<p>Most kids begin playing a sport for the sheer joy of it, but somewhere along the journey as an athlete, they dream of standing atop the podium at the Olympics. </p>.<p>David Cameron Lee was one of them. The American volleyball great, who has a gold from 2008 Beijing and a bronze from 2016 Rio Games, decided to commit to the Olympic idea at a young age growing up in Inland mountains - 30 minutes from downtown San Diego, California. </p>.<p>“The school I studied in had an outdoor court just like the schools here. That’s where I began playing,” recollected Lee, who has been roped in as the head coach of Bengaluru Torpedoes for season 2 of the Prime Volleyball League beginning in the city from February 4. </p>.<p>“But it was my love for the game and the desire to be a student of it... Learn everything there is to volleyball that helped me realise my dreams,” added the 6’8'' middle blocker. </p>.<p>And these are the values Lee intends to imbibe among his wards when he begins a new journey as a coach for the first time after having played all over the world for close to two decades. He tuned out for the Calicut Heroes in season 1 of PVL last year. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/other-sports/lee-coached-torpedoes-raring-to-go-1186432.html" target="_blank">Lee-coached Torpedoes raring to go</a></strong></p>.<p>“I feel coaching out of love and positivity is a good way to build relationships for a long term position. But since we don’t have the luxury of time, my method of training has been more didactic, not socratic,” said Lee, who along with the entire Torpedoes’ squad began their training camp on January 2 at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence. </p>.<p>Volleyball has taken the 41-year-old to the length and breadth of the globe. From starting his career as a pro in leagues in Puerto Rico, Portugal and Indonesia to finishing as a champion in the Argentinian league, Lee set his foot on the Indian shores, which he terms as one of the most exciting, last year. </p>.<p>The travel has helped the American assess different styles of play across continents. Though he is impressed with the immense talent and hard-working qualities of the Indians, he stresses the need for professionalism and to let go of age-old strategies and type of play incorporated by the volleyball community here. </p>.<p>"India (volleyball) runs on a combination offence, which is something that most of the world has given up. A lot of times they want to spread the block out to the pins instead of bringing all the offense to the middle of the court so the blockers don't have to move as much. This is something I’m honestly trying to change right now with the Torpedoes.</p>.<p>"I also think they are missing some of the training intention sometimes here. Players need to come in knowing they will be mentally and physically challenged every single session," he explained.</p>.<p>Lee, however, hopes PVL will open doors for Indians who lag behind in international exposure such as getting volleyball scholarships in universities abroad or contracts to play leagues in Europe, Russia or South American countries where the sport is quite popular. </p>.<p>This will only be possible when the work ethic - the one thing that Lee swears by - becomes a lifestyle for an Indian athlete to shatter the glass ceiling. </p>.<p>“I was fortunate to have great coaches who taught me the importance of being in the moment. For example, when you are in the gym, it is your time to remain 100% focused and work. All the other stuff you may have going on - family, friends, everything else and all that baggage - you leave behind. Give me your full attention for two-and-a- half hours. And after that we can have fun. There is a rhyme and reason as to why we do this.”</p>.<p>Lee has internalised the philosophy of living with a purpose. And he credits such a mindset to his favourite coach, Hugh McCutcheon - USA’s head coach when they won the gold in Beijing. “He had a clear vision which he laid out years before. He just finished writing a book called ‘Championship behaviours’ which I'm currently reading. He kind of pushed and molded me into the coach that I’m right now,” expressed Lee. </p>.<p>A taskmaster on the court, the towering American is has a completely opposite personality outside of it. The fun loving Lee - a second-timer in the country - said that it was love at first sight for him when he first landed in India in 2022. </p>.<p>“I never really bought into the whole ‘you got to go to India because there is this energy about it’. But after I came here, I was like ‘ah, they are right!'. I hated to tell them that but turns out they were right.</p>.<p>“I get a lot of warmth and affection here. I have travelled the world and I can easily tell that the welcomeness we feel here is not felt elsewhere,” said Lee who savours masala dosa and chicken biryani. </p>
