What is a Professional Recreational Athlete?
A Pro Rec Athlete is someone who is committed to playing sports for their whole life. You may have been an elite club or varsity level athlete and have continued playing in a competitive recreational league. Or, you may be starting a new sport for the very first time and are just learning the basics – even though you’re in your 30s or 40s… or 50s or 60s!
A Pro Rec Athlete doesn’t play just to win– though winning is pretty nice, too! A Pro Rec Athlete loves the adrenaline of competing, the challenge of constantly improving, and the camaraderie of sport.
You don’t just “turn off” being an athlete once you graduate or finish playing on a club team. You constantly look for new tournaments, new games, new teams… new ways to keep competing. Even if that’s just continually beating your own personal best.
For the Professional Recreational Athlete, being an athlete is a way of life.
About me
My name is Irena, and I’ve been playing volleyball for over 25 years. I started in elementary school, then continued in high school and played varsity in college. I’ve mostly played indoor women’s, but have also played coed and beach volleyball. And I’ve played in all kinds of tournaments over the years.
I also coached for a couple of years, and although I really enjoyed it, I must admit that I preferred playing over coaching! There’s only so many nights in the week, so I prioritized playing over coaching.
My primary position is setter, which is what I played at the varsity level. However, after having played beach and recreational league for so many years, I’ve rounded out my skills so that I can fill in for pretty much any position. Except middle – I just get dizzy and in the way 🙂
Volleyball is a great sport because you can play at so many skill levels. From a backyard BBQ to a competitive tournament for prize money, as long as everyone’s on the same page about the level of competition, you’re going to have fun!
Even after playing for more than 25 years, I’m still learning new things, and playing with new people. Whether you’re brand new or have been playing for years, I hope there will be some worthwhile information for you on this website. Enjoy!
