Our Seasoned Vets Keep On Winning!
Every year the California
Rotary Club statewide competition for volleyball is held in Northern
California. Our last tournament was held in Sacramento.
This event has become an annual event, which our team has won as
statewide champs an amazing five out of the last six years! The event usually consists
of a full day of competition on Saturday. During the course of play our
team more often than not faces at least seven matches or fourteen games of
play. In various years our
players consist of Joe Fitzsimons, Paul Gaulke, Erik Jorgensborg,
Bob Klein, Monty McCormick, John McIntire, Michael O’Hara (our coach),
Glenn
Ricard, Hank Walther (our captain), and former members Eric Brandin, and
Eric Ruhman. Our member Michael
O’Hara, who was an Olympic volleyball player in 1964, is amazed how well
our team still competes. He says our team members are still great
competitors even though the average age is 55 vs. the average age of its
competitors, which is approximately 35-40. Michael informs us that
there is more to winning than just six guys knocking a volleyball around
the court. He explains that
there is a definite strategy. For
each play, Michael will call out a signal to oust out a vulnerable player
or court location; spikers and the setter coordinate where and how the
volleyball will be delivered for spiking, etc. This is a fun event. Our member and honorary coach Lionel Ruhman provides the terrific transportation each year. Our members leave after our Friday meeting and climb into Lionel’s Motor Coach. Michael describes this event as likened to a “college road trip” with cheerleaders, i.e. John McIntire’s daughter and Bob Klein's dad, pizza (see the pictures below), and camaraderie. Michael says that the Santa Monica Rotary Club’s team arrival in town is to be likened to the Yankees, “they are the team to beat”. Michael’s motto is “Serve tough, block tough, spike hard, and have a BLAST!” as the pictures below show! |
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McCormick, Gaulke and Ricard enjoy pizza and beer after the volleyball victory. |
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O'Hara, Jorgensborg and Walther plot strategy for next year. |
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Victorious SM Rotarian Volleyball team in North Sacramento on March 9, 2002: State Champions! |
