Matt’s Blog

So I went on the show today and had a blast. Adam and Theresa were great and even semi knowledgeable about our sport which is not normal. Would have loved to get some plugs in for Rockstar, Cuervo, Gamm-O, AVP sponsors, and especially for Kelly Carter and Justin Frandson at Athleticism since they are the ones who got me on the show. It is not as easy as it seems to do so. The questions were from all over the place I didn’t want to force anything. I learned a little bit about how to do it though so hopefully next time I can get it in. Anyways thanks to everyone at the Adam Carolla show for having me on and pumping up the Manhattan Open this weekend.

Can’t wait t get the tournament started,

Matt

PS Oh yeah I have to qualify for my first AVP tournament in 7 or 8 years since to the new format. So if any of you are around tomorrow, Casey and I will be playing at 9am. Win or go home.

What a week! This weekend we have the Wimbledon of our
> sport the Million Dollar Croc’s Cup Championship at the
> Manhattan Beach Pier, CA. This is where the sport started
> and continues to have its biggest following. For those of
> you tuning in today to Adam and have never heard about our
> sport, yes, even we are stars in Manhattan Beach and yes the
> gold medalists from Beijing, Misty, Kerri, Phil and Todd
> will all be there battling it out for the biggest pay day
> ever in our sport. Can’t wait. It has always been my
> dream to get my name on the pier(wnners of the event get
> there names engraved next to all the past winners on
> Manhattan Pier), and I have a good feeling about this
> weekend.
>
> Also today I get to go on the Adam Carolla Show. I’m a
> big fan and honored that he would get me on as a guest. I
> have to thank Kelly Carter, who trains me and Adam Carolla,
> for getting me the inside track to be on the show. Should
> be a lot of fun and I am excited about introducing our sport
> to a new audience.
>
> I’ll write more tomorrow after the show and don’t
> forget to come out this weekend to Manhattan Beach and sit
> front row to cheer Casey and I on as we fight for our first
> Manhattan Beach title. It starts on Friday and goes all day
> every day until 2:30 Sunday when the final takes place.
>
> If you have any questions feel free to contact me.
> I’ll do my best to get back to you.
>
> Gracias,
>
> Matt
>

What a week! This weekend we have the Wimbledon of our
> sport the Million Dollar Croc’s Cup Championship at the
> Manhattan Beach Pier, CA. This is where the sport started
> and continues to have its biggest following. For those of
> you tuning in today to Adam and have never heard about our
> sport, yes, even we are stars in Manhattan Beach and yes the
> gold medalists from Beijing, Misty, Kerri, Phil and Todd
> will all be there battling it out for the biggest pay day
> ever in our sport. Can’t wait. It has always been my
> dream to get my name on the pier(wnners of the event get
> there names engraved next to all the past winners on
> Manhattan Pier), and I have a good feeling about this
> weekend.
>
> Also today I get to go on the Adam Carolla Show. I’m a
> big fan and honored that he would get me on as a guest. I
> have to thank Kelly Carter, who trains me and Adam Carolla,
> for getting me the inside track to be on the show. Should
> be a lot of fun and I am excited about introducing our sport
> to a new audience.
>
> I’ll write more tomorrow after the show and don’t
> forget to come out this weekend to Manhattan Beach and sit
> front row to cheer Casey and I on as we fight for our first
> Manhattan Beach title. It starts on Friday and goes all day
> every day until 2:30 Sunday when the final takes place.
>
> If you have any questions feel free to contact me.
> I’ll do my best to get back to you.
>
> Gracias,
>
> Matt
>

Wanted to let everyone know that this Saturday from 6-9pm, one of my sponsors, Gamma-O, will be throwing a party for me at The Dragon on Pier Ave., across the strand from the pier. It is going to be a great time and Gamma-O has been doing a lot to support me, including throwing this party so please come down, have a couple of beers, hang out, and bring a little good Karma that Sean and I can use on Sunday on our way to bringing back the Hermosa Open title to two South Bay residents.

