Practice Week
RBVL Begins Volleyball Season
By Joe McGivney
5/25/12
The 2012 season will feature some new team names and several new sponsors.
Welcome to all and to any new players as well.
The RBVL is happy to have you onboard.
We’ll see you at Riis Park every
Wednesday until 8/11. On Saturday, 8/11, the league championships will be played, starting in the morning and
running through until the afternoon, when nine champs will be crowned.
Then the real fun begins as teams try to outdo each other, partying late into the night. The first night
back on the beach ran smoothly with the help of many players, young and old, who pitched in wherever it was needed.
That’s the kind of cooperation that makes the league great.
Thank you for getting off on the right foot and keep up the good work.
We need that assistance weekly.
What didn’t go as smoothly was the bumping, setting and spiking!
It gets harder and harder each year.
However, the carrying looked to be in mid-season form.
Come early each Wednesdays and check the information board to find out
where you are playing. And bring
your GPS system; you’ll need it.
The Rockaway Breakers played a friendly practice match
for the first time under their new name, William J. Lachner Painters, and many
players sported their 2011 championship sweatshirts to keep the chill out.
For the 4th consecutive year, Frank Ganun was the only
representative of the highly touted Ocean Division to attend the practice night.
He’s their Cal Ripken. The
Kirby Korner at Cubby Cove opened early in the evening and stayed open late.
There were no décor changes or updates from last year.
TBG notes that Cubby is so interesting that his neighbors take off on HIS
birthday. After the matches,
players headed to Rogers Pub on 116th St. for a night of celebration
to begin the 2012 volleyball season.
Old friendships were renewed and new ones sprouted up amidst the good
cheer and good food. Last
year the league welcomed Rich Rogers as a sponsor and he is happy to be back
again. And he’s even happier with
his team’s name, Rogers Irish Setters.
Once again, Rich went old school on the menu with simple, home-cooked,
delicious meatballs, baked ziti and fresh ham.
And plenty of it, too. Next
week, our annual top home cooker, Carmel, will put out a spread at the Kerry
Hills Pub. What a one-two punch to
start the summer!
The first-night party can often be a little quiet but
this one was terrific and well attended.
Our sponsors are very generous and they don’t ask much of us in return.
Stopping by for free food and a drink or two doesn’t seem like much to
ask. All of the new teams from 2011
said they’d do anything to get in the league and they can start by supporting
the sponsors every week. Then
you’ll realize it’s as important to brush up on singing, dancing and partying
skills as well as bumping, setting and spiking.
This season’s new corporate sponsor, Corona Light, came to Rogers for
their first promotion of the season.
With every Corona Light purchase, a player received a raffle ticket.
When the bar ran out of Corona Light, the raffle was held and Theresa and
Her Husband Who Shall Not Be Named won a bicycle built for two (feet, not
people) while another patron won a NY Rangers hockey jersey.
For a minute the Erstwhile Husband thought he had won the Rangers Jersey
but it was not meant to be, just as the Rangers game versus the Devils was not
meant to be. Corona spokesman,
William, says there will be bikes raffled off each and every week of the RBVL
season at the sponsoring bar and occasionally other goodies, too.
And his spokes model colleague did not have to say anything.
She just looked great. Wait until
the referees find this out. Coach,
would you like a reservation for a party of one at Kerry Hills next week.
You might be riding home on a new bike.
(You can save on the toll, too.)
Some of the new refs were shown the ropes by Joe,
including where to buy yellow and red cards.
They also attended a seminar to review rules and regulations and
expectations for the upcoming matches.
They even got to do some “student teaching” by working some of the
practice games. Everyone was
reminded again of three rules that will be enforced this year at every level of
play without exception:
1. ALL net violations must be called – no exceptions
2. NO underhand lift or reverse underhand
throws are allowed
3. NO reaching over the net to
interfere with a ball unless your opponent is directing the ball to your side of
the court.
For those players who think that this results in too many whistles and say, “We just want to play,” get used to it. Remember, we all just want to play - - - volleyball! Not jungle ball! And this year a player can receive a serve with open hands as long as they do it properly. The Rules Committee has decided to adopt the standard volleyball rule on a trial basis for 2012. Hopefully, it will lead to better overall volleyball and not an increase in illegal carries. We shall see.
Each year we try to accommodate as many people as we can in the RBVL.
Most of you have offered your assistance many times over the years and now we
really need it. We have many new
refs, some of whom are learning on the job. Some are young and some are
not as young but they all are trying their best to call the games fairly.
Believe me, they do not have an ax to grind with any of our teams and we need
you to treat them with respect. (There has been occasional slippage in
this department the last two seasons.)
However, we want them to improve their performance, too. To that
end, please send us an e-mail (jmcgivney2@nyc.rr.com)
on Thursdays with a quick summary of the previous night’s ref. We’ll know
who it was because we keep track of that stuff. It can be simply, “Ref was
great.” Or give us some detail, “Ref called no net violations,” Ref called
too many carries,” or “He called the game tighter than any ref this year.”
You get the idea – brief and to the point, both good and bad. Thanks, in
advance, for your assistance.
See you on the beach next week for opening night!
