How Playing Beach Volleyball Can Help Your Indoor Game

Hi, today I'm going to tell you about how playing sand volleyball can improve your indoor game. Many people play sand volleyball in the summer and in their offseason, and it is a great idea. Not only does it make you stronger, but it is a lot of fun. I found an article on running on sand vs. running on concrete. The main points are below.

Running on sand is a much more intensive workout than running on concrete or on the hard indoor court. You burn more calories, making the workout harder. Just think about running in sand. When you step into the sand, your foot sinks down a little, and you have to use muscle power to pull it out. There is also a lot more friction involved, so you have to work harder.

Concrete is harder on the knees. If you consistently run on hard surfaces, you may notice some pain in your knees, hips, and ankles. This is because when your feet hit the ground it causes pressure on your joints, and the constant wear and tear on your joints will definitely cause pain. You may even have to have replacement surgeries if it gets too bad. The harder the surface you are running or playing on, the harder it is on your joints. Since sand is so soft, it acts as a shock absorber. Grass would also be a good alternative to hard court in the summer and offseason.

Remember, at first, you will not be as fast as you are on the court. You will get used to it though. The more you practice in the sand, the stronger your muscles will get and the easier it will be to run on sand. You must be careful though. Since the sand is softer, it is much easier to roll an ankle or knee.

Playing sand volleyball will also give you better balance and make you more coordinated. Since you have the whole court to cover with your partner, you will get more aggressive and get to play "all positions". You strengthen your balance because the sand is not stable and you have to be able to run and and play in it.

Kerri Walsh, comparing beach volleyball to playing indoor... "You touch every other ball and, if you screw up, you only have one more person to back you up. You cant go hide in the corner."

Works Cited
"5 Benefits Of Running In Sand." Mademan RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2013.
"Beat the Summer Heat like Olympians Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Traenor." Fitznesscom RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2013.
"Sand Running vs. Running on Concrete." / Fitness / Exercises. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2013.
"Volleyball QuotesVolleyball Slogans, Sayings, Mottos, Chants, and Cheers." Volleyball Quotes to Inspire and Motivate Volleyball Players. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2013.

Sweat Seems Dirty, But it is Actually Cleaning You!- Post 6

Volleyball is a challenging and demanding sport, and you probably sweat a lot whenever you play it. Some people think it is gross, or dirty to sweat, but it is actually very healthy, and cleans your body. I will answer some commonly asked questions about sweat and the chemicals in it below.

How could sweat clean your body?
Sweating doesn't actually clean the outside of your body, but the inside. You have harmful waste chemicals inside your body that need to get out. When you sweat, you release these chemicals.

Sometimes I sweat when I'm not exercising. What is this?
There are two types of sweat, and two types of sweat glands. The more numerous type of sweat and sweat gland (the one that we are talking about) is activated when you exercise, and is used to cool your body down. The other kind of sweat gland could be activated when you are under stress, or are embarrassed. There are less of these glands, and this sweat tends to have more odor when it is released.

What are the chemicals that are released when I sweat?
Your sweat is 99% water. That's not the harmful part, though. The other 1% of your sweat is made up of NaCl, Vitamin C, uric acid, urea, ammonia and lactic acid.

Is it bad if I sweat a lot and lose a lot of water and other chemicals that are good for my body?
It is not bad to sweat a lot, but you must remember that if you are sweating a lot, that you must drink tons of water or sports drink. Gatorade, for example, is most of the good chemicals in sweat, with carbohydrates added. Doctors at a university on Florida studied their athlete's sweat and examined the chemical content. They modeled their sports drink after what they saw. They concluded that your body needs some of the chemicals it released back, which are electrolytes. You may find some water brands that have "added electrolytes". These and sports drinks are the best things to drink at tournaments and games.


"The advice I will give my children, if and when they have Olympic aspirations will be to go for it." -Kerri Walsh, 3 time American Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball


Works Cited
BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.
"Glaceau-Vitaminwater: Smartwater Electrolyte Enhanced Water, 120 Oz." Walmart.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.
"Re: What Is Sweat Made of and How Much of Each Chemical Is Present?" Re: What Is Sweat Made of and How Much of Each Chemical Is Present? N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.

