Injury Time Out and Thoughts of “What If”

I just had to notify my partner, Lucas Wisniakowski (a.k.a. Polski Kowboy…he’s Polish and from Texas) for this weekends tournament in South Lake Tahoe that I wouldn’t be able to play due to a back injury. It crushes me to have to back out of a tournament, especially one at Zephyr Cove because it’s one of the few places where they still play big court and the party atmosphere from days of old still rocks on. In any case, injuries are a part of athletics and at this point I’m used to it and am able to remain positive and productive despite the circumstances.

My issue is a pinch feeling in my thoracic area that limits my range of motion. There is an occasional sharp localized pain also that quickly reminds me how fragile the body can be. As far as injuries go, this ain’t my first rodeo. I’ve sprained ankles (left ankle twice, right ankle three times), broke my wrist, had recurring low back and shoulder issues at one time or another and then there was the grand-daddy of all my injuries, a broken neck suffered in my early 20’s.

How’d I break my neck? I was messing around on the hard-packed sand along the shore in Pismo beach and somehow landed on my head causing a compression fracture of C6 & C7. I was in a lot of pain immediately but didn’t realize, or fathom, it was from a freakin broken neck. That night I used my backpack as a pillow and slept on the floor of a fellow competitors hotel room. The next morning I felt worse but had no choice other than to ride my motorcycle home from Pismo Beach to Santa Barbara. That ride was uncomfortable and dangerous as I couldn’t even turn my head to check blind spots. After another painful and sleepless night I decided to finally go to the hospital. They took X-rays of my neck and then a nurse swiftly put a neck collar on me and told me about the fracture as well as my treatment options – either surgery (fusion of the spine) or wearing a “halo” apparatus for 8+ weeks.

The thought of surgery on my neck pretty much freaked me out so I opted for the halo. You’ve probably seen people wearing these…it’s a poncho-like plastic vest lined with sheepskin. On the outside of the vest, lightweight metal posts attach to the vest and rise over the head like some sort of Frankensteinian scaffolding. At head-level, the halo creates four corners where titanium screws are secured and, you guessed it, screwed into my skull…an 1/8th of an inch deep in fact. The doctors applying this thing said I was the only person who could sit up while they put this on. That was until I got lightheaded and woozy from injections of anesthetic into my head where the screws were going in. What a crazy experience that was. I could actually hear my skin ripping apart as each screw anchored itself in my skull until all four screws were set, making it impossible to turn my head. This acted like a cast so my vertebrae could heal.

The halo stayed on for just over 8 weeks. This was the most uncomfortable down time I had ever experienced as an athlete, and it certainly made me think about life quite a bit. I found that a lot of my thoughts were beginning with the phrase “If I.” For example, “If I was healthy right now I’d go hiking in the mountains to take in the sights of nature and smell the fresh air” OR “If I had mobility I’d like to exercise and get stronger” OR “If I could be an athlete again I’d like to try making it in professional sports.” You get the picture. I think a lot of people who have incurred a serious injury or illness has had these kinds of thoughts. I’m lucky because I fully recovered and have since hiked several mountains, continue to exercise consistently and even played professional beach volleyball on the AVP for several years.

Once I healed up and had my mobility and strength again, my phrases started to begin with “What If” rather than “If I.” I was now empowered to feel as if I could do just about anything without restraint versus contemplating what I would do in the event I was healthy. This was a new way of thinking for me and I found it works quite well for determining the course of my life and ensuring it’s filled with health, love and happiness.

Let’s say I was pondering the notion of becoming a police officer (which I’m not). I’d simply say to myself, “What If I were to become a police officer?” That single question initiates a visualization exercise of actually being a police officer and going through a thought process that works backwards from that moment to current time. Working backwards is one of the best ways to move forward in life. When you think of the result (i.e. becoming a police officer) in practical terms, you start to think about the process involved with earning that badge which might include additional schooling, improving fitness, and passing the civil service examination for example. You might even be inspired to interview a local police officer or find out how to ride with one for a shift to see first-hand what it’s like.

