Fun and Games -- Beach Volleyball?

That's Not Beach Ball Volleyball!

Beach Volleyball on the Olympics gives me a funny feeling. It is a very challenging sport and worthy of being in the Olympics I am sure, but there are aspects that bother me. I think perhaps it is the women's "uniform". (image to right - image from British Olympic Association) I do enjoy looking at beautiful healthy women, but it does seem an awful lot like they are playing in their underwear. That was especially played up with the finals being played in the rain and contrasted with the men's finals with the men's baggy, nearly knee length shorts and tank tops. I note that they have a picture of the women's team on the site and not the men's. But if they only have one team pictured it has to be one or the other... I guess at least the UK women's uniforms are not just white like the US.

Perhaps they want to keep to traditional actual beachwear for the uniforms. Perhaps then they should keep with a nice traditional beach ball for the ball? (image to left - image from Wikimedia Commons) Isn't this the actual traditional ball for playing games with on the beach? It might slow the game a bit, but that would only increase the strategy and tactics involved. There might be breaks needed to blow up the ball and any wind will really effect the game as well.

I think maybe they should play on a court that is half dry and half wet maybe or influenced by the tides so that a game that starts on a dry beach will end with 6" to a foot of water on the sand. Perhaps add in the occasional dog or child running through the court as a hazard and mandatory breaks whenever a hotdog or icecream vendor gets to the front of the stands?

Okay, perhaps that would be silly, but I do think that the women's uniforms are a bit embarrassing. .

Later!
~ Darrell

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