Reid on the Bronze Medal Match v. Russia
I didn’t know I was going to get an opportunity but I was certainly ready for it. I kind of went through my normal routine and for me it was being that the loss to Italy was so devastating it was a really tough turnaround to try to get back to a place of being clear headed and focused on the task at hand. I had to ask myself in that 24 hours, if I don’t play and if this is my Olympic experience in the bronze medal game because it was looking like that would be the case, was this two year comeback worth it. And my conclusion was, it was worth it. There was so much that took place in those two years that were awesome and I would never change.
(Watch the match here!)
I would never change that injury if I had the choice to say, ‘Here- you can have this match back in Bulgaria where you tear your ACL and not have that injury happen’, I would not choose that because so many great things happened in that period of time. From the birth of my daughter, the growth and internal maturity that took place and then the relationships that were forged those two years and the experiences that were shared with those relationships. I processed all of that leading up to that match and that 24-hour period of time and felt tremendous gratitude. I think it was because of that I was able to enter in to that match focused, ready and completely 100% confident that no matter what took place, I was ready for it and I had the tools necessary to handle it; either that I was going to get called or that I wasn’t going to play. I knew that I had what I needed emotionally and had the tools and all that stuff, the maturity, to handle that as well. That was sort of my mind leading into the match.
When I got the nod, I was completely immersed in the match. It was about that, it wasn’t about proving anything to myself, it wasn’t about making a mark, it wasn’t about anything but being super aggressive and super connected to winning that particular point, the next point. I kept saying to the guys ‘How long can we stay out here?’ When I came in we were down big and we wound up going down 0-2. ‘How long can we stay out here and make this match last?’ And thankfully we made it last just long enough.
Using that match maybe people tried to build the narrative that I was putting it all together in my last match but I would argue that that was the level, that’s what I have been playing at this entire summer. I often tell people if I had 16 different versions of myself to play a super high stakes match with everything on the line and I can choose Reid from 2000, Reid from 2004 or Reid from 2008, 2012, I think my peak year was 2010. I was playing some really amazing volleyball but I wasn’t as mature and I didn’t have as much game as far as variety in 2016 and I hands down would choose Reid from 2016.
I think the level that everybody got to see was the level I’m capable of playing day in and day out. There wasn’t any one particular play that gave me confidence, I already had all the confidence I needed. Now there was one play, I think it was the fourth set or the third set where I took a big swing on a very unlikely, or I should say a not very probable left side hit. I was at like 12 feet and I just took a backwards step close and took a big swing. As soon as I hit that ball and that ball went down, I looked at Dave Lee and started screaming ‘It’s just a little dumb luck for ya.’ That’s a term when we were playing cards, Dave Lee loves to act like when he’s winning, it’s all about skill and when everybody else is winning, it’s dumb luck. When I killed that ball, I knew that was outside of the probability lines and that I was pressing a little bit then and that’s when I sort of, in jest, started screaming at the guys, ‘Sometimes it just takes a little dumb luck.’ I think they all loved it.
I’ll never forget that moment. Even as you’re describing it, I’m emotional. That was one of the most special moments of my entire career. Just locking eyes with Micah and him coming up and giving me a huge hug and then all the guys, Taylor and Aaron came swarming into me. That meant the world to me. I mean that’s just one of those shared experiences.
I would never change that injury if I had the choice to say, ‘Here- you can have this match back in Bulgaria where you tear your ACL and not have that injury happen’, I would not choose that because so many great things happened in that period of time. From the birth of my daughter, the growth and internal maturity that took place and then the relationships that were forged those two years and the experiences that were shared with those relationships. I processed all of that leading up to that match and that 24-hour period of time and felt tremendous gratitude. I think it was because of that I was able to enter in to that match focused, ready and completely 100% confident that no matter what took place, I was ready for it and I had the tools necessary to handle it; either that I was going to get called or that I wasn’t going to play. I knew that I had what I needed emotionally and had the tools and all that stuff, the maturity, to handle that as well. That was sort of my mind leading into the match.
When I got the nod, I was completely immersed in the match. It was about that, it wasn’t about proving anything to myself, it wasn’t about making a mark, it wasn’t about anything but being super aggressive and super connected to winning that particular point, the next point. I kept saying to the guys ‘How long can we stay out here?’ When I came in we were down big and we wound up going down 0-2. ‘How long can we stay out here and make this match last?’ And thankfully we made it last just long enough.
Using that match maybe people tried to build the narrative that I was putting it all together in my last match but I would argue that that was the level, that’s what I have been playing at this entire summer. I often tell people if I had 16 different versions of myself to play a super high stakes match with everything on the line and I can choose Reid from 2000, Reid from 2004 or Reid from 2008, 2012, I think my peak year was 2010. I was playing some really amazing volleyball but I wasn’t as mature and I didn’t have as much game as far as variety in 2016 and I hands down would choose Reid from 2016.
