Christian Hartford is changing the culture at USA Volleyball

Christian Hartford is changing the culture at USA Volleyball

Alex Brouwer sought the source of the voice. The one that perpetually stood out from among 13,000 screaming Germans at the World Championships in Hamburg. The one that was always heard by any player competing against an American team.

When he found the bearded face of Christian Hartford, the Dutchman pumped a fist and said “Let’s go U.S.A.!”

That is but a brief but encompassing glimpse into the enthusiasm that Hartford has brought into the gym at USA Volleyball.

“We’ll be on the bike, and he’s always screaming at you,” Tri Bourne said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter.

Never is Hartford screaming in a negative light. He’s not a Navy commander, barking orders. He’s lifting up, encouraging, pushing, to the point that even someone like Alex Brouwer, the defender on the Netherlands’ top team and a former World Champ, can buy in.

“I remember my first couple months, Trevor [Crabb] was like ‘Who the hell is this guy? He never shuts up!’” Hartford recalled, laughing. “That was my job. I want to make that weight room the most positive, engaging environment possible. That doesn’t mean we’re going to have full out conversations of how your wife and kids are doing or your boyfriend or girlfriend. But when you walk through the door, I’m going to greet you. When you’re in there training, I’m going to engage and music is going to be blasting.”

Hartford knows, both from personal experience as an elite athlete himself and from half a decade of training college teams, it’s not a one-size-fits all approach. His day might consist of working with 44-year-old Jake Gibb in the morning on the sand, shifting to helping 23-year-old Sarah Sponcil in the afternoon and prescribing a weight program for indoor convert David Lee in the evening.

“We always talk about individualization and how you’re going to be able to do this program because as beach volleyball players, you’re all going to need certain characteristics,” said Hartford, who walked on to Wake Forest as a quarterback and received his masters from Northwestern. “Athlete A may get it a lot differently than Athlete B but also Athlete C might have a much different strength in their game that needs to be focused on than Athlete B. So you have to take into account all these individualizations.”

In that sense, it is perhaps Hartford’s greatest strength that, prior to USA Volleyball, he had little to no experience on the beach, but was an expert in virtually every other sport. As a quarterback at Wake Forest, he knew how to train football players. As a strength and conditioning coach at Northwestern, he worked with 115 athletes across a wide variety of disciplines. At Maryland, he helped with gymnastics, women’s lacrosse, wrestling, softball, and indoor volleyball.

All of that switching made his ability to pick up a new sport, reverting back to a beginner’s mindset, that much easier. He didn’t walk onto the beach proclaiming to know everything. Instead, he acknowledged he knew little. He asked questions, attaining his own unofficial Beach Volleyball Certification through coaches like Rich Lambourne, Jen Kessy, Jose Loiola and Tyler Hildebrand.

“Being around all these different sports as the strength coach, you don’t have any other choice but to learn everything about that sport,” Hartford said. “Diving in headfirst into whatever sport you’re working with and being at practice and asking coaches questions, watching film, going to competitions to see the environment and just the pure nature of each sport, I think that type of diversity in my coaching background helped me a ton with the transition to the beach.”

Most athletic performance coaches would be able to do that, in some form or other. Some might take longer. Some might pick it up as quickly as Hartford, who is immensely popular among the athletes, has. But what separates Hartford from the other candidates who sought the job is that he brings more than an ability to prescribe a quality training regimen.

For the first time in Bourne’s memory, there’s a tangible culture being set at USA Volleyball.

“When I got here I asked Tyler Hildebrand ‘What are we trying to create here, culture wise? What environment are we trying to create?’” Hartford said. “We were striving for a new culture.”

He acknowledges that it won’t be akin to a college team, that he’ll be working with Gibb and Bourne at the same time, despite them both vying for the same spot in the Tokyo Olympics. But still, you can find Chaim Schalk and Sponcil competing in Spikeball contests in the weight room. Athletes cheering their fellow athletes in pull-up contests. Others pushing one another on the assault bike.

