Starting My Volleyball Floor Quest

Last month I needed real court flooring for our neighborhood volleyball tournament. My dumb idea? Dig up my backyard for a permanent court. Grabbed a shovel and started hacking at the dirt like a madman. After three hours of sweating like a pig, I’d barely scraped off the grass patch. My lower back screamed “you idiot” louder than my wife yelling “stop ruining the lawn!”

Road Testing Portable Mats

Ordered two types of portable mats online. First one was those jigsaw puzzle tiles – unboxed them and spent Saturday snapping pieces together. Looked sweet… till we played. Ball bounced like on concrete, players slipped when dew hit the surface. Next try was roll-up rubber mats. Unrolled them in my driveway for testing. Wind kept flipping the corners like tumbleweeds. Needed four sandbags just to stop the darn thing moving. But when we played? Felt shockingly like real court springs!

Permanent Court Nightmare

Hired “pro” installers after my digging fail. They showed up late, dumped three truckloads of mysterious asphalt-smelling stuff. Took two weeks of noisy machinery while my dog hid under the bed. Final bill? Let’s just say I ain’t taking vacations this year. First rainstorm proved why people hate permanent courts – entire surface turned into a wading pool. Had to drill drain holes while mosquitoes feasted on my ankles.

Epic Showdown Time

Organized Sunday matches on both surfaces:

• Portable mats: Kids set them up in 20 minutes. Spilled Gatorade? Wiped clean instantly. After game, rolled them up like giant burritos
• Permanent slab: Took three brooms and a leaf blower just to clear pine needles. Found mysterious cracks after winter thaw

My Final Verdict

Unless you own a sports complex, portable wins. That roll-up mat gets used constantly now. We do driveway matches, park picnics, even lent it to my niece’s school tournament. Meanwhile the permanent slab? Turned into an expensive drying rack for my kayak tarp. Bottom line:

• Want flexibility? Go portable
• Want permanent headaches? Be my guest

Still think I’m wrong? Come help repair my cracked concrete slab next spring – bring your own knee pads.