Life Coach in Gold Canyon, AZ

Discover Deep Transformational Life Coaching in Gold Canyon, AZ

Living the human experience is a beautiful, complex journey. It's filled with peaks and valleys of pleasure and pain, both physical and emotional. It seems so simple when we're children, but things change as we grow: we begin to form our own opinions, develop romantic relationships, build a career, and work our way through life. With age comes maturity and personal development, but all too often, we grow older without learning how to manage and accept our emotions, thoughts, and relationships. This causes us to get stuck, and for some, they then stay stuck - trapped in a vicious cycle of self-doubt, judgement and negativity.

Sound familiar? If so, ask yourself if you are suffering from any of the following:

Unresolved childhood trauma
Grief, loss, and betrayals in life that you can't get past
Harmful patterns that keep you stuck in a rut, with no hope of moving forward
Anxiety about your personal or work life
Anger, insecurity, and stress that gets the best of you
Codependency and people pleasing-problems that leave you emotionally bankrupt
Family or romantic relationship issues that you can't handle or resolve
Negative thoughts and self-criticizing problems equating to "I'm not good enough" and "I can't succeed."
Overthinking and racing thoughts that distract you during the day and keep you up at night
Lack of motivation or purpose in your life
Low self-worth, self-love, and lack of personal development

If you're struggling because you aren't sure what to do next or how to change your life for the better, know that you aren't alone. Millions of people just like you aren't where they want to be in life. Fortunately, your personal growth life coach in Gold Canyon, AZ, is here to help you reimagine, refocus, and rebuild your life for the better.

Life Coach Services

Discover Deep Transformational Life Coaching in Gold Canyon, AZ
We All Suffer at Times. Now, Let's Do Something About It
The Christy Maxey Difference
Men's Personal Development Growth Coaching in Gold Canyon, AZ
Women's Personal Development Growth Coaching in Gold Canyon, AZ
EMDR Therapy in Gold Canyon, AZ
Break Out of Your Cage and Be Proud of Your True Self

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We All Suffer at Times. Now, Lets Do Something About It

If you're reading this page, chances are you're not exactly happy with how your life is going. And that's okay. You're in a safe place.

Finding the right person to speak with about the personal growth issues in your life is challenging. Some life coaches in Gold Canyon only see you as a transaction - a means to make money and provide unhelpful, mediocre services. Christy Maxey is the anthesis of uneducated, fly-by-night life coaches. She has worked with thousands of people just like you and has built a reputation of helping people as their life coach in Gold Canyon and throughout Arizona, as well as with clients all over the world.

As a former therapist, Christy uses an effective system of evidenced-based concepts, tools, and exercises like trauma-informed coaching, inner child healing and EMDR to uncover true self-worth. Christy's signature system, the Maxx Method, helps develop emotional intelligence and provides life-long skills that will help guide you in relationships with yourself and others.

Remember: you are not broken YOU ARE NOT BROKEN. There is nothing wrong with you. And, it doesn't have to take years of therapy to get the results you are hoping for

The Maxx Method Difference

Many people use go to therapy but see few results. They've tried reading books, listening to podcasts, and maybe even hired a life coach. But at the end of the day, they're still struggling with root issues that cause stress, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness.

Christy Maxey has developed The Maxx Method, an evidenced-based path to Personal Development, Healing and Emotional Intelligence. When you work with Christy Maxey as your life coach, you will spend your time together getting to the root cause of your problems. You'll answer questions like:

How are you holding yourself back?
What limiting beliefs do you have?
What are you resisting?
How are self-doubt and judgment keeping you stuck?
How is your past STILL affecting you now?
Where is your anxiety coming from?

Often, we don't know the answers to these questions without help. Unfortunately, many therapists and life coaches in Gold Canyon, AZ lack focus. They encourage you to talk about your day, week, and month. They get a general sense of what is bothering you, but before any real work is done, your therapy session is over. In the end, you see few results and you're left reeling with more anxiety and stress than before.

Clients choose Christy Maxey as their personal development life coach because she gets right to the issues without wasting your time. She pulls on her vast experience to heal men and women of all ages, using traditional techniques from psychology and psychotherapy combined with results-oriented coaching. Christy always emphasizes honesty, compassion, and accountability, so you get real benefits and real efficiency with her coaching.

If you're ready to be re-introduced to your authentic self, your journey starts here.

