Time for another Beach Player Spotlight! This time around, we spoke with another member of the ‘That’s What She Set’ Team, Bryan White, who is one of the team’s standout players and, as described by team captain Kellie, “the king of dad jokes.” Bryan shared his experience of playing at Volleyball Beach and what makes it so special.
Bryan White (front row, far left) and the “That’s What She Set Team” proudly displaying their Champion towels!
How long have you played at Volleyball Beach?
I have been playing at Volleyball Beach for several years now, three on Kellie’s team. I moved back to the Kansas City area in 2018 from Denver, where I had been playing volleyball for about seven years.
How many players are on the team?
We always have around 7-8 players on the team each league season. We like having a bigger roster than necessary so that we don’t have to scramble for a sub every time someone is going to miss a league night. As we all know, life happens! Sometimes one or two teammates can’t make it or might be dealing with an injury, so having extra players makes it much easier to cover for anyone who’s out.
When does the team play?
We play for three hours on Friday nights. I used to play more, coming out a couple times a week to play in the league, but now I mostly just stick to Fridays with the crew.
What’s your favorite season to play in?
I always look forward to the spring league. There’s just something special about getting back outside after winter. I also really enjoy playing in the dome, though. We can get out of the crappy weather and still play on the sand instead of having to switch to hard court.
Does the team have any traditions or rituals?
Like a lot of other teams, we always do “shot serve”, which is where you have to buy a round of shots for the team if you serve the last point of the match into the net.
What do you enjoy most about playing at Volleyball Beach?
Definitely the community. The people at Volleyball Beach are fantastic. Playing every Friday night means we really get to know not just the people on the teams we are competing against, but everyone out at the Beach that night.
Any advice or tips for new Volleyball Beach players?
I have two. Number one, stay out of the perimeter netting! I’ve seen, and experienced myself, too many people not paying attention while running for a ball and then getting tripped up into the net. Second, just try your best! Everyone is out here to have a great time, so give it your all and don’t let a poor match get you down.