Alexander Huber (00:00:00):
I think with me it was like, I already was very technical because I was playing in indoor, I was playing liver there and also set. And just because I started very early, I think I had good technique and a very good core control. Um, I also, when I got older, I, I like between 15 and 20 years old, um, I became very fast and I started to jump very high, uh, before I didn't jump so high, but when I got 15, 16, 17, I started to jump very high. So that just came naturally from training and from, from doing sports every day. But what I really focused on, I think was to just finding different waves to be successful or different ways to score, different ways to stop the other team. So really thinking in a different way about the game, uh, than just, uh, about my, um, effect. Okay, I have the card or have, or the line has to be very precise. Um, I focus more on how can I teach the defender? How can I beat the block up or how can I treat them so that I defend them?
Mark Burik (00:01:10):
Hello? Hello. Hello everybody. Hello Addison. Thanks for coming guys. I am going to just share with you, we're gonna get started in a few minutes. What's up Holden? I'm just going to go ahead and share some of this match so that you guys can check it out and we will get started with everything else in just a little bit. So enjoy yourselves. This is, uh, Alexander Huber versus Australia. If you were at the last meeting, you know that we had, uh, Damien Schuman right there and he was playing against , um, over here for Austria. And so this time we get to see the other side of the net and what that looks like. Check it out guys. Um, I want you to use the, the chat function and uh, we will get started in just a little bit. Alrighty.
Mark Burik (00:02:06):
Alright.
Mark Burik (00:02:12):
Um, in the meantime, guys, everybody go into the chat, okay? And select under two, select all panelists and attendees if you could. That would be great. Select all panelists and attendees and then, um, you guys can start using that chat function. And I will be back in a moment, but until then, enjoy the match and we'll get rolling in maybe 7, 8, 9 minutes. All right, enjoy the match and we will chat shortly. Hmm.
(00:04:50):
All right. All right. All right, people are rolling in. Guys, we are going to get started in about five minutes. I would like you guys to start getting comfortable using some of the equipment. Um, what was the tool you used to draw in the videos? Uh, Mike, there is one thing that I do like to use, but I don't usually draw on the videos, Mike. Uh, what I do is, can everybody hear me? First of all, uh, can you write in the chat and let me know if you guys hear me? Uh, please address it to all panelists and attendees. Okay, cool. So, uh, make sure that guy's under the two function under the chat that yes, you are addressing all panelists and attendees. So just select that little, it should be a blue icon there, um, and a dropdown that says all panelists and attendees, uh, and Mike, the tool is to draw the videos. I actually don't, um, don't use any specific tools here while we do these, although maybe I should, but I do know that coaches I or coach I is a really good app, uh, for iPads and phones to draw on things and replay. So, um, not the best answer, I apologize. But, uh, what I'm using right now is Zoom, as you know, and quick time just to be able to fast forward and slow
(00:06:16):
And we'll get rocking in just a little bit. Guys, just a little bit. Um, have a chat with me guys in the chat. Let me know, uh, what you did today. First of all, as usual, I like to hear where you guys are from. So introduce yourself. Let me know what city and state you're coming from and then, uh, you know, let me know if this is a good time to run webinars or if you think that there's a better time that would suit you or suit your schedule better. Uh, we try to schedule them so that we can hit the west coast of us, the east coast of the US and before Europe goes to bed. Um, but let me know where you're from. St. Pete, Florida. Awesome. What up, Amber? Massachusetts Austrian is the best time right now. Cool. Thanks Mike. Oh, cool. Came in from Austria. I like it. Arizona. Love it. Hello, rich. Yes.
(00:07:16):
Redondo Beach, Flagstaff. Great time. Lunchtime, video is not fluid. Um, yeah, sometimes it's gonna happen with different, um, it's gonna happen with different, it's not easy doing this, but we, we do a lot of pauses and starts for the fluidity of the video, so, uh, it's not gonna be a big deal in the end cuz we're not gonna, like, it's not gonna flow. Great. So Belgium, awesome. You're back Rick. Thanks for coming back. Um, best time is 12:00 PM Eastern. All right. Um, I don't know if everybody's gonna wake up for nine o'clock. Uh, webinar for us here on the West Coast, we're pretty lazy. Belgium School of Beach. Awesome, Tim, welcome. Uh, guys, I'm gonna upgrade what's his name, Brandon, so that he can come in and hang out with us. You do Brandon, you should've been upgraded. Can you hear us?
Brandon Joyner (00:08:38):
I can can.
Mark Burik (00:08:40):
How are you man?
Brandon Joyner (00:08:42):
I'm freaking good, man. How are you?
Mark Burik (00:08:45):
I'm freaking good too.
Brandon Joyner (00:08:47):
Nice.
Mark Burik (00:08:48):
Yeah.
Brandon Joyner (00:08:50):
Um, yeah, what'd you say?
Mark Burik (00:08:53):
Get your workout in today?
Brandon Joyner (00:08:55):
I did. Today was a little bit, uh, I, I forgot how tough those, uh, animal flow movements are.
Mark Burik (00:09:03):
, the
Brandon Joyner (00:09:05):
Mobility. I haven't done those in so long, so that definitely, uh, got me working a little bit harder than I was, uh, anticipating. Nice. Especially for like the warmup. Yeah. But, um, yeah, and then I kind of made do with some stuff I was, uh, stepping off of chairs and, and then making sure I don't hit my head on. Luckily we have somewhat of a high ceiling, so good
Mark Burik (00:09:30):
Creativity.
Brandon Joyner (00:09:31):
Yeah, I was doing the depth jumps and everything, but yeah, not a bad start to the morning. Nice. How about you?
Mark Burik (00:09:38):
Uh, yeah, I did the workout last night. Like I said, I, I restarted the whole preseason program, so 60 days looking ahead and, uh, I've been doing the workouts, but I've been like really writing them down and timing them so that like everybody, we have 135 members in the, uh, strength training program now, which is insane.
Brandon Joyner (00:09:56):
That's awesome.
Mark Burik (00:09:57):
So, um, I've been like writing everything down so that, uh, we can come out with like a big kind of 2.0, um, so that everybody can see the timing of each exercise, each workout and everything like that. But yeah, it feels good to get back on a rhythm and know that like, alright, every day I got my workout for today. Um, and it's set up for me. And now like I'm, we're not gonna have to alter any of the exercises because we're not in season like when we were practicing
Brandon Joyner (00:10:26):
Right.
Mark Burik (00:10:26):
It was tough to keep that energy, but now that we're not like on the beach, we don't have to share it and we could go hard at that off season program, so
Brandon Joyner (00:10:34):
Yeah, it's pretty cool. Um, yeah, I liked your, uh, your video whatever day it was now, um, where you showed like the alternate ways of doing like squats with bands and one thing I hadn't thought of was the deadlifts with the bands and like putting it around your feet and then pulling up. Okay. Um, that's how I did day one yesterday was, uh, squats, deadlifts, and then step ups. And so like I have like the normal like big green band and then the purple bands and stuff like that. All like the full length, uh, exercise bands. Cool. And, um, I was able to do like the green and the purple to do the squats and then I would like I, before I had done it, but I just did the same kind of thing where I put the strap over my neck and tried to do deadlifts like that, but it turned more into like a, almost like a good morning or like, uh, RDL type lift. Yeah,
Mark Burik (00:11:39):
Dude, doing the RDL just with the, with the heavy band strapped under your foot is golden.
Brandon Joyner (00:11:44):
Oh yeah. Like I, I woke up this morning just doing with, uh, yesterday with bands, my legs, my hamstrings especially are, are actually a little sore. So
Mark Burik (00:11:54):
Cool. So, uh, we got, uh, 44 people here, which is awesome guys. Uh, just so you know, if you haven't yet, please put in the chat, uh, address it to all panelists and attendees. Let us know your first name and where you're from. Thank you guys so much for coming. Uh, this is becoming just a regular thing and we're so fired up to be able for like me and Brandon, uh, to be able to learn from the world's like absolute best players. Um, so first of all, we had the, the second ever female beach volleyball gold medalist Carrie Pot Hurst last week. That was awesome. She's now a motivational speaker. So we picked up like mind organization performance tricks from Andora. Um, and we had Damian Schumann who's the top defender in Australia. We had Sam Pelo the top blocker in, uh, in Canada and ranked number 15 in the world. Um, who else have we had? We had,
Brandon Joyner (00:12:56):
Uh, Casey Patterson,
Mark Burik (00:12:57):
Casey Patterson, who's, you know, somewhere around there.
Brandon Joyner (00:13:01):
the best trash talker in the world.
Mark Burik (00:13:05):
Yes. Top trash talker in the world. And this week we have Zandy Hoer who is from Austria. He's been, um, like one of their top two defenders now for 5, 6, 7 years and another Olympian. And then tomorrow we have Sarah Pavin, who is the world's best female beach volleyball player and has been for a significant amount, amount of time. Like everybody talks about the, the Norwegian kids and how dominating they are, but like the amount of tournaments that Sarah and Mel have won is unreal and we got them tomorrow. Yeah. This is such an awesome time to be learning from such unbelievable volleyball mines.
Brandon Joyner (00:13:47):
So yeah, it's really cool. And like you said before, I love it because yes, we're hosting it, but I feel like I'm taking in just as much as the audience is, uh, which is, it's really, really cool. And I mean especially, and it's cool because a lot, most of the people we've had on, we have personal connections with and we know how amazing they are as people. And so it's pretty cool to just allow everyone else to kind of get to see that. Like I know I met, I met Zandy last year, uh, when he was out here and we got to train with him
Mark Burik (00:14:21):
And he's just, wait, another Olympian came to Hermosa Beach, California beach volleyball, right? That's crazy. I wish somebody would set up a camp so that everybody could see all of these Olympians on one beach. Wouldn't that be an amazing company?
Brandon Joyner (00:14:35):
That would be a good idea. . I wonder if people would like that. Like coming to coming to Paradise for a week and getting to like not only get trained by great coaches, but also get to watch like professional coach, professional players and teams train.
Mark Burik (00:14:53):
Probably not, dude, that idea would never work. Yeah, no one would have
Brandon Joyner (00:14:55):
A good time. Sounds like, like it's a bad idea. We should just keep it for ourselves.
Mark Burik (00:15:00):
Guys. As funny as that is, guys, maybe you don't know us, maybe this is your first time being introduced to us, but Brandon and I have a company called Poly Camp Promosa, where we do exactly that. We run classes, private lessons, um, and training every day in Hermosa Beach, which is the mecca of beach volleyball. And we have seven day training camps where people can stay in one click. You got your hotel and you got unlimited coaching and training for seven days once all this mess is gone. So we want you to come back to Hermosa and Uhand can tell you a little bit more once he comes on. But, uh, Zenny Huber. So we've got a match. We talked with Damien and we talked with Flo, um, who are both defenders who played against Alexander. Um, and apparently Zandi is short for Alexander in the Austrian German, so maybe he'll tell us about that too.
(00:15:49):
And um, yeah, he's, he's been one of the top defenders in Austria for a significant amount of time and he is 2016 Rio Olympian. I wanna hear about that. And what his path was. He knocked out our boys, Casey Patterson and Jake Gibb knocked them outta the Olympics. Um, so also interested in what he's got to say about that cuz there was like this little bit of drama where Casey Patterson essentially stormed off, uh, the court after getting knocked outta the Olympics, which for me I totally understand because it's like, hey, here's everything you ever dreamed of in your life. Here's what you've been working for for your entire life and somebody rips that out of your hands and that happened to be Andy. Um, and uh, now you're supposed to be like a nice guy, . So I wanna see how like people react when, you know, somebody burns their coffee first thing in the morning, and most of, maybe, maybe not the most impressive part, but one of the impressive parts about him is that he's only five 10. So he's was 182 centimeters, 181 centimeters, and he's getting this done against people who are like 210 centimeters, uh, 6 9, 6 10, 7 foot. Uh, and he's, he's gotten himself to the Olympics for this. Do you have anything for him? Cause I got a whole
Brandon Joyner (00:17:09):
Band. Uh, no, I I just, I'm, I'm really interested to see how his mind works. Um, I know last year when I got, I, I trained with him a couple times when you weren't there and I got to be on his team and it's just one of those guys that makes playing not only fun, but also just super easy. Like he would just give me these little pointers and the next thing I know he'd be behind me scooping up alls without a doubt. So I'm, I'm just excited to what he has to say and see how he is doing. I miss him.
Mark Burik (00:17:36):
So, uh, without further ado, Alexander, you should be getting with us. I just promoted you to panelists. Uh, if I can figure out how to, uh, you should have gotten a Alexander did you get a notification? Should
Brandon Joyner (00:17:53):
Just restart it for him,
Mark Burik (00:17:54):
Maybe. Sorry guys. Technical difficulties figuring it out right here. Go into the chat again. Promote him to panelists again. Participants. Here we go. You'll be rejoining the webinar as a panelist. There he is,
Brandon Joyner (00:18:07):
Uh,
Mark Burik (00:18:08):
Sunshine, sunshine on your audio and we're gonna ask him to start his video. Uh, Denny, make sure you can turn your, uh, your video on there, bud. Oh,
Alexander Huber (00:18:20):
Did you hear me?
Mark Burik (00:18:21):
We can hear you. We gonna
Brandon Joyner (00:18:24):
Up, we
Alexander Huber (00:18:27):
Is. Sorry.
Mark Burik (00:18:28):
. There he is. Welcome to town buddy. Welcome, welcome, welcome. How's
Alexander Huber (00:18:32):
It going? A nice, thanks for a nice introduction,
Brandon Joyner (00:18:35):
.
Mark Burik (00:18:36):
Of course, of course. So you've um, so we had to do 12 o'clock our time, uh, cuz you had to put your, your kids to bed. Um, that's right. Tell us, you know, without getting too in depth, we don't want to make you uncomfortable and introduce your family, but how many kids do you have? Where do you live? And, um, we'll start
Alexander Huber (00:18:53):
There. Um, I, I live in Cranford. Um, I have two wonderful kids. They're four and three years old. As everybody with kids knows in the evening, the crunch fan, as they call it, can get a little wild, let's say like this. I couldn't do it earlier. Um, now they're in bed and sleeping. So
Mark Burik (00:19:10):
Time, uh, most people wanna know, like, uh, early on, most people wanna know when you started playing beach volleyball, did you play indoor first? And that's it. Like, so tell tell us when you, when you first started playing beach volleyball.
