Mental strength


builders to stay ready Along with his physical


workout, Priddy also condi- tioned his brain. Among his


strategies: Q Reading, watching or


reflecting on motivating and encouraging stories. On the suggestion of Kevin Barnett, his friend and former USA team- mate, Priddy re-read the book “Sacred Hoops” by Phil Jackson during the Rio Olympics. This helped him reinforce positive messages such as preparing to the fullest and then trusting that you’ve done everything you can


to succeed. Q Always keeping in mind


that it’s a lot harder to stay engaged or connected in a non-starting role, so you have to


work at it. Q Helping yourself to be


even better prepared for the next match by assessing your perfor- mance right after you finish the current match. Were you physi- cally ready at any given time? Were you mentally ready at any given time? Were you engaged in the match from the first whistle


to the last whistle? Q Keeping a log of what


worked and what didn’t work and referring to it before future


matches. Q And a tip for starters: If


you’re struggling with confi- dence, don’t think about yourself – think about your teammates both on the floor and in “the box.” Play for them!


Canada. Priddy took the court in that match with the goal of stabilizing the team after several errors had been made. He fo- cused on passing, keeping serves in bounds, taking care of the ball. But he would only have eight points of activity before finding himself back in the box.


When he was called on to play early in the bronze-medal match, his mentality was quite different. This time he was aggressive and working to win points immediately. Priddy scored on 17 kills and one ace, added four digs and six perfect passes, sparking Team USA to a 15-13 victory in the fifth set and the bronze medal.


Readying himself


for a new challenge Now back home in Cali- fornia, the 39-year-old Priddy is already planning for the next phase in his volleyball life. He hopes to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo … but this time on the beach. “The reality,” he said, “is


that the Olympics are super addicting.” He’s no rookie to the beach.


SPARK OFF THE BENCH: Staying connected with teammates on the court and off has been a big part of success for Reid Priddy’s long volleyball career. (Photos: Don Liebig)


Refocusing after a tough loss When the U.S. men lost in five sets to Italy


in the Olympic semifinal match, it was a huge blow to the entire team. It hit Priddy as hard as anyone, especially since he wouldn’t have another shot to play for an Olympic indoor gold medal. The next 24 hours were difficult. He fought off anger, disappointment and bit- terness. However, as a veteran of competition, he knew he couldn’t engage in those emotions because they would spread. So he let go of Italy and concentrated on Russia, the team the U.S. would play for the bronze. Going into the match, Priddy was fully


aware that he might not play even one point. Yet it wasn’t an issue. He’d already considered the journey he’d taken over the previous two years, when he worked his way back from a


serious ACL injury. He knew it had been well worth the long hours and intense effort. “Of course it was worth it – because of the people, the relationships and the experi- ences, I knew I had already won,” he said. “I developed deep relationships with the team. I’d gone through these hard experiences. I just knew that no matter what happened, whether I played or didn’t play, I had done everything that I could do that was in my power and I was prepared to handle any circumstance, whatever came that day.” To give his team the best chance in the


bronze-medal match, U.S. Men’s Head Coach John Speraw knew he might have to go to his bench early. In the first match of the tourna- ment, Speraw had called on Priddy against


He has competed in 27 profes- sional tournaments since 2000. As he moves to the sand full time, hunger and excitement build. He is a perpetual student of the game, and he plans to keep learning even if it means starting further down the lad- der. Much like his revamped


role in Rio, Priddy views switch- ing surfaces as another challenge


that can be met by committing to preparation and embracing change. “More important than anything is putting


in the work and being patient – knowing that it’s about the process and understanding that things aren’t going to happen right away,” he said. “I don’t think there will be a competi- tive scenario that will arise that I haven’t seen before. “On the beach, it’s just you and another


guy, so there are different skills that you have to learn. But I don’t have to unlearn any skill. I’m just going to be building on my 24 years of indoor volleyball with these new skillsets and new reads and new motor pattern loops. And I think all of my experiences will help with the transition.”


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