Frequently Asked Questions

Let's tackle the big issues right away, shall we? First, some background information. The league uses a draft system where captains select their teams starting from the highest-skilled divisions to the beginning player divisions. The system has generally worked very well over the years in providing payers the opportunity to play with other players of similar skill levels.

Of course, it's competitive human nature that everyone wants to play at the highest level possible. But the division lines have to be drawn somewhere. Every season there are players who feel like they are better than the bottom few players of the next higher league. And, therefore, they got screwed!!! And that's where the darker side of human nature takes over.

Rather than look inward towards improving their game (or losing those endearing "F-bombs" they emit when things don't go their way), some people prefer to look for excuses.

Here are some of the most popular excuses:

• "Some captain always picks his friends (and I am better than one of his friends)"
• "Some long-time player seems 'favored' by the league and always get saved at the end of the draft (rather than picking me)"
• "Some captains don't seem to notice that I have drastically improved my game (even if I didn't make it to tryouts, but I was THE MAN in week 5 last season!!! Surely they remember...)"
• "I am good enough to play up, but some people don't like my personality (they should just learn that I need the ball every fricken point or they will hear about it. And don't get me started about that fricken net-call, the ref is such a hater!!!)"

Look, we would love to tell you that the process is perfect. But life is not like that. This is not the Olympic Trials, it is a social volleyball league. (By the way, how many times have you read about personalities or "coaches favorites" factoring into Olympic or National Team trials. It happens alot, even at that level).

If you look hard enough, you can all find examples that seem like the excuses mentioned above. BSD does have some safeguards built in to address some of these issues. We are always looking for new captains and each season new players try their hand at it. The league provides them with advice on how to draft, but if they choose to draft only their friends (or some other non-competitive behavior) then we'll look for other captains to replace them the following season.

Most captains make a good attempt to draft competitive teams and include players who should be playing at that level. It's not as simple as getting the best 48 players (for a 6 team draft). Near the end of a draft, good captains assess their teams and see what needs they have. Sometimes it's the best hitter available (even if he/she can't play defense), sometimes it's a good defensive player (even if he/she can't play the net at all), sometimes it may be someone with an even-keeled personality (especially if the captain has already drafted a few hotheads). After the fact, you may look at the results and think that you are a better player than someone else who was picked... but better in what way? And is that what the captain was looking for?

The bottom line is... lines have to drawn somewhere or we would have all the teams in one division! People have their egos, but once you get over that is it really such a bad outcome to be the best player in a lower division rather then the worst player in a higher division? Somewhere along the way you played with better players and that experience made you better. Is it so bad to be that better player for others and be the leader or "go-to guy" for your team?

This is not the answer most people want to hear. Who wants to do the hard work of realizing that your physical skills may be slipping (or not there yet) or that people may not want to share your spicy personality for 11 weeks?

Okay, we have tackled the tough questions. We feel that we're entitled to end with an easy question! We could make an endless list of the strengths of the league. Here are just a few of the reasons why our players tell us they return to BSD each season:

• BSD provides each player a level playing field every season. Every player goes into a draft every season and teams are shuffled. In rec leagues (like Rockville Sportsplex or Montgomery County), a team registers every season and if your team happens to kick butt, you can dominate your division every season. Or, similarly, if there happens to be one dominant team in your league, then you are guaranteed to never win that division until that team breaks up. In BSD, the draft shuffles the deck every season for everyone.
• BSD players meet new friends every season. In registration based leagues, your teammates are usually the same people you have always hung out with. In BSD, the draft guarantees you will play with different people each season. Many of our players have told us that they have made lasting friendships from teammates or opponents they have met in the league.
• The best playoff system ever. BSD has the longest and most competitive playoff season compared to other local leagues. We have a 3-week, double-elimination playoff format. Some leagues have a one-week, single-elimination playoff. What fun is that? Gaithersburg City does not even run a playoff, which usually results with the sandbagging teams wrapping up the title in mid-season.
• BSD guarantees equal play for everyone that is drafted. Every player plays every game and rotates completely around. In registration based leagues, the captain decides who sits on the bench when too many people show up. In BSD, the team captains can not bench anyone. Also, teams play as a team without designating positions – every man and woman plays front row and back row during the course of the match.

We could go on and on about the virtues of our league. But we'll stop here and thank you for reading this long Q&A session. We care about what you think. If there are other questions you would like answered or unsolicited feedback you would like to provide, please direct them to the Webmaster. We hope you will take the time to tell us what you think about BSD this season: what we have done right and how we can improve next season.