Queen of Sports

AVP Tour Suspends Operations Due To Financial Hardship

AVP, the professional beach volleyball tour, has announced it has had to stop operation due to financial trouble, in turn cutting the 2010 season short. The AVP owners are unable to fund the tour, and the AVP has been unable to find new investors. The AVP, or Association of Volleyball Professionals, has been one of the best beach volleyball tours in the world, AVP athletes have won at least one gold medal in every Olympics since beach volleyball became an Olympic sport in 1996. The cutting off of the tour has sadly come just before the 50th anniversary of the Manhattan Open, one of the AVP’s biggest events.

Jason Hodell, AVP CEO released this statement, saying, “On behalf of AVP staff we want to express our sincere gratitude to fans, players, partners and sponsors. Words cannot express our profound disappointment.” Misty May-Treanor took to her blog to express her sadness over the announcement but seemed hopeful things would turn around in the future. She also took the time out to thank all the people who kept the AVP going.

Kerri Walsh Opens Up About Her “Irish Twins”

Olympic volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh and her husband fellow volleyball player Casey Jennings welcomed their second child in a year three months ago. The couple has two sons, Joseph Michael, 14 months and Sundance Thomas, 3 months (pictured above).

While some think that it was an accident, Kerri says that they planned to have the two kids so close together and she wrote on her blog why:

A lot of people ask me why we decided to have our kids so close together and it always brings a smile to my face. Joey and Sundance are three days shy of a year apart — “Irish twins” — and that’s EXACTLY how we wanted it!

Some people assume it was an “accident.” Some think we’ve gypped Joey out of being the one and only far too soon. Some believe we’re simply crazy while others think it’s a beautiful thing.

There were several reasons behind our decision. Here are a few of them:

• As a professional athlete, the lifespan of my career is, unfortunately, pretty limited. I felt that having my children back-to-back would enable me to make the most of my time in the sand. I was fortunate enough to win gold in 2008 and a little shy of two years later, I have both my babies and am now getting back to the sport I love so much and the job which allows me to support my family.
• Our volleyball careers require us to travel a lot and we never want our kids to feel alone or to be without someone to relate to.
• Lastly and most importantly: Both Casey and I are very close in age to our nearest sibling and we each absolutely LOVED everything about that closeness.

For me, my brother Marte and I are 11 months apart, as close as can be and I wouldn’t trade this for the whole wide world. He was my best friend throughout every stage in life — still is! — and I took a silly kind of pride in telling people that we were Irish twins. I wanted that for my kids with Casey.

I honestly feel that my brother and I being so close in age is one of the very best blessings in all my life. He was always right there for me as a friend, protector, mentor, playmate and sparring partner. My childhood was beyond special and adventurous and hilarious because I shared it all with my best friend — my big brother. How could I not want to pass that along to my children?

It was my dream to have our children so close to each other and I feel so grateful and humbled that the big guy upstairs blessed us with the realization of that dream.

Photo: Kerri Walsh

Athlete Sighting: Tony Gonzalez

Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez was spotted at the opening of the AVP season in Huntington Beach on Saturday afternoon.

UPDATE: Kerri Walsh Gives Birth To Baby Boy!

Olympic gold medal beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh gave birth to a healthy little boy today! Both mom and son are doing well.

Kerri Walsh is married to Casey Jennings, also a volleyball player. This is the couples second child. Joseph Michael Jennings was born May 22, 2009. Wow – she’s been pregnant for almost two years straight!

Maybe we’ll be seeing these little guys winning gold medals in 20 years…

Congrats to the newest addition to your family!

UPDATE: Kerri and Casey have named their second child, Sundance. He was born at 9:59pm Wednesday night in Torrance, California. Sundance weighed in at 6 lbs. 12 oz. and is 19 3/4 inches long. Kerri, 31 plans to get back on the volleyball court to train for the 2012 London Olympics with partner Misty May-Treanor.

Photo: Twitter

Athlete Sighting: Misty May-Treanor

Olympic gold medal volleyball player Misty May-Treanor was seen sight-seeing at the Vatican City in Rome on Monday.

Misty is in Italy for the 2010 SWATCH Grand Slam which will take place May 17 – 23 at the Parco del Foro Italico.  This is the third global stop on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour – the previous two stops were in South America and Asia.

Athlete Sighting: Kerri Walsh

Olympic volleyball player Kerri Walsh was spotted eating lunch on Wednesday afternoon at Urth Caffe in Santa Monica.

Nivea New Title Sponsor for AVP

Nivea has signed a five-year title sponsor deal for the AVP. The deal includes changing the AVP’s logo from its current yellow to the deep blue color used in packaging by Nivea, which calls itself “the world’s largest skin and beauty care brand.”

“Their vision is to create a sea of blue at our events,” said AVP CEO Jason Hodell. Beiersdorf VP/Marketing Nicolas Maurer called it more of a lifestyle hookup than a sports play

The AVP’s 2010 season begins on April 10th in Fort Lauderdale.