The End Is Nigh

On my last drive home from work, I received the signal that every beach player dreads.  Leaves falling off of trees.  This momentous occasion for most people marks the time for pumpkin flavored everything, the affinity toward hoodies, but for beach players it basically means that summer and the beach season itself is now over.  (Here is Chicago the weather is still insanely nice for some reason, but regardless of that, many players have packed it in looking forward toward indoor season.)

But with the end of one thing comes the beginning of another.  I previously talked about physical preparations you can make in the off season that can pay huge dividends toward next year, but I want to add a few things to that list that you will inevitably procrastinate on.

Vitamin D

This is big one for multiple reasons.  Vitamin D is the number 1 vitamin deficiency in the US.  It is critical in maintaining many bodily functions as well as warding off any potentially serious complications.  Our evolutionary background has allowed us to produce Vitamin D by absorbing the sun's UVB rays (no, there is not any Vitamin D IN sunlight.  Vitamin D gets produced by your skin).  Credit this deficiency to work days that take place during day light hours, and poor diet.

Lucky for you, you know that through sun exposure (i.e. beach volleyball) you can easily obtain 90% of the Vitamin D you need.  The science on how much any individual needs and can absorb is still a bit fuzzy and your weight, genes, and even location on Earth factors into what you need.  A very general rule of thumb says that for every 25 lbs of weight you should be getting 1000 IU of Vitamin D.  So a 150 lb me should be aiming to get 6,000 IU daily (150/25 = 6, 6 x 1000 = 6,000).

Insufficient Vitamin D intake has been linked to seasonal affective disorder aka "winter depression", where a lackadaisical numbness of unmotivated nonchalance underwhelms you.  Winter can be cyclical time for good or bad.  Not getting enough Vitamin D making you less motivated in turn will make you work out less, eat less healthy, and continually compound on itself.  If you start building good habits now, you will be able to get the work out you need, boost your metabolism and endorphin and in turn your mental state.  Keep in mind though that Vitamin D is not a magic pill to cure this disorder.  Sunlight is also a big factor which directly affects your pineal gland or "third eye", whose hormone secretion is directly affected by sunlight exposure.

One thing to be cautious about is that the Vitamin D consumption goes hand in hand with Magnesium consumption.  Vitamin D needs Magnesium to be converted into its active form, so if you are Magnesium deficient (like most people are in the US), taking just Vitamin D will exacerbate this problem, and many people have reported adverse effects when taking Vitamin D.  But don't run out to your nearest drug store and pick up the first bottle of Magnesium you can find.

Magnesium supplementation, can be a bit tricky.  The cheap version, magnesium oxide, is essentially useless to you.  What you need is chelated magnesium so it can be readily absorbed by your body.  In the next blog post I'll talk more about chelates, how they work with magnesium supplements, and how you can work this in with your beach season.

Passion Doesn't Pay

Do what you love they said.  You will be much happier they said.

Very few people get to make a living as an athlete, and strangely enough it is very costly to aspire to be one as well.  That is what Johnny Manziel learned recently as he was penalized by the NCAA for "inadvertently" breaking one of their rules from uncountable list of idiocy.

I'm not sure what is more absurd, that he was penalized, or that is was only for the first half of a game.  But the penalty itself is very indicative of why the system of amateur athletics in the US is so messed up, specifically under the rule of the NCAA.  Even though this doesn't have much relevance to beach volleyball as it was recently just anointed as college sport for women, it has become such a hot button issue that I can't help but shed some more perspective on it.

Before I go any further, you should definitely check out Patrick Hruby's article on this matter and the Jonathon Benjamin story on which the article is centralized on.  I'll try to not reiterate too many things that he has already said because he pretty much hit the nail on the head with that one, but I think there is a bigger component of exploitation that doesn't get much talk.

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Alex Rodriguez has grossed over 324 million dollars in his career...yea...just let that sink in a little.

Regardless of how much we yell at our TV's in passion, sports may be a lifestyle or a culture to us fans and players, but at the end of the day it a business, and it is only one of many within the entertainment industry that compete against one another for our eyes and ears to exclusively give out attention and money to them.