Also if you get a chance swing by Glen Ivey Spa tent during the event. They are sponsoring Sean and I for the Hermosa and Manhattan Beach events, and we will be doing signings at their tent throughout the weekend.

Can’t wait to see you all in Hermosa. It is going to be fun.

Matt

One of the many mantra’s I live by is, “If you are not learning then you are done living.” I’ve heard it said in various ways but it always means the same thing. No matter how old or experienced you are, you can always learn more. Whether it is life or sport this saying really holds true. One of the things I love most about Karch Kiraly is that he is always still working on his game and learning from his competitors, despite being the best player ever to play the game. So what does this have to do with Sean and I finishing 25th last weekend in Huntington Beach? Everything, because Sean and I learned a lot and are going to apply what we learned last weekend, this weekend in Glendale, AZ. Let’s just say I would not want to play us in the first round.

In HB we came out complacent, expecting the young qualifiers to fold, but they didn’t. Instead they steadily gained more confidence, while Sean and I ended up looking like the cofused team. Next thing we know we are playing Canyon and Baxter in gusting winds on an outside court fighting for our tournament lives. They are a great ball control team and with a little help of the wind and some bad energy on our part, they upset us and knocked us out of the tourney. The learning experience is? Play each point like it is your last point from the opening whistle until the final point of the tournament. With rally scoring and the increased depth on the men’s side, you can’t wait to turn it on late in a game. You have to take it right to your opponents from the first point to the last. It is not like we did not know this, but for some reason we played like we thought we could win with strategy and experience, leaving out the most important ingredient, the heart. It is true that our experience, and patience to stick with a game plan, often give us the edge over younger, less experienced teams, but normally they are just enhancers to the most important element in any match, playing hard, with maximum concentration. Often times you can win by just playing hard, and staying in the moment. Against the teams you face a lot you need to add in a game plan and really know the tendencies of your opponent, because they definitely know yours. But remember to always plays hard, and enjoy yourself when you are out there. Just ask Lambo and Stein. They thought with their high seed, and volleyball skills they could waltz into the final fours and then pick up their game. Wrong! After their fourth loss in a row on the tour, they took a long hard look at themselves and decided it was time to turn it up. Next thing you know they don’t only start playing better, they win the tournament.

I would have liked an easier learning experience.(Taking a 25th to remember the importance of competing hard each point of each match seems a little harsh!) But so be it. Lesson learned, I mean hammered home and ground in that head of mine. Now all I can do is lick my chops and be happy I only have to wait a week to get a little revenge. You can bet Sean and I are going to be on a mission to make up for that 25th in HB, and you can bet NO team will be out hustling us in Glendale. AZ, here we come.

Challenging to find a bright spot after a 13th place finish in Miami, but Sean and I have mangaed to find quite a few, and I am very excited about this weekend in Dallas.

The first bit of good news is that Sean and I have found a coach. His name is Eduardo Bacil, though most of you may know him as Anjinho or little angel. Anjinho was the first Brazilian player to play on the AVP tour partnering up with another Brazilian legend Jose Loiola. They took the tour by storm in the early to mid 90’s consitently finishing in the top 5 and were the first foreign team to win an AVP event. He was one of the greatest competitors in AVP history and I don’t think there is anyone in the world who has studied the game more than him. I am so excited to learn from him and to have him part of our team. With two big guys playing together for the first time we are going need his help with our defense and our game planning. In a short time he has already taught us a lot about new ways to think about the game.

So what are some of the other bright points after such a disappointing finish? Well we played terrible and still had chances to win both of the matches we lost. Also, our strengths and more glaringly our weaknesses were exposed, so we knew exactly what to work on in practice this week. And lastly, Sean and I are more aware of the roles we have to play on the team, and hungrier than ever to get out there and take another crack at our opponents this weekend. And believe me in a competition where there is so much parity, a little extra fire can go a long way.

As you can tell I’m anxious for our new team to get some training in together, and see what we can do in Dallas.

