One of my goals with this blog is to make available all the resources I have collected over the years in order to help out players, parents and coaches.  I found a simple piece for parents and what they should say to their child, of any age, before and after a match:

What to say to your child before a game:

Play Hard

Have Fun

I Love You

What to say to your child after a game (no matter the outcome):

You gave your best effort

You are fun to watch

I Love You

Novels can be written about the player – parent relationship, but I will keep this blog as simple and meaningful as the piece itself.

Bobby Scales doesn’t have a protruding chiseled chin, nor is his body popping out of his uniform. In fact, he’s skinny, by baseball standards. Bobby Scales was just recently called up from playing in the minor leagues after 11 years for his first major league start about a month ago. He entered the big leagues red hot, hitting .444 for a stretch and has cooled off, presently batting .267. During those 11 years, in the off-season, he taught school in the Atlanta area to support his family. Bobby Scales is truly an inspirational story of perseverance.

But has Bobby Scales been robbed of a lucrative baseball career because of baseball’s steroid era? Check out the before and after picture of Barry Bonds (see below). Bobby Scales looks to be about the size of Bonds 11 years ago. What about Alex Rodriguez’s $100 million contract. How much of that contract is from true athletic ability versus steroids? I’m sure Alex didn’t teach school during the off-season. If Bobby Scales chose steroids 11 years ago, where would he be today? How much would be in his bank account? Its unfortunate that kids will look-up to Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez and never know Bobby Scales.

Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and all the other *greats* should be fined, enormously and their earnings should be divided-up to the real baseball players. It’s appalling that players are even allowed to come back and play the game after they’ve tested positive. The three strikes you are out rule or whatever major league baseball’s drug policy is, it’s absurd.

Bobby Scales is owed a great deal of respect for his true athletic accomplishments. He could have taken the easy way and been rewarded greatly for it; instead, he chose the honest way, worked hard, moved all over the country, for 11 years while he watched others cheat. Bobby Scales is a baseball hero and he deserves the accolades.

Ryan Theriot greets teammate Bobby Scales after Scales scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning against the Houston Astros on May 16, 2009 at Wrigley Field

Doug Beal at the USAV Annual Meeting

USA Volleyball held its annual meeting just prior to the USAV Open Nationals.  In the meeting Reid Priddy presented on the importance of a professional league in the United States, “We began to lay the foundation to discuss the creation of a U.S.-based indoor professional league for Continue Reading

The original purpose of the volleyball libero was to provide a more exciting game overall through better passing and defense. The thought was that tall players have more difficulty with ball control and smaller players are quicker, more agile, and can play better court defense. The irony is that I have overheard coaches say Continue Reading

Last night, at the USAV Open Nationals here in Minneapolis, Team Paul Mitchell defeated Team BC 3 – 0 in the finals to win the Men’s Championship.  This is a three-peat for Team Paul Mitchell.  On the women’s side, the University of Washington defeated USA’s A2 Blue Team, 3 – 0.  Proving that a good team with chemistry, a team system, and a Continue Reading

It just so happens that my new pad is about 4 blocks from the Minneapolis Convention Center.  And it just so happens that USAV Open Nationals, Adult Volleyball Tournament are at the Minneapolis Convention Center.  As most of America spent their Memorial Day Weekend soaking up some sun on a lake, at the beach, or at a park, I spent a good portion of mine, willingly, in a convention center.  As I’ve posted before in my becoming a volleyball coach blog, being a part of volleyball is my lifestyle ;) Continue Reading

So here are some pics of the new pad.  I can’t say its the biggest of places to live, considering its a studio apartment (struggling coach must sacrifice), but the location is great.  If you are familiar with Minneapolis, the place overlooks Loring Park (click for Google map).

Loring Park (to me,  at least) is Minneapolis’ version of New York City’s Central Park or Chicago’s Lincoln Park.  The adjacent  neighborhood is not nearly as prominent, but it is Minneapolis’ only downtown park.

Here is a picture of the building taken from the park:

Yes, that is a Dunn’s Bros. Coffee on the first floor of the building.  Not that I’m much of a coffee fan, I can at least tap into their free wireless network :)

Finally, a picture of the building taken from across the lake in Loring Park (the building is second from the left):

In all the cities I have lived, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Orlando, Phoenix, Nashville,  to name a few, I have never really lived downtown.  I parked my car on the street on Friday and have not moved it since.  Walking and being green certainly has a way in the city life.  So far, I am really enjoying it :)  Hopefully the cramped quarters won’t dampen the spirit.

