Olympic Spirit - Karch Kiraly

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Gateway to the Summer Games - Olympic Spirit

What does it take to be an Olympian? Read incredible stories of the challenges, successes, and lessons learned by famous Olympians on their way to becoming champions. Then discover how you can spark the "Olympic spirit" in you to achieve your goals and reach your dreams.

Capture the Olympic Spirit
Karch Kiraly

Karch Kiraly is one of the biggest names in the sport of volleyball. He has won three Olympic gold medals and almost $3 million in career prize money in both indoor volleyball and the outdoor beach volleyball. Karch has been chosen the "Best Player in the World" twice. He attributes his success and that of the U.S.A. Volleyball team to a simple formula:

"To be the best in the world, we needed to believe in ourselves and our program, lay our goals in a comprehensive plan. We all had to commit to the plan and we had to attack the work set out in our plan. Those four things: believe, plan, commit, and attack, became our way to the top."

Griffin Publishing Group


		Profile \| Spirit in YOU! \| More Athletes

Profile
"I like to break those four ideals into action. Believe in yourself. Volleyball play begins with the serve. The serve is the only technique that is totally under your control. You cannot succeed in the serve without belief in yourself. That belief is totally under your control."

"If you had watched one of our matches, you would have seen planning at work. If we were serving, the blockers all gave signals behind their backs showing how they would defend. If we were on offense, the setter told each of the hitters exactly where to go and what to do. We planned every move."

"The Japanese were known for their outstanding defense. We tried to emulate their techniques, but more importantly their attitude -- an all-out commitment to playing the ball. No ball was impossible to get, no matter where it went."

"When hard work got us down we visualized achieving a higher jump, a spike for the gold. A big spike is the most spectacular, most aggressive play you can make on the volleyball court. It is an all-out attack on your competition. Whenever you find yourself stressed out, envision every detail you can summon about the goal you're trying to attain, and attack it!"

The Olympic Spirit in YOU!
The U.S. volleyball team was ranked number 19 in the world when they went for the gold. By believing, planning, committing, and attacking the goal they set, they became champions. Try the following exercise to achieve a goal you have.

Write down what you believe. What makes you think you an you achieve your goal?
Write down a three to five point plan. How are you going to achieve your goal?
Write down how you will commit to achieve your goal.
Attack your goal. When you are confronted with an obstacle to your goal, visualize succeeding in your goal.

More Athletes

Ann Meyers Drysdale

Bart Conner

Billy Mills

Baron Pierre de Coubertin

Gail Devers

Greg Barton

Henry Marsh

John Naber

Karch Kiraly

Mary Lou Retton

Matt Ghaffari

Milt Campbell

Nadia Comaneci

Nancy Hogshead

Paul Gonzales

Terry Schroeder

For more great stories about Olympians, ask your librarian for books about Olympic spirit, including Awaken the Olympian Within complied by John Naber, and The Olympic Dream and Spirit, Vol. 1, 2, and 3, with Bob Schaller.