After receiving some tips from United States Youth Volleyball League (USYVL) kids, professional beach volleyball player John Mayer has won the first AVP event of the year. Congratulations are due to John Mayer and Brad Keenan for taking home the top trophy at the 2014 AVP St. Petersburg Open in Florida this past weekend. This marked the first AVP Tour win for Brad Keenan, and the second for John Mayer.

In the story, there is an important message about persistence. John Mayer and Brad Keenan rebounded from a 21-15, 21-10 loss on the tournament’s second day to make the final through the contender’s bracket. On Sunday, they upset top-seeded and defending champions Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson 16-21, 21-19, 18-16.

“We had a tough year last year,” Mayer said. “We made one semifinal, and we didn’t play great the whole year. This offseason, we were kind of having a tough go to start, and I was like, ‘Should I still be out here? Is it time to move on?’ … We (both) decided to just go for it for the next month or two.”

The win comes just two weeks after Mayer appeared at a USYVL “Pro Day” event. There he was able to interact with USYVL players. It is believed that the tips and enthusiasm Mayer picked up from the USYVL kids– most notably being advised to always score more points than the other team – helped him achieve this win.

In all sincerity, Mayer’s fortitude as an athlete drove him to this win. It was truly an honor to have Mayer appear at a USYVL site. He signed autographs, interacted with the kids, and undoubtedly picked up a few fans. With this recent win, he will be a greater inspirational example of how continuing to put forth the best possible effort can yield positive results.

Again, congratulations to John Mayer and Brad Keenan!