Men's Personal Development Growth Coaching in Gold Canyon, AZ

Men in today's society often fight against strong feelings of stress, anger, and self-defeating patterns that keep them stuck in a rut. Unfortunately, many men are socialized to ignore their feelings and inner experiences. As a men's therapist and life coach for more than 20 years, Christy Maxey has the techniques and experience to break down the barriers keeping men from living the life they want.

Men deserve compassion, but they also deserve high expectations and positive confrontation when necessary. Unlike some life coaches in Gold Canyon, Christy's approach doesn't allow men to hide behind insecurity and grandiosity. Male clients choose Christy because she pushes them to live to their true potential without wasting time.

Coaching Men with Relationship Issues

Relationships don't always come easily and we are not taught how to have healthy, secure relationships. Challenges can be hard to overcome without help. If any of the following problems sound familiar, life coaching with Christy Maxey could be the solution:

Difficult Relating to Partner
Repeating Negative Patterns in Relationships
Feelings of Loneliness
Feeling Misunderstood

Coaching Men with Stress

Stress is the leading root cause of disease. Although men are taught to "just deal with it," that's not the best answer. With Christy Maxey as your life coach, you can address issues with:

No Appreciation for Hard Work
Pleasing Everyone Except Yourself
Exhaustion without Physical Activity
Feelings of Unhappiness and Lack of Motivation

Coaching Men with Anger

It's no wonder that men suffer from aggression and anger when we tell them to turn off their emotions. Life coaching can help you overcome:

Aggressive Behavior
Outbursts of Anger
Career Issues
Relationship Issues
Verbal Aggression and Abuse

If you're a man open to working through your problems to better yourself, there's good news. Christy Maxey's proven, efficient life coaching system can help you be the father, husband, friend, and self that you truly want to be. With the right tools and guidance, you can live life with less anger and stress. And with the right tools, you can focus on finding your voice without resorting to aggression.

Women's Personal Development Growth Coaching in Gold Canyon, AZ

Women are beautiful, unique individuals. But many seem to suffer from the same universal theme - an inner critic that hinders true growth and sabotages them from a fulfilling, happy life.

As a therapist, Christy Maxey spent much of her time working directly with women just like you. Christy combines an incredible depth of knowledge and guidance with life coaching energy, uncovering your true potential as a woman, free of dysfunction.

Unfortunately, no matter what women do as mothers and employees, many believe that they're never good enough. They feel like they're not worthy, not lovable, and not strong.

If you feel like you're unworthy of success and happiness, it's time for a change. It's time to look in the mirror and take care of yourself, not someone else.

If you're ready to reclaim the life you deserve, your journey to success starts with women's life coaching in Gold Canyon. Here are just a few areas that Christy Maxey helps women break free of the chains that keep them down:

Coaching Women Suffering from Pleasing & Codependency

Many women today do everything for everybody else but don't take time to heal or explore personal development. Personal development growth coaching from Christy Maxey can help you address these common issues:

Self-Medicating to Cover Up Feelings of Inadequacy
Feeling like You've Lost Yourself
People Taking Advantage of Your Kindness
Over-Providing for Others

Coaching Women with Unpleasant Emotions

Many women are unsure of how to untangle the mess of emotions they go through. Life coaching in Gold Canyon can help you manage your emotions and find the clarity and love you need in your life. Does this sound like you?

Feelings of Shame and Guilt
Issues with Your Career or Job
Unhappiness with Others' Behaviors
Bouts of Sobbing That Lead to Anxiety and Depression

Coaching Women with Self-Confidence Issues

Though every life is valuable, society triggers many women to de-value themselves as they grow older. One of the core components of Christy's life coaching is to help women value who they are. Self-confidence can help by:

Highlighting Positive Attributes Over Shortcomings
Finding Solutions to Confidence Issues
Teaching You How to Love Yourself, Flaws and All
Giving You the Tools to Assert Yourself Without Guilt

If you're a woman and you're ready for change, we've got great news. Women's coaching with Christy is all about change and focus. It's active and experiential coaching that will keep you engaged and accountable to yourself. The result? A life bursting with happiness, fulfillment, and joy.

EMDR Coaching in Gold Canyon, AZ

EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing, is a powerful technique used to heal people from distressing and disturbing life experiences. EMDR Coaching with Christy Maxey allows the mind to heal from psychological trauma much quicker than traditional therapy methods.

