The glory days of beach volleyball was 80's & 90's was amazing. I grew up watching guys like Brian Lewis, Craig Moothart, Obradovich, AJ/Andrew Smith, Hanley/Hansen, and of course Karch/Kent, Smith/Stoklos, Hovi/Dodd...these gusy paved the way for beach volleyball.
Loved seeing Kent again. He played on the Australian tour around 1990 as did I. We sang Ice, Ice Baby in a van ride over to the tournament. We knew every word. He tried to convince me his quad muscle above his knee was a second knee. Biggest legs I had ever seen. Gave me a pep talk after a tough loss. Good guy, good memories.
Hey, listened to this on podcast but had to come here to say I love Kent Steffes! I never even saw him play, just got into the scene recently but I love his insights into the game. Thanks for bringing him back!
FINALLY THEY GOT KENT!! Fantastic interview! Love his stories of the old times. Oh, and BTW, the book is friggin' amazing! Here's the review I wrote for Amazon: Such an amazing experience! It felt like I was sitting courtside for the most anticipated and memorable matches ever in the history of beach volleyball. "The Match", as it will forever be called, pitted Karch & Kent vs Sinjin & Carl in the Atlanta Olympics. The background stories from the early days of beach volleyball was fantastic! There's also a perfect amount of info detailing the long journeys that all four competitors experienced; from a young age until this memorable day in 1996. Many famous AVP members are quoted, which adds so much interest to the entire storyline. The back and forth storytelling from The Match to the 'good old AVP times', is spell bounding. A MUST READ for all people who love this incredible sand sport.
I remember watching Steffens and Karch back in the day. It seemed like they were just unbeatable winning machines. Even the Olympics. Such a great time.
Kent Steffes is a legend. I always wondered what happened. Beach VB used to have a magazine, if not two. Randy, Sinjin, Karch, Whitmarsh, Hov, Dodd, AJ, Frohoff, Ak, Ricci, they were all legends of the game.
What an amazing conversation. Lots of opportunities to make beach volleyball great! Thanks for bringing us along on these! Bought my copy of the book, excited to read it when it arrives.
I remember watching Hermosa Beach on NBC; Karch and Kent whipping the Hov and Adam Johnson. The energy in the grandstands was electric. I recorded the match on VHS. I watched it over and over. I was a young teenager and dreamed of being a beach volleyball player. Kent is an all time great.
EPIC. Many, many "laugh out loud" parts all the way through. 😂😂 Loved it. ...Met Sinjin in the Players' Tent at the Cuervo in Clearwater. The Cuervos, OMG, the scene, the vibe. $100k Tournaments! (But I think they were all really weighted toward the top 3 places, which was kind of weird, but still made it interesting.) Also, a local swimwear shop had Randy and Sinjin to Siesta Keya couple times to put on a clinic and play an exhibition, and I got to play them the 2nd year they came. I put one down in front of Sinjin, and that's when they stopped goofing around. 😆 ...Met Karch at Shooters in Orlando at a PR thing where we were supposed to put on some kind of exhibition for some people, but it rained and RUINED IT. This was right when he was coming back out to the beach from indoor. I said to him, "Must be nice to [come back out to the beach and] be able to pick up just about anyone [for a partner] you want?" He said something like, "Oh, we'll see." And that was it. I think this was before he picked up Kent, and I of course had NO IDEA who Kent was at the time. ...This all had to be in the '89-'92 time frame. ...Wow. Talk about the memories.
Super fun, informative, and illuminating conversation! Really good to finally hear Kent's perspective and great to know that he isn't stuck in the morass of the 'old school volleyball' facebook group grouchy grumpy mindseet!
Next book about the history of the AVP since the Olympics? Or maybe an episode of SANDCAST on the topic? Curious about what has happened since then. Great content boys!
the best sandcast ever! Hey Travis - next time you talk to Kent, ask him about his cousin Josh Apgar who I played in high school with, they look very similar and he was brilliant too like Kent
I remember the first year I went to watch in Grand Haven Michigan we could just walk up to center court, place our beach chairs, and watch. It was great. Not profitable for AVP, but was a great time for me and my friends.
