“ It ’ s all about getting adults ( 18 and older ) outside to play an exciting , competitive sport , get in better shape , meet new people and ultimately have fun ,” explains Bacheson . “ And while I wasn ’ t sure what kind of interest there would be , in two years , our group has more than doubled and we ’ re having the best time .”
PGH GRASS VB has a following of more than 160 , growing 70 percent in two years . It is played using “ old-school , side-out ” rules , but what makes this game unique is the surface — it ’ s played on grass .
“ Most people are used to seeing 2-on-2 volleyball played in the sand ,” says Bacheson . “ However , a lot of people actually prefer grass volleyball because they are able to jump higher and move around easier . In addition , sand courts are a little hard to come by in the Pittsburgh area , so this style of play works in our favor .”
PGH GRASS VB hosts weekly pickup games in the summer months at Schenley Park , and holds a marquee tournament at the end of the season at the South Park Oval called the “ Pittsburgh Grass Open .” It is fashioned much like the Pottstown Rumble Volleyball Tournament , one of the largest in the nation in Pottstown , Pa .
“ I ’ ve been fortunate to play in the Pottstown Rumble for the last 10 years and it was there I met the organizer , Ken Kaas . The event and his mentorship have been my inspiration in creating Pittsburgh Grass Volleyball ,” notes
Bacheson .
While PGH GRASS VB ’ s 2017 tournament did not meet the size of Pottstown ’ s , it did include 34 teams with a total of 72 participants .
The competitive nature of the participants in PGH GRASS VB should not deter anyone from joining . It includes people from all backgrounds , careers and levels of play and games are organized based on ability . Also , there are
“ While I wasn ’ t sure what kind of interest there would be , in two years , our group has more than doubled in size and we ’ re having the best time .”
no dues associated with the group , only a small fee to participate in the tournament . “ One of the things I like best about this group is being able to give back to the community ,” says Bacheson . “ This summer , we donated a portion of our proceeds from the tournament to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation . It ’ s one of the goals I ’ ve set for this group and I hope as our participation rate grows we can do even more .”
Another great thing about the grass volleyball community is that anyone can come to show support .
During the tournament this summer , an uncle of one of the participants came to watch his nephew play . Turns out it was Bacheson ’ s ninth grade history teacher and basketball coach at Bethel Park High School , Jim Pierson . “ It was so great to see him and know that even now , I still have his support .” n
» To learn more about Pittsburgh Grass Volleyball , or to join , contact Ned Bacheson at facebook . com / PittsburghGrassVolleyball .
BETHEL PARK ❘ SUMMER 2018 17