Stress

There are many stresses and things that could go wrong being an athlete. The biggest thing for me is the time management. I have practices every day along with the homework and family priorities. I often find myself very busy with little free time to relax or do activities. This is the worst during the busiest part of school season and the busiest part of club season when we are gone for days at a time. When you miss school, you have to do all the make-up work along with all the current work. It can get very tiring and annoying. Also, it is VERY hard not to get distracted by your phone or other devices, especially after a game day or tournament, when you want to check what people said about the game.

Another stressful thing about playing a sport is being frustrated about being in a rough patch. Sometimes, when you are working at things and trying to get better, you feel like you're getting worse before you get better. There are a lot of failures before success, but eventually you get it. Also, people get frustrated when they are not doing so well in practice or in a game. In volleyball this is easy to do, and because so much of the game is mental, one mistake could affect the next play and sometimes the one after that if you get mad, upset, or let it bother you. We just have to remember that it is okay to make mistakes and that you learn from them.

Another problem with some athletes is getting tired of your sport. If someone is constantly practicing and playing with no breaks, they might get burnt out and not enjoy playing or not want to play anymore. This is probably more likely to happen if the practices seem repetitive, like they're doing the same things all the time in practice. Some people will get burnt out, but some who really enjoy the game won't. It just depends on the person. Some ways to prevent this from happening is to take a break from it, or in your free time do things non-sports related, so you're not always thinking about it and you're not always with the same people all the time. Sometimes it's not always the sport you get tired of, but the people.

In sports, it's important to have good team chemistry. It is important for the team to get along so they can play well together, and when they don't it can be frustrating. That is another tough thing about playing sports; getting along with your teammates and how to deal with it if you don't. When people don't get along or if players have bad attitudes it can affect the whole team, even if it is just a couple people from the team because it can make the game not fun to play.

All these things are very hard to deal with, but as athletes we have to push through it because that is what happens in sports, and if you love the sport enough it won't matter what you have to deal with to play it.

Sand Playing

Sand volleyball has many different rules than Indoor volleyball. Yeah there are many differences between the two with the looks of the players, the actual court itself but there are big differences between the rules too. They can be so big that it is hard for some volleyball athletes to change between the two, without some practice.

The size of the court is very different. The size of an indoor court is 18m x 9m with a line across the floor indicating it is 10 ft from the net. This line indicates the front row players and the back court players apart. In indoor the back row players can't jump in front of this line. Sand courts are much smaller, because it is hard to run in and sand and there are only two people playing, which means it is harder to cover more ground. In beach volleyball there isn't such thing as a 10 foot line. Due to there only being two players on the sand court, they are both considered front row and back row players.

There are different types of volleyballs for indoor and outdoor. Indoor consist of a leather covered and much harder. Indoor volleyball is about speed and power. Having a heavier ball means it can be hit hard and quicker. Beach volleyballs are light and can be bigger than indoor. These balls are lighter, so they can float in the air better. Good players will use the lighter ball and the weather to their advantage when playing the sport.

Volleyball is played with six people in the indoor game. There are many rotations going on to make sure each player is in their best spot to help the team win. In sand there are two players that can hit, block and dig extremely well. In more advanced sand volleyball like the olympics, there is more of a designated hitter and digger, and then a designated blocker. For beginners or two really well attackers they will play straight up defense where they are both back ready for a dig. The two players will share the back court together.

Indoor volleyball is best out of five games, the winner reaching 25 first. In sand it is best out of three games; each game going to 21. In both the tie breaker game goes to 15. Both are rally scoring and you must have to win by 2 points.

In sand volleyball if you set the ball, the ball CAN NOT have any spin to it what so ever. If the ball spins at all then it is considered a double. This is why you have to be a good defender and hitter, because knowing how to set isn't very important in this game. Where in indoor volleyball that is one of the most important parts of volleyball. If you want to tip the ball you have to have a closed fist where then you would almost be punching at the ball. Another way to tip in sand is with a knuckle punch, where you close your hand, but keep one of your knuckles out and punch at the ball.

Comparison Between Sand and Indoor

Being an indoor volleyball player can be boring sometimes. Always being trapped inside when it is beautiful out. The dress code and things needed for sand volleyball is different than indoor volleyball.

 The girls that play sand volleyball have a fit body and are crazy tan. In indoor not many girls are dark complexing. Having an extremely fit body isn’t a priority either, due to the fact that people can’t see your body when playing indoor volleyball. Sand volleyball players can have six packs, and are just built in the arms and legs. Indoor is a great place to start learning how to play volleyball and then progressively become a beach volleyball player. Indoor is much easier to learn the fundamentals and the game, because you don’t have to walk on the uneven sand or have to deal with the weather. Sand also has different rules than indoor does. It isn’t a huge difference, but going from being lenient in the indoor game and then moving to outdoors and there are more strict rules is hard to adjust too.

