That is one in a collection previewing the inductees going into the Worldwide Volleyball Corridor of Fame in Holyoke, Massachusetts, on Saturday.
This yr there are 9 inductees, two indoor gamers in Italian Andrea Zorzi and Cuba’s Regla Bell; two seaside gamers in American Tim Hovland and Brazilian Ana Paula Henkel; Brazilian coach Jose “Ze” Roberto and ParaVolley coach Hadi Rezaei of Iran; two officers in Argentinian Juan Angel Pereyra and American Sue Lemaire; and Italian Giuseppe Panini, who’s going in as a pacesetter.
There are additionally three particular honoree classes acknowledged this yr: John Kessel is receiving the Mintonette Medallion of Advantage Award; Invoice Kauffman and Ed Chan are being honored posthumously with the inaugural Award for Media Excellence; and Michael Kane, Mike Knapik, Aaron Vega and Don Humason are receiving the Mayoral Award of Excellence.
In a rustic the place volleyball holds a deep and storied custom, being acknowledged as a legend is a exceptional achievement. But, there are a couple of who rise even above legendary standing, and José “Zé Roberto” Guimarães is a type of distinctive people. His unparalleled contributions to Brazilian volleyball have cemented his legacy as one of many sport’s best coaches, each nationally and globally.
Zé Roberto holds the distinctive distinction of being the one coach in volleyball historical past to win Olympic gold medals with each males’s and ladies’s groups. This unbelievable feat alone units him aside, however his affect on the game extends far past these victories.
“He will get his groups to play extremely onerous,” USA ladies’s Olympic coach, additionally one in every of Roberto’s finest mates. “One of many hallmarks of his groups is that they not often make the unwise or dumb mistake. He coaches them to be very affected person .In the event that they don’t have the swing, they may tip to the best space. Tactically and technically they’re at all times a sound staff. Their fundamentals are very sound.”
Zé Roberto’s journey within the Olympics started not on the sidelines, however on the court docket. He first competed as a participant within the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the place he represented Brazil. His transition from participant to educate marked the start of a legendary teaching profession. Over eight Olympic appearances, Zé Roberto has guided his groups to 5 Olympic medals, demonstrating his enduring excellence and adaptableness over almost 5 many years. His first Olympic teaching triumph got here with the Brazilian males’s staff, which captured gold in Barcelona in 1992. He later led the Brazilian ladies’s staff to back-to-back golds in Beijing (2008) and London (2012), a silver in Tokyo (2020), and most lately, a bronze in Paris (2024).
Kiraly famous how badly Brazil did within the 1996 Olympic semifinals, “Then Ze guided the ladies to 2 straight gold medals in ’08 and ’12 in Beijing and London … (when Brazil received the Olympic) suarterfinal 21-19 in 5th in London towards Russia. he did a memorable dive bomb on all 4 elements of the court docket when the match was over.”
Kiraly added: “He bought Brazil to be THE normal in ladies’s volleyball from ’08-’13.”
Whereas his Olympic successes are extraordinary, they’re only one a part of Zé Roberto’s in depth résumé. His males’s groups have persistently carried out on the highest ranges, incomes quite a few prime finishes at main FIVB occasions, together with a gold medal on the 1993 World League. With the ladies’s staff, his dominance has been much more pronounced. Beneath his management, the Brazilian ladies’s staff has medaled greater than 23 instances in main worldwide competitions, together with securing two World Grand Champions Cup titles and 9 gold medals on the World Grand Prix.
His means to persistently develop world-class groups and his modern method to teaching have left an indelible mark on the game.
“He has ‘mellowed out’ somewhat through the years along with his teaching fashion,” Kiraly stated. “I’ve seen quotes from (ex-Georgia Tech star) Julia Bergmann saying that Ze is ‘a volleyball professor, volleyball genius, volleyball savant.’ He introduced the Turkish Airways staff up from low expectations they usually completed within the prime 4 within the Turkish League which is likely one of the prime leagues on the planet.
“I’m impressed as he has developed. He is ready to get extra from gamers with somewhat little bit of persistence.”
For his excellent contributions to the event and success of Brazilian volleyball, and for his unparalleled achievements as a coach, the Worldwide Volleyball Corridor of Fame is proud to induct José “Zé Roberto” Guimarães as a Coach.
Kiraly: “Tremendous pumped for him, extremely well-deserving. All the nice teaching he did with the lads and I’m rather more acquainted with his nice teaching for the ladies.”
For extra about Saturday’s induction celebration and/or to purchase tickets: https://www.volleyhall.org/induction-celebration.html
For those who can’t make it, watch reside: https://www.youtube.com/@ivhfofficial
