I am blessed to be a Kessel. Why I was given the gift of being a child of Del and Carrie Lou Kessel...I will never know. I do know I am very very lucky to have had the parenting I received, and the love of such a great family. Since returning from the 1996 Olympics, I found myself as single dad of two super kids, who travels more than most, and shares my non-work time with my kids. We share tons of fun, as you can see in the Tales and Laff series. For over 15 years I have earned my main paycheck from USA Volleyball, for I believe in the saying of Confuscious, "Chose work that you love and you will never have to work a day in your life." I juggle many challenges during the day from all over the world, and returned from Sydney as Olympic Beach Volleyball Team Leader to add the title of USAV Director of Education to my adventures, along with Beach, Disabled and Grassroots volleyball. I wear suits only when I have to. I read voraciously, tho these days it seems to be my hundred plus daily emails and not enough good stories, though my nightly reading with the kids takes me everywhere from the time of dinosaurs to future space stations.
Marching at the Olympic Opening Ceremonies
Most of the "Who is this guy?" stuff can be found on my USA Volleyball work web site by clicking here.
Some other things my friends wonder about me...My favorite places to eat are the Olympic Training Center dining hall an all you can eat place with the best company around and super food including unlimited fruit smoothies, Furr's Cafeteria, and any Chinese Super Buffet. I have a high metabolism, so I have to eat affordably. When I was in France, I have to eat two meals, their noveu cuisine is too much fancy plate and not enough calories. Heck, I even took the office out for lunch at Furrs for my 40th birthday. I mean, no frustrations with slow waitpersons, lots of veggies, all the dessert you can cram in at the end for under six bucks and no tip needed! I hate summer squash, had to choke that down with milk in childhood clean your plate days. Not too fond of cucumbers, zuchinni, eggplant, pickles or carrots. Wondering if it is some sort of phallicphobia. Yet I will clear my plate of spinach (more please), broccoli, peas, brussel sprouts, lima beans and many other normally hated vegetables.
I am pretty healthy, can see 20-20 these days thanks to the Laser Eye Connection, just need some 1.50 readers or long arms to read the tiny print and tie on a fly to my line; My folks were smokers, and dad is paying for it now sadly, so all three of us Kessel siblings hate smoking; Lost my tonsils at 9, fond memories of Grandma Doris, ice cream and SevenUp helping get thru that pain; Drink a beer when the beer is cold and the day is hot...mostly after hunting. Hard liquor reminds me too much of all the cough medicine I had to gag down as a child; Still have my appendix...what should I do with it? Got the chicken pox at 19 while in Mexico, hiding under the covers "Tengo la influenza..." with spots all over my body and pissed I could not body surf...Missing both Anterior Cruciate Ligaments (one from ice hockey back in 1973, the other from skiing back in 1998), but still motor around as if all is well...I just ski powder more and the bumps less, and no longer run to stay in shape.
Above my stove at home, you would read the saying...
There are two things we give our children One is roots The other is wings
And, thanks to Cindi...our front door says...
Mi Casa es Su Casa
Ramble these pages at will for they have much of our life and thoughts contained in various areas. And remember....
Time was, is past; thou canst not it recall: Time is, thou hast; employ the portion small; Time future, is not; and may never be: Time present, is the only time for thee. Sigourney
Your basic living history of the Kessel clan, from Grandparents to Grandkids. From Yosemite, WWII, Camarillo and finally to Colorado, living the adventures along the way...as well as the heroes who inspire me in life.
The initial adventures are now being replicated by we three Kesselateers. Dad, Cody and McKenzie. This area started as a way to keep Mom and Dad posted on life based 1,200 miles away from them, and has grown into a friends favorite update, complete with a humor section each time of course.
This Dr. Suess Book travels with me thanks to my daugher who ritually puts it into my suitcase on my long travels. I have been fortunate enough to share my ideas at length with volleyball clinics, either FIVB or National Federation based, in Denmark, England, Portugal, Iceland, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Israel, Tonga, Samoa, Belize, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Jamaica, Virgin Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Greece, Venezuela, Holland, Italy, Switzerland, Korea, Japan, China, , ...and all 50 states in our amazing nation, and some of the neat people who shared with me.
Daily updates to my kids and pals from down under. From processing, thru the Olympic Village and opening ceremonies to the Bondi Beach space ship stadium, where we won the gold and took three 5th place finishes. Personal and coaching thoughts and even some laffs as well. Heck, Chelsea Clinton took a liking to our beach house and visited there as well as the stadium several times.
My pediatrician said at the start, kids are born parent-proof. That took some of the pressure off. However, there are some things that I tell every new parent I learned. The most important one, a baby cannot fall off the floor. Not sure who taught me that, but once I heard it, I never changed another diaper well above the floor, where my hectic life might have created a distraction, and then, looking away the inevitable baby whomp to the floor might have occured. I also learned to sleep my kids on their backs, using a sheepskin as their bed mattress. This allowed me to travel anywhere in the world, unfurl the sheepskin, let them smell and feel it, and voila, sleepytime...nap or bedtime, it did not matter. This collection is mostly serious stuff, with a few laffers included.
To laugh often and much To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics And endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.
Just some of my favorite more coaching specific writings and articles read. As Director of Education as well now for USA Volleyball, I am going to have more creative time in this arena, so check our web site, or email listserv@usav.org with the message in the body of the email (not the subject line) "subscribe education" (no quotes needed). That'll get you the new things I write or am thinking about.
A few years ago Dave Barry, maybe my favorite humor writer, wrote about this topic, discussing Roger and Elaine...since then, I have collected a dozen or so related articles that both crack me up, and have tons of truth, even if they are not politically correct in this new century...Having been blessed with both a son, Cody, and a daughter, McKenzie, I am living la vida loca...
An eclectic gathering of things that make me think, laugh, and hopefully do both...One of those now here, author unknown, I first got it in Italian as part of an ad for buying new, restful beds...
Every morning in Africa A gazelle wakes up Who knows he must run faster than the lion or he will be killed
Every morning in Africa A lion wakes up Who knows he must run faster than the gazelle or he will die of hunger
In the morning when you get up It does not matter if you are a lion or a gazelle It is best that you begin to run...
And with that in mind, Cody's soccer team is called the Cheetahs...as you should first learn speed..THEN accuracy...so they are learning to fly on the field...
Vital Stats
Born in the Year of the Dragon --- A Libra -- 6' 3" /191 cm ** 195 lbs/ 86 kilos ** Brown Hair ** Blue Eyes **
Marching at the Olympic Opening Ceremonies 