Blog #10 - GOLD!!!
8/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Blog #10 - GOLD!!!
Wow! Words can't describe it. What an honor to have been part of this experience with this team! I hope you all get to watch it tonight at 7pm pacific time on NBC.
I will be very happy to be home. I miss my family and I miss being with my team at St. Mary's.
It's very early in the morning and I need to get a few winks in before heading to the airport tomorrow morning.
Sorry I haven't written more--it's been a very busy few weeks but of course I wouldn't trade it for anything.
GO USA!
Go GAELS!
Rob
For more information on the Gold Medal Match Click Here!
Blog #9 - The Rivalry
This missive might be somewhat rambling because it is late (or early, however you want to look at it) and there's a lot to write.
Our women's team played a good match against a very good Brazilian team and came up short. USA was the only team to even take a set off of Brazil in the Olympics. Jamie Morrison and I took a taxi out to the venue to see the 4^th set. Our girls battled with them until the end. They should be very proud of the silver medal that they are taking home.
Now it's the men's turn. There is a very healthy rivalry between the USA and Brazil at these Olympics. It's mostly in volleyball, but USA's huge win over Brazil in women's soccer was very hard to swallow for them. The rivalry in men's volleyball has quite a history and it's as intense as ever.
In the 80s the two countries were at each other's throats often, but USA held the upper hand most of that decade. In the 90s I don't think it was dominated by Brazil, but they probably beat us more than we beat them. After 2000 Brazil took off under coach Bernardinho's leadership and they simply dominated the world from about 2001 until now. In fact, they dominated until the World League Finals a few weeks ago when USA beat them in the semifinals, denying them the World League Championship for the first time in several years.
During Brazil's dynasty this decade there has really only been one thorn in their sides: USA. Off the top of my head, here's my recollection of how it's been...
In the 2001 World League Brazil lost one match—to USA in Colorado Springs. At the 2002 World Championships in Argentina Brazil lost one match on its way to winning it all—to USA in the first pool. At the 2004 Olympic Brazil lost one match—to USA at the end of pool play. (That win for USA needs an asterisk next to it because Brazil was not very interested in winning it. Bernardinho's explanation for what happened—as told in his book Turning Sweat into Gold—is that he did not want to show us everything they had. He refers back to Brazil's beating USA in pool play at the 1984 Olympics in LA, then losing to us in the gold medal match, as his rationale for not showing us everything they've got.) In the 2005 Americas' Cup in Brazil, USA beat them in the final—their only loss in the tournament. At the 2007 Americas' Cup USA once again beat Brazil in the final (they did not have their best team, but it was still a significant victory as the tournament was again held in Brazil). At the 2007 World Cup Brazil's only loss came at the hands of the USA. Then came USA's win a few weeks ago in Rio at the World League Finals.
And so here we are. Brazil is in a position to repeat as Olympic Champions. We are in a position to win USA's first gold in indoor volleyball since 1988. There is a mutual respect between the teams (again, some of our players know some of their players from the pro leagues in Europe), but there is also no love lost either.
Brazil's fans travel well—and they know how to sing. Just like tonight's gold-medal match for the women, there will be plenty of green, blue and yellow in the stands. We beat them in soccer and beach volleyball, they beat our women tonight, and they do not want to lose again to us.
One thing I know is this: our team is ready. They deserve to be playing for a gold medal. USA will take the court today with confidence and will play their hearts out. They expect to have to battle against this team, but they also expect to win. Nobody knows who is going to win because neither team is that much better than the other. But our boys came here for a gold medal and they're either going to get it or Brazil's going to have to fight, kick, scratch and claw to deny us.
Rob
Blog #8 - USA Volleyball
I will need someone to do the research, but I think it is safe to say the USA Volleyball has been the most successful volleyball federation in the world since 1984 when it comes to Olympic medals. It might be close with Brazil.
With Misty and Kerri's gold medal today, USA volleyball teams have won gold medals in every Olympic Games since 1984 except for the 1992 Games in Barcelona. Gold and Silver in 1984 (men and women), Gold in 1988 (men), 2 Bronze in 1992 (men and women), Gold and Silver in Atlanta in 1996 (both men's beach teams), Gold in 2000 (men's beach), and Gold and Silver in 2004 (both women's beach). That's a lot of medals.
