Okay, so I’ve been wanting to set up a little volleyball practice area in my backyard for a while now. I didn’t want to go all-out with a professional court or anything, just something decent enough to bump, set, and spike without destroying the grass (or my ankles!). I did some digging and decided on trying a combination of cushions, volleyball-specific rubber, and a portable wooden flooring system.

The Prep Work

First, I cleared out a মোটামুটি flat area in the yard. I’m talking raking up leaves, pulling out any obvious rocks, and generally making sure there weren’t any major bumps or dips. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough for what I had in mind.

Layering It Up

Next, I laid down these thick, interlocking foam cushions. Think of those giant puzzle pieces kids play with, but way more heavy-duty. These were supposed to be the base layer, providing some shock absorption. I struggled a bit getting them all snapped together, my fingers were definitely feeling it by the end!

On top of the cushions, I rolled out this rubber material. It came in a big roll, like some kind of industrial-strength yoga mat. It was specifically designed for volleyball courts, supposedly to give good traction and further protect from impact. Unrolling it was a two-person job, definitely needed my neighbor’s help for that!

The Wooden Surface

Finally, the main part – the portable wooden flooring. This was the trickiest part. It came in these square panels that were supposed to click together. Click being the operative word. Some of them went together smoothly, others… not so much. I spent a good chunk of time banging on these things with a rubber mallet, trying to get them to lock into place. I definitely sweated a lot during this.

• Pro-Tip (learned the hard way): Make sure the ground underneath is really level before you start with the wooden panels. Any unevenness will make the whole process ten times harder.

The Finished (Sort Of) Product

After a few hours of work (and a few choice words), I finally had a small, rectangular playing surface. It wasn’t perfect – there were a few gaps here and there between the wooden panels, and the edges weren’t exactly seamless. But it was definitely an improvement over the bare grass! I bounced a volleyball on it a few times, and it felt pretty good. Definitely enough spring and give to practice on.

It’s still a work in progress. I might need to adjust some of the panels, maybe add some edging to make it look a bit neater. But for now, I’m pretty happy with my DIY volleyball practice area. It’s not going to host any Olympic matches, but it’s good enough for me to get some practice in without wrecking my lawn or my body.