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Post by joetrinsey on Jan 17, 2024 21:39:37 GMT -5
Related to the discussion of loudness at Gregory, I've never understood how the players can hear a word the coaches say during timeouts, or how they can hear each other on the court, or hear the coaches from the sideline, while play is in progress. I and the person next to me almost have to shout in each other's ears to communicate. How is verbal communication even possible?
You get attuned to voices that you're used to hearing, in contexts in which you're used to hearing them.
That said, there are some gyms where hearing does become impossible. Some international gyms, in particular, can be really challenging because more noisemakers, etc, are allowed in those gyms that aren't allowed in NCAA gyms. Then, you just have to do your best to fall back on training.
Also, players of all ages have mastered hearing a garble of words from their coach that they don't understand, and returning that garbled audio with with a nod and a very serious expression of comprehension on their face.
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Post by tomclen on Jan 17, 2024 21:55:43 GMT -5
They are switching to Taraflex from Sport Court as the official flooring of the NCAA. Finals were played on Taraflex this year. I just find it impossible to see the word Taraflex anymore without thinking of tomclen 's observation that "that sounds like a porn name".
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Post by hornfanaustin on Jan 17, 2024 23:38:50 GMT -5
This year, I noticed that in the 3rd round of the NCAA tournament, the host gym did not have to lay down the blue or red generic court over the original playing surface of the host gym. This was to give the remaining teams an even playing environment. I was reminded this watching the replay of Texas on the Stanford home court, which is really tough to see the lines.
What rule change by the NCAA this year that allowed home courts to stay "natural"?
They are switching to Taraflex from Sport Court as the official flooring of the NCAA. Finals were played on Taraflex this year. Yes, I understand that. But what about the Sweet 16/Elite 8 floors. In prior years, they went to Sport Court at that level. This year it was the default court of the hosting school.
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Post by mikegarrison on Jan 18, 2024 0:17:46 GMT -5
They are switching to Taraflex from Sport Court as the official flooring of the NCAA. Finals were played on Taraflex this year. Yes, I understand that. But what about the Sweet 16/Elite 8 floors. In prior years, they went to Sport Court at that level. This year it was the default court of the hosting school. In previous years it was Sportcourt at the Finals, too. I believe the verb used was "switching", as in "this is a process". I suspect the 2020 tournament had something to do with this, when it was made clear to the NCAA that the teams would rather play on Taraflex than Sportcourt, despite Sportcourt's sponsorship deals.
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Post by hornfanaustin on Jan 18, 2024 8:23:03 GMT -5
Yes, I understand that. But what about the Sweet 16/Elite 8 floors. In prior years, they went to Sport Court at that level. This year it was the default court of the hosting school. In previous years it was Sportcourt at the Finals, too. I believe the verb used was "switching", as in "this is a process". I suspect the 2020 tournament had something to do with this, when it was made clear to the NCAA that the teams would rather play on Taraflex than Sportcourt, despite Sportcourt's sponsorship deals. Okay, let me ask this question in a different way since everyone keeps focusing the answer on Finals and Sportcourt WHY?
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Post by JT on Jan 18, 2024 13:49:28 GMT -5
In previous years it was Sportcourt at the Finals, too. I believe the verb used was "switching", as in "this is a process". I suspect the 2020 tournament had something to do with this, when it was made clear to the NCAA that the teams would rather play on Taraflex than Sportcourt, despite Sportcourt's sponsorship deals. Okay, let me ask this question in a different way since everyone keeps focusing the answer on Finals and Sportcourt WHY? Not at the regionals or subregionals (unless the school already had it) because the Taraflex court is too expensive for the NCAA to provide (and install, and store). I assume Sportcourt is no longer a sponsor, or at least, not a sponsor at a high enough level to be providing all the courts. In 2024 or 2025, I believe they’re adding a hosting requirement for Regionals that a Taraflex court be used. (So still the school’s court.)
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Post by badgercard on Jan 18, 2024 13:57:50 GMT -5
Okay, let me ask this question in a different way since everyone keeps focusing the answer on Finals and Sportcourt WHY? Not at the regionals or subregionals (unless the school already had it) because the Taraflex court is too expensive for the NCAA to provide (and install, and store). I assume Sportcourt is no longer a sponsor, or at least, not a sponsor at a high enough level to be providing all the courts. In 2024 or 2025, I believe they’re adding a hosting requirement for Regionals that a Taraflex court be used. (So still the school’s court.) I hated seeing the original courts in regionals. give us the blue realness!
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Post by hornfanaustin on Jan 18, 2024 15:52:50 GMT -5
Okay, let me ask this question in a different way since everyone keeps focusing the answer on Finals and Sportcourt WHY? Not at the regionals or subregionals (unless the school already had it) because the Taraflex court is too expensive for the NCAA to provide (and install, and store). I assume Sportcourt is no longer a sponsor, or at least, not a sponsor at a high enough level to be providing all the courts. In 2024 or 2025, I believe they’re adding a hosting requirement for Regionals that a Taraflex court be used. (So still the school’s court.) My understanding, which could be wrong, was that starting at Regionals it was a requirement to use some sort of court that masked over the hosting school's floor so as to give all 4 teams at Regional an equal footing. Like you can't use your schools video graphics if you (Texas) is hosting an NCAA regional because that would be unfair to the other team that doesn't have graphics/videos at their disposal.
Added: And regarding the logic about cost, etc...Stanford could afford to use sportcourt in 2022, but not in 2023?