In the 80’s and 90’s it was the beach VB lifestyle (yes partying too) that was so attractive. So we attracted lots of casual fun seeking fans (not just players and former players like today) These guys were legends off the court. Now a days there are so many lifestyle and extreme sports to compete with.
Could argue the AVP invented the space . Kicked it around with the OG’s at the courts this morn. We agreed Sinjin got an unfair negative PR rep when he skipped some AVP to help launch the whole FIVB Beach game. But dang he built two tours , one of them worldwide. Karch called him a traitor but was he ….
“Silicon vs Non-Silicon… it was a technological issue” too funny !!! Then hilarious w the tracking probs it caused !! Witty word play, and what a story!!! Old School reigning once again. Smart to tap this knowledge &, history, insight, & entertainment 🌞😎👣🏐🌴
Great conversation guys!!! In my mind, it comes down to relatability. The sport of beach volleyball is not relatable to the masses. It’s our job to make it more relatable!!! Look out for Kent on Within The Game podcast… 👀
When someone says they have all the answers and carries around the documents to prove it...they probably don't. With that being said I loved the trip down memory lane. Hermosa this last weekend was epic and the games on court 1 were awesome! So fun being able to stand right next to these awesome athletes! Can't wait for PHX championships.
@@SANDCASTPodcast on the positive side of there being no money in the AVP, pros are making more money coaching now. Great for fans to learn from and get to know their favorite players.
Use to follow the tour quite a bit, back in the day... Been going through a box full of old VHS tapes and been digitizing them for youtube and posterity before they degrade any further.....
I hope that business plan Kent teased the entire episode doesn't go to waste! I think Kent is absolutely right. Gather all of the best players and let everyone play in the tournament. I'll take it even further, let players play with anyone. Imagine a Mol/Krasilnikov pairing 🤯. Which pairing would you like to see?
You can get it right here www.amazon.com/Kings-Summer-rise-beach-volleyball/dp/B0B3JHFKM7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=V03H1CP69B3M&keywords=kings+of+summer+book&qid=1660768086&sprefix=%2Caps%2C488&sr=8-1
Such a great podcast. As a 54 year old former volleyball player from the East Coast I immediately bought the book today. The 80s and 90"s were so much better for fans of the AVP. The new kids have no idea how cool those tournaments were. The athletes were so approachable and the events were giant beach parties The amount of fans at the Florida tournaments was retarded! That's for Kent lol I still remember when Kent and Karch started playing together. Definitely a changing of the guard moment. Smith and Stoklos and Hov and Dodd were the face of the AVP and while they stayed at the top it was clear it was Kent and Karch's AVP in the 90"s.
I’m interested in Kent’s response to his contemporaries stating that he would not participate in on-site promotions of the AVP tournaments he played in. This is documented in some of the Prime Network replays of tournament finals he played in. Singin, Randy and Karch made themselves available for the broadcasts but Kent was always absent.
I think his response would be something along the lines of him having the highest Q score of any beach volleyball player ever. That's as good of a promotion as it gets.
My random idea that could be interesting and pour money back into the sport would to be kinda like NASCAR and have a couple teams sign with namebrand companies (lets say 3 Nike teams, 3 Oakley teams, 3 underarmor teams, 2 Wilson teams, 2 Monster teams) They still make into tournaments with the same point system and free agent teams can still make it in but at the end you have a brand name only tournament. Players get value because to sign a contract with the best teams the brands have to put up competitive offers and then winnign the brand gets to promote they are the top Brand in Volleyball. The revenue has to be made for the brands somewhere but if you can prove that the growth would be there.
Not going to lie this years Seaside Beach Volleyball, considered a low class NEXT tournament….. attracted more then 4k fans and players alone this year, AVP Pro events haven’t come even close to these number in there live events. Take a look at the last time AVP had a tour stop in Seattle, there were so many fans that they needed to shut down the GA stands. And now compare it to Austin open or even Florida. AVP need tour stops where there is a built fan base around beach volleyball.
