In my post about the Lone Star tournament, I had used the Sport Court playing surface to illustrate a volleyball technique example. In doing so, I am afraid I may have expressed a critical opinion of Sport Court and I wish to be clear that I view Sport Court in a very positive way.
Coach,
I love to read your posts and appreciate your efforts to educate parents and players so don't take this the wrong way. My daughter plays on a 14's National travel team and I attend every tournament in which she plays. As the Sport Court dealer in Virginia I just want to point out that it's not the Sport Court that's the problem. It's the event organizers. They make the courts small so they can squeeze in more courts, players and parents to generate more cash!
Thanks for all the great info! G
I agree completely with "G". The Sport Court playing surface is not the problem with the approaches of the left side hitters - it is how the tournament organizers lay out the courts which is the problem. If I was a left side hitter, I would also be taking an approach which kept me away from Grandpa's feet. In a perfect world, having an extra couple of feet available for the playing surface would allow for better volleyball (better approaches, more room for better serves, more room to chase down digs and errant passes).
As "G" referenced, there seems to be an underlying theme of event organizers being more concerned with making money than anything else and this belief is being echoed by many of the readers who contact me.
While I don't want to advertise for Sport Court, it is only because of such portable volleyball playing surfaces that I don't have to drive all over a city trying to find some obscure school where there are two gyms, just to see a couple of players. It is SO MUCH EASIER to just roam around a convention center, with my handy palm device (by they way, you know half the time us coaches are just playing video games on our palm right?), to see all of my necessary Prospective Student Athletes.
This luxury of just seeing all athletes in one building, with a Starbucks no less, is one reason that I feel a number of programs have started to pass on going out to the Las Vegas tournament recently. Chasing around the ever growing city of Las Vegas, trying to get to a gym before the wave ends, is not a real fun thing (plus, it is usually President's and Valentines Weekend rolled into one with half of Los Angeles out for a good time).
Let me conclude by clearly stating that my reference with Sport Court was not meant to blame the company or their outstanding product as a reason for the incorrect left side approaches of hitters. In my experience, Sport Court is the dominant portable playing surface for the sport of volleyball.
