The “Comeback” Season of 09’…and Final Thoughts

So, the final two AVP Qualifier tournaments I played in (Hermosa, Manhattan) we’re not very good showings as I went one-and-done in both events. One thing I noticed over the season was that although my game was good at most times, I didn’t really get better as the season went on. I felt fit and in shape however due to my lifestyle on the road and away from the beach, my time in the sand was minimal at best. I went all season long just competing on the weekends…and sometimes with two-week breaks in between events. Not the best formula for optimal performance!!!

I also hurt my low-back in a CBVA tournament (Hermosa) recently that took me out for a few days. The good thing is that I heal quickly these days…attributed to good training and taking care of myself physically and nutrition-wise.

Another post-season set back was the discovery of a melanoma on my back! After my first skin check with a dermatologist, I had four spots checked out (scrapped off and sent to the lab) for skin cancer…and sure enough one of them came back positive. I’m recovering from the procedure I had last week to have more of the area removed…and the pathology report indicates it’s all gone! Yay! Bad news is that I’m now susceptible to more melanoma in the years to come…so I’ll be even more cautious about my time in the sun and protecting the largest organ on my body. No, not that one, my skin!

Despite the late-season losses, low-back issue and melanoma news, I’m still positive about next season’s outlook and view these things as temporary setbacks. If you know my story, temporary setbacks are a way of life and just something to put into proper perspective. I WILL keep playing the sport I love and will continue to strive making a main draw appearance again on the AVP…only next season I’ll be 39 and it would mean that much more to me.

I have several positive takeaways from competing again, including the following:

• Victories over players and teams who have recently qualified into AVP main draws
• Became well-conditioned and able to serve and block for an entire tournament
• Improved my jump serve and able to apply pressure with it
• Bump setting was solid all season, even for “picky” partners
• Rekindled many friendships originally fostered on the beach…somewhere or another
• Enjoyed tremendous support from my wife, Jo
• Got to experience the rush of competing again
• Enjoyed seeing how  the game has progressed and athletes are becoming more and more fit
• Much, much more…love the sport and lifestyle of Beach Volleyball

Off-season training, here I come! Hopefully I’ll be able to get my feet in the sand more and more to improve for 2010. Wish me luck!!!

Manhattan Beach AVP is finally here!

The back has healed and my partner, Derek Sorensen, and I had a good showing last weekend in Santa Monica at the Corona Wide Open tournament where we took a 9th place with a 3-2 record. We both pretty much took the week off to rest up for the Manhattan Beach AVP Qualifier tomorrow.

We are the #15 seed in the qualification tournament and will have to win two matches to make it into the main draw. As mentioned in this blog, I’m playing beach volleyball competitively again because I love playing on the big stage and I’d like to be able to say that I played professionally on the AVP on the new short court as well as the old-school big court. My progress can be tracked through this link – http://www.bvbinfo.com/Tournament.asp?ID=2121&Process=QBracket

Wish me luck as I battle younger and just as hungry as me competition. There are no easy days and I expect to be fully tested in order to receive my prize…it’s always more fulfilling that way anyway. Let’s do this!!!!

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back…

Setbacks are a natural part of athletics as well as in life. The important thing to remember is that setbacks are only temporary. Through continuous efforts, forward progress will be made!

I’m coming off of a back injury that kept me from competing over the last few weeks. I’ve been strengthening my core and working out regularly (taking it easy when I need to) since the injury to improve my overall fitness and prepare for the next tournament, which is this weekend!

I’ll be playing in a tournament called the Corona Wide Open (www.coronawideopen.com) in Santa Monica. This is a grassroots type of beach volleyball tour that is endorsed by beach legends Karch Kiraly and Brian Lewis. In fact, I understand Karch will be playing in the four-person team competition so it should be a fun day at the beach.

This event has some good prize money in it and would be great to win of course but my sights are still set on earning a main draw spot at the AVP Manhattan Beach Open. The Manhattan Beach Qualifier will be held on Thursday, July 16th just south of the pier. This is the Wimbledon of beach volleyball and Manhattan is one of the beaches I’ve never qualified for in my career so it’d be doubly nice to get in this one! Wish me luck!!!

