Archive for 'Tony’s Blog'

We are finally settled down in the Village and ready for the Games. The Village is great—I have a nice big room with a view. The food at the dining hall is amazing and divided up into different categories including British, African, Mediterranean, Italian, Asian & Indian.

We have also been through outfitting, and I have to say that this is the best gear we have ever received: four bags full of 28 Nike and Ralph Lauren sweatshirts, 18 T-shirts, nine pairs of shorts, seven pairs of sweatpants, five pairs of shoes, one pair of sandals and another P&G bag full of any necessity item you could ever think of. It took us five hours just to be assigned all of our stuff!

We had our first training in the competition pool at the Official Stadium, but then we headed to Varazdin, Croatia because we needed more pool time than we could get in London. Varazdin is a really small town, and we just concentrated on training hard with the Croatians for five full practices—we beat them in some games and lost others.

After Croatia, we hopped on a bus to Budapest, Hungary, where we had three trainings with the reigning Gold Medalists. We played well and it was a good time to refocus and prepare ourselves before our first competition games. Budapest is famous for its spas, so our team spent the final day doing an “Olympic Spa”, which entails hitting up every pool and steam/sauna room available. The true test was who could do a 10 minute steam session, then a 15 minute cold bath, and then go back to the sauna and back to the cold bath again!

Now we are back in London, and to sum it up, we are recovered and ready to play. We took the morning off today and have our first scrimmage in the competition pool tomorrow. It is always good to get a feel for the venue and play a little in the official pool before it counts. We are not used to playing in such a big arena so we even need to adjust to simple things like the lighting.

Tonight we have a team dinner with just the players. This is a tradition that began in Beijing and that we have repeated every year since. The goal is to separate from the staff and the Olympic chaos and open up amongst ourselves. We are going to an old Pub called The Gun in Stratford that is supposed to have great traditional British food.

I will write another update soon with more news and also send along some pictures. Thanks to everyone for their support—we’re almost there!

data-text=”Last Days Before The Games Begin” data-url=”http://www.tonyazevedo.com/tonys-blog/last-days-before-the-games-begin/”
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Well, there’s one more week to go– this is our final week at home before we take off to London. I have been working hard to stay focused and contain my excitement for when we finally arrive at the Olympic Village.

Following our trip to Europe, we have been picking up our swimming and legs everyday as well as fine-tuning a lot of our tactics. Today started with 12 200′s all out and two hours of gym.

We leave for London on Monday the 16th and will spend two days going through processing, taking pictures, media stuff and finally moving into our apartments in the village. After that we head to Croatia and Hungary for five days in order to get some more pool time and play some practice matches before the Games begin.

The Games are over two weeks long, and we play from start to finish. If we are not careful, we could easily lose some form by not training enough. Since we play every other day, it is important to not taper and keep working throughout the Games. In the village we are only allotted two one-hour long pool sessions per day, so that is why we are going to Croatia and Hungary to get more training in before-hand.

In reality, I’m just happy that London is finally so close because it has been way too long since that last Gold Medal defeat. I have not stopped thinking about that day and will be 100% ready when this new opportunity arrives.

data-text=”Preparing for London” data-url=”http://www.tonyazevedo.com/tonys-blog/preparing-for-london/”
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These past two weeks have been extremely busy for our team. From June 8th-17th we were in Almaty, Kazakhstan for the World League Super Finals. We started out strong but faded in our last two matches against Italy and Croatia. Several members of our team were struggling with stomach illness throughout the tournament, and in our Bronze Medal game we were missing three guys in our starting line-up. But in the end we learned a lot on that trip. Losing by only one goal in both matches (considering the negative health experiences we were dealing with) let us know that we can only be stronger in the future.

After finishing the tournament in Almaty, we traveled to Budva, Montenegro to train with the Montenegrin Olympic team. We started the trip off with a team-building boat ride on the Adriatic Sea—we went cliff jumping and diving in the famous Blue Cave, and explored Mamula and other nearby islands. It was a much- needed break and more importantly a great opportunity for us to really relax and bond.

We also continued to train twice a day and scrimmaged six quarters every night. We did a pretty good job playing against the Montenegrins (the European Silver Medalists) and we were able to work on some key defensive and offensive tactics.