The point of all this is to qualify whether or not “becoming a police officer,” or your aspiration of choice, is something that would be personally fulfilling to you. I challenge you to experiment with this “What If” concept. Use it to set your sights on something, then work backwards from the moment of achieving that goal. Ask questions along the way and listen to what your heart tells you. I’d love to get some feedback on this so please share your thoughts…which I’ll address and use in a follow up email on harnessing the power of living what I call, “The If Life.”

AVP Young Guns, Manhattan Beach Wrap Up

Saturday morning was cold and windy…the kind of day where you’d likely prefer to stay indoors, grub on comfort food and watch a good game or movie. It takes more than some chilly wind however to cancel a volleyball tournament, especially one that has AVP Qualifier seeding points at stake and about 50 men’s teams competing in the double-elimination format tournament. 

Due to our position on “the board,” we were up first on court one. I didn’t know who our opponents were but knew that they were young, like 20 and 21 respectively, and that one was a libero at USC and the other was an outside hitter for UCLA (I think).  Our match went three games and we edged them out in game three to win. I was really impressed with the libero, he played great defense and made it hard to find sand. As requested, I started out playing left side and was doing fairly well. My partner felt that we’d do better if we switched, which we did in the middle of the match. We continued the tournament with me playing on the right side and doing virtually all the blocking.

Our first round victory earned us a match up against the #2 seed in the tournament, Ivan Mercer and Leonardo Moraes. These guys I do know and have played against but it’s been a loooong time since then and they’ve been playing at a high level this whole time – 7 years or so. We played well enough to stay with them, but not crisp enough in either offense or defense to take them down. We lost in two games…but it was still a respectible game.

When you lose, you have to referee the next match on the court you lost on so we had a little break where we could sit down and eat something. One and one on the day so far, we’re now in the “losers” bracket and it’s sink or swim time…lose and you go home (after reffing). I knew one of our opponents but had not seen him play for a long time either. No matter, we played well and beat them in two games. I must have blocked 15+ balls that match, which felt really good!

Two and one on the day now (yay, a winning record) and our next match is against a good friend – Tony Pray, who actually lives with us, and his partner. It was obvious that their strategy was to serve me the entire match. I got almost 100% float serves…short, deep and side to side. This should have made things easier for us however it gave us issues because of a couple things. My partner wanted me to pass to the middle of the court rather than in front of me, where I like to pass as it makes it easier to see the court on my approach. His request was due to knee pain he was feeling so I abliged and passed in the middle of the court. Another thing about passing to the middle is that it takes away the over on two play, which comes in handy on short serves to keep the defense guessing. Needless to say I was having difficulty siding out because of where my sets were ending up. Don’t get me wrong, I take the blame for not dealing with those sets as well as I could…and I know that they were a result of trying to help out my partner. We lost this match in two games but I feel it’s a match we could and should win most of the time.

So, we went 2 -2 for the day. That’s one more win than the last AVP Young Guns tournament I played in so it’s still a positive outcome for me. I’m itching to finish in the top three soon in an open-level tournament. I didn’t expect the comeback to happen overnight. Each time I compete I feel I’m getting a little bit better and have takeaways that I’ll work to improve on the next time out.

Speaking of next time out, the Huntington Beach AVP Qualifier will be on May 21st. I’m going to play with a new partner this time, Aaron Wexler. He’s an amazing defensive player with a good jump serve and plays with a serious attitude but doesn’t take himself too seriously. I think it will be a good partnership and I’m looking forward to having him playing behind my block. I’m also making a move back to the left side where I feel that I’m stronger from an offensive and setting stand point.

The AVP has made a couple of announcements recently that are noteworthy. First is that beach volleyball legend Holly McPeak has officially retired from competition. Secondly, the AVP has struck a TV deal with Versus so that all non-NBC games (3 of them) will be aired on the Versus channel.

