Let’s Build This Thing!

Okay, so I got this wild hair recently. Wanted a volleyball court in the backyard. Something simple, something mine. Called around for quotes? Forget it! Price tags made my eyes water like I was chopping onions. Seriously, felt like they quoted me for building a spaceship pad, not a backyard fun zone. So, right there, standing in the ridiculous lumber aisle listening to hold music, I decided: Screw it. DIY time.

First things first: space. Needed somewhere flat(ish). My side yard looked promising. Not level, though. Hauled out the shovel – oh man, that was a workout. Dug up grass, roots, some random rocks. Found an old garden gnome head! Weird. Anyhow, spent a whole weekend just clearing and leveling that dirt patch. Back felt like someone replaced my spine with concrete.

Buying Wood Like a Madman

Right, wood. Figured pressure-treated 2x6s were the way to go. Lasts longer, right? Dragged the trailer to the store. You ever try loading 16-foot boards by yourself? It’s like wrestling an angry anaconda. Barely squeezed ‘em in. Got a bunch of 8-footers for the frame too. Then, deck screws. So many screws. Bought like three giant buckets. Guy at checkout gave me a look like “Building a spaceship, pal?” Almost said “No, a volleyball court,” but just grunted. Too tired.

The Sweat & Swearing Phase

Building the frame was next. This is where things get real. Measuring sucks. Cut one board wrong. Cursed. Cut it again. Still wrong! Moved the measuring tape like 18 times. Finally got it right. Used my trusty square – well, tried to keep it square. Mostly did. Laid out the long 16-footers as the perimeter edges. Then started laying those shorter 8-footers across the inside. Kept checking the spacing – didn’t wanna get a volleyball stuck in the gaps! Used the drill – zzzzzzzt, zzzzzzt, zzzzzzt – constant noise. Drive a screw, measure the gap, drive another screw. Rinse. Repeat. Felt like it took a month.

Got to the end, stepped back… and one corner looked wonky. Like, seriously crooked. Face met palm. Had to unscrew half the damn thing, pry it apart, adjust, and start screwing again. More sweat. More grumbling. Threw the level a couple of times. Took breaks. Lots of water breaks.

Putting the Skin On

Finally ready for the top boards. Same pressure-treated lumber, laying long ways. Started at one edge. Butt them right up against each other. Every single one needs measuring for the ends. Drill pilot holes so the wood doesn’t split. Then drive screws down through the top board into each crosspiece underneath. Slow going. Knees bruised from kneeling on the frame. Arms felt like jelly from holding the drill up.

Finally, got the last board in. Stood there looking at it. A flat, wooden rectangle. Had to sweep off all the sawdust – looked like a woodpecker exploded. Ran my hand over it. Smooth, mostly. Few rough spots, sanded those down quick. Feels solid when I jump on it. Nice little thump. Exactly the sound I wanted.

Is It Done? Good Enough!

So yeah. That’s it. My very own pad volleyball court. Not tournament-grade. Definitely not perfect. Square? Mostly. Level? Kinda. Awesome? Hell yeah! Already played a couple of games on it. Volley flies true enough. Feet feel good landing. Just need to paint some lines next weekend. But right now? Cold beer in hand, watching the sunset bounce off the wood. Feels pretty darn good to build something big like this with your own two hands, even if the measuring tape fought me the whole way. Totally worth the sweat. And the backache. Kinda. 😉