Camryn Irwin is living the dream

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)

Sara Putt's made NCAA Championship history before; now she's out to do it again

Sara Putt's made NCAA Championship history before; now she's out to do it again

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Florida State beach volleyball veteran Sara Putt, who has been competing for the Seminoles since 2016 and is one of the winningest players of all-time in Tallahassee. On Friday, Putt and the Florida State 'Noles will be competing for an NCAA Championship, beginning with Stanford. On this episode, we discuss: - Putt's six-year collegiate career, which began at Stetson and will alas be coming to a close this weekend - Her childhood growing up, and how she "lived the dream in high school" driving up and down Florida to play in beach volleyball tournaments - Her masters in nutrition, and the impact knowing what the best foods are for beach volleyball players - This weekend's NCAA Championship, and if Florida State can bring home the first NCAA title in school history *** - 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 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! https://www.crossnetgame.com/ - 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!

5 Touko 202150min

Life inside the Cancun Bubble, with Tri Bourne and Evie Matthews

Life inside the Cancun Bubble, with Tri Bourne and Evie Matthews

In this episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, Bourne describes life inside the Cancun Bubble, where he has been competing for three weeks, with one final tournament remaining. Joining him on the show is coach Evie Matthews, who coaches Emily Stockman and Kelley Kolinske, who are also in the midst of a tight Olympic race.  On this episode, Bourne and Matthews discuss: - The nearly non-stop beach volleyball being played: from country quotas to qualifiers to pool play to elimination rounds, there is competition happening every single day.  - The intense vibe in the Bubble, from all the athletes on the cusp of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic Games - Bourne and Trevor Crabb beating some of the best teams in the world thus far, including Aleksandrs Samoilovs and Janis Smedins, Evandro and Bruno, Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Oleg Stoyanovskiy, Daniele Lupo and Paolo Nicolai.  - The crazy wind and heat, and the impact it has been having on the matches 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!

28 Huhti 202157min

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

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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

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