Volleyball Tournament

For those who didn't see my first vlog on Facebook, Koreans have an alternative way of playing volleyball that is rather fascinating. In this version of the game, the net is lowered so that the bottom of the net is touching the floor. The game was created because Koreans believed that men had an advantage over women in the regular version of volleyball due to their physical strength. That's why men are only allowed to use their feet and head when hitting the ball, unless they're setting a female teammate up for a wicked spike.

Another key difference is that the ball is allowed to hit the floor each time somebody hits it, which adds an element of strategy to the game. What results is a hilariously chaotic free for all.

For example, often times a guy volleys the ball straight up in the air to set up a teammate for an unearthly spike, causing the defence to take a few steps back in order to give themselves time to react once the ball violently bounces towards them and causes their lives to flash before their very eyes. However at the last second, just as she's about to unleash that shattering spike, she hits the brakes and just taps the ball over the net with a feather-light touch.

Every time this happens, I'm convinced that the play is over because there is no way in hell the defence can get to the ball in time. But sure enough, a female hand or foot somehow gets underneath it, barely keeping the ball alive just long enough for a teammate to spring into action with some non-conventional hit and save the day with nothing but sheer desperation driving them. This is how every single play goes down; it's insane. There are people diving and throwing themselves left and right, but they do it so effectively, like they're something out of Cirque du Soleil.

The other thing I love about the game is the absurd display of gravity-defying athletics from the men as they pull off some Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon-styled tricks with their feet. Let me paint you a picture:

Say the female doesn't fake the spike and actually lets one loose. The defence then has a split second to react, and somehow, some guy will spring into action and pull off some insane jump kick that requires him to bend his foot backward at an angle that should be humanly impossible. Not only does he keep the play alive, but he perfectly sets up the volley that precedes the spike. They're like soccer ninjas or something!

So this is the game we play every Wednesday following a couple rounds of traditional volleyball. Usually, though, they're more lenient with the rules and the men are permitted to use their arms when trying to defend a bouncing spike; we just can't use our arms to hit the ball over the net. I've become confident enough at that game in my first month here to stand my ground.

Sadly, we didn't play that game today, though, because today was a special day.

When I walked into the gym, every single teacher in the school was there, lined up in teams, with the gym teacher leading stretches. It was a school-wide tournament; there were some teachers there that I'd never even seen before! Every grade, the Admin, and the subject-specific teachers had their own teams.

Typically, only those interested in playing show up on Wednesdays. The numbers are usually anywhere between 14 and 18, because most of the women on staff don't want to play regular volleyball before jumping into the Korean version. However because this game actually tends to favour women, more teachers were willing to participate. As such, we were playing with legit rules! No screwing around this time; it was time for the big boys and girls to step up.

I definitely did not step up. I was more of the entertainment of the evening. It was like my feet were on backwards; every time the ball came barreling towards me and I tried to redirect it, it just seemed to go in whatever direction it damn well pleased. And this one lady totally zeroed in on me! She was going in for the kill every time she touched the ball, gunning for the weakest link.

Now I'm not saying I was flopping around like my legs were made of rubber; I hit the mark on half the balls that came my way. It's just that I felt like the Special Needs kid on the team; the kid who gets asked to join as an honourary member. Every time I connected, the crowd went ballistic in disbelief. I would've felt like a rock star if I didn't feel so useless at the same time.

The game was still pretty exciting, though. We came back from a 16-11 deficit with five unanswered points, and we kept it close 'til the end. The final score was 21-19. I was pleased with myself. Sort of.

Regardless of the result, though, it was pretty surreal to see such a high level of camaraderie among the entire staff. Everybody in that gym had a great time laughing at and with each other. I even got to talk to a couple of new faces. Granted, this tournament happens but once or twice a year; but even so, I'm grateful to be at such a closely-knit school. It's kind of like being back at Malvern.

Just another day at the office.