People who play sand wear an outfit that almost looks like a bikini. Some girls will wear spandex like the indoor players, but will wear a sports bra instead of a swimsuit top looking. They wear this, because first they don’t want crazy looking tan lines and second it is easier to move around when playing outdoors. Your body is able to move more freely. When playing beach volleyball the sand can get very hot. There are some solutions for this. Some players wear socks to cover their feet called sand socks. These socks have grippers in them to help the athlete move around in the sand without having their feet burn to death. Another solution is spraying the sand down with a hose. This will cool down the sand and will make it a walkable state. Playing in wet sand helps not having sand get stuck to your body when diving for a ball, or get in your eyes when playing. Sand socks come in many different colors and are very comfortable. Some athletes won't wear them, because they can fall off if they are too big. The socks can stretch to your feet and are snug when wearing them. 

Sand volleyball and indoor volleyball have many different rules and can be played very differently. This I will touch on at a later date. 

Cost of Club

Club sports are costly for parents. Every sport has a club fee for playing the game. They not only have a fee for playing, but they have to pay for their jerseys, team shoes and socks if the sport team requires that. They also have to pay for every tournament they enter in.

Every tournament has a fee, that the club will pay. It could be $100 to $800. The club then splits the amount among the athletes on the team. The more girls on a team the less the cost is going to be for one player. A volleyball team has up to 8 or 10 girls, they will not carry more than that. A basketball team usually will carry up to 10 players. There are perks to having more people on a team, because the cost will be lower. At the same time having more players on a team could be stressful, because some girls might not get a lot of playing time.

A lot of teams that are good and have players that are going to big places will having matching shoes, socks, and knee pads. Having to buy new apparel can get expensive. If a team is sponsored by a certain company like Nike, then they will have to wear nike things. Say you had mizuno shoes, and under armor knee pads, then that athlete will have to buy new apparel to play for the team.

To play for a team there are tryouts that athletes have to attend to. Tryouts have a cost to them too. Usually tryouts are hosted for a team, 3 or 4 times. They will cost around 60 dollars, but you get to go to every tryout. It isn't just one and done you can go to multiple to show what you got. Now say you didn't make the team, but you gave that club team 60 dollars, that is money that they get for doing nothing for your child. If you make the team, you have more to pay with everything that club requires.

National Qualifiers

National qualifiers are hosted in large cities. They are in cities that teams all over the country can come to. There are multiple national qualifier tournaments. There are some in the Midwest, so that teams from that area have some of these tournaments to attend to. There are some on the West coast, so teams can go to those especially teams from Hawaii, because they don't have the opportunity to attend others. National qualifiers are the only tournaments besides that states regionals, that can give a team the opportunity to attend nationals.

These tournaments are so large that the hotels are booked and if you aren't part of the volleyball tournament then you will have a hard time finding a hotel to stay at. Usually qualifiers will give out two bids in each divison. It depends on the tournament too. If the tournament usually attracts more teams to the qualifier then it will be given more bids to give out. There are some tournaments that give only one bid out and that is super hard for the team that comes out to be second. They know that they are so close to the final and receiving the one thing that they work so hard for, and it just be taken from them. They will then have to start all over again at a new tournament for the same chance. Towards the year goes on teams start to receive bids to nationals that they accept. Once a team receives a bid they can still attend these tournaments to try and receive another bid. Say a team has qualified for a bid a month ago and then the qualified for another bid, that bid moves down to the next place team. Teams love this situation because it gives more teams a chance to carry on their club season at nationals.

Qualifiers are so much fun. People look forward to them in the season, because they are so big and there are so many college coaches. It puts a bunch of adrenaline in your body to play hard and fast. It makes it more fun to play and more interesting. They are kind of over whelming with all these college coaches around the country coming to watch teams plays.

Ankle Braces

When playing a sport it is important that your ankles are strong. Every single time that there is a sprained ankle it weakens and leads to a large ankle sprain. When there is a sprained ankle usually the athlete comes back to early. This keeps them from having an ankle that is strong enough to not be able to need an ankle brace.

Ankle braces help keep it from moving side to side or from a hard jerking movement. Having an ankle brace tight on your ankle will help keep it from doing movements that are bad for the ankle. If the ankle brace isn't tight then there is no point in wearing it. If your ankle can move around freely without any worries, then you should be prepared to have an ankle problem. You don't want to have your ankle brace so tight that your ankle loses blood flow, or is painful when you are walking.