Preventing Osteoporosis – The Silent Killer

When I think about why fitness is important to me I realize it’s mostly because I like being an athlete, having energy and being able to physically perform just about any activity I’d want to at any given time. I’m also motivated however by the power of prevention with respect to disability and disease, of which there are plenty to be worried about. The exercise and good eating habits I do today will protect me from several ailments/injuries in the future. May is Osteoporosis awareness month so I wanted to help inform people of this disease which is a major public health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans…and it’s called the “silent killer.”

Osteoporosis is a disease whereby bone density is reduced, causing bones to become fragile and more susceptible to breaking. The disease affects approximately one out of every three women and one out of every five men over the age of 50 years. In aging populations, a bone break resulting from osteoporosis can lead to loss of independence, hospitalization and even dealth.

Bone loss is inevitable with age. As we get older we’re not able to replace bone tissue as fast as we lose it. The rate of bone loss is different for everyone and some people are at risk more than others including older/aging adults (40+), post menopausal women – especially Caucasian, Asian and Latino women; small boned/framed individuals, those with sedentary lifestyles or who abuse alcohol to name a handful.

Bones have major functions in our bodies and it’s important to maintain their health so they can:

• Provide structural support to the body
• Protect vital organs
• Store minerals such as calcium
• Provide a shelter for marrow to produce blood cells

The 2004 report from the Surgeon General titled Bone Health and Osteoporosis emphasizes the fact that many Americans do not currently get enough exercise. Exercise, strength training in particular, has proven to build bone mass in young people and slow down bone loss for adults – something that typically begins at age 40. Strength training via resistance or weight bearing exercise stresses muscles and bones which causes them to adapt and grow stronger in response.

Osteoporosis is called the “silent killer” because many people do not even know they have it until they incur a fracture. Strength training is especially important for older adults not only to maintain bone density but to also build muscle tone and improve posture and balance for preventing falls, a common cause of osteoporotic breaks. Those who exercise regularly will also speed up rehabilitation from injuries like bone fractures.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week including 2-3 days of weight-bearing exercise. The International Osteoporosis Foundation tells us it’s never too late in life to start exercising but caution people at the same time to consult a physician regarding what kind of exercise and level of intensity is appropriate. In any case, it’s vitally important for people to maintain a lifestyle based in regular exercise and sound nutrition to slow the rate of bone loss and prevent osteoporosis.

As a fitness trainer, I’d recommend bodyweight-based exercise using a TRX Suspension Trainer to anyone 13 years old or older for improving strength (especially in the core), balance and coordination…and to build lean functional muscle mass and maintain bone strength! TRX offers a highly functional workout for the entire body and exercises can be performed as easy or difficult as you want them to be. Each TRX System comes with easy to follow set up and use instruction as well as an exercise guide DVD to get you started. Live a long healthy life and don’t let the silent killer get you!

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!

The Ultimate Home Gym…To Go!

It’s one thing to have an exercise apparatus that’s fun to use and delivers results in the privacy of your own home. It’s an entirely new ballgame when that piece of equipment weighs less than two pounds, folds up into the size of a toiletry bag and can literally travel with you anywhere to deliver a whole-body functional workout on your time, wherever you like (home, hotel room, outdoors, gym, beach, etc.), and all within a single station. Add the fact that the TRX System by Fitness Anywhere could replace your gym membership for about $150 bucks and now you’ve got a recession-proof (and excuse-proof) fitness program. Not bad, eh?…and it all stems from Navy SEAL ingenuity!

Two of the latest trends in fitness are functional training and bodyweight-basedexercise. The TRX System is a fusion of these fitness methods and has created a new genre of fitness called Suspension Training. Suspension Training is considered by some to be the evolution of functional training because of it’s emphasis on core engagement and it’s ability to work the body through all three planes of motion (saggital, frontal and transverse).

