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I am a
frustrated, wanna-be jock!! After I got out of school I took up tennis and played for fun and eventually found my way into local tournaments, playing singles and doubles and never coming close to winning anything. As I am in the Northeast I can only play tennis about half of the year (if I'm lucky) so I needed something indoors for the rest of the year. Gerry Lemo, a local photographer, nature fan and tennis adversary, introduced me to a recreational volleyball program at the local YMCA and I was hooked. While playing recreational volleyball at the 'Y' I met Dave Hersh (soon to become one of my best friends and owner of the Silvermine North chain) who invited me to join his team in a power league also at the 'Y'. As my skills and understanding of the game began to develop Dave suggested I try out for the U.S.V.B.A. team there at the 'Y'. This was a traveling team and member of the Iroquois Empire Volleyball Association of New York. The team ran a complex 6-2 offense and a rotation defense (this is definitely NOT your high school gym class or backyard party type volleyball) and though I wasn't very tall I had those drummers hands which adapted well to the position of setter (kind of the quarterback on a volleyball team). After a few years playing on the lower level teams I got a shot to play with some of the big boys - the upper echelon players of the club. The tryout went great and I was asked to play with them all the time!! This lasted about a week and until I fell victim to politics and a couple of big time, lesser skilled whine-asses and the following practice I found myself back with the lower squads again (with the whine-asses). The club only lasted another season or two then the 'Y' pulled the plug on all volleyball ('the gym has to be open in case someone wants to shoot baskets' - another great piece of logic). Along about this time Dave started coaching the women's volleyball team at a local junior college and asked me to be his assistant coach - I was thrilled and jumped at the opportunity!! He also picked up the volleyball PE classes at the college and asked me to assist there also. He formed a USVBA team at the college and I left the 'Y' to play on the college team.
This was a great time for me physically - I was working nights with the band which left my days open... I was doing the PE classes from 8:00am - 2:30pm every day with pickup games during the half hours between classes, the college's women's team then practiced from 3:00pm - 5:00pm every day, I still played in the power league at the 'Y' every Monday night, I was now running the 'Y's' recreational program every Tuesday night, the men's U.S.V.B.A. team practiced every Wednesday night at the college and I was assistant coach for a women's USVBA team that practiced every Thursday!!! I don't think I could WATCH that much activity without several naps currently...
Anyway... The women's team won their NJCAA conference 4 out of the 6 years we were there... the men's USVBA team actually went to regionals one year... I blew my knees out several times (usually the left one) and I ended up shaving my head at the start of my last season... I probably should explain... At the end of the previous season the team I was on at the college played in a tournament hosted by our old team from the 'Y'. At the end of pool play my team was in first place heading into the playoffs! I've seen this before but I was always on the short end - if I played on team A, team B won and vice versa... I was really beginning to develop a complex!! During the downtime between matches I commented to my team how I've never played on a winner and if we won this tournament I'd shave my head (I really used to have hair you know - even a short tail at this time). Well you guessed it - we won the tournament!! It was all the sweeter because we beat my old 'Y' team (and some of those very same whine-asses) in the finals!! My team didn't forget my promise and the first practice of the following season they were waiting for me - clippers in hand and shaved me bald as a baby's backside!!
As my volleyball career was coming to a close another of my best friends, Tom Sullivan (who was playing bass in a trio with me called 'Voyager'), was urging me to take up golf. I had always thought of golf as an expensive hobby and never tried it for fear of liking it too much. But tennis opponents were getting scarce and in the spring of 1994 my cousin Brenda's husband Eddie Reeve called from Long Island to tell me he had just purchased some new clubs. I congratulated him and he told me he was sending me his old clubs and would be up in a few weeks - 'LEARN TO PLAY'! Tom and his wife MaryAnn have been playing as long as I've known them (Tom came within 1 point of getting his PGA card not too long ago and continues his quest) so I told him what happened and begged for some lessons. He gave me a book by one of golf's immortals and wouldn't let me touch a club until I finished it. I am still learning to play (what golfer isn't) and in May of 2003 I hit a personal high point (low point in golf terms) - I shot a 91 at Cronin's Golf Resort in Warrensburg, NY. Tom is now working at Saratoga National... I visited him there in early June of 2003 and he made some changes to my grip and swing which I am finally beginning to understand - what a difference... and my roller coaster of a score is now starting to go down again finally!! I'm so close to cracking 90 I can taste it!!! Then of course fate intervened and my back went out while executing a beautiful shot on a par 3... I got the bird, finished the round and could barely walk for over a month... I came back the end of August but was so tentative my score ballooned back up... so much for 2003. The fact that I was able to play at all again in 2003 is due entirely to Physical Therapist Dr. Stephen Basin in Glens Falls... I was upright after a single visit... felt much better after 3 visits and the exercises he showed me that I continue today has my