Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Helping the sport live on
|
Olympian Misty May-Treanor inspires volleyball players in Tucson
By Luke Davis, Special to The Explorer
Olympian Misty May-Treanor inspires volleyball players in Tucson
An athlete who has traveled the globe, who has won more professional beach volleyball games than any other woman in history, and counts among her possessions two Olympic gold medals, found something refreshingly different on a hot day in Tucson.
"It's very unusual for people to ask if I'm available for clinics," said Misty May-Treanor with a smile last Tuesday. "They think I have to rest, or that I don't have time."
Club Dinamo director and head coach Chris Gonzalez had an ace up his sleeve.
"First off, he was my coach in college, so I can never say no to him and he's a friend of mine," laughed May-Treanor. "And he made me aware that Tucson is a hotbed for volleyball, but there's not a lot around here."
"(Athletes) have to travel to Phoenix or whatnot, so any time I can share my love of the sport and knowledge with young girls or boys that want to listen and get better, and get out in communities that aren't as involved or don't have the resources, I'm happy to do it," she said.
The dispensation of her years of volleyball knowledge, including skill drills and workout plans, is what draws May-Treanor to coaching.
"Nothing in my head helps unless I can share it with somebody else," she said. "Everyone here wants to learn, even if it's from the beginning – knowing how to pass the ball, placement on the court, if they leave here knowing how to do it and feel that accomplishment, that's good enough for me."
"I'm not sure she doesn't know everyone's name already," said Gonzalez, who founded the 10-to 18-year-old girls' club team three years ago and coached May-Treanor at Long Beach State University during that school's national indoor volleyball championship in 1998. "She's just one of those kinds of people."
That's just one reason Gonzalez asked the Olympian to help coach the clinic, which counts participants from as far away as El Paso.
"I wanted to generate some real excitement about the sport," said Gonzalez. "I thought having her come and share her passion for the game is important for the overall matriculation of the volleyball players here in Tucson.
"She's probably the most accommodating celebrity I know," he added.
Hence May-Eleanor's presence at the Amphitheater High School gym last Sunday through Tuesday, coaching 60 girls who were so silent during her speeches that someone outside the gym would have thought it was empty.
"There's just a genuine excitement, they hang on every word," said Gonzalez.
May-Treanor offered more than words to clinic-goers, walking slowly around the courts during drills, showing one player how to hold her hands properly, another how to angle her body.
The wealth of information offered by May-Treanor was not lost on the clinic's attendees.
"It's exciting to work with someone with so much experience," said Maddie Bushman, 16. "We all look up to her."
"I played volleyball before she was in the Olympics, but after watching her, it was definitely an inspiration," said MacKenzie Quick, 17.
It seems that many girls across the country feel similarly inspired.
"Our sport alone is growing so much," said May-Treanor. "It's spreading worldwide, and within our own country.
"A lot of places it's hard to find gym space for all the athletes," she added. "That just means the sport is growing faster than what the facilities are."
For May-Treanor, seeing that kind of volleyball enthusiasm is gratifying, but it is not all she wants younger athletes to focus on.
"That's what you want to see, you want to see the sport live on, you want to see the excitement," she said. "But I encourage all the girls not to just look at one sport, but to play everything. Kids have got to be kids."
When those kids get older, May-Treanor sees volleyball as a way to "the next level."
"At the junior college level when I was assisting there (at Irvine Valley College in Irvine, Calif.), it helped getting scholarships for the kids," she said.
"You're able to get them to Division III, Division II, if they go to Division I, that's great, but there's money out there for these young athletes," said May-Treanor.
While May-Treanor's goals for the clinic are serious, she found time to have fun in Tucson.
"I think we've hit like 20 restaurants," she said, laughingly. "I'm having a great time."
At one point, May-Treanor joined a relay team for a race that included short runs while controlling the ball with different types of hits, laughing with the girls and, unsurprisingly, helping that team win and avoid doing pushups (for a while), the penalty for losing.
"I have new best friends now," said May-Treanor of clinic-goers. "Old and young."
If she has anything to say about it, this will not be the last time she visits her new compatriots.
"I would love to do it next year, and make it bigger, and if we have to do it two times a year, that's what we have to do," she said.
"Who knows, maybe one of these girls, when they're a senior in high school, they'll turn around and help younger kids," May-Treanor added. "It's good just to see the sport live on."
