Sam Pedlow: From working hard to working smart

Sam Pedlow is eyeing a place at Tokyo 2020

Doha, Qatar, March 7, 2020 – Sam Pedlow has been known as one of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour’s hardest workers for some time now, but he insists that this season is about working smart.

The Canadian blocker is currently in Doha with partner Sam Schachter preparing for the first 4-star tournament on the World Tour in 2020, and the pair need a big season to ensure qualification to what would be Pedlow’s first Olympic Games.

“With such a competitive men’s field we know we need a few more top 5 results to  solidify us in the Olympic ranking. The 2016 quad was foreign to me, it was my first kick at the can. It taught me you can’t force anything. You just have to go out week after week and bring your best. The results will come if  you can do this.”

“As the Olympic years get closer, I think the level of the  game continues to increase. I was proud of our team’s ability to compete with the best in the world. We were able to finish the 2019 campaign with more top ten finishes than in our previous two seasons together, which is a great display of our consistency. We are still looking for that breakthrough  performance we both know we are capable of, and have a good feeling 2020 is prime for that.”
Sam Schachter (left) and Sam Pedlow at the Vienna Major in 2019

The Canadians had a few tough draws in some of the early knockout rounds in 2019 and started the 2020 season with another ninth in Chetumal. It was felt worldwide that Canada were on the brink of a big result on a few different occasions, something that Pedlow hopes is coming their way in 2020.

“Every season is a roller coaster. When opportunities arise  the best in the world take advantage. Were there some missed opportunities, definitely. Some tough draws, for sure.  I think success in  this sport is granted to those who are ready for anything and to compete on any given day. That is what we are working towards in 2020, to be prepared to bring our best no matter the situation.”

The team have just completed another year training in Hermosa Beach, California which alonside Tenerife and Brazil is one of the most used to training bases in the world. To many, California is the home of beach volleyball with so many big names down there training and winning competitions. And that helps inspire Pedlow to be at his best. The team have been training with the likes of Jake Gibb and Taylor Crabb to get ready for the sprint to the Olympic finish line.

“As a team who do not consistently travel with a coach you have to be adaptable. However technology has really made it easy to stay in communication, and with games being uploaded shortly after they are finished, we are able to receive feedback very quickly even with a coach back home. Being a beach volleyball player from Canada, unfortunately we don’t have the luxury of a coach full time on tour. But I think we have created a really solid system with our current coach Ahren Cadieux. With this being the Olympic year, you can expect to see him more frequently on tour.”

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Source: Volley - fivb.org