When we go through traumatic experiences, we often associate those events with negative beliefs and emotions like feelings of shame, anger, and inadequacy. EMDR helps the mind reprocess the life-changing event, allowing the client to heal and live a life they love.

Is EMDR Right for You?

Many people are reluctant to try EMDR because of poor results from previous attempts. Christy Maxey's EMDR Coaching includes guided visualization and inner child healing for a more robust approach. This tactic is part of Christy's Maxx Method - a life-changing framework for personal development.

What is the Maxx Method?

You may have received help from a therapist or life coach in Gold Canyon, AZ, in the past, only to fall back into bad habits and self-destruction. If that sounds like you, chances are you never addressed the underlying cause of your problems. You cut the weed but never removed the root.

The Maxx Method is a six-part holistic system of evidenced-based tools, exercises, and concepts, developed to help you achieve maximized personal development.

EMDR and the Maxx Method are not only used for extreme traumas. They can be very helpful for common memories and events that foster feelings of low self-esteem and powerlessness, too. These methods were developed to help manage unpleasant emotions, show you how to find deep love, and heal old wounds that keep you stuck.

EMDR and the Maxx Method could be right for you if you have experienced:

Social Anxiety
Loss, Betrayal, and Grief
Negative Core Beliefs
Hurt, Anger, and Sadness
Overthinking
Low Self-Esteem
Lack of Confidence

Break Out of Your Comfort Zone and Be Proud of Your True Self

The world is changing. People are finally learning how to manage their own human experiences. But we can't do it alone. Christy Maxey is here to guide you on the path to a positive, guilt-free life. If you're ready to look inward, find peace, and develop the skills to love your true self, you're in the right place. After all, you've been suffering long enough.

When you work with Christy, you'll be on a fast track to the truth - no beating around the bush or wasting time. Christy's methods are gentle but firm, compassionate yet driven. You will learn, you will transform, and you will be happy because it's you who did the work. It's time to face your fears head-on, so you can't play the victim card anymore. You're capable of great relationships, healthy self-confidence, and of doing something with your life. If you're sick and tired of being stuck, this is your chance to get out of that rut.

Ready to learn to value yourself and live the life that you deserve? Contact Christy Maxey today for your free 15-minute consultation.

Free Consultation

Softball to Face Grand Canyon Twice in Fall Schedule

TEMPE, Ariz. – First-year head coach Megan Bartlett and the Sun Devil Softball program are excited to announce the team's seven-game fall ball slate. There are three Maroon & Gold intrasquad games along with four scrimmages against local Phoenix teams, including two games featuring in-state foe Grand Canyon. All fall games have a scheduled 6 p.m. first pitch.ASU returns to the diamond after one of the best seasons in...

TEMPE, Ariz. – First-year head coach Megan Bartlett and the Sun Devil Softball program are excited to announce the team's seven-game fall ball slate. There are three Maroon & Gold intrasquad games along with four scrimmages against local Phoenix teams, including two games featuring in-state foe Grand Canyon. All fall games have a scheduled 6 p.m. first pitch.

ASU returns to the diamond after one of the best seasons in program history this past spring. The 2022 season saw the Sun Devils become Pac-12 Champions for the first time since 2011 after a program-record 20 conference wins. ASU also hosted a NCAA regional for the second consecutive year and a NCAA Super Regional for the first time since 2018.

The first Maroon & Gold scrimmage takes place on Thursday, Sept. 22, followed by the first fall ball showdown against South Mountain Community College on Friday, Sept. 30 at Farrington Stadium.

On Oct. 5 the Sun Devils head to GCU for a midweek game against the Lopes. The next week ASU is back at home at Farrington hosting Phoenix College on Friday, Oct. 14.

ASU will have the opportunity to regroup with a Maroon & Gold scrimmage on Oct. 21 before welcoming GCU to Farrington on Oct. 26 for the second midweek match-up.

The 2022 fall schedule will conclude with a final scrimmage on Nov. 10.

The Sun Devils have 10 returners this season, including outfielder Yanni Acuña and pitcher Marissa Schuld. Joining them are Halle Harger, Jazmyn Rollin, Liliana Thomas, Savannah Price, Jordyn Vanhook, Emily Cazares, Makenna Harper and Jazmine Hill.