It's a heady time right now for USA Volleyball with Dalhauser/Rogers and our women's indoor team set to play for Gold against Brazilian teams. We could also play Brazil for the gold if we get past Russia.
To say that the amount of time that our staff spends scouting opponents is impressive would be an understatement. Most mortals would wilt working the hours they do studying opposing teams. They probably spent a combined total of 10 hours among them just yesterday scouting Russia before our match vs. Serbia, and a grand total of 20 hours just on that team throughout the first couple of weeks of the Games.
Asides...
The USA delegation has its own bus driver to and from the Village and Beijing Normal University. It leaves the Village every hour at the bottom of the hour, and returns from BNU at the top of the hour. The drive is 15 to 20 minutes and the bus is authorized to use the Olympic lanes on the streets and freeways. The driver is great—aggressive enough to deal with city traffic. He helps load and unload pole vaults, bicycles, ball carts, etc. He also must be one of the most popular men in Beijing because he regularly honks and gesticulates to his friends on the road.
The Village atmosphere definitely changes as the Games progress. As more and more athletes finish their competitions there is a more relaxed air to the place. In some cases it's downright jocular. When we got back at 1:30am after our first late match vs. Bulgaria it was a ghost town. Last night it was rather social with people meandering here and there. There was even a Spanish couple sitting on a village park bench as if they were on a date in the Plaza Mayor in Madrid. Let me simply say that it seemed as though they were getting along with each other quite well.
Jamie, John, Marv and I went to watch our women's water polo team in the gold medal match. A great game, but Holland came out on top in the last minute, 9-8. Our women's soccer team just scored an enormous upset by beating Brazil for the gold tonight.
Michael Johnson (the Gael, not the track star) sent me the following info on SMC Olympians:
Mills becomes just the fifth undergraduate student and sixth student at Saint Mary's to compete in the Olympic Games. The other five students are:
Joseph Lang, who competed in boxing in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. He finished fourth;
Heather Pease, who won a gold medal in synchronized swimming in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta;
Valerie Fleming, graduate student who competed in the two-person bobsledding in the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy earning a silver medal;
Jeff Hamilton, Class of 1988, who won the bronze medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville in speed skiing.
Tracee Talavera, Class of 1990, who won the silver medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles as member of the overall team championship.
Let us hope for a women's volleyball player to add to that future in Stacey O'Connor [2012 England] and one of your players, too.
Go USA and Go GAELS!
Rob
Blog #7 - Midnight Showings
I didn't get a blog off after our win vs. Japan. Things get very busy... Anyway, we beat up on Japan in what was our easiest match yet. Japan goes home at 0-5 (many of us can empathize after our 0-5 showing in Sydney in 2000.
Tonight the boys played a great match against a very, very good Serbian team. I am going to go out on a limb and say that tonight's win is the biggest Olympic win for the USA men's team since Barcelona in 1992. The comeback win vs. Greece last Olympics was without question one of the most exciting, and probably the greatest comeback, in USAV history at the Olympics. But this win vs. Serbia was bigger because Serbia is a much better team than Greece was.
Today a boy named Miles came to our practice. Miles has cancer and the Make-a-Wish Foundation is making his wish a reality by sending him to the Olympics to watch our team (he's a volleyball kid!). Our media people, BJ Evans and Bill Kauffman, arranged to have Miles come to practice and it was awesome. The guys were great with him and at one point he was out there setting during the serve and pass session. I think he had a great time. Another experience that helps with perspective on what's really important in life.
Our 10pm matches have been pretty sparse because the first two times we played at 10 the previous match has gone to 5 sets. We didn't finish our match with Bulgaria until about 12:45am. The other night Italy and China went 5 before Italy finished it off 16-14. We didn't start until 10:35. Tonight Brazil dealt with China quickly so we actually started at 10 but still didn't finish until the wee hours. We had a bigger crowd tonight and they got their money's worth. It is now 3am as I type...
Go USA!!
Go GAELS!!
