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Association of Water Volleyball Professionals
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 Post subject: Monday morning QB
PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 12:51 am 
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Location: AWVP World Headquarters
I'm not sure if all the lessons from the Dallas road trip have been learned.

There's been a bit less tolerance for new players/players in training since the Dallas trip. All around.

Some of that is projection. Who were the scrubs in Dallas? 'Twas us! Nobody who's been playing as long as we have is going to like that feeling, but it was palpable.

And while the dedication to get better, by playing better and cleaner and against better competition is admirable, the poor folks at Riata are not responsible for our loss. So we shouldn't take it out on them.

The second example we should learn from Dallas is how they treated us. Day 1, rolled right over us, established dominance, treated us like children, and told us to get our shit together by day 2. Hey, that's just what we do!

That was lesson #1. We usually teach that lesson; we just didn't like it being taught to us. So we appear to be redoubling our efforts to get on top of lesson #1. There's definitely something to that.

However, I'm getting the sense that people are making excuses, saying that playing with less skilled players or those who are not of the AWVP and hence scrubs is degrading our game, so you blame them for our loss. That's projection, and denial is apparently not just a river in Egypt, baby.

Who realizes there were other lessons to be learned?

Lesson #2. They gave us a chance in Dallas, and were even willing to mix it up/play with the Austin scrubs on day 2.

And, with one defeat of their A team under our belts that they very much did not like, and battling back to around .500 on day 2, including one win with our B (or at least not full A) team against one of their B squads, we were able to prove we don't entirely suck, and earn another invite.

We could do it because there's a lotta experience on our Dallas road trip roster. But let me emphasize that they gave us a chance. They had a tournament planned. They appear to be big planners, unlike this crew. And I supsect they tossed that whole tourney schedule out the window because, as planned, we would've been knocked out of the box quite early and sitting all day.

The road not taken by the Dallas home team is just what you pandas appear to want to do at the exclusive resort community to enforce lesson #1. Our response to being given a chance seems to be to give less skilled players in our environment less opportunites. This makes me think you failed to learn lesson #2.

We're now expecting new people at Riata to be able to fight right away, or be found unworthy. Expectations only a very few of them can meet.

What is to be done about that?

Lesson #3, which should inform how aggressive you want to be on Lesson #1. The Dalls Colusseum is an invite only private residence. While we tend to treat the venues that we play like we own them, last I checked none of our names are on the deeds to the Argosy, or Riata. And only one of those rebel bases exists anymore. Anyone care to speculate as to why?

Need I remind you what has happened when people forget that--the experiments at La Mirage, and Deerfield?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbkmjctIaXI

While I understand that we are nearing playoff season, wherein pandas fancies turn to BBGs, and a focus on building better A Teams is good for the league:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1HMCArgqWM

The Argosy way of ball certainly involved owning your territory, but also eventually "shaeritorry" How many are willing to work with me on that front? To make sure that people get to play enough that they don't get pissed off and complain?

Because there are long term and short term goals here. Short terms is building a good team and kicking ass on any given weekend. Long term is to set up a plan that allows you to play on any given weekend perenially.

With this in mind, I suggest that the first and last words out of your pie holes for those who such as I who are mercenaries are: "We serve at the pleasure of the residents." Read it, know it, live it.

If you don't, and instead choose to focus solely on lesson #1, I think we know what happens. It does not end well, and no one has planned for it.

Complaints are rising I hear, about how things are being run out there. And the answer is to kick more ass? Anybody willing to step up and say it won't hapen, this time? This time the scrubs and civilians will just shut up and take their medicine?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-043a58Mgo

Lesson #4 we were all scrubs once.

Tread lightly, pandas, because just when you think things are going great, blammo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PXoggIPSeg

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Chief

Death from above! Fire down below!


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PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 6:47 am 
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Posts: 1049
We'll said. If we lose Riatatata, then we are pretty much done in ATX


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 1:40 am 
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Location: AWVP World Headquarters
Some anonymous players have said the game is not inclusive enough.

I've responded to that.

The basics go back to the 2 mascots thing--competition and cameraderie.

There is a balance. Maintaining that balance is delicate, and difficult.

Some players who are new to 4ft of water can step in to the mix and dominate. I was not one of those players.

With things being the way they are today, if people want to play, and are trying to do things right (practicing, showing up regularly, putting up shirts, etc.), let them in, on mixed teams, in small numbers.

See the example of Argosy 2's--that side of the pool is yours, all yours! I wish you luck. Because you will get picked on. Just keep the ball in the air, and we'll see what we can do after that.

Same with Riata. The only line I have for the new people is that everyone fights, no one quits:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh-vuomKdRg

If you're skills aren't up to the game you came into play, we can help you to an extent. Shadow you, try to limit the amount of court you have to cover. That's what teammates do.

The alternative is to let you be "that guy." The new Riata term. Argosy phrase was "Soul hole" wherein a bad bully is gonna rip you on every play until you cry uncle.

The question appears to be whether you're excluding people by helping them on defense or being "Shellfish" by stealing their plays.

Debatable, say I, as a smaller player on the net. Help is welcome, as long as I know it's coming, and you don't jump on or over me.

On a "mixed" team, I don't see anything wrong with a couple of experienced players trying to run plays to help their team. As long as they are successful...

That's the rub, ain't it? How much do you trust your team, and how much do you work around the less skilled players on the same side to set up plays with the player(s) you know for a better chance of success?

Do you think the "scrubs" know any better? Or care if your performance, dastardly as it may be, gets your team a W? They want to keep playing, and you're an experienced player who can make that happen for them. Do you think they'd want to hear you did something less than try to win on their behalf, like serve to a better player on the other side, to make things "fair?"

So far this post has been about defense. I hate to turn to offense because I get so much crap about it. Who gets the set. Everybody wants one. Who can deliver off the set to a kill?

Opinions vary. And there are many variables. What I will concede is that this is a tall man's game. But all tall men are not alike.

Some tall rookies start with spaghetti arms--Slim Jim, Kyle, I'm looking at you. That doesn't mean they shouldn't get set. What it means is that they need some instruction on how to hit agressively, so that they will get more sets. Make sense?

That's not exclusive, it's inclusive. I'm still of the mindset that it takes 5 years to develop a player who may be an athelete but doesn't have outside volleyball experience.

See preseason NFL. We have enough good players out there that we don't feel like carrying rookie's bags. They're being given an opportunity to play. They best keep coming out, take their beatings, learn, and maybe show a little respect along the way.

Showing up drunk, mouthy, with 6 of your friends, or less, and expecting to win against experienced players is no way to go through life, son. That will justifiably get you killed.

That's not being mean. It's just the way of the world.

Encouragement is fine, but the new players also must be warned what they are getting into. They wanted this, game on.

I've been playing Johnny Appleseed for a long time--encouraging good players to come out again, distributing videos, letting them know this is a regular thing.

But we don't play with beach balls, there are no ribbons for participation, and this may not help your self esteem everytime you play.

There are two pills you can take... and you will either get it, or you won't.

Maybe Slim Jim can't remember whether he ordered blue pens or black at work. I don't care, because he has the opportunity to be a God out there for at least one play.

What we do in 4ft of water is NOT what we do in the real world. And that is something, actually...

Just remember what it takes to keep it going:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vET7Ef3RNMA

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Chief

Death from above! Fire down below!


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