Lausanne, Switzerland, September 30, 2016 - From his University of Toronto days in the mid-2000s to the 2016 Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals in Canada's largest city, Josh Binstock has come full circle in his decision to retire from active duty.
"I couldn't be more grateful and appreciative of my retirement announcement venue," said Binstock, reflecting on the Toronto Finals audience tribute. "Having the opportunity to end my career in my home city, where it all started, parallels a Hollywood script. It just felt right in terms of how it came around full circle."
Binstock, born in 1981, began competing on the beach circuit during his off-season from the University of Toronto when he was 23.
Now, at 35, he has been to two Olympic Games, Pan American Games (including Toronto 2015) and multiple FIVB World Tour stops.
Since teaming up in 2013, Josh Binstock and Sam Schachter have captured medals at four FIVB World Tour events, including a gold at the 2014 FIVB Parana Open. In 2015, they finished second at the Swatch FIVB Major Series tournament in Porec, Croatia, earning their largest single prize payout. It was the first time a Canadian men's team had reached the podium in a major FIVB World Tour event since 1997.
Josh Binstock (facing) and teammate Sam Schachter at the 2016 Swatch FIVB World Tour finals in Toronto.They posted their best result in an FIVB Grand Slam event when they finished fourth in Sao Paulo in 2014. Binstock and Schachter made their FIVB World Championship debut in The Netherlands 2015 where they finished ninth as Canada’s top-ranked men's team.
"It has been a privilege to play with Josh over the past few years having experienced some of the best volleyball years of my life thus far," said Schachter. "He was always able to get the best out of his partners, and I personally could not have asked for a better mentor in my development years. I cannot speak enough about his performance as a player and partner."
Binstock made his Olympic debut at London 2012 with Martin Reader. The duo finished in 17th place after posting a 1-2 record in pool play. In 2001, Binstock won a silver medal at the Canada Games. He is also a three-time national champion, most recently in 2014 with Schachter. Binstock has represented Canada three times at the Maccabiah Games, including in 2013 when he served as the Canadian flag bearer.
Flashback to Josh Binstock's aspirations before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.Josh graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Health and Physical Education in 2004, and earned his Doctorate of Chiropractic at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 2009. He plans to work as chiropractor in a multi-disciplinary clinic and stay involved in the volleyball community providing therapy, consulting and mentoring services to athletes.
"I'm incredibly excited to start a new chapter in my life,” he said and thanked all those who supported his journey and made sacrifices throughout his career. "This will include staying involved in the game, primarily by giving back to the sport that gave me so much. One of my goals is to foster the growth and development of volleyball in Canada by focusing on the next generation through a physical and psychological approach."
Quick Link:-
Josh Binstock profile on fivb.com