Tee Minus 5 days until RBVL Liftoff

By Joe McGivney                                           5/16/14

Is the calendar correct?  Can beach volleyball really be starting in five days?  Yes and yes!  The Rockaway Beach Volleyball League will hold their first night of beach volleyball this coming Wednesday at 6:30 PM at Riis Park.  Excitement is building for this season, which is the silver anniversary year for the RBVL.  Wow!  5/21 is an optional night for teams to get out for the first time and work off some of the rust that has built up over the fall and winter months.  A large can of WD-40 may have to be sprayed on the bumps, sets and spikes for them to travel smoothly.  When the weather is good 55 teams have showed up and had fun playing non-league matches with friends and colleagues.  This year promises to be bigger and better.  If you are not on a team and you are looking to play, you can come to the beach and try to hook up with a needy team.  When they see you in action, captains have a better picture of your ability and how it meshes with their team than they do from a phone conversation.  It is not easy hooking onto veteran teams but it happens.  Sometimes teams find out that they need a few live bodies.  Good luck.  74 teams will prepare to battle this summer in 9 divisions, which span many levels of expertise.  There are beginners like Rocky and experts like Murph or is it beginners like Murph and experts like Rocky.  Or mailmen like Murph and retirees like Rocky?  Or is it none of the above?  The 2014 Divisional layout is published here in the Wave so teams can see where they were placed and can plan their game strategies accordingly. 

Welcome back to all of the returning sponsors and to the newest sponsors of RBVL teams.  The league would not flourish without your financial support and is very grateful for your help.  RBVL players should consider using some of the many league sponsors for personal items.  After all, these businesses supported you when you needed them; why not return the favor and support them if you need services they provide.  Quid pro quo, Clarissa.  Your RBVL Committee members will be around each and every week to help out on any matters and answer your questions.  That includes new members, Colleen McHale, Mike and Liz Sica, who will help ensure that the league continues to run smoothly and efficiently.  Plus, it will take three people to do all of the work that Denise used to knock out week to week.  The RBVL is still striving to make things run smoothly with the new, very large population of players.  More equipment must be purchased; more referees have to be found; nets will have to be set up much further down on the beach.  All the new players assured President Patty Moule that they would do whatever it took to help the season run smoothly.  They all volunteered in advance to help in any way that was needed on and off the beach.  And it worked in Sandy-torn 2013.  That same spirit will be needed in 2014 from everyone as well.  Your league has become the place to be during the summer in Rockaway.  Remember that has happened primarily because of great camaraderie and sportsmanship more than great bumps, sets and spikes, although they are nice, too.  Prospective new referees are always welcome.   You do not need to be a certified ref to work in the RBVL.  In fact, many refs have been quite successful with a strong playing background (college and high school) and limited referee experience.  Come to the beach on 5/21 and introduce yourself to one of the Committee members if you would like to be worked into our rotation. 

Rosters are also waivers and must be signed by players the first week of the season. (Or the practice week if you really want to be good boys and girls.)  For this reason and reasons of fair play, teams are not permitted to pick up players from the sidelines on nights they are shorthanded, not even if the opposing captain approves it.  If you need players for your roster, let us know what you need; there are many individual players looking to join the RBVL.  President Patty Moule and her Committee members have one major complaint with league players.  It is a problem that has persisted over the years and there is no reason for it at all.  Each and every week, a handful of teams return their nets to the equipment room late. That means Equipment Manager Extraordinaire, Steve, and several other Committee members cannot leave for the after-party and must needlessly sit around and wait.  And don’t just wait for the deadline time; bring your net back immediately after your game.  Then go back and finish your beverages and chit-chat.  Steve does inventory every week.  That helps keep the equipment coming back.  Have some consideration.  It’s the least you can do.  Captains are reminded that they can have team items entered in the weekly Wave article by showing up at the sponsor bar or by e-mailing Joe at jmcgivney2@nyc.rr.com by 11 PM on Wednesday night. 

We are cleaning out our database and captains must supply two names with e-mails and text #’s as part of your vital information on your roster.   We're looking to improve the speed and accuracy of our announcements and information dissemination.  These will be the e-mails and texts we send to this season with important league information.  And they will be the contact information we use when we have to make short notice decisions, particularly concerning the weather.  The RBVL has a Facebook page and, if you like it, you will receive timely updates, whoever you are, captain or not.  Wednesday, 5/21 will be our first night of volleyball at the beach. It will be a practice night for all and uniforms and schedules will be given out at that time.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate as it did last year.  Wednesday, 5/28 will be opening day and play will continue every Wednesday until 8/9.  On Saturday, 8/9, the league championships will be played – keep your schedules clear.  Every year it’s a blast!  It will only be a couple of months before the ultimate “Survivor” battle begins on the tropical island shores of Riis Park.  Opening day will arrive quickly and there is much to be done beforehand. If you have any questions before the meeting please call Patty Moule at 917-613-0908.  (Call between 10 AM and 9 PM.) 

See you on the beach on 5/21 for RBVL season #25!