Volleyball
Stacie Mathi

Volleyball is a sport that almost anyone can play and enjoy around the St. Louis area characteristics of the game enable participants to enjoy it regardless of their ability levels. The game is quick, powerful, exciting, and challenging to those who play it . It can be played at all ages and all levels. Volleyball continues to be one of the most popular sports played at social gatherings. The type of game played on these occasions can be low in skill level, encouraging few simple rules, and the enjoyment of all. Volleyball has great appeal because it requires few basic skills, few rules, few players, and limited equipment. Volleyball is a skill that many St. Louisans enjoy and easy to learn the skills.

In 1985 William C. Morgan, a YMCA director, invented a game called mintonette in an attempt to meet the needs of local businessmen who found the game of basketball to be too strenuous. The new game caught on quickly. In 1896 the name was changed by Alfred Halstead, who felt that volleyball would be more suitable name due to the volleying characteristic of play. The game's status has changed from its being a recreational activity to being recognized as a strenuous
sports well. In 1964, the sport was added to the Olympic games. Due to this it helped the fast growth of volleyball.

Volleyball in St. Louis starts as young as fourth grade in primary education.  The rules at this type of level is much easier because the court and net are shorter, they are also given two chances to serve the ball.  Most of the grade schools in the St. Louis area have volleyball teams for the young ones.  These types of teams you don't have to try out for you just sign up.  Volleyball is a popular game is St. Louis for primary education children.   The teams play other teams located near their school in St. Louis.

The next level of play in St. Louis is high school ball.  High school ball is a lot more challenging because you have to try out in order to be on the team.  Many of the girls' teams in St. Louis are very strong at their ability and level of play.  I have played for Oakville Senior all four years.  However, we were a good team, but Cor Jesu had a lot more skilled team than we did.  Dubourg high school was also another well known team is St. Louis for volleyball.  My high school was too well known for our team, but the two top teams we had a little trouble beating.  

College ball in St. Louis is very entertaining.  It is full of fast action and a lot of pschying your opponents out.  St. Louis has two very well known volleyball teams.  One being the Washington University team and the other being St. Louis University team.  I have been to camps by both and some of the action I see is very interesting.  It has always been a dream to play for Washington University.  I got the opportunity to play for Southeast Missouri University this year, but due to a knee injury I lost my scholarship and I needed to home due to a family loss with my dad.  College ball is very tough to make especially if you want to go to a big school.  If you keep of the practice you can play anywhere.

Another neat way to enjoy volleyball in St.  Louis is to play for a select club.  I have play with Midwest Select, VBC for many years.  I have also played for the best team is St. Louis called St. Louis, VBC.  Club volleyball is very fun; you can start at fourth grade level and play all the way through high school.   With a club team you get to travel around all over the farthest I've been with my team is for nationals in California.  My team has been named state champions a few times.  In St. Louis clubs tournaments were held at Washington University or SLU, which was overwhelming to play in a real college setting.  Making new friends in club volleyball was special.  It was also interesting when you would play a teammates high school team because I would know what their next move would be because I play with them at club games.

A final way to enjoy volleyball in St. Louis is beach volleyball.  Although, not quite the same as playing at a real beach.  Many subdivisions have mini courts.  For instance, we have a pool that the subdivision uses and only us plus we have tennis courts and a sand volleyball course here two.  It 's very clean with white sand and no rocks or litter.  Another place to go is to Concord bowling lanes about twenty minutes from where I live is sand volleyball leagues, which is always so much fun to play.  Every year at Union Station downtown St. Louis I enter the Spike-It-Up tournament where you pick your teams 2, 4, or 6, and compete against other people.  I have done this for two years and will be playing this year with a group of 6 and with my best friend, who plays volleyball for Fontbonne, will play 2 on 2. 

In conclusion, volleyball is a sport that requires little skill but, when a person practices these basic skills that person may increase their level of skill. People can play this sport almost anywhere they want. Many people enjoy the game because of the skills required and the rules. There are four key methods in volleyball: service, forearm pass, overhead pass, and an attack. These basic skills are what keeps the game of volleyball so interesting and fun to play. This sport is full of excitement. It can be a challenge when playing with higher skilled players or fun when just playing with friends or family.

Staci, this is a well-written first effort, but it's not St. Louis specific--get into the teams involved in St. Louis--are there any?  If not municipal, what about collegiate?  Before I grade it, I'd like to see St. Louis run throughout these paragraphs in addition to the theory on technique and philosophy.  You don't mention St. Louis at all in any of these paragraphs.

