U .S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM Ready when needed
By Eric Hammond
Reid Priddy’s huge performance in the U.S.’s bronze-medal win last summer at the Rio Olympics was a prime lesson in how to be prepared to deliver for your team when subbing in from the bench
THE NERVES OF PRE-GAME WARMUPS. The building crescendo of the crowd quickly filling the thousands of seats. The steady tempo of volleyballs being thumped to the floor at over 70 mph. The weight of Olympic pressure on your shoulders.
The scene in Brazil’s famed Maracanazinho
arena was very familiar to outside hitter Reid Priddy, a four-time Olympian and starter on the 2008 gold medal team. But when the first whistle blew to begin each match of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, he wasn’t on the court. Instead, he was in “the box,” as pro players refer to the bench. This was an unfamiliar place for Priddy, but it’s the role he was asked to fill. Before playing in Rio, Priddy had decided that
he’d retire from the indoor game following the closing ceremonies. Coming to terms with this new role, he knew he couldn’t make it personal. It was about the program, not him. He knew he was doing everything he could do to be prepared and at peak performance. His game was tight. But since he was being asked to lead from the back instead of the front for the first time in his 16-year pro career, he had to rethink his approach. He was determined to find ways to contribute, even if he never touched the ball. It took time for him to learn how to stay fully
involved from point zero until the end of each set. Focusing when you’re on the court is easy. On the bench, it’s harder because you notice everything going on around you.
Mini workouts throughout the match To stay dialed in, Priddy created a bench
VETERAN MOVE: Jumping while on the bench helped Reid Priddy stay loose and ready for high-level passing when called upon. (Photo: USAV/Matt Brown)
48 | VOLLEYBALLUSA • Digital Issue at
usavolleyball.org/mag
routine of constant motion that kept him warm, helped him avoid stiffness and kept the synovial fluid in his aging knees moving. His sideline activ- ities became so intense that he actually decreased his workout volume in the weight room. His goal was to be as physically invested as the players on the court, in real-time. In addition to sprints and dynamic move- ment during timeouts, he also did the following exercises: • Single-leg squats on a balance pad • Double-band hip exercises • Thick band-resisted push-ups • Double band-resisted squats • Planks, planks and more planks • Explosive plyo-jumps knees to chest • Rotator cuff internal and external rotation • Partner-aided (with band pulling knee) single leg sit and stand
• Speed skaters
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