You know what would really help coming from a fan. DUDE the avp doesn't post on their channel all the matches. I can name 4 or 5 matches just off the top of my head that they haven't posted. You know how confusing that is for the fans?! I'm following Trevor and tri at the mbo and their match with drost and frishman was just not posted or at the Chicago open with Casey and Phil they won against benesh and Evans and at the end of the match it says on the screen they are moving on to play chase and Troy. Guess what fans go to look for those matches and it's not there. Your thinking ok did they advance did they loose where did they go? So confusing for the fans a massive error.
The old Avp story line is that back then, the major sponsor were alcohol: Miller or Budweiser, etc.Big money.....Bad role model for the society. Luckily that won t work in 2023...The sport have to renew
4:38 people don't really know the athletes so they don't relate! They are not as accessible as they used to be!!! Outside of tournaments they all ALL "practice" in separate groups. CLICKY.... Make yourselves more accessible to the casual players, go play "silly" venues, leagues, small tournaments with "lesser" players, mingle BE MORE ACCESSIBLE
Of all the critiques, this one doesn't make sense. In what other sport could a fan be literally mingling around with the best players in the world? Go to a tourny and you'll see it. You'll be waiting in line for the bathroom next to Olympians. You don't get that in NFL/NBA etc. The issue is that the sport is a niche sport with limited drawing power. But not that there isn't enough accessibility.
@@martinhodell8465 I don't think you get the overall point. Sitting next to someone in line, to get to a bathroom doesn't give you "access" to them. Accessibility is knowing the players, relating to them through something shared or shared interest, and there's multiple ways that can be achieved, and beach volleyball NOW doesn't have the "luxury" of marketing and exposure of all the other sports you compared it to, so the best way for them - grass roots- method, interacting with the fans, playing all sorts of small venues, talking in small radio shows or schools, hanging out with more than just peers. Access in the other sports is done through advertisement, gear representation, in tennis - anything you can imagine as far as equipment goes, in the NFL and NBA is all that + exposure to their college career, where the viewers and the fans are exposed to the players their stories, beach volleyball doesn't have that. Can you go to a AVP tournament and see the players as close if not closer than any other sport ? YES! Does that mean you have access to them, to their story, to something that would make you bring 10 more ppl to watch them? Not really. 'Btw matches, players would park their chairs and umbrellas in the middle of the fans,.....in the thousands. They'd share drinks with the players.Talk story. Interact in a way that was wholly rare in sports......It was the breaking of the barriers btw athlete and fans, professional and spectator...." KINGS OF SUMMER chapter 2 They don't have the luxury of other main stream sports. It got to be main stream for a bit and they had clout and popularity beyond just that type of interaction in the...90's but now, they got to go back to grass roots, not hang out in players tents, and leave right after their games... Nothing sadder in sports than a AAA or a mid level open tournament final in a smaller tournament, everyone is gone, almost none of the players stay to watch it's desolate. Start there, by staying and watching those finals and mingling with ppl from those Complexes ... -read the book-
@@SANDCASTPodcast Proximity vise yes, but that doesn't mean Access imo. There's levels of access and beach players don't have the luxury of just relying on proximity and justifying that as access. To relate, ppl need engagement, shared experience, "breaking bread" Cracking a beer open and talking with them. Y'all are back in the 70's maybe the 80's as far as notoriety and exposure yet players behave as main stream sport professionals, thinking that ppl know who you are...a few do, yes, but that's what needs to change, and have more than just the few that can relate. And that doesn't have to be just volleyball, crack open a can of beer with 5-10 ppl that you don't know thorough the weekend and let them in... Chapter 2 Travis. That's where y'all should try to get again, before anything...But y'all are not there
@@nolajoe580 I have to say that you're just plain wrong here. Watch Casey Patterson, Ed Ratledge, Taylor Crabb, Troy Field, etc. at any tournament, and they're milling with the fans almost the entire time. A few don't, but not all of them did at any point (Karch and Kent were consistently labeled as boring and killing the sport because they didn't do a ton of the partying and cracking beers, in spite of the sport reaching its zenith when they were at their powers).