How Does Playing Volleyball Benefit Your Health?- post 5

Playing volleyball can benefit your health in many ways. It helps muscular development, visual activity, cardiovascular health, and balance. By playing volleyball, or any other sport, you can decrease your physical age and make your body healthier. The different aspects of volleyball benefit your body in different ways.

Muscular strength is probably the most important thing that volleyball develops. In almost everything you do while playing a game of volleyball, you develop muscular strength. When you hit, your chest and core is involved when you swing. If you don't have strong chest and core muscles, you will not be able to swing hard, and the ball will be easier to retrieve. When you pass, you mimic the "squat" exercise, which is a very beneficial exercise. This ensues your legs. You must use your legs to push the ball up to the setter. You should not use your arms to push the ball, this is not as accurate. When you set, you must use arms, legs, and hands, especially your thighs. When the ball is coming to you, you need to load your legs and arms, and push up. Your hands need to be strong to prevent injury. Volleyball does not only benefit muscular strength.

You use your eyes and hand-eye coordination daily. You will have faster reflexes as well. When you serve, you must follow the ball with your eyes, and strike the ball at the right point. This goes for hitting also. When you are on defense, you must read the hitter, and react to where the ball is going. You must coordinate where your arms are to where the ball is. While setting, you need to use hand-eye coordination to see where your hitters are, to make sure to give them a good set. You also need to look at your hands to make use to follow them both to the ball to prevent a double. Anytime you touch the ball, you must coordinate the speed of the ball and the course.

Your cardiovascular health is benefitted when you play volleyball, because when you work hard and strain your body, you make your heart work harder to give your body oxygen, making your heart and lungs stronger.

The lateral movement displayed in volleyball makes your core strong. With a strong core, you have very good balance.

Even though volleyball benefits your health in many ways, it can also hurt your muscles and bones. This mostly has to do with your form. If you don't have correct form, you can hurt yourself. For example, if you don't jump with two feet, you can land on one foot, and over time, you can weaken and hurt that foot.

"If you can accept losing, you can't win." -Vince Lombardi, American football coach

In this photo, the setter has tracked her hitter, and is now following the ball into her hands with her eyes. She uses her arms and legs to push the ball up. The hitter is tracking the ball, and calculating its course to make a good hit. She is using her legs to have an explosive approach. when she hits, she will use her chest, arms, and core.



Works Cited
"2005 KU Volleyball Jayhawk Invitational / LJWorld.com." 2005 KU Volleyball Jayhawk Invitational / LJWorld.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2013.
"Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi." Vince Lombardi. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2013.
"What Benefits Does Playing Volleyball Have on Your Health?" LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2013.

Setting- One of the Most Important Aspects of Volleyball- 4th Post

Hello everyone!(: Today we'll talk about setting. Setters are very important parts of the game of volleyball. To be a setter, it is very important that you know the physics of the game. Setters are vital, and they don't get all the glory that they deserve. That amazing kill wouldn't be possible without a good setter. Setting is one of the hardest skills to master, because you have the most control over the ball. Having a good set is critical to scoring points in a middle school or high school game. Being the setter is like being the quarterback in football. You pass the ball so the offense can score.

To set, you should have your hands cupped, to take the spin off the ball and to sent it in the right direction. If your hands are not cupped, the ball will just bounce off in a different direction than intended. Unless you are dumping the ball over the net, you should face your feet to your target, or your hitter. Even if you are doing back-sets to the right side hitter, your feet should still point backwards to where the ball is supposed to go. Your hands should also be wide open, but not too wide, so you can get more control. Always let only your fingertips touch the ball when you set. Your palms should never touch the ball.

Jump setting is a good way to get the ball higher and get more power behind it. Instead of simply pushing up with your legs, you jump as you set the ball.

To help you become stronger at setting, it is a good idea to purchase a Setter Ball. These balls are heavier, and make your arms stronger, so you will be able to push the set all the way to the outside. I will post the link below.

You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get. -Michael Phelps

Works Cited
BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2013.

