The Option

Derek Bradford is an American professional Beach volleyball player and former indoor standout. He left University of Hawaii to pursue beach volleyball full-time. His ascension has been nothing short of remarkable.

Today, on this Veterans Day, we do "call-in's" to various vets also involved in my wheelhouse of Beach Volleyball. We will have fun discussing fun boot camp stories, as well as military ribs done to and against. 16:58 - Steve Devlin, USMC 46:25 - More stories between guests 56:09 - Steve "Matsa Cahn, USMC 1:03:37 - Ken Bassarath, US ARMY 1:25:55 - Chis "Crispy" Sanchez,USAF 1:58:22 - More stories,...

On this shorter episode, we will be covering all things MMA (as much as we could), including UFC 321 with special guest MMA commentator Timmy B! 01:59 - MMA rules: Warnings vs Points vs DQ's 16:24 - Should the athletic commission cancel fights if fighters do not make weight? 24:38 - Quick topic questions #nyvarsitysports #optionpodcast

Chris Shaffer is an American beach volleyball player and indoor pro for the San Diego "Wild." He is also a club coach at "Coast" in San Diego. Gonna be fun. Born out of the womb to play, he brings a wealth of experience at a very young age. 01:30 - Why volleyball? The family tradition, the competitive nature, 9-man culture clips, plus, his "level-up" moment 11:30 - Going where people want you ther...

Eric T Red is an American activist, producer, and media tech specialist. He is the producer of the rising-popular podcast "Sabby Sabs." He is also the pioneer of "11 demands" - a one-stop shop to educate people on getting something from candidates who want your vote. Unapologetically independent, the 11 demands are geared toward having people learn that politics is up/down and not left/right. 02:0...

Dr. Kate Lund is an American clinical psychologist of 15 years, peak performance coach, best-selling author and TEDx speaker. Her primary focus is helping people improve their confidence in school, sports and life while helping them to become more resilient and reach their full potential at all levels. 03:16 - How the elements of resilience became her focus in her field and practice of psychology,...

RB Ham is a Canadian political commentator, activist and former candidate for office under the People's party. He was part of the freedom movement/Trucker protest 4 years ago. He is currently the host of the "Beyond the Pale" podcast. 02:00 - His run for the people's party in Canada, inspired by lockdowns and censorship, the Chronology of the Canadian trucker's protest, obstacles of a smaller part...

Bryce Mayer is an American beach volleyball player and former indoor standout at UC Santa Cruz. His transition to the beach was seamless, as his love and desire to become one of the best in the country became his pursuit. 2025 was a breakout year for him in the physical, mental and partner upgrade. He is currently a head club coast at Coast Beach Volleyball Club. 01:57 - Turning back the clock: co...

Pete A. Turner is an American podcaster, production expert, and Army counterintelligence veteran. The man with the gift of gab has used his experience from the intel community to do what he does best - spread the message and help others do the same. 00:49 - The things behind the scenes in the podcast people will never know about, the tradition of military service 08:23 - Small world: served in the...

On this episode, we will be covering all things MMA, including UFC 320 with special guest MMA commentator Timmy B! 01:34 - Dana White on 60 Minutes: too much or too little? 15:41 - Top 5 favorite submissions for the win 26:52 - UFC 320 Pick Six 52:42 - To SHAME, or NOT to SHAME? 59:40 - Quick Question

Tri Bourne is an American professional beach volleyball player. From shining at USC, to the professional domestic scene, to international ball, all the way to the Olympic games, he has done it all. With multiple championships at every level, the discussion of being a first-ballot Hall of Famer should be a given. 02:08 - The things that led to his decision to retire 11:28 - Volleyball, where and ho...

Bryan McDermand is an American beach volleyball coach and is currently the program director at "Progression Beach Volleyball Club" in Illinois. He is one of the beautiful minds of the sport and the work put he in, as well as the cleverness in how it was done, reflects well on him, his club, and the sport of beach volleyball. This is a treat. 03:30 - Does your beach program go year-round, or is it...

This episode explores the enigma known as Charlie Kirk, his controversies, his message, and the events that led to him being no longer with us. This is difficult in a sense that people saw him through near-polar opposite lens, so I took this time to take phone calls from people of different regions, social standing and political affiliations. Time constraints make this a hard stop but just the sam...

