A few years ago our good buddies Jeff and Melissa introduced Bob and me to the Funkalicious Beach Volleyball leagues here in the valley. After discovering that Bob played in high school, they were quick to recruit his talent and tallness (you can't teach tall) for their team and a fun outlet was born. Initially I was thrilled for Bob to find a place to enjoy something that he loved and build friendships, and it wasn't until last year that I decided it was my turn to jump into the volleyball world.
Even as a kid I loved playing the game of volleyball in church or at camp. There was no rhyme or reason to the playing, but I always thought it was fun to try to hit the ball back and forth over the net. Out of all the ball sports volleyball was definitely my favorite for recreational playing. Hand eye coordination be damned.
Last year I decided to join the Funk Rec League and played with a handful of teams for 3 different seasons. Honestly we were all a hot mess. We had fun, but we all were just trying to figure out whos ball it was to hit. We lost.....a lot, but I really discovered that I would like to learn to play this game. I decided it would be a blast to actually be good enough to bump, set, and hit the ball not freak out that the ball is coming and then miss by a mile.
So last season Bob's team lost one of their players and the three leftover teammates were all willing to have me play back row in the Little Kahuna League to learn this game I really wanted to play. I am seriously so grateful for my husband, Michelle, and Funk owner Shawn for taking me under their wings and spending a season in full on coach mode.
I won't lie, I have had a lot to learn, and they have had to run, jump, dive, and throw themselves into many positions to save some of my less than optimal hits, but by golly, 8 weeks later and I am starting to feel like I might have a league volleyball future!
I am understanding the flow of the game, body placement, team play, controlling the ball, rules of the net, and keeping score (hardest feat of them all). It has been so much fun to challenge myself to learn new things and develop skills that I have never honed.
Our season found us in 13th place out of 16 teams so we were seeded in the silver tournament. We showed up last Thursday and went from losing statistics to undefeated. It was truly amazing to play in games where we worked together and pulled of several victories. So great.
We won ourselves a seed into the gold tournament this week and I cannot wait to play the stronger teams. Honestly I am not expecting to win, but it is so exciting to feel ready and capable of playing them underdog style. Here's to Funkalicious volleyball and the gaming I see in our future!
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