Okay, folks, let’s talk about my little project today: setting up a portable wooden floor for volleyball, with cushions, of course!

Gettin’ Started

First things first, I had to figure out what I was even doing. I’m no carpenter, but I do love volleyball, and I wanted a decent surface to play on, something better than just grass or concrete. So, I needed it to be portable, wooden, and cushioned.  Simple, right? (Narrator: It wasn’t that simple.)

Gathering the Goods

Off to the home improvement store I went! My shopping list was pretty basic:

• Sheets of plywood. I went for the reasonably thick stuff, so it wouldn’t crack under pressure.
• Some sort of cushioning. At first, I was looking at foam tiles, like the ones for kids’ play areas, but then I found these interlocking rubber mats. They looked sturdier.
• A whole lotta screws. And a drill, naturally.  I’m not that bad with tools.
• Optional: Some kind of edging, to make it look a little nicer and maybe prevent tripping.

I might be forgetting something, but that was the gist of it. I loaded up my little car, looking like I was moving a small house, and headed back home.

Putting It All Together

This is where the “fun” began. My backyard became my workshop. I laid down the rubber mats first, figuring out the size of the playing area I wanted. They clicked together pretty easily, which was a relief.

Next up, the plywood. This took some measuring and cutting (with a very basic saw, I must confess). I wanted the plywood to fit snugly on top of the rubber mats. I wasn’t going for perfection, just something functional. I laid down the first sheet and screwed it into the other sheets, I use a lot of screws to make it strong!

I managed to get all the plywood pieces down and connected, The whole thing was surprisingly heavy!

The Finished (Sort Of) Product

So, there it was: my very own, slightly janky, but totally usable portable wooden volleyball floor! It’s not winning any beauty contests, but it’s got that nice wooden thump when you bounce the ball, and the rubber mats underneath provide some much-needed cushioning for those epic dives.

It’s definitely a work in progress. I might add some edging later, and maybe even paint it. But for now, I’m pretty proud of my little DIY project. Game on!