Some notes to our VBaller Group for this week;
1). First, this isn’t a note about this weekend’s schedule. I must wait until tomorrow to try and get a better, and more accurate outline of how the weather will be. Please look to Thursday evening at some point, for my weekend schedule for Saturday and Sunday coming up.
2). Second, another important note in regards to how we’re all playing our games. Let me say right up front, that ALL games this season so far have been really, really, good. Style and type of play has been much improved ( for whatever reason ) and everyone seems to have improved and stepped up their games from last year. That’s a great thing to see, AND also a scary thing for ME to see, as MY gaming seems to have dropped a bit! I’ll be working on my problems though! 😉
3). Third note. Something that we ALL must start doing. Communicating with one another while playing. From Calling the Ball, to yelling HELP! in the setter’s position. A problem that we all seem to have is not being as properly vocal with one another while out there playing. In speaking with a few folks, which actually brought this problem up to ME, there’s a good idea of getting everybody to start becoming more talkative. This is being sent as an important request from me because, and somewhat recently, we’ve seen accidents happen while playing which could have been completely avoided IF proper talking between players had occurred. Now this is a sport, and as in any sport, there are bound to be mistakes, and errors, and bumps and bruises. It’s the nature of the beast, and there’s no denying that from time to time, this will happen. BUT, one good way to try to avoid unnecessary problems is to follow better rules of the game, especially one as simple, yet often forgotten to be done, as communicating with one another during game play. SO, from now on, we ALL must talk to one another and not be bashful of doing so. When the ball is received from the opposing team, and even when it’s completely evident who’s job it is to get it and where that ball will land, the player going for the ball MUST call “Got it”. Simple enough. Then, it’s that persons job to get the ball to the Setter Position. That’s player No. 3, which is the Front Center position on a typical 6 player squad. Again, I think I can say that nearly everybody knows that too. It is the job of, and ONLY of, the Setter to get to the Second Ball hit. HOWEVER, when this is impossible, it’s also the job of the Setter to do one thing, and do it as quickly as possible……yell out the word HELP!. Quickly, and as clearly, and loudly as possible. Then the closest player to that ball should get to the ball, AS WELL AS, calling out “Got It!”, and then pass that ball to one of the Strikers. That’s one of the Front Left or Front Right players on the team. IF a back row player runs up to the net to hit the ball over, that is an off-side play, and will be called a foul, and a point scored for the opposing team. A back row player can hit the ball over the net, but must only do it from that back row area.
Again, this is simple to describe and simple to know, but it is true that unless we all enforce and play by the proper rules of the game, and force ourselves to do it in every incident, things will not work out and we run the risk of some folks running into one another again or getting hurt unnecessarily.
So, I’m asking you all to follow this easy rule set to be properly communicative between one another, and get into the habit of doing this automatically. If we ALL force ourselves to talk, then it will come naturally, and easy, and it WILL lead to better ball play, and safer game play. And better control while playing too.
I must also remember to do this and start forcing myself to do this continually. It’s too easy to be lazy, or to care so much about getting to a ball, we forget to talk to our teammates. This has been one of my errors in play and I promise you all that I will not ask you to do something that I am not willing to do myself.
So, I hope that you will agree with me, and begin to get into this better habit, as well as, help those around you that need encouragement. I don’t mean to be rude to one another, but I mean we all help one another with things that we’re doing wrong. That way, we ALL become better, and game play will improve even more than it already has.
I look forward getting out there next time, and playing with you all. Things have started well, regardless of the difficult few days we’ve experienced. I believe that better is on the way, at least it will be getting warmer more quickly as time passes. So, let’s be safe, play well, continue with the good gaming, and have FUN!
I wish you all be well till the next time we see one another. As always, any other questions or comments, etc., just drop me a line back.Look for my note for this weekend’s schedule sometime Thursday evening.
Best regards,
Sammy
C 1-516-457-2876
E sammyc@optonline.net
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