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Post by volleyballjim on Jan 21, 2021 22:32:34 GMT -5
On a recent Sandcast, Andy Benesh self depreciatively stated that he felt he had to win a tourney to be considered a “professional beach volleyball player”. I hear it all the time, people talking about “who is a pro”, who decides, what are the “qualifications”.
Let me tell you who is a pro in golf, my previous obsession (working the driving range and hanging around the pro shop in San Jose’s Almaden Country Club for years): Anyone on the PGA/LPGA tour is a Pro. Also, anyone on the lower level tours around the world. Head pros at your local golf courses are PROS. Assistant pro’s at those same courses are PROS. They all can teach and play the game effectively and are in the top tier of golfers. SO, I think anyone who can teach, play open level ball is a BEACH VOLLEYBALL PROFESSIONAL. Just because our sport is not flooded with money like other sports doesn’t denigrate our professionals from that status.
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Post by sonofdogman on Jan 22, 2021 0:20:31 GMT -5
I'm not going to try and change your mind, but my mind is certainly a bit different. You are putting together two things I would keep apart: being good at something and earning a paycheck from it.
In golf, there are many opportunities to make the game your profession and to land a full-time job within the sport. Not so much in Beach Volleyball.
So for me, except for the top ten or so players of each gender, there aren't any pro players in this sport, just a bunch of semi-pros. The sport is growing though, so today there are many more Beach Volleyball professionals who are coaches than there are players.
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Post by wilbur on Jan 22, 2021 0:26:07 GMT -5
There are pro coaches and pro players. If you make more than 10% of your income in a year from one you are a pro in that category and only that catagory IMO. But that is just my opinion and these are just labels. Everyone is free to define themselves. If Chiropractors can be doctors, the scratch golfer slinging range balls can call himself a golf pro.
In my book, Andy is a volleyball professional player and has been since he graduated college. In that same book,for every Andy, there are 10+ guys that call themselves professional players but don't meet my criteria.
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Post by gobruins on Jan 22, 2021 8:25:11 GMT -5
If you make your living from a sport, you are a "pro". "Pro" being short for "professional".
If you make your living doing something else, but make some money in the sport, you are "semi pro".
If you make your living doing something else, and spend money (more than you get paid, or win) to play your sport, you are a recreational player.
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Post by volleyballjim on Jan 22, 2021 11:28:53 GMT -5
If you make your living from a sport, you are a "pro". "Pro" being short for "professional". If you make your living doing something else, but make some money in the sport, you are "semi pro". If you make your living doing something else, and spend money (more than you get paid, or win) to play your sport, you are a recreational player. It sounds like being a professional in a sport is not directly related to skill-set . . . Interesting.
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Post by ajm on Jan 22, 2021 14:44:16 GMT -5
If you make your living from a sport, you are a "pro". "Pro" being short for "professional". If you make your living doing something else, but make some money in the sport, you are "semi pro". If you make your living doing something else, and spend money (more than you get paid, or win) to play your sport, you are a recreational player. What’s the minimum yearly earnings from volleyball that would count as making a living? Lots of grey area between pro and semi-pro there. Even some of the Olympic contenders are supplementing their income with jobs outside of volleyball. I think we should allow each individual to decide whether he/she is a pro.
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Post by COVAlove on Jan 22, 2021 17:02:52 GMT -5
If you make your living from a sport, you are a "pro". "Pro" being short for "professional". If you make your living doing something else, but make some money in the sport, you are "semi pro". If you make your living doing something else, and spend money (more than you get paid, or win) to play your sport, you are a recreational player. It sounds like being a professional in a sport is not directly related to skill-set . . . Interesting. How else are you going to make money playing beach volleyball other than having the most elite skill set?
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Post by volleyballjim on Jan 22, 2021 17:16:07 GMT -5
It sounds like being a professional in a sport is not directly related to skill-set . . . Interesting. How else are you going to make money playing beach volleyball other than having the most elite skill set? Tell that to a Q player who makes Main Draw once in a while . . . A Volleyball Professional. SO, if more money was strewn about the sport, these SAME players would THEN be pro's? Well, I think they deserve the accolades or you can only call a handful in our sports "pro" . . . Not very nice, IMHO . . .
