Roundnet-Star: “We need a higher net”
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They made the point: Preston Bies (right) and his partner Caleb Heck are celebrating the rally.
© Robert Austin
Since 2016, he has placed on the podium every single year at nationals: Preston Bies is one of the best roundnet players in the world. He also dedicates his free time to the sport, more exactly the development of other players. For his youtube account “How to Roundnet”, he produces tutorials, in which he shares his knowledge of the sport. MUS talked to him about the development of the sport and his channel.
Magazin des unpopulären Sports: You are one of the best US players. Do you have ambitions regarding Nationals or World?
Preston Bies: I want to be the best in the world, no doubt about it! But more so, I want to teach and spread the love for the sport. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where I rank amongst the best. As long as I’m within the conversation and having fun, I will be more than happy.
MUS: Traveling to all the big tournaments in the US and abroad comes with big expenses. How do afford it?
Bies: I have a few sponsors here and there. Spikeball pays some money for being in the Elite, that is the top 8 teams. Then, I have some local companies sponsoring me and also some other sponsors. It is enough to cover travel expenses. Getting to see so many places all over the world and getting to know the communities is a plus.
Full effort and lots of fun: Preston Bies jumps after the ball.
© Robert Austin
MUS: You are a personal trainer. In the past you have said that your biggest strength in sports in general is the fact that you analyze and improve your own movements patterns. What is your biggest weakness in roundnet?
Bies: My biggest weakness is probably wanting to have too much fun. With little to no rewards being given at the top level. find myself wanting to have too much fun and really enjoy every second of playing. There is no money in the game and few highlight plays. So sometimes I find it hard to be motivated and focussed on winning. My reward is having fun and maybe trying a behind the back shot, when other shots would have been more sensible. This has caused me to lose many points.
MUS: How has the game changed since you first started?
Bies: When I first started playing, players used to cramp up every tournament and the amount of rallies were plentiful. Not because the game has really changed that much, but because people were just playing to play. Back then the game was very athletic but not so technical.
Now, with the rise of actual techniques being practiced, and the consistency needed to win, rallies are scarce and offense is taking over in a very large way. It is still the same game at heart but most athletes now have reached new heights never thought possible back then.
MUS: Do you sometimes wish you could go back a few years to when there were more rallies?
Bies: Yes and at the same time no. Back then, it was more fun. After a tournament, everything was hurting and sore, but it was fun. I would say the 2016 final game of Nationals was my last solid fun game. I would like to go back. Then, if you were athletic and had some skills, you would do well. There were be lots of rallies, and after a game, I was excited because we had so many great plays. Nowadays if you have one good play a game that’s good. You have a lot of great serves, but not so many great plays.
Being potentially the best in the world is cool. I like it, but yes, I would love to go back in time.
MUS: You say there are fewer rallies. So, has roundnet become boring? How would you change the sport to make it more balanced and more exciting to watch?
Bies: I am not sure what the perfect change is. However, the thing that needs to be nerfed or changed the most is hitting. In specific hitting trajectory. Currently balls whiz by defenders below the knees and the angles that can be hit from a perfect set over the middle of the net are really not limited at all.
I think a positive change would be to raise the overall height of the set. This would limit mobility around the net for hitters and raise the hitting angle so defender could be athletic and be more confident on defense. This would also make setting a bit more difficult because hitters would have less time to react and hit the ball.
MUS: What do you like best about roundnet?
Bies: This is the easiest question on here. I think most players in the world would say the same thing: the roundnet community.
MUS: What is your most beautiful experience within the roundnet community?
Bies: I will say, the overall feeling is my favorite experience. Wherever you go in the world, it is the same feeling: Big open welcoming arms, smiles on everyone’s faces and a all for one and one for all kind of attitude.
Everyone wants to grow this community and it had been apparent wherever I have been. Kindness rules and bullies drool...or something like that. Laughs.
MUS: In Germany, roundnet is still considered unpopular. Have you played any other (unpopular) sports?
Bies: Yes, roundnet in America. Laughs. Seriously though now. I have played just about every fun/dumb/new/unpopular game that exists. I haven’t played them to the extent that I have played roundnet, but you name it I'm sure that I have played it! Side note: Roundnet is popular in Germany from what I have seen!
MUS: You have visited Germany in the past. What was your impression of the country and the roundnet community?
Bies: Fun-loving, hardworking, beer drinking, studly, and all around super amazing roundnet players! The country, I didn’t spend quite as much time there, but I will say I enjoyed the people a ton everywhere I went. Except for the train station, they were not helpful at all. But honestly, I think the people reflect the country, all around great!
Serves like Preston Bies: On his YouTube channel "How To Roundnet" the elite player gives tips.
© Robert Austin
MUS: About a year ago you started the youtube channel “How to Roundnet”. How did it come about? And where do you want do go with the channel in the future?
Bies: It really just started, because I wanted to make tutorial videos. There was nothing out there and I felt I had a pretty decent idea of how to teach these skills. So I texted Ryder with no true plan and slowly but surely developed a decent database of tutorials other fun things!
The future of the channel...not sure yet, however I would love to keep traveling and keep teaching/meeting different communities worldwide! We also really want to become a brand, a hub for everything roundnet-related.
MUS: Does the channel help you make a living or is it more of a hobby?
Bies: 100 percent hobby and 0 percent do we make a living. Laughs. As much as that would be cool, currently I just do it because I love helping people get better at roundnet and producing fun content with friends.
MUS: In Germany, the roundnet community consists of many more men than women. How is the situation in the US? And what would you suggest to change this imbalance?
Bies: It is about the same, honestly probably more lopsided here in the US (men to women). I think it starts at the local level. The sport is clearly friendly to all, it is just a matter of inviting women to play amongst men. From a technique level, women can hang with men easy.
But it really just comes down to inviting more women to play and highlighting those women who do play, I think! Plus, even if women don’t love the sport, they’ll love the roundnet community all the same.
MUS: We have seen a screenshot of you with Jeff Knurek. How did you meet the inventor of the roundnet?
Bies: We haven’t met in person yet. Jeff has reached out to me to for his company Club Spike. He has fun things happening in his mind. He loves the game; it’s his baby. That is great to see. So I want to be involved. I can’t talk about much of it at the moment, but he really wants to spread the brand “Club Spike”. It will be much more than just making roundnet clubs all over the country.
Questions were asked by Hannah Wolff.