Eleven new faces join the team this season, which includes eight transfers and three freshmen. Graduate student Gianna Boccagno came from Boston College, and two Virginia Tech transfers were added in Mac Osborne and Alexa Milius. Two SEC transfers, Mackenzie Nicholson and Taylor Nicholson, along with pitchers Kenzie Brown and Deborah Jones, come from Tulsa and Ball State. Rounding out the roster are Yannixa (Yaya) Acuña, who is the younger sister of graduate student Yanni Acuña; Salpointe Catholic high school product Shannon Cunningham from Tustin, Calif.; and Kalyn McCarthy from Palatine, Illinois. Freshman pitcher Kylee Magee will make her debut this season after committing to ASU back in eighth grade.

Fans can keep up with all the action from the Sun Devil's fall activities by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter and Facebook and SunDevilSB on Instagram.

2022 Fall Ball Schedule

Maroon & Gold Series Scrimmage Dates: Sept 22nd Maroon & Gold Series Game 1 @ 6pm Oct. 21st Maroon & Gold Series Game 2 @ 6pm Nov. 10th Maroon & Gold Series Game 3 @ 6pm

Local Team Schedule: Sept. 30th ASU vs South Mountain @ 6pm Oct. 5th ASU at GCU @ 6pm Oct. 14th ASU vs Phoenix College @ 6pm Oct. 26th ASU vs GCU @ 6pm

Community gathers to celebrate 100th birthday of WWII veteran

Copy This Embed Code: Ad The retirement community clubhouse was packed in Gold Canyon, as friends and family gathered to wish Terenzio "Ted" L. Giannone a happy birthday.But not just any birthday, the World War II Veteran, turned 100 years old."As you can see, and as I can see wonderful people, wonderful life," he said.A color guard led the crowd of more than 100 in the the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of God Bless America, and members of the Patriot Guard took Giannone on his ve...

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The retirement community clubhouse was packed in Gold Canyon, as friends and family gathered to wish Terenzio "Ted" L. Giannone a happy birthday.

But not just any birthday, the World War II Veteran, turned 100 years old.

"As you can see, and as I can see wonderful people, wonderful life," he said.

A color guard led the crowd of more than 100 in the the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of God Bless America, and members of the Patriot Guard took Giannone on his very first motorcycle ride.

"It was a thrill," he said.

Giannone was born in 1922 in Brooklyn New York and can still remember fondly the cobblestone streets he grew up on.

"I started out with cobblestones in Brooklyn, and the milkman used to come in the morning, and you hear the horse clobbing and the steel wheels screeching," he said.

"Then one morning I didn't hear the screeching or the wheels, and only heard the horse, so I said what happened? I went out and he had put tires on the back of the milk wagon. Smart man," Ted recalled as from then on, he said, he knew the world was changing.

Ted went on to serve in the United States Navy Reserves in 1940. He was a turret gunner on a Grumman TBF Avenger, an airplane, fighting over the South Pacific during World War Two.

"You look for white puffs from the mortars," he said remembering his time in combat. "All I can say is that the comradeship, the heroism, devotion to duty, it was all apparent."

"We have to think about those that were, are, and are still there, and support them."

Giannone earned numerous medals for his service, reenlisting several times before retiring from the Navy, honorably discharged as Chief Petty Officer E-7, in 1965.

Setting his sights even higher, Ted worked for Grumman Aerospace and NASA during the Apollo program.

"Well NASA, my favorite thing that I can remember is meeting the astronauts," he said.

Giannone says he still gets a thrill from space, and keeps up with the latest rocket science from new explorers like Elon Musk.

"The car battery guy. He came in with the SpaceX program and he flies these things like they're bullets! And brings them back and uses them again!"

From the Philippines to Iran, Ted's service and career took him around the world, but nothing he says compares to the love of family.

He was married to his late wife Marry for 72 years and is blessed with three children, two boys and a girl.

"Trust in your friends and your family. Family to me, that's the beginning of everything."

When asked the secret to living to be 100 years old, he says good health for one, as Giannone still gets on the exercise bike.

"Every day, regularly. It's a regimen. That's what keeps me going. I get on that bike you know, get those legs going. So yeah, you got to keep active."

While he does have a caregiver, Ted says he still gets around pretty well and has a valid driver license.

But more than health, he says a good heart, mind and spirit are just as important.

"Love for your family, being honest and truthful and have faith. That's what I would suggest to anybody, especially young people," he said.

Healthy and surrounded by family and friends, Ted is looking forward to many birthdays to come.

