GODS to GHOSTS Volleyball

Ron Von Hagen shares his recollection of the infamous 1968 Manhattan Beach Open where he and Ron Lang  BATTLED Larry Rundle & Henry Bergmann for 7 plus hours between the Winners bracket finals, and FINALS, where they were dead even until it got dark and Lang  couldn't see the ball.   Amazing....

Support the show

Dennis Discusses:

-  How he made a living after his volleyball career concluded,  running beach volleyball clinics, and selling his amazing art work while living out of his van,  how grateful he is for his amazing wife Barbara, and some of his dearest friends:  Digger Graybill, and  the late George Stepanof and his wife Arlene.

Support the show

Tom Discusses:

-  Some great stories after his volleyball career working as a bar tender here in downtown, Milwaukee Wisconsin at The Rock Bottom, and Miller Time Pub including , including  meeting SO many of his former teammates,  peers, and volleyball people he met over the years!,  his transition into Coaching as an Assistant Coach at Ottawa University in Kansas for the men's and women's programs there and some of his memories from that time,  his thoughts on the indoor game we see today, how much he loves the changes in the sport we see today, and the amazing caliber of play across the world,  and wishes he could have played under the new rules,  some great stories about his time playing on the Evanston, Illinois JO team in High School when they beat the Torrance  Roof, CA team,  his thoughts on the USA Men's Olympic Indoor team led by Coach John Speraw  heading into the upcoming Summer Olympics , and how DEEP and TALENTED the teams are now IN EVERY COUNTRY, where ANY TEAM competing could win the GOLD this coming summer Olympics,  what he is most proud of from his playing career,  how he would like to be remembered, and what he is up to now in life as of April 2021 :)

Support the show

Tom Discusses:

- His transition after graduating from Pepperdine to trying out and making  the USA Men's National team as a Starter,  memories from his time playing on the USA Men's National team, including the HIGHS and LOWS over those years from '93 though '00,  his recollections of the '96 Olympiad in Atlanta  when he competed on the USA Men's Olympic team,  including the  tough 5 game losses they had, and WHO some of the most impressive players were they competed against, a classic "Coach on One" story he has from his time on the National team when he overslept, and Coach Fred Sturm put him through a Coach on One drill that was epic,  how it felt to be one of the LAST guys cut from the national team in '00 prior to the Sydney Olympiad, and how emotional  it was as an athlete walking to his car in the parking lot realizing he would never suit up in a USA volleyball  jersey again, and  the experience of playing overseas at the Professional  CLUB volleyball level in Spain, and Italy.

Support the show

Tom Discusses:

-  His youth growing up in Racine, Wisconsin, and his start in the sport playing at Racine Case high school for his cousin/COACH  Gary Sorensen, the talented Wisconsin players he looked up to in his youth,  the MOMENT he realized he was capable of playing division 1 collegiate volleyball when he attended a "TOP OF YOUR CLASS" volleyball camp at UCSB before his senior year at Racine Case where he competed against the BEST  California HS volleyball players, the collegiate recruiting process to follow where he decided there was no other coach he wanted to play for than Marv Dunphy at Pepperdine,   some of the BEST players he competed against in college at Pepperdine,  and his memories of 1992 when he led the Pepperdine Waves to the NCAA Men's Volleyball title! 

Support the show

Jan Discusses:

-  The BEST diggers he faced on the FIVB tour, BEST BLOCKERS,  all around BEST PLAYERS he faced, and the MOST SPECTACULAR  players he competed against that he loved to watch,  his view from an international player's perspective of the GOOD things that came from the FIVB,  what he is most proud of from his career as a competitor, and how he would like to be remembered, his take on the young,  supremely talented Norwegian team now of Anders Mol, and Christian Sorum,  what he is up to now days in Norway, including family, hobbies, and a new business venture with beach partner and lifelong friend, Bjorn Maasiede with their new paddle tennis facilities they have been constructing across Norway.

Support the show

Jan Discusses:

- Memories from his and partner  Bjorn Maaseide's 7 wins on the FIVB tour (including receiving FIVB  gold medals from Jane Fonda at an event)  :),  his memories from both the '96 Atlanta,  and '00  Sydney Beach Volleyball  Olympics, including some insightful and visceral Olympic stories of his regrets, and what he  would have done differently in hindsight,  and the best 6 hitters he competed against over his career.

Support the show

Jan Discusses:

- His start on the FIVB tour alongside partner Bjorn Maaseide, what the experience was like, including the challenges they faced early on as young upstarts, the established players they faced and were inspired by, and the importance of "believing in yourself and your partner",   a great story about his and Bjorn's first trip to California in '92 to train at Capo Beach, and how they didn't even have a ball to train with on the first day at the beach, and were shot down by an AVP star when they asked to borrow one of the 20 balls he brought to the beach  :)   and how that trip to CA ( despite some humbling moments) and training with AAA players and AVP Pros at Capo, State, and Hermosa Beach  inspired them to stick with the beach game and made them both better players!

Support the show

Dennis Discusses:

- His thoughts on the beach volleyball game we see today compared to when he played,  how his book The Art of Beach Volleyball came about,  what he's most proud of from his career, what he's up to now days in 2021,  including how GRATEFUL he is for his wife Barbara, his amazing parents who supported him every step of his life, and the amazing friends he made along the way :),  and  the 4 most memorable wins he had over his beach volleyball career, 

Support the show

Sam Discusses:

- The MEMORABLE moments from his time as the MC of the AVP during its HEY DAY, both on and off the court, his recollection of how the sport crashed in the late 90's due to the EGOS,  power struggle between the AVP vs FIVB,  the mismanagement,  & certain sponsors not following through with the $,  his thoughts on the beach game today compared to what it was back then, what he did career - wise after he moved on from pro beach volleyball, what he misses the most about his time as the MC of the sport in the 80's and 90's,  what he is most proud of during his time MC'ing, and how he would like to be remembered from his time on tour,  what he is up to now days living in Pacific Palisades with his amazing family,  where he is working now, his hobbies, and how excited he is about his upcoming new role in July 2021 at Notre Dame High School as their new President, and a final story about Matt Gage and how AMAZING he was and STILL is! 

Support the show