“Try training 18 gymnasts at 5 in the afternoon after practice,” Hartford said. “You need as much positive energy as you can in that moment so I’m used to creating that and that’s always been a part of my mission is to create the most positive, productive training environment possible.

“To be in this environment where we have 25-30 athletes, it’s been incredible to build all of those relationships. Whenever you’re able to do that, you’re able to dive a lot deeper into the training process and thought process of what you’re doing. You’re also able to get a little more creative with your process as well. A huge piece has been being able to watch and talk to and see every single athlete as an individual perform and see what that person needs from a strength and conditioning side to get better. For me to be working with a specialized crew in a much smaller volume, it’s been a blessing because now I can see them practice, see them live, see how they jump, see how they swing and also talk to their coaches. You can really dive a lot deeper into these training programs.”

Jaksot(500)

April Ross, Alix Klineman, and the Last Dance of the A-Team

April Ross, Alix Klineman, and the Last Dance of the A-Team

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features April Ross and Alix Klineman, one of the most successful teams in the world of the past five years and, of course, the gold medalists of the Tokyo Olympic Games. After winning gold in Tokyo, both began seeking the next major chapter of their lives: motherhood. Now, with a pair of sons in tow, they are back on the beach for one final AVP season together. On this episode, we chat about: The insane work ethic required to pursue Olympic quad after Olympic quad after Olympic quad as Ross did for these past 20 years How vastly different their preparation for matches and tournaments is now that they’re both moms How becoming a mother has impacted their view of and role in the sport Why they’re still playing, and still as competitive as ever And so much more. Such a fun chat with April and Alix – the A Plus Team. SHOOTS! *** Book your spot in Root and Fruit Nutrition's new Genomic Edge Program! Just 30 spots remain in a must-have competitive edge! Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.  Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!  Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.  We have a new book! Playbook of Champions: The habits, routines, and stories of Olympians, Champions, and world-class athletes. If you listen to the show – which, if you’re reading this, then you are – then this is the perfect book for you, as it is a distillation of the best golden nuggets from our first five years of the podcast. Check it out on Amazon! We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/ If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, head over to our website and subscribe! We'd love to have ya! https://www.sandcastvolleyball.com/ Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Road to Paris: Olympic Histories Written, Legacies Made, Records Broken

Road to Paris: Olympic Histories Written, Legacies Made, Records Broken

This episode is brought to you by Aura! Use our link to get a free trial and help the show in a big way! On this episode of the Road to Paris, Travis Mewhirter breaks down the Ostrava Elite16, the final event of the Olympic qualifying period, where dreams were made, hearts were broken, history written, legacies etched into stone. On this episode, Mewhirter: Gives a warm welcome back to Anders Mol, who returned in dominant fashion after an injury break Breaks down the controversial call, with the help of ref John King, that decided Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Mader’s first round of pool play against Katja Stam and Raisa Schoon Highlights the 17 women and 20 men making their Olympic debuts in Paris Explains why it’s such massive news that Chase Budinger qualified for the Olympic Games, and why it could be a good thing that USA Volleyball is sending four new faces to an Olympics for the first time since 2008 What Pablo Herrera just did that nobody has ever done, and nobody may ever do again And, per usual, a whole lot more. SHOOTS! *** Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.  Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!  Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.  We have a new book! Playbook of Champions: The habits, routines, and stories of Olympians, Champions, and world-class athletes. If you listen to the show – which, if you’re reading this, then you are – then this is the perfect book for you, as it is a distillation of the best golden nuggets from our first five years of the podcast. Check it out on Amazon! We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/ If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, head over to our website and subscribe! We'd love to have ya! https://www.sandcastvolleyball.com/ Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Kelsey Robinson Cook: The Indomitable Will of USA Volleyball's "Fireball"

Kelsey Robinson Cook: The Indomitable Will of USA Volleyball's "Fireball"

