“It’s just been an awesome volleyball experience,” Ball says. Lloyd Ball is playing his fourth season in Zenit Kazan. Kazan is the richest volleyball club in Russia with $10 million payroll.
Ball, a four-time Olympian and 10-year national captain, planned to retire after the 2004 Olympics, but the financial rewards kept him in the game. Ball is playing with one of Russia’s greatest players, Sergey Tetyukin, for ZENIT KAZAN in the Russian League and CEV Champion’s League. After 4 Olympics, Ball finally won a GOLD medal.
The 37-year-old Ball is playing his 13th season of professional volleyball overseas and fourth with Zenit Kazan in Kazan, one of the country’s largest cities. Ball also played in Japan, Italy, and Greece. Russian volleyball has ascended since its native players returned to play at home following the 2004 Olympics.
“Russia has just become the juggernaut of club volleyball,” Ball says. “For one, they have about 200 of their own players who are unbelievable. And then you throw two of the best players in the world on every team, which makes for not only great teams but great competition.”
Zenit Kazan had the highest payroll in the 12-team league last year: $10 million for a 12-player roster, according to Ball. For a player making $1,000,000, that’s more than $45,000 a match for a 22-date regular-season schedule.
“It’s just been an awesome volleyball experience,” Ball says.“It’s just been an awesome volleyball experience. Obviously, living in Italy and Greece is easier than living in Russia – I’m not going to lie and say it’s not. But, financially and being on probably the best club team I’ve ever been on makes volleyball at my age still real fun to play.”
Zenit Kazan, which has won the past two Russian championships and a European title, sweetened Ball’s deal this year by including a $40,000 stipend for an American teacher to accompany his family to Russia and provide schooling for 8-year-old Dyer Ball. The teacher also received an apartment, car, and airfare to and from the U.S.
Professional volleyball seems to be good for U.S. volleyball, too. By extending players’ careers, the U.S. has been able to stock its national team rosters with veterans like Ball and Stanley and benefit from younger players gaining valuable experience with their club teams.
“We wouldn’t have won a gold medal (in 2008 Olympics) without it,” Ball says. “No matter how much training we can do there in Anaheim, which is good especially because most of the guys are from there, you can never get the game-type experience you’re getting playing day-in and day-out abroad.”
from volleyballmag