The glory days of beach volleyball was 80's & 90's was amazing. I grew up watching guys like Brian Lewis, Craig Moothart, Obradovich, AJ/Andrew Smith, Hanley/Hansen, and of course Karch/Kent, Smith/Stoklos, Hovi/Dodd...these gusy paved the way for beach volleyball.
Yes they did!
This is a conversation worth having as many times as it takes to solve the problems in beach volleyball.
We'll see if we can make it an annual occasion ;)
What a great interview with one of the great players, Ambassador and business mind. Why isn't he running our beach vball game. What a Legend!
Trying to reel him back in ;)
Loved seeing Kent again. He played on the Australian tour around 1990 as did I. We sang Ice, Ice Baby in a van ride over to the tournament. We knew every word. He tried to convince me his quad muscle above his knee was a second knee. Biggest legs I had ever seen. Gave me a pep talk after a tough loss. Good guy, good memories.
Kent is the best. Absolutely love the guy
Hey, listened to this on podcast but had to come here to say I love Kent Steffes! I never even saw him play, just got into the scene recently but I love his insights into the game. Thanks for bringing him back!
He’s the best. Do yourself a favor and go watch some film of him. Unreal
FINALLY THEY GOT KENT!! Fantastic interview! Love his stories of the old times. Oh, and BTW, the book is friggin' amazing!
Here's the review I wrote for Amazon: Such an amazing experience! It felt like I was sitting courtside for the most anticipated and memorable matches ever in the history of beach volleyball. "The Match", as it will forever be called, pitted Karch & Kent vs Sinjin & Carl in the Atlanta Olympics. The background stories from the early days of beach volleyball was fantastic! There's also a perfect amount of info detailing the long journeys that all four competitors experienced; from a young age until this memorable day in 1996. Many famous AVP members are quoted, which adds so much interest to the entire storyline. The back and forth storytelling from The Match to the 'good old AVP times', is spell bounding. A MUST READ for all people who love this incredible sand sport.
Thanks Ron!!!
great interview! love watching the 90s games on youtube,
Tough to beat the old school guys
I remember watching Steffens and Karch back in the day. It seemed like they were just unbeatable winning machines. Even the Olympics. Such a great time.
Most dominant team in history
I have been waiting years for this conversation! Can't wait to listen!
As have we!
Kent Steffes is a legend. I always wondered what happened. Beach VB used to have a magazine, if not two. Randy, Sinjin, Karch, Whitmarsh, Hov, Dodd, AJ, Frohoff, Ak, Ricci, they were all legends of the game.
Kent is an all timer
What an amazing conversation. Lots of opportunities to make beach volleyball great! Thanks for bringing us along on these! Bought my copy of the book, excited to read it when it arrives.
Love it brotha! Appreciate the listen and the read!
What an absolute legend, could listen to him talk business all day!
As could we!
I remember watching Hermosa Beach on NBC; Karch and Kent whipping the Hov and Adam Johnson. The energy in the grandstands was electric. I recorded the match on VHS. I watched it over and over. I was a young teenager and dreamed of being a beach volleyball player. Kent is an all time great.
Indeed he is
EPIC. Many, many "laugh out loud" parts all the way through. 😂😂 Loved it.
...Met Sinjin in the Players' Tent at the Cuervo in Clearwater. The Cuervos, OMG, the scene, the vibe. $100k Tournaments! (But I think they were all really weighted toward the top 3 places, which was kind of weird, but still made it interesting.) Also, a local swimwear shop had Randy and Sinjin to Siesta Keya couple times to put on a clinic and play an exhibition, and I got to play them the 2nd year they came. I put one down in front of Sinjin, and that's when they stopped goofing around. 😆
...Met Karch at Shooters in Orlando at a PR thing where we were supposed to put on some kind of exhibition for some people, but it rained and RUINED IT. This was right when he was coming back out to the beach from indoor. I said to him, "Must be nice to [come back out to the beach and] be able to pick up just about anyone [for a partner] you want?" He said something like, "Oh, we'll see." And that was it. I think this was before he picked up Kent, and I of course had NO IDEA who Kent was at the time.