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Post by guest2 on Jan 22, 2021 22:31:59 GMT -5
If you make your living from a sport, you are a "pro". "Pro" being short for "professional". If you make your living doing something else, but make some money in the sport, you are "semi pro". If you make your living doing something else, and spend money (more than you get paid, or win) to play your sport, you are a recreational player. It sounds like being a professional in a sport is not directly related to skill-set . . . Interesting. I think its related to skill set comparatively, the same as it is in any other sport. In most sports there are a certain number of professional slots. In BVB that number is just relatively small. The skill threshold for being a pro is whatever skill level lets you earn X amount and not need to depend on bringing people their drink orders to pay the bills. If there were an accidental bomb dropped on an FIVB event, that skill threshold would get lower. So it is about skills, but comparatively not objectively
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Post by volleyballjim on Jan 22, 2021 22:55:02 GMT -5
It sounds like being a professional in a sport is not directly related to skill-set . . . Interesting. I think its related to skill set comparatively, the same as it is in any other sport. In most sports there are a certain number of professional slots. In BVB that number is just relatively small. The skill threshold for being a pro is whatever skill level lets you earn X amount and not need to depend on bringing people their drink orders to pay the bills. If there were an accidental bomb dropped on an FIVB event, that skill threshold would get lower. So it is about skills, but comparatively not objectively I hear ya . . . I feel bad for "pro's", as one defines it, feeling bad about calling themselves pros. I DO know a lot of assistant professional golfers who weren't as good as some local players "not in the field". Anway, get the mix of population / skill per player, but man, some of those Q boys can rock . . . ;-), BUT, on Friday "they're free" . . . LOL
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Post by COVAlove on Jan 22, 2021 23:06:37 GMT -5
How else are you going to make money playing beach volleyball other than having the most elite skill set? Tell that to a Q player who makes Main Draw once in a while . . . A Volleyball Professional. SO, if more money was strewn about the sport, these SAME players would THEN be pro's? Well, I think they deserve the accolades or you can only call a handful in our sports "pro" . . . Not very nice, IMHO . . . You always confuse the crap out of me. Group: pro is someone who makes their living at the sport without another gig You: so definition of pro isn’t tied to skill set? Me: the ones with the best skill sets are the ones that make money and therefore are pros You: so why isn’t the guy with lesser skills a pro?
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Post by volleyballjim on Jan 23, 2021 1:34:03 GMT -5
Tell that to a Q player who makes Main Draw once in a while . . . A Volleyball Professional. SO, if more money was strewn about the sport, these SAME players would THEN be pro's? Well, I think they deserve the accolades or you can only call a handful in our sports "pro" . . . Not very nice, IMHO . . . You always confuse the crap out of me. Group: pro is someone who makes their living at the sport without another gig You: so definition of pro isn’t tied to skill set? Me: the ones with the best skill sets are the ones that make money and therefore are pros You: so why isn’t the guy with lesser skills a pro? You can have "skills" and not win ($$$) . . .
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2021 1:52:12 GMT -5
You always confuse the crap out of me. Group: pro is someone who makes their living at the sport without another gig You: so definition of pro isn’t tied to skill set? Me: the ones with the best skill sets are the ones that make money and therefore are pros You: so why isn’t the guy with lesser skills a pro? You can have "skills" and not win ($$$) . . . no
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Post by volleyballjim on Jan 23, 2021 1:54:41 GMT -5
You can have "skills" and not win ($$$) . . . no Pro Golfers teach lessons and are great golfers but probably wouldn't make the cut in a major tournament: Professional Golfers . . . QED
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Post by gobruins on Jan 23, 2021 10:33:15 GMT -5
Many years ago, I knew a guy who was a very successful engineer. But, he also played semi-pro hockey. Probably made less than $1,000 a year playing semi-pro. But, he loved putting "professional hockey player" as his occupation on his tax returns.
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