Suspension Training with the TRX System allows users to make exercises easier or more difficult with simple adjustments in hand and/or foot position, and this can even be done on the fly. Due to it’s versatility, TRX is appropriate for use by kids, baby boomers, weekend warriors and elite athletes alike. No matter how strong or weak you are, there are ways to progress or regress the intensity (hence difficulty) within dozens of exercises so that you’ll not only have a workout for how your body is today, you’ll have a fitness method that can accommodate your improved physique  for years to come.

Why do I love the TRX? I used to be a gym rat who lifted a lot of iron to get strong but found it didn’t improve my athleticism or protect me from injury as much as I would have liked. Since using the TRX System about three years ago (still using the same one!), I’ve become healthier and fit enough to try making a comeback as a professional beach volleyball player on the AVP Tour – at age 38!

Each TRX System comes with the following:

• TRX Suspension Trainer
• Instructional DVD
• Fitness Guide
• Travel Pouch
• 30 day, 100% satisfaction guarantee

For additional support, check out their video library for clips on set up and use, upper body exercises, lower body exercises and core exercises. I’ll soon have some videos of my own that I’ll share through this Blog and my website – www.VirtualWorkoutPartner.com so please come back and visit often…and follow my AVP comeback efforts on this Blog too!…see folder titled “The Comeback of 09′”

TRX used on the Biggest Loser TV show

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

AVP Young Guns, Long Beach Event Wrap Up

The AVP Young Guns tournament run by Great American Volleyball last weekend was pretty stacked. It was a nice sunny day but there was a strong and steady cross-wind blowing all day long. There were many good teams and several players with AVP main draw experience competing. My partner and I won our first match, then lost our next two to place 33rd in the tournament overall.

The first match is one we should win 99 times out of 100, in my opinion. Even though we were ahead most of the match, I’ve learned to keep the pressure on with aggressive play 100% of the time at this level. There is just too much at stake. This is something I learned from watching Karch Kiraly, the best player who ever lived…and who would never let up on you in any tournament situation.

In the next two matches we lost simply because we were outplayed. A couple of things here and a couple of things there can really add up quickly in a game to 21, so consistency is key. All in all, I felt our sideout ability was pretty good but our defense did not make up the difference in earning back any points lost on sideout attempts.

We would have liked to have finished better of course. This comeback will be met with several challenges so each experience along the way will have positive takeaways, and that’s what I’ll mostly focus on…but first, here were some of our challenges to contend with:

• This was the first tournament we’ve played in together – I have a fondness for taking “ball” when I block meaning that I’d read the hitter and react accordingly Vs. committing to line or angle (with option to take ball on tight sets). My partner prefers to defend behind a line, or “channel” block. We settled on me blocking line, then releasing to take ball when the set so dictated. I think we’ll change things up a bit more next time so that I’m freer to act on instinct and aggression. I fear we became predictable as a defense after awhile.
• We’ve played together before in practice but did not have the opportunity to train together durin the week leading up to the tournament – Fortunately I’ve been able to stay in shape and continue to play well despite not getting my feet in the sand during the week. These days, I seem to play as good as my body feels so I take good care of it and that’s my main focus leading up to an event. Communication however if a huge factor in being a successful team and we could have improved here as well…something we discussed and will work on.
• My partner was suffering from a calf cramp the entire tournament, citing dehydration – This is a pretty hampering condition as it affects virtually every kind of volleyball motion, especially the jump. This is another reason why I probably should have been more aggressive at the net rather than keeping my partner in a comfortable posture. Fortunately, dehydration is a condition that has a simple remedie and I’m confident he’ll be 100% by Thursday’s qualifier tournament in Riverside.

You can view the Great American Volleyball tournament results from last weekend by clicking here, then click on the “results” hyperlink for Long Beach. BTW – I just got the AVP brackets for Riverside and found out that the team that won this tournament will be the team we’ll have to go through if we win our first two matches. Tough road to the main draw but I welcome the challenge and look forward to the battle.

There can be no testimony without a test!