Huntington Beach AVP Wrap Up

The Huntington Beach AVP tournament last weekend was an awesome experience both from a player and a fan standpoint. Nothing like a pro beach volleyball event at a natural beach to make the summer more enjoyable…I wish more events were produced on natural beaches! The fans tend to know the game of beach volleyball more, they follow the players throughout the season and aren’t shy about interacting with the players, refs and other fans…thanks to the high-touch environment that allows fans to do so in beach volleyball – something unique to the sport. Natural beaches also capture new fans because they can see first-hand what the lifestyle is like, and seeing well conditioned athletes do their thing half-naked doesn’t hurt either.

The qualifier was held on Thursday morning just south of the pier. On Wednesday night, we had four players staying at our house in Redondo Beach and had a big dinner that night to fuel up on some good food. I had BBQ chicken, my famous salad (with home-made dressing), cornbread muffins and cous cous on the menu. I love to cook and it’s always entertaining when you get a handful of volleyball players together so this was a fun evening. That night however, I couldn’t sleep a wink because I was so excited to play the next day. I also had virtually no appetite in the morning…not normal for me but it happens sometimes when I’m competing in a big tournament. It’s a good thing I take such good care of my body during the week so I can withstand such mental/physical curve balls come tournament time.

My partner, Aaron Wexler and I had a first round match against a team that neither of us knew. We were the higher seed (#23) but in beach volleyball that can often times be thrown out the window as there are so many good players these days and anyone is capable of getting hot at any time. This was not the case however as we proceeded to dismantle our opponents with a 21-9, 21-9 victory. We had great teamwork and served tough the entire match which led to several blocks and transition kills from digs. Although we should win this match 10 times out of 10, I liked how we handled ourselves in this “should win” game. I remember Karch never letting up on an opponent no matter how bad they may be playing. Win and move on is the mantra…and that is what we did.

The only practice time we had together going into the tournament was playing a couple of matches against another qualifier team on Tuesday morning. This was pretty much our sole opportunity to get a good feel for one another and discuss some volleyball particulars. Who will play what side?, what will we do in an over on two situation?, etc. First we played “Hawaiian Style” where we switched sides straight across the net as opposed to staying on the left or right side respectively the whole match. We figured out that we’d be best suited with me playing the left and Aaron on the right side. Also, since Aaron is 6′ and I’m 6’5″, I’d be doing all of the blocking. As much as I’ve enjoyed playing with a “like” partner in the past that I could switch up blocking duties with at any time, I like specializing my skills as the blocker on the team even better. You can really control a game from the net, and the best teams do just that. I’m even finding myself daydream-blocking where I’ll just be thinking of being at the net and reacting to my opponents offensive attack…and swatting it back of course.

When I played AVP volleyball in the big court days it made more sense to have two able-bodied players that were well-rounded enough to block as well as play defense. Only recently has the trend been geared more towards players specializing in their position. Now that I’ve embraced this, I’m motivated to become the best blocker I can be and have adjusted my training accordingly to improve things like core strength, recovery time and footwork at the net. My favorite training tool is still the TRX Suspension Trainer, a bodyweight-based fitness tool that improves strength and athleticism through whole-body, multi-joint exercises that demand high levels of core engagement, balance and coordination.

In our second round match we went up against a solid team that was the number 10 seed in the qualifier tournament, AJ Mihalic and Kevin McColloch. These guys won an AVP Young Guns tournament a week or two before this tournament against a stacked field…so they were on their game. I started off the match with a stuff block on McColloch but didn’t have as many blocks throughout the match as I should have. AJ in particular was driving me crazy with his line hits/shots. He was selling the crosscourt hit pretty well and always seemed to find a hole in my line. They played steady volleyball and had a sound sideout game going against us. Aaron played great defense behind me and maintained a great positive attitude each and every point. We ended up losing the match in two games and a score of 16-21, 17-21.

We felt like we were right there with them for most of the match but they were indeed playing that much better than we were. I’m not shaken or disappointed in the least from this loss. In fact, I look forward to playing them (or anyone that I ever lose to) again soon to see if we can improve on that performance. It’s an opportunity to learn both individually and as a team from what worked well and what didn’t, and to make the necessary adjustments to be better next time out.

