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Ball wants to keep playing
 DOHA,
November 06, 2009 – At 37, Lloy Ball is one
of oldest players at the ongoing FIVB Men’s
Club World Volleyball Championship. But age
is not a factor for the American as his love
for the game is still alive. He wants to
continue playing.
Ball has represented the US in four Olympics
(from 1996 Atlanta to Beijing 2008). He is
now the captain of Russian team Zenit Kazan.
Considered as one of the finest players of
the game, the setter has won many honours
including the Olympic gold in Beijing. He
started the game as a five-year-old,
influenced by his father-player Arnie Ball.
In 2008, he became the first American men’s
volleyball player to feature in four
Olympics.
Ball praised Qatar for organising a
wonderful tournament and is ready to come
back to Doha if Qatar Volleyball Association
(QVBA) wants to hire his services as a
coach.
Question: You are already into the
semi-finals of the Championship. How do you
look at the road ahead?
Lloy Ball: We are four strong teams in the
semi-finals. It is difficult as a lot of
teams did not have time to prepare for this
new system, Golden Formula. So, every set
and game we need to change our habits a
little bit. But, by the time teams play the
final we will see a better volleyball. So
far there have been a lot of mistakes —
which we call ugly in volleyball. This
happened because teams are still trying to
understand the new system.
Q: What are you views on the Golden Formula?
Ball: To be honest, I don’t like it. As a
setter, the great part of my job is to have
some kind of strategy where you make it
difficult for the opposition to block. In
this there is not a lot of strategy. You can
pass the ball to Zone 5 or Zone 1. For me, I
don’t like it. The great thing about men’s
volleyball is being spectacular and
exciting. People like to see for the first
time hit the ball hard and bounce it. They
like to see spikers and blocks. But this
system is little more like women’s
volleyball. They talk about wanting longer
rallies, but if they want that, they can
watch women’s game (laughs).
Q: Is it your first time in Qatar? How has
been your stay so far and are you impressed
with the set up for this Championship?
Ball: Yes. This is my first visit to Qatar,
actually first time in the Middle East
region. It has been great so far. The people
here are nice and friendly. The Championship
is well organised. In the world of
volleyball, Japan is at the pinnacle of
organistion. The venue here has been
wonderful, people have been working very
hard and Qatar Volleyball Association (QVBA)
has done a wonderful job.
Q: Having played in four Olympics with the
US team and excelled a lot as a player, is
there anything more you would like to
achieve?
Ball: Nothing (laughs). Every year I’m so
motivated to win. Last year, I won Olympic
gold with the US team and Russian
Championship title with Kazan for the second
time. But, coming to play in this wonderful
tournament which is being held after 17
years may be try to add this as well to my
career. I have never won this event. Every
year I think of it being the last one as I
am getting older. I have a family too (wife
and two children). But right know I am still
enjoying and am playing at a good level.
Someone loves to pay me and this is my job
and I love it.
Q: Have you thought about coaching after you
finish your career as a player?
Ball: Maybe in the future. It is difficult
for a player who has played at a very high
level to go right into coaching. After I
retire I would like to be away from the game
for four to five years. As they say,
recharge your batteries and then come back.
I would like to be involved with youngsters
and help the game grow.
Q: If offered, would be able to take up a
coaching assignment in Qatar?
Ball: Of course. I have already been invited
by Russia and Italy to come back after my
playing days to coach. It would be a great
experience to come to Qatar, coach the
youngsters here and help grow the sport in
the Middle East. I know this place has some
great sports persons with fine footballers.
I know sports every year is economically
more funded by sponsors in this region. I
would love to be a part of growing
volleyball here.
Q: Your father Arnie Ball was a fine
volleyball player. Has he been the greatest
influence on your life as a player?
Ball: For sure, he was the biggest ever
influence on me. He played in my favourite
position — setter. He was my coach at the
university. He was everything for me — being
the best man at my wedding, best friend,
coach. I am very lucky to have me. He is
coming to Russia in a few weeks time to
watch me play. He taught me how to be a
competitor, how to play with all my energy.
The most important things are — how to be a
good father, husband and a man, he taught me
to be those. These are more important than
the game.
Q: How long do you want to continue playing?
Ball: I signed a contract for one year with
Zenit Kazan. I don’t know whether I would
extend my stay after this year. At 37, let
me see how my body responds and then decide.
