“ 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