Banned in the USA

Fresh off my volleyball team's domination of the 2008 East Shore YMCA Volleyball League (undefeated regular season and playoff champs), we learned today that we are no longer welcome in the league. Banned!

Evidently, the competition felt our team was "too strong" and they "feared for their safety." (that statement caused a patented TK eye roll) Really?! Really, small-minded, take-my-ball-and-go-home bawl babies? I surmise one team in particular led the charge on this b.s. move. What busters.

I have an idea for these sissy teams - step your game up or bring in better players. Don't whine and cry and go behind people's backs like a ... and leave six people out of a league. It was the only league I was in.

So I'd like to give a big F U to all the cry babies in that sissy league and the East Shore YMCA for caving in like a scared, little child.

Friendship Center > East Shore YMCA

This Is How We Do It

The picture says it all. I didn't want to comment on my co-ed volleyball team's exploits during the season, so as to not jinx it. But now that the season is over, I can confidently say Ryno Cable dominated.

We were regular season champs, going undefeated and only losing two games throughout the season. That was good enough for a $10 Dick's gift card for each player. We breezed through the double-elimination playoffs, leading up to tonight's championship match. Stunningly, we actually lost the first match, 1-2. But, with double elimination, the team had to beat us twice. And we crushed them in the second match, 2-0. That won us the shirt.

Being a novice player, I really enjoyed playing with my team (which included LRK). They were all better than I was, but they were patient and encouraging. In no way did I become a Kim Glass, Nicole Fawcett or Blair Brown (or Loy Ball), but I did make progress and improve throughout the season. It was a lot of fun, and the little personal victories (a good hit, set or BLOCK) were fulfilling. So was being part of a team that had fun playing together. I give all the credit to them.

Volleyball was cool to play. Basically playing baseball all my life, with some basketball, football and golf mixed in, volleyball provided a new challenge and a nice workout.

But anyway, congrats to Ryno Cable. We are the Champions!

Volleyball Chronicles

LRK and her four teammates LH, DH, NH and MDeP were gracious enough to invite me onto their co-ed indoor volleyball team at the Capital City Y. Note that I fancy myself as "athletic" but probably haven't played volleyball since high school and haven't participated in an organized, competitive fashion since my last game on the diamond at EC. Wii, 5 mile runs and pitch-n-put do not count.

Last week, I joined them for an open gym on the west shore. Open gym... no pressure... it's all in fun, right? Wrong!

Since meeting LRK, I watch a good deal of volleyball. But I was out of my element at the open gym. I was unsure where to be on the court half the time, my serving was horrendous, passing inconsistent and hitting needed major work. Am I missing anything? Oh, and there was this guy there who joined our team and acted like we were playing in the Olympics. He was a bit of a jerk.

I knew I would be pretty raw, but still... Maybe I was slightly arrogant in thinking I could easily assimilate the skills and actions I saw live and on tv into real, physical action. Guess I don't possess that power like Monica Dawson on Heroes.

Anyway, flash forward to Tuesday night. Game on. We regroup at the Y for our first league game. I think the pregame warm-ups helped a lot. In the first game, the other team serves into the net and we're up 1-0 and I'm set to serve. I rattled off about 8-9 straight points and was feeling good from that point forward. The momentum kept building, and I ended up playing exponentially better than at last week's open gym.

We crushed that team like 25-9, 25-12 and 25-16. My serving was pretty good, passing improved, good hustle, better positioning, hitting... still needing considerable work. But I improved, and that is what I aim to continue doing every game.

So now - like Glass, Karily, Walsh, May, Clay Stanley - I play volleyball. Well, maybe not so much like them, but... I am happy and thankful to LRK and those guys for inviting me on the team.

I'm going for the tee shirt!

Brett - we did not act on your pet peeve and celebrate after every point.
Glass - invitation is open for co-ed doubles on Capital City Island next summer.