuing to travel 3 hours each way to these tournaments knowing the quality they're going to put out (hopefully I'm not jinxing them!).
Weather was gorgeous, and we arrived early to warm-up. Travis shows up about 15 minutes before first serve, and Eli runs up about 5 minutes beforehand. Brett and I both had a feeling they weren't going to be crisp, and sure enough we were able to sideout well and serve aggressively. Brett was very effective with his skyball, and I resorted to floats as I had NO timing jump-serving in the deeper sand (Nothing in Chicago compares to this stuff - I was always early as I wasn't hanging in the air is long, and the one jumper I made all day was a waffle). We won the first game 22-20, and the second was a barnburner.
I was confident we would pull the match out the whole time, but I KNEW it at 20-20, which actually was after a point for them. Brett overpassed a ball and I moved up to about 8 feet off the net to take the TKO ball from Travis. Luckily, it hit me right in my platform, but the force of the hit shot it off the court to the right. I yelled at Brett to go after it, and he crashed into the sponsor banners while popping it back onto the court. I put it in play, and although the other team put it away, you could just tell there was no way we were losing. After both team had set-points, we put it away at 26-24.
In the round of 16 we ran into 6-seed Brendan Enright and Jason Marenette (spelling on both those names are questionable). Enright is about 6-5 with LONG arms, and Marenette had a pretty nasty jump serve. They start out serving aggressively and keeping us on our heels, and we found ourselves in a 13-9 rut. Enright proceeds to argue Brett's skyball with the refs and the legality of it, at which point we realized they were nervous and started playing better. We pulled out the 22-20 win, and kept our momentum with a 21-17 set 2 victory to make it to the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals put us against Van Rees/Sullivan, and we made their job easy. Sullivan was a BIG block that set the pace with like 4 blocks to start the game, and the only way I can describe Van Rees was like a lefty Sean Rosenthal - arguably a top 3 defender at the tournament, very explosive with his hits, and even looked a bit like Rosie! They thumped us in the first set, and although we started playing better on our side of the net the second set, we just could not seem to get points on the serve.
This sent us to the loser's bracket, where the name of the team escapes me, but they had just beaten Brian Kramer and his partner Vince to face us, where the winner would make it to 7th and lock in a check for (sit down for this one) SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS. They were nice guys and a decent team, but I was shocked that Kramer hadn't beaten them. That's the beast of an all-day tournament I suppose. We disposed of them in straight sets to secure a 7th place finish and a re-match with Masud/Wilson, who were waiting all day for a chance to get revenge.
Revenge was an understatement. My serve-receive started to fall apart, they dug everything we hit, and I ended the match with the ugliest set of the day, capped off by a sky ball that found no sky (I swung a little hard, barely made contact, and it went about 10 feet in the air).
So we finished 7th out of 27, which is my best finish of my brief career playing pro events. I'm happy that we did well, but am excited to move forward with more training and get a better finish!
(Sidenote: Talked with Eli Masud after, really nice guy with a good head on his shoulders. If you follow Midwest sand volleyball, expect him to stay on top for the next 5-10 years).
One last thing before I wrap this up: Was hanging out at the apartment while the person hosting me is working and caught Bobby Knight doing a commencement speech at Trine University (apparently you can find info on it at Trine.edu). PHENOMENAL speaker. Aside from his great style, he had some great stuff that I found myself writing down so I didn't forget it. I'll share:
*The way to win is eliminating ways to lose: As someone that's always worked on the weakest part of my game, I thought this was a great way of talking about how consistency is important.
*Satisfaction is the first step towards losing.
*When you kick a tiger in the ass, you better have a plan for when he turns around: Definitely stealing that one!
*The will to prepare to win is more important than the will to win: Probably the most valuable thing I got out of his speech - and I couldn't agree more.
*See instead of look, listen instead of hear.
That's about it for now. Hit the website and see if you can find it - he had some great stories of coaching Jordan in the 84 Olympics as well!
Enjoy the weekend everyone.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Outdoor Season!
Well, as I listen to the NET LIVE and find myself reading Amy Reichel's new blog at http://spotlightathlete-amyreichel.blogspot.com/ , I find myself inspired to update my blog. The weather's getting nice, the nets are going up all over the place, which means it's SAND SEASON!
This will be a big season for me. Every year I've made big strides forward, and I hope to make a bigger jump this season than ever before. I went from learning how to play doubles, to playing A, moving up to Pro just one year later. Although I had a 9th-place finish and won at least one match every tournament, I hope to place top-10 every tournament this year.
I've partnered up with Patrick Tagny this summer. A former setter for the Cameroon National Team, he's not too experienced with sand, but you wouldn't know it stepping onto the court with him! This is the first spring I've been back in Chicago since I started playing sand, and I've taken full advantage of it, practicing with him outdoors when the weather allows and renting the courts at North Beach on Friday nights when it didn't.
Although I won't name names as nothing's been etched in stone, quite a few potential sponsors have been met with, and if all goes accordingly to plan we'll be traveling the EVP tour outside of Chicago this season. First tournament's May 15th in Panama City, with a 2nd one in Naples on the 29th.
Part of the excitement of those tournaments is that for the first Chicago tournament, we should have accumulated enough points to not run into the top-seed in the 2nd round like I experienced all too many times last season. Who knows, with a strong first two tournaments in FL we may be able to get a top seed! Time will tell.
The big mechanics project for me this summer is the sand hands. Although I've used them VERY sparingly (probably 2-3 times a tournament last year), I've worked very hard to get them consistent enough to work into my game, and so far it's paid off. When we practice indoor I can hand-set about 80% of the passes, and depending on the wind outdoors its about 50/50. Watching the top teams last year, I felt the big thing that separated them from the rest was their ability to put up consistent sets almost every play, so that's been what I've been looking to improve.
Anyways, taking a quick cat-nap before my 1-8am shift (living the dream), but I'll try to update in the next few days.
This will be a big season for me. Every year I've made big strides forward, and I hope to make a bigger jump this season than ever before. I went from learning how to play doubles, to playing A, moving up to Pro just one year later. Although I had a 9th-place finish and won at least one match every tournament, I hope to place top-10 every tournament this year.
I've partnered up with Patrick Tagny this summer. A former setter for the Cameroon National Team, he's not too experienced with sand, but you wouldn't know it stepping onto the court with him! This is the first spring I've been back in Chicago since I started playing sand, and I've taken full advantage of it, practicing with him outdoors when the weather allows and renting the courts at North Beach on Friday nights when it didn't.
Although I won't name names as nothing's been etched in stone, quite a few potential sponsors have been met with, and if all goes accordingly to plan we'll be traveling the EVP tour outside of Chicago this season. First tournament's May 15th in Panama City, with a 2nd one in Naples on the 29th.
Part of the excitement of those tournaments is that for the first Chicago tournament, we should have accumulated enough points to not run into the top-seed in the 2nd round like I experienced all too many times last season. Who knows, with a strong first two tournaments in FL we may be able to get a top seed! Time will tell.
The big mechanics project for me this summer is the sand hands. Although I've used them VERY sparingly (probably 2-3 times a tournament last year), I've worked very hard to get them consistent enough to work into my game, and so far it's paid off. When we practice indoor I can hand-set about 80% of the passes, and depending on the wind outdoors its about 50/50. Watching the top teams last year, I felt the big thing that separated them from the rest was their ability to put up consistent sets almost every play, so that's been what I've been looking to improve.
Anyways, taking a quick cat-nap before my 1-8am shift (living the dream), but I'll try to update in the next few days.
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