Well, let me tell ya somethin’ about this game, this “beach volleyball” thing. Folks call it a game, but lemme tell ya, it’s more than just a game. It’s about fightin’, it’s about thinkin’, and it’s about that darn ball, always flyin’ every which way.

First thing ya gotta know is, this ain’t no indoor stuff. This is the beach, baby! Wind’s blowin’, sun’s beatin’ down, and that sand, oh that sand gets everywhere. You gotta be tough, you gotta be smart, and you gotta be ready for anythin’. Them fancy folks, they talk about “skill sets” and “strategic positioning.” Bah! I call it plain ol’ common sense.
Now, see, one big thing is keepin’ that ball outta the net. They call it “net clearance,” sounds all highfalutin, but it just means don’t go hittin’ the net, ya hear? Gotta get that ball up and over, high enough so them other fellers can’t get to it. It’s real critical, more than them young’uns realize, seems like everyone always forgets about it, but it is darn important!
- Gotta hit it high
- Gotta hit it hard (sometimes)
- And ya gotta make sure that ball don’t touch that net!
Then there’s the passin’. Passin’ ain’t just hittin’ the ball, no sir. You gotta be gentle with it, like you’re holdin’ a baby bird. The wind, she’s a tricky one out there on the beach, always pushin’ and pullin’ at that ball. So, you gotta slow it down, make it hang there for a second, so your partner can get a good whack at it.
Them city slickers, they run around like chickens with their heads cut off. But you gotta be patient, wait for your chance. Watch them other fellas, see where they’re standin’, see what they’re plannin’. Then, bam! You hit ’em where they ain’t.
And talkin’ about hittin’, sometimes ya gotta be sneaky, ya know? Like, they think you’re gonna hit it one way, and then, whoosh! You send it the other way. That’s what them experts call “strategy.” I just call it bein’ smart.
Winning, that’s what it’s all about. Ain’t no participation trophies in my book. You gotta win two sets, that’s it. And that last set, that’s the tiebreaker. It’s a real nail-biter, gotta win by two points, no less. And lemme tell ya, those last few points, they feel like forever. Everyone gets all worked up, jumpin’ and yellin’.

Now, some folks say you can only use your hands. That’s just silly. You can use your head, your feet, your knees, whatever it takes to keep that ball in the air. Heck, I once saw a fella use his belly to get the point! Now that’s what I call playin’ smart. It ain’t pretty, but it gets the job done, ya know?
Practice makes perfect, that’s what my pappy always used to say. And he was right. You gotta practice them passes, them sets, them hits. And you gotta practice in the sand, where the wind is blowin’ and the sun is beatin’ down. That’s the only way to get good. One thing you city folk probably don’t know is how to practice for the high balls, the ones that go way up in the sky, we call them “sky-balls” ‘round here. You just gotta get out there and do it, over and over again.
And don’t forget about teamwork. You and your partner, you gotta be like one mind, one body. You gotta know what the other one’s thinkin’, what they’re gonna do before they even do it. You gotta trust each other, you gotta support each other, and you gotta fight for each other. It takes two to tango on that there sand.
Beach volleyball, it ain’t for the faint of heart. It’s tough, it’s gritty, and it’s downright exhausting. But when you win, when you feel that sand between your toes and that sun on your face, and you know you gave it your all, well, there ain’t nothin’ better. So get out there, get dirty, and play some darn beach volleyball.
And remember, keep that ball flyin’ high and don’t let those fancy pants city folk look down on ya, you show them how its done!