The athletes then are not providing a service or delivering a product, they are the business itself but they don't get to profit off it unless the company that employs them profits.  But in the world of beach volleyball, the companies like the AVP, NVL, and FIVB don't thrive unless the players do as well.

The other side of the business is advertisement, sponsors, and endorsement deals.  This is what fuels the prize money (because ticket prices and merchandise are virtually out of the equation), and to attract more lucrative and lure more companies, those same partners need more of a reason and incentive to invest knowing that their brand will get proper exposure.  The only place they can get that is through the sport and the athletes themselves.

So you should see that when the pros are able to make themselves more viable as assets, that can make appearances, be heard and seen as athletes, that have the ability to promote products and services, then tours will have money being thrown at them.  But if I were a potential client, I wouldn't want to endorse a tour that has the majority of its athletes waiting tables, working odd jobs, or even worse, working for a competing company.  What kind of exposure is that?  You gotta spend money to make money,  but let's leave the spending to the tours and not the players.

Hot Pick Thursday: Go Ball Out

This one hits home for me and is quite personal.  At the start of this season I decided to team up with an old partner from a few years ago.  He is a real solid player, we had great chemistry, and he has a wicked lefty arm swing that was pretty much unstoppable.  We played quite well through the summer then a few months ago he got news that he had testicular cancer.  He had surgery shortly thereafter and all seemed well, but a blood test follow up indicated that the cancer had reemerged, and he is now undergoing chemo.

There isn't a nicer more outgoing guy I know and it is a shame that this happened, but he has taken everything in stride so well, and he has had a lot of support from his family and friends.  What has helped him and those who want to support him, are these blue wristbands that say "Go Ball Out", which is a type of motto to just go hard whenever life gives you an opportunity, don't hold back and give it everything you got, and at this point that is what he is doing as he is fighting back against TC.

I know that probably none of you know him, but you all are probably aware of how costly it can be to undergo serious medical treatment in this country.  It would really mean a lot to me and him as well if you could donate just a little bit, to help offset some of his medical costs so that it can be one less thing for him and his family to worry about, and as they say, every little bit helps.


Click here to donate

*Note that on the donation page, it says that payments will be sent to Jaime who set up the page, who is in fact Ryan's girlfriend

Beach Volleyball: Playing By The Percentages [Part 1]

This is going to be a bit of a hybrid post, that has both the breakdown analysis of a playing tip and the opinion based rant that you'd find in some of my other blog posts.  You should be able to notice that there is much more to sports than athletics.  There is gambling, fantasy sports, apparel, mascots, halftime shows, and numbers.  When I say numbers I don't just mean jersey numbers or point totals.  Statistics are vital to just about every sport, and broadcasters don't just provide them as filler but as an essential tool that allows the fan to quantitatively critique their team or certain players.  There is a famous saying about statistics which says:  "What's important isn't what statistics shows but what it hides".  For the most part just having numbers doesn't do much good if you don't know what they mean, but it sure beats the hell out of having no data at all, and that's where we'll start off...


What color is the number 7?
To ask this question is like asking how good Sean Rosenthal is.  You can use whatever descriptors and adjective you'd like but you still don't really convey the talent of a Rosie without actually seeing him play (unless you are a synesthete, in which case I bet the number 7 is yellow).  Just to exacerbate the stark contrast between beach volleyball's marketability to other mainstream sports here are some numbers for you...

In the past 11 years if you were an NFL team that started the season 0-2, then you had roughly an 8% chance (22/276) of making the playoffs that year.

Albert Pujols hit at least a .300 batting average, 30 home runs, and 100 RBIs a season for his first 10 seasons, which is a record for any such streak of seasons in a player's career let alone his first ten.

Michael Jordan is the definition of clutch.  How clutch you may ask.  Well, Jordan hit 50% of his clutch shots in his career where as in comparison, the league average is around 28%.  For more about his Royal Airness' clutchness and how it matches up against Lebron James, click here.

