Beach Volleyball vs. Courtside: How Much Equipment Do You Need?

If you've ever sat and watched a beach volleyball game and an indoor volleyball competition you've undoubtedly noted a few differences-starting with the uniforms and going from there! The differences between beach volleyball and indoor volleyball are vast and don't just center around whether you have to wear spandex or a bikini to play. They encompass different playing styles (which I'll probably get into at some point), different skills and (dunh dunh daa!) different equipment.

Chances are, before you start shopping around for equipment you already know whether you're going to be a beach player or an indoor competitor. (No insult to beach competition intended, ladies and gentlemen-I just didn't want to repeat myself by saying "competitor" over and over. We all know every time that ball's in sight the competition is fierce. It doesn't matter whether you're playing by the surf or a set of gymnasium bleachers.) Most people develop a preference fairly quickly, which makes your job easy when it's time to hit the stores.

Believe it or not, you may actually end up buying more equipment to play beach ball than to play inside. Why? Because when you train all year round you get the chance to enjoy the best of both worlds. You're going to need the usual knee pads, practice gear, net access and ball that indoor competitors wear as well as comfortable outdoor gear (usually swimwear style), a sunscreen with a high SPF and a hat or athletic sunglasses to keep the glare out of your eyes while you're on the sand.

The bottom line? There really isn't a difference between the equipment you need to play indoor or outdoor ball. Why not enjoy them both?

To check out our collection of indoor and outdoor gear, visit http://www.volleyballproshop.com/.

Strengthening Your Team's Defense

The saying, "The best defense is a good offense" definitely doesn't apply for volleyball, where the offense can become the defense and switch again in a matter of seconds. Unlike football, where offense and defense are clearly defined at any stage, in volleyball every player is expected to be both defense and offense at any given point in time.

Because of that, it's essential that your team have a strong, motivated defense.

The question is, how can you strengthen your team's defense? Practice, practice, practice. Every player on your team has unique skills that apply in different areas of the court, and while for some the art of diving after the ball may be second nature, for others it's going to take a little extra effort. Defensive strategy should be practiced both as a team effort and individually.

For individual defensive practice, have the players on your team pair up. One serves, the other saves, and the two volley back and forth until the ball drops. Tell them not to make it easy on each other! In a real competition the opposition is going to do their best to send the ball where you can't get to it, so it's essential that during practice your team invests plenty of time going after wild balls. Forget form here. All you want to do is keep it between the lines!

Be sure you have the proper protective equipment to protect your knees and ankles while you're diving for the ball. The last thing you want is a team full of bruised, banged up players who aren't fit to hit the court because they didn't have proper knee protection and they hit the boards one too many time. Knee pads are a must.

For other training resources and top of the line protective equipment, visit http://www.volleyballproshop.com/.

Does Volleyball Really Need Cheerleaders?

Cheerleaders are a vital part of pumping up the crowd in competitive team sports, but the exploitation of beach volleyball cheerleaders through professional and non-professional publications alike raises the question, "Does volleyball really need cheerleaders?"

Everyone has their own opinion of the role played by the bikini rockers that jazz up the crowd between points and matches. For some, it's all part of the game. Imagine the Dallas Cowboys without the Cowgirls cheering them on from the sidelines. Despite the controversy that their scanty outfits have raised among some critics of the football community, the Cowgirls are almost as much of an institution as the Cowboys themselves.

Beach volleyball cheerleaders are almost as much a part of the sport to many as the squads found on the sidelines at basketball and football games at all levels, from Pee-Wee to professional. The crowd loves them, dazzling them while the players are preparing the hit the sand all over again.

Some of the volleyball teams, however, are less than amused. The presence of the Personal Plus dance team at the beach volleyball competition in Athens met with disapproval from some of the women's teams. A member of the Australian women's team stated, "It's kind of disrespectful to the female players. I'm sure the male spectators love it, but I find it a little offensive."

Offensive? Not the fun, beach party atmosphere the team was going for, leading to the question of whether cheerleaders in bikinis belong at serious competition. Everyone has an opinion. Some members of the media have a less complimentary opinion, leading to headlines like "Babe A Day! Beach Volleyball Cheerleaders Burning Hot in Beijing" and "Bosoms, Beer and Volleyball!"-a disgrace to the sport and women who represent it.

Others, however, encourage support the crowd pleasing presence of cheerleaders on the sand, claiming it's all in good fun-exactly what these young women were going for when they stripped down to their suits and hit the court.

For all the volleyball equipment and training tips you need, visit http://www.volleyballproshop.com/.

How to Have the Dream Club Season

How did your last volleyball season end? Did you end up where you wanted to be? Most of you probably are saying no and I can relate through my years in the sport as well. Any volleyball coach will probably emphasize that success will come down to three factors: goals, effort, and preparation.

Goals-The most successful teams set goals for themselves. When the going gets tough, how will you push yourself to succeed at a higher level? There will probably be many days you do not want to get out of bed but those goals can be the bigger reason why you push through any disinterest or apathy. Having a common goal with your teammates helps unite the team as well. This makes everyone accountable to everyone so that you can push yourself and others and the same will be done for you.

Effort is pretty easy to understand. You may have a good team which can win most matches very easily. What happens when you get to States and meet an equally talented team? The prepared team will likely win because of the effort it put forth in practices and earlier matches. Effort moves beyond practices to how hard you play in games.

Whenever you are competing against other teams, the more prepared team will win the majority of the time. If you have prepared accordingly, you will not be surprised by anything that the other team does and probably have practiced against different tactics they may utilize in practice. This comes down to how you prepare in practice. If you watch any elite athlete or talk with any elite athlete, many will talk about how important practice is. It is simply a preparation for the game. Do you think that your body will be able to produce at a higher level simply because it is a game? If you have not exerted yourself in practice, how can you expect your body to work at a higher level than it is used to?