Alexander Huber (00:19:24):
I started indoors obviously. Um, I played in the, in the club over junior tournaments, um, and championships in Austria mm-hmm. . And my father was working for the Austrian Global Federation at that time when I was young. And he was one of the first guys in Austria to recognize Beach Global. Uh, when I was really young. I don't remember, maybe I was seven, eight years old. He gave me a speech level to my birthday at the present. And so that was my first contact with the teach mobile. I
Mark Burik (00:19:56):
You seven years old.
Alexander Huber (00:19:57):
Uh, probably seven, eight years. And I hadn't seen Beach VO before. I had known the sport, although I was playing VO already, uh, since I was, I was five and I got his new ball and one or two years later he took me to it Italy Liano. It was one of the first world tour events in, in central Europe that time. And uh, yeah, he took me down there. It's only two and a half hours back from us. I got to watch my first, uh, world tour action of each world. I immediately became a big fan of, of Sy Smith was playing that time. And yeah, from then on I pulled up a net in our garden and we played each or some along with my brothers
Brandon Joyner (00:20:40):
Uhand. I um, I was actually talking to my roommate last night. His name's Jake Ner. Yeah. Um, and he was telling, he was like, wait, you're talking to Zane tomorrow. And I guess you guys played on um, the same professional team in, in Austria at some point.
Alexander Huber (00:20:56):
Yeah. Right.
Brandon Joyner (00:20:57):
And he was saying that your dad was the coach or was a part of it.
Alexander Huber (00:21:00):
He's the, he was the manager, the boss of the, of the club. He, he has always been. So yeah, that's how I came to volleyball. He, he was kind of owning the club. So, uh, I was joining trainings very early, and I think at the time Jake was playing with us. He wasn't the coach anymore. He was coaching before and after, but he was, he was the manager. Um, yeah. And Jake was was on the team in, in Concor.
Brandon Joyner (00:21:25):
He says hello. Uh, he hopes you're doing well, .
Alexander Huber (00:21:28):
Thanks. I'm doing well. Say hello back him. Yeah,
Mark Burik (00:21:31):
I will, I will. Hey, I wasn't able to pull up your match against the, the Norwegians. Yeah, it would've been awesome. Uh, but what I did pull up was, uh, kind of something that we've been talking about the last two weeks, your last world tour tournament in Cambodia. So I was able to get that and the people who have been coming to these webinars regularly, they've seen a bunch of those matches from that tournament. So it's gonna be interesting cuz we had Damien talk about his match against you. And so now we get the reverse side of the net and uh, and what it feels like on the other side. But before we get into that, I just want to ask you a few questions. These are questions. We're gonna call it a lightning round and you just have to go for your first answers, whatever it comes for. All right. Ready? Okay. All right. Would you rather be taller or jump higher?
Alexander Huber (00:22:17):
Jump higher.
Mark Burik (00:22:18):
Would you rather be a, your partner? Would you as a partner, would you rather have them be a great passer or a great setter?
Alexander Huber (00:22:25):
Great setter. Would
Mark Burik (00:22:26):
You rather your partner be a great server or a great blocker?
Alexander Huber (00:22:29):
Great
Mark Burik (00:22:30):
Blocker. Would you rather a taller partner or a partner who jumps higher? Taller. Do you like to pass low or pass high, pass low set low or set high
Alexander Huber (00:22:39):
Set low?
Mark Burik (00:22:39):
Is it better to be athletic or smart? Smart. Is it better to be technical or athletic? Technical
Alexander Huber (00:22:45):
With
Mark Burik (00:22:45):
All of your other stats as they are right now, would you rather side out at 60% or get three ACEs percent,
Alexander Huber (00:22:54):
Three ACEs percent?
Mark Burik (00:22:55):
Would you rather side out at 60% or get eight digs percent
Alexander Huber (00:22:59):
At least get 86% already. So I say side out at 60% .
Mark Burik (00:23:04):
Okay, lift fast or lift heavy. Lift
Alexander Huber (00:23:07):
Heavy.
Mark Burik (00:23:08):
How many times do you lift in preseason?
Alexander Huber (00:23:10):
Four to five times a
Mark Burik (00:23:11):
Week. How many times do you lift in during season?
Alexander Huber (00:23:15):
Two to three times a week.
Mark Burik (00:23:16):
All right. Most important. Lower body exercise.
Alexander Huber (00:23:19):
Uh, deadlift,
Mark Burik (00:23:20):
Most important upper body exercise. Chin ups. Pick a partner of the opposite sex. That's
Alexander Huber (00:23:25):
A tough one. It's not a lightning round anymore, right? No. . . Terrible.
Mark Burik (00:23:30):
And what is your dinner the night before game day?
Alexander Huber (00:23:34):
It depends where I'm playing at. It was mostly rice, ?
Brandon Joyner (00:23:37):
Yeah. .
Mark Burik (00:23:39):
If you had a choice of all the food in the world,
Alexander Huber (00:23:41):
I would choose potatoes and chicken.
Mark Burik (00:23:43):
And what is your your breakfast on game day?
Alexander Huber (00:23:46):
Uh, usually eggs.
Mark Burik (00:23:48):
Eggs, that's it. Flat eggs
Alexander Huber (00:23:49):
Bump. Yeah. Eggs with a little bit of bread. Uh, it depends what the hotel offer or whatever I can get. I need eggs, ,
Mark Burik (00:23:57):
I like it. Okay. What statistic, so what number and do you think separates the teams on Sunday, the championship teams from the Friday teams? What's the difference maker?
Alexander Huber (00:24:10):
Uh, service pressure.
Mark Burik (00:24:13):
Service pressure. I
Alexander Huber (00:24:14):
Like it. It's hard to, to put a stab on it, but I think it's service pressure.
Mark Burik (00:24:17):
Okay. What player did you or do you watch to learn from?
Alexander Huber (00:24:23):
Uh, I watched a lot of things Smith when I was young. Now I, I really like Nicolo as a team and right now obviously the are the team to watch.
Mark Burik (00:24:34):
Cool. All right. And lastly, who is the most frustrating player to play against?
Alexander Huber (00:24:40):
For me in my career it has been Bruno, Brun Smith.
Mark Burik (00:24:44):
Bruno, the defender? Yeah.
Alexander Huber (00:24:46):
Yeah. I just couldn't sign out against him. He backed all my ball, so it was really tough against
Mark Burik (00:24:51):
Me. Interesting that it wasn't a blocker for you. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. You that you chose another defender?
Alexander Huber (00:24:57):
All my career, it was always, I was more, let's say scared. I had more respect, uh, of the two defender playing against you send a plague against you then good vodka. I kind of knew better how to work against with vodka than against
Mark Burik (00:25:11):
Defender. All right, well, so that being said, guys, um, we are going to put some links here because I wanna make sure that you are following Alexander, that you are following us. So I've given our Instagram accounts and our YouTube accounts. Butand, do you have the link to your YouTube account and to your Instagram? So while we're here guys, take one minute please. Just give us a follow or a subscribe. It helps us so much more than you know, when we need sponsors. Uh, when we're looking to companies and we're saying, look how many people follow this sport and pay attention. Uh, if you're not subscribed to us on YouTube or you're not following us on Instagram, please do that. We are putting everybody's handles below X marks the beach, X marks the beach and Zandy. And he is also going to get, uh, his YouTube channel, the Austrian Training Center. And could you just tell us before we start the video analysis, could you tell us a little bit about your training center in Austria?
Alexander Huber (00:26:10):
Uh, yeah, in Australia it has always been like, um, the Federation, they were centralizing everybody in Vienna. As I have been living in , I was looking for way training. So I was building their nice little training center. We got the one in beach court that is very important in Austria and winter we have some good gym facilities. And here I always invited other teams to come and join me for the preparation for the season. And this little training center kept growing and kept getting better. And right now we are five, between five and six professional teams train there right on the limit of our capacity. Cause we only have one indoor port. Um, yeah, and it's, it's really fun. We have a lot of young teams here and it's, first of all, great to see them improve every week, every month. And so
Mark Burik (00:27:00):
You, you train juniors
Alexander Huber (00:27:01):
There? Ley? Yeah. Two,
Mark Burik (00:27:03):
You train juniors can like an average player. Like if, if I like am a B player, you know, I'm, I'm just a hobby player, can I like go to this city in Austria and can I get court time?
Alexander Huber (00:27:12):
Sure. Everybody can come and train it. Just the, the support, like the coaches cost, um, cost money, the in indoor part costs money. So the level of support you're getting depends on the level of
Mark Burik (00:27:24):
Your, so guys, if now you've got a bunch of connections around the world, right? So if you're at our last webinar, you have all of Dian humans' information. If you're going to Australia right here, um, Zandy is inviting you to his court that he trains on in Austria. So if you're heading there, you'll ahead give him a ring and his Instagram is right here. If you have any plans on traveling to Europe for anything or you think you might in the future, why not just go follow him so that you can be reminded and be like, ah, you know what, while I'm vacationing, let me get some coaching from an Olympian. Let me go train. Where all of like the best players in Austrian chain. So Michelle is asking, what is the name of the facility? Let's type it in here, Debbie. Yeah. So pretty cool. And like I said, um, you know, we seem sometimes like professional athletes can seem like they're somewhat untouchable, but every one of them so far that we've had on has invited you to contact them, get in touch for coaching training and uh, he is at Sport Park in cour, which for years was the far and away the best tournament in the world. And it's just a great town. A fun town. It's a university town, right?
Alexander Huber (00:28:33):
Uh, yeah, university, a small, tiny little town, but directly at the Lake Mountains within 10 minutes. So right now we are having like spring weather really warm, almost like summer and still I can see the snow on the mountains from my balcony coming really beautiful here. Really great, great spot to for holidays here at the lake. It's really worth coming. All
Mark Burik (00:28:55):
Right. Um, Andy, make sure you, uh, I'm gonna go
Alexander Huber (00:28:58):
Ahead and put it in there. Oh yeah, I saw it just now. Make sure you change it to all panelists. Yeah, yeah. It, it changed because you restarted me before. Typical your fault.
Mark Burik (00:29:09):
Cool. So guys, uh, yeah, write down those Instagrams, click on them, save them, follow us, subscribe to us. It helps us out more than you know, so that we can keep providing these free webinars and coaching.
Alexander Huber (00:29:19):
The people can just text me or text, uh, to at one sport on Instagram if we need any information about the training center, about the possibilities of training here in con. And uh, I'm also happy to give tips and recommendations for a holiday in conflict.
Mark Burik (00:29:36):
Awesome, awesome, awesome. Putting his Instagram right there so that people who are watching on their computer can go on on there. Phone and follow. What do you say, let's get into this. I want to talk a little bit about offense with you. For those of you guys who don't know, Alexander is five foot 10, how tall is that in centimeters?
Alexander Huber (00:29:54):
1 79 but shrinking with a 10. Now that I got older, it gets less and less.
Mark Burik (00:29:59):
I think I'm sure too buddy.
Brandon Joyner (00:30:01):
I think like as you, as you get better at the sport, you also get smaller. You know, like when you're first coming out you're like, oh, I'm six six and then it's like you win a couple tournaments and you're like, yeah, I'm six four
Alexander Huber (00:30:12):
. No, when I was young, it, it, uh, yeah, it was kind of tough for me that I was one of the small players, so I was really trying to be as tall as possible at all the testings that I had to do for whatever, for the national teams and so on. And I really wrote down in an old book that I found just now my highest ever measured size. And it was 1 79 0.8 centimeters I that, that more I didn't crack the 180 s .
Brandon Joyner (00:30:43):
Ah, you're so close.
Alexander Huber (00:30:45):
Yeah,
Brandon Joyner (00:30:45):
A few more vegetables.
Alexander Huber (00:30:47):
Yeah,
Mark Burik (00:30:48):
. So what was something that, that you pulled yourself that you needed to be good at? Did you, did you let your height into your head during playing? Did you tell yourself as a smaller player who was playing in like something where you're looking at yourself going, most people are going to tell me that I'm too short to play this game and be successful. So what did you tell yourself? And if there are any smaller players out there who are just getting started who think that they need more height, what would you tell them?
Alexander Huber (00:31:16):
I think that for me it was kind of a good thing that people didn't believe in me because I developed the attitude that when someone was saying, ah, this guy, he will never make it to the professional dish, he will never be successful in the world. I had this strong feeling in myself that I want to prove him wrong. And so this was a very, very big motivation for me always that, that the most important thing I can tell people, no matter if you're small or big, it's um, in each really you, you should never give up because, uh, it needs time, it needs, you need some more chances, some more tries to, to get successful in each, all these few players come on the scene, um, and are successful right away. Most of the players need some, some tries in qualification or whatever and it's important not to give up. Yeah,
Mark Burik (00:32:11):
Yeah, we talked about that with Sam Pelo who said that, you know, the one year that he started playing with Grant, he lost in eight qualifiers. Eight qualifiers in a row. Yeah. And then like on his ninth he won. And then beyond that, right after that, he never took less than a ninth in the rest of his tournaments for that year. So it shows that like, yeah, there's years and like weeks, months and years that you need to push, uh, as a smaller player. Would you say that you focused more on speed, more on jumping or more on technique than anybody else? Like how, what did you think you needed more of? Did you say, I have to jump as high as possible, or I need to be so much more technical than the other players? Or was there so
Alexander Huber (00:32:57):
Thicker? I think with me it was like, I already was very technical because I was playing indoor. I was playing liver there and also set. And just because I started very early, I think I had a good technique and a very good core control. Um, I also, when I got older, I, I like between 15 and 20 years old, um, I became very fast and I started to jump very high, uh, before I didn't jump so high, but when I got 15, 16, 17, I started to jump very high. So that just came naturally from training and from, from doing sports every day. But what I really focused on I think was to just finding different waves to be successful or different ways to score, different ways to stop the other team. So really thinking in a different way about the game, uh, than just, uh, about my, um, attack. Okay, I have to card or have to, or the line has to be very precise. Um, I focus more on how can I beat the defender, how can I beat the block or how can I treat them so that I defend them and stuff like that.