Three Days of Beach Volleyball in a Row

Since I was playing in a tournament with a first-time partner on Saturday, I decided to meet up with my partner in Hermosa Beach to do some light drills and discuss things like where we each liked our sets, blocking/defense strategy and other general volleyball-related stuff. My wife was playing with some friends in Hermosa that morning so we had a great breakfast at Good Stuff, then we each did our thing. It’s always nice when we can both be at the same beach!

The Great American Volleyball tournament on Saturday was held in Manhattan Beach – probably my favorite place to compete due to it’s rich beach vb history, great sand/courts and it always brings out the best teams. The day was nice and sunny but a steady and ever-increasing wind throughout the day kept it a little on the cool side from time to time.

We lost our first match in two games but it was close. In fact, our first game was lost by a score of 38-40…and the game is to 21 (win by two)! The second game was lost 18-21, which put us in the contender’s bracket for the rest of the day. Our first match in the contender’s bracket was a tough one against a notable team and we pulled it out in two games, including one that was a score of 35-33. I got two blocks in a row to win this match. The win felt good!…it always does!

Our next match was against a smaller, but solid team with good ball control. The wind had picked up quite a bit by now and it was a challenge just to serve the ball in the court. The match was close the entire time and we lost in two games. Tournament over. The loss felt bad!…it always does, especially when it means your tournament is over!

I felt like our partnership was just ok. He played well, made some nice digs and transitioned for points most of the time…and he set me well. I played well also – passed consistently well, had my side out game going on and was getting lots of blocks in each match. We meshed well enough to play competitively with anyone but we didn’t have that “special ingredient” that would give us the edge. That being said, I’ll be joining my previous partner (Sumi) for the next tournament to see if we can improve upon our prior finishes and prepare for the forthcoming AVP Qualifier in Huntington Beach on May 21st. Sumi was in Miami for business this last weekend which is why I was open to playing with someone new.

My partnership with Sumi is bound by a mutual respect for one another. We communicate well with each other and always maintain a positive attitude regardless of what the scoreboard says. This is a great foundation for a partnership! Now, we just have to refine our game and that will come naturally with some practice and playing in tournaments together. I know we both have game enough to make it on the AVP. The only question is will it happen sooner or later….stay tuned!

On Sunday morning, I had the opportunity to train with a couple of full-time AVP pros (Will Stickland & Aaron Watchfogel) in Manhattan Beach. Our house-mate and fellow aspiring AVP player (Tony Pray) invited me to join him after getting the call Saturday night from Will. I was feeling pretty good even after playing in a tournament the day before. As a guest of their group, my goal was to help them with whatever training they were doing as well as help with set up, take down of the equipment and shagging balls. Do unto others, right!?!

We did some side out drills, freeball handling drills and played a game where the serving team had to win 5 points before the receiving team could side out 11 times. All of us got in some good reps. Tony and I played well in the drills but were certainly outdone by Aaron and Will. Those guys are extremely talented and skilled volleyball players! Lastly, we played one  game to 15 points and got smoked…something like 15-5! Aaron started off by acing us down the middle and then later on Will’s float serve was giving us massive trouble. I love playing against better players…it’s motivation to get better and someday hopefully beat them.

It was soooo nice to get in three straight days on the sand since I’m out of town (and away from the beach) so often. Like I’ve said before though, I play as good as I’m feeling so I take the time to train correctly (mostly with the TRX) and eat well during the week so I’m ready to go come tournament time.

Next weekend is another AVP Young Guns tournament and it will be held in Manhattan Beach. Aside from $10k in prize money, this tournament will offer points that will help with seeding in the next AVP Qualifier. The tournament will be stacked and we hope to start making a dent by going far in the tournament, or winning it outright.

BTW – here is my volleyball bio. Hopefully the AVP will allow me to update the info and my photo soon!

AVP Riverside and CBVA Tournament Wrap Up

My partner and I entered into the AVP Qualifier as the 44 seed and our first opponents were the 21 seed, both of them had recent AVP main draw experience as well. Our match went three games and we ultimately won in the third set 15 – 12. In beach volleyball, I think the team that adjusts first eventually wins…and I feel that’s how we won – but it was definitely hard fought by both sides. In any case, it was great to get the upset win and advance another round in the single-elimination tournament.

I got most of the serves in our first match. I like getting served despite the stigma that it comes with (perceived as the weaker player) because then I feel the match is in my hands.

