Aussies Abroad #7 – Matt Kemp
In this installment of the Aussies Abroad Series, Volleyball Australia caught up with Matt Kemp who is nearing the end of his second season at AS Cannes in France.
Growing up in Forest Lake in Brisbane, didn’t come from a family of volleyball players, but his school – St John’s Anglican College (SJAC) – introduced him to the sport.
“My first exposure to volleyball was in Year 7 at SJAC,” Kemp said. “A lot of people find it interesting to learn that I spent all six years of high school playing volleyball on outdoor concrete tennis/volleyball courts.
“At the time, SJAC didn’t have facilities like they do now. Think of the experience as playing indoor volleyball, with beach volleyball conditions – the wind and hot sun.
“I also didn’t learn how to dive properly until after graduating school, because it was impossible to learn on concrete unless you had a death wish!
“But despite this, I quickly took a liking to volleyball in Year 7 as it was different to every other sport I had played before.
“My passion for volleyball ignited under the guidance of school coach, Rolf Vogelbusch, and in Year 9, he suggested that I attend our district team trials, with the chance of being selected to compete in a regional team trial.
“This was my first taste of volleyball outside of school, and the experience hit me like a truck. I remember trailing against older boys, and not coming anywhere close to being selected for the district team.
“It’s interesting to look back on now and wonder why I had such a strong feeling of disappointment when I wasn’t selected, but I realise that this was a pivotal point in my volleyball journey… I was subconsciously growing very passionate and competitive for the sport, and I knew I didn’t want the same feeling at next year’s trials.”
After another year of hard work and dedication, Matt was selected for his district team, which led him to play for the Met West region and selected as the ‘Australian All-Star Middle’.
“From here my love for the sport quickly evolved as I realised it was something that I could become very good at,” he said.
“While in school, I was invited to the QAS on a scholarship to continue practicing at a higher level outside of school volleyball. I was also selected into multiple state and junior national teams, progressing each year.
“Once I graduated from school in 2020, I was offered to move down to Canberra and be a part of the Australian Volleyball Academy.
“At first, it was a difficult decision as it was a huge commitment, but it has been one of the best decisions I have made in my volleyball career.
“Under the guidance of coach Brendan Garlick, he not only developed my volleyball skills on the court, but had significant influence on my development as a person off the court.
“Towards the end of my time at the AVA, I was invited to work with the Volleyroos during their national team camp to gain some experience at a higher level.
“This led to me making my national team debut in July of 2023, and after almost three years at the AVA, I received my first international contract offer to play volleyball at AS Cannes in France, and I am currently finishing my second season here.”
With his national team debut as Volleyroo #251 and signing his first international contract currently sitting as the standout moments in his career, Matt’s desire to play internationally came from his intense passion to be the best at the game.
“My initial spark for competing internationally came from wanting to do what I love as a job,” he said. “I was never great during school, and knew I wanted more from life than to be sitting in an office all day.
“However, throughout most of my young volleyball career, I was told that it was almost impossible to make a living from volleyball.
“Now, this couldn’t be further from the truth, especially due to the rapid growth of the sport internationally, and now this is my second season playing abroad and here in Cannes.
“When I first made the move, like any big change, it was very stressful.
“However, when I think about it, it was no more stressful than my first big move down to the AVA from Brisbane.
“Being that I was moving to a different country with a different language, it added some complexity into the mix, but I was thrilled to find out that I would also be joined by fellow Aussie, James Weir, here in Cannes.
“This took a lot of the stress off of my shoulders as I had someone I already knew, and he is very experienced with playing overseas.
“Having him as a mentor while being over here has massively helped my transition to living and playing in France.
“I’m very fortunate to be living and playing here in Cannes, and the lifestyle here is awesome, and it closely compares to the life I was already living in Brisbane and Canberra.
“One of the best things I’ve found about playing overseas is the connections and friendships you make along the way.
“You will get to learn not only about the culture of the country you are in, but the different cultures of all your teammates and coaches.
“Another thing that I have come to enjoy is learning the language, even though my French speaking is horrible – my Australian accent just doesn’t comply with the French accent – I have managed to develop a reasonable level of comprehension.
“My understanding is more than enough to get me by at practice and while out and about at the shops/restaurants, but at the end of the day, being able to play a sport full-time is an absolutely unreal experience.”
With Matt’s dream to put on a show in front of a home crowd at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, life after volleyball is already in the works, with his own businesses Lifted Larrikins/Larrikins Co. his other passion.
“I just want to see where volleyball can take me, and be able to have fun and enjoy the ride along the way,” Kemp said.
“I don’t envision myself playing volleyball for the rest of my life, due to the fact that it’s not physically possible.
“My current long term goal is to be able to really put on a show with the Volleyroos at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics in front of a roaring home crowd.
“But after volleyball, I have somewhat of an idea of what I would like to do – I’d love to be able to travel Australia full-time, build some 4WDs with mates, and document all of the processes.
“I spend most of my free time working on my own business, Lifted Larrikins/Larrikins Co., which is centred around my other greatest passion – vehicles and mechanics.
“With the help of my close friends back home, I am able to continue to develop my business remotely here in France.
“I carry out tasks such as video editing for the YouTube channel, emailing/video calling with sponsors, designing and producing merchandise… I manage to keep myself pretty busy.
“I find that once I am able to work and focus deeply on something other than volleyball, I can return to the court feeling refreshed and ready to go.
“My love for vehicles started at the end of high school when my closest mate purchased his first 4WD.
“From there, it spiraled into teaching myself about mechanics, video editing, designing, and just about everything else possible – eventually deciding to start a business around the concept.”
For any young volleyballers that are enjoying the sport, but finding themselves getting nervous for big games, Matt’s advice is simple.
‘You need to treat every match as if it were of equal importance,” he said.
“If there is a big match coming up, and I start to put unnecessary pressure on myself, it’s easy to get wound up for no real reason.
“The preparation for a game starts at practice during the week, and some weeks are harder than others, but it’s vital to work with teammates to create a competitive environment in the lead up to matches.
“It’s important to remember that no matter how big the crowd is, or how much pressure is built around the match, that you have put in the necessary work in the lead up to the game.
“With everything in life, find enjoyment in the process. If you expect things to happen overnight, you will fail faster than ever. Even if you take your time and do everything exactly right, there is still room for failure.
“How you comprehend and bounce back from your failures along the way, is how you’ll continue to excel further. If you are truly passionate and believe in an outcome, you will find a way to make it happen.
“Consistency and belief in yourself will get you across the line every time.”
Thanks for sharing Matt. Enjoyed your narration of the journey from high school to Cannes. As a passionate coach (and semi retired) up on the Sunshine Coast working under Cam Bettenay and Lindsay Baker, I am thinking of coming to France to hang out with my wife in a year or two. Ideally this would be close to a pro club where I can help out. Best wishes Jon Pratlett