Misty May Treanor And Kerri Walsh Jennings Go To Couples Therapy? [Details]
After dominating Italy this past Sunday and advancing to the semi-finals against China tomorrow, it is very apparent that US volleyball stars Kerri Walsh-Jennings and Mist May-Treanor have built a team chemistry that is bar-to-none. However, what many are not aware of is what the two have dealt with as teammates; their own mental setbacks, as they had recently made the decision to seek joint therapy together, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Prior to the 2012 London Games, the seemingly unbeatable duo reportedly had not been performing at their peak.
Walsh had the following to say regarding the pre-Olympic volleyball rut:
"We were in a funk, mentally. It wasn't physical at all. We were just in a weird place," explained Walsh-Jennings.
"We lost our way a little bit. I tried to be too tricky. I tried to be tricky again tonight, I made an error tonight and I learned my lesson," she continued.
Walsh-Jennings began seeking help from sports psychologist Michael Gervais in 2009, who has a long history of aiding NBA players. Funny enough, the 33 year-old ended up inviting May-Treanor this year for joint sessions with the highly renowned therapist; much like marriage therapy.
When queried on whether or not the two were eloped, Walsh-Jennings had this to say:
"Absolutely. We're married," joked Walsh-Jennings.
"I have two amazing partners: my husband Casey and Misty. You gotta work through it. Sometimes you take things for granted. I've known her for so long, but I don't know everything's she thinking. It's important to get on the same page," she added.
Walsh-Jennings' goal with the therapy sessions were for the two to reconnect in order to optimize their gold medal chase; which appears to have worked thus far.
Misty May-Treanor also felt that the therapy did wonders for the twosome's performance dynamic.
"It's important that we're all on the same page. It's been a process," she said.
Walsh-Jennings and May-Treanor are set to face China in the women's beach volleyball olympic semi-finals on Tuesday, August 7th at 5pm ET.