My passing was great all day and my side out ability was pretty good but not as crisp as I would have liked it. I’m still getting used to playing the right side but it’s going pretty well thus far and playing on the right has improved my ability to put away balls in transition. My high line shot was going down and that opened up my cross-court hit. Their net play (blocking) was solid and I had to do a handful of tool shots off the block when other shots just weren’t available. The tool off the block is a great last-second “get out of jail” play…and is better than getting stuffed any day.

Siding out in beach volleyball is like driving the lane in basketball. It’s very athletic for one thing and deception is used to create shot options (i.e. show angle all the way, then turn line at the last second). Both moves involve making last-second decisions based on a moments worth of various input…like where is the defender (holding middle, cheating to one side, leaning, juking), what’s the wind doing (blowing cross, front/back, gusty), how close to the antenna am I (how much room is there to work with), what’s the blocker doing (show and take, late move into the angle, dropping off the net, up early and exploitable), etc. All of this gets processed in a split second and a decision is made, hopefully the right one.

It felt great to have a win under our belt and that settled my nerves. There is so much pressure to win in a single-elimination tournament. You don’t want to lose because so much has been invested in performing well when it counts. I haven’t felt the juices flowing like that in a long time. All kinds of thoughts were racing through my mind as I mentally coached myself during the match trying to not only play well but to also improve in my fundamentals and game strategy. I even tapped into various sports psychology methods of thinking to encourage a favorable outcome and performance worthy of  being deemed “professional” in my approach, execution and sportsmanship. Working hard to improve on each and every play, giving full effort from start to finish. While there is something to be said about this approach, it’s also nice to enter into a tournament with confidence in your stuff and playing relaxed. Somewhere in between is the sweet spot for me and the more tournaments I play, the better I’ll be at the mental as well as the physical components to the game.

We had about two hours to wait until our next match. My wife and I went next door to our hotel room where she got in some work and I just rested and fueled up on water, G2 (my favorite sports drink) and some complex carbs. During this down time, I was able to digest what had just happened on the court and it helped me put everything in perspective with respect to this comeback effort of mine. I’m one step closer to my goal of playing in another main draw on the AVP, and I’m feeling like I belong amongst the best players competing to do the same.

Our second match was against another team I hadn’t seen play before. They played steady ball but didn’t do anything to wow us…yet they won in two games. Again, I got most of the serves and did almost all of the blocking. I was feeling pretty good entering into the match but quickly got tired. I’m in shape to do this but think that my body was dealing with so much in our first match that I fried my system up. The ref also had a quick whistle that we were playing to and that didn’t allow much time for recovery after each point. I was huffing and puffing a lot during the match and even used all of our timeouts to catch my breath when it got really bad. In the end, I don’t think I had the gusto needed to win this match and that’s why we lost.

it’s no fun to know that it was likely your fault for losing, but whatever happens we win as a team and lose as a team and as long as full effort is given with a never say die attitude, it’s all good. That being said, I learned that I need to train for that situation (quick whistle) so this doesn’t happen again. I intend to be more relaxed in mind and body at the next Qualifier and that will help me get through an entire event playing at a high level.

Riverside was a cool little town and the people were very nice. I’d recommend Duane’s Steakhouse at the Mission Inn Hotel, amazing food! We watched a little AVP action the next day, then headed back home to Redondo Beach where we unpacked and prepared for another tournament the next day in Hermosa Beach.

Hermosa Beach is our “home beach” and it’s always nice playing in tournaments there. My wife played in the women’s A and ended up taking 3rd place! I played in the men’s A and ended up taking 2nd place. We won our pool and earned a bye in the playoffs, then made our way to the finals. My partner played his heart out but cramped in the finals and we lost by 6 points. All in all, a great day of volleyball and my confidence was boosted by going 7 – 1 on the day.

It was nice to get more time in the sand since we wouldn’t be back in the South Bay until the following weekend. I blocked all day long and got to work on my timing and footwork. As a result, I think I’ll be more effective in the next tournament, which is April 25th in Manhattan Beach. It’s being run by Great American Volleyball and I’m playing in the Open-level. I’ll be playing with a new partner and going back to my strong side, the left. The competition will be fierce but I’m intent on taking my game up a notch and upsetting some teams. Tune in again soon to see how it went.

Me spiking past the block