Thank You TKN :: The Message We Should All Hear from a Local Beach Volleyball Team in the Paris 2024 Games
Only one of the six Louisiana athletes competing in Paris is competing in her first Olympic games. Kristen Nuss, one half of the beach volleyball duo TKN, is a local girl born and raised in NOLA who, along with her teammate Taryn Kloth, has made New Orleans, much of Louisiana, and a large portion of the USA proud with their performance at these summer games. While their time in the tournament came to an early end on Monday in the round of 16, the message they brought to the games and the message they were able to highlight with this incredible achievement is one that warrants continued celebration and attention.
If you watched Kristen Nuss and partner Taryn Kloth at all in these games, then you heard at least one announcer comment on their unconventional presence in the games. They are the first professional beach volleyball team to train in Louisiana, and their height difference is usually mentioned within the first 5 minutes of each match. Nuss is 5’6, one of the shortest to ever play professional beach volleyball, a fact brought to her attention often. This duo is fun to watch with Nuss being able to cover impressive distance in the back court while Kloth dominates the net. They possess power and finesse that is refreshing to watch.
The way they handled themselves on the court is something every young athlete should notice. Taryn and Kristen powered through their first two games with ease but never appeared over confident. They supported each other throughout and never let their frustration get the better of them. They came from behind in their third game when they could have easily let losing the first set rattle them. In their final game, they fought to the last point. Down a few points and with the other team closing in on match point, both Nuss and Kloth continued to fight and make the Canadian team they were playing against work for every point they earned. Their continued fight is what every young athlete should see. No matter how far down you are, there is still reason to keep going. End the game knowing you gave it all you had instead of ending the game being disappointed in both the outcome and your performance.
What stands out most, and should be one of the biggest reasons to root for them in the future, is their message. They often talk about wanting to “rewrite the script” on beach volleyball, particularly with where they’ve trained and how they’ve taken professional beach volleyball by storm in their short three years as pros. What this team does in their quest to change the narrative on beach volleyball is actually change the narrative on being an Olympic-level athlete and the message sent to younger kids about how possible achieving your dreams (whatever they are) really can be.
These two show that your dreams aren’t limited to the mold someone created. You don’t have to follow the path of everyone else who has pursued the same dream you did. You can be 5’6 and be an Olympic-level volleyball player. You can be 27 and still excel in gymnastics, a sport once dominated by teenagers and hardly ever showcased a female competitor over twenty. You can fall in love with a passion or develop a dream later in life and still achieve it. Neither of these young women grew up training for beach volleyball. Both had successful careers in other sports before attending LSU. They didn’t let that stop them from going for their dream of being Olympic athletes. As a parent, I love this message because who knows what my kids will want to do one day. I love that there are examples of people who grew up where we live and didn’t let the expectation attached to whatever dream they have limit them. We have local role models who show them that any dream can be possible. Sometimes, you may have to work a tad harder to overcome obstacles, but the possibility is there and nothing should stand in the way.
There is much this beach volleyball duo can teach kids who watch them: their skill is impressive and smart, their approach to scoring is unique, and their team dynamic is what every athlete’s parent could hope for in a team sport. Though they may be done in these Paris games, you can bet we’ll be hearing more of their message while they work toward L.A. 2028. Thank you Kristen and Taryn for reminding younger athletes that passion and hard work is what you need to pursue your dreams and that no one can limit your possibility of achieving those dreams. If you don’t fit the mold of whatever dream you’re after, follow their message and rewrite the script yourself.
