Camryn Irwin is living the dream
SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter19 Helmi 2020

Camryn Irwin is living the dream

It’s May 16, 2018, the eve of Camryn Irwin’s debut as an Amazon Prime broadcaster calling AVP tournaments. She gets a call from the AVP. They inform her that she’ll be calling play by play.

“Ok!” Irwin says. “That’s new!”

“We don’t know what the format is going to look like, we’re just going to figure it out as we go.”

“Ok,” Irwin replies again.

“Don’t screw up. This is our brand.”

Now it’s Amazon on the horn, and they’re telling Irwin that “This is our Amazon brand. Don’t screw up.”

“Ok,” Irwin says one more time. “Here we go. I’m calling play by play tomorrow!”

A year and a half later, she’ll recall this experience on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. And she’ll say “talk about fear,” because she’s human, and any human being would be more than a bit intimidated when put into those circumstances. But she did it all the same. And she’s still doing it, establishing herself as a popular and lovable personality on the AVP and Amazon, because this is Camryn Irwin, and she’s done all that before.

Fear? No, fear isn’t the AVP and Amazon asking you to do something you know you’re talented at, that you know you’ll figure out, because you’re the queen of figuring things out on the fly.

Fear is when load up on a block, jump, and, just as you’re about to peak, you feel your back “just release,” Irwin said. “There is nothing supporting me and there was nothing I could do. I landed and my whole spine went thwack. I went back to go serve the next point and I remember tossing it, I went to jump, and I couldn’t breathe.”

This was in Sweden, just two years into her professional indoor career after a successful indoor stint at Washington State. It would take a month for Irwin to find out that she had a rupture in her back, that she had absolutely no business playing volleyball after that jump but she did so anyways because volleyball was what Irwin knew and volleyball was where her teammates and friends were. So she finished her season on her broken back, and when she returned, she figured she’d move onto the next phase of her life’s plan: Irwin was going to become a professional beach volleyball player on the AVP Tour.

Until she began training, and she began to lose feeling in her legs.

She is positive enough to label the injury a “total God thing,” because without that injury, she wouldn’t be spending her summers in the booth with her good friends Kevin Barnett and Dain Blanton. She wouldn’t be spending exponentially more hours in beach volleyball than the players she’s calling. She wouldn’t have a job she hesitates labeling a job because it’s just so much dang fun that it feels wrong to call it anything but a dream.

“It’s literally a dream job, because it’s not just about volleyball, it’s not just about athletes,” Irwin said. “I get to work with two of my best friends and their amazing families on a regular basis. My job is to share your story, so you can impact someone else’s life. That’s the stuff that gets my engine going.”

Irwin was one of the rare collegiate athletes who saw past her career in her respective sport. Even as a successful setter at Washington State with professional prospects down the line, she kindled her passion for storytelling, sacrificing sleep to shoot, edit and produce videos only a handful of people would watch.

“I knew I had this gameplan: I want to tell stories, I want to shape lives,” Irwin said. “I was so driven. But even with that drive in my brain, I was like ‘How in the world do I do this? Where do I even start?’ I’m out from the sticks in Washington State. I grew up on a farm, there’s no network television. It’s not like there’s some guy saying ‘Get an agent, get a head shot.’ I just said ‘Grind it out. Connect with people. Talk to people, and fail 100 times a day and figure it out.’ Still to this day people will ask me how I got to where I am and I say a lot of hard work without knowing the outcome.”

When she returned from Sweden to finish her degree at Washington State, she was able to call football games, learning under the legendary – and enormous personality – Mike Leach, one of the finest minds in the sport. So when she’s calling games for ESPN or the Pac-12 Network, she’s doing so with the education from men like Leach, who is 139-90 in his career with two Pac-12 division titles to his name, and Graham Harrell, the current offensive coordinator at USC. The jobs she was working paid $15 a piece; the education she gained continues to pay dividends, mapping out a rapidly ascending career as a broadcaster.

“It was all about building relationships and writing stories on these guys and I was just hoping the Pac-12 would give me a chance and they did,” Irwin said. “There’s no training for this. You just have to be super ballsy, and you have to be ok sounding like an idiot and not knowing what you’re doing and just listen to yourself, critique yourself, be super hard on yourself, and trying to find out what your voice is.”

