Okay, so the other day, I decided to finally get around to fixing up the flooring in my makeshift volleyball practice area. I’ve been using this space in my backyard for a while, but it was just bare ground. Time for an upgrade!
Getting Started: Choosing the Right Stuff
First things first, I needed to figure out what kind of flooring I wanted. I knew I wanted something that could handle a lot of jumping and quick movements, you know, like real volleyball. And it had to be okay outdoors, cause weather.
I thought about a few options:
- Grass: Nah, too uneven, and I’d probably kill it with all the foot traffic.
- Concrete: Too hard! My knees would hate me.
- Those plastic tiles: I’ve seen some use them in their setting, but I was not sure.
- Wood: Maybe, but it would need some serious protection from the elements.
My DIY Solution
I ended up going with a combination of wood and cushioning. Here’s what I did:
- The Cushions: Picked up some thick, interlocking foam mats – the kind you see in kids’ play areas or gyms. Then I got several of those heavy-duty cushions that is used for packaging. They were thick and felt like they could take a beating.
- Prepping the Area: First up was get a level on the ground. I cleared out the area, removed any big rocks or roots, and then I tamped down the soil to make it as flat as possible. This took some work, let me tell you! My back was feeling it.
- Laying the Base:I put a layer of plastic sheeting, then I lay the packaging cushions all on top of each other. And put the interlocking foam mats on top of those cushions, and I made sure they were all snug and connected. This gave me a nice, springy base.
- The Wooden Surface: For the top layer, I got some used wooden parquet flooring. A friend of mine was redoing his floors and gave me a bunch of the old parquet tiles. Score! I arranged these tiles on top of the foam, fitting them together like a giant puzzle.
- Secure it: I nailed some wooden planks, secured it around the perimeter.
The End Result
It’s not perfect, of course. It’s definitely a DIY job, and it might not hold up to professional volleyball standards. But you know what? It’s SO much better than practicing on dirt. I can dive around without feeling like I’m going to break something, and my knees are thanking me. The wooden surface feels surprisingly good under my feet, and the cushion underneath makes a huge difference.
I’ve been using it for a few practice sessions now, and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s my own little backyard volleyball court!