Mark Burik (00:34:07):
So let's, um, we will get into the share here. I'm gonna share my screen so that we can go through this. I want you to introduce this match. What did this mean to you? Who were you playing against and uh, what was your strategy or mindset going into it?
Alexander Huber (00:34:24):
This was the final of the kobocha two star. Um, this year and last year we won the, we won the two star tournament in Kabocha and this year it was again our first tournament. So we didn't really know, uh, what it will be like, like how we are in shape. Like first time I did all this, a little bit of insecurity and so it was within the tournament we really improved from match to match and we fought our way back into the finals in Kobocha. And I really, really, really wanted to repeat during Kobocha and I mean generally I hate the Bruce finals. It was a very important match for us obviously, and I tried to really get a good start and be very focused from the beginning. Uh, our opponents were the Australians, sch , in my opinion, a very, very, very strong team. Uh, they just started together again, so they didn't have a lot of TOS together, um, in this period or before this tournament, but they,
Mark Burik (00:35:26):
They had three or four years of experience playing together before that, so yeah, yeah, even though they were new here, they had play for a solid three
Alexander Huber (00:35:35):
And a half years, but I was hoping that they, they weren't sharp already together again mm-hmm. . So, um, on the other hand, the week before they, they won the a a championships, so yeah, we knew it, it would be a tough match. And with the Australians, they have a very unique style of play. Um, they hit a lot of second balls, they pushed the sets out and tried to move the block a lot. And so knowing that, I think our main focus was to, to try to avoid that. So try to, um, make it hard for them to play the, the, uh, side of them too, um, and try to make it hard for them to play all their combination settings.
Mark Burik (00:36:21):
Okay. So Australia, just to, just to recap, Australia's a team that likes to attack on two on the second ball and then they like to throw these kind of big outside sets to the pins, like they want to get your defense moving, right? Yeah. That's like they want to confuse you change up what you do. And you said that you're trying to, when you're serving or you're on defense, you wanna stop them from doing that. What is one way to stop a team from going on two, first
Alexander Huber (00:36:48):
Of all, um, deep serves. Make it harder. Serve deep. Yeah. If you serve deep, it's hard for them to push the ball all the way in front and have, find a good time in traffic. And uh, the second part is when you serve the middle, it gets also harder because if you serve the middle, either they have to open up all the way to the antenna or they, they send the ball, uh, in a sharp angle in front to the net. So it's hard to attack the, the second ball. So that where the two strategies that we had in the beginning.
Mark Burik (00:37:21):
Okay. Um, so, and correct me, correct me if I'm wrong, but when, when I'm thinking cuz I use that same strategy too, if there's like somebody who likes to hit on two or they're a big threat, I like to serve them high and deep because for, and again, correct me if, if this is not what you're thinking of, but when I think about serving deep, I used to think about it like six years ago. I used to think about it, the ball needs to land in the back part of the court, but now I think about it as I need, like if this, if this person is passing right here, I need this ball to go over where their platform would be so that they actually have to move back. Because a fast flat serve that lands deep doesn't have the same effect as a high rainbow serve that actually forces them to tomahawk or move their feet to the back line. So when you say deep serve, do you mean like high rainbow serve or do you mean hard and fast? I,
Alexander Huber (00:38:18):
I think we try to do something in between. Um, I think you're absolutely right. If you serve sharp, it would just cut off the ball and don't, don't have to move at all. Um, so you have to serve it high enough, but also with a little bit of pressure so that they have to move and have a difficult time to control
Mark Burik (00:38:37):
Goal. Okay. So you're, you're thinking about high deep and you're thinking about middle to stop them from going onto, let's, let's look at your defense for a while and then we'll talk, uh, about, about your offense. Um, as we get into it, I noticed that they're serving your partner, but let's get uh, into your there real. Okay. So your partner serving, do you know what you were thinking against Australia? Like how you would play them defensively? You don't have to give everything away about your strategy, but so defensively you're thinking stop them from going on two and then were you going line cross threes, fours mixing it up?
Alexander Huber (00:39:12):
Uh, we were walking mostly line and um, we knew that they are mostly hitting hard, so I wasn't really paying attention to shots, I was focusing on the hard swings and uh, yeah, we try, we try to, um, take away their line because when they, when they push out the sets to the antenna, uh, they obviously banking on the block of being late and trying to go line a lot. So we tried to really be quick out there, uh, with the block and stop them from doing that. And I tried to cover the, the prospect and um, depending on how the set was flying and the position of, of, uh, the, the affect after the ball, I was adjusting my position.
Mark Burik (00:40:01):
Okay. Uh, if so, what changes in your mind or your body or your posture when you say I'm focusing on hard driven instead of, uh, shots, like do you stand a different way? Do you stand a different place? Do you move to a different place later or sooner?
Alexander Huber (00:40:22):
I, I, I stay, I stand on a different place, obviously. Um, and this, the place depends on the, on the directions, the, the hit is using, uh, uh, for most of his attacks. Some hites like to hit sharper angle, some he just like to go deep cross some hit just off hit cross, but to more to the middle. If, if I'm playing only for the hard hit, I go into this position and try to be stay there. Also conventionally, it's, it's not always the case, but mostly I stay, I would say I stay a little bit more deep if I'm, um, only going only for the hard hit. If I'm also paying attention for the shots, I, um, step up just a little bit, uh, so that I have the same distance to all shots. If you, from just a little bit you are, yeah, you have almost the same distance to the catch up and to the line shots.
Mark Burik (00:41:17):
Okay. So, alright, so when you're playing for, if you're playing against a shooter, somebody who likes to hit softballs everywhere, you step closer to the net and I guess a little bit more towards the middle of the court so that it's really easy to just step and lay out. And if you know that you're playing against a bang or somebody who just likes to rip, you think your mind says, all right, where do they like to hit their favorite shot? And I'm gonna stand deep and in that area. So you're not worried about like, are you worried about him seeing you if he's a hitter, do you move late into that spot or do you sit there early
Alexander Huber (00:41:55):
Depending on the player and here comes the crew. If, if I know he's shooting a lot playing soft shots about I need to fake him so that he doesn't see me or that he doesn't know where I'm going. If I know he's mostly hitting hard, I need to fake him so that he will go into direction of the vodka. So I try to, um, how do you say it, I try to get him to hit into the direction of my vodka. If I fake, that's my, that's my job if hard, but I'm obviously faking less if he's only hitting hard. I like
Mark Burik (00:42:31):
That.
Brandon Joyner (00:42:32):
Is this something that, did you notice that people were hitting, obviously you played well in this tournament, um, making it to the finals. Did you notice that most teams were hitting hard or was that an individual thing that you picked up on the Australian team?
Alexander Huber (00:42:47):
Very individual. Like really every team is different. And um, I think especially on the two star, one star level, maybe three star two, there are a lot of teams that play more with soft shops while when you go into the higher levels, like four star and five star, I think most of them play us, uh, choose their hard swing as their first option. But just before in the, in the semifinal against flow we talked to, uh, last week or I don't know, uh, and also in the, in the quarter final we played against players that, uh, like to shoot or play soft shots a
Mark Burik (00:43:22):
Lot. So guys, in case you don't follow our YouTube channel, which would be a mistake long ago, um, before me and Zandy ever played each other and before we really knew each other, uh, I filmed one of his matches from the side because I was tired of arguing with people about pass and set height. So I wanted to see how high above the antenna people were passing and setting, but I ended up getting a lot of really awesome clips. I did add this link to the YouTube video, but I just wanna show you what Sandy's when he's talking about the fake. So I'm gonna show you guys this video and, and you could watch it again on YouTube, but he says that he's trying to trick a defender into hitting at him. So I do just wanna show this
Mark Burik (00:44:02):
One. According to his stats foot probably a bit smaller, maybe 5 9, 5 10 in real life. So anyway, he get this nice float serve and we could talk about that a lot. But um, a lot of indoor techniques use this. It has a left. Sorry. Yeah, that's fast approaches into his and is what're today talk about this that happens right here. So, uh, Huber here ends up running a four, which means that he's showing cross and going to the line, but he does it in a really advanced way. So I'll let you it and we'll see if can pick up on it first.
(00:44:57):
And he goes and gets this dig. Now there's a lot into what's happening through this movement. So if you can see he does a juke first and then he goes to line. So a lot of people will juke in one direction and we'll see it right here. So juke in one direction so that you think they're running to line, but then they'll just stay in the cross, right? And then you would end up having some oils just hit a nice easy ball into his lap. But what he does here, because he is playing at such a high level and he knows that the offense can see him and is paying attention to him because he's playing against the bests in the world, is he double juke. So he intentionally shows really early shows that he's going to line right? And then he comes back and sits in this cross for a second, which tells the hitter if he does it right, tells the hitter, oh man, what a terribly early fake, I'm not gonna fall for that, I'm still gonna go for the high line. And then he runs down to that high line. So I'm not sure
Mark Burik (00:46:03):
Like, you know, I was giving away all your secrets. Yeah, I was studying you before you even knew that I was studying you. Um, but I was like super, super impressed with your ability to do that and for sure I would not have known like what that looked like years ago and that you could have two fakes in one move. Did you have anything to add to what I just saw? Is that what you were thinking or were you just like going crazy like maybe I made that up that you were doing it, it looked really intentional?
Alexander Huber (00:46:34):
Yeah, when I, I saw that video when you posted it and I was super, super pissed that you put it online , it's uh, you saw it right And it's uh, a very good fake against players that like to watch and are really good in watching. As you said, sometimes normal fakes don't work against very good players like plugins, like feel like from Poland you need to do a bad fake so that the things are okay, this, this fake again, I know it already, and then do the other like do another fake or do it the opposite that, um, you usually do with this fake and yeah, that's what I tried to do in, in this sequence and it worked.
Mark Burik (00:47:10):
Cool. Uh, would you recommend fakes like that to like to a hobby player, somebody who is playing against people who probably don't have perfect vision and perfect accuracy. Do you think that they should do that or should they just stay stable and have better footwork? What do you think? Where, where do you start? At what level do you start implementing fakes and then double fakes on defense?
Alexander Huber (00:47:31):
I think it's always important to know your opponent . If you know that he's watching at least a little hit to the other side of the court, um, you should definitely fake him also in, in amateur level or level. Um, I think the fake play there against province, it will not work against hockey players. Cause few, only few players have such a good mission that they can, uh, that they will fall for this fake, but like a normal, um, easy fake. I think it will work on all levels if the opponent has, um, the ability to, to watch the other court. And that's important to serve the opponent also in warmups and, and in the first couple of rallies. And also to judge in what kind of situation he's in. Epic. If he's in trouble, if he's under the ball, he will not see you. So you don't have to do the fate. But if he's in a good position and you see oh he's he's very good at the ball, um, and um, he has a good timing, um, then he probably will take a look and then that's the moment where you can, where, where you can, uh, play the
Mark Burik (00:48:33):
Fake. Okay. So I think that's important for everybody to understand because they might think that they should run a fake or they should run like a four or a three and what you just said, like if they're in a bad position already, if you serve them and they got a terrible pass and the set's not good, don't worry about the fake because they're not gonna be able to see it anyway and they're not gonna be accurate anyway. But if somebody has a perfect pass, a perfect set, and they're coming in and you know that they look when they're coming in, that's a good time to do some kind of shake in a moving back there.
Brandon Joyner (00:49:05):
Have you, have you always had, uh, that kind of mindset as a defender of, cause when I watch that it, it makes me think that you really enjoy the whole cat and mouse game of attackers versus defenders. Um, I absolutely love that as I, and I think it goes back to where I was a setter in college. So picking up on that, but is that something that you always did or is it something that you picked up as you got better or as you started playing at a higher level?
Alexander Huber (00:49:31):
No, I think I always did it and liked to do it just as you said, I love this. Um, yeah, like gambling against each other and for sure it always depended on who was my partner on the block because with different partners I was able to play different fakes, different tactics because every partner is a little bit different. But yeah, definitely I, I've done it from the beginning and it's really a thing that for me makes each level so enjoyable. And it's the same thing for me in an offense when I go out for ed tech against a good blocker. It's the same. Yeah, sometimes it's a game, but will he reach in? What will he do? Will he fake me? And uh, so this one on one situation is, is always cool. I think.
Mark Burik (00:50:10):
I like that you talk about one on one situation and I apologize guys who are like ready to watch volleyball, but uh, if you want us to to show more film, we can, but I really like digging into Sandy's mind here. But you talked about playing one on one against the hitter as a defender saying like, right, yeah, there are different blockers, they have different skill sets, they might be able to touch different things, but you take it upon yourself. It sounds like you take it upon yourself to say, I am going to dig this hitter, my blocker should do their job, but it's me versus the hitter. Do you think about it like that? Like it's you and your blocker or do you think it's my job to get the dig and I hope my blocker helped? Um, or do you say like, my blocker has to do this or I can't get a dig? How do you think about
Alexander Huber (00:50:55):
It? It depends on the blocker. It depends on the tactic. I think it depends on the situation. But I also like for a lot of boss or a lot of opponents that's put like this, I enjoy it to just played a line block, stable line block and then me versus the attacker. So I tried to read him, will he hit, will he shoot, uh, what what is he going to do? Obviously when with my former partner who was a great blocker, um, we played many, many matches that we just tried to, um, to like get his block involved. So we always try to get the attacker, uh, into his direction, um, because this was the, the, the game where he was good at. Um, so it depends a lot on the situation, on the partner and on everything. But what I believe is that as a defender you can, um, influence so much also, if you are not getting the big, but you can influence the attacker, what is he going to do? You can influence, um, what the, the attacker sees on the, on the other cord and you can also make him hit into the direction of your blocker.
