Gym Rage

Just found out a few minutes ago that Willunga is setting up the Gym this afternoon for their yr 12 graduation tomorrow. In short my scheduled training in the gym tonight has been canned. Not happy Jan. Princi only found out a few mins before me, so it’s no one’s fault, but there is seriously some sorta breakdown in communication there since this isn’t the first time.

Few things piss me off more than finding out at short notice i don’t have a gym to train in. You make plans, and then something always crops up. and the amount of times i’ve driven an hour to Willunga to find out for some stupid reason i can’t have a full training or even a gym is getting annoying (luckily most of the time i get told before i make the long trip). I can accept that life doesn’t revolve around volleyball, but this is annoying. And no, “you can use the beach court” is not an acceptable alternative.

It’s unfortunate that a lot of schools just don’t have the resources to have alternative “venues” than their gym. My high school never held anything in the gym. It had a large hall for assemblies and big events. It also had a chapel. And a “theatre” for stage plays…. and then the glorious gym with 3 courts that hosted Volleyball SA’s blue ribbon monday and wednesday night social comps. And yet we never had a team and those nets went to waste the rest of the time.

There are other downsides to having to use your gym for “events” – the floor gets trashed, equipment gets trashed/stolen etc. Schools like Brighton and Heathfield are really lucky to have a regular PE gym AND a volleyball facility now. I know brighton has a proper hall for its music programme too. Classrooms may feed the young mind. But it’s the gymnasiums and halls that provide a healthy body and soul. I still think sport and the arts are the two greatest gifts an individual can have in society and without offering kids a generous amount of both we’re really shortchanging them.

I’m sure i’m not the first (nor last) coach that has gym issues. I remember the Rostrevor open boys team (who had won junior and intermediate honours golds and an U17 silver) not being able to get into their gym till late. The yr 8 basketball team got prtiority over them. I remember being pretty annoyed when we turned up to our first club training at hawks one year to find a netball team in there. The School had double booked the gym and basically broke a contract with us. We didn’t sue, and ended up having to find “other arrangements” for the year.

I guess the worst case of “gym rage” i’ve ever had was when my club president double booked my first reserves training. I had just reluctantly taken up the team, and my president (who wasn’t there that night) had booked us and the reserve men on the same court at the same time. I rang her, and gave her a mouthful. I’m really not proud of that, because within 5 minutes, she had resigned as president. if i was reluctant to coach that team, she had been reluctant to be president for another year and the spray she copped from me was the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. I’m glad we patched it up in the end, but it’s still something i’m ashamed to have done to this day.

So for today, i’m going to chill out. no use yelling at anyone, because it’s no one’s fault and nothing can be done. As the TAO says, you just gotta go with the flow. As the coach you can’t expect your players to be positive and make the most of things if you don’t set the example. Princi will take the girls on the oval for fitness stuff and i’m going to hustle for some outdoor nets and try to make the most of it. After all the girls said they all made plans and wanted to turn up, so i should make the commitment too. It looks like it was the players that set the example this time, and for that i’m incredibly pleased.

At least daylight savings is good for something after all.