An athlete who has traveled the globe, who has won more professional beach volleyball games than any other woman in history, and counts among her possessions two Olympic gold medals, found something refreshingly different on a hot day in Tucson.
"It's very unusual for people to ask if I'm available for clinics," said Misty May-Treanor with a smile last Tuesday. "They think I have to rest, or that I don't have time."
Club Dinamo director and head coach Chris Gonzalez had an ace up his sleeve.
"First off, he was my coach in college, so I can never say no to him and he's a friend of mine," laughed May-Treanor. "And he made me aware that Tucson is a hotbed for volleyball, but there's not a lot around here."
"(Athletes) have to travel to Phoenix or whatnot, so any time I can share my love of the sport and knowledge with young girls or boys that want to listen and get better, and get out in communities that aren't as involved or don't have the resources, I'm happy to do it," she said.
The dispensation of her years of volleyball knowledge, including skill drills and workout plans, is what draws May-Treanor to coaching.
"Nothing in my head helps unless I can share it with somebody else," she said. "Everyone here wants to learn, even if it's from the beginning – knowing how to pass the ball, placement on the court, if they leave here knowing how to do it and feel that accomplishment, that's good enough for me."
"I'm not sure she doesn't know everyone's name already," said Gonzalez, who founded the 10-to 18-year-old girls' club team three years ago and coached May-Treanor at Long Beach State University during that school's national indoor volleyball championship in 1998. "She's just one of those kinds of people."
That's just one reason Gonzalez asked the Olympian to help coach the clinic, which counts participants from as far away as El Paso.
"I wanted to generate some real excitement about the sport," said Gonzalez. "I thought having her come and share her passion for the game is important for the overall matriculation of the volleyball players here in Tucson.
"She's probably the most accommodating celebrity I know," he added.
Hence May-Eleanor's presence at the Amphitheater High School gym last Sunday through Tuesday, coaching 60 girls who were so silent during her speeches that someone outside the gym would have thought it was empty.
"There's just a genuine excitement, they hang on every word," said Gonzalez.
May-Treanor offered more than words to clinic-goers, walking slowly around the courts during drills, showing one player how to hold her hands properly, another how to angle her body.
The wealth of information offered by May-Treanor was not lost on the clinic's attendees.
"It's exciting to work with someone with so much experience," said Maddie Bushman, 16. "We all look up to her."
"I played volleyball before she was in the Olympics, but after watching her, it was definitely an inspiration," said MacKenzie Quick, 17.
It seems that many girls across the country feel similarly inspired.
"Our sport alone is growing so much," said May-Treanor. "It's spreading worldwide, and within our own country.
"A lot of places it's hard to find gym space for all the athletes," she added. "That just means the sport is growing faster than what the facilities are."
For May-Treanor, seeing that kind of volleyball enthusiasm is gratifying, but it is not all she wants younger athletes to focus on.
"That's what you want to see, you want to see the sport live on, you want to see the excitement," she said. "But I encourage all the girls not to just look at one sport, but to play everything. Kids have got to be kids."
When those kids get older, May-Treanor sees volleyball as a way to "the next level."
"At the junior college level when I was assisting there (at Irvine Valley College in Irvine, Calif.), it helped getting scholarships for the kids," she said.
"You're able to get them to Division III, Division II, if they go to Division I, that's great, but there's money out there for these young athletes," said May-Treanor.
While May-Treanor's goals for the clinic are serious, she found time to have fun in Tucson.
"I think we've hit like 20 restaurants," she said, laughingly. "I'm having a great time."
At one point, May-Treanor joined a relay team for a race that included short runs while controlling the ball with different types of hits, laughing with the girls and, unsurprisingly, helping that team win and avoid doing pushups (for a while), the penalty for losing.
"I have new best friends now," said May-Treanor of clinic-goers. "Old and young."
If she has anything to say about it, this will not be the last time she visits her new compatriots.
"I would love to do it next year, and make it bigger, and if we have to do it two times a year, that's what we have to do," she said.
"Who knows, maybe one of these girls, when they're a senior in high school, they'll turn around and help younger kids," May-Treanor added. "It's good just to see the sport live on."
 |
||
| Northwest trio forms core of premier state 16-18 golf team |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of explorernews.com.