Volleyball is a sport that almost anyone can play and enjoy.  Volleyball is a sport that is played in most countries around the world.  [consolidate these two intro sentences into one intro sentence in half the words--give it a St. Louis focus] Characteristics of the game enable participants to enjoy it regardless of their ability levels.  [really?  even if the teams are unevenly matched?] The game is quick, powerful, exciting, and challenging to those who play it .  It can be played at all ages and all levels.  [avoid redundancy--give me some history of the sport in St. Louis--at least enough background so that by the time I hit your thesis I know what you're talking about] Volleyball continues to be one of the most popular sports played at social gatherings.  The type of game played on these occasions can be low in skill level, encouraging few simple rules, and the enjoyment of all.  Volleyball has great appeal because it requires few basic skills, few rules, few players, and limited equipment.  [give me a strong, central thesis that your body paragraphs can modify]

In 1985 William C. Morgan, a YMCA director, invented a game called mintonette in an attempt to meet the needs of local businessmen who found the game of basketball to be too strenuous.  The new game caught on quickly.  In 1896 the name was changed by Alfred Halstead, who felt that volleyball would be more suitable name due to the volleying characteristic of play.  The game's status has changed from its being a recreational  activity to being recognized as a strenous sports well.  In 1964, the sport was added to the Olympic games.  Due to this it helped the fast growth of volleyball.

The game of volleyball is played by two teams each having two to six playres on each side of the court.  The court is seperated by net of so many length in height depending on age and sex of the players.  The objective of each team is to try to hit the ball to the opponent's side without them being able to return it to your side.  This is usually accomplished by using a three-hit combination by using a forearm pass to the setter, the setter then sets the ball to an outside attacker, who then will spike the ball into the opponents side of the court.  When there are six players on the court on each side, three in the front are called forwards and the three in the back are called backs.  Depending on where they are on a court tells whether or not they are a left, center, or right positions.  Players must remain in thier positions until the serve is put into play.  After the serve, players are allowed to overlap or switch positions.  However, bakc row players cannot leave the floor to hit the ball when in front

Service is the a skill you must master to earn points for your team.  There are three different types of serves you can do.  One type, is th underhand serve, which everyone can accomplish.  Another type, is the overhand serve which takes some practice but, can  be mastered.  This is done by tossing the ball in front of your  body and using your open hand to hit it across.  This type of service should have no spin on the ball.  The last type of serve is the "jump" serve, which is very difficult to master.  You start by tossing the ball high in the air and ahead of you.  You then run on to it and jump up to get it.  The server is alway the right back player.  He or she may move anywhere on the back court to serve.  If the server crosses over the service line the ball is considered out of play and then given to the opponent's side.  An "ace" is when the ball doesn't get touch by the  opposing team and lands in bounds.

A forearm pass, or bump, is the first basic skill a player must master.  It is the first skill your team must execute if you are recieving the serve.  This type of skill is used to receive a serve, spike, or any play that is below the waist.  The forearm pass is used to direct the ball to another teammate.  When performing a forearm pass your hands must be joined together; your thumbs parallel.  In contacting the ball you may give a little arm swing to move it into the direction to go.  If the serve or spike is done with a great deal of force no arm swing should be done to due the force of the ball you may loose control over it.

The next skill is the overhead pass.  THis should be the one in which you handle with great effieciency and the most control.  This is usually the second hit when the ball is returned to your side.  This pass is done by the setter in order for an attacker to spike the ball to the opposing team.  The overhead pass can be done by passing forward or backwards to the outside hitter, or attacker.  One player is usually designated as the setter, which is usually the best setter on the team.  The overhead pass is the most efficient way to handle the ball.  A overhead pass is done by making a triangle with your finger tips.  When in contact with the ball your hands should be formed into the shape of the ball and passed high in the air to your target hitter extending your arms and legs with the ball.

There are three different methods of attack in volleyball.  The first is the dink is used to psych out the opposing team, who may be looking for a kill.  You amy use this technique when your timing is off.  Another method isthe off-speed spike this to is used with little speed and this to can be used when your timing is off.  A third attack is the hard-driven spike, the most exciting play in a game of volleyball.  Timing is everything on this particular skill.  It is hard to detect the speed of an attack because good, thinking players may mix up their speeds on their attack.  The approach to all three types of attacks are the same but, the strength behind it and may through opposing players off-guard.

In conclusion,volleyball is a sport that requires little skill but, when a person practices these basic skills that person may increase their level of skill.  People can play this sport almost anywhere they want.  Many people enjoy the game because of the skills required and the rules.  There are four key methods in volleyball:  service, forearm pass, overhead pass, and an attack.  These basic skills are what keeps the game of volleyball so interesting and fun to play.  This sport is full of excitement.  It can be a challenge when playing with higher skilled players or fun when just playing with friends or family.