In this episode of Beach Secrets, DJ Klasnic welcomes Kyle Friend — professional beach volleyball player, former indoor standout, Volleyball World commentator, and high-level coach.

Kyle’s journey is a masterclass in versatility and intentional growth. From his indoor volleyball career to transitioning to the beach game, he shares how he accelerated his development by volunteering, shagging balls for top professionals, and putting himself in environments that forced him to learn faster. Instead of waiting for opportunities, Kyle created them.

In this candid and insightful conversation, Kyle breaks down how he navigated multiple roles within the sport — competing professionally on the beach, stepping into the commentator booth for Beach Pro Tour World Tour streams, and building a coaching career alongside it all. He explains how constant learning, intentional positioning, and proximity to greatness helped him evolve in every phase of his career.

This episode delivers practical insight for athletes who want to grow faster, expand their skill set, and build longevity in the sport beyond just competing.

🎧 Topics include:

• Transitioning from indoor volleyball to beach • Volunteering and shagging balls to learn from top pros • Accelerating development through proximity and mentorship • Competing on the Beach Pro Tour • Becoming a commentator for World Tour streams • Building a coaching career while competing • The power of versatility in professional sports • Staying relevant by continuously learning • Expanding your career beyond just playing

📍 Watch or listen now and discover how Kyle Friend built a multi-dimensional career in professional beach volleyball. ➡️ Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

🎧 Listen anywhere → https://linktr.ee/djklasnic

🌿 Sponsored by Polar Gold Extracts Huge thank-you to our partner Polar Gold Extracts, proud sponsor of the Beach Secrets Podcast. Their premium CBD products support recovery, mobility, and everyday wellness — trusted by elite athletes worldwide. 👉 https://shop.polargoldcbd.com/DJ

⚡ Supported by Bravo Health Founded by the team behind Spike N Go tournaments, Bravo Health creates clean, transparent supplements while reinvesting a portion of every purchase back into supporting U.S. beach volleyball athletes. 👉 https://www.bravobeach.org (use code BEACHSECRETS to get 20% BravoBucks Back!)

📌 If you enjoyed this episode: Subscribe / Follow for weekly episodes with top AVP, World Tour, and Olympic athletes.

🔖 Hashtags

#KyleFriend #BeachSecretsPodcast #DJKlasnic #BeachVolleyball #BeachProTour #WorldTourVolleyball #AVP #VolleyballPodcast #ProBeachVolleyball #VolleyballCoaching #SportsCommentator #AthleteMindset #HighPerformance #VolleyballLife #SportsPodcast

this episode of Beach Secrets, DJ Klasnic sits down with his beach volleyball partner Marko Makaric to break down what it truly takes to win a World Tour medal without federation support, infrastructure, or a professional league at home.

Coming from Serbia — a country with limited winter training facilities, no structured beach volleyball league, and minimal federation backing — everything depends on individual will, discipline, and passion for the game. No system. No safety net. Just commitment.

Recorded at the end of the 2025 season, this conversation dives into their journey competing across the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour in Turkey, Italy, Bulgaria, Latvia, and Greece. They reflect on the matches that defined their season, how they earned their medal, and what it takes to prepare at the highest level while living and training in completely different environments — Marko in Serbia with limited infrastructure, and DJ in the United States.

They discuss building a partnership across continents, maximizing limited training windows, adapting under pressure, and navigating the realities of competing internationally when you come from a small country without structured support.

This episode is a real look at resilience, ownership, and what it means to bet on yourself in professional beach volleyball.

