“You know you play volleyball when…” –Any volleyball player.
This is a compilation of various sources on when you know you play volleyball.
YOU KNOW YOU’RE PLAYING VOLLEYBALL WHEN…
1. You think everyone should have to wear spandex.
2. When someone says “fuck,” the first thing you think of is volleyball.
3. When you’re taller than most of your class. Or when you’re not, and people wonder how you play volleyball when you’re not 6’11.
4. When the words “outside”, “middle”, and “right/weak side” mean everything to you.
5. When you realize your thighs don’t fit in your jeans anymore.
6. You could probably beat anyone at wall squats.
7. When a ball is thrown in your face, you place it, pass it, or hit it. Or you wave your arms spasmodically.
8. You know what a libero is/does.
9. Has more than one pair of knee pads.
10. You get angry when someone says that volleyball is not a difficult sport.
11. You have at least one shirt that has the word “volleyball,” “bump,” or a picture of a volleyball on it.
12. You know how to record yourself.
13. You know why anklets are a must.
14. You have injuries to your knees, elbows, ankles, neck, shoulders, back, head, etc.
15. You have perfected the drawing of a volleyball.
16. You have tried to place yourself in a basketball hoop. And it’s much easier than throwing a ball into a basketball hoop.
17. You know that a pancake is more than just something to eat.
18. You think television should show more volleyball than any other sport.
19. Have you ever been asked why volleyball players wear spandex?
20. You know your vertical and you always hope that it will somehow increase.
21. At least one ball has hit you in the face.
22. You have been to a volleyball camp. Many times.
23. You know who Misty May is.
24. You know a marker like the back of your hand.
25. You have to admit that you like those “ACE!” Health.
26. Whenever you see a volleyball, you have to touch it.
27. At some point in your life, you have had knee problems.
28. You know what those “other” rows are at the gym.
29. You don’t dribble the balls, you hit them with the palm of your hand.
30. You have a pair of “volleyball” shoes.
31. You know what a 4-2, a 6-2 and a 5-1 is.
32. You have muscles where you didn’t think muscles existed.
33. You are not afraid of falling.
34. You’ve seen the movie “All You Have” and wanted to write to the director about how bad it was.
35. You see tall people and think “he/she would make a great volleyball player”.
36. When you know you have to shave your armpits before a game…and you’re grossed out when the other team’s blockers forget to do it.
37. You waste a lot of gas driving to tournaments.
38. You are/have been in a volleyball club.
39. You can’t actually run… but you sure can run.
40. You laugh when you see other people trying to play volleyball.
41. You get really mad when someone kicks a volleyball.
42. Volleyball is more important than anything else you have to do.
43. You have permanent burn marks on the floor.
44. You have wanted to hit your coach at some point. AND/OR your coach has wanted to slap you at some point.
45. Two words: DOWN.
46. You know what “sideout” means. Or you don’t, but yell it anyway.
47. You think it’s normal for balls to be deliberately hit in the face.
48. Going for a hit, you’ve completely missed the ball at least once in your life.
49. You have run into a wall, post, person, bleachers… many times.
50. Gym volleyball (or physical education) is not volleyball. You end up yelling at everyone because they’re doing it wrong.
51. You can put your hand on a volleyball net and tell someone how close it is to the height it’s supposed to be.
52. You have tried to pass or set a basketball and failed miserably.
53. Your knees smell after a game.
54. When spandex/leggings were all the rage, you said, “I’ve been wearing them this whole time.”
55. Why is there an NBA, NFL, NHL, but not the NVL?
56. There is always one person on the opposing team that you want to slap.
57. You hate that metal hair clips and accessories are banned. Wearing such a fashionable elastic headband is no fun. And they escape in the middle of intense rallies.
58. You choose wedges publicly.
59. You never “get up”. your wheel.
60. You can easily recall the noise of skin sliding against a freshly waxed court. And it still makes you cringe.
61. You caught the ball in the middle of an intense exchange because you thought the referee blew his whistle…only to realize the whistle was coming from the next court.
62. You try to intimidate the other team during warm-ups.
63. You’ve spent at least half an entire game pulling your tiny spandex down because it rides up so much.
64. You use pre-bandages (in a variety of colors) more on your hair than on your wounds.
And remember, hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.