Rob
Blog #6 - USA 3 China 0
There are two venues for volleyball. The principal venue is Capital Indoor Gymnasium (there is an affinity for stating the obvious) and the secondary venue, where we played China this morning, is Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium. BIT is much smaller and cozier than CIG. It played to our advantage today because the sellout crowd was about 7,000 fewer than it would have been in the main venue.
Although team USA controlled this match from beginning to end, the team has yet to play its best volleyball. I think we'll see that soon.
It was great to have Hugh back on the bench yesterday. I think it is comforting to the guys seeing him on the sidelines—back where they are so accustomed to seeing him. Once again, nobody missed a beat with Hugh's return—it was like he'd never been away.
We play Japan at 10pm on Monday, then we have the quarter finals two days after that. If we win our group, which we are anticipating, we will probably play Serbia in the first round. They are very, very good. Our team beat them in the World League finals a few weeks ago.
Our schedule for today is as follows:
10am: wake the boys up
10:15: breakfast. Some popular down-home options they offer are french toast, blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, cereal (shredded wheat, cocoa puffs, muesli, granola, raisin bran), oatmeal, fresh fruit, etc. One could choose salmon, sushi, noodles, bean curd, vegetable paste, etc, but one chooses not to. You can also get Egg McMuffins, Sausage McMuffins and other McBreakfast items until about 10am. They also have exquisite delicacies like peanut butter for los americanos and vegemite for Patty Mills and the rest of the Aussies.
11:30: catch the USOC bus to Beijing Normal University.
12:00: video session to watch Japan.
12:45: light lunch
1:45: practice
3:30: Kobe, Carlos, Tashaun and the gang come in for their practice. It's kind of funny to have our guys finishing up while they're getting ready. Kobe sitting next to Ryan lacing up his shoes while Ryan is taking his off and their chatting away like they're different sports at the same high school.
4:00: back to the village
8:00ish: coaches will have individual video with players.
Asides...
...there's a guy on China's team who is so skinny that the only number that will fit on his jersey is 1...Venezuela puts their first names on their jerseys (kind of like Brazil) and included in the starting six are Andy, Fredy, Ronald and Harry. Sounds like the Mayberry YMCA team...I exchanged pins with our State Department security personnel—they actually have pins that say "US Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, 2008 Summer Olympic Games"...the police escort we get with our bus is officially the Least Exciting Police Escort of the 2008 Games. They stop at every light and stop sign, even if there is nobody coming. It's like they're afraid of getting a ticket...a volunteer at the Sport Info desk was fascinated that I signed a paper with my left hand. Few people write with their left here, she said, because as children their parents forbid it...the coach of Poland's men's team is from Argentina, was Spain's coach at the 2000 Olympics, and speaks Italian to his Polish players...
Rob
Blog #5 - USA Defeats Bulgaria
Yesterday was another step in the journey that started nearly four years ago for this team. Bulgaria is a big, physical team who have earned the right to be ranked 4th in the world. They aren't exactly at their best right now and their team dynamic is not so great. One of their Olympic roster players is not even here. We have heard different rumors as to why, and I can't speculate on that in a blog, but suffice it to say that not all is as merry as their festive uniforms would indicate.
USA would have won the first set if we could have eliminated a few service errors. But Bulgaria also played their best in the first set. From that point on, just like the match with Italy, USA controlled the match. There were some great defensive plays on our side of the net, something that is a hallmark of USA Volleyball.
The team is now getting ready to play China at 10am on Saturday.
The US Olympic Committee recently had a slogan for the Olympics: "It's not just every 4 years—it's every day". The world tunes in to the Olympic Games every four years, and for a few weeks names that we rarely hear suddenly become household. However, the athletes behind those names have been training and competing many years for the opportunity to compete in the Olympics with "USA" on their backs.
Looking at this team...each four-year cycle the team competes in three major events. The major events are World Championships, World Cup, and the Olympics. Semi-major events are World League (yearly), Americas' Cup, Grand Champions Cup, and the Pan American Games. Smaller events are zone championships (NORCECA for us: North America, Central America and the Caribbean) and qualifiers for major events. In between all of those are friendly tours and tournaments. When players are not with their national teams competing in all these events they are playing professionally in Europe, Asia or South America. In other words, there is a lot going on during all those months and years between Olympic Games.
