Ryan Jay Owens Interview

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Name: Ryan Jay Owens

Nationality: U.S.A               Height: 6′ 6″
Last played for: Iraklis (Greece)

Career Highlights:
-All Star, Best Spiker of Finland (2008)
-CEV Challenge Cup (2009)
-Finland A1 Player of the Month (2009)
-4x Greece Weekly MVP team (2010)
-USA Men’s National A1 Training Team (2010)
-2nd Place in Greek Cup & Championship, 7x Best 6 Greek League Player (2010-2011)

1)What is the biggest pro&con of traveling around the world playing professional volleyball? Would you prefer playing in the States if a pro-league were to exist in the States? And what steps need to be taken for America to develop its own indoor men’s volleyball league?

Fun question… The biggest pro about traveling is the total experience you gain. The insight into yourself and others. The potential to grow as a human being. The biggest con is that you leave behind the people you love and know the best. If they had a pro league in the States I would probably play every other year in it or two seasons in a row and then go abroad for one. Playing outside of the US has made me a more complete person and not just a more complete player but both are great advantages.

For a league to exist in the US it will take a massive cooperation between the individual level of volleyball from grass roots to collegiate and national team. More than that, it will need investors that understand volleyball and love it to be patient enough to deal with gaining the spectators needed. As a side-note I think the sport could be filmed in more interesting ways to show the difficulty and speed of the sport along with a better effort to market the sport to not only volleyball players both young and mature but to people that could be interested in other sports that just don’t understand the sport. That’s the brief version of my thoughts on that subject, haha.

2)What advice would you give to high school&college players playing the outside or the opposite position, hoping to break into the next level? What skills, drills, or workouts should players focus on besides uselessly trying to crush the ball at the 3-meter line to be a valuable outside/opposite for college or pros?

I would say only learn to serve bombs, read block and of course bounce balls around the block on or in front of the 3m line! ;P Just kidding about the last part but it is honestly a bi draw of the sport to make your opponent understand sometimes you can not even let them have a chance to defend you.

My honest advice? Learn to be versatile and resilient. The flow of a volleyball match is important. But if you want to be one of the best at what you do you need to be consistent. Learning to find the open areas whether in the middle of the court or the side lines or even better the end line you need to be able to choose the best shot for the situation, even block out. If you are strong in one or two areas then focus on your weakest skills and training then hard with focus. For outsides learn to receive and defend the ball first before going on to be an attacker. Remember you need to be one of the most stable players on the team because you are one of two major legs of the team. For opposites, learn to find a way to score points on the balls no one else can score on. Everyone can put a great set with one block away, learn to kill the ball most of the time when there’s a 3man block and the set is poor. Learn to serve the difficult serve when no one else is willing to and do it well.

3)What does your typical week schedule look like? How are practices organized and do they include weight-lifting into practice during the on&off season?

Mon-Fri 2x day. Mornings are usually ball controls and weights or conditioning. Afternoons are usually game like situational drills or scrimmages. Morning of matches is serve/receive. Day after matches is free usually. Off-season either you will be with your national team or playing beach as best case scenarios… if not find a way to stay in some kind of shape. I travel (I know it’s ludicrous.) with a 16KG kettle bell. I’ve found it is the best total body or specific muscle group training I could do while traveling. But stay in stape. Stretch and train your core if nothing else.

4)How is the style of play different in various leagues around the world? Has the game evolved at all since you started playing?

Not sure as to how it is different from NCAA in the USA because I only played NAIA & NJCAA which is a few levels below NCAA. They don’t compare. Volley in Europe was faster and more technical it seemed but I honestly was too focused on changing positions from playing middle in the US to OPP in Europe so I missed most of the differences. I guess you could say I am more of a European player than American since i have played here longer than in America and in my new positions. But I can tell you since I started playing a lot has changed. My first year playing volley it wasn’t rally scoring, it was best of 3 sets in high school and you could block the service and it was mostly float service. haha I loved it as a middle to be able to block serves.

