Volleyball Story

The school I attended from Kindergarten through the 9th grade had a focus on Volleyball that just made it a part of every recess and gym class. Because there was two bus runs, there was also volleyball prior to school from the time the first bus run arrived until the first bell of classes. It was a fun and easy game and most of us played as much as we could.

In the 8th grade, I didn't make the volleyball team for some reason. I think the boys coach didn't like me because I didn't play basketball that year. Whatever, but the team went to a tournament at another school there in Wichita. The entire team left the gym after their game and went across the street to the DQ. The Coach fired the entire team. That day, the coach selected an entirely new team and I went to the tournament with that group the second and third night.

Our team, the second best team in our school, went to that tournament and cleaned the clock of all the teams we played. I have always had a fondness for winning and that cemented my love of the game.

In Officer Candidate School at fort Sill, OK, the Company Commander asked us to put together a team to play in the post tournament. We didn't have any time to practice but we did have several players over six feet tall. We went to the tournament the first night expecting to have a little fun and if we were lucky win a game or two. We waxed a team of one of the training units and played a second team in our side of the bracket in a tournament. We won both games the first night and played a second night. We won both games that night and played for the Post Championship and won that game. Because we were in Training to become officers, the second place team went on to the All Army Championships. I'll bet we could have won at least a couple of games but alas it was not allowed for us. I have always wondered if had we been a regular unit if we could have gone on and perhaps put some players on the Olympic Team. Instead, we all pinned on the 2nd Lieutenant bars and went on to our first units. Mine put me in line to go to Vietnam as a Forward Observer and I went. Oh well, I still enjoy watching volleyball even if they have changed the rules so I have a tough time keeping score.

MUD