Volleyball Footprint - - DAIN BLANTON

This is the full interview we had with 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist and AVP Legend, Dain Blanton, during the Friday of the AVP NYC. To say that he generous with his time is an understatement. We caught up with Dain, just before he started his clinic/camp session with AVP First at Pier 25.

As you can see, the AVP and many of its charter members, are very open to speaking with those invested in "Growing The Game." We touched on how, as a leader in the sport of volleyball, he is looking to give the sport a diverse range of appeal to all athletes no matter the age, gender or ethnic background. Blanton believe in this mission and wants to further the reach of the sport the best way he knows how, through coaching the next generation.

In fact, watch as Dain's face light up when he speaks of Kelly Claes and Sarah Hughes and their incredible run through the qualifying rounds and into (what eventually became) their semifinal appearance. Hughes and Claes ran into a Nicole Branaugh and Jenny Kropp in their semifinal loss (set 3 of that match to come in future posts).

We questioned if he and Fonoi would ever look to do a Master's Beach Tour any time soon. You can judge his answer.

Empire Volleyball Club wants to thank Dain Blanton for the interview and giving of his time. Watch him on NBC SPORTS as he is the voice on the courts during the AVP season.

Hope you enjoy.

Volleyball Footprint: AVP1st (AVPFirst) Building Champions from the Grassroots on Up

For one to have a footprint, you must leave an indelible mark in history some how. Whether you are a famous singer or the local butcher, once people can remember who and why you have effected them you have left THE footprint.

The American Volleyball Professionals (AVP) tournament tour, has done just that!

Since its birth in the late 1980's, the AVP has promoted the sport of beach volleyball in an unprecedented way. In fact it was because of the AVP's popularity, that the FIVB (Federation of International Volleyball) started having international beach volleyball competitions, since the mid-1990's. From there beach volleyball has grown to be one of the most popular sports at every Olympics.

International players, such as Jose Loyola of Brazil, gained American citizenship just to be able to play and earn money with in the AVP. Just spit-balling here, but, when players from other countries, leave their home lands to make it in your league, you have created a pretty substantial footprint.

However, this article isn't about the AVP's footprint with adult players. No, no. Its about what they are looking to do with the youth players who have not been exposed to such a high level of beach volleyball. 

This article is about the AVP First program and their mission to get the youth out on to the beach with the best in the world.

www.avp.com/avp-first/
Click on the and be taken to the AVP First Homepage

Can you imagine being able to learn how to throw a football from Peyton Manning, or shoot from Stefan Curry? Well, that is what the AVP is trying to do with AVP First. They are attempting to connect the pros to the pupils, in a grassroots effort to improve beach volleyball from the kids up.

AVPFirst (AVP1st) is "inspiring healthy lifestyles and a lifelong connection to the sport of volleyball in youth and their families," as stated on the AVP First homepage, with in their mission. Now that is saying a lot!

Over the years, the sport of beach volleyball has grown so large in popularity, it almost overshadows its older brother, indoor volleyball. More and more young people are playing beach volleyball because of what if offers. No other sport, outside of surfing, expresses the "fun in the sun" attitude as beach volleyball does. The problem has been getting the best players to connect with the youth at the grassroots level.

Well the AVP, its corporate partners and many of the elite players, on tour, want to change that. Just listen to Tony Giarla (sorry I said Garcia in the video), Director of AVP First, in this short interview. We spoke at the AVP tour stop in New York City, July 17, 2015. As we were speaking they were prepping for a clinic that night to be lead by none other than, Dain Blanton. The 2000 Sydney Olympic Gold Medalist and multiple AVP Champion.

As you heard in the video, the AVP is making a concerted effort to the youth of America with the best this sport has to offer.

Dain Blanton
2000 Olympic Gold Medalist in Sydney
Multiple AVP Championships
Currently an NBC Sports Analyst
and On Air Talent

The motto of all great volleyball coaches and leaders is "GROW THE GAME." Nowhere is that more evident than when an entity as big as the AVP decides to become a leader in the sport through grassroots efforts, as AVP First.

Don't get me wrong, there are other programs out there. USA Volleyball has their own grassroots beach programs, and there are local area camps and clinics across the country. My friend Bobby Jones has his beach training program in Austin, Texas called "Project Serve." Please check it out when you're in the state of Texas. However, no one will have the same kind of impact on the sport, at the grassroots level, as the AVP.

