20 interesting facts from Lloy Ball career

I decided to find some information about Lloy Ball on the internet and I think that I chose the most interesting and the most important facts in the whole. You probably know about many facts from his career, but I hope that's not all, and maybe someone read something new about this legendary player in this text.

20 interesting facts from Lloy Ball career:

1. LLoy began playing at volleyball in very young age (4-5 year).
2. This what he says about how his father taught him to play:
   "I remember dad setting up pillows along the floor in the family room. Then, he and I would play one-on-one volleyball with a balloon. 
3. When he was a high school, Lloy Ball disappointed most people in his small Northeast Indiana community by turning down a chance to play basketball for Bobby Knight at Indiana University. Instead, Ball chose to play volleyball for his father at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne.
4. At the age of 16, Ball had his first National Team experience and he became the youngest player ever to compete with the National team.
5. As a player Indiana University established a school record scoring 167 aces.
6. His first professional club was a Toray Arrows (Japan) and the last one was Ural Ufa (Russia).
7. 2008 year proved to be the happiest of his career, in that year he won: 
   -Champions League (Zenit Kazan)
   -World League (Usa National Team)
   -Olympic Games (Usa National Team) 
8. To return to the squad for the Olympic Games in 2008 he was persuaded by his wife, who thinks that in 2012 year certainly he doesn't receive such a proposal, which proved to be untrue.
9. In 2008 year was published his book under the title of "The Biggest Mistake I Never Made", which has 188 pages. This is the story of how he got there, the places he has seen and the people he has met along the way.
10. Ball is a very superstitious person, so in 2008 during the Olympic Games he decided to didn't shave his beard, the gold medal received with the longest beard in his life.
11. In 2009 year as a player Zenit Kazań, he was the best paid volleyball player in the world, he earned 1,500 000 euro per year.
12. After Olympic Games in Beijing, Ball became the first male volleyball player from the United States who played in the four Olympics Games
    -1996- Atlanta
    -2000- Sydney
    -2004- Athens
    -2008- Beijing
13. Six times was selected as the best setter:
    - 1999 FIVB World Cup 
    - 2004–05 CEV Champions League 
    - 2003 NORCECA Championship 
    - 2007 NORCECA Championship 
    - 2008 FIVB World League
    - 2010–11 CEV Champions League
14. After the season 2010/2011 he decided to end his career volleyball player, but he changed his mind and signed a contract with the team Ural Ufa, after signing the contract he said: „It’s only 22 games, and the money is too good to refuse”.
15. In 2011 he was caught by the police for driving under the influence alcohol. His wife rode with him and they both explained by the fact that they returning from evening of testing wine. Ball was arrested for one night and he came out on bail, and then he put on trial.
16. Ball played more than 400 matches with the U.S. national team and served as the squad's captain for 10 years.
17. Lloy is the only American volleyball player who was a captained a professional Russian team Zenit Kazań.
18. From the beginning of his career, both in the clubs as in the national team has always played with the first number on the back.
19. Lloy played 15 years professional career in 4 different countries (Japan, Italy, Greece, Russia).
20. After the "true" end of his career Ball leads Team Pineapple, a volleyball clinic that also features his father, Arnie Ball.
     

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