TCU Women's Golf: 2022-23 Season Schedule Released

Coach Angie Ravaioli-Larkin and her team have recently released their upcoming 2022-23 schedule. The team is coming off of one of their best seasons in TCU history, so of course, success comes with excitement for not only the team but the whole Horned Frog family. The Frogs will compete in five fall and five spring tournaments, preparing them for the 2023 Big 12 Championship, which will be held April 21-23 at the Dallas Athletic Club. After regular season play concludes, postseason play will begin. NCAA Regionals will be pla...

Coach Angie Ravaioli-Larkin and her team have recently released their upcoming 2022-23 schedule. The team is coming off of one of their best seasons in TCU history, so of course, success comes with excitement for not only the team but the whole Horned Frog family. The Frogs will compete in five fall and five spring tournaments, preparing them for the 2023 Big 12 Championship, which will be held April 21-23 at the Dallas Athletic Club. After regular season play concludes, postseason play will begin. NCAA Regionals will be played May 8-10, followed by the NCAA National Championships from May 19-24 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The team's golf season is right around the corner as the team will head to Norman, Oklahoma, for the OU Sooner Classic on September 24-26. The Lady Horned Frogs will then head to Dublin, Ohio, where they will participate in the Barbara Nicklaus Cup on October 3-4. TCU then returns to the Midwest the following week to compete in the Illini Invitational from October 10-11, which takes place in Medinah, Illinois. The Horned Frogs will wrap up the fall season with the Jim West Invitational from October 23-24 in San Marcos, Texas, and then will go to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, to host the Battle of the Beach event, which the team will play on October 28-30.

After a short hiatus, the Frogs will return to action on January 23, when the team heads to Gold Canyon, Arizona., to compete in the Match in the Desert. TCU will then leave the country again, competing in the Nexus Women's Collegiate Classic from February 13-15 in Nassau, Bahamas. Finally, TCU has a single event in March that will be played March 17-19 in Tucson, Arizona, at the Mountain View Collegiate.

After returning from Tucson, the Frogs will head a few miles up I-35 to the Buzzy in Denton, Texas, with the tournament being played April 1-2. Then, finally, the Horned Frogs will wrap up the regular season with Big 12 Match Play in Scottsdale, Arizona, on April 3-6.

The women's golf team has had lots of success under Coach Angie Ravaioli-Larkin going to the postseason 24 out of 26 seasons with her leading the team. This includes receiving a 21st place finish at the NCAA National Championships just a season ago. It marked the first NCAA Championship appearance for the Lady Horned Frogs since 2010. Along with a top-25 ranking, the program also saw 26 records in the 2021-22 campaign.

TCU looks to pick up right where they left off last season; they posted five top-four finishes in nine regular season events. In addition, horned Frogs Caitlyn Macnab and Sabrina Iqbal were named to the All-Big 12 Team. Macnab was also named the league's Freshman of the Year and earned the WGCA Honorable Mention All-American accolades. Coach Ravaioli-Larkin is set to begin her 29th season this season and welcome six letter-winners from last season's squad while adding a pair of talented incoming freshmen to the mix.

Coach Angie Ravaioli-Larkin is excited to start the season, and she says, "I am so excited about our upcoming schedule this year. It is one of the most dynamic and best in the country, playing from east to west. We cannot wait to get the ball rolling."

Sept. 24-26 - Schooner Classic - Norman, OklahomaOct. 3-4 - Barbara Nicklaus Cup - Dublin, Ohio Oct. 10-11 - Illini Invitational - Medinah, Illinois Oct. 23-24 - The Jim West Invitational - San Marcos, Texas Oct. 28-30 - Battle of the Beach - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Jan. 23 - Match In the Desert - Gold Canyon, Arizona Feb. 13-15 - Nexus Women's Collegiate Classic - Nassau, Bahamas Mar. 17-19 - Mountain View Collegiate - Tucson, Arizona Apr. 1-2 - The Bruzzy - Fort Worth, Texas Apr. 7-9 - Big 12 Match play - Scottsdale, Arizona Apr. 21-23 - Big 12 Championship - Dallas, Texas May 8-10 - NCAA Regionals - TBA May 19-24 - NCAA National Championships - Phoenix, Arizona

Want to join the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Killer Frogs message board community today!

Follow KillerFrogs on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest TCU news! Follow KillerFrogs on Facebook and Instagram as well. Download the KillerFrogs app on Google Play or in the Apple App Store.