Through the AVP First program and its access to the elite of ELITES in the sport of beach volleyball, i.e; Kerri Walsh-Jennings (I know you have heard of her) or the previously mentioned, Dain Blanton, conducting clinics and camps throughout the tour cycle and beyond, the level of the sport will grow exponentially. By exposing these kids to this level of talent, the AVP is giving these fledgling athletes an incredible opportunity no matter where they are from. Connecting the youth, from either inner cities or rural America, to the icons of the sport is undeniably a great advantage! The AVP is learning to make that happen and is putting the right investment where it matters...WITH THE KIDS.

With its efforts through AVP First, the American Volleyball Professionals tour, will be leaving a long lasting footprint on beach volleyball for many years. Who knows, maybe one day a player that came through AVP First, will be winning golds medal in Olympics to come.

The question now stands...where will you leave YOUR volleyball footprint?

Thank you for reading....(see you on the courts)

EVC

US Open Nationals in the D (aka Detroit, MI)

So, its officially over and that time of the year is passed. Once again, 30-40 teams from the New York, New Jersey Metropolitan Area - along with a few hundred or so other teams from various other US Volleyball regions - descended onto an unsuspecting city and took over for 8 days.

YOU'RE WELCOME DETROIT!!!!

I can't lie, Detroit was horrible. The city shut everything down at 11:30pm. Bars closed at 2am, like many places, but there was NO NIGHT LIFE. Not what was advertised (by myself as well) Detroit. Next time, be ready the onslaught that is adult nationals.

On the other hand, everything else was awesome!!!

Between watching our region do very well in MANY divisions and age groups, we partied HARDER, stayed out LONGER and overall showed why GEVA is the BEST REGION TO LIVE IN!!!

Congrats to Train Wreck for taking GOLD ! Lead by Ali Jackson, Tournament MVP, Train Wreck DOMINATED Women's BB only dropping 1 set in four days of play. Congrats to all of Train Wreck: Cindy Stayton, Cristina Payne, Val Lang, Valeria Langlois, Caitlin Weiss, Mindy Stephanie, Tiffany Firebaugh, and Audrey Goss. We'll miss you in GEVA - and NYC - Audrey, when you move, but we know you and Aaron Zucker will have a great life in Chicago!!!


Awesome job by Dan McFadden and his team, GSA, who also took GOLD in Men's A. Congrats to Lorenzo Samin and team Super Flow Flex for finishing 3rd in Men's A as well. Props go out to Rony Gilot Jr. and the men of Creole Red, aka 40+, for representing us in that age group! I'm with you all in Orlando! Congrats to former Empire Volleyball Club members Dennis J. Park and Kevin Shalley for leading NY Strangers to the Bronze Bracket Title. We keep that tradition alive with you all!!!

Now, as for Empire Volleyball Club, let's be real; we came together with less than two months before Nationals. We registered. Got hotels. Organized flights and transportation last minute. We couldn't even have a final roster until just before our first whistle Friday afternoon in Detroit. To finish 33rd over all and win Flight 1, we kicked some major butt.

Huge thank you to Kyle Birdman Burnside, for bringing in people to this year's team. Props to the those guys, Mark Ledwich, Erik Shagdar, Daniel Meretzky, Kevin Skeuse, Raymond Collins and Jordy Diaz our team MVP for bringing it on our last day. We started off the weekend 0-5. Got a little too drunk two out of four nights and then, well like all GEVA teams, made it count in playoffs. After winning our challenge match to Flight 1, we never looked back, finishing the weekend with a 5-5 record in Men's BB. We made Empire Volleyball Club proud!!!
Thank you Bryn Kehoe, for hanging out with us after your match. I know Jordy was in LOVE.

Thank you Jeffrey Ptak for hanging before your match. Furthermore, Big Jeff, CONGRATS on winning two championships this year. One in Bahrain and the other with Team Pineapple in the Men's PVL Division.
Good luck to my homie, Stephen Bracken and the Men's National Sitting Team, as they travel out to Bosnia.

All in all, this years Nationals wasn't very different to many others. We all played hard and had fun. Each team achieved some level of success or met a level failure, but still played together.
Next year its in ORLANDO, FLORIDA. There will definitely be more teams and more chances for bad stories and major hijinks. All I know is I can't wait!

See you all during the outdoor season, but I hope more than anything I'll see you all again in Orlando!!!
GO Empire!!!