Some coaches don't believe in ankle braces, because they believe that it weakens the ankle. You will see some college teams all wearing ankle braces, or not one player wearing the ankle braces. This is usually decided by the coach on what he or she believes in. Some girls that have had ankle problems will either wear ankle braces or tape their ankle to be in place of an ankle brace. There is also some players that will tape their ankle and wear an ankle brace at the same time. This will happen when the player comes back too early and their ankle is still really sore and weak. This is not a bad thing, but will make your ankle weaker and it makes it harder for it to come back stronger and better than before.

Ankle braces are a good thing for players that in their mind think and worry about hurting their ankle again. In this situation an ankle brace is a great thing for that person, because if they are constantly worried about hurting their ankle all the time. This will be a good solution for them, because the ankle brace will help them believe that their ankle will be fine when going hard at playing the sport you love. I suggest not wearing an ankle brace unless you are think about your ankle being injured again. It is completely your choice.

Tryouts

Once that final whistle blows in the state tournament for high school, the players know it's club season. The after school practices and team dinners are over with. No more hanging with the girls outside of practice. It is time to find a club that will take you far and will show your talents off to a college volleyball coach.

Club tryouts are probably the most stressful thing. There are so many girls that show up and what if you don't pass, hit or set a ball good when the coaches are looking at you? There is so little time to show what you got. Some coaches on the other hand know some players and know how they play. They have either coached them in the past or have seen them play in their high school season and then doesn't have to keep a close eye on them at tryouts.

Tryouts are at minimum two hours. Depending on the club it could be longer. They consist of many drills and then some playing at the end. The coaches want to make sure you can not only pass a free ball, but can play outstanding defense too. For the front row they want to make sure the hitters can move side to side quickly and jump super high. To be a good front row player, you have to be able to close the block when you are off. Coaches look at the players who communicate extremely well and have the compassion for the game. If you are the type of player that laughs or say oh well when making a mistake coaches won't appreciate you more than they will for other girls. Tryouts is all about which girl is making the extra effort for a ball or giving encouragement to other players.

At the end of the tryout, the coaches round all the athletes up and discuss what will happen in the next few days. When a phone call will occur or an email will come their way to get asked to play for their team. At this time you have shown everything you can offer to the team and is just hoping to receive a call or an email, asking them to come to their team. There is a cut off for when you will be able to tell the coaches that you are going to attend their team.

Being In Shape

Every sport has its on kind of shape. Basketball is sprints going up and down the court multiple times for a certain amount of time. On top of sprinting basketball has defense which is staying in a squat position for awhile and moving side to side. Soccer is a jog sport that once in awhile you have to sprint up the field. Soccer is a sport that you start to sprint and play hard when the soccer ball comes near you. Volleyball is a totally different kind of sport. There is always a dead ball in volleyball for a time to rest. Front row is jumping to block and then running out to get a big transition to be able to jump high and get a kill. Back row is staying in a low squat position the entire time. They are in a base position and then move staying in a squat position to dig the ball from the hitter. 

Transition from sport to sport is tough when you aren't in the shape for it. Going from soccer to basketball is not that bad, because you are already used to running constantly even if it is a light jog. Going from volleyball to basketball is extremely tough, because you are not used to a constant sprint. There is a comparison with the position of squatting. There is a constant squat position in the game of volleyball, so being able to play defense is much easier, because you are already used to that position.   

The first couple of weeks of practice when going to a new sport is seriously hell. The coaches work the athletes ass off until their bodies are used to the sport. You feel like you are dying on the inside. Now me, it feels like my mouth fills up with blood and that I'm tasting my own blood, but we all know that isn't true. You dread the first two weeks of practice, because you know you are just going to die. 

Why Therapy Is a Good Thing

All athletes should participate in therapy. Therapy strengthens the muscles in a way that can't be done by lifting. Lifting gets muscles big and strong to look bigger. Therapy helps train your muscles and ligaments to land correctly, to cut correctly, run correctly etc. Therapy can help prevent injuries. How a large injury happens is from smaller injuries before the big one happens. A sprained ankle can lead to a broken ankle. Hip pain can lead to back injuries or knee injuries. By going to therapy this large injuries can be prevented.

Therapy is also required after an injury has occurred. If there is no therapy after an injury than that muscle or ligament will not get stronger. It will stay weak and will not be ready to play a sport again. Therapy is the opposite of a chiropractor. Chiropractors crack the area on the body to adjust it. This works sometimes but by massaging and strengthening will overall be the better route. You want to have your muscles learn the right way to move. This will help your body as you get older too. Your ligaments won't be worn out when you are at an age where it is hard to walk or get up from the couch.

