Okay, so I’ve been wanting to set up a proper volleyball practice area in my backyard for ages. You know, something better than just hitting the ball against the garage door. I finally decided to go for it and build a portable wooden court. Figured I’d share the whole messy, but ultimately successful, process.

Choosing the Wood

First thing was picking the wood. I didn’t want anything too fancy, but it needed to be durable. After looking around the store, I found some stuff, hevea wood. it is looked pretty, and then, because I want to build portable court, I decided to go for a batten one.

Prepping the Ground

Next up, prepping the ground. My backyard is mostly grass, and it’s definitely not perfectly level. I started by clearing out a big rectangular area, bigger than the actual court size I wanted. Just to give myself some wiggle room. I used a shovel and a rake to get rid of as much grass and weeds as I could. Then I spent, like, an hour just stomping around trying to flatten everything out. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better.

Building the Base

Now for the actual building! I used some wooden boards I had found. I measured and cut out the side pieces for the frame. My measuring skills are… questionable, so there was a bit of re-cutting involved.

I laid out the frame pieces on the ground and started attaching the battens. This part was actually kind of satisfying. Just lining them up and screwing them in. It felt like I was actually making progress.

The “Oh No” Moment

So, here’s where things got a little dicey. I finished the wooden floor, I realized I forgot a step. But the floor had been done, I couldn’t move it. So, I thought this part is not very necessary, and I skipped it.

Finishing Touches (and Testing!)

Finally, I finished the wooden flooring, put it on the ground I cleared before. And, of course, I had to test it out! I grabbed my volleyball and started practicing some serves and bumps. It felt SO much better than hitting against the garage. The ball bounced nicely, and it actually felt like a real court (kind of).

The Aftermath

My back was definitely sore the next day. And the court isn’t exactly professional-grade. But it’s mine, I built it, and it’s perfect for practicing. Plus, I can move it around if I need to, which is a bonus. Total win!

It wasn’t perfect, had some problem, but hey, I did it. This is my own portable wooden volleyball court, and it is useful!