>_< Let's Get Ranty (3)

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh lawd I've never had such an itch to scratch and a rant to rant about more than now. It's something I need to get off my chest while the emotions are still simmering in there, because I've had to keep them in check since the night before. I thought about different mediums to vent, but this will probably the best option as it will it some cases be the most effective and also the most passive aggressive. Let's FUCKING go already!

Volleyball and the Human Emotion 101
It's no surprise that I love volleyball, there's been posts about it before and mainly they focus on the positive (I think). It's time to get into some negatives I experience about the game. I'm not gonna really be sensitive about your knowledge of the game so please excuse any technical lingo that blow over your heads. This is a rant for me, not you.

Men's and Women's volleyball can be really different. There are many similar aspects to the game and certainly there are a few exceptions to the following rant topics, but to me the games  are different. Women's volleyball tends keep longer rally's with a focus on defense, while men tend to want to end plays right away. The list can go on forever but my rant topic is one listed above: the human emotion.

I'm not gonna lie, keeping your emotions in check on the court is a hard thing to do. I tell most people one of the reasons why I love this game so much is that you can celebrate by doing whatever you want on the court as long it isn't obviously directed at anyone on the other side of the team. The best bart? They can't do anything about it because there's a net separating your teams. It's like the volleyball version of being a troll on the internet, you are granted safety (at least until the end of the match). Everyone gets affected by taunts and celebrations, missed serves and shanked balls. It's how you deal with it that makes the difference in the long run.

That being said, there are some times when life affects you and you bring that into the game. I'm pretty guilty of it sometimes and it sucks. Usually I play the game to make me feel better, and it usually does, but I'd be lying to you if I told you it didn't affect my game. But that's cool. I take pride in doing my best by keeping my emotions in check during a match. That's not to say I've had a few bad matches myself. Regardless, the real problem is how your attitude can affect the most important people around you - your team. Everyone's got their job, attackers gotta put the ball down, libero's gotta pick up that defense, middle blockers double duty on putting the ball down and putting up a solid defensive wall at the net. Setters gotta run the plays that matter. But hey let's expand on that.

Over the years I've gone through many setters: some who get me, some who listen, some who are the best for everyone but me, and the few that just fill in because we need hands. Some sound advice for anyone filling in: know your hitters, trust them, and keep them warm. Every setter/person is different. They have odd ways of knowing who to set, and why they set the way they do. One in particular loves giving a hitter a second try if they didn't put it down the first time. Mixed feelings on that approach but hey, I'm not an expert. The whole "keep your hitters warm" thing seems really important to me because why wouldn't you? I'm getting off topic here - just some background information before the real rant begins... so how does any of this relate?

Last night I experienced the most disrespectful treatment on the court I've ever received. As a hitter, being actively (and not being subtle about it) not set is insulting and irrational. All stemming from some recent bad times OFF THE COURT (this is important), the setter in a match I played in did their best to make sure I didn't get my chance to be offensively useful. So let's get the rant out of the way... (prepare for shade)

Am I even using the term correctly?

I don't give a flying fuck what happens off the court between us. You leave it OFF THE COURT. You're not a perfect setter. Just because the ball doesn't spin when it releases your hands and is a foot and a half off the net doesn't mean I'm going to crank the ball. I'm a damn good outside hitter and everyone knows that. I'll make the decision to swing at what I want to swing, where, and how hard. You do not dictate that for me. Especially since you are not a setter. News flash, the other hitter wasn't hitting well to begin with at first, but hey, he got more attempts later on and guess what? He was finally putting some balls down. Wish I would've known how that felt that night. Because of your immaturity (and lack of good sets in general when I actually received one), I never got to warm up to be useful offensively. You'd rather back-set a middle, or push the opposite so far past the antennae everyone on our defense rolls their eyes (and everyone on the other side of the net has the biggest shit eating grin I've ever seen). You know what I did? Recognized the issue and played on. I stuck my hand out for low-fives that were ignored by you. Still passed on target when I literally could've put that ball anywhere else but your hands (I can almost feel your scoff as you read this sentence). Got ready for an approach even knowing I wouldn't get set. Encouraged the team.

We lost two out of the three games. To old people and a Latino try-hard sub. Because of you. And you know what sucks the most? Because it was your fault, it was also my fault, and everyone else's fault. That's a team for you. Take your inferiority complex with me anywhere else but on the court where - like it or not - we're on the same team and hopefully we share the same goal: to win the game.

I've played on teams with people I didn't particularly like either. I'm mature enough to know that that doesn't matter because we all stood on the same side of the court, wearing the same colors, sharing the same goals.

This is probably why you "hate" the team you're playing with in an upcoming tournament in the south east area of the US. Ever think that it's not your teammates that are the problem? Ever think that it's just you? Maybe you should just suck it up and play the TEAM GAME with the people YOU CHOSE TO BE WITH?! Food for thought.

I hope you got it out of your system. This league that we play in is pretty low priority in terms of what it means to me, but I still want to win it. Our volleyball lives are regrettably intertwined so there will be matches and tournaments that matter to me more than this. If you continue along this path and fail to GET OVER YOURSELF, then I can make sure that you and I never play on the same side of the court ever again.

But I can't work miracles. If we're on the same side, you can be sure I'll continue to do what I do. You can continue to be a child, or you can start knowing what it's like to be an athlete.

