Caitlin Ledoux: Just doux you

It’s a wonder how Caitlin Ledoux did it, given that she operates with the same 24 hours a day, the same seven days a week, as the rest of us.

There she was, working full-time at Lululemon. There she was, coaching two or three club teams and a high school team.

There she was, playing full-time professional beach volleyball, making three quarterfinals and her first career Sunday in Hermosa Beach, capping the year as the AVP’s Most Improved player.

“I worked a lot,” she said on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “Literally seven days a week coaching for four hours a day. That’s what I mean. I was overworked, I was exhausted, my body was struggling to keep up with what I was doing mentally, physically, everything. I just needed to hit that reset button.”

On the court, 2017 had been her most successful year. Off it, it had been both mentally and physically debilitating, something that didn’t go unnoticed by her partner for the final three tournaments, Maria Clara Salgado.

“She knew I was struggling here with my nutrition and my workouts and my working, I had been working a ton. It was too much. She said ‘Come down to Brazil, let’s see what works for you, because what you’ve been doing isn’t really working. Let’s put the reset button on and see if it works.’”

And so, for three months of the “off-season,” Ledoux went to Brazil, getting reps six days a week from four different coaches. She switched her weight routine, swapping out Olympic lifting for more functional movements. She overhauled her nutrition.

“It was the first time I’ve ever felt like a professional athlete,” said Ledoux, who has been playing professionally since she first qualified on the AVP in 2012. “That was career changing. It was amazing.”

Indeed, it seems it has been career-changing. This year, Ledoux has arguably the best case to again take home the AVP’s Most Improved Player, making the quarterfinals in New York with Salgado before getting the call of a lifetime, from perhaps the most dominant female player in the game today: April Ross.

"It was pretty funny because in New York she texted me and said 'Hey I need a practice partner for these days, can you practice with me?' And I had never played or practiced with her so I was stoked to practice with her for two days," Ledoux said. "And I was in the car with my mom and she texted me and I said 'Mom! Guess what just happened?' And she said 'April asked you to play.' And I said 'Yes!' It was awesome."

With Ross playing behind her block, Ledoux made her first final, which may be the match of the year on the AVP thus far, a 21-19, 19-21, 16-18 loss to Emily Day and Betsi Flint. Two weeks later she did it again with Geena Urango, making her third career Sunday and second straight losing once more to Day and Flint in the finals, 17-21, 21-16, 7-15.

Another three weeks after that, in Hermosa, Ledoux was back on a Sunday, falling in three to Ross and Alix Klineman, 14-21, 21-18, 9-15.

“A lot of it is just personal growth about myself and having the right support system around myself the last year and a half,” Ledoux said of her blink-and-you-missed-it rise. “Having that support system and the coaches and helping you figure out what you need to do, I’d say that honestly is the biggest thing.”

What you need to do. It’s a simple concept for Ledoux. Identify what your goal is. Figure out the next step.

Just do.

Olympics, she knew, has been her goal since she was a little girl. How would one get into the Olympics?

Travel. A lot. With no promises of a return anytime soon. So there her and Irene Pollock went, jet-setting across the world, beginning in Russia of 2014. Over the next three years, they went to 16 FIVBs in 10 different countries, qualifying in some, whiffing on others, taking every risk they could, because there were goals to reach and one ladder to get there.

Just go.

“It was hard, but the same time it wasn’t,” Ledoux said. “Irene and I had the same goal and that’s to make the Olympics and we knew that was what we needed to do. We needed to just drown ourselves in all the experience of traveling and losing and having to play these single elimination matches to get that experience. I look back on that year and it was a very draining year but I also learned a lot.

“When you look at the end game: what’s your goal? I had to do it. It’s a no-brainer.”

And sure, it may have been rough for a while. There may have been a learning curve on how to travel internationally, particularly when doing so in, say South Africa.

The investment is beginning to see returns, dividends in the form of a bronze medal (in China with Sarah Sponcil), a silver (in Australia with Jace Pardon) and a gold (in Thailand with Emily Stockman).

“I think there’s probably a more responsible way to do it than the way I did it,” Ledoux said of climbing the ranks of the FIVB. “But I’ve really enjoyed my life the last five years of just doing it and saying yes to a bunch of experiences. One of the cool things about this career is I look back on the last five years and all of the crazy memories I have of going to all of these places and a lot of times I had fun because we lost out super early and we didn’t know how to book flights yet so we’d book our flight home a week or week and a half in these places and we lost on the first day and now we have a week in South Africa and it’s ‘What do we do?’

