Once you think about Beach volleyball, the first things that comes to mind are Sun, Summer, Warm weather and so on … Indeed, it is very hard to even imagine playing otherwise under the rain for example!
However, in some places where it’s rainy most of the year, it would be really unfortunate to not allow yourself to practice just because it’s rainy …
Indeed, you can totally play beach volleyball in the rain just Fine, as far as you follow the tips and guidelines I will be sharing in this article!
Reasons to play beach volleyball in rain:
Surprisingly Fun
The adrenaline rush throughout the body of the player is unexplainable. Playing sports in rain makes it even more fun comparing to a normal sunny day.
Just try it and you will notice that!
Actually Challenging
Playing beach volleyball in rain is a big challenge and being a sportsmen means that you love and thrive under challenges.
The sand gets wet, the ball starts slipping off the hands and the movements become quite harder to perform.
Playing in such situations is very challenging and would help make you a better player.
Helpful Tip: Beach volleyball is a sport that presents a lot of challenges that you need to be aware of and learn how to deal with. I highly recommend having a look at this Helpful Resource where you can learn those challenges and some effective ways to handle them properly.
Avoid long breaks!
Every single day counts in the life of an athlete. Although training in such situations is tough, yet if the rain continues for days or even weeks, then this would mean weeks of inactivity!
Practicing at just 50% of your abilities in those conditions is much much better than staying inactive.
Great Mind training
No matter how great the person’s skill set is, if he’s not able to handle unprecedented situations, he’ll not be able to perform well when things get tougher.
Playing in such a situation trains the player’s mind to a great extent.
What should you wear?
Another important aspect of playing beach volleyball in rain is the outfit. Below some quick recommendation on what you should wear …
Sand Socks: Sand socks (Check this Example Here at Amazon) provide a solid grip on wet ground and a better overall playing experience. Also, those socks that actually help protect your feet from sharp elements in the sand.
Wind/rainproof t-shirts: Polyester t-shirts are ideal for beach volleyball in such situations. These t-shirts are light in weight and do not absorb water. This enables the person to play freely. Polyester doesn’t get heavier due to water when compared to its other counterparts like cotton. The length of the sleeve can be dependent on the player’s choice, but ideally one must go for long sleeve jersey.
Shorts/ tracks: The lower choice is also a crucial one. Here again, ideally, an individual must go for a polyester cloth. Either going for shorts or for track pants is the player’s choice.
You can learn more on what you should exactly wear for sand volleyball when it’s cold …
What Precaution you should take?
Playing in such conditions can be very tough. One must take precautions …
Use the right ball: some balls may get heavier due to rain. This happens because they absorb water to some extent. This exerts more pressure on the shoulders of the players. You should choose pick a ball that doesn’t represent such a problem (Like This Ball for example). This will make the overall game better and more enjoyable for all the players.
Understand the outfit: you cannot wear the same outfit on a rainy day as you wear on a sunny day. One cannot go out to play in an outfit made of cotton. It will absorb water and get heavy, making it difficult for the player to play well. This becomes a huge hindrance in the play. As mentioned earlier, a person must go for polyester made clothes. These will not absorb any water and will enable the player to play more freely.
Know when to back off: weather can be adverse. At such times the players must know when to back off. Playing in a little drippy weather is fine, but playing in a rainstorm can result unnecessary consequences. The ball will start slipping off the player’s hand and will get sticky and muddy and much more. Also, chances of slipping and injuring oneself are high at such times.
How should you play beach volleyball in the rain?
It is very important to not let your body cool down in such situations. The body must stay warmed up throughout the game…
If it cools down then the person may even fall sick.
To make sure this doesn’t happen, you should not stay stationary. Instead you should keep your body parts active to stay warm and cozy.
The ball should be of a good quality … If the ball starts to absorb water, it will could the whole game. It’ll slip more vigorously and there will be more mistakes from each side due to it.
Finally, for recreational players, they should not keep playing too long unless. For example, if you are used to play for 90 minutes straight during normal conditions, then it would be a good idea to only play 45 to 60 minutes.
Can beach volleyballs get wet?
As I’ve said before, the ball may get heavy due to the absorption of water. Does this happen with every ball, or are there some exceptions?
Well, of course, there are exceptions. Better quality balls do not absorb water so easily. On the other hand, poor quality and lightweight balls get heavier easily.
So to avoid a hindrance in the game, players should make sure they choose a ball that doesn’t have this problem.
Do Olympics allow playing beach volleyball in the rain?
Rain is not an element that can stop a game from happening in Olympics. The match goes on and on no matter how hard the situations get.
There have been situations in past where such situations took place…
For example, during Beijing Olympics in 2008, the sun didn’t even appear once during the women’s beach volleyball final match.
It was continuously pouring. The match kept going and my may-Treanor of the USA became the winner.
This was a great match where not only the players kept going, but also the audience supported. All the seats were full and people made sure they watched the whole match.
What are the basic conditions of beach volleyball?
The ideal time to go out and play beach volleyball is around the springtime where weather is not too hot or too cold…
Playing in hot weather could be somewhat dangerous. The body drains out very quickly and every year hundreds of people succumb to dehydration while playing this sport.
People just keep on playing and end up being dehydrated! The case is almost the same in severe rainfalls as well.
The ideal conditions to play this sport come during the spring season and autumn season. These are the times when neither the sun is too hard on players nor the other conditions are too harsh.
Players are able to enjoy the sport and make the best out of it. These times also make it ideal for learners to push their limits.
They do not have to fear being drained out too quickly or getting dehydrated. They can exploit their energy and train hard.
Final Thoughts …
One last thing I forgot to mention earlier is that there are some indoor sand volleyball courts where you can practice in case you are confronting bad weather conditions.
These are great because you will get almost the regular outdoor sand experience without having to be challenged by the rain.
You can even play in those places if you don’t like to be exposed too much to the Sun.
Just do some research to find a nearby place where you can practice!