The Scottish National Finals – A Different Perspective

Have you ever been to a Cup Final or European volleyball match in Scotland and seen some red faced and red t-shirted people running around with white tape stuck to their trousers? If so, you’ve probably seen one of the Special Events team. For us, these events start when the players are still at home, psyching themselves up for the weekend’s matches and stocking up on the all important pasta to fuel them for the game! And sometimes, even before the teams have been chosen!

This weekend’s finals were no different. Four visits to Wishaw Sports Centre in the month leading up to the finals, to fine-tune the net and post system and to lay the court. Do you know that the diagonal of one side of the court must measure 12.728metres? Do you know that the broken extension line from the three-metre line must measure 15cm on each dash, with a 20cm gap! The lines are laid, with at least two of us deciding on whether it is straight, and then securing them down by running a towel over each of the lines. Then there are coach’s lines, substitution boxes and penalty boxes to line.

…….The Night before. We unload the cars – boxes of tools, boxes of tape, substitution paddles, nets, spare nets: the list is endless - we cover every eventuality! We spend the evening before the finals setting up the hall. This involves checking the net, putting up banners, tidying the hall, laying out chairs and tables and setting up the score table/technical table amongst others. All done with a certain amount of humour and with Barry’s questionable taste in music to keep us going!

On the day, we are there early to make sure that the hall is ready for the players and officials. Our main concern is the smooth running of the event and to make sure that everyone involved enjoys the day. Throughout the event we are responsible for the following, though this list is not exhaustive!

• The playing area: checking and changing the net height, the net tension and the Antennae.
• The court surround: tidying up water bottles and mess from the bench and subs area, making sure there are the right number of chairs 
• The Scorers Table: making sure it’s tidy, that there are score sheets and Rotation slips, pens and libero control sheets are available. That the scoreboard is visible to the crowd.
• Equipment: That all the warm up balls are available, at the right pressure and collected in after each game. That there is five match balls all at the right pressure. That all the sub paddles are there. That there is four line judge flags, and towels to mop the floor. That the net is adjusted for men’s women and junior and that the right amount of tension is on the net.
• Court Personnel: Making sure the referees, line judges and scorers are happy. That the ball retrievers know what to do. That the announcer has team sheets and is happy and that all the trophies and medals are available.

Once the games have been played and the presentations have all been made, the Special Events team – with the end in sight, springs into action, clearing the equipment and tidying the court in record time! As the players and coaches all leave to celebrate or commiserate, we finish the weekend with a final tidy of the hall and pack all our equipment back into the cars, heading home for a nice cup of tea and a lie down!

Always the first to arrive and the last to leave. Why do we do it? At four o’clock on a Sunday afternoon when the last game of the day looks to be going to a long five set thriller, I sometimes ask myself that very question! Is it because we are all perfectionists and need an outlet for our compulsion? Or is it that we are all just mad? When I look around the packed hall or see the players able to try their hardest on the court because they don’t have to worry about anything but the game, THAT answers my question. The answer is that we do it because we love the sport.

Personally, I always feel a sense of achievement when I see that, win or lose; the players, officials and spectators have enjoyed the experience of a cup final weekend. Yes, it is hard work, and yes, you do need to give up a good deal of your own time. But in return, you get to work with a fantastic team of people, both in the Special Events team AND in the volleyball community.

Do you think you have what it takes to become a member of the special events team? If you think that you have and would like to join us, please email the SVA offices.

Jen Downs
International and Special Events