We were kings

by Travis Mewhirter

We see them every four years, these sun-kissed, muscle-bound athletes, shirtless or bikini-clad. How glamorous it must be, to live the life of a professional beach volleyball player, for your office to reside west of the Pacific Coast Highway. Kings of the Beach, they were called once, these professional beach volleyball players. And indeed, they lived up to the name – sponsors! Endorsements! Commercials! Millions in prize money. Icons to a rebel culture. Yet when the Summer Olympics come to a close, beach volleyball disappears from the public eye, and what the rest of the world fails to see once again becomes It is a remarkable struggle, a wondrous grind, to live the life of a professional beach volleyball player. It is cramming six to a one-bedroom apartment, of sleeping under piers before tournaments, of stealing sandwiches from the players tent to save an extra buck. It is the pressure of winning a tournament just to make rent or, for that matter, just to afford the next meal. It is flying to a tournament in Shanghai, not knowing if you’ll be able to feed your wife and newborn when you return, all in the hopes of keeping the beach dream alive. Featuring interviews and arresting accounts of more than 100 beach volleyball players, award-winning writer and professional beach volleyball player Travis Mewhirter tells the stories, for the first time, of the modern player, lifting the curtain for the inside story of life as a professional beach volleyball player, and the pursuit of being a King of the Beach once more.

Genres: Nonfiction

204 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 3, 2018

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun and informative book! Whether you just like to watch beach volleyball once every four years, or you are an AVP diehard, you will enjoy the heck out of this! Hundreds of interviews, personal stories, and even some technical volleyball stuff, is packed into a quick, thoroughly enjoyable read! Great job, Travis - I can't wait to read part two!

[Christophe Caso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book, and for the most part, I did!
I have played competitive volleyball most of my life and have shifted my interest to beach volleyball in the last few years. I follow the author (Travis Mewhirter) on his podcast and the tournaments he plays, and he seems to be the best guy ever. A lot of the players he interviews for his book are amazing athletes and really nice people from all accounts, but, as fun as it was to read the book and to get a deeper knowledge of, and closer connection to the American beach volleyball community and its protagonists, the book still felt a bit like the juxtaposition of stories loosely connected by the theme of beach volleyball as a life style for fun loving athletes not always worried about the bottom line as long as they get to live their dream life for as long as it makes enough sense to them.
I like the theme, I agree this is what makes this sport special and why we love it so much, I just wish Travis had used some type of "ploy" to really show a progression of the stories somehow with a clear beginning and end, and a growth in between.
Still, this was absolutely enjoyable and I will read more of his books shortly and will keep on supporting Travis and his work, and encouraging everyone around me to do the same.
It is a good book by a good writer about my favorite topic.
If you have any interest or curiosity regarding the beach volleyball world, pick this book up immediately.

[Kendra Kimberlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated all the glimpses into the reality of beach volleyball life! Grateful, to those who never gave up on their dreams and have inspired all of us who are involved in this wonderful sport.

Thankfully, having followed the AVP for years, I was able to piece players together without a ton of research and able to discover players that I hadn't heard of as well. At times, it did feel like the constant back and forth with tidbits from the various players was in itself a volleyball match that didn't have a proper match point finally. It was organized into AVP event locations as the common thread that I had to go back to reference to understand the context. Overall it was an easy weekend read to understand and appreciate all that goes into making it as a pro beach volleyballer.

[Mick Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

For beach volleyball nuts like myself, this book was awesome! If you're not a diehard volleyball fan, this book probably isn't for you though.

Travis does a great job of developing flow to a topic that really doesn't have much flow at all; stories of current and past AVP Pros. The background player histories span from gold medal winning olympians like Phil Dalhausser to guys you've probably never heard of who grind and grind just to play in qualifiers. He sums it up with a true but heart breaking statement for those of us who would do anything/try everything to be a professional volleyball player; there is more to life than volleyball (unfortunately).

[Dave Blickstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm kinda a beach volleyball junkie.

As a player I strive to appreciate and admire what it takes to play at a high level. I guess, in some sense, that's a central theme of this book. These are people striving to play at the highest levels: to get through the pro beach tour's qualifying tournaments and make it to "the show", or as we call it in beach volleyball, "the main draw".

This book is not for everyone, but if you're someone (like me) who likes to be a "fly on the wall" witnessing how people "get there", I think you will find this an interesting read.

[Derek Dedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travis is an exceptional writer as those like me who have read his columns, blogs and other musings - already know. He is also an inspirational athlete as he grinds his way up the professional beach volleyball hierarchy, sharing that journey with his readers in an open and honest way. I think this book builds on that, shares the story of many athletes - the ups, the downs, the struggles and the victories. This is an entertaining book. A journey.

[Steve H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a fan of beach volleyball for more than 30 years. I truly enjoy watching the AVP (and FIVB) five star events. We Were Kings provides great additional insight into the life of a volleyball player and especially the behind the scenes, never seen on TV, grinding that volleyball players go through to become (or attempt to become) stars. If you enjoy beach volleyball, We Were Kings will greatly add to your understanding and appreciation of the sport.

[Ellen Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a SUPER amateur volleyball player, learning about the journeys of each player in the book was very enlightening. They all come from different places and it's slightly uplifting. The book was written very well and I'd recommend to anyone interested in learning a little bit more about the AVP and the difficulties players face to get to the top.

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book about beachvolley. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to read different stories about the people on the AVP and all the work they put in to become professional beachvolley players. I've had a laugh and a cry whilst reading and can't wait for part two!