Overview

To the casual passer-by, seeing the members of the volleyball team somersaulting during practice might seem odd. However, according to senior members of the team, this is an efficient method to instil discipline and seriousness amongst the new recruits, especially when they fail to serve. Within a few minutes, most of the new recruits find themselves covered in soil from head to hip.

Beginning the practice session with a run, the team proceeds to do some warm up exercises followed by some rigorous drills. The team intends on concentrating on individual skills and development.

Though the drills are extremely exhausting, they are extremely handy in honing the skills of the players. The team usually summons a coach twenty days before BOSM.

 The team refused to suspend the practice even when it started to rain, but finally gave in when they were barely able to see anything. As soon as the rain showed the slightest hint of stopping, they were back on the court.

Past Performance

Despite the bad condition of the courts last year, the team managed to reach the semi-finals during BOSM.

Recruitment

Two new recruits have entered the team and they are intent upon retaining their positions on the team. Putting in the maximum effort they can, they are trying their best to improve their game and fit into the team.  While the training might be harsh on them at times, it is evident that they are willing to put up with it.

The other recruits who are not on the team seem to be working really hard to improve their game as well.

Captain’s Interview

The captain of the team, Sahil is from Himachal Pradesh. He started playing volleyball seriously only after joining BITS, though he had played a little in school.

Sahil, who is serving as the captain of the team for the first time, expressed his passion for the game and what drives him to be a good captain. He believes that the most important duty of a captain is to understand and attend to the needs of every player. “To coordinate the team and knit all the individual players into a good team is what I am most concerned with”, he says. To him, being a captain is not something that affects his academics. “I don’t find balancing academics and sports that difficult. Evenings aren’t exactly a great time to concentrate on studies. So, it’s not really a big deal”, he feels.

The pride and enjoyment that he derives from the sport can be clearly seen in his actions and the way he talks. He concludes by talking about the exhilarating feeling he experiences when he manages to hit the ball exactly the way he wants to, landing it in the opponent’s court. ‘Oh that feeling. You feel like you conquered the earth’, he says.