Learn about May-Treanor and Karch Kiraly – Impact of their Fathers on their Volleyball Careers.
Misty May
Misty May-Treanor and Karch Kiraly are universally acknowledged as the best female and best male volleyball players in volleyball history. In this brief article we will discuss some factors that help lead to them both making volleyball history.
There is a book by Malcolm Gladwell called “Outliers,” and this book he discuss the factors that lead to greatness in athletes and people in all walks of life. There are three very important attributes that both
Karch Kiraly and Misty May-Treanor
Misty May and Karch Kiraly share that made them champions that involved their parents and fathers.
Misty May and Karch Kiraly – What makes them Great!
- 10,000 Hours – It is universally accepted that in order to become an expert at something you need to practice that skill for at least 10,000 hours. The faster and younger you are when you reach 10,000 hours the better you will be at the skill. With Misty and Karch both began playing volleyball as young as 5. Lazlo Kiraly would play volleyball with his son since the age of 5. See the video below of them playing. From the age of 5 she was playing volleyball with her father Butch May down at the Santa Monica Pier.Because they both started playing so young and so much while they were young they reached the mark of 10,000 hours at a far younger age than almost anyone, this competitive advantage then resulted in them receiving extra playing time, extra coaching and more opportunity to continue to improve their skill and improve on their competitive advantage.
- Deliberate Practice – Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Outliers” discusses the notion that just playing volleyball or doing an activity for 10,000 hours is not enough. The exercise or in this case sport, volleyball needs to involve “Deliberate Practice.” Both Misty May and Karch Kiraly had fathers who were expert volleyball players and the result was when they played they had deliberate practice and deliberate coaching. Butch May, Misty May-Treanor father has been inducted in the CBVA Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame and acknowledged as one of the greatest beach players to ever play the game. Karch Kiraly father played on the Hungarian National Team and was a great volleyball player too. With parents like this when Misty and Karch were training, even from a young age both were getting expert advice with deliberate practice.
- Southern California Beach Volleyball Environment – Southern California is the home of where Beach Volleyball was invented. After the 1984 Olympics in Los Angele’s, Southern California also became the Mecca of Indoor Volleyball. The Environment is the third factor that led to Karch and Misty incredible skills. For example if Misty May and Karch Kiraly were brought up in Africa even with great coaching by their parents it is doubtful they would have become great players. You need to be surrounded by an environment specific to the skill set in order to have success.
- Additionally in the case of volleyball be sure to have them play beach volleyball as this teaches a broader range of skills than indoor volleyball.
Summarizing Misty May and Karch Kiraly Success
So to summarize if you are a parent or a coach looking to help your kid or players become the best at volleyball possible,
1) Start them young, age 5 is seen by many experts as the ideal age.
2) Make sure each practice is deliberate meaning you have a goal of what you are trying to improve.
3) Try live in a volleyball environment, for example Southern California near Ocean, small parts of Texas, and small parts of Florida.You must be surrounded by other great volleyball players and coaches.
4) Have your child play both beach volleyball and indoor volleyball. This way they pick up all the skills in volleyball meaning they can pass, set, spike, block, serve, and play defense. Too many kids do not learn all the skills when they play just indoor volleyball.
Misty May and Farther Butch May
Misty May-Treanor and Butch May together smiling.