<p>Most kids begin playing a sport for the sheer joy of it, but somewhere along the journey as an athlete, they dream of standing atop the podium at the Olympics. </p>.<p>David Cameron Lee was one of them. The American volleyball great, who has a gold from 2008 Beijing and a bronze from 2016 Rio Games, decided to commit to the Olympic idea at a young age growing up in Inland mountains - 30 minutes from downtown San Diego, California. </p>.<p>“The school I studied in had an outdoor court just like the schools here. That’s where I began playing,” recollected Lee, who has been roped in as the head coach of Bengaluru Torpedoes for season 2 of the Prime Volleyball League beginning in the city from February 4. </p>.<p>“But it was my love for the game and the desire to be a student of it... Learn everything there is to volleyball that helped me realise my dreams,” added the 6’8'' middle blocker. </p>.<p>And these are the values Lee intends to imbibe among his wards when he begins a new journey as a coach for the first time after having played all over the world for close to two decades. He tuned out for the Calicut Heroes in season 1 of PVL last year. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/other-sports/lee-coached-torpedoes-raring-to-go-1186432.html" target="_blank">Lee-coached Torpedoes raring to go</a></strong></p>.<p>“I feel coaching out of love and positivity is a good way to build relationships for a long term position. But since we don’t have the luxury of time, my method of training has been more didactic, not socratic,” said Lee, who along with the entire Torpedoes’ squad began their training camp on January 2 at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence. </p>.<p>Volleyball has taken the 41-year-old to the length and breadth of the globe. From starting his career as a pro in leagues in Puerto Rico, Portugal and Indonesia to finishing as a champion in the Argentinian league, Lee set his foot on the Indian shores, which he terms as one of the most exciting, last year. </p>.<p>The travel has helped the American assess different styles of play across continents. Though he is impressed with the immense talent and hard-working qualities of the Indians, he stresses the need for professionalism and to let go of age-old strategies and type of play incorporated by the volleyball community here. </p>.<p>"India (volleyball) runs on a combination offence, which is something that most of the world has given up. A lot of times they want to spread the block out to the pins instead of bringing all the offense to the middle of the court so the blockers don't have to move as much. This is something I’m honestly trying to change right now with the Torpedoes.</p>.<p>"I also think they are missing some of the training intention sometimes here. Players need to come in knowing they will be mentally and physically challenged every single session," he explained.</p>.<p>Lee, however, hopes PVL will open doors for Indians who lag behind in international exposure such as getting volleyball scholarships in universities abroad or contracts to play leagues in Europe, Russia or South American countries where the sport is quite popular. </p>.<p>This will only be possible when the work ethic - the one thing that Lee swears by - becomes a lifestyle for an Indian athlete to shatter the glass ceiling. </p>.<p>“I was fortunate to have great coaches who taught me the importance of being in the moment. For example, when you are in the gym, it is your time to remain 100% focused and work. All the other stuff you may have going on - family, friends, everything else and all that baggage - you leave behind. Give me your full attention for two-and-a- half hours. And after that we can have fun. There is a rhyme and reason as to why we do this.”</p>.<p>Lee has internalised the philosophy of living with a purpose. And he credits such a mindset to his favourite coach, Hugh McCutcheon - USA’s head coach when they won the gold in Beijing. “He had a clear vision which he laid out years before. He just finished writing a book called ‘Championship behaviours’ which I'm currently reading. He kind of pushed and molded me into the coach that I’m right now,” expressed Lee. </p>.<p>A taskmaster on the court, the towering American is has a completely opposite personality outside of it. The fun loving Lee - a second-timer in the country - said that it was love at first sight for him when he first landed in India in 2022. </p>.<p>“I never really bought into the whole ‘you got to go to India because there is this energy about it’. But after I came here, I was like ‘ah, they are right!'. I hated to tell them that but turns out they were right.</p>.<p>“I get a lot of warmth and affection here. I have travelled the world and I can easily tell that the welcomeness we feel here is not felt elsewhere,” said Lee who savours masala dosa and chicken biryani. </p>