Mark Burik (00:52:01):
How do you make somebody hit at your blocker? Wouldn't that be the blocker's job? How, how do you make somebody hit into, into, into your
Alexander Huber (00:52:09):
Partner? Not necessarily because, um, many, many attackers, they okay, they, they see the block, but they also have the vision of the defender and they at least for one moment before they attack, they watch the defender. So if you just make him, uh, believe that you are, uh, for example, running to the line, but your blocker is blocking the line, he will maybe try to hit to the line. So you can just, um, yeah.
Mark Burik (00:52:37):
Okay. I, I remember Brad Keenan used to talk about that. He used to say like, uh, most hitters will just, if they hit a shot, they'll hit over the blocker. So if the blocker's blocking cross, they assume that the defender's not there. So they go there and you're saying that some people, because they see a defender in the diagonal, they're not thinking about the block, they're thinking, well, they're not gonna have two people in the diagonal, so I'm gonna rip hard cross. And by you sitting in the diagonal, you're encouraging an attacker to hit diagonal and then you could take advantage of that. Right? I've fallen for that many a times
Alexander Huber (00:53:15):
And yeah, if, if I'm staying stable in the cross court and not moving at all, um, he will be more confident that the blocker will not regime, but if he sees me move in the last second, he will think, oh, maybe the blocker will also reach in or jump in. So he changes his shot. So it's, it's all a part of the, of the game. The,
Mark Burik (00:53:37):
I never thought about maybe I have in moments, but to, to say like, I am gonna make the hitter hit into my block. I always rely on my blocker to be like, make him believe something, dude, make him, I never took it upon myself to do that. So, um, I That's really smart. Okay, so here's Damien. Uh, do you consider, so this is a good sideline serve, but this, um, you said that you were serving deep and then middle. So why did you change? Oh, this was the wind, right?
Alexander Huber (00:54:12):
Yeah, right. Um, first of all there was, it was, there was a little side wind and also during the game we kind of changed the tactics a little bit. We, uh, went more to , the big guy. Anyways, when, when the big guys surf, they're not playing so many second balls. So everything changed a little bit in, in the course of game.
Mark Burik (00:54:32):
Okay. And it was super hot. I remember everybody else saying it was so hot. So if you serve that big guy who's running and blocking every time's gonna be harder for him over time, right?
Alexander Huber (00:54:42):
Yeah. It, it felt for me the whole game that it was a bevel, um, between my walker and, and their walker who will survive in the end because it was really tough for both of them. And in, in the, in the deciding moments of the sets, it was me against Dian in defense. Uh, and whoever made more big plays won to match for, for his block kind of because we were fresh, we weren't served. I don't know if we're gonna watch the, the end of the second set, but at the end of the second set, um, he made the big place and that's why they won the gold
Mark Burik (00:55:17):
In the end. Yeah, it looks hot. The blockers both have their Yeah, Jesus, look at this . Yeah,
Alexander Huber (00:55:23):
They were just, they were just trying to, to get away with the, with the side out. And it was really upon me and Damien upon the defenders to make the winning place. Um, and yeah, I failed this time. Unfortunately
Mark Burik (00:55:38):
, we all, we all do man. But you have succeeded way more than 99.9% of volleyball players in the world. So Yeah.
Brandon Joyner (00:55:46):
And failing and still getting a silver medal is not too bad.
Alexander Huber (00:55:50):
. Yeah, right.
Brandon Joyner (00:55:52):
Most of the time when I fail I just have to get, go for a beer
Mark Burik (00:55:55):
. Um, guys, we wanna make sure that you guys stick around to the end for all live attendees. We always do something really special. So today is April 7th and uh, we want you to stay to the end cuz we always offer great deals and discount specials for anybody who attends live. So just in case you're thinking of bailing, like go to the bathroom but come back quick, make sure that you're writing this stuff down. Like write as much stuff down as I'm writing down here, right? This is like, get yourself going, uh, cuz this is school and if you're gonna have a question, go ahead and use the q and a. All right, so we're serving, we went back to Damien again. So I went back to the defender. It's kind of a middle-ish serve, so maybe it might have been a mist. Um, and here's a defense. So when you're playing defense after you're served, do you go directly to the middle? Do you go close to your call? You know, what's your first thought after you serve or like why all the other team is passing and setting? Where do you stand
Alexander Huber (00:56:58):
Depending on the tactic? Um, I, I didn't watch too much, um, video of myself lately, but um, I would be surprised if I moved the same way with different tactics. So I think with every tactic, I moved a little bit different from the beginning, um, in this game as we played mostly line block I think, and it was very hot, so I was for sure a little basic. So I think I just walked into the cross court and, uh, started to camp there.
Mark Burik (00:57:30):
All Right. So going into saving the energy, cuz it's hot, going just straight into the diagonal, sitting near there for a while.
Alexander Huber (00:57:37):
Yeah, we did also didn't have the plan to fake a whole lot, so, um, I just, uh, yeah, set up there the defense and tried to dig the hardware involved. Cool.
Mark Burik (00:57:48):
Yeah, that was just a replay with them. All right. So serving middle again, trying to stop them from going on two, but Oh, what happened here? Overpass. Good. Fake.
Alexander Huber (00:58:04):
My videos a little slow, so,
Mark Burik (00:58:06):
Okay. I'll slow it down a little bit here. You might have contacted that. That's a great dig. By the blocker. By your blocker. What, uh, what's your blocker's name right here?
Alexander Huber (00:58:20):
Crystal Dre.
Mark Burik (00:58:22):
Oh, this is dress. Oh, that's right, that's right. And you played with Seitel for a long time.
Alexander Huber (00:58:28):
Me,
Mark Burik (00:58:28):
Yeah. Yeah,
Alexander Huber (00:58:30):
Yeah.
Mark Burik (00:58:30):
How many years did you play with title?
Alexander Huber (00:58:33):
I think seven.
Mark Burik (00:58:34):
Seven. And he's who you went to the Olympics in 2016, right? Yeah.
Alexander Huber (00:58:38):
Yeah.
Mark Burik (00:58:39):
How did you get to the Olympics? Was it a continental qualifier? Were you top 16 in the world? What happened?
Alexander Huber (00:58:44):
Uh, no. We, we won the Continental Cup in Europe,
Mark Burik (00:58:48):
So, um, for those of you who don't know, there's a few ways to qualify for the Olympics. First of all, no matter what, no matter how good you are, even if Brazil has the top 15 teams in the world, you can only send two teams per country. Okay. Um, for most teams you can get an automatic, uh, bid to the, to the Olympics by winning the world championship. So that's one spot, right? And then you also have 16 spots that go to the top ranked Olympic qualifying teams. And then there's a few other qualifiers because the host country, no matter what, they always get one team in. And then you won through a continental qualifier. So can you explain that?
Alexander Huber (00:59:28):
Yeah, it's, it's kind of like a Davis skeptic system, uh, can play against countries and for every continent there is one spot that you can win. And we obviously have to play in Europe. Um, what's by far the toughest continent. And, uh, we were in the final in Stavan with, uh, 15 other nations from Europe, and we just played single elimination, elimination country, where this country, uh, first round we, we played Lavia second round we played, uh, Turkey. Third round we played Russia. And then in the final we played Belgium. And uh, that was a single
Mark Burik (01:00:06):
Bloom tournament. That's, that's a minefield of good teams.
Alexander Huber (01:00:11):
. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And we, we avoided Germany and France that were on the other side of the bra. Um, so it was really stacked with very good teams. Um, and our, our main goal there was to be top three because the second and the third place team, they would run to the World Cup, uh, to play for another spot. And at the World Cup, we knew that the competition wouldn't be so strong, like still strong, but um, not as strong as in Europe. So we were hoping for a good walk to become, to be able to get to the top three. And, uh, we weren't lucky with the draw because in the first round we met Lavia with Clavin and it was probably the toughest match up, um, the whole tournament. And we went into a gold match because it's always like two teams per country.
(01:01:01):
Uh, number one team plays against number two team from the other country. And our number two team, uh, plays against the number one team from the other country. If these matchups end up one, one, um, there is a gold match and you can send anybody you want. And we, we play the gold match against provinces and I think they have four match points. And we did them, I don't know if it was 2018 in the third set, or 2220, something like that. So it was crazy. And yeah, oh man, everything went right for us. So first round and then three more rounds.
Mark Burik (01:01:37):
man. Um, okay, so definitely dramatic . Yeah, it was, it's hot there. It's really hot. And you're still choosing a jumper, a jump floater. Is that because you believe like, so much in the importance of service pressure or just you don't wanna, you know, to me, I would like, you know, I have to make a conscious decision like, all right, is this hot? Am I gonna jump right now or am I gonna like get the dig and have enough energy to side out? So what, what was your mindset?
Alexander Huber (01:02:06):
First of all, service pressure. I believe that service pressure is the most important thing. Um, always . Um, so this would be the last, last thing where I save energy on service. Secondly, I wasn't served, so I was actually pretty, pretty good and pretty fresh still in the first set. So I didn't think about that, uh, too much. I think I cannot remember any time in my career where I had to stop, uh, champ serving because I was out of power. So I think I never changed to standing float also because when I play standing floater, it has to go up from my hand to cross the net. So , it won't be very effective. Yeah. I almost never play a standing floater. But if you're a tall guy, um, with a good reach, um, why not choose the standing floater, especially for block, it has to run in front too. Yeah. Uh, I think, uh, it's not a bad option if you can put pressure on the team with it, other
Mark Burik (01:03:06):
Team. All right, so right here you get Damien in trouble. This is a bad pass cuz it's half quarter behind and he's a right side player. So good served. You did the job. Now that he's, we call this out of system, it looks like you had a line block and a diagonal, but it looks here like you stepped forward. Was this intentional or was it just in the moment?
Alexander Huber (01:03:29):
Um, I think I was, I was uh, expecting a middle hit here. Um, so I was stepping a little bit inside also because of the wind, because this was the tough wind side for him to, to hit it, um, in the diagonal. And also I think I was paying a little bit of attention to the line shot here because as you said, I thought he's out of system, maybe he would try the shot against the wind here in the corner. So that's I think why I was stepping up and stepping inside the wind. Okay. I was just, I was giving up the hardware ball cross court because I thought it's the toughest ball he, uh, that he could play. Yeah, his score is right. Yeah.
Mark Burik (01:04:06):
Yeah. Uh, it hit like the last six inches of the court, but that's in, okay, so the wind's on his right side. So it's blowing it this way. It sets like this, it's on his left shoulder and you're like, if he's gonna hit this hard cross, he's gotta be really big and hit really sharp cuz the wind is gonna take it out. So you decided that should be eliminated. So I'm gonna step up and play the shots.
Alexander Huber (01:04:28):
Yeah, it, it was for, I think in that moment it was a percentage play. I thought, um, there is a high chance that if he goes for the cross seat that he maybe might make a mistake. Um, and it's for sure a accountable shop for him to go against the wing or um, into the middle from this position. So I wanted to cover these two parts. Okay.
Mark Burik (01:04:55):
Okay. So they get the dig here and Yeah. So they get the dig and you just go right back to your diagonal position and you get really stable.
Alexander Huber (01:05:04):
Yeah, as I said in this game, since we mostly played land block and didn't fake a lot, it was easy. But um, in other matches where we play more tactics and um, more variety, it's one of the most important things that after the other team dig you to get back into position very fast. Because if you are not fast enough that you cannot play another fake against his attack other seasons. And it's even more important out of to defend well against his attack outs because he was in a tough situation and it's very important that you don't give him an easy opportunity to score this ball, put this ball away. So make it hard for him to score this ball out.
Mark Burik (01:05:46):
Okay. So the other team digs you because they're in transition, they're like out of system a little bit. You have a better chance of digging the next ball than you have any of the balls before that. So you say like, I have to get back immediately so that I can if I need to, that I can fake and lead him into me. Cuz now like as the longer the point goes on, the better chance you have of getting a dig each
Alexander Huber (01:06:08):
Point. Yes. And also out of defense, when you're out of position, he often gives away a easy opportunity for him. For example, you're not all the way back. He sees you, uh, no way he's going for the ranch or the buck. He can make an, he has an easy solution for him. If you take away this easy solution, he will have to risk more, maybe watch a little bit longer what you're doing. And so he will tend to, there's a higher chance that he will make a mistake or, uh, not, not such a good way, like not such a good shot or
Brandon Joyner (01:06:37):
I, I think that that's a, uh, a really good thing for listeners that are kind of new to the game that don't think or don't realize how important it is for your defense to set up a system. Because like a lot of, a lot of people that are just starting off, they just hang out in the middle of the court and they hope that a ball gets hit at 'em. Um, but what, what you've done with that situation by pulling off the net and getting into that cross court is you, is you've given that attacker an idea of what he thinks he can do to score, right? And now you're with that cat and mouse game again, now you're back in charge of kind of giving, going back to that percentage talk of being like, okay, this is gonna be his more high percentage shot, this is a less percentage shot. And then that's where the defensive setup kind of comes into play. Um, I think that that we, we have that trouble a lot, uh, with coaching and we run into a lot of people that are like, I'm not a blocker, I'm not a defender. What do I do? And that I, what you just explained there I think is very, very important.
Mark Burik (01:07:44):
Yeah, I mean, how many times do you see like an an a level player get Doug, they look at the dig without moving, they look at the set without moving and then like, oh crap, I have to go play defense.
Brandon Joyner (01:07:55):
Yeah.
Mark Burik (01:07:56):
By that time they're just struggling to get back to position, no less like trying to get a dig. Now they're fighting to get to position instead of getting a dig like Andy said. Right. So huge, huge, hugely important lesson there guys. Like
Brandon Joyner (01:08:08):
That's where that getting caught in no man's land. If you don't do that, that's when you get caught in no man's land.
Mark Burik (01:08:15):
Yeah, I hustling back on defense is like so important in so many sports and that's, people forget about that in beach volleyball. Like they just kind of sit and watch. It's like
Brandon Joyner (01:08:26):
, right? Yeah.
