THE VOLLEYTALK PODCAST: Beach Volleyball Conversations with Tasha Mae

When the winningest player in beach volleyball history sits down and talks with you… you ask a lot of questions.Kent Steffes — Olympic gold medalist, World Champion, youngest AVP winner ever — is one of the greatest to ever play the game.We ended up talking for almost three hours.We covered so much:- Why he left the sport while at the top.- What it was like winning Olympic gold in '96 with Karch Kiraly.- What separates the players who win from the ones who don’t.- And how spirituality and flow played a huge role in his success — both on and off the court.We also talk about the rise and fall of the AVP, life after volleyball, and wrap up with some fun, rapid-fire questions at the end.This one made me think deeply, laugh out loud, and feel incredibly inspired. I hope it does the same for you.00:00- Intro 02:30- Professional beach volleyball is done08:15- Why come back now?14:51- How Kent first started beach volleyball19:17- Winning the Olympic Gold Medal with Karch Kiraly25:00- Winners and champions think differently 29:41- Kent’s proudest performance 32:21- Beach volleyball is a different sport now 38:14- Kent’s training week 41:41- How he would train if he played now 47:36- Phil Jackson, Antisocial Behavior, and Champions1:07:44- Spirituality and Flow 1:20:00- The Rise and Decline of the AVP 1:39:00- Biggest challenge transitioning to life after sport 1:51:33- Kings of Summer 2:04:17- Fun questions, Kent’s advice to young athletes 🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else you listen.📲 Follow @Thevolleytalkpodcast__ on Instagram📲 Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/23879642085038835/

Today's conversation is with Ari Homayun. Ari was my coach at California State University Northridge (CSUN), for the past three years and has been an incredible role model throughout my journey. She transformed our program and led us to our most successful season yet, leaving a lasting impact on and off the court. In this episode, Ari talks about: * Why she transferred to UC Davis and how it shaped her journey * How she rose to the top of the game at a young age * The powerful role her family played in building a winning mindset * Her unique coaching philosophy and approach to leadership * Honest recruiting advice for young athletes * Why she chose to study history—and what it means to her * Her thoughts on how the game of volleyball is evolving * And so much more! Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arihomayun/ Follow The VolleyTalk Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/thevolleytalkpodcast__/

Welcome to Part 2!! Check out Part 1 if you haven't yet :) Check out his website: https://www.learnbeachvolleyballfast.com/ [https://www.learnbeachvolleyballfast.com/] Subscribe to his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LearnBeachVolleyballFast [https://www.youtube.com/@LearnBeachVolleyballFast] Check out his podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learn-beach-volleyball-fast-podcast/id1485342736 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learn-beach-volleyball-fast-podcast/id1485342736] Follow The VolleyTalk Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/thevolleytalkpodcast__/ [https://www.instagram.com/thevolleytalkpodcast__/]

Today’s conversation is with Alex Haapamäki, founder of “Learn Beach Volleyball Fast,” an initiative dedicated to teaching people to learn beach volleyball in the fastest and most efficient way possible. No matter what level of experience you have in volleyball, Alex has a thousand different types of content on his website and YouTube channel curated to serve you. In this episode, Alex talks about:-  -        How a professional skateboarder ended up creating one of the most successful beach volleyball channels on the internet -        How his singing teacher inspired him to coach bvb in unconventional ways (those who have seen his YT videos will know what I mean!) -        His unique coaching philosophy -        Why he thinks that injuries can help athletes become even better than before -        His vision for his future projects on LBVF! -        And as usual, much much more!   Check out his website: https://www.learnbeachvolleyballfast.com/ [https://www.learnbeachvolleyballfast.com/] Subscribe to his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LearnBeachVolleyballFast [https://www.youtube.com/@LearnBeachVolleyballFast] Check out his podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learn-beach-volleyball-fast-podcast/id1485342736 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learn-beach-volleyball-fast-podcast/id1485342736] Follow The VolleyTalk Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/thevolleytalkpodcast__/ [https://www.instagram.com/thevolleytalkpodcast__/]

Today’s conversation is with Anhelina Khmil, a 19-year-old beach volleyball player who is now making waves in the beach world. She has won multiple youth European and World Championship titles, Beach Pro Tour Futures event, and she is further accelerating her career by committing to Texas Christian University (TCU) in the Fall of 2022. If you didn’t know, TCU has one of the strongest US programs and is currently ranked 6th in the NCAA. In this episode, Anhelina talks about:- - How beach volleyball turned from a nightmare to a dream for her - How her life has changed after the war in Ukraine broke out! - How she and her partner won a match in the third set despite being 11-2 down!! - Her journey of committing to TCU and the cultural differences she is experiencing - Why she wants to try being a defender! - What she thinks the 2 most essential qualities a beach volleyball player should have And as usual, much much more! Follow Anhelina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anhelina_khmil/ [https://www.instagram.com/anhelina_khmil/] Follow The VolleyTalk Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/thevolleytalkpodcast__/ [https://www.instagram.com/thevolleytalkpodcast__/] Check out the episode with another TCU player, Daniela Alvarez: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7rX3xM3osiaNWGKgWr2gBz?si=tl8a1lYWR9mROXRJMJCG8A [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7rX3xM3osiaNWGKgWr2gBz?si=tl8a1lYWR9mROXRJMJCG8A]