i love how your podcast let me get to know the players. I got to care about each of them and their journeys and it REALLY pumped me up to watch them in the AVP. (still waiting on the AVP to let us Canadians watch easily)
The AVP should let Canadians play. They have had FIVB tournaments in Edmonton and Montreal before. It would be fun to see players like Bansley and Bukovec play. Having Canada part of the AVP would be similar to the NBA and MLB having Canadian teams.
IMO it's such a weird flex for Tri to be over the traditional beach volleyball tournament & season format? So he fell in love with beach volleyball to go play in some random indoor arena in front of a pittance worth of fans and only play one match a day? I love the modern game and how the sport has evolved & am certainly not one of the 'old school volleyball' stans/people who can't appreciate the modern game and atheletes, but Tri's attitude is the death knell of the sport we love. I live in San Diego & SoCal for a reason. It's the love of the beach and going there for volleyball, surfing, sunsets, hangs, & just the lifestyle. Watching elite athletes battle over a 2 or 3 day competiton having to play multilpe matches and overcome all the elements of weather, physical & mental fatigue and their opponents is what makes our sport so unique. I'd love for the league to succeed and want our athletes to be able to earn great livings, but there has to be room for the traditional sport & tournament season or the game will devolve even more rapidly into the sad heap of minimized discarded niche sports. I do have constructive ideas to grow the professional aspect or part of the game! Okay rant over. Thanks again for all of ya'lls hard work in putting out all this quality content!
If that's what you call a rant, it's an eloquent one! Think all of that feedback is pretty spot on. Curious to see if the League catches or not...our fanbase does not seem to think so
Thanks for the kind wordsl It will be interesting to see if it cathces on and what it will look like next year if it survives in it's current iteration.@@SANDCASTPodcast
I know it's all speculation, but how do you guys think the League would evolve with GMs and city/team ownership? For example, let's say they have an actual draft next year and players are drafted to each city. I think it would be hard to have all players re-enter the draft the following year (and hard for a fanbase since it would not create any city loyalty). It might also be too optimistic to think that the following year, they would have enough revenue to add additional teams via draft to each city. Lastly, what happens with partnerships? Will the GM be able to bring two athletes together or break them up? Will there be free agency? I'm not smart enough to have these answers, but curious what your thoughts are.
I do think that is the next natural evolution of it for sure. Don't think we'll see additional teams for a bit but I also think that's the next natural step
I have actually REALLY loved watching the league matches!!! I didn't know how I'd feel about it but I'm absolutely loving it!!!! I would love to see matches to 21 but it's a good point no one wants to be there 5 hours. That's too long. And actually if fans stayed longer I personally would LOVE to see a Co-ed 4s with the whole teams versing each other. One per night. Thanks for explaining about the outcome of the women's side. I saw comments about it but didn't know what happened. I think getting 1 of 7/8 spots will drive some of the motivation each year. Keep the regular summer tourney's how they are (free & on the beach, but skip Chicago) but also keep the league in the fall and see the competition grow!! (and Utah needs a team!! Come on!! Though I don't believe we have a tennis facility like these) I want to see the AVP be successful. Soooooo many people I talk to who've never really been into volleyball watch a match and LOVE it!!! It's a favorite in the Olympics!!! It has so much potential!!! As this league gains traction more people will get into it!!! I love the players and commentator like Troy and Casey getting into the stands is super fun and will help these matches be entertaining for fans. And I agree--1 team gender on deck is enough. Emergency recruits could happen if needed. I'm hoping this is successful!!! I believe!!!!!
Thanks for answering my question at the end! I think a 10 stop tour in the same places every season on the same weekend, leading into a championship would be awesome. Have a team leaderboard with the points. You can then follow your teams progress and hope they make the championship tournament. Make more of a deal about where players grew up state wise so newbies can easily pick someone to support. I get that a lot will be California but there is still a lot of others out there with the potential to gain followers. I just love the sport and want to see the players get rewarded.
Love your transparency and honesty. Thank you! FYI, I forgot where to watch QKOC and it wasn’t advertised on Instagram clips but I dug around and found it. Also, Bally’s streams seem better this year than the past ones.
I’m optimistic about the league. I think the team aspect is fun/interesting, and the limited number of games as well as the sets to 15 allow the players to go all out which is cool to watch. The lack of attendance is disappointing to see, but it does seem to be improving. I think carefully picking locations as well as better marketing can eventually make it sustainable. Thank you for everything you do with this podcast; it’s so valued by fans who want to know the athletes’ perspectives.
