If Gold Is Our Destiny

The 1984 U.S. Men's Volleyball Team and Its Quest for Olympic Glory

By: Sean P. Murray, Karch Kiraly - foreword

Narrated by: Chris Monteiro

Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

In the early 1980s, a golden generation of volleyball players joined the U.S. men's national team. With the Olympics coming to Los Angeles in 1984, the pressure was on to build a winning program around these exceptional athletes.

In If Gold Is Our Destiny, Sean P. Murray shares the incredible story of how a group of free-spirited players and their demanding coach captured the heart of a nation and became one of the greatest indoor volleyball teams of all time. As the team struggled leading up to the Olympics, head coach Doug Beal mandated a highly controversial three-week Outward Bound hike across one hundred miles in the Canyonlands and Abajo Mountains in Utah. Murray details all the internal strife and heartwarming triumphs from this unprecedented trip, as players and coaches learned to cooperate and trust one another. He reveals how the team used this newfound trust to implement an innovative approach to volleyball that changed not only their success on the court but the sport itself on a global scale.

Featuring original interviews with players, coaches, and staff, along with a foreword by three-time gold medal champion Karch Kiraly, If Gold Is Our Destiny delivers an inside look at what it takes for a group of talented individuals to overcome their differences, build a culture of excellence, and become the best in the world.

©2022 Sean P. Murray (P)2022 Tantor

Must Listen!

Every coach out there must listen/read this book! Such hard work and determination to achieve a goal

My 14 year old son enjoyed it!

Both my teenage son and I are volleyball players. We listened to this on our car rides to club vball practice and it was interesting and fun to learn so much volleyball history. I was appalled that my son did not initially know who Karch Kiraly was, but that was soon remedied with this book. Great story! Highly recommended!

Loved this book!

As an avid volleyball player, coach, and fan, this book was perfect for me. I didn’t get into the sport until 1991, and only heard about the 84 and 88 games from others. While I’ve been lucky enough to meet some of the players and coaches mentioned in the book, I’ve never heard the whole story behind the rise of USA Men’s volleyball. Really enjoyed the audio version, and the story overall!

A Story Worth Knowing

For sport and particularly volleyball enthusiasts, this book is worth having. The story deserves attention for how it changed volleyball for sure. Maybe as well as how these people pioneered an inexperienced group into a continual contender.

For volleyball enthusiasts I’ll beg you to forgive the very minor mis-steps of an author not completely immersed in our sport, as we may hear during televised events. The story is so well told, from an insider view, we can find a way to overlook them.

Thank you for putting this together. An excellent piece of volleyball history.

Excellent story!

The insights into the formation of a team are principles that can be and should be applied to everyone’s life!

Perfect inspiration

I couldn’t stop listening. I started the book yesterday and just finished it today. I have played and coached my entire life… I’ve had the fortunate pleasure to meet Karch several times and am honored that each time we see each other he remembers that I’m from Indiana where he played exhibition matches at Outpost Sports. Today was also the first day of practice for the upcoming club season where I’m coaching a team of 17 year olds. This book is Perfect Inspiration to the journey of a new season.
I learned a lot and was reminded of many lessons I had forgotten. Thank you! Volleyball is the greatest game!