Seriously we should probably talk.
ta ta kids

>_< Volleyball (part 2)

So there I was as a college freshman, looking for new friends, new experiences, and basically a new life. Ther person I was in high school would soon grow into the player I am today. I walked into that gym and saw Justin, who had told me after a few exchanged words that he was a libero. So after peppering for a bit I just noticed he had really good hands. I told him "hey, you know you should be a setter" and from then on we've been "setter and hitter" ever since. It's been 5 years now and since then we've started and maintained a volleyball club team, of which I was Vice president for a year and Captain of the "better" team my last year in college, and we went on a 7-3 record, the best record to date. I've developed so much of my skills that I almost considered that my prime was around this time last year and now I'm kind of just plataeu-ing off. I want to get better and I'm sure I will in certain aspects, but that won't come until I start stepping up. I will. Make sure of it.

Now? I'm the head coach of the club that Justin and I ran. Its a bit awkward, and I want to play so bad, but I'm happy to pass the torch and let others experience the thrill I experienced. I'm going to continue coaching, if they'll allow me. But i'll also search for new players to teach and learn from. Just like my skills have been honed, so will my knowledge of the game. And it's a great feeling.

So why exactly do I love volleyball? A big part of it is a stress reliever. Nothing is more uplifting than cranking a ball straight down or into some poor victims chest or face. It's a very mind oriented game in terms of frustration and anger. With other sports you could probably just get in the other guys face and start throwing punches. In volleyball, no matter how angry you get, there will always be that net in the way and its up to you to prove that you are better than the ones that anger you. It's exhilarating. The team aspect is also a favorite quality. You can't play volleyball by yourself. Try it, its a terrible experience. So whether with friends or strangers, theres always somebondy to talk to and you've already got that one thing in common... volleyball. I could go on and on about how much this sport means to me. The game has caused be some really good, intense pain. Bent fingers, torn shoulders, weak knees, tight abs, and the strongest thighs I've ever had the pleasure to flex. Without it, I'd be more than 50 pounds overweight. Its the only thing that I'll allow to mess up my schedule. Hot date? Sure let's have one. Volleyball tourney the same day? Date is rain checked. No questions asked. It takes a lot of priority. People know that about me. Becasue of who I am, I need something like this to free myself from other things going on in my life. It's a remarkable feeling.

I'm sure many of you have a certain feeling about a sport this way. This passion I have runs really deep. If my knees haven't given in by then, I'll probably still be playing when I'm 50. 60 even. Of course I won't be as good, but I'll be wise and I'll know how to play with my mind instead of my biceps.

In conclusion: Volleyball is mine. You have yours. Mine is better though.

ta ta kids

>_< Volleyball (part 1)

So since the volleyball season is up and running (at least for the most part) it's time I probably delve into one of the most important things in my life, volleyball. This sport and I have some really interesting chemistry and I think it's time I put my thoughts into words before I grow old and start to wonder why I even loved this sport.

It actually started in high school. But before that I was really into basketball. Why?? Probably because my dad was an avid fan of the sport, and I would always watch the games with him. Weird thing is that I didn't actually start shooting around until I was... 12? That's all that I did really, shoot. Shoot and shoot. Of course my shot got decent. I had an opportunity to test my skills in middle school, where my reputation to be quite the "balla' " took over my life. Many of my classmates urged me to join the middle school team, but I just stuck to playing recreation. Wasn't the best 5th or 6th grade, I think it was because I wasn't tall enough? I didn't play in 7th grade but I played in 8th grade, where I basically beasted.
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And THAT right there was a draft written on November 11, 2008. I was actualyl scrolling through my old posts and I found this one was incomplete. After reading through it, I see why. And so, 4 years and 3ish months later... let's finish this!

I sprung up to about 5'8 towards the end of middle school, which made me taller than the average boy. Needless to say, I was pretty dominant in the paint, and I had a deadly shot too. When I entered high school, that's when all the diversity hit me. I decided to try out for the high school basketball team, where I stood under the shadows of boys who were easily a potpurri of 6 footers. I tried out, and a few nights later got that dissappointing call that moved basketball from a passion, to just a hobby. I spent the rest my freshman year a little disappointed, but it allowed me to focus more on my social skills.

No I'm sad to say that I don't really quite remember how my introduction to volleyball happened (I mean... it happened in middle school, I always remembered how "good" I was) ... but how I ever got the idea to try out for the high school team I'll never really know. Perhaps we started the unit on volleyball in gym class and it sparked some kind of trigger to play. Either way... the time to try out was drawing near. I remember that part clearly. I hadn't gotten my physical papers cleared yet, so I sat on the sidelines watching the NEW volleyball coach (and one of my future mentors) run some conditioning and basic drills. Watching it all come together made it all the more interesting. By the time I was actually cleared, I had begun the most rigourous conditioning I ever had - even moreso than basketball. Which was surprising. My coach was so passsionate about the sport, I couldn't help but push through. I found out early on that I was a natural passer, and all I needed was to grasp all the fundamentals needed to succeed. Fast forward 3 years and I'm captain of the varsity team. I've learned all I could at my skil level and it was all about getting better at that point. Playing more. Experience.

When I finally got into University, I found out there wasn't a NCAA team. I thought long and hard about starting a club, but I didn't know anyone at the time who could help me. I found out there was open gym volleyball on the "calendar of events" that we freshman had. I figured I would give it a try, maybe meet some new people, and keep honing my skills. I opened the door and that's when I saw Justin.

ta ta kids