RIO DE JANEIRO -- Matt Andersons older sister realized he really must be struggling in order to call home with news for his family that he needed an extended break from volleyball.Joelle Vanegas remembers it well nearly two years later, and also recalls her reaction once the worries for her brother had eased and she knew he would be fine.Vanegas threw out a little tough love.Youre the best player in the world, Matt. Suck it up, and get back out there and play, she told him.Eventually, he would find his way back, and Anderson will lead the Americans into their Olympic opener Sunday night against Canada.But he first took that much-needed mental break from the grind of his sport, the one that has taken Anderson around the globe and landed him largely isolated in Russia for eight months of the year playing professionally.The star outside hitter hesitates to use the word depression, yet knows he experienced some symptoms. In late 2014, he was in a deep funk and made that daunting decision to step away from volleyball and rediscover a balance in his life.I think I was experiencing some depression-like moments in my life. You get down on yourself when youre trying to be the best and be perfect. When youre like that for a while, you dont get that success, even if its a small simple thing, it can bring you down, Anderson said. I wasnt able to let it go when I left the gym, so it was bringing me down the whole day, not just in the moment. So I had to address it.He lost his father, Michael, in 2010 after a kidney cancer diagnosis and a heart attack. Two years ago this month, cousin Keri Ferraro Reisch was killed in a car crash.Each time, still in shock and grieving, Anderson quickly returned to his volleyball work with little time to be comforted by those closest to him.So, when he called home to West Seneca, New York, that day, his sister understood. She has watched his love for nephew Tristin, who has autism. Anderson has a tattoo with the boys name and a puzzle piece on his inner right forearm to support him.It was that a lot of things had happened to our family, Vanegas said. When my dad passed away, he had to be back in Korea right after the funeral. When my cousin passed away, he had to be back in Russia. He missed births of his nieces and nephews. He felt he was pulled away from all he was.Stepping away even for a couple of months is rare for elite athletes. Yet everyone in Andersons inner circle knew he just needed time, and they were quick to offer support.Those who know him well believe the 29-year-old Anderson is all the better now for having taken that break.I went home, I went back to the place where people know me as me and not the athlete, my family, friends that like hanging out with me not because I bring this aura of celebrity around with me, he said.U.S. coach John Speraw had been on the job about a year and a half when Anderson came to him.Nobody does that, so when a player comes to you and says, `I need this, you know this is not a cursory thought, hes given it a bit of consideration, Speraw said. I knew what place he was in and what he needed, and I was 100 percent supportive -- `Take a breath. How long do you want to breathe? -- For me it was indefinite.Speraw figures many volleyball players face similar situations.The sport has no U.S. professional league, so many American men and women competing in Rio have only recently returned to the U.S. base in Southern California from abroad to prepare for the Olympics.Reid Priddy, beginning his fourth Olympics at age 38, spoke with Anderson throughout the process two years ago. Priddy, who is married and a father of two, was in Italy earlier this year finding his rhythm as he worked back from reconstructive knee surgery.Priddy also has taken time off -- perhaps just not in such a public way as Anderson.This is a hard life. I had this desire personally to be connected to community, to start a family, and when youre buzzing all over the world, its just not a reality, Priddy said.Sometimes you just need to dress yourself in the morning, literally wear clothes that you want to wear. Youre not putting on team clothes, you just need some autonomy, he said.Anderson has flourished, thanks to family, friends and the U.S. team.You always have to try to be better than yourself, not try to be better than anybody else, his sister said. That is how Matt continues to grow. Authentic Sam Jones Jersey . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Authentic Keishawn Bierria Jersey . There are surprises among the Vezina candidates, but most of the others are standard top-tier performers, even if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quite as good as they have been through the first half of the season. http://www.cheapbroncosjerseysauthentic.com/ . -- Whether Jeremy Hill deserves a prominent role in LSUs offence this early in the season is a matter for debate. Authentic Courtland Sutton Jersey . The move comes after the Canadiens were approached by the Buffalo Sabres for permission to speak to Dudley - a former Sabres player and head coach. "The Sabres called for permission and I appreciate that, Im flattered, Dudley told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. Wholesale Broncos Jerseys . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. Mike Tyson, the former undisputed heavyweight world champion, became a legend because of his awesome punching power. He even had a video game named for him -- the iconic Mike Tysons Punch-Out!!That fierce power was often on display, as Tyson -- the onetime Baddest Man on the Planet, who retired in 2005 with a record of 50-6 and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011 -- knocked out 44 of his opponents.Although I covered several fights at the end of Tysons career, I was a teenager in the mid-1980s when he was coming up, and because I grew up in upstate New York, where Tyson was based and fought regularly in his early pro career, he was already a celebrity to me long before he became an international figure. At school, my friends and I often talked about his fights and knockouts and looked forward to his next bout.In honor of Tysons 50th birthday on Thursday, here are my 10 favorite Tyson KOs.10. KO1 Michael Johnson (Sept. 5, 1985, Atlantic City, New Jersey)Tyson scored so many quick and exciting knockouts early in his career that I really could have picked any number of them, but this one is perfectly representative of the young Tyson, who was lightning-fast with his hands and head as he crushed opponents. Tyson came out looking for an early KO and dropped Johnson with a left hook. Johnson survived, and then Tyson ran to him, cocked back with a right hand that landed clean on Johnsons face, and down he went. Over and out.9. TKO1 Carl Williams (July 21, 1989, Atlantic City, New Jersey)In his ninth and final title defense before being upset by Buster Douglas, Tyson needed only 93 seconds to blow away Williams and move to 37-0. With Donald Trump, the owner of the host casino, in the ring before the bout, Tyson and Williams came out blazing. But the fight was over quickly, as the first time Tyson landed a solid left hook, he sent Williams staggering into the ropes and to the canvas on his rear end. Although he beat the count -- barely -- Williams was badly dazed, and Tyson had yet another exciting early knockout.8. TKO2 Tony Tubbs (March 21, 1988, Tokyo)Before he ventured to Tokyo for the Douglas fight, Tyson first fought there in the prime of his career, and he looked like Godzilla as he chewed up former world titleholder Tubbs. Tubbs made it through the opening round and landed a couple of solid shots in the second, but then Tyson landed a tremendous left hook to the head that took Tubbs legs away. He staggered cartoonishly and grabbed the top rope to try to keep his balance, but then fell flat on his back.7. KO1 Clifford Etienne (Feb. 22, 2003, Memphis, Tennessee)This makes my list because -- in addition to it featuring the pleasing aesthetics of Tyson absolutely drilling The Black Rhino with a massive right hand to the chin, sending Etienne to the canvas with his right leg folding beneath him as he went down -- it was the final win and knockout of Tysons career. Tyson needed just 49 seconds (his sixth-fastest KO) to get rid of Etienne and end what had been a wild buildup, which included the fight nearly being canceled after Tyson unveiled his facial tattoo to the world a few days before the bout.6. KO5 Francois Botha (Jan. 16, 1999, Las Vegas)Out of the ring for 19 months following his suspension for biting Evander Holyfields ears in a disqualification loss, Tyson returned against Botha and showed nothing in the first four rounds. He was down 40-36, 40-36 and 39-36, when suddenly the old Tyson showed up as he hammered Botha with a clean rigght hand to the chin.dddddddddddd Botha went down hard, then struggled to back his knees but could not beat the count, after which he stumbled into the ropes and fell down.5. KO4 Larry Holmes (Jan. 22, 1988, Atlantic City, New Jersey)Holmes, the Hall of Fame former world champion, was past his prime and coming off a nearly two-year layoff when he was matched with a prime Tyson in a historic meeting of great heavyweights from different generations. As expected, Tyson destroyed Holmes, finally putting him away with a memorable onslaught leading up to a nasty right hand to the face that dropped Holmes flat on his back.4. KO1 Henry Tillman (June 16, 1990, Las Vegas)Four months after Douglas stripped Tyson of his unbeatable aura, Tyson returned with a vicious knockout of Tillman, who had twice defeated Tyson in the amateur ranks and had cost him a spot on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team. But their pro fight was a blowout that ended with a classic Tyson overhand right to the head that sent Tillman careening off the ropes and down in a heap. A classic one-punch Tyson KO.3. KO1 Marvis Frazier (July 26, 1986, Glens Falls, New York)Four fights before Tyson won the world title, he turned in an electrifying and wickedly violent knockout, needing only 30 seconds -- the fastest knockout of his career -- to destroy Frazier, the son of former heavyweight world champion Joe Frazier. Before the fans had even gotten comfortable in their seats, Tyson hurt Frazier with a right uppercut, a left to the head, another right uppercut and a right-left-right combination that dropped Frazier to his knees. This was the early, pre-prime Tyson at his ferocious finest.2. TKO2 Trevor Berbick (Nov. 22, 1986, Las Vegas)At 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old, Tyson fulfilled the prediction of father figure and late trainer Cus DAmato when he became the youngest heavyweight world champion. As historic as this knockout was, it was equally explosive. Who could forget the image of Berbick flopping around the ring when he tried to get up from a devastating left hook to the jaw? After Berbick survived a knockdown in the first few seconds of the second round, Tyson landed the title-winning left hook, essentially scoring three knockdowns with the single punch: First, Berbick fell from the hook. Then he tried to get up, but he was disoriented and fell down again. Finally, he attempted to get up again, but his legs again betrayed him, and he fell across the ring, crashing into the ropes, at which point the fight was stopped.1. KO1 Michael Spinks (June 27, 1988, Atlantic City, New Jersey)This was the apex of Tysons career, as he retained the undisputed title by blowing away the then-undefeated (and seemingly petrified) Spinks in just 91 seconds in what was, at the time, the richest fight in history. Tyson came to the ring with the hardware (three title belts), but Spinks was lineal champion, even though he had been stripped of his belt. Three days shy of his 22nd birthday, Tyson put aside his mounting personal problems and pulverized Spinks, dropping him twice -- first with a right hand to the body, and then moments later, for good, with a monstrous left-right combination to the jaw. Besides the violence of the KO, I loved Tysons reaction. He simply spread his arms to receive applause from the crowd, as if he knew the knockout had been preordained. He was never better than on this night. ' ' '