“I look back on these last five years and I wouldn’t change anything. If you’re looking to just start, I would say set your goal and jump in.”

Jaksot(500)

James Shaw, and the pursuit for the goals on the other side of fear

James Shaw, and the pursuit for the goals on the other side of fear

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features James Shaw. Shaw was a setter at Stanford, where he made an NCAA Championship appearance, before moving onto clubs in Italy and the USA National Team. He is now transitioning to the beach, where he is seeing immediate success.  In this episode, we discuss: - Why he decided to leave indoor and play beach volleyball - The tricky transition of becoming a beach player  - His childhood, growing up under Don Shaw, the legendary Stanford coach - How the volleyball community can help save the Stanford program, which was cut by the school - Shaw's growing list of audacious goals on the beach, including an Olympic run for Paris 2024 This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! This episode is also brought to you by CROSSNET, a fun new beach volleyball game, where beach volleyball meets four-square. It's an absolute blast, and is actually a great training tool as well. Use our discount code, SANDCAST, for 20 percent off! This episode is also brought to you by Chasing Gold, a new non-profit founded by Matt Callahan and SANDCAST host Travis Mewhirter, aimed at funding aspiring Olympians to relieve the financial burden of traveling around the world. Read more and donate today at www.chasinggold.org! SHOOTS!

21 Huhti 20211h 8min

Kim Hildreth is thriving, with both feet finally on the ground

Kim Hildreth is thriving, with both feet finally on the ground

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Kim Hildreth, one of the top players in Florida who made the finals of AVP Austin in 2019. A native of Michigan, Hildreth set for four years at Eastern Michigan before finishing out her collegiate career at North Florida. She's stayed in the Sunshine State ever since, rising through the ranks of professionals from the NVL to the AVP.  On this episode, we discuss: - Life at age 30, and how becoming "one of the ladies" in Florida isn't so bad after all - How she turned 2020 into one of the most productive years of her life: getting married, getting into health coaching, practicing even more. "It was a year of growth." - Her new role as a professional health coach, and how that's impacting her game - The AVP, and the idea of expanding the main draw, but not prize money (this is a really fun convo, and I encourage you to make it to the end) This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! This episode is also brought to you by CROSSNET, a fun new beach volleyball game, where beach volleyball meets four-square. It's an absolute blast, and is actually a great training tool as well. Use our discount code, SANDCAST, for 20 percent off! This episode is also brought to you by Chasing Gold, a new non-profit founded by Matt Callahan and SANDCAST host Travis Mewhirter, aimed at funding aspiring Olympians to relieve the financial burden of traveling around the world. Read more and donate today at www.chasinggold.org! SHOOTS!

14 Huhti 20211h 3min

Mark Paaluhi, the man alas giving beach volleyball the attention he always thought it needed

Mark Paaluhi, the man alas giving beach volleyball the attention he always thought it needed

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Mark Paaluhi, a Hawai'ian native who was raised in Hermosa Beach. As a player, his heyday was in the early '90s, the Golden Era of the sport, where he trained with Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes, among others. But his impact on the sport goes far beyond his abilities as a player.  Paaluhi is the man behind the net systems and courts at 16th Street, and he is the one directing all of those miniature tournaments in Hermosa Beach you keep hearing about. On this episode, we discuss: - His background as a player, and a hilarious story about getting bageled, 15-0, by Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes - His serendipitous journey getting into the corporate world of beach volleyball with USA Volleyball - How he negotiated with the Hermosa Beach Chief of Police to make 16th Street the safe-haven for professional beach volleyball players - The advent, and evolution, of the miniature tournaments in Hermosa Beach This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! This episode is also brought to you by CROSSNET, a fun new beach volleyball game, where beach volleyball meets four-square. It's an absolute blast, and is actually a great training tool as well. Use our discount code, SANDCAST, for 20 percent off! SHOOTS!

7 Huhti 20211h 7min

Beach Volleyball Mailbag: Breaking down the Cancun Bubble, training tips, AVP speculation

Beach Volleyball Mailbag: Breaking down the Cancun Bubble, training tips, AVP speculation

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the hosts, Bourne and Mewhirter, answering a variety of fan questions. In this episode, Bourne and Mewhirter: - Break down the upcoming Cancun Bubble, a three-week stretch of back to back to back four-stars - Discuss the balance of playing vs. practicing - Analyze how to beat taller opponents - What they look for in a partner search - What they've heard about the upcoming AVP season And much, much more. This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! This episode is also brought to you by CROSSNET, a fun new beach volleyball game, where beach volleyball meets four-square. It's an absolute blast, and is actually a great training tool as well. Use our discount code, SANDCAST, for 20 percent off! SHOOTS!

