Originally published in the Press-Republican on July 30, 2014.
Click here for the original article/video.
Olympians among volleyball pros in Plattsburgh
By SETH THOMAS and JOHN MASTRONARDO
PLATTSBURGH — Ten volleyball nets lined Plattsburgh City Beach for professional and amateur athletes to compete on last Saturday under sunny skies.
It was the 13th stop on the Extreme Volleyball Professionals Beach Volleyball Tour and also “the northernmost point they have gone before,” said Alyssa Felio, group marketing specialist for the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau.
“EVP really liked the area. We had the beach, the water and the infrastructure,” she added.
Twenty professional athletes and 60 amateurs registered for the 2014 EVP Adirondack Coast Pro-AM event that took place July 26, including Lloy Ball, a four-time Olympian and gold medalist.
“I started playing when I was about 4 years old with balloons in the living room, setting up pillows like a net, hitting (the balloon) back and forth,” he said.
He describes the sport as a great way to build the skills needed for a professional work environment.
“In today’s world, everyone’s texting and on their phones — we’ve lost communication skills.”
He believes that because players have to work so closely together, the experience can “translate into making you a better person or a better businessman or woman.”
EVP National Tour Director Craig Lenniger said he was happy with the numbers for the first-year event and hopes to see a larger turnout in 2015.
“A lot of athletes hold off for first-time events, but when they see it, they spread the word about it,” he said.
He also said the competition has plenty to offer amateur players.
“It’s a great way to come out and spend the day at the beach. It’s a beautiful location, we have music, (and) you get to meet Olympians.”
Athletes from outside the country came, as well, including players from Canada, Columbia and Cameroon.
Professional athlete Kelly Schumacher, who transitioned from basketball to volleyball in 2010, joined the EVP Tour this year.
“It’s a great close-knit tour, sort of like a family, and we stop at great locations like Plattsburgh,” she said.
Seth Thomas 