Now let's switch gears...

Who had the highest kill percentage in 2009?  Who had the most blocks in the last 5 years?  Ok, we all know it was Phil Dalhausser but we don't know how many.  Neither do we know teams' sideout percentage or their average unforced errors per game, whether teams pass better against a jump serve or a float serve or if a time zone change affects their gameplay.  All of these things would be vital pieces of information to use and help players strategize, but instead they are left to just "feel" the game out.  So if I bring this full circle, I must ask again just how good is Sean Rosenthal?  If I were to say that he was the greatest player to ever play the game I bet that you might slap me in the face, but if I told you to disprove me I think you would be hard pressed.  For beach volleyball there is really only one stat that is tracked and that is wins, which in the end is all that matters, but it would be more complex, interesting, and entertaining as players and fans to get more insight than just 21 is greater than 19.

In Part 2 I will try to describe "playing by the percentages" without actually using any numbers in a playing tip video.  Hopefully the addition of statistics in the near future will make the sport more digestible for the casual fan.

Off Season Preparations

Yes, there is still volleyball left to be played but I start seeing Leinenkeugel Oktoberfest lining the shelves of grocery stores I know it is the beginning of the end of this year's beach season, and with that it means it is time to switch gears.

Everyone will have a different approach to the end of the beach season, but if you are truly committed to your craft and the game, then you gotta be treating beach volleyball as a year long endeavor that isn't necessarily comprised of a "regular season" and "off season", but rather consisting of "playing" and "non-playing" stages.

Of course where you live, access to the beach/sand courts has a lot to do with when your "season" season starts, but you should have an idea in your mind already of when you would like to play your first tournament, and how many you would like to play.  With some of this out of the way, here are a few tips that I've refined over the years, that help me better prepare for next year's long haul from the thawed out Spring to the brisk Fall months.


1.  Sustain
You've just been through several months of hard training, and long days at the beach, so even if your body is getting tired and worn out, you're still in great physical shape.  So for the next few months you are going to be in an awkward time where you aren't quite in training mode but you aren't going to shut it down either.  At this point you goal should be simple:  Make it to next year in just as good shape as you are now.

You don't want to start next year in a hole, or waste time building up your conditioning before you even start practicing and drilling.  Of course you will have to build up your cardio, legs, and shoulder over the course of the season but there main areas that are easy to sustain.  During the next few months you should keep a workout schedule for your core and upper body, and setting time aside for stretching, yoga, and generally improving your flexibility.  I've learned this past year that flexibility is an often untapped asset for players, and in addition to helping recover and prevent injuries, it pays off immensely to have this aspect of your body built up.  Besides, you will get your beach legs in eventually, so now is the time to give them some rest.

2. Diet
Now of course you've been super disciplined these last few months to give your body the proper energy it needed to get through workouts and the matches on the weekends, but now is no time to let loose because there are troubles ahead.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner, so slipping up now by indulging in some grease will make the slope you're standing on a little bit slipperier, and next thing you know you'll find yourself wearing an permanent 15 pound weight vest.  Again you don't want to waste time next year fixing last year's mistakes, so stay focused and stay on track.   Let Thanksgiving and Christmas be your rewards for being disciplined up to this point.

Nuh uh, none fo you!

3. Save
Get ahead of the curve and start saving now for new equipment, apparel, balls, and tournament fees.  Lets not forget that this is when you should be stocking up on your vacation time so that you can call off of work to enjoy those "perfect" weather days.   When summer rolls around you would much rather cap off a long day with a few beers with your buddies instead of having to pack it in early to get up for work the next day.

4. Study
The game is best played when you and your body is just reacting to what is happening.  To set yourself up for success now is the time to train yourself mentally for the different situation it may face and what it should do when those situations arise.  Visualize it over and over, believe me it helps.  Also if you can't watch video of yourself playing, just watch all the different videos online and learn from those players strengths and weaknesses.

Hot Pick Thursday

This pick is semi-beach related, as many beach goers use bikes as their primary mode of transportation, when I saw this a few weeks ago my jaw instantly dropped...