Alexander Huber (01:08:28):
It, it always reminds me a little bit on, on basketball, if you don't go back in defense after you get back, it's like giving up an easy layup in transition to basketball instead of passing back and at least following him or whatever, putting a person between him and the basket. So yeah, just don't, don't make it too easy for them to score out of defense.
Brandon Joyner (01:08:49):
I've never thought about using that analogy of getting back on defense playing basketball, but it makes perfect sense. ,
Mark Burik (01:08:59):
All right, here's a loopier serve going, attacking a big guy. I mean this is a huge spread for them. This is, I mean, their offense is pretty unique because this is a lot of distance between them. Mc you is going here and attacking the antenna and they like to make these big hard swings. So I can see your shadow here. Usually you've been setting up in a line block, that's what it looks like here. So you're, you're in the cross really early. Okay. Just, just in front of maybe one foot on three quarters depth, but really, really, really stable here.
Alexander Huber (01:09:46):
Yeah, I think on, on that play, I was actually a little bit too much in front. Um, I think the plan was to, to cover the, the long cross court and the middle depending on, on his position. Mm-hmm. and I think I, I could have stayed, have to meet them more back.
Mark Burik (01:10:05):
Okay.
Brandon Joyner (01:10:06):
Um, andand, I got Mark. Would you mind going back to the beginning of that play? Yeah,
Mark Burik (01:10:10):
Yeah.
Brandon Joyner (01:10:11):
Um, so I, sorry, but I forgot your blocker's name again. Um, where he starts off, and I'm sure you guys had this conversation with a spread offense like this, why, why didn't he just go stand on the line
Alexander Huber (01:10:26):
Because of the second ball?
Brandon Joyner (01:10:28):
Okay. Yeah. So, so that's, that's why he, can you kind of walk us through what the idea is there?
Alexander Huber (01:10:36):
Um, I think first, first priority for the blocker, um, has always to be where's the path going? Is the path coming close to the net or is the maybe the set trying to, uh, go on? So this is his first priority and afterwards, um, he should go fast outside to the Hida. Um, I think in this case he could have reacted a little bit faster because the pass is quite far off the net. But I think it is definitely right to focus first on where the test is going, like the reception, um, instead of going immediately, um, to the aca, because especially if you, if you put a lot of pressure with the serve, um, there will be some reception that come close to the net and it's always good to be there, um, from the beginning to, um, collect all these points whether the reception is close to the net, um, yeah. Or in overpasses
Brandon Joyner (01:11:32):
And does that, that help you set up as a defender as well? Getting to see him kind of drift out to that antenna and then you can kind of go and get into that pocket.
Alexander Huber (01:11:43):
I think it would be easier if he would start outside and go just straight up so I can see everything. I know where he is and everything. Um, but I, I think it's just necessary, especially, um, the way teams are playing right now with a lot of second balls, um, from many teams right now, I think it's necessary to after service to find the position between the receiver and, uh, where the reception goes. And then if the reception comes close to first cover this part and then go, um, to
Brandon Joyner (01:12:14):
Awesome. Thank
Mark Burik (01:12:15):
You. All right. So mic's hitting again, bad pass out of system. You're probably not gonna run any, any games because they're out of system. So you're not like worried about faith. This isn't a great pass, but I see this move here, right? This, this set is tight and you take this, this big hop forward, like you don't run forward but you just jump forward. Can you, was this intentional? Is there a reason for this?
Alexander Huber (01:12:44):
Yes. Intentional and a little late. I would say , I could have done it a little bit earlier. Um, I think when I do it late like this, you will, um, kill me with the rainbow shot cross court over me. I will not not have a chance to react for that. So if I'm a little bit earlier, I can start to, for long shots behind me and for the the other two shots. Um, what, what, uh, my philosophy is for closed balls is that the block card tries to cover the ball so that he cannot place fast balls beside him. So fast balls down like a fast touch or a fast slimy line shot. Um, and I stay in a neutral position in the middle of the court and try to run everything that comes over the block.
Mark Burik (01:13:27):
So this is, this goes back to you saying like, right, well this guy can't hit hard now because it's tight, right? But you get closer to the middle of the court and you step closer to the net to cut off angles,
Alexander Huber (01:13:37):
Right? The most important things in, in defense in vi is adjusting, adjusting to what is the situation. Although the plan was to only care for the heart ball, I can see that it's close, so there's a big chance he will just not wait over the block or whatever. So I have to adjust. And also my partner on the block, he also has to adjust. Instead of just making a great line block and letting him crush the ball across quarter two meters, he needs to go onto the ball and try to cover the ball. It's always adjusting is so important, especially when you're playing with fakes and different tactics. The most important in game call differences change or give new signal for new blocking tactics. Cause when you play, when you plan a fake and they're out out of system right now, you have to change that. Otherwise you give away easy point again.
Mark Burik (01:14:27):
That's huge. That's such a good point. Um, we, we just talked about this. So we posted a video that's going like kind of viral right now. It's, it's got posted 2,500 views in a day. But we talk about having a play call and then when something, when situations show that like, that is now impossible. Like if you have somebody blocking line but you know that the hitter doesn't have the ability to hit line anymore, stop what they have the ability to hit. Like forget that play call. Even though you called it stay in the moment and now defend only what's available. Like don't stick to your call just to stick to your call. You have that as a plan, but you need to be able to change your plan in the middle of the point so that you can stop what's available. I think. And, and as a piece of takeaway, so you said that on tight falses, when there's a tight set, you have your blocker ditch. There's no more calls, no more lying cross anything. They go completely ball and you step forward and hold in the middle of the court. I play really similarly, although I never used to .
Alexander Huber (01:15:29):
Let, let me add one thing because with, with my former partner, we were playing a lot of fakes, like almost fake. Um, and because the teams were struggling after bad reception and so we could use our fakes, um, and it took away one of our biggest strength, the faking. So we, we, we sometimes we started to serve really easy so that the, the other team has a good situation, good pass, good setting so that we can use our face again. Could be also an option if, if, uh, yeah, if the team is constantly out of system, but making good things happen out of bad situations and it, it throws your game your difference and blocking tactics, send your game off because they're always out position. The set is long or the set is short. You, you have trouble to adjust. Um, just take down the service pressure and um, try to work the face.
Mark Burik (01:16:24):
I play it against guys like that where you're like, this guy kills every ball when he has a crappy pass. Yeah, but like when you just give him this soft meatball, he like thinks, he tries to look and he's a terrible at looking terrible at shooting, but like naturally athletic, when his mind gets, gets out of his way, he's an unbelievable beach volleyball player. So you give him the easiest serve in the world and you like allow him to think a lot and, and try to see you and you say that, that plays into your strength cuz you're a really good faker. That's an interesting tactic that I think more people can definitely like, utilize and say maybe this is still the right choice going to this guy, but maybe he needs to be in a certain situation where we can get him. And that's like really deeper level thinking. So I I love that.
(01:17:13):
All right, so this is you staying deep. Okay. Chris is coming in hard so you stay deep. I think this is where you were talking about like that's where you want behind three quarters for his hard stuff. Nice dig, very calm, hands in front, good angle. Hey, when you're teaching, this is a common, this is a common thing that I see all the time. Um, players and coaches telling you to keep your hands like outside of your hips and shoulders and then some coaches telling you when you pass or play defense to do this and then to do this. But then when I watch every single Olympic beach volleyball player, this happens, hands are together in the middle and then they move. So which way do you teach? And um, and what do you think the advantage is to teaching there? Like where, where do you tell your players to hold their hands and where do you tell yourself to hold
Alexander Huber (01:18:13):
Your hand? Um, I think one important thing is to have them in front of your body. Okay. Um, I, I'm not doing it very perfect. I always have my elbows here in the back, but when I teach things like that, like movements or techniques, um, I got a very, very nice lesson from, um, coach Celick. I think it was the old sales still. Um, I had one training in Clark for when I was five or six years old. Um, um, when the, the tournament was happening, the, the, um, the big tournament. The virtual tournament. Um, and he was giving a coaching clinic for all the, all retrievers and I was one of them. And so, um, while they indoor, they always told me, um, yeah, get on the right side in reception. Get your right foot in front on the left side, get your left foot in front.
(01:19:05):
And he just said, do like, you naturally do like move naturally. And I think it's the same in defense. Um, also for me, I, I never got any technique, um, um, coaching for my defense. I just did it naturally from the beginning. And um, it has, I think it has to be naturally and this is your, are your natural reactions and especially if something works, why, why would you change it? So I think technique is not the important, the most important thing. Um, I think I would more focus on the result and if the result is not there, you can tweak some things and see um, what changes, um, get improved results.
Mark Burik (01:19:50):
Cool. Um, this is, so this is, if you weren't happy with your last defense, you're probably really not happy with this cuz you talked about your elbows being back. Um, one of my biggest problems that I hate about my defense is I always put like my hands behind my hips. Like that's my natural position and I know that I have to change it cuz it gets me in trouble. Cause I don't get my hands in front. So for the last two years, I've started literally playing defense like this. Throughout my entire point, I'll hook my pinkies so that my hands stay in front as a reminder and that like prevents me from getting to this back position. And it, and it works as soon as I start doing this. Like, if I, if I don't dig like three hardballs in a row, I'm like, here we go. Like, get your hands in front and right here you come forward. So maybe you read a little bit of shot mm-hmm. , but your hands are really tight to your body and they're like crammed here in your legs. Is this a, is this a bad position for
Alexander Huber (01:20:48):
You? Definitely. I think that's why I fucked up this leg too. Um, yeah, you see, when I react to the ball, my hands are already almost behind my body. So it's very hard to control the ball when it's already past you. You have, you have to try to cut it off in front of your body to be able to control each other. Um, yeah, so not a good, good thing for me.
Mark Burik (01:21:13):
Okay, so, so hands in front, hands away from your body on defense is something that we can definitely take away from that. All right guys, we're gonna go through maybe three more points and then, uh, we're gonna let, uh, Sandy have a have a nice long nap. Make sure that he stops keeping his kids awake. terrible. Dad, time for beer and whiskey. Just kidding, just kidding. He's an Olympian. I do wanna see some more defense. All right, so this is after the technical. We're on defense again. Just looks like a straight up line block here. Nice. Ah, that looked like a pretty good touch by the blocker. All right. Nothing really to see there. All right. Another defense jumper going after the big guy again and this huge outside set again, you haven't changed. They won the first match. They won the first set. You're down here. Did you think I have to change my strategy right now? Like we have to go after a different guy? Or is this a long term, like he's gonna run out of energy? We, we gotta stay on him.
Alexander Huber (01:22:23):
Strategy. I think in the middle of the first set, we figured out that he's the guy to serve and we figured out how to get points from him. And I think that was one sequence in the first set where we also blocked some breaks. We caught our way back into the first set and then in the end, okay, we made some breaks again. But this was the, the period in the first set where we, I think we found out how we can beat these guys today. Um, and we tried to play like this, the whole second set. So,
Mark Burik (01:22:52):
So yeah, you lost the first set, but you didn't blame your strategy. You said, we're still serving the right guy. We screwed it up.
Alexander Huber (01:22:59):
Yeah, because in the first set we started very bad. We were down, I don't know, 4, 1, 7, 2 something that, and then in the middle of the first set, we figured something out. We got some breaks. Suddenly we, I think we came back from a big deficit. Um, and there we, we found out how we can stop them and uh, this was the strategy. We tried to continue in the, or we start, we tried to start with in the second set, and I think it worked pretty well. Um, it was more about our own side of team that wasn't as sharp as it, it should have been.
Mark Burik (01:23:36):
Okay. All right. Um, I think that's important for everybody to realize that sometimes you are using the right strategy, but your execution is not right. And you have to decide. You have to make that in game decision. Am I going to play better and I'm, and am I going to start finishing these plays? Or am I, am I not good at, at the play that I, that we need to defend? So maybe I'm not a good hard driven ball digger, so I'm not gonna sit there and continue to try to dig hard driven balls. I need my blocker to step in, or I need to make this guy shoot somehow, right? Or you say, I am a good hard driven ball digger. I know that we're down and I know that this guy's gotten three kills, but I'm gonna dig him. So let's keep going with this strategy.
(01:24:23):
Um, even though we've lost some points because like I failed at the beginning. So different ways to, to think about that and to be aware of. Look at this pretty, this is a big giveaway by McCue every other play, right? He's opened his elbow way more than that. And here he keeps his elbow just a little bit forward for, so for those of you who are always asking us questions, how do I read, how do I know what, what means if we look at all of other Mac's swings from this match, and you can find this match on YouTube, his arm opened about 12 inches wider than it did here. And he has this quick push
Brandon Joyner (01:24:59):
Release. This goes with, uh, I actually just happened to open up the q and a and the first one from Wilson is how do you read or guess highline or angle when playing against great shooters? So, uh, whoever ask that question, make sure you're listening right now.
Mark Burik (01:25:14):
, and this is, this is one of his first shots, right? Zenny. And like, you picked this up, no problem. You've been playing only for hard driven. How did you dig this? Was it, did you see it or did you just react? I
Alexander Huber (01:25:26):
Think it's, uh, definitely, um, anticipation. Like I think it's a mixture about, um, of reading and intuition. So maybe I just felt from his movement, from what I saw in his approach, that uh, he didn't have the power that he usually had when he was coming in or he wasn't as aggressive with his approach. And then, as you said, from his arm swing in the last moment, you can see, instead of going all the way back, he stops his movement going back and goes up in direction of the ball with, with his hand. And that's the moment where you can see that, uh, for sure is coming. And he, he's stopping this aggressive movement with his,
Mark Burik (01:26:06):
So your eyes are, are focused on his elbow, his chest, his shoulder, the area where he against the ball. Where do your eyes focus or do they take a big
Alexander Huber (01:26:15):
Picture? I think everything, first of all, you have to watch his approach. How aggressive is he approaching? How good is his position to the ball evolve. Then you have to watch. Very important. You have to watch his eyes or his face. Is he looking at you? Is he looking at all? Um,
Mark Burik (01:26:29):
You can say that again. What? So you watch his approach and then you watch his what? His
Alexander Huber (01:26:33):
Eyes .
