"Once Upon A Time" (BROOKLYN)

How crazy are people willing to be to play a little volleyball? I can provide one answer--arrive early in the freezing cold at Brandeis HS. They may do the same thing for other sports like baseball or football, but those are usually the spectators, not the players. In our own little place in the world located on 84th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenue in NYC lies Brandeis HS. And on Sundays in the winter months, we gather to "line-up" for sign-up. The front two courts are labeled advanced and intermediate, and they're just labels because I play on the one called advanced and I'm far from it. But it's these two courts (48 people, 3 teams of 8 on each court) that people are wanting to make it onto, and over the years they have been arriving earlier and earlier to get in line. As I've said before, over three years ago when I first started going to Sunday open plays, I showed up at 1:00pm (the official start time) and there was not even enough people there to fill up the first court. Fast forward a couple of years and I would show up and be one of the first people to arrive. At that time, we would simply put our bag down after the person in front of you and just wait until noon when we would sign up at noon and then come back at 1:00pm when the gym opened. That bag held your position in line. But there were times when people at some point in the line would say they had more than a few bags and that represented their friends who would join them later in the line. As long as the people behind you were aware of that then it was perfectly fine. But we did have some folks who showed up and saw their friends who were at the front of the line somewhere and go join them and cut in front of everyone else. That was totally not cool. We would complain but it was kind of pointless after they signed in. So when the new season started back in October, I would still be one of the first ones to show up. We had a lot of repeat "jumpers" last season, and I did not want that to happen to friends who got shafted by those individuals this season. So I just sort of took charge and explained that I would start a list of those who arrived and they would receive a number. That number was just their spot in the line and as we signed up I would make sure that each person was present and accounted for and there would be no room for "jumpers." We've had a few instances where "friends" have shown up and expected to get in line with their friends at the front of the line. That was not going to happen this season, not as long as I'm there. When people arrive too late to make it to the front court, I simply tell them that they must arrive earlier, no exceptions. Most of the time, those people got there earlier the next time and made it. This new system has worked out and there have not been any complaints, except from the ones who "felt they deserved to be on the first court" because of their "skills." People arrive as early as 9:30am, no lie. During these past few weeks, when the weather has been bitterly cold, people are able to get a number and go find a place to warm up. I don't mind being out there because I prepare and bundle up heavily. It's just a way to keep it fair. Even the organizers of the league can't believe how crazy it has gotten--to line-up to sign-in for volleyball hours before they actually start playing. Talk about crazy, and I'm completely at the front of that line.