Every USA team begins the quadrennial with one ultimate goal: Gold in the Olympics. It's a journey of a thousand miles that is traveled one step at a time. The team did not just show up at the airport for the flight to Beijing. They've been through what seems like a lifetime together, both on and off the court, and Hugh has been there every step of the way, preparing them for this moment.
A lot of people are asking if the tragedy that occurred with the Bachmans is inspirational for the team. Of course the team would like nothing better than to pay tribute to their coach and the Bachmans by winning gold. But the team's focus and intrinsic motivation to win was laser sharp and strong before they even got on the plane to come here. I'm not even sure there is any room for any outside circumstance that can improve on that, and I'm also not sure anyone would want anything to change with the team's focus at this point.
This team is coming off some huge wins a few weeks ago in Brazil at the World League Finals. They beat Poland, Brazil, and Serbia in what is the FIVB's big-money event. What this team needs to do, and what it has done so far, is keep doing what they have always done. As far as effort is concerned, they are trained to play as hard as they can every single time they step on the court, every point and every contact. You can't really improve on that.
In addition to all this, volleyball is a skill sport. Height, jumping ability, strength and fitness are important components to success (if you could see our players and their rivals up close you would be amazed at their size and strength). But if you are not skilled you will not win. Because there is such a high premium on technique and precision in the execution of skills, adrenaline has a limited benefit. The boys could get so amped up thinking about how much they want to win it for Hugh, Wiz and the Bachmans that they would bust out of the locker room without opening a door. But, unlike many other sports, that adrenaline would hurt them when the first serve comes.
The other component that separates very good teams from gold medal teams is mental discipline. There are so many tactical and strategic aspects to this game that if you are too fired up you could easily forget those small things that make the difference between gold and 5th place.
Big props go to Hugh's coaching staff. Ron Larsen, John Speraw, Jamie Morrison and Aaron Brock are exceptionally good at what they do. Ron has seamlessly stepped into the head coaching role and nobody has missed a beat. I have watched these three work together with Hugh and without Hugh (the Pan Am Games in 2007) and they are as good as it gets when it comes to preparing the team to win. Ron's ability to manage a match is excellent. John and Jamie make sure all the i's are dotted and the t's crossed so that the team can perform. Aaron Brock is much more than just a great trainer--he's an integral part of the staff.
The consultants at these Olympic Games, Marv Dunphy and Carl McGown, are like having John Wooden and Dean Smith help you with your basketball team. Their contributions, especially in Hugh's absence, have been superb.
Having such a great staff, and a bunch of players who are so well prepared to succeed, is a tribute to Hugh's leadership. Great leaders prepare their teams so well that they can perform at high levels even when their leader is gone.
Having said all this, it will be great to have Hugh back on the sideline when that time comes. And every bit of success this team has in Beijing will be their way of paying homage to Todd Bachman and providing some inspiration to Barbara Bachman as she continues on the path of recovery.
Blog #4 - USA Defeats Italy
*Barbara Bachman*
Another day with a good report on Barb's progress. She continues to improve and there's nothing that could make us happier than that.
*USA** 3 Italy 1*
In 2000 we lost to Italy in the last match of our group. At 0-4 we had already been eliminated the previous match by losing to Korea 2-3. Italy went on to win the bronze medal. In 2004 we again lost to Italy in our group, then went on to beat the Netherlands, Australia and Brazil before beating Greece in what must be the greatest comeback in the history of USA Volleyball to advance to the semis. Today the USA men's team finally beat Italy in the Olympics.
Many of our USA players have played over in Italy's pro leagues. The men's league over there has been the premiere professional volleyball league in the world for many years. Recently, though, it has lost some of its luster. The Russian league is probably the most prestigious now, paying upwards of $500,000 a season for top players. Poland and Korea are also paying big salaries.
Clay Stanley, Lloy Ball, Sean Rooney, Kevin Hansen, Gabe Gardner and Reid Priddy are all playing in Russia this coming winter. Riley Salmon and Ryan Millar will play in Turkey, and David Lee will be in Italy.