Mark Burik (01:26:35):
Oh, I bet that's gonna throw a lot of people who are watching here. For a loop, you wanna watch the attacker's eyes Yeah. To know if they're looking at you or not. Okay. Yeah.
Alexander Huber (01:26:45):
Either his head, if not his head to look or even his eyes if you play for a very, very long time. Yeah. You can even develop a feeling for players with sunglasses if they looking at you or not. I mean, you cannot know it, but you have a feeling that if he has a good position, you know that he can see you. If he is in a bad position, you know that he can see you. So I think this is very important when you're trying to read and attacker to know what he knows from you. That's, that's the most
Mark Burik (01:27:15):
Important. So for those who are watching, again, I, I haven't seen this play, I don't believe I fast forwarded rewind, but I know a shot is coming here. We haven't seen it yet, but watch Mike's elbow every other one. He got his arms beyond 180 degrees and here it doesn't even get close to that. So if you're in that moment, you're thinking, take a small shot forward and now I'm ready to chase because he's not loading up to swing hard. And yeah, he does exactly that. Oh wait, this is the same play. All right. That was a rewind of the same play but was pretty obvious cuz look at the difference in this elbow, right? This is his elbow when he's hitting hard, take that freeze frame. This is his elbow when he's shooting.
(01:28:02):
That's max extension. That is a monster difference where if you, your eyes can pick that up, you're gonna have that ability. And of course we can see it here in slow motion, but the more you train looking at players and watching video like this with amazing teachers like Zandy and Brandon, right? If you keep watching this, you'll be able to see this in the game because like guys like Tom Brady, NFL quarterbacks, all they do is watch film and video to see what positions and what movements lead to a certain play. And if you guys watch video on your own and you watch with us during these webinars, we can show you these positions. And in the game, I promise you you'll start picking up on things live dandy. How much do you watch film as, as a world tour athlete? How much do you watch video?
Alexander Huber (01:28:47):
Uh, a lot. Um, I, during my career I mostly watched opponents. So to, to uh, find out the strategy or making a tactic against them, um, I wish I would've watched more film of myself. Cause I think it helps a lot to watch yourself. Um, for example, now that I'm watching, I, I recognize things that I didn't recognize in the game and it was often the case that, um, after the game I had a feeling, uh, I played very bad and then I watched film and I actually had a very high set percentage. I, uh, converted all my gigs and also the other way around. So it's very important to get an objective view on your own game because in game you always have like a different feeling and it's always yeah, not really objective.
Mark Burik (01:29:39):
I like that. Yeah. I think it helps no matter like what your level is. Um, like you've, you've outperformed me in your career and like we're sitting here and I'm controlling the fast forward and and slow motion button, you're able to sort of pick up because of where I'm slowing down. You're saying like, ah, shoot. Like, you know, since he's steering the, the fast forward and, and rewind now I'm picking up on certain things that I did really well and certain things that I'm like, I gotta fix that. Yeah. Like I think for sure watch your own. Cuz I spend a lot of time watching film, but some of the, by far the most valuable practice sessions that I've had in my life have been sitting in a living room with a coach, watching my own film and watching film of great players, you know, like you and like Mole, um, and Jake and Taylor and seeing like how they move and then seeing how I get that. But those film sessions with other people steering it, even though I, I I think I know volleyball pretty well. That third eye for me is just massive just to be able to do it. So, uh, guys, we do offer that on [email protected]. We offer private video lessons. If you wanna go to [email protected] and go to the courses and programs, you wanna sign up for a half hour video session just like we're doing here with Sandy's game. Uh, we do it live and Uhand do you guys, do you do any video sessions
Alexander Huber (01:30:55):
On your own? Uh, not yet. We just started our YouTube channel with some only programs for kids right now. But we will add some highlights and maybe some, some technical inputs and technical inputs also for amateur players. We'll
Mark Burik (01:31:09):
It's gonna be in German or English. Is it gonna be in German or English?
Alexander Huber (01:31:12):
Not yet decided. As I said, we're, we're just starting it, but as I don't wanna mess with your, I think we'll do it in German .
Mark Burik (01:31:20):
Well then we'll promote you
Alexander Huber (01:31:22):
. Ok.
Mark Burik (01:31:23):
Only if it's in German. No, anything you do man. We're, we're happy. Yeah, for sure. I just want, this is the last thing that I wanna talk about defensively. So this is one of the first swings where the comes really into the middle of the court and I notice that you step out wider here than you have on any of the other dig. Is that intentional? And why do you do
Alexander Huber (01:31:44):
That? I think I, um, without seeing the result now, I think it was the wrong decision. Usually when, yeah, that's what happens when he's coming more from the middle, um, he's taking himself away more angle so he cannot, or it's not so easy anymore to hit the sharp angle. So the more the attacker comes to the middle in attack, the more I should also go to the middle. Um, because it's more natural to hit tos, the middle and it's just the angle, the sharp angle gets shorter so it's harder to hit. Um, so I think it was a, a bad point for me to step up there. I dunno what I,
Mark Burik (01:32:22):
So you're saying that if the attacker is in the middle, if he wants to hit like this spot on the court, he has to be so high and so steep that like most athletes in the world can't hit that shot, right? So you say like ditch that cuz if he wants to hit that spot, this middle ball, it's gotta be slower so you can react anyway. Yeah. So you stay more middle-ish even when the player keeps coming towards you, you say like, all right, but he doesn't have that angle anymore, so you would rather stay a little bit more centered so that you can dig this. Yeah,
Alexander Huber (01:32:55):
I think in this, in this situation, my mind tricked myself because I saw him coming in very strong like to the inside and I thought he would go into his approach direction with all. So that's why I was stepping against his approach, I think. Uh, but in the end it was the wrong decision because he was coming from the middle and it's just more natural, um, to go back there when you have the ball, um, uh, inside of your right shoulder. And as you just mentioned, it's so difficult to hit sharp angle from the middle. So yeah, should step to the middle.
Mark Burik (01:33:31):
You see him coming and your body wants to keep him on this side of the core so that you can dig back into the core. So you want move wider so that you bring it back to middle of the court, but then your, like your non lizard brain needs to say like he won't be able to hit that side even though he's getting further outside me, I'm gonna stay here because he's probably gonna make an error if he hits there. Yeah, he
Brandon Joyner (01:33:54):
Does a good job with his line of approach and really making it aggressive.
Mark Burik (01:33:58):
All right, so we're gonna stop the share there, but we do have a bunch of people who opened up into the q and a. So zand you mind staying just a couple more minutes and answering some people's
Alexander Huber (01:34:08):
Questions? Sure.
Mark Burik (01:34:08):
Alexander, what is your playing weight and what weight do you feel best
Alexander Huber (01:34:13):
At? I was always around 65 kilograms.
Mark Burik (01:34:16):
Five
Alexander Huber (01:34:17):
Five? No, 65. 65. Okay. I really, really, really, really, really struggled to gain weight. It really, for most of my career, it didn't matter what I was training, what I was eating, I was always right around 65 kilograms. And then with, how do you say, uh, nutritional support like, uh, how do you say like the and protein stuff. I was able to get to almost 69 kilogram in off season and then after two or three tournaments, I'm back down at
Mark Burik (01:34:49):
65. Okay. So did you want to, or did you find it important that you got heavier during, off season or didn't really make a difference?
Alexander Huber (01:34:55):
I want to go to get stronger and especially now that I'm getting older, to prevent injuries to get a little bit stronger and more stable. Yeah. But it's really hard for me and from the feeling how I felt better, it didn't change a lot, so, okay. I mean it's, it's not a big, also not a big, it was not a big jump between my weight. Um, but um, I felt the same.
Mark Burik (01:35:18):
Uh, what is your vertical touch? Like, what's the highest that you touch?
Alexander Huber (01:35:22):
The highest that I ever touched was at 3 3 21, 3 21.
Mark Burik (01:35:28):
Somebody do the conversion, convert that to feet and inches. Please go ahead online and write it in the chat, but 321 centimeters,
Alexander Huber (01:35:36):
3 21 or 3 23, something like, something like that. But right now I'm not there anymore. I'm more like three 15 right now.
Mark Burik (01:35:42):
Ok. So like 10, 6, 7 not, I mean, you don't have to be a monster to succeed. Like you have to be technical, you have to be fast. And Zandy already said like he's fast and he's explosive, but he's, he's not touching 12 feet, 12 two. Like some people touch and still Olympian, like so no matter who you are, what what you are out there, what body type you have, there is a way you just gotta find your best, your best at you. Uh, Stacey says, where do you aim to dig the ball in defense and where do you aim and is that different than in se receive?
Alexander Huber (01:36:14):
Uh, yeah, in, in defense, especially against heart written balls, you always try to keep it right in the middle of the court and you try to get it high enough and higher than in deception. Cause your block needs more time to come down from block, turn around and set it. And in, when you defend shots, it's very specific, which, what shot you're defending. Because for example, if you do a catch up, you want focus on bringing it off the net a little bit because usually you can do, um, play it maybe over the net or into the net cause you have this movement. And so the energy you're bringing with your movement translates to the ball. So you have to bring it back a little bit. And mistakes make, I attach, they dig it towards their partner. What's in my opinion is a mistake. Cause it puts pressure on the blocker that is approaching in your direction and the ball is approaching to him. So it kind of, um, puts him under pressure. Try to bring it more like straight up or keep it closer to you so that the block can approach to the mall.
Mark Burik (01:37:20):
Okay. So making it land like on your half of the court if you dig it, but not, not towards towards them where they, where they are as you, where do you dig when you dig a highline shot? Cause I, I hear a lot of different theories. I like my players to bring it back to the middle because I, I hope that my blocker has the time to land, get one step off and then like he's already facing where he wants to set. But I see a lot of people leave the highline dig along the sideline. Where do you teach or try to dig
Alexander Huber (01:37:50):
It? I would teach to to bring it a little bit back to the middle. Right to the middle is maybe a little bit, bit too much but on to the line of the blocker or maybe half meter meter behind him. That's enough. I think with all these questions it's always good to go into the blocker's view or set position, set view and see how does the ball have to fly that it's easy for him to set. That's the first step. So how do you not put him under pressure with the dick? How make you make him comfortable for setting? And the second thing is where do you like to attack from in transition? If you like to attack from outside, keep it on your landing on the line. If you prefer to hit more from middle or so, um, it's better to bring it a little bit more,
Mark Burik (01:38:34):
Soak it up, write it down so that you can go back to this. And when we all get back outside again, you can apply some of Andy's teaching here. At what point ? Oh man, I like this one. This is an interesting question. Yeah. Um, oh I did wanna touch back just, just as you said, like what ball is gonna make my setter most comfortable right now? That's gonna be tough for a lot of amateur players I would say because they're so concerned just with touching the ball first, you know that they're like now your mind as an advanced player you're saying okay touch and I need to put it right here because my blocker is there and he's either in the air on the ground right now. So you're having two minds right there. And I think a lot of the amateurs where they're at, they're probably just thinking about like footwork and getting a good touch. But as you progress through your games guys, you also need to be aware of where your partner is and what their movement is like and sensing them. You think So Brandon Yeah's uh, sorry Andy go ahead.
Alexander Huber (01:39:31):
To make one step back and to simplify it and then there are maybe two points you can, you can focus on. And this is one point is play the big high enough so that the block has time to set and the second important thing is the movement of the blocker after his block. This is very important. Um, these are I think is the two things that you can control easily instead of playing the big but's. Definitely a very, very tough thing to do also for me and for world players. Um, but you can always try to play it high enough so that the blocker has time to go to the steps and the blocker can focus on his first steps after landing. And I think these two things, uh, easy to do and very important.
Mark Burik (01:40:15):
I think a lot of blockers end up like landing and immediately chasing the ball when they should be immediately getting to a setting position. Right. You know, and sometimes that changes like if you only have a fingernail on the ball, they need to come and help you a little bit. But if you're gonna get a full fist on it or even two hands, then they can trust that you should have some accuracy so they can go to their setting position and not like just, I call it Labrador syndrome. Like get the ball, get the ball, get the ball, you know, like he's got the ball, you go to your setting position.
Alexander Huber (01:40:44):
I think unless you are really, really, really good, it's always smart to get in into the setting position. Like a step off the net net a step to the back and that's it. The other thing that okay, you judge the quality of your partners big or how he's there as the boss. I think this is a very tough thing to do and for that is very good and the game and has a lot of experience and . So this would be my opinion. The second or first step in this
Mark Burik (01:41:15):
Program. At what point do you decide to stop pursuing a ball or not pursue a ball at all? Are there any times when you choose to just give something up and not chase it or
Alexander Huber (01:41:25):
What I do but I shouldn't.
Brandon Joyner (01:41:27):
Mark Burik (01:41:28):
I think more so like you have to be okay with certain kills because you know that your offensive design, like your defensive design gives certain things up. So it's like okay. And for me long term strategy, I'm pretty good with letting a guy get a certain kill like three times so that he has confidence in it later and that's when I can scoop him. But you know, your mind has to keep stats during the game. Uh, I don't know if you play similarly.
Brandon Joyner (01:41:57):
Yeah, I think we've talked about it a little bit today as well where you kind of have to be okay with giving up some shots. You know, like you, you play the percentage game, you put them in a situation where like, okay, their best shot right now score
Alexander Huber (01:42:10):
Down right now, who's
Brandon Joyner (01:42:12):
Down? We still see you.