Until next time,

Matt

Happy New Year! I can’t believe it is 2007 and the Olympics are only a year and a half away. It seems like yesterday I was watching Kerri and Misty win their gold medals. Speaking of flying by, this off-season has come and gone. Sure we don’t start tournaments until April, but January marks the beginning of the season for many of us. We all train in October, November, and December, but our time on the beach is limited. I spend most of the fall months in the weight room, working on my strength, balance, and flexibility. But now it is January and I am starting to be able to taste the upcoming 2007 season. I am very excited about the upcoming year for a few reasons. I have a new partner, Sean Scott, a new sponsor, Quiksilver, and 2007 marks the beginning of the qualification process for the 2008 Olympics.

As many of you know I have spent my first four years on tour playing with my close friend Casey Jennings. Over those four years we accomplished goals we had always dreamed about, and to do it with such a close friend was amazing. But at the end of last year, we decided it was time for the two of us to move on, and play with new people in 2007. Why you might ask? Though Casey and I were always in the hunt to win each tournament, in the end we were only able to bring home 4 titles. That is 4 more titles than most teams on tour, but we both want to be on the #1 team of the AVP. During our four years together we never doubted or gave up hope that together we could be the number one team. Even now I still believe we could do it. But after four years it was time to see if we could accomplish our goal with another player. Our growth had become stagnet and there were signs that we might both be better off with new partners. So here we are. It is January and for the first time in my beach volleyball career I will be practicing with someone other than Casey, and making goals for the future with someone else. Though it feels weird, it is also invigorating. It is an opportunity to take everything that I learned with Casey into a new partnership. Sean and I will still have a lot to learn about each other and about our partnership, but many of the lessons Casey and I had to learn the hard way, Sean and I will be able to avoid due to our past experiences.

Now let me tell you a little about my new partner, Mr. Sean Scott. He was the 2004 King of the Beach, and easily could have been the MVP of the 2005 season. He is one of the best athletes on tour, combining speed and strength with great ball control, a combination rarely found in our sport. Sean has also played with two of the best and most knowledgeable beach players in the world, in Dax Holdren and Todd Rogers. In Sean I have found the consumate professional who always brings it on the court. We both have always dreamed of playing in the olympics and will do everything in our power to fulfill that dream. I can’t wait to start picking his brain and find out all the little tricks of the trade he has picked up over the years.

Needless to say 2007 is shaping up to be an incredible year. I believe it is going to be my most rewarding year on tour so far. Sean and mine’s goals are to work hard, compete harder, and enjoy each moment of our journey, no matter how challenging the task ahead of us is. If we are able to do this than you will be seeing us in Bejiing, come 2008. Why Not?

Once again Happy New Year! And thanks to all my family and friends for making 2006 such an incredible year.

Remember to accomplish new goals in 2007 you must first be grateful for all of your accomplishments in 2006, and I am truly thankful.

Until next time,

Matt

I decided to create my own website, with the help of Daniel Sofer, because I wanted there to be an easy way for friends, sponsors and fans to keep up on things during the season. I’ve received many complaints from friends and family who go to the fivb and avp websites and have a difficult time navigating through it.

Now with the direct links from my website it should make things easy. If you want to find out my latest result when I’m playing in China, you just have to click on the fivb symbol on my navigation bar and it will take you right to the fivb results page. If you want to know how many blocks I’ve been piling up in a tournament you click on the statistics symbol and it will take you to statistic leader board on the avp sight. It might take a little time to perfect this, but hopefully it will all be running smooth come season.

My other goal in having the website is to give some analysis about the tournaments we play in. You can always go to the avp website to see how I finished but it won’t tell you about a bad call that might have won or lost the match or about the play of the year that turned the game around. Hopefully I’ll be able to give you a biased (it’s my site!) overview of the more entertaining matches and give you a better understanding of what plays tipped the scales for and against us in the matches.

Anyways I hope you enjoy the site. I’ll post photos of my 9 mos. old baby girl Charlie, me and boys cracking the lip at El Porto, and of the 2006 Six Man tourney soon. Make sure you check back in soon to see the new photos and video clips and to read my next blog. I’m going to write about my typical off-season day and update everyone about who I might be playing with in 2007.

Good times,
Matt