Open Gym

Last night was the first time I played open gym volleyball. It felt smaller and more serious than the grass court. Halfway through the first game, I knew I was in over my head and others knew it, too. They must have seen me as liability and started covering for me, which made it difficult to improve on any skills. They wanted to play, not coach, and I should have known better.

Anyway, the big ego blow came late in the session. I was playing right forward. The center forward poached the ball and set me up too close to the net. I should have jumped to dink it, but froze instead, thinking it was over. My perspective was off and the ball landed on top of the net, paused and lazily dribbled down our side. I swore and tried to rescue it by reaching out an arm and bouncing it back to the center.

That move only made things worse. I was so busy internally cursing my stupidity that I was unable to react as the center slammed the volleyball into my face. The ball struck my glasses, bending the frame and stunning me.

At that moment, I wanted to give up and call it a night, but something inside me said stick with it. I wasn't going to let one hit to the head take me out. Two, maybe, but definitely not one. Thankfully, the rest of the night went on without incident.

I'm not going to give up on this yet, but I hope any future stories from the court are happier ones. Notes to self: 1) Start looking for beginner/intermediate clinics. 2) Think about investing in sports goggles.