I must give mad props to Streamy.  I found Streamy through a Mashable plug.  I guess its best described as a social network content management system or a content hub.  In somewhat-non-techie-terms, Streamy combines streams from blogs and social networks to get the best news, a place to view your facebook, twitter, flickr, and blog feeds on one website.  I’ve tried friendfeed and chi.mp, but they were not as user-friendly as Streamy seems to be.  I’ve been working the Google products over especially Google Reader, where I’m still a Google platform groupie.  I would like to be able to email my gmail from Streamy, but I can foresee Streamy getting boughtout by a Google…just my prediction.

Streamy is dreamy. Yes, that was ridiculous, but check it out.  It was just recently released from Beta version and it still has some glitches, but it looks as if the social media society was able to overlook Twitter glitches too.  I highly recommend viewing the 4 minute introduction video, as it provides great oversight of the website.

Yup, unfortunately it seems to be a recurring theme.  Moving.  Fourth time in a year.  Move – is a four letter word.  There is nothing enjoyable about moving except things re-discovered in the back of a desk drawer, like the DVD of a great match of U of MN vs. Wisconsin this past season, or the philanthropic feeling of packing the Goodwill bag of unwanted, out-of-fashion clothes.  Can’t wait to get that next coaching gig so I can move again ;)  Hopefully a more permanent move next time.

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Jeff Nygard AVP Comeback from skin-cancer

AVP

Jeff Nygaard has made a comeback on the AVP tour after undergoing treatment for skin cancer. He’s the only top competitor wearing a long-sleeved shirt during competition.

“I found myself wanting to compete but at the same time not wanting to be there,” said Nygaard, 36, who with partner John Mayer is ranked third in the AVP standings. “I’d have a few great points and then I’d retreat into myself saying, ‘I really want to get out of the sun right now.’ ”

That was because Nygaard, midway in the 2007 season, learned he had skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma on his back and potentially deadly melanoma on his left upper biceps.

Both were treated early, and Nygaard is now an outspoken proponent of skin-cancer awareness. He’s a board member for the Sun Safety Alliance and plays volleyball in a shirt made of fabric that offers SPF 50 protection.

He said he’s not the only AVP player to have developed skin cancer but would not name others. An AVP spokesman said medical information regarding athletes is confidential.

It’s important to note, though, that skin cancer typically develops after prolonged sun exposure, and Nygaard’s probably would have developed even if he’d never played beach volleyball.

“What I’m doing to myself now, if I’m doing anything harmful to myself now, is not going to show up until I’m 50, 60 or 70 years old,” he said.

Nygaard is the only main-draw player to routinely wear long-sleeve shirts during competition and says there’s only “a trickle of interest” among other players in wearing them.

(That voluminous sigh of relief is from AVP officials cringing at the thought of a tour minus its near-nakedness and sex appeal.)

But players are increasingly aware of consequences. Suzanne Stonebarger, an AVP veteran who produces skin-care products, said: “If I was comfortable playing in a shirt, I would definitely consider it, but they’re restrictive.”

Nicole Branagh, part of this year’s top-ranked women’s team with Elaine Youngs, said she feels uncomfortable even wearing a visor but is trying to get used to one in practice.

Mayer, who is dating a dermatologist, said, “Whenever we can avoid the sun, we do.”

Paola Rodriguez, his girlfriend, said players “all know they’re supposed to apply and reapply as much as possible.”

Apply and reapply is the sunscreen mantra. Most players now practice in cooler mornings or late afternoons. More of them are visiting dermatologists.

As for Nygaard, who was ranked 22nd and 24th after the two previous seasons, he no longer wants to lose. He has full shoulder movement for the first time since undergoing surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in late 2007.

He has found in Mayer — with whom he teamed midway through last season — an excellent setter with adept ball-control skills and an amiable demeanor.

The pair opened the season with a fifth-place finish in Panama City, Fla.

At the next tournament in Riverside, they finished third but were able to upset Dalhausser and Rogers, sending the Dynamic Duo (eventual event winners) to the contenders’ bracket.

After that, Nygaard and Mayer won in San Diego, defeating Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal in the final, 21-18, 21-17. It was the first AVP triumph for Mayer, who said, “It made me feel like I was doing this for a reason.”

They finished fifth last week in Houston. It was disappointing, but they held their No. 3 seeding and look forward to spending Memorial Day weekend in Huntington Beach — sunshine or no sunshine.