Player Profile: Jonathan Erdmann

The Hague, Netherlands, May 27, 2015 - Jonathan Edrmann answers our questions about his career to date in this update to our series of player profiles looking ahead to
the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships The Netherlands 2015.

Name: Jonathan Erdmann
Date of birth: March 12 1988
Hometown: Berlin, Germany
Height: 1.94m
Position: Blocker
Partner: Kay Matysik

When did you start playing beach volleyball?
“The first time I played beach volleyball was when a friend of mine asked me to play outside. I thought he was kidding because at the time I didn’t know that something much better than indoor volleyball could exist. Around 2000, I started playing official tournaments for young players in Germany, and year by year it got better.”

You became Youth World Champion in 2006 at the age of 18. Was this the moment you set your eyes on a professional career?
“It was a great experience to win the World Championships. It was however, without knowing it, just one step in a long journey. I started playing beach volleyball as a professional in 2009.”

Who inspired you when you were a junior athlete?
“When I first started beach volleyball, I really liked how Emanuel and Ricardo played.”


What are your objectives for the Netherlands 2015?
“We hope to perform better than at Stare Jablonki two years ago. In 2013, we finished with the bronze medals.”

With a month to go until the start of the World Championships, how is your preparation progressing?
“After a long off-season, we’ve finally started with the first tournaments. During the winter, we participated in four training camps in Tenerife, which is where our coach Danny Wood is from. There, we had good training conditions and the opportunity to share training sessions with and against a lot of different European teams. It’s always a good way to prepare the beginning of the season.”

You have been playing with Kay Matysik for six seasons now. What is the biggest strength of your partnership?
“The biggest strength of our team is precisely our six years of association! We’ve gained lot of automatisms and today we know each other really well, which is a very important asset in this sport.”

What was the most exciting match you have played?
“Oh! There have been a lot of nice matches… But for sure, the bronze medal match against Brazil in Stare Jablonki two years ago was one of the best! We loved the location at the lake, the Polish crowd was amazing and our family and friends were there too and they made the moment unforgettable! We also remember the final of our German Tour last year, which was really special. We won the tiebreak for the title after being led 14-11.”

The World Championships in the Netherlands will be played at four unique venues. What is the most special location you have ever played at?
“I always love to play between the mountains of Gstaad. The beach of Bermuda was also amazing! For sure the Netherlands will organize a wonderful event and I am really interested to see how the four host cities will be connected!”

Read more Player Profiles:    
Alexander Brouwer
Edouard Rowlandson
Kerri Walsh
Yuan Yue