On the last day of the trip, coach Terry announced the official 2012 Olympic Team. There will be three first time Olympians on the team (Shea Buckner, Chay Lapin and John Mann) but we also lost 2008 Silver Medalist JW Krumpholz. The toughest thing about losing a teammate is that you spend so much time together that it feels like losing a family member. JW was a critical part of our run in Beijing and I am sure he will continue to be an important part of Team USA in the future.

In the end, after these last two weeks, I am positive that our team has a chance to bring home the first Gold for water polo in USA history. We are a strong team with heart, motivation and exceptional unity!

data-text=”Reflecting on Kazakhstan and Montenegro” data-url=”http://www.tonyazevedo.com/tonys-blog/reflecting-on-kazakhstan-and-montenegro/”
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Team USA has had a really great two weeks. For the first time (maybe in US history) we have beaten Hungary by more than 3 goals in back to back games (see Game Recaps). Then yesterday night at the Rose Bowl Aquatics center we downed the Croatians 9-5. This Croatian team is often considered the best in the world and this is the first time we have beaten them since the Beijing Olympics.

Our performance shows how dedicated and unified our group is, and I really believe that if we can play our games consistently in London, we will be listening to our National anthem while standing on top of the podium. I’m hoping these wins will get the ball rolling and excite us even more to work harder. We need to take the energy from these games and focus on getting in even better shape and fine-tuning every aspect of our tactics.

On Tuesday next week the official Olympic Team will finally be named, so this will be a tough time for some of our players. Our guys have put their lives on hold for 4 years, giving up jobs and other goals to work for the Olympic dream.

I have also been really happy to have had such great audience turnout at all of our recent games. Water polo is an incredible sport and the way it was presented at the Rose Bowl on Friday is an example of how all games should be played. Our sport needs to grow, and I think a good start is to continue hosting amazing events and having more games at home in the USA.

As a kid I got to see tons of games, I interacted with players, and I learned about the sport. We don’t have enough games at home anymore and we need to make sure we have tournaments like these last ones every year. Hopefully in the future another step will also be to change the rules and make the sport TV friendly. There is really no reason why water polo can’t be considered a big sport.

data-text=”Good Results for Team USA” data-url=”http://www.tonyazevedo.com/tonys-blog/good-results-for-team-usa/”
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I’m back to blogging after a long absence.  From now on I will try to post once a week with updates on past events and notifications for the future.  I have a new website out (www.tonyazevedo.com) and will also be regularly checking my Facebook and other social media outlets to better communicate with my fans.

This is a really important time for myself and the USA Team, since London is only a few weeks away!  We have been preparing for the last four months by swimming five to eight thousand meters everyday and lifting for two hours, three times a week.

We have not had a lot of time to play games but this weekend and into next week we have a big games in Newport and LA against Croatia and Hungary, two of the strongest teams in the world.  In a few weeks we will also be traveling to Kazakhstan for another tournament and then to Montenegro for some additional training.  This next month is really crucial because actually playing other teams will help us fine-tune our structure on defense and offense as well as gauge where we are physically.

This is also an important time because we will be making cuts for the Olympics following these four games. As important as it has been to keep all of us fighting for positions and battling everyday towards the final cut, it is also important to now play games together as the official Olympic Team. This will force our mindsets to change from trying to prove ourselves to only concentrating on what the team needs to do to win.

We will be training before and during these games because although these are good games to play, it is not the time to stop our preparation with the ultimate goal in mind. If we can perform well when we are really tired then we will gain confidence.

I am excited to finally have some games at Newport (which I consider the hotbed of water polo in the USA) and also in LA. I am expecting a ton of great fans and just hope that we can give everyone a superb show.

On another note, four guys have been chosen to be on the “Price Is Right” television show next Wednesday. It will be an Olympic edition show where we might be appearing in our Speedos! Stay tuned to find out!

data-text=”Reconnecting With My Fans” data-url=”http://www.tonyazevedo.com/tonys-blog/reconnecting-with-my-fans/”
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After beating Germany with a 5-0 run in the second half of the game, we started our journey to the finals against Spain. Spain has always been a tough team for us. They are fast and physical and besides us they are one of the only teams that drive.