...This all had to be in the '89-'92 time frame.
...Wow. Talk about the memories.
haha love hearing all these stories. So dang good
Super fun, informative, and illuminating conversation! Really good to finally hear Kent's perspective and great to know that he isn't stuck in the morass of the 'old school volleyball' facebook group grouchy grumpy mindseet!
hahaha he is anything but
Best book I've ever read
Thank you! Wold LOVE it if you could drop a review on Amazon for us. Goes such a long way
Next book about the history of the AVP since the Olympics? Or maybe an episode of SANDCAST on the topic? Curious about what has happened since then. Great content boys!
There would need to be a whole lot of research on that mid-2000s era before anything haha
the best sandcast ever! Hey Travis - next time you talk to Kent, ask him about his cousin Josh Apgar who I played in high school with, they look very similar and he was brilliant too like Kent
Can do!
So freaking awesome to hear from this absolute legend!
He's the man
Kent has to be one of, if not the, smartest vball players ever! Great interview. I am excited to buy the book. See you all in Chicago!
He is sharppppp as hell. Was a joy to have him on
I remember the first year I went to watch in Grand Haven Michigan we could just walk up to center court, place our beach chairs, and watch. It was great. Not profitable for AVP, but was a great time for me and my friends.
Could have been. You never know what the sponsor deals are
@@SANDCASTPodcast also. Would love to see Brent Frohoff and Scott Ayakatubby
@@TonyReidsma We'll work on it ;)
Definitely my new favorite episode
Might be ours too!
In the 80’s and 90’s it was the beach VB lifestyle (yes partying too) that was so attractive. So we attracted lots of casual fun seeking fans (not just players and former players like today)
These guys were legends off the court.
Now a days there are so many lifestyle and extreme sports to compete with.
Agreed. Beach beat surfing, snowboarding, skiing, X Games to the punch. Now the "lifestyle sport" space is a bit crowded
Could argue the AVP invented the space . Kicked it around with the OG’s at the courts this morn. We agreed Sinjin got an unfair negative PR rep when he skipped some AVP to help launch the whole FIVB Beach game. But dang he built two tours , one of them worldwide. Karch called him a traitor but was he ….
@@vbsand5882 Sinjin Smith is, in my mind, the most important person in the history of beach volleyball.
“Silicon vs Non-Silicon… it was a technological issue” too funny !!! Then hilarious w the tracking probs it caused !! Witty word play, and what a story!!! Old School reigning once again. Smart to tap this knowledge &, history, insight, & entertainment 🌞😎👣🏐🌴
Kent is the man
Great conversation guys!!! In my mind, it comes down to relatability. The sport of beach volleyball is not relatable to the masses. It’s our job to make it more relatable!!!
Look out for Kent on Within The Game podcast… 👀
Cheeee buddy! Hope you had a good one with Kent!
When someone says they have all the answers and carries around the documents to prove it...they probably don't.
With that being said I loved the trip down memory lane.
Hermosa this last weekend was epic and the games on court 1 were awesome! So fun being able to stand right next to these awesome athletes!
Can't wait for PHX championships.
haha it was a fun ole trip down memory lane
What an amazing conversation and book.
Thanks!
Great interview! Been looking forward to hearing from Kent for a long time. I look forward to reading the book.
Let us know what you think!
Save the AVP Kent!!! I remember all of you characters when I was growing up. Love how Sinjin runs the CBVA tournaments in Long Beach now. Legends.
haha Sinjin's still the man. Always was, always will be
@@SANDCASTPodcast on the positive side of there being no money in the AVP, pros are making more money coaching now. Great for fans to learn from and get to know their favorite players.
