Volleyball League Practice Catch-all

[bluecastleace]

Who: primarily those who signed up to participate in the Void’s new volleyball league, but anyone and everyone is welcome!
What: volleyball practice for the new Void volleyball league
Where: the underground gymnasium
When: early December
Content Warnings: none yet, but will update if necessary!


((ooc: this log is gonna be used for a few practice sessions, as well as a practice game and other such things! Iwaizumi will be sharing his knowledge with everyone and acting as a coach of sorts until the practice game, so feel free to use the TLs to interact with him, or make your own TLs under the sections to start your own threads with your teammates or others participating! also, if you are not a player but want to be in the audience or are playing another role, feel free to make TLs reflecting that! everyone is welcome (walk/ins included!) If you have questions or want to plot, feel free to add me on Plurk at pantheraliam))

Comments

[bluecastleace]

[Whether you’re practicing moves, doing flying laps or suicides, or building up your strength and stamina in the work out area, you might catch Coach Iwaizumi behind you with some encouraging words (or mild harassment).]

Alright, now go in for another one! You’re doing great, but you’ve got a long way to go. You want to win that practice game, don’t you? Don’t give in now!

[begetblue]

[ Hmmm. Is that how coaches were supposed to act? Turing had never attended a sports game before, and broadcast versions definitely weren't under the umbrella of educational television that Hayden had let them watch. Well, when in Rome! Though they were probably nowhere near Rome, but...oh, never mind. ]

Do your best!

[ Was a li'l robot's cheers enough of a motivating factor? Hopefully it was! ]

[bluecastleace]

There you go, Turing. You’re a natural, see? [He smiles at his little robot buddy.] How you enjoying the game, huh?

Well, the practices at least. It’s pretty cool, right?

[begetblue]

[ Turing giggled at being praised. Sure, they weren't exactly lacking in self-esteem, but who didn't like being praised? ]

Yes! Seeing everyone try so hard is inspiring.

[ Then they saw someone's flying lap not go so well, and they winced. Ouch. ]

...Though it looks painful sometimes.

[bluecastleace]

[Iwaizumi winces as well - he knows the pain of a botched flying lap all too intimately.]

Well, you know what they say. [Or maybe he doesn’t. Iwaizumi laughs a little.] No pain, no gain, right? It all leads to better playing.

[begetblue]

No pain, no gain...? [ A question mark blinked on Turing's face. ]

[ Was that why Add didn't seem to mind getting hurt? Was it his way of improving himself? (Turing, no.) ]

If I fell like that, I think my screen would just crack.

[bluecastleace]

[A pained look comes over Iwaizumi’s face as he imagines his poor buddy Turing getting cracked. He would 100% hate to see that.]

Not that that can’t happen to humans too, but...maybe it’s better you’re not on the court.

All “no pain, no gain” means though is that you’ll improve if you put the work in. Practicing and building up your strength isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it in the end once you build up a tolerance. You’ll play better and better every time.

[begetblue]

[ Thankfully, Turing was not in any big hurry to put themselves in a situation where their screen could crack open like some kind of horrifying, electronic egg. Granted, it also wouldn't be the end of the world since their face was really more of a shell, but the head underneath that blue orb was...not nearly as cute. ]

I see, so it's a colloquialism about self-improvement! [ They couldn't build on the strength they already had in the same way, but if they were going to be helping with coaching, that saying seemed like it was going to be helpful in some way. ]

Is there a way I can use my own strength to help the others in that regard?

[bluecastleace]

Sure. [Iwaizumi shrugs a bit.] Simple encouragement helps more than you’d think, you know. And we talked a bit about those simulations you run.

You think if you learned some strategies you could figure out what works best? [He smiles a bit, and his expression takes on a mischievous look.] Only for our team, of course. We’d be doing it on our own anyway.

[begetblue]

Would that constitute an unfair advantage while everyone is still learning?

[ Iwaizumi's mischievous look definitely made them consider that possibility, but on the other hand, that also sounded like it was part of making strategies as a coach. Hmmm. ]

I would still like to learn more about proper volleyball strategies, though.