Her voice, as creatives know, will be an ongoing project for the remainder of her career. It’ll evolve, improve, change. But her passion for what she does and the people with whom she does it, be it the athletes she’s calling or her colleagues calling with her, is what makes Irwin so good at what she does. It’s what allows her to run off four hours of sleep during AVP weekends, nerding out on volleyball by studying her self-made binders. It’s why she can take calls from the AVP and Amazon the night before her long-awaited debut in beach volleyball and know that it’s going to work out fine.

“I was a volleyball player since I was 5 years old,” she said. “I grew up in the Pacific Northwest where beach volleyball wasn’t a thing. I love the indoor game and I love the beach game, but my biggest thing is to be able to help build and represent a brand and a sport that is so cherished to me, especially something that I got to participate on the indoor side in college and overseas for a few years, I feel like it got ripped from me. To be so involved in a sport that is still so dear to my heart and to have that shown, I can’t work hard enough for this sport because I love it that much. The 4 hours of sleep at night, the stupid binders I make, the relationships – it’s all so genuine to me because I love this game so much and I love all the people in it.

“To get the call from Amazon and the AVP was way more meaningful to me than anybody really realizes.”

Jaksot(500)

Jason Lochhead: The globetrotting route to becoming a two-time Olympic coach

Jason Lochhead: The globetrotting route to becoming a two-time Olympic coach

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is an ABSOLUTE BLAST! We have Jason Lochhead, the coach of Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena, in the house. It is a packed episode, filled with tremendous stories and, as a bonus, a New Zealand accent.  We chat about: - What it was like for Lochhead to grow up as a beach volleyball player in New Zealand, a country not exactly known for beach volleyball - His career as a player, nearly qualifying in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games - How he almost became a professional golfer before being recruited to coach the Vanuatu National Team - Coaching Canadians Ben Saxton and Chaim Schalk to the 2016 Olympics - The call from Nick Lucena that changed his life: Coaching Phil Dalhausser and Lucena to the 2021 Olympic Games That, and, as always, so much more! ENJOY! *** 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! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball   This episode is also brought to you by Chasing Gold, a new non-profit 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!

30 Kesä 202155min

Taylor Crabb, and the arrival of beach volleyball's next generation

Taylor Crabb, and the arrival of beach volleyball's next generation

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is a special one, for it is the first episode featuring a player competing in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. Taylor Crabb has long been the presumed face of this next generation of American beach volleyball players. Now that generation is here, as he and Jake Gibb qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, alongside lovable veterans Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena. On this episode, we discuss: - What it is like for Taylor Crabb being an Olympian, something he's long dreamed of - The moment in Ostrava when he and Jake Gibb and coach Rich Lambourne knew they had qualified for Tokyo - The strangeness of this 2021 season, with so much uncertainty post-COVID - Why players should prioritize competing on the AVP just as much as they do the FIVB - The blessings of being raised in Hawai'i, growing up at the Outrigger Canoe Club And much, much more. Such a fun episode. ENJOY! *** 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! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball   This episode is also brought to you by Chasing Gold, a new non-profit 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!

23 Kesä 202156min

SANDCAST Mailbag: A review of the Tokyo Olympic quad, and looking ahead to AVP 2021

SANDCAST Mailbag: A review of the Tokyo Olympic quad, and looking ahead to AVP 2021

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features our monthly fan question episode. Before we dove into the fan questions, we recapped the Tokyo Olympic quad, and Bourne's journey through it with Trevor Crabb, finishing ranked No. 11 in the world yet just shy of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic Games. We chatted about Mewhirter's five-week FIVB stretch, competing in Bulgaria, Sochi, and Bulgaria twice more. You can find a full written recap of Mewhirter's journey at VolleyballMag. And then, of course, we dove into fan questions, beginning with... - What are our thoughts on the AVP schedule, which was recently announced?  - What is the purpose, and best format, for the AVP Next Gold events, which are growing in popularity and size?  - What's next for Tri Bourne, with this Olympic quad now finished? - How do you handle burnout?  And much, much more. This episode is a comprehensive one, as we had much to talk about -- AVP, Olympics, FIVB, you name it.  Enjoy! *** 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! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball 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!

