Tools Of The Trade

Once upon a time volleyball ruled my life. I coached, I played, I watched. There was hardly a day that passed in which volleyball didn't intrude somehow. When we moved to Mexico, I thought those days were over. Slowly but surely. however, volleyball has once again taken over. It used to be we just played on the beach. Granted we played everyday, but we played for only a few hours during the height of tourist season. Then I was asked to join a league team. Then I was asked to help some players improve their skills. Lately, I have been asked to coach two select women's teams preparing for a tournament in Acapulco this coming weekend and pick team members for a men's tournament in August.

All of a sudden it seems volleyball is all I do, from from planning practices to thinking about how best to explain what I want (this is done with a lot of help from my wife, who is at every practice to supply the correct Spanish instructions and provide input on team dynamics), from running drills to watching games, from determining lineups to charting statistics. I have also had to amass the gear I gave up in the United States - balls, a net, and a portable whiteboard (my most recent purchase). All tools of a trade I thought was long over.