Kelly Hayes is an American volleyball player, coach, and celebrity event manager. She was recently a coach at Garden State Elite and continues to coach privately as well as clinics. Quite frankly, she is having entirely too much fun playing right now. 04:22 - Good coaches: when you do a good job, work looks for you, plus, when kids want to stay at practice, that is a win, creating safe spaces 13:3...

Todd Hollenbeck is an American indoor volleyball coach. With nearly two decades of experience at the NCAA level, he has enjoyed a heightened level of success in all three divisions at UC Santa Cruz, USC and Menlo College, highlighting a coach of the year award in 2015 from the AVCA - the highest honor. His stints at the club and HS level and similar success are well-documented. 02:30 - Why did you...

Wendy Jones is an American author, entrepreneur, podcaster and the founder of "Be Better Media" - a movement dedicated to maximizing wellness, as well as enhancing one's quality of life. Her journals real like novels and her podcast "What I meant to say" is provocative. She is most recently involved in transformative health, in terms of the nervous system. 04:00 - The Optimists Journal, Bebetterme...

Hakeem Bourne-McFarlane is an American entrepreneur, motivational speaker and former football player. He is a dynamic public speaker dedicated to representing the "Choose Yourself" movement on a global stage, with the mission being to inspire individuals to prioritize their well-being and personal growth while equipping them with the tools to face challenges with resilience and confidence. His lif...

Dave Palm is an American beach volleyball coach, professional player, and indoor coach. His accomplishments on the AVP and NVL scene are as well-documented as they are commendable. And it seems that the work he is doing as coach only showed he was just getting started. He resides in Florida and is the founder of "Palm Coast Volleyball Club." 01:31 - The transition from player to coach, and how sea...

Timmy B is a Canadian combat sports commentator and podcaster. He is a co-host for the ever-popular podcast "Fight in Sight." His breakdown on MMA, fight predictions training, and all things combat sports is well-documented. 03:45 - Will the UFC happen at the White House? 17:25 - Is Jon Jones back? Is Conor McGregor? Building star Power, jumping the line to be double champ 35:39 - The end of an er...

Jeff Samuels is an American Professional Beach Volleyball Player, Entrepreneur, and Model. He is also a spokesperson for Hyundai. The prosperity he is enjoying in his sport is well-documented. From the AVP, FIVB, NVL, to regional tournament wins, this versatile player is fun to watch, wherever the venue may be. 01:50 - Jon Jones retires, charged, the evolution of how we choose our role models, "Be...

Rowdy Lennon is an American beach volleyball player. A former UC Santa Cruz standout - and current assistant coach for the NCAA men's and women's program - he hit the ground running on the beach scene. He most recently played 8 grueling matches that got him to the finals at Palm Beach, Florida, and in doing so, secured an automatic bid for the Manhattan Beach Open. Beloved by his peers, Rowdy is p...

Diego Perez is an American beach volleyball player. Michael Clark is an American beach volleyball coach. They are the founders of "Jesus Rules" volleyball - a faith-based training system for adults, pros, and juniors. As far as the heightened level of play is concerned - and who has their back - they are truly a force to be reckoned with. 02:29 - revisiting Huntington Beach and the path to the mat...

This episode will be an interactive thing where there will be call-ins and dialogue on thoughts about the AVP beach volleyball league. Thanks to all who participated. 01:08 - I go first - my pros and cons, Volleyball announcer Dave Shaw chimes in 09:53 - the concept of expanding the league? The marketing, the turnout, and the product delivery 23:05 - Art Barron joins the show, the benefit of the l...

Bryan McDermand is an American beach volleyball coach, former indoor player and is currently the program director of "Progression Beach Volleyball" - an indoor beach facility in Chicago, Illinois Aaron Wexler is an American beach volleyball coach, former AVP player and college indoor coach and player at UCLA - and is currently the program director at "West Coast Volleyball Club" in Los Angeles, Ca...

Aaron Wexler is an American beach volleyball coach, former indoor and beach standout, and the author of "The Inspired Athlete." He is a former player and assistant women's volleyball coach at UCLA (2001 champs). He was an active player on the AVP scene and is currently the program director of West Coast Volleyball. 02:35 - Lambourne and Patterson, and the magic they put together, appreciating the...