The game started with us going up 2-0 on counter-attacks. But it did not take long for Spain to respond. Soon after they tied the score and eventually took the lead. The game was more of a swimming match than anything. The referees weren’t calling many fouls and neither team was playing for the centers.

In the last minute of the game, with Spain leading 7-6, we called a Timeout. We ran a play and got the ball to the center, but as was expected there was no foul called and the game ended. Our hopes of winning a gold medal were crushed.

Reflecting on our loss we all realize the opportunity we had but more importantly we know what still lies ahead. No US team has ever won a medal at World Championships. If we do end up getting a medal, this will be a first, which is on par with paving our way to becoming the greatest American team of all time.

Tomorrow we will play Croatia for the bronze. Croatia has always been a powerhouse and they have two of the best centers in the world. After our loss last night we realize that playing as bad as we did we are still on a competitive level with anyone in the world. If we can play well we are the best team in the world.

Tonight we will recover and watch a lot of video. Tomorrow we will wake up, eat with Phelps and the swimmers as usual, and then prepare to beat the Croatians. Our team matches up well against Croatia and since Ratko Rudic was our coach we know all the tricks they might try and pull. Stay tuned for more.

data-text=”America Falls Short of Getting to Gold” data-url=”http://www.tonyazevedo.com/tonys-blog/america-falls-short-of-getting-to-gold/”
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On Thursday, after beating Macedonia earlier in the week, we had our last game of pool play. We played against Romania in a noon game to see who would be first in the bracket.

Just to set the scene, it’s about 98 degrees here every day and at noon it feels over 100. The pool grows hotter throughout the week while the balls get worse. The game started slowly, with us missing our first three six on fives. Our defense stayed strong but we could just not score. After four brutal periods in the sun, the game was finally over. We had beat Romania 7-5. Romania is a team that we always seem to have problems with– earlier in the year we lost to them in a friendly match. But this time we wanted and needed those extra days off that we got by winning.

Today us, Spain, Croatia and Hungary have the day off since we qualified first in our brackets. Next we play the winner of the game between Montenegro and Germany. Both teams are strong and just a month ago Montenegro was considered to be the best team in the world. The other bracket games are Spain vs. the winner of Canada and China; Hungary vs. the winner of Italy and Serbia; and Croatia vs. the winner of Romania and Australia. It has turned out that our bracket route to the final four was a lot harder than Spain and Croatia’s, but in order for us to win the Gold we will have to beat these teams eventually.

As far as the team is concerned, we are all getting our rest and preparing for Tuesday night. Bailey has been sick with a 102 degree fever, and he played that way against Romania. This time off has been great for his recovery and hopefully he will get out of the room today! Layne has been having back issues but with rest and therapy he is already looking livelier. As for the rest of us, we are getting our massages and taking advantage of the hotel Spa. Tonight we will see who we play and we will immediately start preparing for our next game (Germany).

data-text=”Second Installment from the Worlds” data-url=”http://www.tonyazevedo.com/tonys-blog/second-installment-from-the-worlds/”
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Yesterday was our first game of the 2009 Fina World Championships in Rome. Of course, we started off the tournament by playing against Italy— the host team. This seems to happen to us a lot: in Beijing our first game was against China, in Melbourne we were up first against Australia, and so on.

The day began with the Italian police knocking on my hotel door at 5 AM telling me I had to go down to the police station immediately. I refused to go without a valid explanation and we agreed that I would go by myself later that morning. When I finally arrived at the station, none of the officers knew who I was or why I was there. They said the police must have made a mistake. We stayed and tried to argue but realized it would be better to just go home and get some rest, although the whole situation was very suspicious.

As we left to the pool we noticed our bus driver taking a different route. It usually only takes 20 minutes even with the Roman traffic, but for some reason this ride ended up being 45 minutes long!!

When we arrived at the pool we were guided to the warm-up station, which was a 15 min walk, and began to warm up for our 9 o’clock game. After the entire U.S. Team was already in the water, we noticed that not even one Italian player was there yet. Soon after we were informed that the game would be delayed by 20 minutes, and then, as if they had known all along, the Italians started arriving.

Playing at another team’s home, you always have to be prepared for anything. Some surprises are small but some are big, but the only thing you can do is stay focused without getting frustrated. After the Italian National Anthem played, you could feel a tense and exciting vibe in the air. Everyone was against us chanting ITALIA ITALIA! But this chanting soon ended.