We were at AVP Chicago watching TnT play Crabb/Brunner when our friends who stuck around stadium court texted us saying there's a tiebreaker match going down and our immediate thought was that is nuts! We also didn't believe it until we heard announcing on the stadium court because it wasn't posted about anywhere.. so not only did it suck for the competitors like Savvy but the fans also. It would have been nice if it was handled differently in so many ways so I feel for you Savvy and wish you could have had a more genuine chance at playing in the league!
The teams associations with cities having nothing to do the where the players are from makes no buy in from the cities. When you guys have a hard time associating the team names with the players says a lot about that. Also what NY Nitro when there are no games in NY? Why not pick cities where you will actually play? Such a poor marketing decision.
Personally, Im a fan of the regular league then have a top 16 teams final with single elim. Not sure the league is resonating with fans, especially with it so hard to watch. Love when Sav is on the pod, she's such a real, down to earth person and wish her nothing but success. No matter the direction, hoping for the best with the org and the players.
@@SANDCASTPodcast when it comes down to it, we’ll support the athletes and the sport. I’m a die hard, but most aren’t like me. By September, I think the shine has worn a little too much to get a following. People are thinking football, chili, and Halloween. Also, the city team thing seems a little too manufactured. Beach vball has the party vibe proxy. Music, tan bodies, drinks, sand, sun, and sweat. The sport and the athletic abilities are glazed over by the masses. So I think capturing the fun culture is the only organic way to bring it back to 80s and 90s stature.
Wow, that level of vulnerability was cool. How do we find out where/when to submit fan questions? I was at the San Diego event Saturday night and it felt a little sad watching beach vball with no wind factor but otherwise was a fun event and great to sit in some real seats and not metal bleachers!
I think it's safe to say that the team/city concept has bombed. The affiliations feel random and contrived, not grown. Nobody cares who the Mayhem or Nitro are, and the names don't make sense beyond the obvious alliterations. Plus, the team compositions, which are neither fair nor transparent nor logical, are a real issue. Have a draft or something to create some excitement around these teams. I still like the idea of a separate competition for the top-tier teams, but I wouldn't couple male and female teams with no apparent connections. Perhaps the AVP could run an elite league parallel to the regular AVP season, a separate competition teams qualify for the year before, sort of like in European soccer with domestic leagues and the Champions League on top of that. Plenty of possible directions to go from here.
Yeah I think a normal season (6-10 tournaments) with the League or something akin to it serving as a championship or FedEx Cup style finish would be a fun combo
@@SANDCASTPodcast Agreed, such a combination seems like a good compromise. The AVP League doesn't have to be a members-only club, either. In Brazil, they used to have (perhaps still do; need to check) a system where a top-level tournament was preceded by a second-tier tournament in the same location. The winning pairs earned spots for the big show the week after, and the audience got to enjoy back-to-back events in the same venue, watching first the challengers, then the elite teams.
As a huge fan of Beach Volleyball for many many years, this new team league thing is a sure fire way to lose your fans. I watched some of the games at UCLA, but nothing since. And I haven't spoken to 1 person who prefers this over the normal format. What makes beach vb so exciting is seeing the NAMES, the match ups, the rivalries, the qualifiers, the brackets and seeing lesser known teams fighting up the bracket. I have no interest in rooting for the San Antonio Steam or whatever these corny names are. You want to get more eyeballs on the sport, you need more players like Trevor Crabb. Sports is entertainment....it's not just watching top athletes compete, you need to have a reason to watch, and create rivalries. The Trevor /Chase beef was awesome....need more of that. And on the women's side too....loved seeing Brandi and Ana go at it in the Olympic finals. It's ok to get chippy and fired up and even talk some trash. You want more eyeballs, you need more personalities, more shit talkin like in the NBA and NFL. Let's be honest, the Trevor/Chase incident was one of the most talked about and viewed clips in years! Fans LOVE that! They want rivalries, heroes, villains...that IS SPORTS! AVP needs more of Trevor Crabb.
I respectfully disagree. I thought that was a poor sportsmanship moment in beach volleyball. I would much rather see an amazing rally than that. Part of why I don't like the NBA or NFL is because of that sort of behavior. I think you can have rivalries and personalities without poor sportsmanship. Look at Troy Field. I love watching him because of this. He literally levitates and I adore it. You know he is having SO MUCH FUN!!! Not angry about everything and acting like a 4 year old with a tantrum. I watch and play beach volleyball for many reasons and fun is top of the list along with unrivaled (imo) athletic abilities (Pros, not me) and amazing competition. THIS is what the league will bring imo
Tri’s take in the end seems bias. The league is mainly conducive to the top of the top players. But, what the fans love are the underdogs. Most avid fans want to feel like it’s attainable to get there. That’s what makes MBO so cool. I like the hybrid approach trav was hitting on in the end. More tournament (preferably with bigger draws like the MBO). Followed by a league for the top of the top players.
