How This Whole Idea Started

It actually began after last year’s family barbecue when my nephews asked me to set up a makeshift volleyball court on my uneven backyard lawn. We tried playing but kept tripping over bumps and dirt patches. I thought – there’s gotta be a portable solution that doesn’t cost a fortune.

Scavenging for Materials

First I hit up my local hardware store during their discount event. Found these rejected plywood sheets with minor dings for 70% off – perfect since we’re gonna beat them up anyway. Then rummaged through my garage stash for leftover wood pieces that I’ll be damned they actually came in handy for once.

Figuring Out the Design

I measured the smallest court size that wouldn’t feel cramped. Took a pencil and sketched the whole thing right there in my driveway sun. The real puzzle was how to make it break down easy. After wasting three sheets testing different connectors like those awful plastic clips that snapped on first try, I switched to simple metal hooks and loops. Trial and error sucked but eventually clicked.

Assembly Nightmare Session

Cutting the plywood was the sweatiest part:

• Drew straight lines using chalk string
• Used my jigsaw – went crooked twice so had to trim edges
• Sanded down every piece like crazy to avoid splinters
• Attached hooks to each panel corner (this took two bloody hours)

The panels kept falling over during assembly till I got smart and weighed them down with toolboxes. At one point my neighbor came over asking if I was building a coffin – that’s how messy my garage looked.

First Test & Disaster

Set it up on the lawn with my wife shouting pointers like a drill sergeant. When we tried bumping the ball, the middle panels buckled at the seams. Took it apart grumbling, then glued extra support strips across the undersides. Let that cure overnight while I drank beer feeling defeated.

What Finally Worked

The magic trick was adding rubber strips cut from old car mats underneath each connecting point. Next morning gave it another shot:

• Panels locked tight with hooks grabbing loops perfectly
• No wobble even when jumping near seams
• Full court took under 20 min to assemble
• Broke down flat enough to slide behind garage shelves

Played three full games with zero trip hazards. Even pulled it out last week for a beach trip – stacked panels slid right into my trunk.

Why I’ll Keep Using This

Turns out that cheap plywood with the dented corner? Made the surface just rough enough that the ball doesn’t slide like on plastic crap. Gets beat up by volleyballs but still holds. Store-bought sets cost five times more and I fixed mine with free scrap parts. Every scuff mark feels like a win.