AVP pro volleyball hopes Phoenix digs its championship – even without a beach

Beach volleyball fans came to see the action in the main stadium next to the pier in Manhattan Beach, California. AVP plans to bring the games indoors to Phoenix on Sept. 23 and 24. (Photo byProfessional volleyball player Brian Miller, wearing black, goes up to spike the ball at the AVP Gold Series tournament in Manhattan Beach, California, on Sept. 16, 2022. (Photo by Shayan Moghangard/Cronkite News)Sarah Sponcil, who compete...

Beach volleyball fans came to see the action in the main stadium next to the pier in Manhattan Beach, California. AVP plans to bring the games indoors to Phoenix on Sept. 23 and 24. (Photo by

Professional volleyball player Brian Miller, wearing black, goes up to spike the ball at the AVP Gold Series tournament in Manhattan Beach, California, on Sept. 16, 2022. (Photo by Shayan Moghangard/Cronkite News)

Sarah Sponcil, who competed in beach volleyball in the 2020 Olympic Games, jump-serves the ball at the Manhattan Beach tournament. (Photo by Shayan Moghangard/Cronkite News)

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. – Judging from the crowds packing the stadium built beside this city’s pier, there’s no question about the popularity of pro beach volleyball – when there’s a beach.

But what about indoor matches in a desert far from the ocean?

The Association of Volleyball Professionals is about to find out. The AVP is returning to Phoenix in September after almost a 13-year absence.

The two days of competition at the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix will feature the top four men’s and women’s teams from the tour’s Gold Series events, as well as two wild cards that will be added to the field.

“The AVP Phoenix Championships will be totally unique with all eyes focused on one court and the top six men’s teams and top six women’s teams battling it out to call themselves AVP champions,” Al Lau, CEO of the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, said in a statement.

The AVP almost certainly will try to channel some of the mojo that it sees at its biggest event, the Manhattan Beach Gold Series Open, which began in 1960 and offers the tour’s largest prize purses, totaling $300,000.

Scott Buffington, an Arizonan now living in Southern California, hopes the AVP will catch on in the Grand Canyon State.

“I grew up in Arizona, and volleyball, especially mens, was never that big,” said Buffington, sporting a Sun Devils cap and T-shirt as he watched the Open one pleasant day in mid-August.

“You could find some pickup indoor and beach games, but it was never really organized. I think it’s amazing that beach volleyball is making its way to Phoenix. The more exposure the better.”

The Sept. 23-24 tournament in Phoenix also could be a homecoming for some players. Sarah Sponcil, who placed ninth with partner Kelly Claes in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, is hoping to qualify with her latest partner, Terese Cannon. Sponcil remembers going to an AVP event in Phoenix as a kid.

“I got my first volleyball signed at a Phoenix AVP tournament around 2008,” said Sponcil, who attended Veritas Prep in east Phoenix, “so it’s kind of wild to think that that was the last time it came out to Arizona.”

Now 26, Sponsil said she would love to battle for the championship before “friends and family that have followed my journey and to be able to play in front of them in the Footprint Center is the goal.”

Sponcil spoke of the challenges of growing up in Arizona, a sandy place where playing competitive volleyball in the sand isn’t common.

Sponcil was 6 when her parents started taking her and her sister to church leagues and pickup games around metro Phoenix. Two years later, she started to enter beach tournaments in Arizona on what passed for sand.

“Beach wasn’t huge, so if anything it was more like dirt,” she said of the court surface. “There was no real or formal training, so we just played and tried to get better.”

Sponcil and a partner at the time played in as many tournaments as possible, even those for teenagers as old as 18.

“It wasn’t until I came out to California when I was like 12 (or) 13 and I was like, ‘We need to know what real volleyball looks like.’”

Sponcil is one of the bigger names in the sport to hail from Arizona, but with the addition of the AVP Phoenix Championships, it’s possible that others will be inspired by the sport.

Phoenix is the 13th stop on AVP’s tour of 16 cities, which includes such inland cities as Denver, Atlanta, Chicago and Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Fans are confident beach volleyball is growing and gaining the traction it deserves.

“This is actually the first tournament we all came back to since we graduated college,” said Griffin Geller, 22, of Malibu, California, who had come to Manhattan Beach with some friends. “I honestly had no idea the AVP tournaments went anywhere else other than like beach cities, so the fact that they are spreading out to places like Arizona and Chicago is great.”

