MANHATTAN BEACH, California – In the wake of a 13th place finish at the Hermosa Open, and a seventh a week later in a surprise tournament in Laguna, a considerable number of folks who watched or followed the tournaments had a lot of kind things to say.
That I hadn’t lost the touch.
That I might be…better… than I was when I was actually pursuing the game professionally?
That maybe I should consider a comeback.
A few overly generous fans wondered if, given the potential of a USA Olympic Trial, I would take a stab at Los Angeles 2028.
All of these compliments were couched in the fact that, for the past few years, I have played very little beach volleyball yet somehow maintained a high level of play. I competed in the 2024 Hermosa Open, with Andy Benesh, the 2025 Pompano Futures, with Miles Partain, and a CBVA this summer with my brother-in-law, Jake Knudsen.
That’s it.
But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I’d been doing something nearly as effective as practicing four days a week and traveling and competing as I did from the age of 28-33, if not even superior at my age of 36, which is old in the world of athletics.
I’ve been teaching.
2s: Gella Andrew (#2) / Maddie Trusty (#35) [FSU] v. EJ Cudmore (#5) / Julia Radelczuk (#13) [Stetson]
Learning and teaching is the same word
In the !Kung language, the word for learning and teaching – n!garo – is the same.
There is a well-known axiom that the best way to learn is to teach.
This is no accident.
I do not know the science behind it, but when we are tasked with explaining something, be it why someone’s pass went a different direction than they intended, or how to cook bacon just right so it’s not too chewy but still on the right side of crispy, or how to cast off a dock without getting snagged, we are most likely learning more than the one we’re teaching.
Over the past three years, I’ve been doing almost nothing but teaching.
I’ve been teaching young but high level players at Florida State.
I’ve been teaching viewers on VBTV when I commentate.
I’ve been teaching developing talents with USA Volleyball’s National Development Team Program.
I’ve been teaching SANDCAST listeners when I break down and preview events.
And all the while, I’ve been learning.
On one of my favorite episodes we’ve ever done, Tyler Hildebrand called watching film “non-toxic reps.”
You can watch 1,000 matches of film and your knees won’t hurt, your back won’t lock, your shoulder won’t ache. All the while, if you’re watching with the intent of learning, you’ll be picking up on the patterns of the best players in the world.
That is, in essence, what I get paid to do when I commentate for VBTV – only I take it one step further. I audibly express what makes a certain player’s offense so elite, why Kristen Cruz is such a tremendous passer, why Raisa Schoon is such a nightmare, why Devon Newberry is a vacuum of a pull digger.
As I teach, I learn.
And as I learn, I’m able to do.