I think the level that everybody got to see was the level I’m capable of playing day in and day out. There wasn’t any one particular play that gave me confidence, I already had all the confidence I needed. Now there was one play, I think it was the fourth set or the third set where I took a big swing on a very unlikely, or I should say a not very probable left side hit. I was at like 12 feet and I just took a backwards step close and took a big swing. As soon as I hit that ball and that ball went down, I looked at Dave Lee and started screaming ‘It’s just a little dumb luck for ya.’ That’s a term when we were playing cards, Dave Lee loves to act like when he’s winning, it’s all about skill and when everybody else is winning, it’s dumb luck. When I killed that ball, I knew that was outside of the probability lines and that I was pressing a little bit then and that’s when I sort of, in jest, started screaming at the guys, ‘Sometimes it just takes a little dumb luck.’ I think they all loved it.
Match Point v. Russia in Bronze Medal Match
I’ll never forget that moment. Even as you’re describing it, I’m emotional. That was one of the most special moments of my entire career. Just locking eyes with Micah and him coming up and giving me a huge hug and then all the guys, Taylor and Aaron came swarming into me. That meant the world to me. I mean that’s just one of those shared experiences.
There was a time when the team was named, the team was announced to us in Brazil and we had to travel the very next day to Italy and John (Speraw) wanted us to go to dinner and we went to dinner in Rome. We had just travelled all day and he asked from youngest to oldest, to say a few words about what this meant to them. You can kind of tell that with the young guys it was pretty quick: this is cool and special and the further you got the more emotional it became. By the time it got to me I think I talked for probably 30 or 40 minutes. Maybe I was using words 10 minutes of the time because it was so emotional. I told the guys after we go to the Olympic games and I was especially emotional when It came to Dave, I couldn’t even look at Dave Lee when I was talking. And now I think they understand. I told those guys that night in Italy, from this point forward, we will never be able to think about these moments and not get emotional. It’s just something that happens when you go to battle and you go through the highs and lows together and you get through that kind of experience. I’ll never forget that moment; it was probably one of the most special moments of my entire career.
What he was telling the team after going down 0-2 v Russian in Bronze Medal Match
I don’t remember specifically but I know I was saying, ‘We’re doing fine, we need to stay aggressive. We’ve missed a few serves, who cares? Keep going, keep communicating, how long can we stay out here?’ Those guys have been pouring out their heart and soul for two weeks and it’s not easy. Especially in your first go-round, and that’s really what you learn in your first Olympics is what is required of you emotionally and physically. It’s more than you’ve ever had to give. It was just the encouragement of, ‘Just keep going, just keep going.’ We knew that team, we knew those guys so it wasn’t a ton about tactics, it was about stay the course, keep being aggressive and how long can we extend this match.
Having to walk to the Bronze Medal Match v. Russia
We stayed in a hotel the majority of the time and our hotel wasn’t very far from the venue but they had all the roads blocked because I think it was the soccer game that afternoon. Where we played was right next to the soccer stadium and they were going to have the gold medal soccer game so it was absolutely pandemonium, had roads closed, and we had to get out and walk a few blocks which was a little bit odd but at this point, the mantra is we wouldn’t expect anything but difficult. I don’t think it phased anybody at all, it was sort of like, ‘This is par for the course. Let’s get out and walk in the rain to our bronze medal match, no big deal.’
Coach Speraw on his selection to the Olympic Team
John was never able to vocalize a role for me. That conversation was something along the lines of you’ve been selected, we couldn’t be happier and all the hard work you’ve put in and we’re super stoked for you and just keep doing what you’re doing. Your work ethic, bring it in every day and continue to be a friend to the guys. My reaction at that point, I didn’t assume anything, but I didn’t feel like I had arrived. I still had a gold medal on my mind. So it was how to make that gold medal even more the focus and I think that’s what the staff wanted to do was stop the question marks in the gym of am I or am I not going and start really honing in on the medal. So that’s kind of how that talk went.
If he hadn’t made the 2016 Olympic team?
It would have been hard. I just never thought of it I guess. I never thought of ‘what if.’ My whole life was doing everything I could to make sure I was going to be on that roster. I guess I never really thought through that. But it is hard. Even this week I’m getting half a dozen offers to play overseas. I get a text this morning. I don’t know why this week but over the last couple of months, I’ve gotten two dozen offers to play overseas and it’s a little bit hard to walk away when you’re playing the best you think you have ever played but this whole other facet of my life has developed and now I’m saying yes to these speaking opportunities and developing other business ventures.
I don’t think I’m done because I still want to play on the beach. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do so I think that’s helped me to say no, knowing that I’ll have a competitive outlet. And I will say that, it’s going to sound silly, I’m uber passionate about golf and it really satisfies that training element, that fixation on how good can I really get. I think that for the next 30 or 40 years while I’m on this earth, I think that can help satisfy that drive in me that I need in terms of competitiveness. So I think I’ll always be doing something that’s trying to push the limits of my abilities.
In the next post, Reid goes through his four Olympic coaches and discusses his experience with each.
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