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Sounds Like....Porcupines Necking!Apr 13 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line If you follow volleyball care rules, then winter, summer, rain, or shine, the mail will get through and Wilson won't be sunburning on a forgotten island with Tom Hanks...
Can you "dig it?" Summer volleyball season is almost here! Well, for most of you it is. As I begin this review, I'm looking out my window out of the corner of my ear and still see patches of snow hither and yon, grasping the terra firma with every stubborn ice crystal. It kinda brings back memories of when I was a kid (sorry to some of you folks who'd die to be 25 again... at least I "think" I"m grown up....) Anyway, I started grade school in 1981, only slightly more than two decades after Alaska officially became a United State (or in caspian's twisted version "United States of Alaska"). Back then, the term "Rural Alaska" was redundant; "Urban Alaska" was an oxymoron – not that I actually knew any of this then. I attended a small mission school that I called "Big school." We didn't have access to a gymnasium, but believe me, we found plenty of ways to get exercise. Actually, I should define "we." We: "Mr. Martin Flack, father of three Flack (flak-attak) boys; attendee and track star at McCallie a military boys school in Tennessee; P.E. instructor..." Obviously then, "We" did a lot of running for which I am now thankful. Back then, well, I wasn't so thankful. I did enjoy the cross-country skiing we did and the hiking and the fitness training. Somewhere during those years, my dad had the brainstorm that we would learn to play volleyball. Of course, as I said earlier, we didn't have a gym. So during the winter which covered basically the entire school year, we did volleyball drills and played...get this...Outdoor Winter Volleyball in Alaska. On the coldest days, it was indeed like hearing two (or more) porcupines necking: "Ouch, Ouch, OH Ouch, OOH, Ouch, AHH Ouch...... In place of quills were cold hands and arms, and a very hard ball. Fortunately, we were soon able to share the sports complex in the nearby public school so the winter volleyball went out the window – and promptly froze.... But I look back on those competitive games with fondness realizing that I even learned a couple of valuable lessons. One was how to play volleyball. Another was how to care for volleyball equipment – and how NOT to care for volleyballs. Note. For now, I'll stick with care of outdoor volleyballs since the Summer V-ball season is just around the corner. I will also mention that my ball of choice is the Wilson AVP Official Game Ball. Currently, I have to buy about one per year, basically because I wear one out over the course of the summer. This includes taking meticulous care of my 60-something dollar ball as you will see below. Three Cardinal Rules for Caring for Your Volleyball. 1. Never let your ball get wet. If it's raining outside, either don't play or use a cheap volleyball. I don't particularly enjoy playing in the rain, but I don't mind it as long as I'm not using my leather ball. Why can't it get wet? I've found that once a leather volleyball gets wet, even once, it changes it forever. The ball becomes heavier and stiffer. This leads me to my next rule. 2. If Rule #1 gets broken, you must dry your ball ever so carefully. You sometimes can resurrect your ball if it hasn't gotten too wet (as in slight contact with wet grass, etc.) Never put your ball to dry near a heater or in direct sunlight. Allowing it to dry slowly in a cool to warm temperature will keep the hardening in the leather to a minimum. Also, you can oil it with a boot moisturizer as well, but I've not had a lot of success softening the leather once it's become hardened. Of course, if you're going to try winter volleyball, be sure not to leave your ball in extreme temperatures which will cause the leather to crack. 3. Never overinflate your volleyball; always store your ball without air. Overinflation will lead to disfiguring of your ball, and can stretch the inner bladder causing loss of spring and bounce. Those of you that love beach V-ball know that many newcomers will complain about your ball being too soft. Let them complain. You can also show them the official beach ball pressure standards in any rule book and watch their jaws drop in amazement. By the same principle as overinflation, storing your ball for months and months full of air can stretch your ball and cause disfigurement. Storing it without air will not only take up less space but will also maximize your ball life. In A Nutshell Never let your ball get wet, if it does then dry it slowly, and never overinflate your ball. If you follow these three rules then winter, summer, rain, or shine, the mail will get through and Wilson won't be sunburning on a forgotten island working on a Best Supporting Actor Nomination with Tom Hanks. Instead, your Wilson will be well-fed, cared for, and smartly stored.  |
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