Have you ever heard the saying, "A habit will come to you when the repetition is repeated for two weeks"? Now in therapy that saying is adjusted. By repeating an exercise like one legged squats it will take longer than two weeks for your body to naturally bend that way. In therapy, the athlete is training themselves a knew way to do things. In knee bending, you have to make sure your knee is trained to bend straight. You don't want your knee going towards the inside. If anything you would rather have the knee bend towards outside of the body. If the knee is constantly bending towards the inside it will more likely end up in a torn ACL or another torn ligament.

Professional athletes and college athletes are participating in therapy, three times a week if not everyday. It is strengthening your own body parts in a way that will make you more successful and better at a sport. I would recommend in therapy on your knees, due to more knee injuries occurring recently.

Are Knee Pads Needed

How many volleyball players really know how to dive for a ball? Not many actually. When you are learning how to play the game of volleyball they don't usually teach you how to dive. This lesson is usually taught later, because learning the technique of passing is much more important than diving. Playing volleyball you want to pass the ball before you dive. If a volleyball player is always on the floor and not getting balls up then they aren't doing anything for the team. There is a saying that goes, "my grandmother can dive too. STAY ON YOUR FEET."

When on defensive and there is a strong powerful hitter coming up against the defenders, the defense is usually on their heels so when they tip the defenders will dive for the ball, because they aren't ready for it. Coaches and the other teammates get pissed off if the defender misses the tip. Tips are the easiest kind of balls to pick up.

The correct way to dive is by tucking in your leg and landing on your outer thigh. Knee pads are to protect your knees from brusies and cuts. Because many players don't learn how to dive at a young age, they land on their knees using their knee pads. This is extremely dangerous and bad for their knees. It is important to learn how to dive right, so they can not only save their knees but get balls up that they wouldn't be able to get up before.

When going after a ball you are going to take a big step towards that direction and then tuck your leg and land on your thigh. After the dive you will either do a log roll or a summer salt roll. the summer salt roll is when after the ball is up you will roll over the shoulder that is on the same side of the thigh that you dove on. A log roll is when you roll side ways like a log. The summer salt roll is used more often. It really depends on what the person is doing in the moment on which roll they choose.

Girl Vs. Boy Basketball

There is a large difference between girls and boys when playing sports. They have different body types and have different ways of learning the game.

Boys play fast moving. They are always quick and can jump out of the gym making boys seem so athletic. When you are watching mens basketball you hear their shoes squeak and you are constantly turning your head watching them run up and down the court. When watching girls it is a lot slower. You don't hear their shoes squeaking or turning your head all the time. The ball movement is slower and there aren't as many shots that are being put up due to the game being slower. When boys take a jump shot, it is like they hang in the air for awhile when they shoot. Girls don't do this. It is a quick jump shot. They don't hang in the air or whip their passes to their teammates. You will see more steals in girls basketball than in boys basketball, because of the way they pass the ball. Girls passes are softer and don't whip it to their teammates. This is also a reason why mens basketball is considered faster moving than girls basketball.

Coaches for mens basketball are a lot more mean and can say what they want to their players. Girl coaches are more soft, because girls are drama queens. Coaches could get in more trouble for saying harsh things to girls than to boys.

Powder Buff

Kennedy girls volleyball hosts a boys volleyball tournament for the student body. The girls on the team are the coaches and some will ref the games too. The boys can meet to coordinate clothes to wear and make up a team name. The head volleyball coach for the girls varsity team creates a bracket. This tournament is for fun and to start introducing boys volleyball in the state of Iowa.

The boys get crazy and take this tournament seriously. Yeah they don't have good technique or know how to play at all, but they all want to win. There is a lot of yelling, cheering and laughter in the gym around this time. Some people come and watch these boys play. We usually only have time for two or three games due to having football practice or volleyball practice. The coaches don't actually coach, because they don't really know how to play and they don't comprehend volleyball terminology. They boys will make the subs themselves. They can yell at each other and be mean, because boys don't care about what they say to each other. If the girl coach subbed them out then they would get mad and  say things to her that they shouldn't say.

Now whatever team wins earns bragging rights over the other team. Usually there is a freshman, sophomore, junior, varsity team and sports teams like football, golf and soccer. It is pretty cool to watch the boys play and pick up the game fast. The team that loses, gets upset and is pissed off. Powder Buff is a thing we have been doing for three years now and all the boys love it. Come out and watch or play next time we host it!