After winning the sprint we immediately went up 1 – 0 with a shot from Layne Beubien, and from that point on we were in control. The referees made some terrible calls, majored our player for nothing, and gave the Italians two questionable penalties (one blocked by Moses), but in the end we played a superior game. The Italians even had Vaseline on their bodies, and when we told the refs they waited two quarters to check them and eventually told them to wipe it off. (Remember, this should be a game exclusion).

Now we are in a great position. We play Macedonia on Wednesday and then Romania on Friday. If we win both games we will advance first in our bracket. Macedonia has five ex- Serbian players who are very good, and a Croatian goal keeper— all very top-notch athletes. We are going to have to swim them and make them play our game. Which in my opinion most people can’t play.

Stay tuned for more updates on our games and feel free to email me with any questions or comments.

data-text=”Beating the Hosts in Italy” data-url=”http://www.tonyazevedo.com/tonys-blog/beating-the-hosts-in-italy/”
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JUG 3, Mladost 0

The championship is finally over! For the first time in the history of Croatian water polo (which started in 1923) we swept the best of five series in three straight games. And the final game was definitely one to remember.

We stared off up 2- 0 with two goals from the center. Then over the next two periods we got outscored 4 – 0, making the halftime score 4 – 2. But in the final two quarters we outscored Mladost 8- 3 to secure a win.

Immediately after the buzzer ended the last quarter, our coaches, presidents and fans rushed the pool, jumped in and began celebrating together. Our fans were begging for us to throw them all of our gear, so all of the practice balls, caps and robes disappeared into the crowd of five thousand strong.

During the ceremony they gave us two gold medals and a Championship Cup the size of a small person.

The celebrating continued at a restaurant where the entire tab was paid for and the whole town was involved. I think we all got home around five or six in the morning, completely exhausted but exhilarated at the same time.

Looking back, this really was an amazing year. We played over 50 games, won the Croatian Cup in December, the Adriatic league in April and now the Croatian National Championship in May. Our only loss was at the European Championships (Final Four), but without two of our starters we still managed to get there and compete well.

I will be coming back next year and hopefully our other two starters will also be healthy enough to return. So then maybe we can add the Final Four to our list of wins!

Anyways, stay tuned for the World League Competition that starts on June 16th. I will be training alone in Croatia until my National Teammates arrive next week. I’m excited to see them all again and to start competing for the USA.

Good luck to everyone, and email me with any questions or comments.

data-text=”Winners of Croatia!” data-url=”http://www.tonyazevedo.com/tonys-blog/winners-of-croatia/”
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Sorry for not getting out a blog before the Final Four (European Championships) but we were put in a hotel without an Internet connection three days before the game.

The atmosphere at my first Final Four was really amazing —- there was a huge screen TV outside of the stadium for the hoards of people who did not get tickets, and inside there was a completely packed crowd of screaming fans.

The experience was great but unfortunately our game was not. We played what was possibly our first bad game of the year. We started ahead but never put them away and by the third period we were down by 3.

Watching all the games during the tournament, I realized what a difference missing two of our players (Pavo Marcovic and Maro Jokovic) has made. Pro Recco and the other teams sub six for six, but we on the other hand have only one sub besides our whole man. I always play all four quarters.

The day after our loss to Pro Recco, we had the third place game vs Mladost (I know, I can’t believe how many times we have to play them) and won. Our team prize was 10,000 euro.

Now we move on again to our third game of the best of five series for the Croatian Championships. This coming Saturday we will play Mladost (again) at home and hopefully become champions (we have won the first two games of the best of five series already).

If we lose, we play game four in Zagreb on Wednesday and then game five at home on Saturday, June 6th. Beating a team like Mladost five times in a row (which is what we have done during this year) is amazing. But each successive game is that much harder. Mladost will arrive ready to fight, they have nothing to lose, and unless our team starts strong they will all play great.

If we lose this game on Saturday, upsetting them at home again will be nearly impossible and in game five you never know what will happen. If you can watch, be prepared for one of the most physical games of the year (last game I got my tooth broken), and a real test of our abilities.

data-text=”First Final Four Experience” data-url=”http://www.tonyazevedo.com/tonys-blog/first-final-four-experience/”
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