Wu Tang themed fixie...yea, that's a thing that exists

State Bicycle Co. based out of Tempe, AZ is the company that manufactures this beauty but is only available for a limited time.  They are currently accepting pre-orders on it but get it while you can because they are sure to sell out.  It is priced at $599, but for a quality piece of bad-assery like this, I think it is completely worth it.

The NVL Is Focused To Build Something

I'm sure that at this point the NVL has made it abundantly clear that it will be slow and steady that hopes to win the race.  Just yesterday, I wrote about the lack of a rich talent pool at AVP tournaments, that seemingly feature 2 or 3 main teams that continually advance to Sunday, and there is a definite need to build and develop players at that intermediate stage in their playing career between high school and pro.  

Recently it was released that the NVL will be putting together a beach volleyball academy.  The sound of the name itself strikes me something with the whimsy of Hogwarts with the awesomeness of beach volleyball...but better.  

Sorry Harry, but you're just not pro beach material...NEXT!

This academy will be taking place at Club Med in St. Lucie, Florida and there are plans for 30, that's right three-zero, courts to be built, as well as boarding options.  Before you pack you bags though, be aware that it comes with a hefty price tag:  $43,186 a year with boarding.

It is surely one thing to invest in the juniors programs, and profit off those who are ineligible to collect prize money, but it is another thing to actually develop said players to hopefully one day, stay in the family and play for your tournament to build the sport.  Because it makes no sense to plant the seeds, and water the plants only to have another farmer come along and harvest the crops when they are ready to be picked.  As great as this sounds, there is something that still just doesn't sit right with me.

Parents, you could send your kid to college to party and accrue loads of debt...
Oooor, you could send them here to party, play beach volleyball and accrue loads of debt
Which one gets you more bang for your buck?...That's what I thought. 

I'm guessing the NVL is throwing in the towel on landing a Sean Rosenthal or Brittany Hochevar at one of their events, but at least they have to foresight to land the next Summer Ross when the time comes.  Of course it could all fall apart if they only offer prize money in the form of tuition fee cuts.  The NVL, like any other tour, will have to solve the problem of substantial prize money to draw in the top athletes.  How much of that $43,186 will go toward NVL pro tournaments will be answered down the road, but for now it looks like they are assembling all the pieces into their grand vision.

They have a pipeline to the juniors with USAV, they have been officially sanctioned, they have a crazy expensive resort to be a beach bum, and they've got Mikasa, the ball that no one uses or likes to use.  So yeah it seems to be adding up to something, but I'm not sure if what they are projecting is what I was hoping for them or the sport itself.

As much as the NVL has to work (because the AVP can't be trusted), it just may not work out for them either.  Don't get me wrong, when I first heard of this beach volleyball academy idea, I was ecstatic, and then I saw the price tag.  Growing up I didn't come from money so $2,000-$3,000 a year for club was a lot to me and my family so I can't even imagine who would want to pay 44k for an education at Club Med with volleyball training.

Scenic pictures with obscure filters are a guarantee
in beach volleyball, which is why a youthful mobile app
sponsor would have made more sense

I'm just starting to get the feeling that the NVL is out of touch.  When I saw that they landed a major sponsor recently, and then continue to see that said sponsor is Poloroid, I could only shake my head.  Worse, on their website they describe Poloroid as "the leader in photography".  That's great and all if it is 1974, but here in 2013 the real leader in photography is Instagram.  Besides it would be far more likely for someone to use a camera phone app at a tournament than pulling out a Poloroid.  The digital marketplace is where they can cash in but for some reason they are just taking what they can get.

At this point in the year, we have seen a lot of what both domestic tours wanted to accomplish and we can kind of get a feel for where they are going.  The AVP is still headed to fall off the cliff down the road, where as the NVL is a lot like Forrest Gump.  Ya don't know where he is going, but he is going somewhere, and hopefully when he stops running he doesn't just turn around and instead finds himself at exactly where he (and the group of people following him) wanted to end up.

Hey Forrest...ummm...are we there yet?