Volleyball in the Little Big House

Let’s talk volleyball - Last fall, first-year varsity volleyball coach Tyler Coupe led the Vikings to a 13-2 record and state tournament berth. The junior varsity team was 10-5 coached by Pam Coupe and Lauren Black. Volleyball is becoming a diversity sport at Cape, while field hockey not so much. Volleyball has less of a learning curve, more a gross motor, jump, block and smash the ball back across the net. Plus players celebrate after every point and it takes 25 to win a single game. Last season, Cape field hockey scored 88 goals over 18 games while giving up only six. Less celebrating for Cape hockey, almost no celebrating for the opponent.    

Raising the floor - Lots of talk on the political stump about Wall Street and free markets, trade agreements and tariffs, and comparing government-controlled socialism versus free market capitalism. The price of goods and services (athletes) is pegged on what the market will bear, how else do you explain the monies generated by the NFL, NBA and MLB? Players not only earn more than they are worth, they earn more than your entire family is worth, coupled with the extended families of all your friends and same-street neighbors. It is obnoxious, a reflection of a skewed value system where a single NBA player is paid more per year than an entire elementary school, and you can factor in the value of the building. But I don’t do my part! Most of the revenue is fueled by TV contracts that are based on advertising revenues. I don’t watch commercials, otherwise I’d be running out and buying a Lexus hybrid and Viagra single pack three days a week.

Summertime, downtime and playing time - A three-month season of free will and free time is necessary for the cross-trained multiple-sport athlete, otherwise they will eventually short circuit, if not sooner. This insanity, which is close to the pursuit of perfection, is predestined for emotional collapse. Years ago I coached a perfectionist pole vaulter. It was funny listening to him curse as he barreled down the runway missing his check marks and sometimes he would throw the pole like a javelin, screaming obscenities while everyone ran for cover. “I’m a perfectionist,” he told me. “When I’m off even a little bit I go nuts. I just can’t handle it.” “That’s fine. I’m taking you out of the pole vault as a service to the safety of others who don’t need to be killed by a pole launched by a frustrated perfectionist with Tourette’s Syndrome, and I’m putting you in the high hurdles.” “Why the high hurdles? I’m too short for those.” “Exactly, and you will never be perfect so don’t even try. Learn to literally roll with it after you fall down.” Consider this a life lesson from a coach who has never tried to reach the unreachable star.

Reasons and rules change - 30 years ago, my 9-year-old twin boys were playing Lewes Little League baseball and were drafted to a major league team. They were not happy; one said, “It’s an Odyssey of the Mind infield, hit them the ball with runners on base and they have no idea where to throw it.” Later at the end of the season they didn’t make Major League all stars - sure, they were robbed - that’s what we all say. I tried to arrange one game, the Lewes 10-year-olds versus Milton 10-year-olds. Like an apprentice electrician, I encountered nothing but resistance. But we plowed ahead, went over to Milton and played a team coached by Eric Lynch who had just graduated from Cape in 1985. And do you know who won? Because I don’t remember and I remember everything. And man, we were criticized because 10-year-olds were considered too young for all-star stuff. But times have changed and you haven’t learned a life lesson until you’re 9 and lose a game by slaughter rule.

Snippets - The expression “trapped” for holiday weekends is where you can’t get out of your own development or into the towns of Lewes and Rehoboth. I roll around early covering races and biathlons but once I’m home I am trapped in the cul-de-sac in a world of dead pets and imaginary humans – my mother-in-law talks to some while I talk to them all. Cape football opens the season by hosting Lower Cape May Saturday, Sept. 12. Last year, Cape beat the Caper Lions 41-8. Game two is at Oakdale. Last year, Oakdale beat Cape 48-12. I guess it’s too late to tell them the budget for buses has been totally cut. Go on now, git!