Sports biographies are not a rare thing these days, but to find one of relevance on a local level is.
Published in late November by AuthorHouse, “The Biggest Mistake I Never Made” tells a unique and interesting tale of former IPFW volleyball sensation Lloy Ball, in his own words, as told to News Sentinel sports writer Blake Sebring.
The tagline on the front cover of the book really does no justice in summing up this tale: “How an Indiana boy gave up basketball to become a world-class volleyball player.”
I really enjoy that Ball and Sebring did not rush along the story, taking plenty of time throughout the 188 pages to transition from event to event. Even the tale of Lloy choosing between playing Division I basketball at Indiana University and coming here to IPFW to play volleyball for his father is not rushed and starts mainly in chapter six.
Chapter one discusses the Ball family and then the tale goes forward into some Team USA stories before delving back into Lloy’s life and moving forward chronologically.
One of my favorite parts of the entire book however comes in that afformentioned chapter six where Ball talks about the first time he told his father, legendary IPFW coach Arnie, that he was coming to IPFW.
In Lloy’s words, after he told his father he was going to play at IPFW, just before the press conference where he would announce the same to the rest of his community, Ball says this of his father’s reaction:
“It was awkward but he didn’t say anything. He just nodded his head.”
This is one of my favorite lines, in part from knowing Arnie and that general Arnie Ball reaction.
Reading Lloy’s insights on his entire storied volleyball career is great. From the first practice of his IPFW career to the gold medal ceremony of the 2008Olympic Games, the whole story is beautifully illustrated by a guy who has been through so much.
The book is available in local bookstores for $17.50 and also online. If you are a fan of local sports, Lloy or Arnie Ball, it is a must have for your collection.
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