Medal Detector's posts tagged Volleyball

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• U.S. volleyball player Destinee Hooker says she is proud of her name

  August 01, 2012 by sawleyv

  

  For obvious reasons, those watching women's volleyball might snicker or make snide jokes whenever they hear Destinee Hooker's name.

  The U.S. volleyball star said she is fully aware of the immature remarks "childish" people make. But she doesn't let them bother her because she's proud of the name her parents gave her.

  "When it comes to my name, I honestly find nothing wrong with it," Hooker told TMZ.com. "I love my name."

  Hooker, 24, said the unique spelling of her first name was her dad's idea after she almost didn't survive birth.

  "Since I was a blessing, [my father] spelled it uniquely," she said. "So, I am thankful to be here and glad my dad gave me the name."

  She also said the jokes have existed for a long time. But now, she just brushes them off.

  "I have been dealing with it since I was a child," she said. "People can be childish."

  In the end, Hooker is the one with the last laugh. As one of the stars on the undefeated American volleyball team, she's notched 58 kills, good enough for second in the women's tournament.

  And if the silly jokes about her name ever get to her head, at least she can take it out by spiking balls really hard at people's faces.

   

   

  Photo: Getty Images

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• Women volleyball players given option to wear shorts and sleeved shirts

  March 27, 2012 by SteveDel

  

  In order to respect and accommodate the cultural beliefs of various countries, women volleyball players will be given more of a choice in clothing at the London Olympics this summer. Instead of having to wear bikinis, the International Volleyball Federation has announced that women will be allowed to wear shorts and tops with sleeves. The new rule permits “shorts of a maximum length of (1.18 inches) above the knee,” so I doubt we’ll be seeing any board shorts on the beach.

  “Many of these countries have religious and cultural requirements, so the uniform needed to be more flexible.” FIVB spokesman Richard Baker told The Associated Press Tuesday. “Winners of the Continental Cups will qualify for the Olympics, so it has to be applied.”

  Five Continental Cup Olympic qualifiers already had the rule in place, so it made sense to extend it to all athletes and countries. Plenty of athletes will stick to the bikini uniforms that they have become accustomed to, but the option is available.

  As expected, there have already been rumblings about the change in uniform policy affecting ratings for volleyball. The reality is — whether right or wrong — there are plenty of people who tune into women’s Olympic beach volleyball to watch women in bikinis. More clothing will also mean less space for those tattoo advertisements some players have featured.

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• Australian Olympic volleyballers selling tattoo advertisements

  July 05, 2011 by AlanaG

  
  
  Some people would do anything for a buck. When you’re an Olympic hopeful who spends most of the time practicing and trying to fulfill a lifelong dream, the bucks can be tough to come by. Luckily there are people like Australian volleyball player Claire Kelly who know how to think outside the box.

  According to MyFoxDC via Fanattic Network, Kelly has petitioned companies to place permanent tattoos on her body to be seen during competition. Packages are being offered directly to companies and sold on eBayfor around $10,000 for a 0.8 inch x 0.8 inch on the left limb and roughly $50,000 for a 1.9 inch x 1.9 inch tat on the right arm or shoulder. She said she hopes the money will help give her and her partner, Carla Kleverlaan, the financial backing they need for the 2012 Summer Games in London.

  “It’s taken me months to get the courage to do this and now I’m going through with it,” Kelly explained. “I was thinking, ‘Tattoo my body with a business logo just so I can have a chance to play for my country at the Olympics? I’m crazy’!

  “This is my dream and it seems crazy not to try to do something to realize the dream. We need to head off on the world tour before the end of July, we need financial backing, so I can’t let fear stop me.”

  Would you get a tattoo if someone paid you $10,000? That’s what we call commitment. It’s tough to say without actually being given the opportunity, but I think I would do it for that amount of money if the ink was on a place that wasn’t always showing on my body — like the shoulder or upper arm. In any event, Kelly’s money-making scheme gives new meaning to the phrase “taking one for the team.”
  
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