He’s still the one
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – He was the youngest guy on the Olympic men’s volleyball team in 1984, a fresh-faced and promising youngster whose dominating play helped the United States win its first gold medal.
Now 44, Karch Kiraly is the oldest guy on the beach – and still enjoying unparalleled success.
This will be his last season on the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. Then again, so was last year – and the year before that. He’s spent nearly a decade thinking his career was winding down, only to capture a few more titles – and prove he’s winning the fight against the sands of time.
“My wife was going through a couple old boxes a few weeks ago, and she came across an article that said it was amazing I was doing so well at this age, still having success,” Kiraly said. “It was written nine years ago.”
Kiraly and his partner, Mike Lambert, won three tournaments in 2004 and were the AVP team of the year. They were seeded No. 1 for the season-opening event in Fort Lauderdale earlier this month, yet were ousted early when Kiraly aggravated a shoulder injury.
His 147 victories and $3.1 million in earnings are the most in beach history. He’s the lone American volleyballer to win three Olympic golds; indoor from 1984 and 1988, on the sand in 1996. Before Kiraly, the best U.S. Olympic finish was seventh in 1968.
“He’s a phenomenal player, but what’s more impressive is he’s a phenomenal human being,” said Mike Rangel, Kiraly’s coach, friend and trainer. “He’s so humble. I know a lot of pros in different sports, and believe me, Karch is unique.”
That’s true in many ways.
Modesty keeps him from prominently displaying awards in his home. He’s financially secure, but totes the kids in a minivan. He goes to bed at the same time and home schools his children; instead of giving them a book on Washington, D.C., he scheduled a four-day walking tour around the nation’s capitol.
He’s also volunteering his time as a spokesman for Youth Without Borders, a group focused on aiding needy children in Tijuana, Mexico, through scholarship programs and refurbishment of child-care centers.
Along the way, he’s found time to remain one of the game’s best.
“He’s the greatest,” said Lambert, the reigning tour MVP who turns 31 today. “We’ll probably never see another Karch. For me, it’s like playing alongside Michael Jordan. I’m still the 14-year-old kid with his poster on my wall.”
With one bad swing in Fort Lauderdale, Kiraly thought he was done – for good.
In his third match of the tournament, Kiraly took an awkward swipe at the ball and immediately felt pain tearing through his right shoulder – the one that’s been surgically repaired three times. He thought the worst.
“The three of us got together and we all cried,” Rangel said. “First time I’ve seen Karch cry. We knew the last game of the day was probably going to be the last time not only Lambo and Karch played together, but the last time Karch would ever play.”
They lost that consolation match, said teary good-byes, and Kiraly went home to California. Yet doctors found the problem was just related to some scar tissue.
He’s training and will be back for the tour’s next event, April 22-24 in Arizona.
“I just hoped it was just a bad dream,” Lambert said. “And luckily, it turned out to be.”