Lloy Ball said he was done with the national team after the U.S. men's volleyball team went 0-5 at the Sydney Games. Two years later he was back, helping the team qualify for the Athens Games. And after those Olympics, despite the team improving dramatically and placing fourth, Ball again said he was finished playing for Team USA.
Three years later, he was back, helping the team qualify for Beijing, which it did in January। After returning to Russia, where he plays professionally for Dinamo Kazan, the 36-year-old spoke with NBCOlympics.com about embarking on his fourth Olympics.
Is there one reason you decided to come back or is it a combination of reasons?
One of the biggest reasons is not even volleyball-related, really. It's the fact that I want my son (Dyer) to see me play in Beijing. He'll be 7 years old and he doesn't really remember the other Olympics. He'll be going with my wife to watch his dad play in his last Olympics and hopefully he'll be old enough to remember it. Second of all, I don't know why, but the older I get, it seems like the better I get. I've had a lot of success overseas and continue to play well.
Has your leadership role changed or do you fit right back in when you come back to the national team?
To be honest with you, the role I have right now with the team is much different than I've had in the past. And I love it. People wanted to make because I was a captain for 10 years, because I was a starter for 10 years, they wanted to put on me whether or not we win the gold medal. Or whatever the team does is because Lloy has to do this, Lloy has to do that. And I said, 'Look, that's just not who I am anymore.' For one, I don't have the energy to hoot and holler at everybody and to get involved where somebody else should. And second, it never helped our team.
After playing so long is there one aspect of your game you still work on?
I'm as good as I'm gonna get. And to be honest with you, coming to grips with that a few years ago is probably the best thing that could happen. I know exactly how I'm gonna play, I know exactly what I'm gonna do. I'm not gonna put anymore pressure on myself like I did in the past. And just that confidence of knowing that sometimes I may be great, but I'm never going to be terrible. I'm always going to be in that medium level of at least good. And that's all this team really needs to win. They don't need me to be great or (Sean) Rooney to be great. If everybody's a good volleyball player, we're going to win lots of matches in Beijing.
How does this team now compare to the team you had in Athens?
You know, this is a funny question every four years and because I'm old as a dinosaur I get to compare four Olympics now. Each four of my Olympic teams has been very different. Every four years the players get bigger, faster, stronger. Volleyball is a sport like every other sport that's constantly changing. And I really believe that this team is a good mixture -- while we have some veterans that have a lot of experience, including myself, we have a lot young sticks like Rooney and Dave Lee in the middle.
If that Athens team had won a medal would we even be talking about Beijing right now?
Yeah, I'd probably still be talking to you. I have a very strong belief that if I'm healthy and if I'm still playing well and if my national team asks me to come back, like they did this time, then I'm going to do that.
Your wife, Sarah, was very supportive in you coming back to the national team, right?
My wife was the biggest proponent, saying, 'It's a great opportunity. They're not going to ask you for 2012, that's for damn sure. So you should do it if you really feel like you want to.' I'm a lucky guy to be married 10 years, and with my wife 15, two great kids. Without her, or if she had said, 'You know, I'm not real sure,' then I probably wouldn't be having this conversation with you.
How much longer do you anticipate you'll play professionally? After the Olympics are you done with volleyball altogether?
As long as the money's still good I'll probably still play. I would say probably one (year) for sure. I'm trying to get one more big payday and then call it a day. Just go home to Indiana and retire.
Are you sure about that?
Even though I've said it before, I promise you I will not be around in London. Maybe the Paralympic Games with the way I feel some days.
Three years later, he was back, helping the team qualify for Beijing, which it did in January। After returning to Russia, where he plays professionally for Dinamo Kazan, the 36-year-old spoke with NBCOlympics.com about embarking on his fourth Olympics.
Is there one reason you decided to come back or is it a combination of reasons?
One of the biggest reasons is not even volleyball-related, really. It's the fact that I want my son (Dyer) to see me play in Beijing. He'll be 7 years old and he doesn't really remember the other Olympics. He'll be going with my wife to watch his dad play in his last Olympics and hopefully he'll be old enough to remember it. Second of all, I don't know why, but the older I get, it seems like the better I get. I've had a lot of success overseas and continue to play well.
Has your leadership role changed or do you fit right back in when you come back to the national team?
To be honest with you, the role I have right now with the team is much different than I've had in the past. And I love it. People wanted to make because I was a captain for 10 years, because I was a starter for 10 years, they wanted to put on me whether or not we win the gold medal. Or whatever the team does is because Lloy has to do this, Lloy has to do that. And I said, 'Look, that's just not who I am anymore.' For one, I don't have the energy to hoot and holler at everybody and to get involved where somebody else should. And second, it never helped our team.
After playing so long is there one aspect of your game you still work on?
I'm as good as I'm gonna get. And to be honest with you, coming to grips with that a few years ago is probably the best thing that could happen. I know exactly how I'm gonna play, I know exactly what I'm gonna do. I'm not gonna put anymore pressure on myself like I did in the past. And just that confidence of knowing that sometimes I may be great, but I'm never going to be terrible. I'm always going to be in that medium level of at least good. And that's all this team really needs to win. They don't need me to be great or (Sean) Rooney to be great. If everybody's a good volleyball player, we're going to win lots of matches in Beijing.
How does this team now compare to the team you had in Athens?
You know, this is a funny question every four years and because I'm old as a dinosaur I get to compare four Olympics now. Each four of my Olympic teams has been very different. Every four years the players get bigger, faster, stronger. Volleyball is a sport like every other sport that's constantly changing. And I really believe that this team is a good mixture -- while we have some veterans that have a lot of experience, including myself, we have a lot young sticks like Rooney and Dave Lee in the middle.
If that Athens team had won a medal would we even be talking about Beijing right now?
Yeah, I'd probably still be talking to you. I have a very strong belief that if I'm healthy and if I'm still playing well and if my national team asks me to come back, like they did this time, then I'm going to do that.
Your wife, Sarah, was very supportive in you coming back to the national team, right?
My wife was the biggest proponent, saying, 'It's a great opportunity. They're not going to ask you for 2012, that's for damn sure. So you should do it if you really feel like you want to.' I'm a lucky guy to be married 10 years, and with my wife 15, two great kids. Without her, or if she had said, 'You know, I'm not real sure,' then I probably wouldn't be having this conversation with you.
How much longer do you anticipate you'll play professionally? After the Olympics are you done with volleyball altogether?
As long as the money's still good I'll probably still play. I would say probably one (year) for sure. I'm trying to get one more big payday and then call it a day. Just go home to Indiana and retire.
Are you sure about that?
Even though I've said it before, I promise you I will not be around in London. Maybe the Paralympic Games with the way I feel some days.