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Post by scottstots on Jan 18, 2024 16:05:35 GMT -5
ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/championships/sports/volleyball/d1/women/2023-24D1WVB_HostOpsManual.pdf"Regionals. New for the 2023 season, institutions that host regionals will play on their regular season playing surface. For the 2024 season, any institution interested in hosting regionals must have access to or own a Taraflex floor. The NCAA may send logos to place on the competition floor." So they're requiring taraflex and shifting the cost to the host beginning in 2024. Not sure why they didn't just do NCAA-provided sport courts for this year, but possibly because they wanted to skip the cost and/or many schools already have taraflex floors and teams prefer them, so they worked under the assumption it would be mostly taraflex anyway. It says they'll maybe be sending some logos, however that would work, but no explicit requirement that the court itself is neutral-looking.
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Post by JT on Jan 18, 2024 16:10:34 GMT -5
My understanding, which could be wrong, was that starting at Regionals it was a requirement to use some sort of court that masked over the hosting school's floor so as to give all 4 teams at Regional an equal footing. Like you can't use your schools video graphics if you (Texas) is hosting an NCAA regional because that would be unfair to the other team that doesn't have graphics/videos at their disposal. Added: And regarding the logic about cost, etc...Stanford could afford to use sportcourt in 2022, but not in 2023?
That was the justification given, at least (neutrality). I personally suspect it was to give a unified look to all the televised matches, while getting a sponsor to pay for it. (They also require any non-NCAA-sponsor advertising to be covered up, if it could show on camera.) However, when they switched to Taraflex (or when they switched away from having Sportcourt sponsor/pay-for the Regional and Final courts), the NCAA presumably couldn't get a Taraflex court (provided at no cost) for the Regional schools. They also can't readily require the schools themselves to pony up the dollars for a neutral-appearing Taraflex court. Thus, what we had and will have: host-school specific courts (with advertising covered), with a future requirement that schools need to have a Taraflex court in order to qualify as hosts (akin to other venue-qualifications like capacity and locker rooms).
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Post by dvd on Jan 18, 2024 16:15:01 GMT -5
How hard is it for a player at the college level to improve their passing ability? I have read things from different coaches that claim it is maybe the most difficult skill to improve once you get to the college level. Heard it said that you want to work on it as early as possible as a young player because the older you get, the harder it is to make any major strides. Is this true? I see alot of good d1 players that do not really get any better at it. Obviously some do. Any good examples either way? I think it's just harder to notice improvements as opposed to things like attacking and blocking which will typically improve as the physicality of the player improves (typically seen in college weight rooms). Passing improvements are definitely possible at any level but they typically take time and a lot of reps over time, usually not an overnight fix. The difference in the level of serving from club/HS to college is a drastic change too which makes the adjustment tough if the incoming player doesn't have a solid base (no pun intended).
Another example I've seen is when a player who comes in who has the physicality but not the passing skill their reps may be limited in gameplay which can hinder any improvements. Whether this means their DSed out in the back ro or even to the point of passing 2 when that player is in the game.
In general, passing might be the most difficult skill to improve. Although setting can be tough to break bad habits as well, and learning an offense with new connections is always easier said than done. Not to mention setting is so much more than just setting, so I might side with setting as the tougher skill. I'd probably rather teach a middle to pass than a middle to set, but that's a personal take.
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Post by mikegarrison on Jan 18, 2024 16:32:01 GMT -5
Not sure why they didn't just do NCAA-provided sport courts for this year, but possibly because they wanted to skip the cost I am certain that NCAA-provided Sportcourt floors were not a "cost" but rather a sponsorship for which Sportcourt paid the NCAA. Apparently that sponsorship has ended.
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Post by hornfanaustin on Jan 18, 2024 18:08:28 GMT -5
ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/championships/sports/volleyball/d1/women/2023-24D1WVB_HostOpsManual.pdf"Regionals. New for the 2023 season, institutions that host regionals will play on their regular season playing surface. For the 2024 season, any institution interested in hosting regionals must have access to or own a Taraflex floor. The NCAA may send logos to place on the competition floor." So they're requiring taraflex and shifting the cost to the host beginning in 2024. Not sure why they didn't just do NCAA-provided sport courts for this year, but possibly because they wanted to skip the cost and/or many schools already have taraflex floors and teams prefer them, so they worked under the assumption it would be mostly taraflex anyway. It says they'll maybe be sending some logos, however that would work, but no explicit requirement that the court itself is neutral-looking. Thanks, that was EXACTLY what I was asking about when I started this question.
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Post by Not Me on Jan 18, 2024 18:26:24 GMT -5
Taraflex and sport court are both owned by the same company. So I’m guessing the sponsorship just transferred over.
Schools must have a Taraflex floor or access to one. By next year, there will be several floors that are available to be rented and installed at any school needing one.
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Post by mikegarrison on Jan 18, 2024 19:27:56 GMT -5
Taraflex and sport court are both owned by the same company. They are? OK, I did not expect that. I checked their websites and ... well, yes. They are both owned by Gerflor. A little more poking around shows that Gerflor bought Connor Sport Court about 9 years ago. That puts a bit of a different spin on it. The NCAA already had their sponsorship deal with Sport Court in place when Gerflor bought them. Perhaps it finally ran out, or perhaps Gerflor and the NCAA agreed to transition to Taraflex. I do still guess that the 2020 tournament might have been a watershed moment where the NCAA came to realize that many teams prefer Taraflex (despite the expense). Quite possibly teams that already have Taraflex floors were complaining about having to using mandatory Sport Court instead of their expensive, preferred surface.
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