Beach Volleyball, a Sport of Sacrifice and Success

A couple of years ago I was given the opportunity to write a feature article for Max Sports & Fitness Magazine. The topic was beach volleyball and the subjects were Sean Scott and Rachel Wacholder, two top AVP pros who were training hard in hopes to represent the USA in the Olympics. They didn’t reach their goal unfortunately but if you read this article, titled “Success and Sacrifice,” it will give you a sense of what it takes to play on the AVP Tour. Just click on the “Max Sports & Fitness” link on the resources page of my website – VirtualWorkoutPartner.com. Writing this article was a great opportunity to highlight two amazing beach volleyball athletes and express just how intense it is out there on the beach. I hope you enjoy it…let me know what you think!

I enjoyed the writing process so much that I wanted to write this “comeback” Blog to chronicle my efforts towards earning a main draw berth in an AVP tournament this summer – at age 38. Playing in the main draw is something I’ve done 14 times before and my best finish was 17th place, which I did 5 times with 3 different partners. All of those main draw appearances were when the court size was 30′ x 60’…quite a bit larger than today’s court (since 2002) which is 26′ 3″ x 52′ 6″. So, to achieve my goal would be a nice personal victory as I’d be able to say that I played in an AVP tournament as a professional on both the big court and the short court – pretty cool stuff!

I’ve always loved living the beach volleyball lifestyle – it’s casual, fun loving (yet fierce) and energized with colorful personalities worth watching on and off the court. This gig ain’t easy though! Training alone can be exhausting, rigorous and downright painful at times…but stepping on the sand and competing as a professional in front of hundreds or even thousands of spectators in a high-touch environment is exhilarating enough to make it all worth while…and it’s that feeling that I’m after again!

I admire how tenacious beach volleyball players are because often times their investment in the sport doesn’t come with an eye-popping ROI to show for it. For example – players have no guaranteed income, pay for all their expenses (insurance, flights, hotel, training, etc.) and only earn money based on how they place in the tournament, which isn’t much especially when compared to other professional sports.  Sure the top players fare pretty well on the pay scale but if you’re not one of the usual suspects playing on Sunday chances are you’ve got at least one or two side jobs to make ends meet. As for myself, I used to work as a night auditor at a hotel, sold Cutco Cutlery, worked as a bar back and did odd jobs to earn enough money to cover rent, stay afloat and support my addiction to beach volleyball – and it was all worth it!

In addition to earning money on the side, I worked hard to secure various sponsors by developing win-win relationships with companies to promote their products, services or brand. For example Gold’s Gym sponsored me with free membership, personal training, gear/apparel and nutritional supplements in exchange for promoting their club at every opportunity (i.e. mentions in news articles), bringing in/recruiting new members and of course acting as a live-action personal billboard for their brand. I had similar arrangements with companies like Big Dog Sportswear, Blender’s in the Grass (like Jamba Juice) and Chuck’s Steakhouse to name a handful. Having all of this support greatly helped me to continue competing on the AVP for several years and I’m very grateful and appreciative of those relationships that were formed.

This year, I’m being supported by Fitness Anywhere. Please support my supporters…and do yourself a favor by getting a TRX from Fitness Anywhere – it’s truly the best fitness product I’ve ever used!

Baby Steps Towards the AVP

I chose to compete in a CBVA A-level tournament last weekend 1) with a partner I’ve never played with before 2) on my weaker side (right side) and 3) at a beach I hadn’t played on in years. We went 1-2 and did not even make it out of pool play. The format was one game to 28 points and we got too far behind in a couple of matches to come back from the deficit. Looking back, this was kind of a train wreck…but I’m a forward thinking person and like to look at the positive side of any experience – there are lessons to be learned at every turn. Below are some reasons why I decided to play in this tournament and some after thoughts:

• I wanted to compete in an “uncomfortable” environment in order to de-sensitize myself to things such as acclimating to new people/surroundings and learning to “read” players (i.e. shot tendencies, strengths and vulnerabilities) I’ve never seen play before.

