Sangam Volley ball

"FIGHTING!!!!" "SANGAM UUUHH!"

One evening my great friend, Jenni invited me to play volley ball with a Korean club team called Sangam in the neighboring community, Chamdan. Since then, I have been playing with the team every week on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Honestly, it is some of the best volley ball I have ever played! We practice (passing, hitting, serving) for about an hour and then we play coed, first, on a men's net and then we switch to a woman's net. There are nine players on the courts and the courts are a lot larger than what I am used to. Our coach (the tallest Korean I have ever seen!) is really passionate about volley ball and gives great advice. He has given me some of the most helpful and clear setting and passing tips and it is all in Korean! That is a huge part of the fun; trying to figure out what all the team members are saying. Although, they are so full of character you usually can tell whats going on by watching their facial expressions and body movements!

On the Sangam team, there is such a great balance between playing hard-core, intense volleys to cracking jokes and doubling over from fits of laughter at someone who is being a complete goofball. The team commodore is so cool. I just love the constant smiles, enthusiastic energy, and endless high-fives. So far with my experience, Korean people are fun to be around during sporting events. They are jolly and enthusiastic people. Sometimes, after we play, the team will all go out for dinner and drinks or sometimes they bring food and beer or rice wine to the gym. This culture is so welcoming and they always make sure Jenni and I get enough to eat. Now that it is tangerine season, I have been leaving the gym with handfuls of tangerines; gifts from my teammates. Korean people get so much pleasure from giving away what they have, its a beautiful thing to witness and experience.