I think the AVP League is the wrong way to go. At least if it is to become the AVP's main product. It will be difficult to convince people to cheer on these team constructs and get excited about them. Beach volleyball is first and foremost an individual sport and should take tennis and golf as an example rather than sports with a league system. 8-10 tournaments + a major championship at the end sounds much better to me. I understand that the old strategy was not commercially successful, but I don't think it will get any better with the AVP League. Better to improve the (old) system with the tournaments.
Please tell the AVP they need to be selling the jerseys.... Such a simple way to bring in income, and I can't find it anywhere. And we wonder why they go broke. 😢
Tri at 49:00 has it LOCKED in. Totally agree. Big stadium, time to prepare, know who you’re going to play, scouting is emphasized, more overall meaning. Team Savvy Van Winkle for AVP league 2025 💪🏼
I really appreciate Betsi, April, and Alix for drawing attention to how different it is to compete once becoming a mother.
SUPERMOMMMMMMS
i love how your podcast let me get to know the players. I got to care about each of them and their journeys and it REALLY pumped me up to watch them in the AVP. (still waiting on the AVP to let us Canadians watch easily)
LOVE to hear that! That's the goal!
The AVP should let Canadians play. They have had FIVB tournaments in Edmonton and Montreal before. It would be fun to see players like Bansley and Bukovec play. Having Canada part of the AVP would be similar to the NBA and MLB having Canadian teams.
Great stuff!! Would love to see a statement as a response to all this from the AVP. Would love to see the AVP succeed. LFG AVP!!!!!
Instead of a statement just action will do ;)
Hang in there Savvy! Getting on medication for depression and anxiety was the best thing I ever did. Always rooting for you!
All the love for Sav, always
IMO it's such a weird flex for Tri to be over the traditional beach volleyball tournament & season format? So he fell in love with beach volleyball to go play in some random indoor arena in front of a pittance worth of fans and only play one match a day? I love the modern game and how the sport has evolved & am certainly not one of the 'old school volleyball' stans/people who can't appreciate the modern game and atheletes, but Tri's attitude is the death knell of the sport we love. I live in San Diego & SoCal for a reason. It's the love of the beach and going there for volleyball, surfing, sunsets, hangs, & just the lifestyle. Watching elite athletes battle over a 2 or 3 day competiton having to play multilpe matches and overcome all the elements of weather, physical & mental fatigue and their opponents is what makes our sport so unique. I'd love for the league to succeed and want our athletes to be able to earn great livings, but there has to be room for the traditional sport & tournament season or the game will devolve even more rapidly into the sad heap of minimized discarded niche sports. I do have constructive ideas to grow the professional aspect or part of the game! Okay rant over. Thanks again for all of ya'lls hard work in putting out all this quality content!
If that's what you call a rant, it's an eloquent one! Think all of that feedback is pretty spot on. Curious to see if the League catches or not...our fanbase does not seem to think so
Thanks for the kind wordsl It will be interesting to see if it cathces on and what it will look like next year if it survives in it's current iteration.@@SANDCASTPodcast
I know it's all speculation, but how do you guys think the League would evolve with GMs and city/team ownership? For example, let's say they have an actual draft next year and players are drafted to each city. I think it would be hard to have all players re-enter the draft the following year (and hard for a fanbase since it would not create any city loyalty). It might also be too optimistic to think that the following year, they would have enough revenue to add additional teams via draft to each city. Lastly, what happens with partnerships? Will the GM be able to bring two athletes together or break them up? Will there be free agency? I'm not smart enough to have these answers, but curious what your thoughts are.
