Volleyball Notes

I went out to play today although my fingers are still not quite healed after I hurt them two weeks ago. It's too hard not to play when it is a golden autumn day and I know there will not be that many warmish Sundays left this year. Plus it makes me so happy....

We didn't have many people out today--even after we made lots of phone calls to locate the missing players and try to cajole them out of their lazy Sunday afternoon mode, there were only six of us. So we played three on three. I had my sunglasses on because the sun was bright but the light also had that slantiness of autumn and with the sunglasses on everything seemed dark. I felt as if the games were moving in slow motion, or as if I was anyway (maybe because I have been feeling tired). I kept trying to get the same shot and missing it--the other team would serve, the guy in the back line would bump it to me, in the front, and I would try to get the ball back up in in the air so someone else could spike it over the net. (We don't always play textbook volleyball like that, but today we were for some reason.) I kept missing, either miscalculating where the ball would come down, or hitting it up but sending it off to the side where no one could get it. But everyone was very patient. I was also practicing running to where the ball was and getting under it before I put my arms up, or out. Sometimes I run with my arms out and then I never get there in time. But I kept practicing--there was a lot of room for running with only three people on a side--and I felt like I was getting a little better at it.

But I was also trying to protect my fingers. Not by taping them, which would have been the smart thing, but just by avoiding using them when I could. Well, actually I did try taping them, but that felt too clumsy. So I untaped them and tried to play gingerly, but then of course there was that one shot coming just over my head and I reached up and just caught the tips of my fingers on the ball, they bent back a little, and then, ouch! I had to run off the court again. It was like a repeat of two weeks ago. This time I did cry, though, because I was so frustrated and upset with myself for getting hurt again.

Presently (isn't that a great word?) I calmed down and, once again, did the ice thing, then rewrapped my fingers, made sure not to play again today. Now, several hours later, my fingers don't seem much worse than they were this morning. I have an appt. to see the doctor Tuesday morning. As I told my friends, I don't think the fingers are seriously hurt but I want to see if the doctor thinks there's anything I should be doing to take care of them. Like, perhaps, refraining from playing volleyball for the time being.