The Brasil Final didn't go as planned but those are the breaks. We pretty much got smashed by the Brasilians. Not that they had to do a whole lot of smashing. I must have hit 6 or 7 balls out, got scooped a bunch on easy scoops, and got blocked once or twice. I was basically terrible. Phil played okay. Missed a lot of serves but did side out well. We were basically way off from the way we had played previously in the tourney.
I went to Columbus, Ohio for a Red Bull Promo. It had nothing to do with the AVP Hot Winter Nights Tour but hopefully it will help the turnout for that. There is an amazing bar there called Flannagans with 9 very nice beach courts. David, the owner, is a great guy who is really into beach volleyball. Went to a nice dinner and then hung out at the courts playing games with the folks there for about 5 hours. Had a good time and would love to do it again. Getting on a plane wasn't super easy but the part in Columbus was fun.
Looking towards the 2008 schedule and Olympics:
The cancellation of the two events in Mexico and Bali cost Phil and I some money, but actually helped us for the Olympics. We have put ourselves in a position where the less tourneys there are, the less chances the other teams have to catch us. The FIVB has put there tentative schedule out there for next year. It is on the FIVB website. Waiting for the AVP to put out there schedule so we know which events we will be playing next year. Right now I would say we will be playing in Australia and some of the Grand Slams. Not sure about all of them at this time. We have to play in at least 2 more events to get the minimum number of 8 events. Would be nice to play in more than that of course. When the AVP gets their schedule out, and let us hope that it is sooner than they got their schedule out last year, then Phil and I will discuss how we want to play it.
I will try and BLOG about once a week on a variety of topics relating to beach volleyball, training, Olympics, ect.... If anyone has any specific things they would like to hear about, please feel free to ask under comments.
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11 comments:
Thanks for your comments. Re: next year's schedule, we would hope you would know by January - a few mos. ahead of the public! Also, I would hope the AVP will allow dispensation for players to miss 2-3 tourns in 2008 - leading up to the Olympics.
- Steve
todd, again i would like to thank you for taking the time to keep your fans informed through the year. Earlier this year you in your blog you mentioned that you were "obligated" to the avp for x-amount of tournaments. Do all of upper-tier players have to sign contracts? As a side note, I was so bummed to find out that I have 6 avp t-shirts without your autograph on them, so I missed my chance when i sat a few seats down from you in the Charleston airport...I will have to catch you next year either there or in atlanta...alan beverly/birmingham alabama
Thanks for the details on the finals. I was curious if the Brazilians had been a total buzz saw or you guys were off. I remember during an AVP interview this year you said "When we're playing our game we're tough to beat". You certainly proved that this year. Congrats again on such a tremendous season.
As for blog topics, I'd love to hear more about your training regimen. Also, it sounds like most of us on your blog are recreational players, so I'd enjoy hearing any advice you have on the 1 or 2 things you recommend to non-pros that will make the biggest difference in our games and help us improve the fastest.
Thanks again for the time and energy you spend connecting with your fans.
Drew from Santa Cruz
Congrats on a great year! Appreciate if you could blog about your off-season training program...
I wish we had a Flannagans type of place here in NYC. Tough to play here year round with winter just around the corner.
As far as the finals in Brazil, do you find it more difficult because the matches were spread out over more days as opposed to the AVP where you play the semi's and finals in the same day??
And my final question, out of all the balls you've played with, which is your fave, forgetting that you are sponsored by Mikasa?
Thanks for the blog and enjoy the off-season!
Garret
Hey Todd,
Wanted to say thanks for an interesting read over the last couple of months.
I actually got to say hey to you and Phil in Berlin this year. I was also courtside for your semi final against Brazil in Gstaad which was one of the most entertaining games I've been lucky enough to see live. You got to love the Swiss crowd.
Anyway, I was wondering if you and Phil get any support from Volleyball USA or the US Olympic Committee? I know the Australian teams are supported by government bodies. I was also wondering if you travel internationally with a coach? I can't recall seeing one at the events I was at.
Hope you guys make it down to the Australian event next year.
Cheers
Al
I would also love to hear about the off season training program, and also about how that is maintained throughout the actual season.
With so many tournaments and so much traveling, it must be very difficult to get the right balance of rest, conditioning, strength maintaining, etc. Particularly I'd like to learn about these things - offseason training and in season week to week builing up to be at your peak tournament time. This would be a great help.
Thanks for taking the time to help grow the sport!
MM
Yes, give us the scoop on training!
Todd-
There was mention on the AVP Forum about a Beach Volleyball movie being shot and that you were a part of it. A column about that experience would be good fodder for the Winter blog. Does anyone know if the AVP site is going to have all of the 2007 Finals available for viewing on the Net or do you have to pay a fee? I think they should upload these to keep fans stoked over the Winter. I watched every episode of Friday Night Lights for free on the NBC website so I know the technology is there (the show is awesome by the way). You So Cal people must be hurting after our local 9 beat the Angels like a rented mule in the ALDS and the Trojans went down to the Cardinal. As for me here is a synopsis of my life from last week....I hit the Mass Lottery for $500....2 days later I had to dish out $200 for the wife and kids to attend the Hannah Montana Concert coming in Dec and the heating oil guy filled my tank to the tune of $330 ($2.70 a gallon). Now I know how the Angels and Trojans felt....Keep the blogs coming all Winter Todd...it will brighten the bleakness here in the Northeast. Thanks for all your efforts and regards to the family....Scott from Cape Cod
Congratulations on winning best defensive player on the FIVB tour. It was great to see you and Phil representing on several awards. Keep up the great work!
Steve- I hope so too.
Alan- Anyone in the MD of an AVP tourney has to sign a contract and is obligated into playing every AVP tourney per that contract. I'll definetely take care of those shirts next year.
Drew- You already saw my latest blog to answer one question. I would tell you and any recreational player as well as pro player to cut down on errors. Don't choose the cut shot from 8 feet off and try and make it land on the 1 foot line. Low percentage shot. Go deep middle at half speed and make the other team earn the point.
Garret- I train to play a tourney in 2 days so it is to my advantage to have tourneys be short. I like the Mikasa the best.
Al- We do get support from USOC and USAV. That is a very complicated and convoluted, not to mention political question there. Let's just leave it at we do get some support. Phil and I do not have a coach at this time.
MM- You got the basic offseason regiment in my latest blog. I will blog about in season training and trying to peak and be as fresh as you can be.
Scott- Phil and I were involved in the shooting of a new beach volley movie called, "Green Flash". The director is Paul Nihipali who I played against when he was at UCLA and I was at UCSB. Phil and I just have a tiny little cameo as do a bunch of players. That is of course if they use it. Hopefully it will be a great movie.
Todd
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