Rob
Blog #3 - Match One
Yesterday it rained almost all day here in Beijing. The weather matched the mood of our team and the other USA volleyball teams here, as well as the entire USA delegation.
During Opening Ceremonies I marched around the track with Hugh and Marv Dunphy. We were soaking it in, enjoying the spectacle and joy of it all. We kept an eye out for Elisabeth (affectionately known as Wiz) and her parents, looking for a US flag in the lower bowl where Wiz had told Hugh they were seated. Near the end of the lap Hugh spotted them. I'll never forget the image of Wiz jumping up and down, waving the flag with a huge smile on her face, blowing kisses to Hugh. It was a moment of exhilaration she was sharing with Hugh, her parents by her side.
When we learned the next day that Todd Bachman, Elisabeth's father, had been killed, and that her mom, Barbara, was critically wounded, the image of Wiz in the stadium wouldn't leave my head. The contrast from one day to the next could not have been greater.
If you don't know Wiz I hope you get the chance to meet her someday. She is as good a person as people can be. I only met her parents a few times and they are the type of people you would expect Wiz's parents to be--happy, loving, giving, good people.
We are encouraged by very recent news that Barbara is doing better in the hospital. We continue to pray for her full recovery. If you were to search for news articles about Todd Bachman you would know what kind of a man he was and what kind of a family they are. The Bachmans are a huge part of their community in Minnesota.
Thank you all for your support and messages of encouragement.
*USA** 3 Venezuela 2*
The match yesterday was up and down for us. The boys started well and pretty much controlled the match for two and a half sets. Venezuela hung tough in the third, caught some breaks, and sent us into the 4th set. They are a physical and emotional team that can play great given some momentum. They got the momentum they needed in the 4th set and then all of a sudden we were going to 5. The 5th set is always a crap shoot—it can easily go either way. It was close just after we switched sides, then our boys made the plays they needed to to put it out of reach.
We are preparing for Italy tomorrow. Italy is a very good team that, for the first time in at least the past three Olympic Games, is not feeling the pressure to win a gold medal. They have not been as good the past few years so they do not come in with high expectations. In Athens they lost the gold to Brazil, in Sydney they beat Argentina for the bronze medal, and in Atlanta they lost to Holland in the Gold Medal match.
Rob
Side Note: Hugh and Wiz McCutcheon are good friends of Michelle's and mine, and Hugh is a friend of St. Mary's Volleyball. Most of you know that he spoke at our season-ending banquet this past February. The tragic incident that occurred on Saturday is deeply disturbing to many of us, and I know that our Saint Mary's team is especially sensitive to the whole ordeal.
Blog #2 - Opening Ceremonies
Last night were Opening Ceremonies and I was fortunate to be able to proudly march in with team USA. It was an eventful and exciting evening...
Team USA walked to the transportation mall at 5:30pm all gussied up in our Ralph Lauren outfits. I personally thought the delegation looked classy, although it was a bit toasty with those coats on. We boarded buses that were designated especially for us and that took us straight to the fencing venue where we had an appointment to be greeted by President Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, and former President George Sr.! They took the time to take photos with every team and with many individuals as well. I got a personal photo with Laura Bush. She was as nice and gracious as you would expect her to be.
Patty Mills Sighting
After photos with the VIPs we walked across the street to the National Indoor Stadium (gymnastics venue) where all the countries were staged and waiting for the call to start marching over to the Bird's Nest. As soon as I walked in I made a bee line for the Australian delegation and started asking where the basketball players were seated. The friendly Aussies lead me right to Patty Mills! I snapped a photo with him and we chatted for a bit.
They provided everyone with snacks and drinks while we waited and showed live footage of the festivities from the stadium. At roughly 8:30 USA was called to start marching over to the stadium. That march probably took over half an hour and the path was lined with thousands of spectators and volunteers. The decibel level would rise when they would spot Kobe or one of the other celebs marching with us.