Alexander Huber (01:42:13):
Yeah. Now I'm back. I think I didn't hear the last
Brandon Joyner (01:42:16):
Part just saying there are certain points where you're, so like we had the one play that we were talking about. You thought that he was in a position more where he was shooting and then he hit that ball deep cross court and that was kind of the ball that you were willing to give up on that play. That's something that I, I had that conversation a lot with the people that I coach, especially if I happen to be playing with them and I'm a blocker so if I give them a line call and they're just starting out, I tell them, okay, this means if they hit a ball over me to the line like that's the ball that I want you to give up. But if they happen to hit a ball hard cross at you or if they shoot a ball cross, then those are the balls that I'm not expecting you to get the dig but I'm expecting you to at least touch it. You know, so that way it's kind of, I think that that's kind of a better way to think about that. Obviously it's easy to give up on a lot of shots. , I find myself doing it a lot when I play defense but um, mainly just cuz I'm not as quick as you guys, but I like what you said about
Alexander Huber (01:43:14):
That. Yeah. Important rule is for sure you cannot cover everything. I think if you try to cover everything, you really cover nothing. So it's good to focus on on the place that the opponent likes to do that's often and try to stop that and if you plays a perfect shot or a great ball out of a difficult situation, you also have to pull your cap and say hey nice to play. If you play not as good as this one, I I did you but you have also for sure you have to give up some.
Brandon Joyner (01:43:41):
That might be the uh, the eighth sin of defense
Mark Burik (01:43:45):
trying, being upset about every single,
Brandon Joyner (01:43:48):
Trying to touch everything.
Mark Burik (01:43:50):
Okay, Mike, ask, ask next question. Mike ask what helped you be so competitive in your match against Mole and som? What do you focus on when you watch
Alexander Huber (01:43:58):
Them? Uh, what helped us most was that they were really tired. .
(01:44:05):
Yeah, I mean we didn't have anything to lose. We played with a lot of risk, especially my partner. We said, hey, just go for it on serve. And it was an easy match for us. They had all the pressure for us, it was just enjoying and it was just mentally very easy to play because if you have nothing to lose you can risk and it happens to work uh, out a lot of times if you don't have pressure. So yeah, I think that helped a lot and in the game as, as I told you our Instagram last chat before we didn't really have a plan because we knew that they had lost four matches the whole season. Um, all four matches against the number two or the number three in the world. We knew our chances went out at very big and also if we would've won match the pool player at the European champs is like that, that if we won this match lost both the other matches and they won the other matches, we would still be out. So it didn't really matter so much. So we just started the game without really thinking a lot about tactics or so, uh, yeah for me it was just I wanted to see them play right like on the court against me, , it was my first time.
Mark Burik (01:45:12):
So, and you're an Olympian and you're looking at these kids and you're like, I'm just really excited to play
Alexander Huber (01:45:19):
. If the team loses only four matches a whole season, then I wanna play them and I wanna see it. I wanna see after this to play against the block. And yeah, we just try to avoid the block and risk serve and yeah, try to get some easy points with serve and it works very well.
Mark Burik (01:45:40):
When you say serve with high risk or serve aggressively, what does that mean to you? Do you serve flatter and faster? Do you try to hit the top of the net? Do you serve closer to the sidelines? What is serving, uh, more aggressively mean
Alexander Huber (01:45:53):
To you? I think with jump load it flat over the net and also more to the sidelines, like you risk just more to the the sidelines. Um, and for Jumper you should serve with more power.
Mark Burik (01:46:04):
Josh asks, uh, it seems like you're still getting better as you get older. How do you do
Alexander Huber (01:46:09):
That? I think first of all in you can gain so much from experience. Experience is so important. The second thing that helped me the last couple of years was mindset. Um, cause until the Olympic, there was always a lot of pressure involved. First of all, we had this high goal to go to the Olympics. Secondly, my partner, um, put a lot of pressure on our team all the time. So when this pressure went away and I could play more freely and enjoy, enjoy the game more, it also helped me lot. Yeah. And I think as long, long as you stay athletic it, you will get better When you, when you get more experience in
Mark Burik (01:46:47):
Sport, how do you, so somebody, this is an important question Wilson. Um, is this the one that you picked up on earlier, Brandon? No. How do you side out against bigger blockers? Like could you give us two methods or just like a thought process that, that you change based? Like if there's a bigger, more athletic blocker up there?
Alexander Huber (01:47:07):
Um, for me personally, um, I didn't have too much problems with big blockers because, um, I, I used to um, watch a lot what the other team is doing in and bigger blockers are easier to, to see. Um, um, so that helped me, um, when there was a, a really good big block that um, was taking away a lot of space and really making the for me. Um, I tried to move him so move him, play faster set so that he cannot set up his block in a composition and really pressure you, but so that he's constantly movement. Uh, maybe if he has to move you take away a couple centimeters of his height and it'll help you. Yeah. So this will work very well against most of the 12 blockers.
Mark Burik (01:47:55):
Do you change where you pass when you want the blocker to move? Like do you pass like wider or do you run a back or a quick set like
Alexander Huber (01:48:03):
Yeah. Yeah, this was one thing that helped me a lot that I was pretty good or I am pretty in controlling my reception test. Um, because in my most successful years I was playing on the left side, I was always playing my side in the middle. I was never hit hitting at the antenna or outside or middle. I was always, um, playing right from the middle. And to be able to do that, you have to definitely control your, if you try to move the blocker, make combinations, it's very important to have to pass consistently on, on a certain position so that from this position you can play all your different fast settings or back settings and um, you definitely have to pass more to the middle to open up, uh, the court a little bit so that you can play the outside too. Because if you pass to the outside and you play an outside shoot and it goes only through one and a half or two meters, it doesn't help if the ball three or four meters, it'll make the block move
Mark Burik (01:49:02):
More. You're saying that like if you move to the middle, does that open up more shots or more hard swings for you when you hit out of the middle or does it just make it easier for you to see because there's so much movement behind
Alexander Huber (01:49:13):
You? I think both. I think both because, um, when you're on the antenna, the blocker can really set up his position perfectly here, the antenna to, for orientation. He can penetrate to the ball and take away here a lot of angle in the cross and hold his line stable when you're coming through the middle. It gives you a lot of more different angles to the line, back to the line. And it's so difficult for the blocker to have the, the right position when he's walking in the middle. Cause he doesn't have the antenna as a
Mark Burik (01:49:45):
Yeah. And he's gotta know like where the corners of the court behind him. Yeah,
Alexander Huber (01:49:48):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Mark Burik (01:49:48):
Exactly where they're and what he's taking up behind him. It's easy to have the stick next to you, but when you're floating in the middle, it's like, how much cross do I need to take to cover his swing?
Alexander Huber (01:49:58):
Right. Right. And plus the line shot. When you play it from the middle, it goes away from the defendant. So the ball is flying away from the defendant. What makes it, uh, so much harder for the defendant to
Mark Burik (01:50:10):
Do? One thing that, that I like to bring up, um, as something to think about guys, when you're hitting a line or a cross shot from the middle, a lot of people think about hitting over the block and they think about the deep corners. But if you're in the middle of the court and you hit towards the deep corner, there's a good chance that the defender can cut that off sooner. So when I'm shooting over a block and I'm out of the middle of the court, I like to aim over them, but to the middle of the court instead of that deep corner. To make that angle just a little bit further from the defender. Sandy, I don't know if you do the same thing or if you want to give that away, but I want everybody to think about that shot sequence and the angles that your ball flies on, like the path and how close it is to the defender. Because if you aim for the corners all the time, especially out of the middle, that V becomes very narrow. But if you aim for the middles now, those pathways don't cross the defender. So it might make it easier for you to side out out of the middle if you use the middle of the to instead of all the way
Brandon Joyner (01:51:12):
Deep. And by shoot you mean poke .
Mark Burik (01:51:16):
What? I don't like poke,
Brandon Joyner (01:51:18):
.
Mark Burik (01:51:19):
Um, okay. Do you prefer squats or deadlifts?
Brandon Joyner (01:51:24):
Deadlifts already said
Alexander Huber (01:51:25):
It. Yeah. I prefer deadlift. What is a is a great exercise, but since I'm very skinny and my back is very, uh, unstable, and uh, also I have short, like my muscles are short everywhere on my legs, it's very tough for me to make a deep sport. Cause of my missing mobility,
Mark Burik (01:51:43):
I'm, I'm the exact same way. Like my back, I have, uh, two herniated discs. Everything always falls out of alignment. So I have to focus all of my training on keeping my spine in alignment. And when I do a lot of like weight on my shoulders, it's just not good for me personally because of the way my body is shaped. So I like to default to a lot more dead lifts than, uh, than putting weight on the top of my back
Alexander Huber (01:52:07):
Or Bronx
Mark Burik (01:52:08):
Of people. People example with good squat,
Alexander Huber (01:52:10):
The front spot also helps me a little bit with the, yeah, but also my, like, what I think what many more players have with the mobility in the, in the ankles is not there for the deep spot. So that's also my problem. I'm still doing the deep spot with high heels, like, um, the heel.
Mark Burik (01:52:30):
I love wearing high heels when I
Brandon Joyner (01:52:32):
Wear . Uh,
Mark Burik (01:52:37):
Okay. Uh, last question.
Brandon Joyner (01:52:38):
Working out with 'em really awkward . Um, Eric asked what one of your, uh, do you have any favorite, favorite recovery hacks or anything you do to recover? Sleep. Sleep. The
Alexander Huber (01:52:50):
Best thing and the most important thing for recovery is sleep.
Brandon Joyner (01:52:53):
Yeah. How many hours do you try to get a night?
Alexander Huber (01:52:56):
I try to get 12 or 14, but
Brandon Joyner (01:53:02):
Yeah. , every, every kid you have knocks off three hours.
Alexander Huber (01:53:07):
Yeah. But I, I don't think it's about, uh, how long you sleep, but the quality of the sleep, um, yeah, you have to sleep well. And I was lucky all my life that I have always been a great sleeper.
Brandon Joyner (01:53:19):
Have you ever like tracked your sleep or do you just know that you're a good sleeper?
Alexander Huber (01:53:23):
Um, I haven't checked it, but I know that I'm a good sleeper. When my first son was born, it was in the, before the Olympic season, he was waking up maybe four or five times a night. And in the morning I was waking up and my wife was saying, ah, he woke up every every hour. And I said, what? So I didn't, I didn't hear anything. And also my athletic coach, he's making this test with the skin, um, I dunno how you call English, but he's testing the skin, cold skin Okay. On different parts of the body. And the one at the calf is shows you how good your sleep is. And I have always very good.
Brandon Joyner (01:54:00):
I've, uh, I've always been a pretty good sleeper myself. And I tried, at one point I tried tracking my sleep, but it actually made me nervous. Like I started getting worse sleep because I was like worried about the results that I was gonna get and that they weren't gonna be good.
Alexander Huber (01:54:18):
. My number one rule from, for all my sports period was when something's working, don't question it or don't, I don't know, don't change it. And so my sleep was always good. Uh, I had never had problems with nutrition or I have never felt bad after a certain meal or something like that. So I just didn't focus on it at all. Cause it worked.
Brandon Joyner (01:54:39):
Should I talked to you a long time ago. Yeah.
Alexander Huber (01:54:43):
Yeah.
Brandon Joyner (01:54:45):
Not that young.
Mark Burik (01:54:48):
Hey man, we really, really, really appreciate it. Is there any way, if somebody wants advice coaching or if they're coming to Austria, is there a way that they should get in touch with you? Do you have any, uh, any things that, that you wanna finish up by telling our audience how to, how to reach out to you? Um, or find you
Alexander Huber (01:55:03):
Please? They can all write me on Instagram. Just the personal message or also on Facebook, doesn't matter. Sometimes I might be slow in responding, but I really respond for sure. Don't be shy. They can ask me whatever. And especially now that I'm all the way at home, I have time . So, and when they come into cloud or when they want to do, like trains can be, let me know. I can help them organize everything. I'm happy to, to help grab, I can.
Mark Burik (01:55:29):
How awesome would that be? If, if anybody wants to go to Austria Cofer, you wanna play some volleyball or you would just wanna like three days a weekend and you wanna hang out with an Olympian, he just invited you. That's, that's so
Alexander Huber (01:55:42):
Awesome. And they all should, if they don't know about it, they all have to watch the, some video from the Grand Grand Slam where it was still in place to get a feeling, uh, how cool grand is. And a very nice place to go each with.
Mark Burik (01:55:56):
Well, we really appreciate you coming on. Thank you so much for teaching us and for teaching everybody here and taking your time. Can't thank you enough. I know that, that I've, I've written down quite a bunch here and there's so many things that you brought that I didn't even think about. So I I really appreciate the lesson that you've given both me and Brandon and everybody who's attended. Um, so everybody who's still here, stick around for a second. Cause I'm just gonna talk about some awesome discounts that, that we're gonna give you for, we're gonna leave them open for the next hour. Uh, if you're interested in a training program or if you want your own video lesson, uh, we're gonna leave those right here. Brandon, anything for, for Alexander here?
Brandon Joyner (01:56:36):
Uh, Zandy is awesome. Hearing from you, man. Uh, hopefully we can get all through this and see you again out here in California, or who knows, maybe we'll come out to Austria and see you
Mark Burik (01:56:45):
. Yeah, hit us up. If you want us to run a camp, uh, we'll bring a bunch of Americans. If you want to go to Austria and train beach volleyball, write that in this message. Send us a few, now we're talking like [email protected]. Let's go to Austria, hang out with Sandy and his coaches and uh, and then we can get some training together and we can coach the players too. That would
Brandon Joyner (01:57:04):
Be sick. Yeah, it was really cool. I, I got to go to, um, I stopped in Vienna before I went down to play in the one star in Slovenia and got to train with, uh, Thomas and shoot, uh, no, it was, uh, another, it was a d another defender. He's been mor Mors. I'm blanking right now. He's doing quite well. But yeah, it's a amazing place, amazing people, amazing cities. Uh, everything is amazing out there. I love, love what you guys are doing.
Mark Burik (01:57:37):
All right, Danny, have a good night and uh, we'll see you another time. Hopefully we can have it again soon. That was great.
Brandon Joyner (01:57:43):
Get some rest you guys. Yeah, have a good night.
Alexander Huber (01:57:46):
Bye.
