Here’s How Musician And Volleyball Player Are Practicing At Home
Being stuck at home during quarantine means that many of us have had to change our routines. Statewide lockdowns mean that restaurants, stores and gyms that we frequented before COVID-19 are no longer accessible. I live in Ohio, and we’ve been on lockdown for over a month. Over this time, I have developed a daily quarantine routine that mostly revolves around juggling 18 credit hours of online classes. My brother Jake, a sophomore in high school, admittedly spends a significant portion of quarantine playing on his PS4. We’ve both been trying to keep up with our hobbies, despite having to stay home. Both of us are volleyball players, and my brother also plays percussion in his school’s marching band.
But how do you keep up with pre-pandemic hobbies? Here are some tips for keeping busy with hobbies that you enjoy.
Volleyball At Home
Using The RoofThe obvious way to get at-home reps is to play with a partner. Jake and I often “pepper”, the volleyball term for passing with a partner. This can be done either in the street (barely any cars come down our street) or in the yard if diving is preferred. This allows for the best quality of reps, as playing with another person is more natural.
However, sometimes a partner isn’t always available to play. So you have to get creative. I started playing volleyball when I was in elementary school, and I’ve been practicing the same way ever since. My house has a slanted roof, perfect for returning balls. By passing, setting, and hitting against the roof, I can always assure that the ball will come back, and I’m able to practice reading where it will go and shuffling to where the ball will drop off the roof. The roof method is my personal favorite and is my best recommendation for playing at home. The same effect can be achieved by using the side of a house or any wall, however, the roof method is less likely to get you yelled at for making noise.
I saw this online, and I knew I had to try it. All you have to do is get a large piece of wood and prop it against a wall. If you get the angle right, it should return the ball to you at a height where you can continue passing without having to catch the ball or chase after it. This took several tries for me to perfect, but once I figured it out it was addictive. I tried propping the board against several surfaces, but the board would either fall flat on the ground after the ball hit it, or it would simply fail to return the ball. I tried various locations around my backyard and ended up settling on the side of the house. I was able to get good reps in when I stacked two thin boards on top of each other. This gave the wood enough support to withstand the force of the ball and remain propped up. With a little more tweaking, I think this method will become addictive.
Making Music
My brother has been working hard to keep up with his music for the fall marching band season. He plays the bass drum but thankfully was forced to leave it at school. He has resorted to using a keyboard, a practice drum pad and any flat surface his drumsticks can find. His marching band director gives his students the same assignment at the conclusion of each season. The students have to submit a video of them practicing their music for 100 days. Sometimes it's competition music, other times it’s choir music, but regardless every night our house is filled with music. Jake has multiple drumsticks, not that I know the difference between any of them. As for the keyboard, He uses it both for practicing old songs and learning new ones. He learns his percussion parts by playing them on the keyboard, which eases the transition to the drum pad. He’s been able to transcribe many new songs, my favorite being a Les Miserables medley.
Whether it be athletics or music, we’re all trying to maintain our hobbies during quarantine. Some of us have had to get creative. But no matter what, we’re all doing our best to find a sense of normalcy during this unusual time.
Let us know how you’ve been keeping up with your hobbies on our social media! @wvu_campusrec
About the Author
Samantha Higley is a freshman who began writing for WVUGO in August 2019 with
an emphasis on Club and Intramural Sports. She plans to earn a degree in Neuropsychology
with a minor in History. Samantha is also on the Club Volleyball team at WVU.