Of course this man was an Olympic volleyball coach! Look at all the hardware... The only thing missing is the bronze medal from the '92 Olympics. But coach Janzen says, coaches don't get medals. Only for players. Only for the team.
"It's Olympic games. Everybody knows what's at stake. You're representing your country. Everything you do is bigger than who you are."
Coach Janzen was an assistant on the '92 men's squad. Volleyball enthusiasts in the central valley know about the success he's translated from that to coaching at Fresno Pacific, six national titles in 26 years. But the Olympics are a different kind of intensity, even in practice. He recalls a training session with Olympian Bob Ctvrtlik.
"I served so many balls at bob, that one day my wedding ring had fell off, i hadn't realized, but it had worn through, and fell off my hand."
Coach Janzen says this year's men's team has a legitimate shot at gold. He likes the women's team, but says 2016 will be their year.
On the court, the women begin competition Saturday July 28th against Korea. The men will begin July 29th against Serbia.
So how will beach volleyball fare in a country not known for it's beaches? They should do well at the world famous "horse guards palace." the U.S. women are once again a favorite, with Misty May Traynor and Kerri Walsh Jennings leading the way.
Both the women, and men, begin competition July 28th. So what's it going to take for team USA to win gold? Coach Janzen's got a pretty good idea. "The only limitation, the only thing that prevents us from becoming great is ourselves."
TXT 24
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