@@seanodanielsart love the glass half full look!
Use to follow the tour quite a bit, back in the day... Been going through a box full of old VHS tapes and been digitizing them for youtube and posterity before they degrade any further.....
That is dedication!
I hope that business plan Kent teased the entire episode doesn't go to waste! I think Kent is absolutely right. Gather all of the best players and let everyone play in the tournament. I'll take it even further, let players play with anyone. Imagine a Mol/Krasilnikov pairing 🤯. Which pairing would you like to see?
That plan is hanging on Travis' fridge ;)
Awesome interview! Can't wait to read the book!
You can get it right here www.amazon.com/Kings-Summer-rise-beach-volleyball/dp/B0B3JHFKM7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=V03H1CP69B3M&keywords=kings+of+summer+book&qid=1660768086&sprefix=%2Caps%2C488&sr=8-1
Such a great podcast. As a 54 year old former volleyball player from the East Coast I immediately bought the book today. The 80s and 90"s were so much better for fans of the AVP. The new kids have no idea how cool those tournaments were. The athletes were so approachable and the events were giant beach parties The amount of fans at the Florida tournaments was retarded! That's for Kent lol I still remember when Kent and Karch started playing together. Definitely a changing of the guard moment. Smith and Stoklos and Hov and Dodd were the face of the AVP and while they stayed at the top it was clear it was Kent and Karch's AVP in the 90"s.
Very important points brought up!
That's what we're here for :)
I’m interested in Kent’s response to his contemporaries stating that he would not participate in on-site promotions of the AVP tournaments he played in. This is documented in some of the Prime Network replays of tournament finals he played in. Singin, Randy and Karch made themselves available for the broadcasts but Kent was always absent.
I think his response would be something along the lines of him having the highest Q score of any beach volleyball player ever. That's as good of a promotion as it gets.
love it Kent!
Hey Travis, any plans to get the book on Audible?
At some point, yes
@@SANDCASTPodcast you should have Steffes narrate!
Absolutely awesome!
Ordering the book can't wait to read!
@@cb-if2tu Thank you!
Kent said tournament should be open for anyone but realistically you have to have a team cap...how would he determine what that cap is?
I don't think he envisioned having a cap
My random idea that could be interesting and pour money back into the sport would to be kinda like NASCAR and have a couple teams sign with namebrand companies (lets say 3 Nike teams, 3 Oakley teams, 3 underarmor teams, 2 Wilson teams, 2 Monster teams) They still make into tournaments with the same point system and free agent teams can still make it in but at the end you have a brand name only tournament. Players get value because to sign a contract with the best teams the brands have to put up competitive offers and then winnign the brand gets to promote they are the top Brand in Volleyball. The revenue has to be made for the brands somewhere but if you can prove that the growth would be there.
Similar to what LIV is/was doing with their team system?
amazing
Thanks brotha!
'I'd rather be homeless' -- Love it. Desks can be worse to your body than many other things.
hahahaha Kent's the man
Legendary
Yes indeed
Kent steffes and karch kiraly.
Love em both
Real world vb feedback. 🧡ness.
Not going to lie this years Seaside Beach Volleyball, considered a low class NEXT tournament….. attracted more then 4k fans and players alone this year, AVP Pro events haven’t come even close to these number in there live events.
Take a look at the last time AVP had a tour stop in Seattle, there were so many fans that they needed to shut down the GA stands. And now compare it to Austin open or even Florida.
AVP need tour stops where there is a built fan base around beach volleyball.
Same thing with Wisco/MN. I know we could fill the stands. Look at Waupaca. Plenty of people who love the sport up here.
Seaside is epic
@@jaegek haha Waupaca gets a good grass crowd. Beach...eh
You know what would really help coming from a fan. DUDE the avp doesn't post on their channel all the matches. I can name 4 or 5 matches just off the top of my head that they haven't posted. You know how confusing that is for the fans?! I'm following Trevor and tri at the mbo and their match with drost and frishman was just not posted or at the Chicago open with Casey and Phil they won against benesh and Evans and at the end of the match it says on the screen they are moving on to play chase and Troy. Guess what fans go to look for those matches and it's not there. Your thinking ok did they advance did they loose where did they go? So confusing for the fans a massive error.
