A:  EQUIPMENT, magazines, books, Rule Book, & miscellaneous effluvia

1.  Where can I buy ....?

    First of all, support your local VB shop.  These good folks have

    made a commitment to bring VB accoutrement into your neighborhood.  

    Help keep 'em going.  Reasons, if you need them,

    include:

      1. You can see what stuff really looks and feels like. The fit of

          those great-looking Turbo Gel Dinkums make your new wingtips

          feel great. Maybe a Desert Storm camo ball isn't for you.

      2. If something goes wrong, they'll usually be happy to find a

          solution to your problem. I bought a new ball (deflated) which

          had a broken bladder - exchange was simple.

      3. Prices are usually a bit higher, but sale items can be great deals.

      4. You don't have to pay shipping.

      5. You have it now; those new shoes will add 4" to your jump for

          tonight's tourney.

      6. You can get info on the local VB scene; leagues, tournaments,

          etc.

      7. Finally, VB people are friendly and nice folks - I feel good about

          giving them my business.

    Now, if you don't have a local VB store the solution is mail order.

    Mail order prices can be lower than stores (less overhead) and

    shipping is usually very fast (they'll be happy to tell you how many

     days it'll  take).  Return policies vary, but are often pretty lenient. 

     Here are a few in the US (sorry if they don't ship overseas; email

     me other sources, I'll add them to the list). Oh yea, these folks have 

      catalogs; usually free if you buy stuff, a couple of bucks for looking.

2.  What vb mags are out there and how do I subscribe if my local

      bookstore doesn't carry them?  There is one national volleyball

      periodical:

    Volleyball 

      Single copy:   $3.50

      Cover Price:   12 mos./$42.00

      Subscription:  12 mos./$17.95

3.  What books are out there?

    Which books are valuable for players, for coaches?

4.  What shoes are best?

    "..., it is illegal to wear shoes." for sand anyway!

    For those of you forced to play indoors and prefer the shod look; I'm

     not  even going to mention preferences since these are so personal -

     I know players who would be happy to wear different brands on

     each foot. There's a wide range of shoes to choose from including

     companies with  specialized VB shoes (Kaepa, Mizuno, ASICS, Nike,

     Reebok, Avia) as well  as multi-sport crosstrainers. Controversies

     are common:  high tops vs   low, gum soles vs composition, neon vs

     b&w, gel vs air. Save your  comments  for r.s.v.shoes (:-). Like

     me, you'll probably end up with several and  match them with your

      uniform de jour.

5.  I've heard of a thing called the "strength shoe". What is it?

    The Strength(R) Shoe, by Strength(R) FOOTWEAR, Inc. is a shoe

     with a 'platform', slightly larger than the front part of the shoe,

     attached to the bottom of the shoe (and adds a total of 1-2" to the

     front of the shoe)[yes, you'll look goofy!]. They supposedly can

     increase you jumping by 5-9" (they recommend a 9 week training

     program). A pair of shoes cost about $110.  High-tops are not

     available. You'll see ads for  them in magazines.

    You'll also see JumpSoles which are $50 platforms that are attached

    to the soles of your shoes which (along with a training program) are

    advertised to add 5-12 inches to your vertical jump.

6.  What shoes should I wear on grass?

    Again, no consensus, but many folks lean to turf shoes with the small

    rubber bumps on the sole giving better traction than a regular vb

    shoe.  Mizuno, Asics and others make a special grass shoe - looks

     like a turf shoe. Whatever you wear: no spikes/cleats; they're

     illegal.

7.  What volleyball is best?  For indoor play?  For outdoor?

    There are strong feelings about VB's - but basically skin was meant

     to  touch only leather in more ways than you can imagine.

    There are over 65 different models of volleyballs available

    for purchase in the United States.

    Leading manufacturers of balls are - Baden, Brine, Mikasa, Molten,

    Spalding, Tachikara, Wilson.

    Leather balls are worth it - and, destined, like men, to grow heavy

    and ugly with age and the amount of liquid absorbed (Sorry - I forget

    who said this).   Leather balls abhor water, so if you're playing near the 

    ocean or pool, where the ball might get dunked, you may want

    to think about  one with a synthetic cover.

8.  My Top Flight's gotten egg-shaped; how can I prevent this and what

    do I do now?

    To preserve the life of your ball:

     Never leave the ball for an extended period of time in an

     excessively hot or cold environment (i.e., car trunk for weeks on

     end in the  summer)  When you're not using the ball, inflate it until it

     is extremely  hard and round.  Let the air out when you play, and

     reinflate after  you're done.

     Don't use the ball as a pillow or seat.

     Don't spray it with silicone, mink oil, or bear grease to preserve it -

      you'll just speed up it's eventual demise.