Steffes refuses to cash in gold

      After he teamed with Karch Kiraly in last July's Olympic Games to win the first gold medal in beach volleyball, Kent Steffes didn't view the victory as an opportunity to increase his endorsements and build his bankroll.
      Instead, he considered it a vehicle toward bringing a message of hope to youngsters.
      "One of the sad things about success after the Olympics is reading all about whether or not (athletes) are still doing endorsements," Steffes said. "It's not a question of what impact they've had on their communities. That's always been sort of strange to me. It's certainly not in the Olympic spirit."
      Steffes is in Las Vegas for the Miller Lite King of the Beach Invitational Volleyball Tournament at the Hard Rock Hotel. He joins Jose Loiola, Mike Dodd and Eric Fonoimoana today for three games beginning at noon to crown the 1997 King of the Beach.
      Kiraly, a four-time champion of the event, failed to advance Saturday.
      Although Steffes benefitted financially from the gold medal, he said the best part was being able to help children.
      "You get them in listening, and you've got the gold medal in front of you shining, and they actually pay attention," said Steffes, 28. "And you can deliver a message that they might not hear in their communities, which is to stay off drugs, stay in school and to work hard."
      Kiraly and Steffes, the Association of Volleyball Professionals co-No. 1 players, teamed up in 1990. This is their fifth season together, missing only 1995, when Steffes had a shoulder operation.
      In 1992, Steffes and Kiraly won 16 AVP titles, including a record-tying 13 straight. They captured 17 events in 1994 and 12 last year. Kiraly said Steffes does not receive enough credit for their success.
      "He and I have been the best team on the beach for the last six years, and yet four or five of those years, he was not named the MVP," said Kiraly, who was MVP from 1992-95. "We should share in all the credit for success, and that means he should probably have won about three MVPs and I should have won three MVPs. But it wasn't until last year he finally won the MVP."
      Steffes said he is unconcerned with praise.
      "If it happens, that's fine. If it doesn't happen, that's fine too," he said. "I'm interested in winning beach volleyball tournaments. Karch deserves all the credit he can get -- three gold medals in two different aspects of volleyball, all the indoor wins, all the outdoor wins.
      ''It's been a joy playing with the guy. It's been a real pleasure."
      Steffes' play at the Olympics won him an AVP Special Achievement Award.
      "I played probably the best volleyball I've ever played," Steffes said. "I think the way I played in that tournament is the highlight of my career."
      -- NOTES -- Fonoimoana advanced from Friday's play-in round. ... Dodd's three victories Saturday earned $12,000. ... Steffes qualified largely on the strength of a 15-4 victory he and Loiola had over Mike Whitmarsh and Brian Lewis. This is Steffes' first King of the Beach appearance since 1992.