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features another two-time indoor Olympian in Kelsey Robinson Cook, as well as a celeb appearance by her husband and good friend of the show, Brian Cook, who would have likely been an Olympian in his own right had he stayed healthy. This is such a fun episode, and Robinson Cook delivers, chatting about: How this is the highest level she has ever seen the indoor game since she began playing pro in 2014 Her experiences playing for clubs in China, Italy, Puerto Rico, Turkey, and, of course, the USA Winning the 2021 Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, the first ever for the United States women What it’s like being in the USA gym, with 30 women competing for 12 Olympic spots How she has developed into a leadership role with USA Volleyball And much, much more. Gold mine of a podcast with Kelsey and Brian! SHOOTS! *** Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.  Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!  Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.  We have a new book! Playbook of Champions: The habits, routines, and stories of Olympians, Champions, and world-class athletes. If you listen to the show – which, if you’re reading this, then you are – then this is the perfect book for you, as it is a distillation of the best golden nuggets from our first five years of the podcast. Check it out on Amazon! We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/ If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, head over to our website and subscribe! We'd love to have ya! https://www.sandcastvolleyball.com/ Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

5 Kesä 20241h 31min

Road to Paris: What every team needs to do to qualify for the Olympics

Road to Paris: What every team needs to do to qualify for the Olympics

This episode is brought to you by Aura! Use our link to get a free trial and help the show in a big way! This episode of the Road to Paris, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down the race to the Paris Olympic Games, is a breakdown and analysis after the Stare Jablonki Challenge. There remains just one event left: The Ostrava Elite16, which begins next Wednesday. Even after all the action in Poland, no races were determined in Stare Jablonki. Mewhirter breaks down: Why it’s finals or bust for Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner and Alex Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen Why Stare Jablonki was the perfect storm at the worst time for Sarah Pavan and Molly McBain – but the best time for Lili Fernandez and Paula Soria What Marco Grimalt and Esteban Grimalt need to do in order to pass Austria’s Julian Horl and Alex Horst What Karla Borger and Sandra Ittlinger need to do to pass Laura Ludwig and Louisa Lippmann What Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Mader need to do to pass Zoe Verge-Depre and Esmee Bobner Why Sophie Bukovec and Heather Bansley will represent Canada at the Continental Cup instead of Pavan and McBain What a race! SHOOTS! *** Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.  Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!  Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.  We have a new book! Playbook of Champions: The habits, routines, and stories of Olympians, Champions, and world-class athletes. If you listen to the show – which, if you’re reading this, then you are – then this is the perfect book for you, as it is a distillation of the best golden nuggets from our first five years of the podcast. Check it out on Amazon! We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/ If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, head over to our website and subscribe! We'd love to have ya! https://www.sandcastvolleyball.com/ Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Erik Shoji: Life as the Best Libero in the World

Erik Shoji: Life as the Best Libero in the World

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is a little shift from our typical beachy episodes. We’re going indoors, with one of the greatest liberos of all-time in Erik Shoji. In Paris, Erik will make his third Olympic roster, in search of his second Olympic medal (he won a bronze in 2016). We cover quite a bit in this insightful chat, including: His childhood, as the son of the legendary Dave Shoji and younger brother of Kawika, an all-American setter as well as an Olympian How Michael Gervais’ new book, the First Rule of Mastery, led to a huge breakthrough this season from a mental standpoint How he has never been burned out, despite playing the same position since his freshman year of college at Stanford The beauties and challenges of life overseas And so, so much more. Erik is incredibly well-spoken and thoughtful, and this is an episode y’all will surely enjoy! SHOOTS! *** Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.  Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!  Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.  We have a new book! Playbook of Champions: The habits, routines, and stories of Olympians, Champions, and world-class athletes. If you listen to the show – which, if you’re reading this, then you are – then this is the perfect book for you, as it is a distillation of the best golden nuggets from our first five years of the podcast. Check it out on Amazon! We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/ If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, head over to our website and subscribe! We'd love to have ya! https://www.sandcastvolleyball.com/ Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Road to Paris: Chase Budinger, Miles Evans on Verge of Qualifying; Dutch Race Gets Even Wilder

Road to Paris: Chase Budinger, Miles Evans on Verge of Qualifying; Dutch Race Gets Even Wilder

