One Way to Make a Dime

I can finally cross something off my bucket list. 

Referee volley ball.

Who am I kidding?  I could have died happy without ever doing that. 

I am always in the market to make a buck....who isn't?  So, when a friend asked me if I would referee volley ball on a Saturday afternoon, I said "Sure!  How hard can it be?"  He promised me twice that I needed no previous experience or knowledge.  Got that covered!  He told me to just be there a half hour ahead of time to go over instructions.  Check.

I asked my neighbors, who both played volley ball in high school, for tips.  They assured me it was a piece of cake and I'd be fine.

Fast forward to Saturday.

I pull up to the city building and walk over to the volley ball court.  The other two referees are finishing their games.  They are wearing black pants and white shirts and are blowing whistles.  They are also doing lots of hand motions and signals.  I may be in over my head.......

This looks like something that is going to take me a little longer than  a half hour to learn.

I am starting to sweat a little.

We go over instructions.  The most important part is to keep score.  We are not being super official here.....no need for hand motions, no whistles, my purple shirt and denim shorts are just fine.  Okay, let's do this.

I climb up the wooden steps to take my place on the platform.  Two teams amble over and get ready to play.  One guy asks if I am certified. 

In what? 

CPR? 

Um, no, I'm a stay at home mom of three kids who wants to make some grocery money this week.  Get to servin' buddy.  Then I hear a girl, let's call her Big Angry Girl (mostly because it makes me happy).....start complaining that they were supposed to have real referees.  Oh yikes, I am going to be in trouble now. 

The game starts.  I ask the guy in charge to stay with me the first game to make sure I am doing things right.  I do need help because this is not quite as easy as I had imagined.  But, I am catching on and soon he walks away.  And, I realize I am being a little too serious when I tell him I am afraid I might  screw this up and he rolls his eyes at Big Angry Girl and laughs while telling me there's no way I will screw this up.  Mostly because the players will yell loudly if I give someone a wrong point.....looking forward to that.

The first two games are over and before they play the tie breaking game a player asks me "Do we volley for the ball?"  I cannot hear her and think she says "Do you play volleyball?"  I am thinking "Hells no I don't play volleyball!  This is the first time I've even paid this much attention to a game!!" 

Glad I did not say that. 

She is asking if they 'volley' to see who gets to serve for the tie breaking game.  Heee Heeee.  Yes, volley.  Go for it.

I refereed 6 games.....each game was actually a set of 2 or 3 games.  So, really it was 12 games.  And by the second set of games the two new teams had no idea this was my first time refereeing and there were no complaints about not having a "real" referee. 

It was an experience, and I'd probably do it again.  It also made me appreciate the whole sport.  It really takes a lot of team work, coordination and dedication.  When you are playing in fifth grade gym class, you don't really appreciate the whole 'work as a team' and set up a shot....or play.....or whatever it's called.  You just try to get the ball back and forth over a net and no one really cares how it gets there.  Also, you get to hang out and talk to your best friend while standing in the back row.....I didn't see much of that going on during these games.

It felt good to go outside of my comfort zone and try something new.  Not to mention, me plus something I have no idea how to do equals good blogging material. 

Is there something new you'd like to try?  Are you scared?  Throw caution to the wind!  Go for it! 

Just don't make angry volley ball players more angry.