back feeling better than ever!! Then I lost the entire 2004 season!!! No golf, no biking, no activity at all (other than playing drums)... Played a couple of 'heavy hitting' drum gigs over 2004 Memorial Day Weekend and came away with an acute case of tendonitis in my right elbow... wore a brace all summer (so I could get through the plethora of band gigs)... finally went to the doctor in September (so he couldn't tell me not to play all summer), got medicated, continued the brace... In January of 2005, even though the elbow still has a twinge every so often, after all the blown out knees and a severely sprained thumb, I accepted an invitation to join a co-ed volleyball league (just so I can start doing something physical again)!! The team has a great bunch of girls and me - the only guy... In 2006 we were even more competitive and nearly made the playoffs the beginning of April!! I was looking forward to a very active Spring and Summer but life got in the way... I was determined to enjoy this summer... more family time, more golf, biking, tennis, etc... Instead, I managed to golf twice and spent the rest of my free time (mid-June to mid-September) fighting a battle for a mortgage!! If anyone reading this is considering going through Wells Fargo Mortgage RUN SCREAMING THE OTHER WAY!!! Then there was the moving and unpacking and settling in, etc... Thankfully, the Queensbury Recreation Department's volleyball program kicked into gear and I was able to play some pickup games in preparation for the 2007 co-ed league that started on January 16, 2007. Glens Falls Recreation Department Co-Ed League I joined this league a few years ago at the invitation of Penny and Lisa - sisters and a couple of great girls and avid softball players I worked with at a former job... then there's Jackie, Chas, Gurt, Bob, Jen, Shannon, myself and various others who join us throughout the season (sorry - I forgot names)... The team is called...
2009 schedule
coming soon!! The 2008 season started off strong - we looked like world beaters and could barely recognize ourselves... but we faded mid-season - never recovering and missing the playoffs by a narrow margin... there's always next year!! This year there have been some changes to the team... we lost our strongest player Gurt (congratulations on the twins!!) and have added Ben - the K-6 principal from the district where I work!! It should be a fun year as always!! It's early July
2007... Bottom line is my score continues to drop and if I can manage to stay healthy between moving computers and band gigs this may be the year I finally break 90!! It wasn't... only managed to golf a handful of times... the swing was nice, score was OK... just not playing enough... busy, busy, busy!!
I've almost recovered from a bad muscle pull in my back and a couple bruised ribs... just in time for the volleyball league to start! My weight is down though not from any real physical activity so we'll have to see just how much wind and strength I actually have... April 2008 - - Volleyball league went well... miss Gurt but enjoyed playing with Ben... the team can best be described as collectively bi-polar - one minute showing flashes of brilliance, everyone in position, talking, passing, hitting... the next it looks like a group coma... everyone join hands and we'll try to contact the living!! Still having a great time... Lots of snow still on the ground but the driving range (and even a few courses) are open... I'll have to check it out (in between work, 3 bands and the family)... August 2008 - - So much for that theory... the combination of a busy summer at school, lots of gigs (even though I cut it down to 1 band and some fill ins), the wife working doubles almost every night, gas prices well over $4 / gallon, tendonitis flair ups and my numb feet have pretty much killed the entire summer!! I packed the clubs and shoes away last year and never got them out this year - THIS SUCKS!! I'm still planning on volleyball this winter and possibly even trying out for a USVBA team again as I'm about 8 pounds away from my ideal playing wait from 12 years ago... stay tuned for that!! January 2009 - - Set It Up is no more - the two sisters that led the way are both out with injuries requiring surgery... my feet are still numb and burning and I've managed to have a stomach bug 6 times since Halloween!! What a great winter!! July 2009 - - A few more stomach bug bouts early in the year which seems to have settled down finally... I called in to visit my doctor and have the blood work (they wanted me to have back in 2006) and low and behold I've been diagnosed with Diabetes!! I knew my Dad's genes were in there somewhere... minor changes in diets... on Metformin twice a day... still feeling fine!! Digging out the bike and tennis racquets... hoping for lots more golf this summer and a volleyball team this winter!! I've managed to golf once (back in May)... I'm laying a pallet of stone edging around the house... had the bike out a few times and even played my first tennis match in 10 years!! That felt great!! January 2010 - - Feeling pretty good... down almost 40 pounds!! My body seems to have adjusted to the Diabetes medication... The neuropothy in both feet is annoying but tolerable - except when I'm trying to sleep but we're managing... I've played volleyball a couple times and just got the last minute call to play on a 'B' level team in a local league... To 'B' or not to 'B'... hell - there's no question... I just want to play!! Wait - more politics... seems there's no room in the league for that team... another winter of inactivity... thank goodness I have a Wii!! :) June 2010 - - My wife and daughter have been biking a little and now that my wife has her own bike again I'll be able to join them. Haven't had the clubs out to even hit the range yet... I'm either gigging or catching up from the combination of late nights and early mornings... the back is still feeling pretty good so I just have to get my butt in gear!!
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