Image courtesy of: USA Volleyball

"Home." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2013.

Setter's Ball®

Hits, and How Your Vertical Will Effect Them- 3rd Post

Hi guys!(: Today I'm going to tell you about hits and how your vertical can affect the power and speed of your hits. The higher your vertical is, the better angle you have to be able to hit the ball to the ground, making it harder to receive by the opponent's defense. If your vertical isn't high, you will have to hit the ball up more, which is easier to receive. The standard women's net height is 7.35 ft. You must be able to get your elbow above that to make a straight down hit. Since most people are incapable of doing that, you will have to hit the ball slightly up. Also, if you have a high vertical, you are more likely to get your hit over the other team's block. To put more kinetic energy on the ball, or in other words to put more speed on the ball, you should follow through with your hand after you hit. When you jump, you turn kinetic energy into potential energy. If you stop before you jump, your vertical will not be as high. I hope you learned a lot from today's post! Thanks for reading!


Here is a video of a famous volleyball player, Leonel Marshall. He has the highest volleyball vertical in the world. As you can see, having a good vertical pays off!


I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
Michael Jordan

"YouTube." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2012.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QoKhEiAHfYs

How to Make Your Serves Float- 2nd Post

In the first post, I told you a little about the different kinds of serves. Now I will tell you how to make your serves float.

Floater serves are very hard to master, but if you do the right movements, it will become a lot easier. To start a floater serve, you should do what you normally do to serve a regular overhand serve. You should put the airhole of the ball down, on your palm when you hold the ball before you serve. The airhole is the heaviest part of the ball, and when it is down it makes the ball able to float.This serve works better if you are a beach volleyball player, because the wind will go in the seams of the volleyball, making it move in the air. This serve will still work well indoors, but it won't be as dramatic movement. If the indoor gym has a strong air conditioning system, the air will still go into the seams of the volleyball. When you hit the ball, it is different than a regular serve. You should only hit the ball with the hard palm part of your hand. You do not want your fingertips to touch the ball. The key to getting the ball to float is to strike the ball and to pull back. Do not follow through, as you would on a top spin serve. You need a quick, firm contact on the middle of the ball for it to float.

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will." - Vince Lombardi

Get to Know the Basics- 1st Post

Volleyball involves lots of physics. Just think about it! First I'm going to start off by defining a few volleyball terms, so you are familiar with the sport. There are a couple different types of serves.
Underhand- you hold the ball in one hand, while the other hand makes a fist and hits the ball over the net, out of your hand
Overhand- you toss the ball, and take a step. The other hand stays open, and hits the ball while it is in the air.
Jump Serve- (for right handed people) left foot step, throw, right, left, jump, hit
Float Serve- You hit the ball a little bit more on top of your head, and the ball moves in the air, making it harder to receive.
Top Spin Serve- In this serve, you throw the ball so that it spins back toward you. You snap your wrist when you hit the ball.

There are also many types of hits. I'll just give you the basics.
Outside hit- the person on the front row of the court, on the far left side receives the set. This is usually a high set.
Middle hit- This set goes to the person on the front row in the middle.
Quick Middle Hit- This is a very short, quick set. This hit is used to confuse the blockers on the other side. The hit also goes down to the floor vey fast, making it hard for the defense players to get to.
Right Side Hit- When the setter receives the ball, they tilt their back a little, making the ball go slightly back. This is usually a medium height set.

Now I will define a few passing terms.
Freeball Passing- When the opposing team just passes the ball over and it goes to the back row, this should be a very easy pass for defense players.
Serve Receive- Passing off a serve
Defensive Passing- This occurs when one of the hitters from the other team hits the ball, mentioned above.

Within the next few posts, I will explain how you use physics to make the different kinds of serves. Knowing the physics involved in the game will make you a much better player. You will be able to understand what to do to make the game more intense. Just think, how do you think some of the best volleyball players got so good? Physics. They know the science of the game.

After each post, I will leave you with a short sports quote.

“You were born to be a player. You were meant to be here. This moment is yours.”-Herb Brooks, coach of the USA men's ice hockey team in 1980.