16 Kesä 20211h 13min

DJ Klasnic is bringing the passion for beach volleyball back to Serbia

DJ Klasnic is bringing the passion for beach volleyball back to Serbia

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features DJ Klasnic, one of the top players in the Serbian beach volleyball federation who recently won the second event on the Bulgarian National Tour.  Klasnic lived in Florida for six months this year, competing with some of the best blockers in the country, including Ricardo Santos, Piotr Marciniak, Andy Benesh, and Logan Webber. Now he's back to Serbia, competing in the final round of the Continental Cup as well as on the FIVB Tour.  On this episode, we discuss: - How Klasnic got into beach volleyball while growing up in Serbia, a country that doesn't view beach volleyball as a real sport - Becoming the first Serbian team to win an international medal - His time spent in Florida, and the critical role Ricardo Santos played in motivating him in his career - How Phil Dalhausser encouraged Klasnic to continue pursuing beach volleyball - His love for Florida beach volleyball, and how he's attempting to bring that kind of passion and love for the game back to Serbia *** 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! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball 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!

9 Kesä 20211h 4min

Corinne Quiggle and Allie Wheeler: Winning the little steps on their way to the big one

Corinne Quiggle and Allie Wheeler: Winning the little steps on their way to the big one

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features recent USA Volleyball GOLD MEDALISTS Corinne Quiggle and Allie Wheeler, who took home the gold at the Bulgaria one-star. After winning there -- coming out of the qualifier to do so! -- they went to Sochi, where they nearly made it through a brutal country quota against Sarah Schermerhorn and Aurora Davis and Kerri Walsh Jennings and Brooke Sweat.  On this episode, we discuss: - Corinne Quiggle's wild travels, in which she almost had to drop out of the event - The difference between competing in practice and competing in an FIVB event - How Quiggle and Wheeler overcame the nerves of their first international tournament to win gold - How their partnership formed, and the progress they've made as a team - What's next on the schedule, and the big goal up ahead 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! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball 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!

2 Kesä 202147min

Canadian road dogs Will Hoey and Jake MacNeil have no exit plans

Canadian road dogs Will Hoey and Jake MacNeil have no exit plans

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, was recorded on the road, at the FIVB Bulgaria one-star, where Mewhirter chatted with good buds and Canadian players Will Hoey and Jake MacNeil.  Hoey and MacNeil finished fifth in the Bulgaria one-star, knocking out Mewhirter and Roberts in the final round of the qualifier. On this episode, we chat about: - How two Canadian men get into beach volleyball, and the role that hockey plays in that - Hoey's journey into beach, and how going winless at the U19 World Championships opened his eyes to the life of the beach volleyball player - MacNeil's decision to give up a professional hockey career to pursue beach volleyball - Their climb up the Canadian Federation's ladder, where they are the fourth-ranked team in Canada - Their life on the road, where they have no plans to return home And much, much more.  SHOOTS! *** 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! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball 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!

26 Touko 202150min

Savvy Simo, and a remarkable, legacy-leaving career at UCLA

Savvy Simo, and a remarkable, legacy-leaving career at UCLA

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features our favorite UCLA Bruin, Savvy Simo. On this episode, Bourne and Mewhirter catch up with Simo, discussing: - The NCAA Beach Volleyball National Championship, and UCLA falling just short of USC in the finals - Simo's leadership role as the lone true senior on the youngest team in the nation - The value of letting go and soaking in the biggest moments of her career - The respect she has for all of her competitors, on and off the court - Taking the leap of faith and turning pro And much, much more. Such a jam-packed episode of so many golden nuggets of wisdom. Simo is such an incredible role model for any young girls (or boys) in this sport.    *** 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! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball 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!

19 Touko 202146min

SANDCAST Mailbag: What is Qatar doing? Top five matches from Cancun; FUDS stories

SANDCAST Mailbag: What is Qatar doing? Top five matches from Cancun; FUDS stories

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the hosts, Bourne and Mewhirter, answering a bag full of fan questions. We begin by recapping Bourne's wild ride in Cancun, where he lived for 23 days, competing in three Olympic qualification tournaments. Then we dive in to the questions, discussing: - What have Qatar's Cherif Samba and Ahmed Tijan been doing to make four finals in five events this year?  - What are our top-five matches from Cancun?  - Breaking down Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb's insane match with Jake Gibb and Taylor Crabb - What's it like to win Fuds, playing on a sponsored team?    *** - 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! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball - 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!

12 Touko 20211h 10min

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