2010 August Men's Firesale Mini-Journal & Reflection by Tour Leader, David Kniffin Before we begin to reflect on the 2010 Exposure Tour I want to share some dialogue that was sent via email to one of the tour hopefuls prior to his signing up for the tour: "...we'd love to have you on tour, and the money is well spent regardless just because of how great it is to be in Europe with a bunch of guys seeing what you¹ll see and doing what you¹ll do for that money, but I don¹t want anyone coming that doesn¹t have their expectations in line as far as the volleyball goes." If you¹re interested in coming on the 2011 Men's August Firesale & Exposure Tour, you need to read these next lines (and the last five years' worth of Men¹s Augsut Tour Journals):
---The tour continues to evolve. In fairness, it isn¹t really a tour anymore. While it¹s true that we still eat traditional fare in small towns, travel hours by bus, have the opportunity to swim in the Mediterranean, walk on narrow 60ft castle walls, evade bulls with torches strapped to their horns and visit the most famous volleyball city in Spain, the focus of the tour is on EXPOSURE.
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Based in Madrid, Spain for the first 5 days of the tour in 2010, minutes from Terminal 4 at Madrid Barajas International Airport, we were able to invite coaches, managers and presidents from around Europe to run trainings and watch inter-squad competition. All told we had coaches from Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, and of course Spain in attendance. In addition, players were also placed or given tryouts in Germany and Finland (and potentially Poland, Czech Republic and Italy).
Simply put, this is the single best Exposure that a first year player can get. Even returners benefit from this investment. When a team is looking at their list of potential players, it¹s much less of a financial risk to tryout the kid near a major European airport than the guy they saw on an internet video who is sitting 4,000+ miles and an expensive plane ticket away in the USA, Canada, Brazil, etc.
But the tour is far from a guarantee that guys will get jobs. No one can change the market so that there are more openings. Inevitably one to a handful of guys that come on tour shouldn't be there on a strictly athletic level. Some guys just want closure on their careers. And, a few, actually have what it takes to become a professional athlete.
On the first day of the tour, it¹s always difficult to know what to expect. Most guys are coming off some travel days and have enough trouble finding the bathroom in a foreign country, let alone a contract with a pro team. But this year the boys had it easy. Whereas in previous years guys have had to travel (on their own) 5+ hours after landing in a foreign country to find the start of the tour, the boys on the 2010 Firesale Squad had shuttle service right from the airport.
The facility we used is, as stated, minutes from the airport. It is actually a sizeable municipal center with several futbol fields, tennis courts and swimming pools as well as the standard indoor facilities. The dorms fit 12 to a room. The beds allow even the most modestly sized volleyball player to feel an immediate empathy for a young Wilt Chamberlain on a team road trip back in the 50¹s. Breakfasts are generally more Spartan than what the average Westerner grows up with as well. Again though, it¹s about the Exposure, and that was plentiful.
Seventeen of forty-three guys were signed or on tryouts by the end of the tour. Considering the level, this is exceptional. Nevertheless, some guys just don't get it. This year¹s tour had some classic quotes. For example, "I was hoping to get a tryout," said one 2010 participant as the tour was winding down. A tour-mate replied, "Dude, you just had a week of training in front of coaches from seven countries that were here specifically to look for players for their teams. You tried out. You didn¹t make it. Neither did I. Go rage in Ibiza." And so the tour ends for some...
Thank you to all the coaches, managers, agents, clubs and players that made this opportunity a reality. Special thanks to Tour Coaches Martin Olusfen and Johan Verstappen, as well as Fabian Mueller and CV Alcobendas just outside of Madrid for facilitating the use of the Polideportivo Jose Caballeros, and also to CV CAI Teruel for welcoming home one of their own, and taking such good care of the tour as usual.
The Schedule:
August 13-17 Training and Training in Alcobendas (Madrid)
August 17-20 Training and Training in Teruel
August 20-22 Tryouts for some, Vacation in Valencia or Madrid for others
Players Signed or on Tryouts at "Press Time" (August 31, 2010):
Ryan Stafford, Signed in Enns, Austria
Jake Rosener, Signed in Klagenfurt, Austria
Matt Thobe, Signed in Klagenfurt, Austria
Matt Adler, Signed in Klagenfurt, Austria
Chris Major, Signed in Klagenfurt, Austria
Cole Reinholm, Signed in Klagenfurt, Austria
Kyle Masterson, Signed in Tierp, Sweden
Brian Zodrow, Tried out in Enns, Austria
Richard Faucher, Tried out in Enns, Austria
Eric Shoemaker, Tried out in Klagenfurt, Austria
Patrick Vandenberg, Trying out in Benfica, Portugal
Kevin Goncalves, Trying out in TG 1862 Rüsselsheim, Germany
Kevin McKniff, Trying out in Klagenfurt, Austria
Bryan Simmons, Trying out with Leeds Metropol, UK
Erik Lanham, Offered in Leeds Metropol, UK (Declined)
Sam Moisenco, Trying out in Tenerife, Spain (Canaries)
Tommy Pestolesi, Trying out in Duren, Germany & Gronigen, NL
Chris Warman, Trying out in Leipzig, Germany
