This is nothing but fun. If you’ve never played volleyball in the pool, you are missing out. And if the thought of volleyball makes you wince thinking back to bad days in high school gym, then rinse those memories out of your head and try it in the water.
Please note: As an affiliate, I receive a small commission for items purchased through links. Thank you.
Games in the pool can be very competitive but there’s a lot to smile about too. People become braver in the water, diving for shots, stretching out and getting vertical, and sometimes coming down in a resigned heap…into the water. There’s not much chance of being hurt as long as you stay away from the wall; which is an added incentive to stay within bounds. As long as you do that, no matter what else you do you’re coming down in kind, forgiving water, not on a hard gym floor.
I can’t get over how some people extend their own physicality just because they’re pretty sure they’re safe playing in the water. And they’re right. I’ve seen men and women who have never played sports turn into extreme volleyball wizards in the pool. They go up for a shot, miss, and suddenly here comes their foot out of the water – and they hit the ball. Not exactly legal but sure is fun to watch!
Depending on whether you’re in a public pool, membership gym, or private pool, the games can vary in terms of rules and the ball. In a private pool setting with some friends, during the summer we play volleyball in their outdoor pool with an actual regulation volleyball, or more recently with the newer water resistant volleyballs. They have the same measurements as regulation size balls but they’re made for the water. I play with tall people. The hosts are 6’5†and 5’11â€. I’m 5’6â€. My 6 ‘5” compadre has a wingspan that looks like 12 feet. The guy can hit anything from anywhere in the pool. The 5’11” wife has a return that will knock you down. We play very hard, very competitively, and follow all the rules. It’s an excellent party because we’re getting some good exercise then breaking for healthy snacks in between. We set up our beverages along the side of the pool, trying to find spots near the net that keep the cans and plastic cups safe from getting whacked by the ball. This is a little side game to see who put their drink in the safest place and who lost the most drinks at the end of the afternoon/evening. Great friends and the most fun I’ve ever had in my life in a pool.
At my gym the game is very different. Still fun, still has its own challenges, but looser. The pool is indoors. We play with a beach ball. The only rules are to keep it in bounds, don’t spike, and don’t be annoying. You can hit the ball as many times as you like, and whichever side it lands on serves. The boundaries contract and expand depending on how many players there are. Oh, and we don’t keep score.
Before you blow the beach ball game off, hold up. A beach ball literally blows with the wind, so one minute it’s right in front of your hand and you’ve jumped up and are poised to hit it and the next it’s caught up in the a/c and has changed directions. You hit nothing and the ball whizzes right by. The beach ball also becomes slightly warped with just a minimum amount of play, so it starts angling off to the right or to the left at will. You have to adjust your hand and your shot to hit the ball where you want, or to simply keep it in bounds. And if you hit it too hard too many times, the ball pops and, well that’s a dead ball. The indoor gym pool game serves up some very funny moments. Just being able to hit the ball as many times as you want can have a person chasing the ball beyond their position or crawling up and down the net trying to get the ball over. I looked up the other day and there were three people in the same court position all vying for the ball while leaving their individual positions wide open. Hysterical.Â
I have to admit that the beach ball game has humbled me, and made me a better sport. Possibly because everyone is a little less serious about the game. These aren’t athletes showing up to play; these are people there strictly to have fun. Some of them have never played volleyball before, some haven’t since high school. And some, like me, think they know the game but they didn’t factor in a ball with a mind of its own. I love the comments from the first-timers who say, “this is a lot harder than it looks.†This “milder†form of the game can get pretty competitive too.
Water volleyball is the only sport I’ve ever seen in which everyone gets better. Regardless of height, weight, physical level, athletic prowess, or physical handicap, everyone can become a Water Volleyball Victor and step up their game.
Remember, if you’re moving in the water you’re lapping everyone at home on the couch. If you’re spending all your time on the couch, throw on a swimsuit and grab a towel and go catch some pool volleyball. Playing at an indoor pool near you. Then, come home and reward yourself with some Thursday night football.
I’ll see ya’ in the water!
Never miss a post. Sign up for email below.