Cal State Long Beach alumna Misty May-Treanor was presented a key to the city of Long Beach by Mayor Robert Garcia before the city council meeting Tuesday evening. Former teammates, friends, family and Long Beach State women’s volleyball coach Brian Gimmillaro attended the ceremony.
May-Treanor is considered one of the most successful American beach volleyball players and she proudly calls Long Beach home. She grew up in nearby Newport Beach and graduated from CSULB in 1999. She is currently coaching volleyball at Long Beach City College.
“We all know that Misty is not just a star on the court but as a community leader and someone that mentors young people as a coach [at LBCC], as a committed wife, as someone who inspires families and her growing family,” Garcia said. “We’re all in awe of not just her Olympic contributions but her contributions as a Long Beach resident. We really appreciate everything she has done in our city.”
The mayor has given out two other keys to the city: one to Gov. George Deukmejian and his wife Gloria; and one to Bobbie Smith, the first African American member of the Long Beach Unified School District. Each key to the city is handcrafted and personalized by a local iron worker.
“We’re still in our original home and we love it, we can’t think of a better city to raise our growing family in. I love how the city embraces everybody and it’s a great melting pot which I’m glad to be apart of,” May-Treanor said.
To conclude the ceremony, May-Treanor had some heartfelt words for the crowd.
“I want to thank this great city. For as large as it is, it feels like a small community,” she said. “So many olympians live here and olympians aren’t born, they’re made whether you’re cheering or supporting monetarily by donation… It really takes a whole community to build an olympian.”