Now it’s so fast and powerful. Jump serves are like attacks, you have huge blocks set-up in front of you on the slower sets, it’s rally scoring, it’s best of 5 sets to 25 points for the main sets, it’s filled with giants playing and more. I love the game as much as when i started but i think like anything it can be improved.

5)How do you prepare&warm up on game day? I’ve heard mixed reviews from coaches on stretching before the game but what’s your opinion on that?

I prepare by having a routine that includes the freedom to do whatever I am in the mood for which is generally either stay in my home until i leave for the game or go out for a walk, coffee, shopping, errands, etc. But when it comes to stepping into my car to go to the game I put on my favorite tracks to trigger game mode. Then I go through the team stretching/warm-up unless we have our own warm-up/stretching we are allowed to do (better). I personally follow the belief that you shouldn’t over-stretch and I try not to by doing the best “dynamic” warm-up possible. So i subscribe to the research that shows stretching in the traditional way before utilizing your muscles to their potential actually weakens them. A chance I’d rather not risk.

6)How important is weight-lifting and nutrition for young players? Are there certain workouts like squats or deadlifts that young players at the high school and college level can’t ignore?

Very. The best comparison I always think about is if you want to be the best and you’re striving for perfection or the ultimate physical condition you must be like a machine… If you put diesel into a race car that take high octane unleaded fuel. I’m betting you will not perform as well as if you had the best fuel possible. Eating is to an athlete, what fuel is to a racing car. I personally use a modified Paleo diet for healthy eating and take one day “off” to eat anything man can concoct. ;P

As for workouts… I love Kettle bell workouts and am finding it might be a new favorite workout, period. But I think HIIT is very good with some of the most important full body exercises for explosiveness mixed in like snatch, squats, etc.

7)We understand your goal to make the London Olympics but for our readers, could you sum up your immediate&long term goals in your volleyball career?

I love that you ask about goals… as a note I believe short-term and long-terms goals that are revisited and updated weekly/monthly are vital to success. Writing them down makes it something like 60% more likely to happen I’ve read and feel is true.

Immediate goal:

1. Keep my body sound for my situation now by doing kettle bell and other core exercises to be ready when pre-season begins.
2. Stay positive & motivated because it will help me transition into season better.
3. Find a team that fits me and my goals for volley and life.

Long term:
1. Keep going for the national team no matter the result. Keep it as the biggest goal in volley.
2. Find ways to stay under the “scope” of USA volleyball to increase my chances of being a real option in their minds and getting in the gym to show what I can do whenever possible.
3. Play Champion’s League.
4. Win a championship or cup.

8)Is there a moving trend towards overhand passing with looser rules on initial contact? How do European teams train the players to pass and what is your opinion on the issue?

It seems the ref’s are calling mediocre overhead passes less often. I am living proof as I transition into a better receiver!

I have only played 2x as a receiver in Europe and only one one team did the coach want to help me and actually did help me. That was this year in Iraklis. Freddy Brooks was awesome. Whenever i wanted to train more he would get on the box and serve and coach me. It was a great experience. I felt for the first time since Hugh McCutcheon taught me to pass for the first time in my career in 2005 that I could actually be very good at it. I think it is all about repetitions, video feedback and coach feedback. not to mention a willingness and hunger to improve AKA Mental game.

9)Which shoes do you wear? What’s your idea on wearing basketball shoes like the Kobe’s for volleyball?

I can’t remember wearing one pair of basketball shoes in my life but I did notice the Nike’s Smaragdis was wearing on my squad this year and tried them on and considered buying some to try training in..
But I love my Asics Gel Domains! Second are my Mizuno Wave lightning’s…

10)How can the sport of volleyball grow further in the US?

Money… the will is there. Someone/some business with a lot of revenue has to put it into volleyball and also make the USAV stronger with more quality people because it’s quality now but small.

Ryan Jay Owens | Pos 4/2 | Iraklis Vs Panathinaikos 3-1 Dec 2010 from Elite Volleyball Players Agency on Vimeo.