Mark Burik (01:57:47):
So that was pretty cool. I got a lot out of that, how he's thinking. Some of the, some of the ways that I thought about it. I was like, okay, he's doing what I do like on short balls. He moves in and gets stable where I know that a lot of players charge the net when it's tight instead of hopping forward. Holding, like
Brandon Joyner (01:58:05):
Staying stable. Yeah.
Mark Burik (01:58:07):
Yeah. His mindset of getting an attacker to hit into my blocker when I'm not the blocker.
Brandon Joyner (01:58:14):
I saw a light, I saw a light bulb go off in your mind when that happened and part of me was actually so happy to hear him say that and see that reaction because I've been that blocker so many times For you, , I'm ready for you to start doing some work. I need you to start making me look good, ,
Mark Burik (01:58:35):
But you know what's gonna happen. I'm gonna juke back there. You're gonna get a block and I'm gonna start pointing to me on stadium court,
Brandon Joyner (01:58:42):
. I am completely okay with that. , I'll let you have all the celebrations.
Mark Burik (01:58:48):
Cool. Andy said if we have any more questions or any of your questions haven't answered, go and find him. Follow him and ask him those questions, um, on Instagram. But, uh, guys, you, you saw just how much that we all got from each other doing a video lesson together and we've been offering this for over a year. Um, we're good at it, we're experienced at it and I promise we can bring you a ton of value. And normally these are $60 for a 30 minute session, but for the next hour, because we are working on a lot of other parts of our business, so I don't want this to get flooded, but take advantage, it's $30 for 30 minutes. You get a private video lesson with a professional beach volleyball player. Whether you do or you don't have a video of your own, that's not a big problem cuz we can also train you, first of all, it could train you in lifting.
(01:59:41):
We can give you a 30 minute talk about what you should be doing during this time to prepare and all of your questions that you have for beach volleyball. I wish I had started these webinars before, uh, before we were in this position because I was like, there's so much that I'm learning just by talking to somebody for a half hour, an hour, two hours. We're so lucky to have to end either. And I think that guys, if you're looking for the next level, and if you're here down my mind that you're looking for the next level, I'm leaving this open for an hour. So it's gonna close down. Sorry, it's gonna close down at three o'clock my time, but you get a video lesson with me or Brandon for 30 minutes. We can talk about whatever you wanna talk about. We can use whatever film you wanna talk about.
(02:00:22):
So I've included that link right there. I'll include it again and yet again. Yeah, because we believe in the 60 day strength and conditioning program. Um, we know how much it's working and me and Brandon just reset it and we're restarting our 60 days. Um, we're doing the exact program that you're doing. It is our off season program that is also 50% off. Um, so it's 40 bucks for a 60 day training program with every single exercise rep set laid out for you with video demonstrations. There's no reason for you not to get this program for $40, which is the price of like half a month at a gym.
Brandon Joyner (02:00:58):
Yeah. And you get that access to us. I mean, I'm Are you doing day three today?
Mark Burik (02:01:05):
Uh, yeah, I'm on day three
Brandon Joyner (02:01:06):
Today. Yeah. So you're on day three today. I'm doing day three tomorrow. So anyone that gets it right now, especially if you start right away and you get it right away, then you're gonna have those firsthand questions, fresh questions for Mark and myself where we can answer those questions very, very honestly because we just did it. I think that's pretty big. Um, yeah, as far as lifting and the video analysis go, um, you know, I think Zandy talked a lot about his lifting mechanics and stuff like that and how important he thought getting strong in his lower body and his upper body are for his game. And then also with his video analysis, the one he said, I don't know the exact quote he said, but he said he wished that he had done this more. You know, like that's the one thing that he wished he had changed in the beginning of his career is he wished that he had watched himself more. You know, he watched, he said that he watched a lot of other people play, he always analyzed other teams and that's pretty easy. But, um, yeah, sitting down, especially with somebody that can, that can help you and and analyzing yourself, that's where growth happens. Um, it's, I I think that that's coming straight from an Olympian and, um, his ability to say that and think that is, it's reassuring for us.
Mark Burik (02:02:25):
Yeah, I'm, I'm happy that you picked up on exactly that, um, . Cause that's like, we don't, we don't have to sell video, right? Mm-hmm. people who are the best players in the world, they are telling everybody how important and how crucial it is to their success and that they might have been more successful if they had been able to watch more video or they just made that choice,
Brandon Joyner (02:02:46):
Right? And currently right now it's, we've we, we've been here for over two hours, that's four video lessons . So we know that you're willing to sit on a computer for this long. You might as well be able to walk away knowing you're gonna win some more points.
Mark Burik (02:03:02):
All right. Do you guys have any other questions for us? For Brandon and I before we sign off? You have now 49 minutes, 48 minutes. Um, for the 50% off of these private lessons, I expect that a lot of people are gonna jump on this and take advantage right now. It means that our schedule might get a little bit backlogged, but, um, that is fine with us because we want to introduce you to the power of video and video private lessons. Um, and of course we want you guys to have a program that is gonna work for you. If you were here with Sam Pelo, you know, firsthand what he said, right? Another guy who should be going to the Olympics. He said that when I was lifting, because I wasn't lifting for volleyball, I didn't have a volleyball specific training program, it hurt him, right?
(02:03:47):
It got him to a certain weight. But as soon as he made the shift training for volleyball, like a volleyball player and changing his exercises, that's when he saw the biggest jump in his career, um, in terms of performance and in terms of the way that he was like moving, uh, and able to, to jump high and hit hard. So it's specifically designed, you're doing the same workout routine as AVP players. There's no reason for you not to invest in this. You cannot gimme the excuse of, you have no time, you cannot gimme the excuse of it is too expensive. $40, which is less than a month membership at any gym. And you get to get coached and do the exact same program. And you have contact with professional beach volleyball players who are going to help you and guide you through it out. I just went through a 20 minute phone call, a video call with a young lady who she didn't know how to do certain exercises or how to modify them because she had some of different equipment.
(02:04:44):
And I sat on the phone with her for 20 minutes and I said, this is how you do this. This is how you increase deadlifts. This is how you do squats. That's where the band, uh, video came from. It was from her calling me and me showing her like, ah, okay, so you don't have all of the equipment yet. Most of it. That's fine. Let me show you how to do the rest of the exercise. I designed the strength program. So, um, I am a, just so that you guys know my background, um, I've had over seven different, uh, training and nutrition certifications before I went, uh, full-time, like pro and coach. So while I was in college, I was exercise science, my entire education was there. Um, so I designed the program. Um, I've been designing programs now for, since I was, uh, I guess 19 years old. I've been designing training program and, uh, we finally decided to put one online instead of making it custom, which, you know, you I wish I would've done a long time ago. So, um, yeah, a hundred percent, uh, designed by yours truly. Um, and, uh, if you would like to see my card
Brandon Joyner (02:05:48):
Carrying resume,
Mark Burik (02:05:49):
Yeah, , I'd be happy to send that to you. Um, but yeah, uh, that's it. Any other questions? A lot of people still hanging around two hours and 15 minutes later.
Brandon Joyner (02:05:59):
Well, I guess for the, even though we are pros and we, we do this workout program, like I've seen people who are 14, 15 year old kids that are doing this workout. And I've also seen people that are 60 plus doing this workout. You know, there's, there's definitely variations. Um, something that I normally don't think about when I'm thinking about a good workout program is all the little stuff like the hip health. Honestly, that's, that's probably been the biggest thing for me. I'm, I'm pretty strong. I'm, I'm pretty agile, but my hip health last season was something that literally made me lose games. Um, and just like, so when I think about this program and I love lifting, I think the most beneficial thing for me is the hip health. And it's something that little, yeah, it's, uh, it's, it's something that's kind of interesting and so it, you're kind of interested but you're not sure. Um, we also do a 30 day money back guarantee, so if you're, if you start it and you hate it, let us know. I don't think that'll happen, um, at all. But we do have that option. So,
Mark Burik (02:07:11):
Yeah. Uh,
Brandon Joyner (02:07:12):
Um, how long does it take per day? Uh, mark is actually going through right now and timing it. Um, so that we'll have those exact numbers, but I would say the shortest days are probably around, what did you say, mark? Like an hour, an hour and 15 minutes?
Mark Burik (02:07:28):
No, the, the, the longer days are maybe, might get you up to an hour and 40 minutes if you're working alone. Yeah. Um, and the shortest days are 20 minutes. Uh, but it can,
Brandon Joyner (02:07:39):
Yeah. Oh, okay. Yeah, like the recovery days and stuff,
Mark Burik (02:07:41):
You got recovery days, um, you have a couple of rest days built in, but like on most of the recovery days, you're doing really light warmup style movement or like, maybe just some shoulder rehab or just, uh, a range of motion routine so that you're doing something while you're recovering. It's not just being lazy so that you can get yourself, um, on a schedule. So, uh, it does change and we are adding those videos in so that you can prepare the next day and say like, ah, okay, tomorrow's workout is 40 minutes. Okay, tomorrow's workout's about 35 minutes. Tomorrow's workout, I need to save some time because it's an hour and 20. Um, so we're adding that in as we go cuz I, I've got a couple of pieces of feedback from the 130 something people who already have the program and they said that this is what they want added. So again, we're adding it, we're changing it, we're always making it
Brandon Joyner (02:08:32):
Better. And Michelle, you can 100% do this at the gym or at home. Um, mark has a garage gym, so he has a lot of stuff that he can do so he can do it normally. I, the only thing that I have available to me right now is our bands and I've done the exact workout. Um, I had to get a little creative with step ups and use a chair instead of a box. Um, and then had to do some adjustments with squatting, with bands and doing deadlifts with bands. Um, but honestly, if you're not big into workout, like if you haven't done a workout program before, um, finding alternate alternate moves for these big lifts, it's probably gonna be more beneficial for you in the long run anyway. Um, and that's where we can talk to you individually and kind of give you those ideas. And like Mark was talking about where, got on a phone call with someone today and, um, showed that person proper ways to do things and give them some alternatives.
Mark Burik (02:09:30):
Yeah, absolutely. Um, I'm gonna, I'm gonna add our, our link here cause uh, we posted a blog where I recommend a bunch of equipment. Um, and some of it, some of it is like essentials, like you have to have it and some of it, and I, I tell you in the video, some of it's like, right, this is good to have, but not a hundred percent necessary. Um, and once you, once you get into the program, you could see like the essentials specific to that program. Okay. So I'm just gonna send that link into the chat. But that's, that's a great question. And it's one that I, that we get all the time. Like, how much equipment do I need? I don't have much at home, what do I do? So here, this is a video with my home gym. If you wanna click on that and save that blog, go for it.
(02:10:14):
And yeah, and, and it has a list. The main things that you need, light dumbbells, bands, um, that have handles. Uh, if you don't have like, uh, heavy weights, make sure that you get power bands. They're called power bands. They're really thick, thick, thick rubber bands. So you have dumbbells that are under 15 pounds bands, uh, and then some, some hip bands like the circle bands. Those are the main things that you need. Other than that, you're gonna need like a chair to do jump up, uh, jumps on. You're gonna need some, a little bit of space. Yeah, that's a power band. What, what brand is Brandon is holding. Um, there's
Brandon Joyner (02:10:51):
All different sizes,
Mark Burik (02:10:52):
All different sizes. Um, yep. Perfect. And for all of those, like a squat rack does help. Is it a hundred percent necessary? No. Um, there's modifications. If you don't have a chin up bar, there's modifications that we can show you. So like we said, 80% of this is done with dumbbells or bands that are, that are less than 10 pounds in weight. And I guarantee you they're gonna make you a better beach volleyball player. We're not trying to put bulk on, we're not trying to like load you up. We're not trying to build big pecks. We're trying to become the best beach volleyball players that we can. And that's what every exercise is designed to do. I hope that helps, uh, explain it. Michelle, last thing, guys, if just in case you guys don't want any of these courses, which would be obviously a mistake, but just in case you don't want those and you still want to support us and you're still thankful that we're giving like three lessons, two hour free lessons, um, through our webinars, you can support us through our Teespring account, which is right here. I just included that link and me and Brandon both got our awesome pillows. Brandon, you wanna show them the pillow? I
Brandon Joyner (02:12:03):
Freaking love it. I'm getting it.
Mark Burik (02:12:04):
. We, we both uttered our own, uh, better all canosa pillows, um, and this account, it takes more work out of our hands and it, uh, you can support us
Brandon Joyner (02:12:15):
With literally my favorite pillow I own right now.
Mark Burik (02:12:20):
It's got
Brandon Joyner (02:12:21):
T-shirts,
Mark Burik (02:12:22):
Got hat, uh, eventually hats. That's my favorite side.
Brandon Joyner (02:12:26):
Oh man. Oh, and it's comfy
Mark Burik (02:12:31):
Soft.
Brandon Joyner (02:12:31):
Oh guys, you're missing out.
Mark Burik (02:12:35):
Yeah. Um, of course we, we love supporting, we love getting supported, but mainly we want you guys to be able to wear cool stuff because it sucks wearing shirts that you're not comfortable wearing. So we want you to wear cool stuff. Of course, rep us and, um, what you gonna call it? What was we gonna say? I know you, you want your favorite style of hat? There's somebody who keeps ordering a very unique hat. Um, see Eric,
Brandon Joyner (02:13:01):
It must be very easy to throw
Mark Burik (02:13:05):
And most of all guys, we want you to get better. We have a very real chance of being the number one beach volleyball website for beach volleyball education. The more that you guys share, um, share our links and subscribe to our stuff. Uh, the more you can help us reach our goals, we're helping you reach your beach volleyball goals. We wanna become the number one resource for beach volleyball education. Um, and so every little bit of support that goes that way helps us and helps us keep bringing three and some of the membership, uh, education as well. I'm ready to get That's good. Back to my day, day three for listen to me. There you go. All right, me, I'll talk to you in a minute. And, uh, ready else? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for coming. It's such a fun, it's a pleasure, honestly, to be able to teach and share our passion. Um, so thanks for coming and uh, we will see you at the next one.
Brandon Joyner (02:13:53):
All right, see you tomorrow. What, bye-bye.
