Volleyball champs showcase strength, flexibility

Where would you spend your day if you were in Atlanta, with the humidity close to rain? In the Atlanta World Congress Center watching the Junior Olympic Volleyball championships, of course!

That's where I was last week. What an experience! Sixty-four teams of TALL 18-year-old girls forcefully slamming volleyballs over nets. Our granddaughter's team qualified for the nationals this year, and our family went to watch.

It didn't matter if the team we were watching was one of our own; any team competition sparked energy and excitement. How high can they jump? It's amazing. You should see some of the pictures we took when they were at the top of their leaps - 4 or 5 feet off the ground and ready for the kill shot.

Our granddaughter is 5 feet, 9 inches tall, and short for competition - but boy can she jump! Most of the girls were between 5 feet, 11 inches and 6 feet, 3 inches. They call the tall girls "trees" and plant them in the front row.

When it comes to exercise and warm-up moves, I saw quite a variety. Walking on the toes, and walking on the heels, with a little easy jogging was the norm. The most interesting moves were walking, combined with leg kicks and toe-touching, and walking combined with a back leg lift while bending to touch the floor.

I watched them do hip rotations while walking, combined with leg squats. Floor work stretched the hamstring and quadriceps muscles, and shoulder and arm warm-ups mimicked the moves needed for serving, relay and kill shots. The flexibility and strength of the legs on these girls amazed me.

They could sit on the floor with their feet pulled together and press their knees to the floor. You try that!

Were there injuries? Sure. But they had access to wonderful sports medical aid. I did see a few knees wearing ice packs and an occasional shoulder wrapped in ice.

All in all, the week was a wonderful success. How can you beat Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships and Atlanta at the same time? And along the way, I learned a few new exercise moves, too.

• Jerry Vance is owner of The Sweat Shop/Wet Sweat. She offers classes through Carson City Recreation and Aquatics Center and is a fitness instructor for the Senior Center.