31 Maalis 202150min

Matt Fuerbringer: Respecting the work that's required of greatness

Matt Fuerbringer: Respecting the work that's required of greatness

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Matt Fuerbringer, the associate head coach at Long Beach State and one of the all-time good people in beach volleyball. He's a Manhattan Beach Open champion and came within a fingernail of qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Games with Nick Lucena, a story we discuss on the podcast.  We also chat about: - His partnership with Casey Jennings, and the emotional team they were that thrived on adversity and in big moments. - How he felt like he was playing the best volleyball of his career at age 34 or 35 - The leadup to the 2012 Olympics, playing with Nick Lucena, and finishing fifth in the world and still missing out on qualifying - The lessons he's trying to instill in his kids, and his awesome definition of what it means to have fun at practice This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! This episode is also brought to you by CROSSNET, a fun new beach volleyball game, where beach volleyball meets four-square. It's an absolute blast, and is actually a great training tool as well. Use our discount code, SANDCAST, for 20 percent off! SHOOTS!

24 Maalis 20211h 16min

Chaim Schalk's American career has finally begun -- from the bottom

Chaim Schalk's American career has finally begun -- from the bottom

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Chaim Schalk, a 2016 Olympian for Canada who has finally, finally, finally begun playing for the United States.  It's been a long road for Schalk, who had to sit out two years to transfer federations, then one more year for COVID. But beginning with a country quota win over Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb, Schalk's career alas began again, with the four-star qualifier in Doha.  On this episode with Schalk, we discuss: - How it felt for Schalk to compete again after such a long time off - Seeing old friends, and how much the World Tour has changed - Tri opens up about the country quota loss, and how USA Volleyball made the right decision to make him and Crabb compete - Whether or not there should be country quotas at all on the FIVB, or if there is enough parity around the world to remove the quotas - Schalk and Brunner's future as a team, and their ambitions This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! This episode is also brought to you by CROSSNET, a fun new beach volleyball game, where beach volleyball meets four-square. It's an absolute blast, and is actually a great training tool as well. Use our discount code, SANDCAST, for 20 percent off! SHOOTS!

17 Maalis 20211h 3min

Don't be fooled by LSU's Kristen Nuss: She'll find a way to win

Don't be fooled by LSU's Kristen Nuss: She'll find a way to win

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Kristen Nuss, a standout on court one at LSU who has helped the Tigers become a perennial power in college beach volleyball. In four years with the team, she has won 111 matches (and quickly counting) and, in 2020, helped LSU rise to the No. 1 team in the country for the first time in program history.  She is an absolute delight, both on and off the court.  On this episode, we discuss: - LSU's rise from a landlocked, underdog program to one of the best in the United States - How Nuss wasn't recruited by a single school until her brother, Pete, told coach Russell Brock to take a look at her - How Nuss and Taryn Kloth turned 2020 from a disappointing COVID-shortened year into one criss-crossing the country, winning tournaments all over - How this year, the NCAA Championships are a "Super Championship" with all the talent Much, much more.  This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! This episode is also brought to you by CROSSNET, a fun new beach volleyball game, where beach volleyball meets four-square. It's an absolute blast, and is actually a great training tool as well. Use our discount code, SANDCAST, for 20 percent off! SHOOTS!

10 Maalis 202150min

Travis Mewhirter's volatile, adversity-filled trip to and from the Doha bubble

Travis Mewhirter's volatile, adversity-filled trip to and from the Doha bubble

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the host, Mewhirter, discussing what life is like on the World Tour, and all the hoops players and promoters must jump through to put on a successful tournament.  In this episode, we discuss: - A crazy two weeks prior to leaving for Doha, which included an injury, delayed visas, COVID-testing issues -- the whole gamut - What it's like to play a tournament in a "bubble" - How it was for Mewhirter to compete in his first tournament since the Cook Islands in January of 2020 - The next steps for both Bourne and Mewhirter, in an uncertain 2021 season ahead This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! This episode is also brought to you by CROSSNET, a fun new beach volleyball game, where beach volleyball meets four-square. It's an absolute blast, and is actually a great training tool as well. Use our discount code, SANDCAST, for 20 percent off! SHOOTS!

3 Maalis 20211h 8min

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