AWVP

Opening day exhibition AAR. One league one pool no waiting, no sekrits.

Dan brought 3 rolls (there’s new flusher for the toilet that works). Dan ate zero gummies before playing. Dan may have lied a bit about the warmth of the water.

As usual, 2 means 3. But we got enough brave pandas to play. Omar’s horse must have thrown a shoe in the way in, because he didn’t make it today.

Teams were Dan, Khaled Marcelo Ram(replaced by Skyridge Anders) vs Regan John Navy Chief.

Team 2 won the first game of the exhibition season ( who cares what happens after that right) then blew some good sized leads in successive games before managing to actually hold the lead in last game to 21.

Serves were king today in 4s play. Ram started out game 1 with 4 in a row. Khaled and Marcelo messed my team up with their blasts. Good job team 1.

Amusing ageism. I had to get on Team 2 so me and Navy could add 111 years to the roster. We were both on the front line at one point, which is a whole lotta old. The wall of old had a nice little back and forth exchange. Navy set me, then I set him when my hit came back. His hit didn’t come back.

Speaking of old, Dan revived walls are out for a couple games. This confused a whole generation of players: “there was a time when walls were out?” Yes, dammit, for decades. So walls went back in. Grrr. I’ll yell at some clouds now.

It is the way of watervolleyball that there is an extended off season. Followed by a return to the healing waters.

But what kind of return will it be? The questions I ask myself are do I really want to do this again, and can I still do this? Do I still have something to contribute?

The answer to question 1 is showing up is half the battle. And then you remember that this is work, but it’s a fun job.

Someone that was not me said today that Chief is scoring about 80% of our points, so the answer to question 2 appears to be yes.

Here’s a couple of tips for serve receive: watch the servers eyes, watch their shoulder. People lie, shoulders don’t. You’ve got to try to anticipate where they are going and get your hands in front of that ball.

If your hands are tilted backward, it’s rare anything good is gonna happen.

Same thing with fielding/passing in general. As LJ has counseled in the past, firm titties is your goal.

Also, it’s hard to use your hands well when you can’t feel your fingertips, but that’s temperature based and therefore goes with the territory when you play in 4 feet of cold water.

Nice opening day overall. The more the, merrier, pandas.