Having a Bubble

Ed and I are now four weeks into our almost-6-week adventure at the Volleyball Nations League in Rimini, Italy. It’s one of the first major international competitions in the post-COVID era, and now seems an opportune time to reflect on our experiences to date.

The first thing that struck me was the sheer athleticism of the players. I have been lucky enough to spend a lot of time around athletes in my career, but the volleyball players take it to another level. Standing 6’1” and by no means lean, it is not often I feel small, but players of both genders towering over me here, and they traverse the court with astonishing grace and power.

You might think that this would be somewhat intimidating, but so far, every athlete has been a delight to work with. They’ve been more than happy to take time out of their daily schedules to answer some fun questions, or partake in an off-the-cuff interview.

So, the question we have been asked most by friends, family and colleagues though, is unquestionably “how is life in the bubble?”.

The short answer is ‘restricted’, but that certainly does not tell the full story. We are limited with where we can go in the hotel and do not have free reign to roam around Rimini, but the Volleyball World team has provided us access to the hotel pool and a cordoned area of the Rimini beach; both very welcome to help ease the stress of the long and full-on days. Access to the Rimini Fiera event space is monitored with PCR tests every 4 days for all athletes, team and event staff. 

And so, to our work out here in Italy. Working alongside Volleyball World and FIVB, we are leading the production of all video content outside of the match courts. This ranges from creating 30-second Reels and TikToks, to conducting 15-minute sit-down interviews with athletes about the challenges they face, their hopes and their aspirations. 

Inside the court, we are gathering content not only for the Volleyball Nations League and Volleyball World, but also for all participating nations who were unable to send their teams to the event. We have overseen photoshoots with athletes and are conducting Mixed Zone interviews after each match for both broadcast media and social media.

It has been very fulfilling and we have learnt a considerable amount, not only about the athletes, but the sport itself – fast-paced, action-packed, and spectacular at times.

We still have ten days left out here, and with reinforcements in the form of our Global Business Director, Juyong, who came armed with positive spirits (and Percy Pigs!), you can genuinely sense the excitement growing throughout the arena, as we build towards the Finals.

You can follow all the action of the Volleyball Nations League (and we highly recommend that you do) via http://volleyballworld.tv and see our content via http://www.instagram.com/volleyballworld