It’s induction week on the Worldwide Volleyball Corridor of Fame in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Six inductees will be part of the earlier 161 gamers, coaches, directors and leaders from 25 nations who’ve already been enshrined within the museum on the birthplace of volleyball. Now we have tales on all six, starting with Silvano Prandi from Italy:
It could be exhausting to consider now, however Italy was not at all times a males’s volleyball powerhouse.
They Italians completed eighth within the 1976 Olympics and ninth within the boycott-affected 1980 Moscow Video games.
However all of that was earlier than Silvano Prandi got here on the scene.
In 1982 Prandi took over the Italian nationwide workforce and two years later, — growth — in Los Angeles, the “Bel Paese” received their first Olympic medal, a bronze.
For this and his many different accomplishments, Prandi, 75, a distinguished membership volleyball coach, is now within the final membership, an inductee into the Worldwide Volleyball Corridor of Fame.
He’s the sixth Italian to be so honored, and solely the second coach (Julio Velasco is the opposite) from that nation.
Upon studying of his honor, Prandi mentioned, “In my 47-year profession at excessive stage I’ve skilled so many gratifying moments. Definitely the one within the Corridor of Fame is among the most extraordinary.”
Prandi’s affect is so pronounced within the sport that a minimum of 10 of the gamers he coached pre-dated him into the Corridor, together with a few of the greatest names within the historical past of the game: Dimiter Zlatnov, Craig Buck, Geovani Gavio, Nalbert Betancourt, Giba, Vladi and Nikola Grbic, Lorenzo Bernardi, Samuele Papi and Andrea Gardini.
And but none of these icons are cited as one of the best participant Prandi has coached. That honor goes to Spain’s incomparable reverse Rafael Pascual (2024 IVBH voters take observe).
“As a result of in addition to being an incredible athlete, he was at all times an incredible instance for his teammates as effectively.”
And that quote reveals the essence of Prandi. Above all he values these intangibles that make a workforce nice.
Early in his teaching days Prandi was given the nickname “Il Professore,” as a result of he began his working life instructing bodily training in state colleges. The nickname caught, and for good motive. To teach all of that prime stage expertise, and get them to pay attention and carry out, is a excessive wire act in and of itself.
So, what then is the key sauce?
“I by no means stopped desirous to be taught by always evaluating myself with coaches, gamers and anybody who may train me one thing,” Prandi mentioned. There may be additionally one thing else that explains his success, one thing deeper.
“I used to be born with a ardour for instructing and seeing younger folks enhance.”
Even at 75, Prandi continues to be teaching on the highest ranges of the game. Since 2015 he has led the French Ligue A powerhouse membership Chaumont Volley-Ball 52. American Joe Worsley is among the setters on that squad.
Prandi was no slouch as a participant himself. He earned his bona fides as a high Italian membership participant for a few years, first with Piemonte Volley (1960-1969) after which Pallavolo Torino (1969-1972).
Prandi’s 47-year teaching profession started with the Bistefani Torino Membership in 1976. He was with them via 1987, with temporary intermissions teaching the Italian nationwide workforce, culminating in that Olympic bronze in 1984.
“It was an incredible outcome,” Prandi mentioned. “Italy had by no means received an Olympic medal, so of nice satisfaction for me too!”
From 1988, Prandi put his imprint on lots of the high Italian golf equipment, together with family names like Charro Esperia Padova, Tnt Alpitour Cuneo, Lube Banca Marche Macerata, Estense 4 Torri Ferrara, Itas Diatec Trentino, and Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo.
In 2008 Prandi was recruited to teach the Bulgarian nationwide workforce, the place he remained via 2010. Underneath his management the Bulgarians took dwelling a bronze medal within the 2009 European Championships, top-of-the-line finishes the nation has ever had in a continental/world competitors. He additionally returned briefly as Bulgaria’s coach from 2019-2021.
Regardless of the success on the worldwide stage Prandi enjoys teaching his membership groups extra.
“In golf equipment you prepare extra time and you’ve got a larger influence on the expansion of gamers,” he mentioned providing the pure response from a person often known as “Il Professore.”
Prandi cited former USA Volleyball CEO and 1984 Olympic gold-medal successful coach Doug Beal as a North Star for him.
“I’ve discovered from many, however my greatest position mannequin has been Doug Beal,” Prandi mentioned. “He modified my means of understanding volley.”
Loads has modified in each the world at giant and volleyball particularly over the past half century. Prandi has seen all of it. However what if any modifications did he see in his gamers throughout that epoch?
“The modifications have been largely psychological,” he mentioned. “The gamers have understood that we coaches give them the bike, however they’re those who must pedal tougher and tougher in the event that they wish to win!”
Search for tales this week on Olympic gold medalist and four-time Olympian Phil Dalhausser (United States, seaside male participant); two-time Olympic medalist and five-time FIVB World Tour Champion Larissa França Maestrini (Brazil, seaside feminine participant); three-time Olympic medalist and iconic setter with a twenty yr profession Katsutoshi Nekoda (Japan, indoor male participant); four-time Olympian and three time Olympic medalist Yumilka Ruiz (Cuba, indoor feminine participant); and longtime administrator inside varied nationwide and worldwide federations and the primary member to signify Thailand within the IVHF, Shanrit Wongprasert (Thailand, chief).
Click on right here for ticket data and if you happen to received’t be on the ceremonies they’ll be streamed at IVHF.org