They only streamed stadium court and one other court this year
The old Avp story line is that back then, the major sponsor were alcohol: Miller or Budweiser, etc.Big money.....Bad role model for the society. Luckily that won t work in 2023...The sport have to renew
4:38 people don't really know the athletes so they don't relate! They are not as accessible as they used to be!!! Outside of tournaments they all ALL "practice" in separate groups. CLICKY....
Make yourselves more accessible to the casual players, go play "silly" venues, leagues, small tournaments with "lesser" players, mingle BE MORE ACCESSIBLE
I think beach volleyball players are probably the most accessible athletes of any professional sport I've seen
Of all the critiques, this one doesn't make sense. In what other sport could a fan be literally mingling around with the best players in the world? Go to a tourny and you'll see it. You'll be waiting in line for the bathroom next to Olympians. You don't get that in NFL/NBA etc.
The issue is that the sport is a niche sport with limited drawing power. But not that there isn't enough accessibility.
@@martinhodell8465 I don't think you get the overall point. Sitting next to someone in line, to get to a bathroom doesn't give you "access" to them. Accessibility is knowing the players, relating to them through something shared or shared interest, and there's multiple ways that can be achieved, and beach volleyball NOW doesn't have the "luxury" of marketing and exposure of all the other sports you compared it to, so the best way for them - grass roots- method, interacting with the fans, playing all sorts of small venues, talking in small radio shows or schools, hanging out with more than just peers.
Access in the other sports is done through advertisement, gear representation, in tennis - anything you can imagine as far as equipment goes, in the NFL and NBA is all that + exposure to their college career, where the viewers and the fans are exposed to the players their stories, beach volleyball doesn't have that.
Can you go to a AVP tournament and see the players as close if not closer than any other sport ? YES! Does that mean you have access to them, to their story, to something that would make you bring 10 more ppl to watch them? Not really.
'Btw matches, players would park their chairs and umbrellas in the middle of the fans,.....in the thousands. They'd share drinks with the players.Talk story. Interact in a way that was wholly rare in sports......It was the breaking of the barriers btw athlete and fans, professional and spectator...." KINGS OF SUMMER chapter 2
They don't have the luxury of other main stream sports. It got to be main stream for a bit and they had clout and popularity beyond just that type of interaction in the...90's but now, they got to go back to grass roots, not hang out in players tents, and leave right after their games...
Nothing sadder in sports than a AAA or a mid level open tournament final in a smaller tournament, everyone is gone, almost none of the players stay to watch it's desolate. Start there, by staying and watching those finals and mingling with ppl from those Complexes ...
-read the book-
@@SANDCASTPodcast Proximity vise yes, but that doesn't mean Access imo. There's levels of access and beach players don't have the luxury of just relying on proximity and justifying that as access. To relate, ppl need engagement, shared experience, "breaking bread" Cracking a beer open and talking with them. Y'all are back in the 70's maybe the 80's as far as notoriety and exposure yet players behave as main stream sport professionals, thinking that ppl know who you are...a few do, yes, but that's what needs to change, and have more than just the few that can relate. And that doesn't have to be just volleyball, crack open a can of beer with 5-10 ppl that you don't know thorough the weekend and let them in...
Chapter 2 Travis. That's where y'all should try to get again, before anything...But y'all are not there
@@nolajoe580 I have to say that you're just plain wrong here. Watch Casey Patterson, Ed Ratledge, Taylor Crabb, Troy Field, etc. at any tournament, and they're milling with the fans almost the entire time. A few don't, but not all of them did at any point (Karch and Kent were consistently labeled as boring and killing the sport because they didn't do a ton of the partying and cracking beers, in spite of the sport reaching its zenith when they were at their powers).