This also involves a good game day routine. There is a great book you can buy and the following is an excerpt of some of the different things you need to do to succeed. I won’t get into that since you can follow the link but this will help you with preparation on game day. A proper game day routine will involve certain key elements so make sure that your team is following these rigorously. It could be the small difference between a win and a loss.

Success can be determined many times by the will of the winning team. This can come from the effort, preparation, and goals the team members have in place. Think about how you want your volleyball season to turn out and how you can make that happen.

For any product-related need, visit http://www.volleyballproshop.com/.

The Latest and Greatest

The Latest and Greatest: Product Reviews

Here are a few different brands that you can read about to help you find the best volleyball gear. Because being the best means having the best.....

One company you can never go wrong with is Mizuno. Just follow this link to see what they have available for you in 2008. If you look along the right side of the page, there are different articles which talk about some of the recognition Mizuno has received from different companies evaluating their products (such as Volleyball Magazine). One of the neat things when you look at their website is that you can play around online to find a uniform that your team will like. As with many high school teams, there is a budget in place ahead of time but this may be a fun way for your team to bond. If they can design their own uniforms and allow you to order this from a local store, this can be the best of all worlds, especially if you have old outdated uniforms.

Here is something a little outside the realm of products but along the same tangent. If you are looking for new ways to condition yourself or your athletes, train the LIBERO, or practice planning, check out the following website. Here will will find a video (DVD) for every aspect of the volleyball game from on the court training to practice planning.

If your team is in need of volleyballs, Mikasa has been one of the leading manufactures in the volleyball word, as seen at the Beijing Olympics. The FIVB (Fédération Internationale de Volleyball) decided at its World Congress held on June 16 -17, 2008 that the new MIKASA MVA200 volleyballs with unique cover materials will be used as the official game balls at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The 24 qualified teams (12 Men and 12 Women teams) are already practicing with this revolutionary new volleyball. MIKASA volleyballs have been used as the official Olympic volleyballs for eight out of ten. If it is the best in the nation is using Mikasa why aren't you.

The best volleyball equipment can be found at the one stop shop VolleyballProShop. I hope this helps in your quest for the best equipment.

Mizuno and its Volleyball Competitors

This blog will look at some of the different shoes you can use for your 2008 volleyball season. This will be one of the most, if not the most, critical piece of equipment you can possibly have. With the constant movement on the court, you want your equipment to respond the way your body responds and in a comfortable fashion as well. When you are looking for what is important in a volleyball shoe, there are several factors. I don’t want to take a whole blog post to write about this so I found this helpful article which explains what you should look for in a shoe.

Mizuno has always been known for making great volleyball shoes. This reputation continues to stand up for 2008 from the different reviewers at Volleyball Magazine. You will probably be going with the latest edition of the Mizuno Wave Spike 11 or Tornado 3 if you are looking for high quality Mizuno shoes. Here is a link for the Mizuno Wave Spike 11.

The 2007 Volleyball Magazine Shoe Review was conducted in the October issue of Volleyball Magazine, and for the second consecutive year, and the third time in a four year span, a high performance Mizuno volleyball shoe has earned the prestigious "Editor's Choice" award.

In 2007 the Mizuno Wave Tornado 2 was chosen as the best of the best in volleyball shoes. The previous Mizuno winners of Volleyball Magazine's "Editor's Choice" award were the Mizuno Wave Lightning (2004), and the Mizuno Wave Lightning 3 (2006).

Asics is not as well known within the volleyball world as say a Mizuno but this is a company with a very strong reputation for quality shoe wear. If you are struggling to find Mizuno shoes which are comfortable for you, take a chance on Asics.

This should have given you a good idea what type of shoe wear you may want for your 2008 season. It is probably better to get this done now when you can start breaking it in when the preseason starts instead of halfway through the season when you're used to a different company's product. Prices can vary on this page anywhere between $52.99 to over $100 depending upon your budget.

Misty and Kerri: The History

You have probably read by now that Misty May and Kerri Walsh won the gold medal. I thought that I would use my blog post to share some information

Kerri and Misty have been together as partners since 2001. Their families actually introduced them to be partners. Misty was looking for a new beach volleyball partner and Kerri was tired of indoor volleyball. The two have been partners since then. There were rumors in 2006 about a possible break-up as partners, even given the high level of success that they were enjoying. They eventually had a long talk between the two of them and patched things up. Since then, they have dominated the beach volleyball circuit. As an indication of their success, they have not lost in almost a full year with nary a loss so far in 2008. They have also become the only Olympic champion to repeat in beach volleyball. A Brazilian team had a chance to repeat this particular feat but ended up losing in the semi-finals on the men’s side of the beach volleyball draw.

This will probably be the last time than Misty and Kerri defend the Olympic title. Both have expressed a desire to start families with both being in their early thirties. To be more specific, Misty is 31 and Kerri just turned 30 a few days ago.

Misty and Kerri did a great job to win the match at the end of the sets. Look at how close it was going into the final few points of each set: either at 16-16 or 18-18. They were able to turn on the afterburners for the final few points to take the two sets from the Chinese. Even when a medical timeout was called, this did not break the concentration of May and Walsh. They were able to take the time to focus and come out swinging. This is a great lesson in the importance of concentration and focus at the ends of matches. This proved to be the difference maker in the match.

Looking ahead to the next Olympics, the Chinese team of Tian and Wang should be back and will likely be considered the favorite for the gold medal. There are currently ranked number two in the Bible world and actually were the last team to beat Misty May and Kerri Walsh, roughly a year ago. This has proven to be one of the strongest, if not the strongest team, in women’s beach volleyball history.