New to drop-in volleyball? Here is your first night

Thinking about coming out but not sure what you are walking into? Here is exactly how a drop-in night works.

Before you come: register online for the night (it's $5), or just show up and pay at the door. Your first time, you'll sign the annual waiver. Online it takes about a minute, and it covers you for every AVB program for the rest of the year.

When you arrive: check in at the door, change into non-marking gym shoes, and warm up. There's no tryout and no skill requirement. Drop-ins run from true beginners to former club players, and teams are mixed up every night so nobody's stuck or excluded.

How play works: teams form on the night and rotate through games. Games are casual but real: scored, competitive enough to be fun, relaxed enough that a shanked pass gets a laugh instead of a glare. Expect to play most of the night; nobody sits long.

What to bring: non-marking shoes (the one hard rule in every gym we rent), a water bottle, and optionally kneepads. Athletic clothes you can move in, and there's no dress code.

Coming back: if one night hooks you, a season pass pays for itself quickly and lets you skip the door payment entirely. Check the passes on the drop-in page.

Drop-ins run Tuesday and Thursday evenings, October through June, at ASIA Sumas Mountain, and new faces are welcome every night. See the schedule and grab a spot from the drop-ins page.