By Christine Jinbo

John Kessel is a prolific writer and shares his enthusiasm and knowledge of the sport with the ESPN RISE Volleyball audience. Officially the Director of Membership Development & Disabled Programs for USA Volleyball, he serves as USA Volleyball's and the sport's number one ambassador.

In 1995, Volleyball Magazine named him one of the 50 most important people in the sport of volleyball in the first 100 years.

Kessel travels all over the world with USA Volleyball presenting at learning at conferences.  A concept presented by Mark Williams on talent development struck a cord with him and with the development of the sport.

In England, at the age of eight, thousands of kids are accepted into Soccer Academies. They go to school and learn one sport - football, the number-one sport in the world, which we call soccer. That we have to call the world's most popular sport something else in our nation says something all by itself, but I digress. These young athletes then train for nearly a decade, year-round and at the ripe, old age of 16, their "graduation" as it were take place. They find out if 1). They are signed to pro contracts or 2). "Released" and sent off to just play recreationally.

So Mark set out to see if he could determine what might separate the players signed vs. those let go. After a long look, they found really only one key thing that they could measurably say was different. The kids who were released, played an average of a couple of hours of "street soccer" a week. This would be like sandlot games for us, games played without a coach; rules set by the players; scoring options determined by the players; field of play determined by those playing.

Those who were signed to pro contracts? They averaged just under 10 hours a week of street soccer. Wow.