It was really an exciting time trying to find my way from being a boy to becoming a manยbeing toe to toe and eye to eye with grown men, even though I was only 11 or 12.
Karch KiralyMy dad was a really intense competitor and that rubbed off on me. He was loud and vocal on the court, so I let him do all the talking. But I developed a kind of quiet intensity that I knew I had to have to improve and compete with grown men. It took every ounce of focus.
Karch KiralyThe first thing I do when I get thereยlike all of the players on tourยis apply sunscreen. One of the few hazards of the job is the wear-and-tear our skin takes from the sun.
Karch KiralyWe are all going to fall short. We are going to have some bitter losses, very painful defeats and failures. We have to use those to come back even stronger. That's what makes it sweeter, when we can overcome those and figure out a way to win. The great teams can do that, and those are the gold medal winning teams.
Karch KiralyThe beach game taught me great lessons about how to elevate the play of my teammate, or teammates, and how to anticipate and expect the ball so much more than the indoor game ever could. It taught me - even forced me - to be a much better all-around player. That allowed me to help our USA Olympic Team in many more ways than I ever could have otherwise.
Karch Kiraly