Euro 2016, particularly involving England

TORRANCE, Calif. -- Karch Kiraly knows a little something about bringing home Olympic gold. After all, hes done it three times, in the 1984, 1988 and 1996 Games.He was also the first player, male or female, to win Olympic gold in both indoor and outdoor volleyball. In short, Kiraly, 55, is one of the most decorated players in the sports history.Now, as head coach of the U.S. womens indoor volleyball team, he hopes to take Team USA to its first Olympic gold medal when the Rio Games start next week. In both 2008 and 2012, the team won silver -- and in 2012, Kiraly was an assistant coach for the squad.We caught up with him to find out how he switched his mindset from athlete to coach -- and get his best piece of advice for coaching Olympians.espnW: Youve been to the Olympic Games as an athlete. Whats it been like stepping into a coaching role for Team USA? Certainly I got some nice practice at it as assistant coach in London. I think theres a tendency in sports that people who have had a lot of success as players dont necessarily make the best coaches, the most effective teachers, the most effective leaders. So I know Im fighting against that and trying to break that norm.But the other thing I have going for me is that unlike many other coaches out there, Ive been on the Olympic court and know what thats like and all of the challenges that come along with that.I plan to leverage that and try to help our team perform at the level wed like to in Rio, which should be the most amazing Olympic Games for volleyball when you combine how popular both sides of the sport are in that country.Is there an experience you remember from being at the Olympics that you draw on when you are coaching? I dont know that there is a single experience, but certainly its a bigger tournament by virtue of the fact that lots of people get to see volleyball that otherwise dont get to see it the other three years, 11 months and two? weeks [between the Games].And also because teams have been striving to try to do something special. You only get one chance every four years, and if it doesnt go your way, youve got to work hard another four years. Its not like losing a Super Bowl and coming back the next year. In a sense, there are some unique challenges there, and its not just in volleyball: Its every sport at the Olympics.Speaking to that a little bit, the stakes are so different when youre doing it every four years. How does it change how you approach things as an athlete and as a coach? We essentially work in four-year cycles because of the Olympics. People call them quads or quadrennia. There are big events each year that we focus on. Last year, it was the World Cup. Two years ago, it was the world championships. Those are major tournaments and in some ways tougher to win than the Olympics themselves and more challenging.But the Olympics is the tournament that gets a lot more attention in and outside our country. Its just a different beast and so we have to be able to approach it with a level of psychological flexibility. Theres gonna be a lot of adversity.Nobody wins a major tournament like that without overcoming gnarly adversity, and the team that does, wins. Thats a big a part of our preparation, is how to respond to the adversity that will inevitably happen at a tournament like the Olympics. It could be injuries, could be the bus tire gets a flat and we arrive three minutes before the start of a game. Could be things that we cant even imagine right now that are our response to is really whats important.What advice do you have for other coaches, at any level?I havent been coaching that long. Im pretty young, in coaching years. Ive really only been coaching since about 2007. I might be a little presumptuous to give anybody knowledge, but one thing that has helped me a lot is to approach it like, Every day, there are things to learn.You can become a lot better, as a player or as a coach, if you are a really dedicated learner, if you are what [author Carol Dweck] says in her book Mindset, in a growth mindset and embrace -- as hard as it sometimes is -- mistakes. If were not making any mistakes, were not learning fast enough. Were actually holding ourselves back if were not operating at the edge of our abilities.So you have to be willing to be OK with looking foolish sometimes, with making stupid mistakes, sometimes as a coach, as a head coach even. I think if I can be OK with that, I can be a better model for the rest of our program. Custom Penny Hardaway Jersey . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. 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RIO DE JANEIRO -- The hooliganism at the European Championship in France could affect the availability of alcohol at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.Frances need to impose bans on alcohol sales near Euro 2016 venues because of unruly fans has aided Qatar as it seeks to balance respecting local customs with providing a welcoming environment for visitors to the first World Cup in the Middle East.More than 60 members of Qatars World Cup organizing committee shadowed Euro 2016 organizers, including assistant secretary general Nasser Al-Khater, who said the disorder in France in June will influence the alcohol policy in 2022.The strange thing we saw, as soon as some of the violence picked up in France, the first thing people spoke about was banning alcohol around the stadiums 24 or 48 hours before the match and during the match, Al-Khater told The Associated Press on Thursday during a trip to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.So that means there is a recognition that sometimes alcohol could relate to or encourage some sort of violence. So we need to take that into consideration to make sure the balance that we strike is right. And we want to make sure that Qatar in 2022 will be a violence free World Cup.Alcohol is only available in off-street bars in Qatar to foreigners, who must show their passports. It is likely alcohol will be available more freely at the World Cup but Al-Khater said Qatar will implement the restrictions it believes are necessary whatever the criticism might be.ddddddddddddFollowing the rampages in the opening days of Euro 2016, particularly involving England and Russia fans, Qatars fear is that their biggest-ever sporting event will be marred by violence.The issues that have been plaguing or dominating the headlines are violence so this is something we are taking a look at, Al-Khater said. After what happened in France, there needs to be a review of all security measures.Al-Khater was speaking a day before the Olympic opening ceremony as the progress of the torch relay was again disrupted by demonstrators. Civil disorder is less of a concern in a country with an absolute monarchy ruled by the al-Thani family.We dont have a culture of demonstrations but we have culture where people voice their opinions and we see that a lot on social media, Al-Khater said. Like any other country, Qatar has supporters of major sporting events and people who are also against it for whatever reason. ... I am pretty sure we are not going to have a problem with demonstrations and protests.---Rob Harris can be followed at www.twitter.com/RobHarris and www.facebook.com/RobHarrisReports ' ' '