just a girl, all pretty and petite
With equal parts motivation of "the best way to get motivated to exercise is to exercise doing something you enjoy" with my increased activity last summer and "dang, I miss volleyball" after peppering a little with frobzwiththingz last baitcon, I did some more searches around town to try to find if there were any good, local, indoor volleyball options that would fit in my rather constrained schedule.
One of the links I came up with was Steel City volleyball, which had the first session of the winter "season" on Sunday, so I decided to check them out. I showed up early to the Greentree SportsPlex, which is kind of incredible with its two little league baseball fields, three volleyball courts, and various other sportspaces, all indoors. I signed a new member form and filed onto the courts.
Then the people came. I estimated about 60 players, and supposedly there were other veterans who didn't bother showing for the first open gym. The first half was basic skills practice, which would have been better with fewer people and more balls, but was still good to just move around. Then I got "rated" by some people in charge, by playing in a casual game with other newbies, and eventually they decided I was in the top 1/3 of players there, probably based heavily on the fact that I mostly remembered instinctively how to play a 6-2 (thank you dgr and es5f), and so was allowed to play in the "competitive" section. Good.
The next two hours were "open gym" casual games, and about 24 "competitive" level players waiting to play on the far court, who split up into teams and rotated on and off. The play was quality, and I was pretty happy both with the ensuing volleys and with my own contribution, particularly with my being so horribly out of practice. I was, however (although only vaguely surprisingly), the only girl on that court that day.
Now, having learned volleyball by playing with the guys, I'm totally fine with playing with other men, on a men's height net (although the nets weren't at full height this week), and being consistently disadvantaged for strength and height. But along with the physical disadvantages, I'm also keenly aware of the mental divide, and realizing that once again, as I step onto a court where nobody knows me, I'm actively looking around and wondering which of the other guys out there are going to not want to play with me. Who's going to not set me as much, or make snide remarks to the other guys when I miss a shot, or subtly (or not so subtly) play around me, maybe stealing balls I call. Or, more indirectly, just will be extra surprised that I can be a valuable team member. After a few games, when I show that I'm friendly and laid-back and competent enough, I can feel people relax, and be more willing to accept me at a teammate/player. But the beginning can be rough.
On one hand, it's stupid frustrating and ridiculous that this is such predictable and regular treatment that I (and probably plenty of my other women vball friends) come to expect it with each new group of people I play with, and that on top of that, I feel like I have to prove -myself- to them in order to be accepted. On the other hand, it's interesting thought-fodder into other forms of discrimination and prejudice that I am privileged enough to not have to face, and on how they might affect other people. Getting ignored on the court for a game or so is annoying; I can't even imagine if I had to face it every day, in everyday life, or if it threatened my physical well-being, and not just my pride.
Fortunately, it all ended well, and I came home tired and happier, and today I am in various kinds of pain. I'm nicely sore in my hips and my arms and my stomach, which means I was probably moving and passing and serving well, but I'm also painfully sore in my shoulder, which means I was probably serving quite badly at least some of the time. I was able to sign on as a part-time player, as I intend to attend every other week for the season. I'm looking forward to it.
One of the links I came up with was Steel City volleyball, which had the first session of the winter "season" on Sunday, so I decided to check them out. I showed up early to the Greentree SportsPlex, which is kind of incredible with its two little league baseball fields, three volleyball courts, and various other sportspaces, all indoors. I signed a new member form and filed onto the courts.
Then the people came. I estimated about 60 players, and supposedly there were other veterans who didn't bother showing for the first open gym. The first half was basic skills practice, which would have been better with fewer people and more balls, but was still good to just move around. Then I got "rated" by some people in charge, by playing in a casual game with other newbies, and eventually they decided I was in the top 1/3 of players there, probably based heavily on the fact that I mostly remembered instinctively how to play a 6-2 (thank you dgr and es5f), and so was allowed to play in the "competitive" section. Good.
The next two hours were "open gym" casual games, and about 24 "competitive" level players waiting to play on the far court, who split up into teams and rotated on and off. The play was quality, and I was pretty happy both with the ensuing volleys and with my own contribution, particularly with my being so horribly out of practice. I was, however (although only vaguely surprisingly), the only girl on that court that day.
Now, having learned volleyball by playing with the guys, I'm totally fine with playing with other men, on a men's height net (although the nets weren't at full height this week), and being consistently disadvantaged for strength and height. But along with the physical disadvantages, I'm also keenly aware of the mental divide, and realizing that once again, as I step onto a court where nobody knows me, I'm actively looking around and wondering which of the other guys out there are going to not want to play with me. Who's going to not set me as much, or make snide remarks to the other guys when I miss a shot, or subtly (or not so subtly) play around me, maybe stealing balls I call. Or, more indirectly, just will be extra surprised that I can be a valuable team member. After a few games, when I show that I'm friendly and laid-back and competent enough, I can feel people relax, and be more willing to accept me at a teammate/player. But the beginning can be rough.
On one hand, it's stupid frustrating and ridiculous that this is such predictable and regular treatment that I (and probably plenty of my other women vball friends) come to expect it with each new group of people I play with, and that on top of that, I feel like I have to prove -myself- to them in order to be accepted. On the other hand, it's interesting thought-fodder into other forms of discrimination and prejudice that I am privileged enough to not have to face, and on how they might affect other people. Getting ignored on the court for a game or so is annoying; I can't even imagine if I had to face it every day, in everyday life, or if it threatened my physical well-being, and not just my pride.
Fortunately, it all ended well, and I came home tired and happier, and today I am in various kinds of pain. I'm nicely sore in my hips and my arms and my stomach, which means I was probably moving and passing and serving well, but I'm also painfully sore in my shoulder, which means I was probably serving quite badly at least some of the time. I was able to sign on as a part-time player, as I intend to attend every other week for the season. I'm looking forward to it.