I do think that is the next natural evolution of it for sure. Don't think we'll see additional teams for a bit but I also think that's the next natural step
I have actually REALLY loved watching the league matches!!! I didn't know how I'd feel about it but I'm absolutely loving it!!!! I would love to see matches to 21 but it's a good point no one wants to be there 5 hours. That's too long. And actually if fans stayed longer I personally would LOVE to see a Co-ed 4s with the whole teams versing each other. One per night. Thanks for explaining about the outcome of the women's side. I saw comments about it but didn't know what happened. I think getting 1 of 7/8 spots will drive some of the motivation each year. Keep the regular summer tourney's how they are (free & on the beach, but skip Chicago) but also keep the league in the fall and see the competition grow!! (and Utah needs a team!! Come on!! Though I don't believe we have a tennis facility like these) I want to see the AVP be successful. Soooooo many people I talk to who've never really been into volleyball watch a match and LOVE it!!! It's a favorite in the Olympics!!! It has so much potential!!! As this league gains traction more people will get into it!!! I love the players and commentator like Troy and Casey getting into the stands is super fun and will help these matches be entertaining for fans. And I agree--1 team gender on deck is enough. Emergency recruits could happen if needed. I'm hoping this is successful!!! I believe!!!!!
Love all the enthusiasm!!
Thanks for answering my question at the end! I think a 10 stop tour in the same places every season on the same weekend, leading into a championship would be awesome. Have a team leaderboard with the points. You can then follow your teams progress and hope they make the championship tournament. Make more of a deal about where players grew up state wise so newbies can easily pick someone to support. I get that a lot will be California but there is still a lot of others out there with the potential to gain followers. I just love the sport and want to see the players get rewarded.
Yep yep and yep some more
Love your transparency and honesty. Thank you! FYI, I forgot where to watch QKOC and it wasn’t advertised on Instagram clips but I dug around and found it. Also, Bally’s streams seem better this year than the past ones.
Thanks for listening!
Thanks guys!!!❤
And THANK YOU my friend
I’m optimistic about the league. I think the team aspect is fun/interesting, and the limited number of games as well as the sets to 15 allow the players to go all out which is cool to watch.
The lack of attendance is disappointing to see, but it does seem to be improving. I think carefully picking locations as well as better marketing can eventually make it sustainable.
Thank you for everything you do with this podcast; it’s so valued by fans who want to know the athletes’ perspectives.
Good to hear a little bit of optimism haha League doesn't seem to be taking well to our listener base
We were at AVP Chicago watching TnT play Crabb/Brunner when our friends who stuck around stadium court texted us saying there's a tiebreaker match going down and our immediate thought was that is nuts! We also didn't believe it until we heard announcing on the stadium court because it wasn't posted about anywhere.. so not only did it suck for the competitors like Savvy but the fans also. It would have been nice if it was handled differently in so many ways so I feel for you Savvy and wish you could have had a more genuine chance at playing in the league!
Agreed on all accounts
The teams associations with cities having nothing to do the where the players are from makes no buy in from the cities. When you guys have a hard time associating the team names with the players says a lot about that. Also what NY Nitro when there are no games in NY? Why not pick cities where you will actually play? Such a poor marketing decision.
All very curious decisions for sure
Exactly!!!
Personally, Im a fan of the regular league then have a top 16 teams final with single elim. Not sure the league is resonating with fans, especially with it so hard to watch.
Love when Sav is on the pod, she's such a real, down to earth person and wish her nothing but success.
No matter the direction, hoping for the best with the org and the players.
Seems to be falling short in resonating with the SANDCAST listeners, which I think is a good proxy for the hyperenthusiasts of the sport
@@SANDCASTPodcast when it comes down to it, we’ll support the athletes and the sport. I’m a die hard, but most aren’t like me.
By September, I think the shine has worn a little too much to get a following. People are thinking football, chili, and Halloween. Also, the city team thing seems a little too manufactured.
Beach vball has the party vibe proxy. Music, tan bodies, drinks, sand, sun, and sweat. The sport and the athletic abilities are glazed over by the masses. So I think capturing the fun culture is the only organic way to bring it back to 80s and 90s stature.
Wow, that level of vulnerability was cool.
How do we find out where/when to submit fan questions?
I was at the San Diego event Saturday night and it felt a little sad watching beach vball with no wind factor but otherwise was a fun event and great to sit in some real seats and not metal bleachers!
We usually put out a call on Instagram but can start doing them here as well!
I think it's safe to say that the team/city concept has bombed. The affiliations feel random and contrived, not grown. Nobody cares who the Mayhem or Nitro are, and the names don't make sense beyond the obvious alliterations. Plus, the team compositions, which are neither fair nor transparent nor logical, are a real issue. Have a draft or something to create some excitement around these teams.
I still like the idea of a separate competition for the top-tier teams, but I wouldn't couple male and female teams with no apparent connections. Perhaps the AVP could run an elite league parallel to the regular AVP season, a separate competition teams qualify for the year before, sort of like in European soccer with domestic leagues and the Champions League on top of that. Plenty of possible directions to go from here.
