If Gold Is Our Destiny

by Sean P. Murray, Karch Kiraly (foreword)

The true story of how a group of talented volleyball players learned to put their egos aside, became a team, and changed the sport of volleyball forever. In the early 1980s, a golden generation of volleyball players joined the U.S. men’s national team. With the Olympics coming to Los Angeles in 1984, the pressure was on to build a winning program around these exceptional athletes. But could a group of individuals put aside their egos and play as a true team to achieve Olympic gold in their home country? In If Gold Is Our How a Team of Mavericks Came Together for Olympic Glory, Sean P. Murray shares the incredible story of how a group of free-spirited players and their demanding coach captured the heart of a nation and became one of the greatest indoor volleyball teams of all time. As the team struggled leading up to the Olympics, head coach Doug Beal mandated a highly controversial three-week Outward Bound hike across one hundred miles in the Canyonlands and Abajo Mountains in Utah. Murray details all the internal strife and heartwarming triumphs from this unprecedented trip, as players and coaches learned to cooperate and trust one another. He reveals how the team used this newfound trust to implement an innovative approach to volleyball that changed not only their success on the court but the sport itself on a global scale. Featuring original interviews with players, coaches, and staff, along with a foreword by three-time gold medal champion Karch Kiraly, If Gold Is Our Destiny delivers an inside look at what it takes for a group of talented individuals to overcome their differences, build a culture of excellence, and become the best in the world.

Genres: Sports

246 pages, Paperback

Published April 2, 2024

Reviews

[Delaney Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read before working with volleyball team. Karch is awesome!

[Glenn Stout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure - I had an editorial role and helped Sean bring his vision to the page, but the book is entirely his. His top notch and comprehensive reporting brings back to life one of the most extraordinary team achievements in American Olympic history, focusing on the groundbreaking “team building” exercises spurred on by his father, the team psychologist, that helped turn a group of individuals into a team. A great story and great insight into what it takes to succeed. You need not be a volleyball fan to enjoy this.

[Francis Tapon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I played varsity volleyball in high school, college, and business school.
I was a teenager in the 1980s when Karch Kiraly led the USA to two Olympic Gold Medals.
This book describes their improbable path to victory.

You've heard of the Miracle on Ice when the USA beat the USSR in ice hockey.

This triumph is a similar rag-to-riches story where the American underdog defeats the Soviet goliath.

I had no idea, for example, that the 1984 Olympic team went on a 3-week Outward Bound Wilderness Adventure that may have been instrumental in building cohesion in a fractured team.
Ironically, Karch was the only team player who skipped that bonding exercise.
He had to do UCLA school work or else delay his graduation.

It's a gripping story for any volleyball fan.

I would think that a non-volleyball person would enjoy if s/he enjoys sports.

[JL Salty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: pg 13 for some profanity - not much, not gratuitous, heated situations. No sex, no violence.
Recommend: sports history buffs, jh and up.

To me, being a men’s volleyball lover is not a prerequisite for reading and enjoying this book. I remember the 84 Olympics and the HUGE deal that it was - but that’s not a prerequisite either. In the vein of boys in the boat, a team overcomes odds external and internal to come together and make history, good stuff.

[Warren Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I’ve been involved with a lot of outdoors leadership/team development programs in the past, so seeing how the team developed during their wilderness program was really engaging! The climax of the book felt well deserved, exciting, and fulfilling. Great pacing on the story.