“It's important to just kind of get away from your sport until you miss it. It's about taking time to enjoy other aspects of life or learn new things. It helps rejuvenate.” -Misty May
"No volleyball play can begin without a serve, and the serve is the only technique that is totally under your control. In other endeavors, you cannot succeed without believing in yourself, and that belief is completely under your control." — Karch Kiraly
1. Don’t try and tell us you are a volleyball player, if it were in gym…
2. Then tell us your favorite position is “center” or “spiker”…
3. GTFO
4. Don’t say you play beach…
5. If it’s not doubles…
6. And no indoor and beach are not the same thing…
7. You’ve probably attended an AVP tournament, with hopes of meeting Misty May and or Kerri Walsh
8. Any new season, meant a plethora of of new gear.
9. And you have more volleyball shirts than you know what to do with.
10. Yes we are aware our spandex are short….
11. But they are comfortable…
12. Even when they cause wedgies…
13. And we have no shame in discreetly picking them.
14. We probably wear spandex more than just in practice and games.
15. When someone yells “mine,” we know to back the f*ck off
16. Someone always had an extra hair tie…
17. And someone knew how to do the perfect braid.
18. No volleyball isn’t just a guys sport.
19. But any guy who wore knee pads, looked like a fool, and was made fun of.
20. Guys game are much faster.
21. But guys and girls alike, have many scars and battle wounds.
22. And bruises on our wrists don’t faze us.
23. Volleyball relationships were the epitome of goals.
24. In the moment, any volleyball was within reach…
25. If your feet could got there fast enough.
26. You were always willing to sacrifice the body to keep the ball in play.
27. Your mental game was one of the most important aspects of the sport…
28. And serving it in, despite the obnoxious fan, trying to mess you up was key.
29. You remember first being taught how to dive…
30. It was like teaching a baby to walk.
31. Every volleyball player has that one game, they will never forget.
32. Everyone’s favorite drill was the pit.
33. The person in the back row, with a different colored jersey, did not forget theirs…
34. They are libero…
35. And how to pronounce it is debatable.
36. Volleyball isn’t the lazy man’s sport…
37. Have you ever had to stay squatting, for however long your couch is pissed?
38. But you do probably hate running.
39. There’s a chance you've probably been rocked in the face before.
40. When we say six pack, we don’t mean alcohol…but balls to the face.
41. Shagging isn’t the British term for sex
42. But rather something you hate doing…collecting balls.
43. The term pancake isn’t something we just eat at weekend tournaments…
44. But rather a way to save the day…and it only works properly if your hand is flat.
45. A good volleyball costs anywhere from $50 to $65…
46. You will be judged if it’s not an official one.
47. You’ve probably stolen a ball before.
48. Number 1 Rule: Do Not kick the volleyballs.
49. Being tall was appreciated for the first time in our lives.
50. The setter is like the quarterback…
51. They were and are probably very intense and aggressive…
52. And if you ever got in their way they’d trample you.
53. Volleyball camp growing up, was probably your favorite part of the summer.
54. And club tournaments always meant new spandex…
55. You probably had dozens of different prints…
56. And you compared different ones with teammates…
57. Until you realized black is and would always be the coolest.
58. Junior year college recruiting, was the most important year for your athletic career.
59. No one but your teammates saw you during the season…
60. Weekend tournaments and hotel rooms were a way of life.
61. Pre-game rituals were taken very serious…each team had their own.
62. Your teammates were like family to you…
63. Because you went through deep shit together.
64. You’re probably still close with a few.
65. And would choose them over a relationship any day.
66. No matter how old you get, you probably still call them your teammates…
67. And you still call them "coach."
68. You probably cried on your last game.
69. And still haven’t figured out how to be a NARP…
70. Because in your mind you will always be a volleyball player.
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