[bluecastleace]

Well, not when everyone’s still learning. I’m talking about once the league is in some real competition. We’ll have to get more players before that can happen.

Wouldn’t hurt to start studying them now is all, like you said.

[begetblue]

[ Turing immediately brightened at that caveat. Iwaizumi's sportsmanship was admirable! ]

Could you teach me while everyone is practicing?

Shall we wrap this up soon? C:

[bluecastleace]

Sure thing. [He smiles.] I’ll teach the others too, so give my speeches a listen, and you’ll learn plenty but watching too.

[bazooker]

[Meanwhile, here Haru was, having no idea how to play volleyball. As she tried to hit the ball, all she could do was give a sigh of frustration. She was struggling to get the ball over the net and it made her wonder just how of practice she was.

It was different compared to fighting in the Metaverse but it didn't stop her from feeling disappointed.]

This...was not what I was expecting. [She said to herself before giving yet another sigh]

[bluecastleace]

[Iwaizumi’s shouts of encouragement were general, meant for the players as a whole, but from across the court he can tell that Haru is feeling discouraged, so he jogs up to her with a reassuring smile.]

Hey Haru, you’re doing great. [She’s brand new and trying, and that’s really all he can ask for.] It’s not easy at first. Do you need some help?

[bazooker]

[Living as a rich heiress did have its setbacks and this was one of them. She wasn't the most athletically gifted person and she knew it.

Shaking her hand, she could already see the red marks on the side of her thumb.]

I think I'll be okay, I'm not use to playing this sport. All I need is practice despite the difficulty! [Even if she kept on failing at it!]

[bluecastleace]

You’re not wrong, but I did say I’d teach you what I know, right?

[His smile endures - looks like he won’t be taking no for an answer.]

It’s gonna help you a lot to bend your knees. It’s a work out at first, but that way you can jump to meet the ball wherever it’s coming from. Like this. [He demonstrates, bending his knees until he’s low to the ground, and shuffling a bit with his arms in the up and readied.] With your arms like this, you can shift into a bump or a set depending on what you need.

Just give the position a try.

[bazooker]

[Such is the life where she was so sheltered, she didn't know how to play any sports. However, as she looked to him, she followed his lead in bending her knees before moving her arms similar to his]

You mean like this? This position isn't one I am use to but I will have to learn to get use to it.

[She said before shifting her weight from side to side] So that's how volleyball players are able to hit despite this stance...

[bluecastleace]

Right. [Another encouraging smile.] Just like that.

Now I bet when I toss the ball your way you’ll be able to hit it much easier. You wanna try?

[bazooker]

Yes, let’s!

[She said cheerfully! If she was going to help her teammates win, she needed to get better.

As she placed herself into position, she was ready to hit the ball!]

[bluecastleace]

Alright, Haru. Here it comes!

[He gives her an easy bump, one that’s not too powerful in strength, and one that should be easy enough to hit with her knees bent and arms readied.]

You can do it!

[bazooker]

[And just like that, Haru attempts to hit the ball as it comes her way. With a hit, she manages to get it over the net! Just like that, there was a huge smile appearing on her face]

Did you see that? I did it, Iwaizumi-san! I managed to get it over the net!

[While it might have been an easy pass, it was still enough to brighten her day!] I thought it would be difficult but it wasn't at all! I just need more practice.

[bluecastleace]

Hell yeah! You see that, Haru? I knew you could do it.

[In his excitement (it is exciting), he gives her a light slap on the back, just as if she were one of his teammates at home, but then freezes up a little - was that too much?]

Ha. Sorry. But you got it now, huh? Let’s keep working on getting those balls over. You’ll get the hang of it in no time, I know it.

[bazooker]

[While she didn't mind, she was surprised by the action. For a moment, she just stared at him wondering what to say next.]

There's no need to apologize, I am grateful you are comfortable enough to do that! It means you think of me as a teammate in this battle!

[Was this a potential friendship after all??]

[bluecastleace]

[That brings out a smile, and any nervousness over being awkward seems to fade away.]

Of course. You said you were thinking of joining my team, huh? That would make us teammates, wouldn’t it?

[He likes the way she refers to the experience as a “battle”, also. It’s not out of the realm of something he might say himself.]