Fort Lauderdale, USA, February 11, 2017 - Misty May-Treanor was a mainstay on the sand throughout her decorated career. But the Fort Lauderdale Major is the first FIVB tournament as a fan for the three-time Olympic champion.
“I miss it,” May-Treanor said. “I’ll always have that competitive bone in my body. Especially when I come to events that [Beach Majors Company CEO] Hannes Jagerhofer runs. He knows how to treat everyone right.”
May-Treanor is attending with her daughter, Malia, who will turn 3 years old in June.
She used to live nearby when her husband, Matt Treanor, played professional baseball for the Florida Marlins. She knows the area well, and recently took Malia to her favorite pancake place.
“We are having such a fun mother-daughter trip and watching the sport,” May-Treanor said.
She is now working as Long Beach City College’s director of volleyball operations. She describes herself as a “mini Athletic Director” for the men’s, women’s and sand programmes, and she coaches the women’s and sand teams.
She lives near her work, and she often brings Malia to practices, which makes her players happy.
“After practice, it’s a race to see who can pick her up the fastest,” May-Treanor said.
May-Treanor does more than just coach. She trains with her players, and even gets out on the court. When she does, she is still competitive.
“As a coach, I can’t let them beat me,” she said. “They inspire me and keep me going.”
May-Treanor, 39, still occasionally plays professionally on the domestic AVP circuit. Several players have reached out to her about playing this upcoming season, and she is considering it.
“It depends,” she said. “My knee is not good. I am in need of a knee replacement, but I can still get around. What’s the worst that can happen?”
May-Treanor still enjoys playing for fun, but she has no regrets about not trying to qualify for the 2016 Olympics.
“My body wouldn’t have handled it,” she said. “And my daughter is only small once.”
While in Fort Lauderdale, May-Treanor is excited to watch Sara Hughes, who she coached at the University of Southern California.
She was also planning on watching longtime partner Kerri Walsh Jennings. May-Treanor watched a lot of swimming on television with her daughter during the 2016 Olympics, but she struggled to stay awake late enough to watch beach volleyball.
“We are both busy,” May-Treanor said. “I can’t tell you the last time I saw her.”
