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REMEMBERING CARL

Carl McGown was a special human being. He is being celebrated today by his family and friends in Provo, Utah. I wanted to share a few words about him here, disappointed that I can’t be in Provo today.

Carl had a particular way of speaking. It was matter of fact. I liked that. I got to know him in 2003 when he joined the coaching super-staff leading into the 2004 Olympic Games. The message that I heard from him that resonated the most was the concept of developing a comfort with discomfort. To embrace the feeling of discomfort and make that the new comfortable. It applied to how we trained, how we competed, how we traveled, and certainly has application off the court as well.  It’s a message that I still try to embody today.

Carl will be remembered for many things – how he lived, how he related, and the impact he had on volleyball and the thousands of players like me that he affected. Life is short…and the reality of that is present with me today. Time is a valuable commodity with a limited supply. Carl made a difference in this world with the time he was given.

Thank you, Carl, for a life well lived. Thank you to his wife, Susan, and family for sharing him with the rest of us. Life is a team sport and he was special in large part because of his team, his support system, his family…he would be the first to say so. We are celebrating him today and thinking of you.