Nick Lucena is a South Florida kid from Cooper City. He attended Western High School and FSU where he graduated in 2001. And his wife is now the head coach of the FSU women's beach volleyball team. Very cool.
On a personal note .. early in my sports management career I was the General Manager and Tournament Director for the old Bud Light Beach Volleyball Series. Based in Boca Raton we had events all over Florida and we went up the east coast to South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. We also had events in Cancun and the Bahamas.
It was a very fun two years of my life as I was young and single and ... well ... it was a lot of fun.
Well, I have no doubt that Lucena used to play in our events. I don't remember him exactly, but in the late-'90s and early-'00s we were the big beach volleyball tour in Florida and we'd occasionally even hvae some AVP guys play in our events. This guy had to get his start in the game playing on our tour.
Anyway, Lucena and his partner (who won the Gold in Beijing in 2008) are the top American team and they are seeded thrid for the games this year.
Nick is a big FSU football fan. Check out the story linked here ...
And even if the Olympic courts aren't Lucena's final destination for the season, the end is still in sight. As a big college football fan now living in Tallahassee, Lucena is just about ready for the pay-off after the pay-offs.
"I'm gonna go to Tallahassee, Florida, and watch Florida State football for the next three or four months," Lucena said. "That's my plan."
How can he not be our favorite Olympian this year?
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/olympics/fl-oly-nick-lucena-20160729-story.html
On a personal note .. early in my sports management career I was the General Manager and Tournament Director for the old Bud Light Beach Volleyball Series. Based in Boca Raton we had events all over Florida and we went up the east coast to South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. We also had events in Cancun and the Bahamas.
It was a very fun two years of my life as I was young and single and ... well ... it was a lot of fun.
Well, I have no doubt that Lucena used to play in our events. I don't remember him exactly, but in the late-'90s and early-'00s we were the big beach volleyball tour in Florida and we'd occasionally even hvae some AVP guys play in our events. This guy had to get his start in the game playing on our tour.
Anyway, Lucena and his partner (who won the Gold in Beijing in 2008) are the top American team and they are seeded thrid for the games this year.
Nick is a big FSU football fan. Check out the story linked here ...
And even if the Olympic courts aren't Lucena's final destination for the season, the end is still in sight. As a big college football fan now living in Tallahassee, Lucena is just about ready for the pay-off after the pay-offs.
"I'm gonna go to Tallahassee, Florida, and watch Florida State football for the next three or four months," Lucena said. "That's my plan."
How can he not be our favorite Olympian this year?
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/olympics/fl-oly-nick-lucena-20160729-story.html
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