I realized that when it comes to playing beach volleyball, once my feet are in the sand and the game starts, that’s all that matters – I’m mentally and physically engaged, and ready for battle. As such, I proved to myself that I’ll be able to compete at any beach/venue regardless of the weather, sand type (fine, gritty, gravel) or sand depth without it drastically affecting my play. Having spent so much time in the sand in my life, it’s actually where I’m most comfortable…and I was able to confirm that for myself before competing in a tournament with higher stakes.

The nice thing about playing against players you know is that you have a sense of how to play against them. You know, to some degree, what to expect from them and what it will take to beat them. When playing someone for the first time however, there is a little bit of a learning curve where you must apply fundamental volleyball knowledge (i.e. it’s hard for a player to spike down line when coming in at an extreme angle to attack the set) towards an opponents playing style in hopes to “figure them out” and effectively defend against them. My take away here (from playing in the A) is that when I get back to competing in the AAA/Open-level tournaments against players I’m more familiar with, I’ll be reminded to constantly look at them with fresh eyes in an effort to “figure out” their game out as it is TODAY. I expect that other players are working to improve their game just as I am and that means I’ll need to enter each match without predetermined expectations, as that would just sabotage myself from being as mentally focused as I need to be.

• I wanted to work on utilizing my jump serve more frequently and practice running up to the net to block after serving tough.

Placing pressure on your opponents with a tough serve puts you on the offensive and leads to earning points by instigating shanked passes and disrupting sideout rhythm. Utilizing a tough jump serve has proven to be tremendously effective in doing this. Jump serving also takes a lot of energy and can strip the stamina out of someone not conditioned for it. Until recently, I’ve been mostly float serving and putting emphasis on accuracy and placement in order to cause disruption for our opponents and to position our defense for success. Now, as I continue to get into better and better shape, I’m utilizing the jump serve more and more to increase the pressure on our opponents.

In this last tournment, I jump served frequently and was effective with it. The problem was that often times we’d win the point due to an errant pass so it ended up being like jump serve practice Vs. getting in some good jump serve and block repititions (including reading/reacting to the hitter and dropping off the net on bad/off sets). I know that earning these points was more a function of playing against A-level players than having an awesome jump serve…but it’s a good start to progressing in this skill.

Conditioning-wise, jump serving and blocking requires the ability to recover from two, three or possibly more explosive moves done consecutively (i.e. jumping to serve, sprinting to the net and jumping again on the block attempt). In recognition of this, I created a 5-exercise TRX circuit routine that works the entire body with attention to “volleyball muscles” and recovery from highly functional, whole-body anaerobic movements. Here is the routine, performed with 10 reps per set in a circuit format – I’ll repeat this program anywhere from 2-4 times depending on the time I have and how I’m feeling:

1. TRX Squat with High Row – works legs, upper back muscles and engages the core
2. TRX Suspended Push Up with Pike – works chest, triceps, hip flexors and core
3. TRX Hip Press – works glutes, hamstrings and erector spinae muscles
4. TRX Shoulder Series (low row, “T” row, “W” row, “Y” row) – works rear deltoids and engages the core
5. TRX Suspended Burpee – works single leg strength /explosiveness, balance and is highly cardiovascular

Many of these exercises are shown in video format online. Check them out and give them a try…especially if you’re a volleyball player! I hope to add video to this blog in the coming weeks so I can demonstrate these exercises personally for you – so keep coming back!

Next weekend (4/11) I’ll be playing in the AVP Young Gunstournament being held in Long Beach. There is a $10,000 purse up for grabs (men and women) as well as points that will go towards AVP rankings that will help with seeding in pre-event qualifier tournaments. I’ll be playing with a great partner, Sumi Epie who I’ve played with and against before in practice…and I think we’ll be a formidable team!

After Long Beach, we’ll be competing for a main draw berth in the AVP Riverside tournament on Thursday, April 16th. the main draw play begins on Friday, April 17th. Wish us luck and stay tuned to see how we do!

Thanks for following me on this “comeback” effort and please feel free to make comments and/or share this Blog with others who may be interested. I’ve received some nice comments in the past few days and I’d like to thank those people for their support and encouragement – truly appreciated!