Exploring how the odds makers believe the Suns will perform this season

Media Day for the Phoenix Suns in on September 26 as the team prepares for training camp to begin. The preseason follows with their first game against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 5.That’s right. Suns’ basketball is just around the corner.For those readers who live in the state of Arizona, it has now been one year since online ...

Media Day for the Phoenix Suns in on September 26 as the team prepares for training camp to begin. The preseason follows with their first game against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 5.

That’s right. Suns’ basketball is just around the corner.

For those readers who live in the state of Arizona, it has now been one year since online sports betting was made legal in the Grand Canyon State. What a year it has been, am I right? How many over/under point totals did you get right? How many times have you bet a point spread and nailed it? How many prop bets did you swing and a miss on?

Due to the fact that many jurisdictions still forbid it, not everyone may wager on sports using a smartphone app. Yet. Even if you can’t, it’s still a good idea to look at the odds and learn how the oddsmakers predict a team’s performance. Their primary concern is making money, and I swear someone has pulled a Marty McFly on us by having a Grays Sports Almanac and merely setting the lines based on that knowledge from the future.

If anyone sees a DeLorean in Vegas, please check for a Californian OUTATIME license plate.

We now know what the odds makers anticipate this Suns team to accomplish as they get ready for the start of the new season. There are several wagers available, ranging from victory totals to playoff odds, from winning the division to winning the championship. Let’s look at what Vegas predicts the Suns will do during the NBA season of 2022–2023.

Total Wins: 51.5

Phoenix has averaged 57.5 wins over the past two seasons, winning 64 last year and 51 the year prior. It’s understandable that the odds makers believe that Phoenix will not replicate last season’s win total. It was the best ever put forth by any Suns team in their 54-year history. Both seasons, Phoenix hit the over on their predicted win totals.

But why such a big drop off from last season? That may have something to do with the acquisitions/health status of the Los Angeles Clippers in the Pacific Division. The Clippers won 42 games last season, but with the the John Wall addition and return of Kawhi Leonard, the team has an over/under of 52.5 wins this season.

We should see some regression with Phoenix as the team focuses on how to peak in the playoffs rather than in the regular season. 51.5? I’ll take the over. 53-29 sounds like an achievable record for the Suns. And if you want to bet the exact win total, the 52-55 range is +245.

To Win the Pacific Division: +225

As mentioned above, the odds makers are a fan of what the Clipper project to be. Sprinkle in the defending NBA Champions in the Golden State Warriors, and the Pacific Division promises to be a challenging division. The Suns have the third best odds to win the division, although their odds aren’t horrible at +225.

The talent is there for Phoenix. They have the experience. They have the know how, the chemistry, and the depth to accomplish the mission of winning the Pacific for the third consecutive season. The next question is if the Suns have listed this objective among their goals for the current season.

The team burned themselves out early attempting to accomplish numerous micro-tasks last season, ultimately falling short in their pursuit of their primary goal: a championship.

To Win the Western Conference: +500

This too is the third best odds in the conference, behind the Clippers (+330) and the Warriors (+340). The Lakers (+750) come in fourth, which means that the odds makers see the Pacific as the toughest division in the NBA.

Should one of these four teams wins the West, it would be the ninth consecutive time a team from the Pacific Division represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. The last time a team that wasn’t from the Pacific was in the Finals? The 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs.

To Win the NBA Finals: +1200

Like a 1966 hit song from the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds album, wouldn't it be nice?

Phoenix finds themselves with the sixth-best odds to win a title this season, trailing the Boston Celtics (+550), Clippers (+600), Warriors (+600), Brooklyn Nets (+700), and Milwaukee Bucks (+800).

These aren’t the greatest odds, but this is most likely the bet the majority of casual Suns fans will make. I know my mother always puts money on Phoenix-based sports teams the win their respective championship each year (she goes to Laughlin on the reg and has been making these bets for years). I now know why I have no inheritance coming my way.

Another fun filled season lies before us and Phoenix finds themselves with an opportunity to win it all. It's not every year you're one of the top six teams relative to the odds to win the title. Let's hope they can capitalize on this momentum that they've built over the past two seasons, put together a true revenge tour, and avenge their pitiful performance in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals last season against the Dallas Mavericks. That motivating factor could ultimately lead to a title.

And that's something I will bet on.

Devin Booker

+3000

+60000

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