And that’s why the off-season hits me hard. When October rolls around it’s a bittersweet time. My body is generally thankful (last year I played approximately 800 games of league play) and asking for a little bit of a rest – beach volleyball is excellent exercise, but I’m not exactly an “in shape” kind of guy like I should be (I enjoy food; let’s just leave it at that). Mentally by the time I’m hitting the last few weeks of fall season I’m starting to get chippy with myself about not being better than I am at setting or hitting or passing or whatever. And weather wise…I love my sport but 40 degrees on the sand is a mite bit chilly even for me.

But I really miss the social aspect that I really don’t get in that quantity anywhere else. Maybe I should be, but I don’t. And so when October comes in I start to break into cold sweats realizing that I won’t see a lot of my friends for months on end. Sad, I know (in multiple ways), but nonetheless it’s the life of a beach volleyball junkie.

And so when March rolls around and I start getting pinged by my teams as to whether or not I’m still playing this year I get excited. And when April 1 (or thereabouts) hits my calendar I’m so excited to get out on the sand I can hardly stand it. And when those familiar faces finally come into view when I set foot inside the bar and I hear “hey Pauly!” for that first time this year I’m walking on Cloud Nine.

But it doesn’t stop there, because that’s just the start of reconnecting. It’s getting out on the courts and seeing teams you love playing against sitting at the table on the opposite side of the court. It’s sitting on the deck between games watching people playing and giving you a wave in between plays. It’s the friends you made last year remembering you this year and catching you after a match to ask if you want to pick up some games or sub with them on a team. That’s what it’s about.

And it doesn’t stop there, because that’s just re-connecting, and there’s a whole lot of first-time connecting going on. Heck – most of my teams I got started on by offering to sub. Angie asked Gwen (who I played with) if she knew of a guy who could sub for a 7:15 game one Thursday night several years back. I said I’d be happy to and voila – I’m still with that team. I came out for the first night of volleyball this season (on a Sunday) and subbed for a team…and now I’m a regular player on Jessica’s team. I filled in the last week of the season on the Puckett team and then got to play with Jennifer, Chris, Cindy, Jared, Lauren and Sue the next season.

Regardless of whether you have a robust out-of-season social life or you’re like me and get your fix for those seven months out of the year when sand leagues are in play here in Kansas City, you can’t deny that getting out on the beach and playing some volleyball is an awesome way to meet awesome people and make new friends. So get out of those starched business clothes, kick off your shoes and come meet some awesome people.

(Pauly pens The Paul Gillespie Experience (www.PaulGillespie.me) when he’s not out at Volleyball Beach or trying to keep his six year-old from charming everybody. He enjoys the sport so much he intermittently updates “Gettin’ Sandy“, which you can find here, as well as finding the opportunity here and there to blog for the Volleyball Beach website)

But it’s not all about the volleyball. I know, I know – that’s hard to believe coming from a guy who played on eleven different teams last season in all class and type of volleyball that was offered (6s, quads, doubles; A-, B-, C- league). Sure, the sport is a big part of it, but it’s not everything – not by a long shot.

Besides the sport itself there’s the exercise. If you’re playing on a B- or A- level team you’re getting your exercise – your volleys almost certainly last more than one hit and you’re digging, setting and/or hitting regularly. Read another way: you’re moving. Lots. Play a couple of hours of that a week and you’ll notice a (good) change in your body if you spent your off-season in a sedentary state of being. Sure, you’ll hurt for the first week or two, but after that you’ll appreciate the exercise you get. You can do that at Title Boxing Club punching a bag; you can do that running around your neighborhood; you can even do that in a swimming pool. But you can’t have the same combination of exercise and fun in those activities as you do playing sand volleyball under a beautiful blue sky. Guaranteed.

There’s also the entertainment aspect. I’m a fan of Jason Statham as much as the next person, but there’s a place his movies are made for – it’s called “DVD”. On the other hand, I just can’t stand to watch a taped volleyball match – it really loses it’s magic when you’re not watching every bump, set and spike live. Whether I’m the one doing that or not (more often the latter) my heart starts to pound when I watch some good beach volleyball going on. One of my favorite pictures of all time was taken when I was watching such a battle last year (click here to see it). Give me two hours watching two good teams compete on the sand over any of this junk film studios try to pass off as “entertainment” any day – I’ve got a DVD player for the latter; I’ve got two eyes and a passion for the former.