Yeah I think a normal season (6-10 tournaments) with the League or something akin to it serving as a championship or FedEx Cup style finish would be a fun combo
@@SANDCASTPodcast
Agreed, such a combination seems like a good compromise. The AVP League doesn't have to be a members-only club, either. In Brazil, they used to have (perhaps still do; need to check) a system where a top-level tournament was preceded by a second-tier tournament in the same location. The winning pairs earned spots for the big show the week after, and the audience got to enjoy back-to-back events in the same venue, watching first the challengers, then the elite teams.
As a huge fan of Beach Volleyball for many many years, this new team league thing is a sure fire way to lose your fans. I watched some of the games at UCLA, but nothing since. And I haven't spoken to 1 person who prefers this over the normal format. What makes beach vb so exciting is seeing the NAMES, the match ups, the rivalries, the qualifiers, the brackets and seeing lesser known teams fighting up the bracket. I have no interest in rooting for the San Antonio Steam or whatever these corny names are. You want to get more eyeballs on the sport, you need more players like Trevor Crabb. Sports is entertainment....it's not just watching top athletes compete, you need to have a reason to watch, and create rivalries. The Trevor /Chase beef was awesome....need more of that. And on the women's side too....loved seeing Brandi and Ana go at it in the Olympic finals. It's ok to get chippy and fired up and even talk some trash. You want more eyeballs, you need more personalities, more shit talkin like in the NBA and NFL. Let's be honest, the Trevor/Chase incident was one of the most talked about and viewed clips in years! Fans LOVE that! They want rivalries, heroes, villains...that IS SPORTS! AVP needs more of Trevor Crabb.
Yes to all of this
I respectfully disagree. I thought that was a poor sportsmanship moment in beach volleyball. I would much rather see an amazing rally than that. Part of why I don't like the NBA or NFL is because of that sort of behavior. I think you can have rivalries and personalities without poor sportsmanship. Look at Troy Field. I love watching him because of this. He literally levitates and I adore it. You know he is having SO MUCH FUN!!! Not angry about everything and acting like a 4 year old with a tantrum. I watch and play beach volleyball for many reasons and fun is top of the list along with unrivaled (imo) athletic abilities (Pros, not me) and amazing competition. THIS is what the league will bring imo
Any way to have heritage play for those who don't make the league so they can develop?
Hope so, or more events like the Hermosa Opens will find a way to materialize
Podcast day yesss!
hahaha yes indeed!
get kelly in the show to discuss post olympics woes
Workin' on it
Tri’s take in the end seems bias. The league is mainly conducive to the top of the top players. But, what the fans love are the underdogs. Most avid fans want to feel like it’s attainable to get there. That’s what makes MBO so cool. I like the hybrid approach trav was hitting on in the end. More tournament (preferably with bigger draws like the MBO). Followed by a league for the top of the top players.
I also think using the season as a qualifier for the League is a great way to do it. Similar to PGA Tour and FedEx Cup
The fans knowing the tiebreakers and storylines for the league would have made the whole weekend more exciting in Chicago. Definitely mishandled
100%
It took two weeks to get an uncut podcast with this sound quality out?
Of all the episodes where we've had terrible audio, I don't think this is the one 🤣what do you not like about the audio here?
Tri's mic has a bunch of background static, especially at the start.
@@SANDCASTPodcastthere is some abnormal static there. Normally it’s all good!
@@TheAmidons Well damn, we ran it through the Adobe software too. Our B!
I think the AVP League is the wrong way to go. At least if it is to become the AVP's main product. It will be difficult to convince people to cheer on these team constructs and get excited about them. Beach volleyball is first and foremost an individual sport and should take tennis and golf as an example rather than sports with a league system. 8-10 tournaments + a major championship at the end sounds much better to me. I understand that the old strategy was not commercially successful, but I don't think it will get any better with the AVP League. Better to improve the (old) system with the tournaments.
Seems to be the most commonly felt sentiment amongst our listeners here
Please tell the AVP they need to be selling the jerseys.... Such a simple way to bring in income, and I can't find it anywhere. And we wonder why they go broke. 😢
We have sent the message haha
I was really moved by Savvy opening up
She's at her best when she does that
Tri at 49:00 has it LOCKED in. Totally agree. Big stadium, time to prepare, know who you’re going to play, scouting is emphasized, more overall meaning.
Team Savvy Van Winkle for AVP league 2025 💪🏼
Sabby Van Wimo!