This episode is brought to you by Aura! Use our link to get a 2-week free trial -- and even a free trial helps the show! This episode of the Road to Paris, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down the Olympic race to the Paris Games, follows the Espinho Elite16. Big congrats, first, to Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth who made a third straight final and took gold, and Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, who made their eighth straight final and also won gold. As far as the Olympic race goes, Mewhirter talks about: The massive role a NORCECA qualifier on April 5 has played for Chase Budinger and Miles Evans The even bigger lead now enjoyed by Budinger and Evans over Theo Brunner and Trevor Crabb with just two events to go (and what Crabb and Brunner need to do to get back in the lead) Matthew Immers’ improbable run to a likely Olympic bid as the odd man left out at the beginning of the quad to now ranked No. 9 in the Olympic rankings with Steven van de Velde SHARPIE! For Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno, 22-year-old Spaniards who are making history – and then returning to TCU Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Mader stay alive with a ninth Thank you as always for watching and listening, and thank you, as always, to Producers 1 and 2 for the help! SHOOTS! *** Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.  Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!  Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.  We have a new book! Playbook of Champions: The habits, routines, and stories of Olympians, Champions, and world-class athletes. If you listen to the show – which, if you’re reading this, then you are – then this is the perfect book for you, as it is a distillation of the best golden nuggets from our first five years of the podcast. Check it out on Amazon! We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/ If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, head over to our website and subscribe! We'd love to have ya! https://www.sandcastvolleyball.com/ Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

27 Touko 202419min

Taylor Crabb, Taylor Sander, and the Bigger Mission of America's Most Popular Team

Taylor Crabb, Taylor Sander, and the Bigger Mission of America's Most Popular Team

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features America’s most popular team: Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander. A note: We recorded this interview before their win at AVP Huntington Beach, which, to us, actually makes this all the more interesting. Aside from being two of the best volleyball players on the planet, they’re also refreshingly candid, forthcoming, and well-spoken and introspective. This was an excellent, excellent podcast. We chat about: Taylor Crabb’s off-season in New Zealand playing with Phil Dalhausser Why Taylor Sander and Crabb decided that the Olympic race wasn’t necessarily for them Crabb’s bigger mission, and why he’s chasing far more than individual accomplishments How Crabb and Sander would fix USA Volleyball The Right Siide, Crabb’s new content venture with Troy Field and Sean Rosenthal And much, much more. Such a good episode with the Taylors! SHOOTS! *** Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.  Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!  Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.  We have a new book! Playbook of Champions: The habits, routines, and stories of Olympians, Champions, and world-class athletes. If you listen to the show – which, if you’re reading this, then you are – then this is the perfect book for you, as it is a distillation of the best golden nuggets from our first five years of the podcast. Check it out on Amazon! We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/ If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, head over to our website and subscribe! We'd love to have ya! https://www.sandcastvolleyball.com/ Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

22 Touko 20241h 17min

Evan Cory is Playing Volleyball His Own Damn Way in 2024

Evan Cory is Playing Volleyball His Own Damn Way in 2024

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Evan Cory, one of the brightest talents on the AVP Tour and within the USA Volleyball system. Cory had an up-and-down 2023 season, one that was still more up than it was down, but his trajectory slowed, so he felt it was a failure. It certainly wasn’t – but he learned from it. Now, coming into 2024, he’s returned to his old style of playing, building a team around him that is custom-fit to him, including a blocker you may have heard of: Alison Cerutti. We talked all about that, as well as: Why the standard Californian path to professional beach volleyball isn’t necessarily for Cory How he and Alison came to be How Joey Keener and his coach on the West Coast (Mewhirter) have helped Cory return to his core identity as a player and what this off-season looked like His early success on the NORCECA circuit this year with Wyatt Harrison And, of course, the art of trash talk And, as always, a whole lot more. SHOOTS! *** Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.  Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!  Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.  We have a new book! Playbook of Champions: The habits, routines, and stories of Olympians, Champions, and world-class athletes. If you listen to the show – which, if you’re reading this, then you are – then this is the perfect book for you, as it is a distillation of the best golden nuggets from our first five years of the podcast. Check it out on Amazon! We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/ If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, head over to our website and subscribe! We'd love to have ya! https://www.sandcastvolleyball.com/ Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

15 Touko 20241h 27min

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