One of the most exciting moments is when you are in the tunnel about to enter the stadium of 91,000 and hearing the echoes of our delegation chanting "U-S-A!". We made our way around the track and waved to the crowd, especially those with USA flags! Hugh McCutcheon (head coach), Marv Dunphy (consultant coach) took advantage of the "early exit" opportunity they provide after marching around for those who want to head back without staying for the entire ceremony. I know that sounds awful, but we play tomorrow and there's work to be done. Those who stayed probably did not get back to the village until after 1am.
Name Dropping
Walking to the buses I chatted with Lindsey Davenport, who we in the volleyball community wish had chosen volleyball over tennis! She comes from a volleyball family. Marv and I had a conversation with Reggie Smith, former major leaguer with the Dodgers and member of their great teams of the late 70s and early 80s of which I was a huge fan as a boy growing up in So. Cal. Marv and I got a photo with Coach K before marching. Yao looks like he's from another planet marching in with his delegation. I was walking behind Dirk Nowitzky yesterday in the village and he (and those like him) can't take ten steps without someone asking for an autograph or wanting a photo taken with them.
We didn't get to watch much of Opening Ceremonies, but I think you'll like what you see!
Rob
Blog #1 The Olympic City
Perhaps the single most unique experience at an Olympic Games is living in the Olympic Village. It is an amazing mix of people and cultures sharing an extraordinary experience. Neither politicians nor millionaires can lobby or buy their way into the village—in that sense it is highly exclusive. Yet it is open to anyone who meets the criteria of fast enough, high enough or strong enough—regardless of geography, politics, religion, or economic status.
The Village in Beijing is wonderful. Not that they weren't good in Athens and Sydney (they both had uniquely memorable aspects all their own), but the overall look and accommodations here surpass those of recent Olympics. Marv Dunphy, a member of the men's staff here, veteran of many Olympic Games and a man with impeccable taste and a keen eye for style and beauty (he makes Ralph Lauren look like a country bumpkin), says this is the best village he's been in.
Because of the high-rise style living quarters (apartments), it feels more like an Olympic City than Village. There are more people in a smaller geographic area than there were in previous Olympics. In Sydney and Athens I rented bicycles to facilitate getting around the village. No need for that here as our walk to the dining hall and transportation mall is about 2 minutes (as opposed to almost 10 in Sydney and Athens).
The USA delegation has 4 buildings where its athletes and staff are housed. We are on the 6^th floor of a nine-story building and the women's team is right above us on the 7^th floor. The USOC has its offices in our building on the 3^rd floor and I am typing this from the coaches' lounge located on the second floor. The basement of our building has all kinds of storage for the USOC and those sports that don't travel light—cycling being one.
All the buildings bear massive banners and flags of the nations that inhabit them—all but the USA buildings, that is. Since 9/11 the USOC has asked that no identifying flags or banners be hung from buildings housing the USA delegation at any Pan Am or Olympic Games. It's too bad because Old Glory sure looks good in an Olympic Village.
There is a Greek flag hanging from their building that is four stories long. Very impressive. Straight out the window from our building is a high-rise with Norwegian flags strung from the balconies. I can see a giant Brazilian flag, German flags, and on one balcony a single flag of the small delegation from Luxembourg.
Walking around the village is exciting. Everyone is wearing their nationalism on their sleeve—literally. That is one of the things that is so unique about the village. When you're walking around you see and hear all these people representing their cultures and speaking their languages and you don't have to guess where they are from because we all wear our labels with our colors, flags and names on our clothing.
I am a language nerd, so I don't mind throwing out a "guten morgen" to a German table tennis player, a "bon dia" to a Brazilian swimmer or "ohio gozaimasu" to a little Japanese gymnast. Sometimes I get in trouble when "buenos dias" comes out to a Lithuanian pole vaulter, but c'est la vie.
The dining hall is a massive temporary structure. It's probably the size of two football fields and has almost everything you could want in the way of food. It even has the standard McDonalds (Lebron, Boozer, and Tashaun Prince hit it up last night) where you can load up on whatever you want and as much as you want. I was thinking of doing an experiment where I eat McDonalds every meal, document my decline in health, then make a documentary movie about it, but I don't think anyone would watch it...
More to come!
Rob
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