If I feel it is difficult I will stop. But,
I want to play as long as I can. I am loving
my game.
Q: What are the high points of your career?
Ball: Obviously, winning the Italian
Championship with Modena in 2002 was great.
It was the beginning of my winning journey.
Of course, clinching the gold medal at the
Beijing Olympics last year, being MVP (Most
Valuable Player) and winning the World
Volleyball League were the best moments. And
also being the only American to win a
Russian Championship. It was very important
for me. I grew up in the 1980s during the
Cold War. So, it is very distinct to be the
American in Russian team and capped it with
two Championship wins. I think it is a great
honour.
Next
Interview
Volleyball Golden Formula
concept thrills Steel
 DOHA,
July 30, 2007 – Alexander James Steel, the
President of the Federation Internationale
de Volleyball (FIVB) Rules Commission, seems
to be mighty thrilled with the Golden
Formula, devised by Hussein Imam Ali,
Technical Director of the Qatar Volleyball
Association. The Scot, Steel, feels the
formula, though it still warrants extensive
testing at different levels before it comes
into play, has no doubt produced exciting
results so far. He appreciated the
initiative taken by the QVA to contribute to
the game and also lauded the efforts that
Ali took to come up with logical and
sensible solution for keeping the ball
flying, which is very much the motto of the
FIVB. In an exclusive interview to Raajiv
Tripathi, Qatar Tribune Sports Editor, Steel
expressed his view about the rule and its
potential. Excerpts:
What is your personal view
about the Golden Formula?
The Golden Formula is a great
initiative. What we've seen here and last
year also, Ali has also seen and analysed
the game. From his analysis, he has taken
forward some concerns, as the Rules
Commission we also share the same. He has
seen that the proportion of the game, which
is actually real play, is considerably
smaller than we all imagine. This is less
than 20 percent, which is a fact.
Ali has also seen that the
long rallies are one in every six. And even
those rallies are short ones. It just
happens that we have longer rallies only
when something unexpected happens. So Ali
has analysed this well and his group has
taken it and evaluated the fact if the
attack is taken a bit off the net, it has
the potential to make the rallies longer.
 Has
the formula got some basis to take it
forward?
We're actually testing at the
national level. Further or not it translates
the same results to other place, only time
will tell. But at the moment, it has very
strong basis to make us say that this is
something we're looking for. This is really
very scientific test. Now when we get the
reports of this test under the new rule and
compare them with what he has done on the
same teams before under the current playing
rules, this may build a strong basis to take
the Golden Formula forward.
Does it have the potential to
make the game really attractive?
Clearly from the evidence
that we've seen so far, it does have. What
it has to have, however, is the ability to
translate from the highest level to the
worst level. So it has to be the same for
everybody. That is what we've to see in
future. The rules are changed because people
want them to change. The website of the
formula is also going to play a major role.
Opinions from all the world will help us to
know if we want to go ahead with this rule
or not. If people want this rule to operate,
this will certainly happen.
What will be next possible
stage for this rule?
The gist that was passed
during the last congress took some years to
be implemented as we had to test them at
national levels, international level, world
level, world league and then at Grand Prix.
The FIVB is a very caring organization. It
takes the care of the game. That is
important. We'll not change because it is a
good idea. We'll change because we know it
is good idea and people want it. Then when
the evaluation comes in and I'll hav to
discuss with my other colleagues to decide
whether we want to take it next level. But
clearly it has a lot of potential and it is
the next level where we've to take this to.
 What
do you think about the Asian volleyball? Can
it grow from here?
There has always been a
desire to achieve a balance between attack
and defence in volleyball. I know it is
difficult to obtain a perfect balance but
this rule may help us reduce the gap to the
closest possible levels. The Asians are
smaller in comparison to the giant
Europeans, who have been dominating the
sport. But the Asians have been more speedy
and inventive. But I'm sure this rule will
benefit them too.
How do you find the
volleyball scenario in Qatar or view its
future?
The Qatari players are quite
alive and well prepared physically. They
also jump well and react strongly in
pressure situations. The people that I see
here in volleyball are very serious. They
are very professional and inventive in their
work. They don't think within a box. They
imagine things beyond and far from the box.
They have the government which is prepared
to pump in any amount of money. The
organization is professional and knows
exactly how to do the things. I'm amazed by
the facilities Qatar has created for this
sport. In fact I've not seen such facilities
else where in the world. The Qatari
volleyball certainly has a big potential to
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