But more than all the above there’s the people. You will not meet more awesome people than you do playing some sand volleyball out at Volleyball Beach. I’ve played indoor and outdoor at a number of venues around the city and I can say, without reservation, that the best people are out in Martin City playing with Howard; it’s not even close. And it’s not just the crew that keeps you entertained, fed and well hydrated (or dehydrated, depending on your preference) – it’s the people you play with. I love winning as much as the next person but even when you’re losing most of the people out there are so much fun you’ll take a loss and still have a smile on your face. Heck – even the one former-pro I know who’s out there is a blast to play against even as he’s attempting to tattoo the Wilson logo onto the sand right in front of you. When you have a nice hit the other team is as likely as yours to congratulate you on it; if you block a spike expect the hitter to compliment you on it; when you set the other team accidentally they’re as likely to razz you about it as your team is. With few exceptions there aren’t any teams out there that I don’t enjoy playing with or against – whether they’re A-, B-, or C-league.

See – I told you there’s more to beach volleyball than just beach volleyball. So whether you’re debating coming out to play or you’re a regular out there like me there’s an easy answer: get off your butt, put on a t-shirt and some shorts and start playing in the sand. You’ll thank me for it.

(Pauly pens The Paul Gillespie Experience (http://PaulGillespie.me) when he’s not out at Volleyball Beach or trying to figure out where his kids went. As you can imagine beach volleyball is among his favorite things, and he enjoys the opportunity to write [hopefully] entertaining and informative pieces about beach volleyball for the Volleyball Beach website)

You know what I mean – the groove. That state of being that makes you just want to forget the rest of your day ever happened. The same one that whispers to your sould “it’s time to get up and dance”. And by “dance” I mean ignore the laws of gravity and use those calf muscles to attempt to propel yourself off the fine sand that’s underneath your feet.

[side note: I know, I know - why in the world would you ever want to leave the comfort of the beautiful sand out at Volleyball Beach, even for a moment?]

We’re three weeks into the beach volleyball season out at Volleyball Beach and the grooves are coming on. I was watching some of the doubles matches last night and saw some great digging and hitting and some really good volleys. The sixes league play was equally as exciting – folks seem to be hitting their stride and shedding the rust that’s almost always present when folks hit the sand for the first few weeks of the year.

Playing against teams that are playing their best is a great opportunity for growth – you have to step your game to be able to compete. And if you’re not looking for that growth … that’s OK, too. While I prefer playing in the A-league I also have a B and a C teams I play on because they’re fun teams.

Because, when all is said and done, fun is what it’s all about. You don’t come out to the beach to stick your feet in the sand because you have to. You don’t come out to enjoy the sunshine because it’s an obligation you have to fulfill, like a Community Service sentence handed down by the judge. You don’t pick up the volleyball because it’s your job.

You’re out playing beach volleyball because it’s the most fun sport on the entire freakin’ planet.

Sure, winning can be fun, as well – there’s nothing like winning a spectacular battle in the championship game to paint a smile on your face. But it’s about more than that – it’s about keeping that same smile on your face the entire night. It’s about cheering the great saves and about having a good-natured laugh with someone when they go up to spike and completely misses the ball (GUILTY!).

And that, my friends, is why it’s time to get the groove on. Come join us.

• The first week you’re shaking the rust off, retraining your legs how to jump, your arms how bump and your voice how to order a vodka and Vitamin Water.
• The second week you’re recovering from the first week, but feeling like you’re finally getting your groove on (or back on, as the case may be). You can’t actually raise your arms above your waist because they’re so sore, but your teammates confirmed that they watched you get your feet off the ground when you decided you were going to attempt to block.
• By the third week you’ve removed “Advil” from your own personal food pyramid and instead replaced it with “beer”. As an added bonus and can now land on both feet without falling on your butt, and you now call the waitresses by their real names instead of “hey smokin’ hot beautiful woman”.
• By the time you’ve hit week six you’re already playing better than you ever did last season, and you’re sure your team can move up a level. You’ve made so many new friends you’ve run out of fingers and toes to count on.
• By the end of the Spring season you’re ten weeks in and the weather is perfect. You remember all your new teammates’ names and you’ve managed to increase your vertical 50%. Your team pulled off a victory in the Tournament of Champions and Summer season awaits.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is why we play volleyball in the sand. With our friends. And beer.

And Julio, the legless-flamingo.

And at the only place where you get the best of all worlds – out at Volleyball Beach.

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