Resuming Tournament Play

I’ve resumed competition in beach volleyball tournaments and I have to say, my juices are bubbling!

The physical and mental challenge of competition brings out the best in me…from physical exertion and effort to fair play and sportsmanship. I grew up playing a lot of golf and tennis (the gentleman’s game) where I was exposed to mentors who taught me about playing with integrity and courtesy. These values are still at the core of my athletic-spirit and enable me to always hang my head high, regardless of the outcome.

My mental mantra, or mission statement entering any match is to have fun and be the best partner I can be (meaning communicate, hustle and motivate to the best of my ability)…something inspired by words spoken to the partners of the AVP’s recently passed and beloved Mike Whitmarsh (96′ Olympic Silver Medalist) – “We win as a team and lose as a team. Let’s have fun and leave it all on the court.”

My goal however in any tournament is to place 3rd or better…to be in contention to win!

Last weekend I played in the California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA) sanctioned event, Marine Street Open-level tournament in Manhattan Beach, CA. An Open-level tournament means that anyone can enter, and they draw the best players. While I used to carry a “AAA” rating on the CBVA, the highest rating an amateur can achieve, it’s been years since I’ve competed in their tournaments so I’m currently an unrated player. Since you can play in tournaments at or above your ranking I’m elligible to play in any tournament of choice – from unrated to AAA/Open-level tournaments.

I played with my friend Arqum Iqbal, a solid player with a great attitude who can quietly kill you on the court with his game. It had been two weeks since the last time I played volleyball – something I can’t help because of the “on the road” lifestyle my wife and I lead. Fortunately, the beach game favors players seasoned with experience and even though I’d like to have more sand-time in my training regimen, I’m still able to play well from being in shape and from playing the game for 20 years.

This was a double-elimination tournament. We won our first match, then lost our next two (including a loss to the eventual winners) to place 9th in the tournament. I fell short of my 3rd place or better goal but have several positive take-aways from our play:

• We stayed positive at all times, even while down. While a positive attitude is not a guarantee you will win, a negative attitude almost always results in a loss!
• My fundamentals were solid – including passing, setting, blocking and ability to sideout consistently
• I was physically fit, recovering well after each point and in shape enough to play all day at a high-level
• I was able to mentaly channel energy effectively and “gear-up” for each and every point
• Despite being a primarily left-side player, I played on the right-side and performed just as well – so now I’m confident that I would be able to play either side which opens my partner options for the future

Some things I’ll look to improve upon include:

• Utilizing the Jump Serve more often to place pressure on our opponents
• Serving and Blocking, especially when I’m having success against a player(s)
• Covering my hitter…getting low after setting my partner to pick up any deflected/blocked balls

Beach Volleyball is a physically gruelling sport and players are constantly striving to improve their game, in all aspects – conditioning, fundamentals, ball control, defense, shot accuracy, strategy, dealing with the elements, etc. This sport just never gets boring…and it constantly offers new challenges for players/coaches to confront and overcome. Fortunately for beach volleyball fans and casual spectators alike, they can see how spectacular and sophisticated this sport has become by watching it first-hand on the AVP Tour. Make sure to check it out if and when it comes to your part of town!

My physical training leading up to the tournament included yoga, abdominal work, cardio sessions on the elliptical trainer (at 9,000 ft. elevation in Mammoth Lakes) and workouts with TRX, a bodyweight-based fitness tool that I travel with. If bodyweight-based training doesn’t sound like it can be as tough as a gym-based workout you’re sorely mistaken! The TRX allows me to train in a single-station environment at low or high levels of resistance or intensity…and I tend to push myself pretty hard in order to gain and maintain strength, balance and coordination – all good things for improving athleticism, something beach volleyball is all about!

Come back next week to see how I did in the forthcoming CBVA A-level tournament at Ocean Park, Santa Monica…and wish me luck!

As always, please feel free to comment on this Blog or share something about your own personal comeback – whether it’s sports related or not. Thanks!