🎧 Topics include:

• Winning a World Tour medal without federation support • Training in Serbia with limited winter infrastructure • Preparing in different countries and syncing as a team • Competing in Turkey, Italy, Bulgaria, Latvia, and Greece • Managing travel, logistics, and finances independently • Building a partnership across continents • The state of beach volleyball in Serbia • Making the most of limited training time • Lessons from the 2025 Beach Pro Tour season • Why passion and discipline matter more than systems

📍 Watch or listen now and discover how to compete — and win — when everything depends on you. ➡️ Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

🎧 Listen anywhere → https://linktr.ee/djklasnic

🌿 Sponsored by Polar Gold Extracts Huge thank-you to our partner Polar Gold Extracts, proud sponsor of the Beach Secrets Podcast. Their premium CBD products support recovery, mobility, and everyday wellness — trusted by elite athletes worldwide. 👉 https://shop.polargoldcbd.com/DJ

⚡ Supported by Bravo Health Founded by the team behind Spike N Go tournaments, Bravo Health creates clean, transparent supplements while reinvesting a portion of every purchase back into supporting U.S. beach volleyball athletes. 👉 https://www.bravobeach.org (use code BEACHSECRETS to get 20% BravoBucks Back!)

📌 If you enjoyed this episode: Subscribe / Follow for weekly episodes with top AVP, World Tour, and Olympic athletes.

🔖 Hashtags

#MarkoMakaric #DJKlasnic #BeachSecretsPodcast #BeachVolleyball #BeachProTour #WorldTourVolleyball #ProBeachVolleyball #AVP #SerbiaVolleyball #AthleteMindset #HighPerformance #OlympicDream #VolleyballPodcast #BetOnYourself #SportsPodcast

In this episode of Beach Secrets, DJ Klasnic welcomes AVP professional Toni Rodriguez — the first-ever AVP League Champion, four-time World Tour medalist, and widely regarded as one of the best servers in professional beach volleyball.

Toni’s journey is a masterclass in resilience. Throughout her career, she has faced multiple major injuries that could have ended her path at the highest level. Each time, she refused to quit — returning stronger, more skilled, and more determined than before. After suffering another setback in 2025, Toni is now back on the sand, pairing up with fellow AVP pro Molly Shaw — a previous guest of the podcast — as they set their sights on the road to LA 2028.

In this candid and powerful conversation, Toni opens up about her volleyball beginnings, her experience at LSU playing both indoor and beach volleyball, and the leap of faith that brought her to Los Angeles with no backup plan — just belief in her dream to make volleyball her career. She dives deep into the mental side of injury recovery, adapting to different partners, competing on the World Tour, and transitioning between blocking and defense at the elite level.

This episode delivers honesty, perspective, and inspiration for athletes navigating setbacks, reinvention, and the long game of high performance.

🎧 Topics include:

• Never giving up through multiple career-altering injuries • Winning the first-ever AVP League Championship • Returning stronger after injury in 2025 • Partnering with Molly Shaw and aiming for LA 2028 • LSU indoor and beach volleyball experience • Moving to LA with no plan B • Mindset during injury recovery • Adapting to different partners • World Tour competition and medals • Transitioning from blocking to defense — and back again • Becoming one of the best servers in the AVP

📍 Watch or listen now and hear why Toni Rodriguez never stops coming back stronger. ➡️ Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

🎧 Listen anywhere → https://linktr.ee/djklasnic

🌿 Sponsored by Polar Gold Extracts Huge thank-you to our partner Polar Gold Extracts, proud sponsor of the Beach Secrets Podcast. Their premium CBD products support recovery, mobility, and everyday wellness — trusted by elite athletes worldwide. 👉 https://shop.polargoldcbd.com/DJ

⚡ Supported by Bravo Health Founded by the team behind Spike N Go tournaments, Bravo Health creates clean, transparent supplements while reinvesting a portion of every purchase back into supporting U.S. beach volleyball athletes. 👉 https://bravohealth.shop (use code BEACHSECRETS to get 20% BravoBucks Back!)

📌 If you enjoyed this episode: Subscribe / Follow for weekly episodes with top AVP, World Tour, and Olympic athletes.

🔖 Hashtags

#ToniRodriguez #BeachSecretsPodcast #DJKlasnic #AVP #AVPLeague #BeachVolleyball #ProBeachVolleyball #OlympicDream #LA2028 #WorldTourVolleyball #VolleyballPodcast #EliteAthlete #AthleteMindset #InjuryRecovery #NeverGiveUp #HighPerformance #SportsPodcast