Sand valley-ball

At Kalu Yala

2

Table of Contents

Rebuilding: The Sand Valley-all Court Report ………………………………………………………3

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………….3

History ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….3

Proposed Vision …………………………………………………………………………….……………4

Challenges ……………………………………………………………………………….……...…………5

A. Rock and Safety Area ……………………………………………………….…………….5

B. Drainage: Part I ………………………………………………………………………………6

C. Clay and Sand …………………………………………………………………………………7

D. Drainage: Part II ……………………………………………………………………………10

E. Supporting Posts ………………………………………………………………………….10

Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………………11

Works Cited ………………………………………………………………………………………………12

Assumption of Risk, Agreement to Participate, and Informed consent Liability

Waiver……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….13

Medical Information Form …………………………………………………………………………………14

Accident Report …………………………………………………………………………………………………16

Incident Report …………………………………………………………………………………………………18

Emergency Action Plan ………………………………………………………………………………………20

Maintenance Plan ……………………………………………………………………………………………..22

3

History

In June 2011 construction began on the first sand valley-ball court. Brigitte Desvaux headed the project with several interns as a group effort to kick-off the outdoor recreation semester at Kalu Yala. In taking sustaina-bility true to heart, the interns tested the banks of the Río Pacora to see how fast sand would replenish if they harvested from there. Positive results proved that the beach would replenish after rain, allowing the team to utilize the sand. The court was laid-out west to east, in the direction of the rising and setting sun. The interns then macheted grass covering the court area as low as possible before bringing in sand. They also weaved together a net from rope, the only material purchased for the entire project. By September 2011 there was no sand left and the grass had completely overgrown the playing area.

It wasn't until Spring 2012 that the court received it’s first makeover. It was plotted in the same spot, still reg-ulation size at 30x60, staked-out and excavated this time down to the dirt, removing all roots and grass. One roll of plastic sheeting was purchased from the Do It Center for $60.00. With this the new interns and Brigitte were able to used steel U-shaped gardening pins, along with wire that they molded into U-shapes, to pin down the plastic. Around 15 loads of sand were brought up by car from the Río Pacora. A friend and fellow Valley-ball fanatic, Jorge Castro, supplied an extra net that he had and by this point the posts from the first court were rotting so Brigitte salvaged extra hardwood from Rancho construction. With time, it was discov-ered that water would pool in certain areas and drag the sand out with the slope of the land; sand was re-plenished once during dry season (beginning in January).

Proposed Vision

Taking into account the amount of rain the Valley receives depending on the season played a major factor in court design. The original idea was to build the court up several inches and have it surrounded by a trench, similar to that of the existing Ranchos, utilizing a variation of French drainage. Sand would be brought down from the previous Valley-ball court and mixed-in with sand from the beaches at Río Pacora and Mermaid Hole so as not to deplete one swimming spot over the other. Poles and netting would also be reused from the previous court. Weatherproof stain will be used on the poles before they are replanted at the new site. Net height will stand 2.24m (7' 4 1/4") to accommodate Coed participants.

Rebuilding: The Sand Valley-ball Court Report

Kristen Connors

Summer 2013

More like culture than sport, Sand Valley-ball is taken extremely serious at Kalu Yala. After reading through several blog posts on the Kalu Yala website, it is not difficult to see how popular this game is amongst interns, directors and visitors alike. With the new Outdoor Recreation field developing in full swing, relocation and construction of a new court seemed an appropriate start to the park.

4

5

Challenges

A. Rocks and Safety Area

While mapping out court dimensions a boulder was discovered one foot south of center court. After three

attempts to dig around and unearth the boulder a group discussion resulted in moving the entire court one

foot south so that the boulder would sit under the middle of the net. At first the overall design was changed

so that the 4x4 would be utilized to bring in clay from Suicide Hill. This would build up the court and clay

would be packed in around and over the boulder for safety. Furthermore, “the extremely large specific sur-

face of clay provides more contact area between particles, and this more opportunity for various interparti-

cle forces to develop” (Coduto, et al. 148-151). However, the realization of the amount of clay and gas this

project would need further called to alter the design and playing waiver. The final result is a court that is

packed with only one layer of clay, followed by sand, with the boulder still pronounced.

With the change in depth of clay to accommodate the bolder it was decided that the safety area would be raised higher than the court itself so that when playing, if one moved too close to the outskirts of the court they would step up, slowing momentum, rather than stepping down with gravity into the trench. Doing so would also prevent water from pouring over the court, dragging the sand with it because of the slope of the land. The safety area of sand around the court was concerning with the uplifting of the clay and sand and would leave almost a foot drop from the safety area to the rock-filled trench. The solution to this was making the decision to puzzle the rocks to create a flat surface if one was to step down into the trench.

6

B. Drainage: Part I

Drainage and runoff from the rest of the field was another challenge faced when constructing the court. Be-

cause of the height of the safety sand area, water may pool in certain areas of the court and causes similar

problems to that of the first two Valley-ball courts that were constructed.

Scott Linthacum, an architecture intern, helped come up with drainage designs utilizing bamboo for piping as

shown below.

7

After discussions with the Outdoor Recreation directors, Bryann Hoffman and Megan Pelham, there was an overall consensus to nix the bamboo drainage system and use PVC pipes with one end capped and the other leading to the drainage ditch point covered by burlap and secured with zip ties. However, in order to stay within budget for the overall Outdoor Recreation team, and after seeing first-hand effects of rain off the court while under construction, the final decision was to dig out small, narrow channels. These channels are dug out on the safety area and lead away from the court at the lowest point, which is located on the west side of the court, working with the natural surrounding slope of the recreation field (Sandorfi).

C. Clay and Sand

With the trenches puzzled with rocks and the safety area around the court packed in, it was time to bring in clay. Interns from the outdoor recreation team helped shovel mounds of clay from Suicide Hill into the car to be brought down to the court. Bringing in clay from this point was the shortest and relatively easiest access point for the car. Several loads were raked and evened out, eye-level.

8

After a few weeks of anticipation, Kalu Yala purchased a Gator, which could not have been driven-in at a

more convenient time for continuing construction on the Valley-ball court. The series of pictures below

demonstrate the simplicity in use of this machine, which overall spent less gas and took less time to fill the

court with sand.

The sand was also raked out and evened, eye-level and the posts were brought down from the old court and

stamped into the new, about one foot outside of the trench. The poles have about two more years left in

their life-span before they will need to be replaced. The net is also being reused from the previous court.

9

The day after sand was brought in and the posts were up, the first storm of the rainy season blew threw the

Valley leaving the results shown in the pictures below. It is obvious from the pictures that the puzzled rocks

in the trenches failed to allow proper water flow with the large amount of runoff, which caused water to spill

over the Safety Sand Area and onto the court. Fortunately the narrow channels dug-out of the west side of

the court helped keep the flow of water contained to an extent that sand depletion was minimum, as seen

on the next page.

10

Most of this over-spill of sand was shoveled back onto the court and raked out. The Gator was utilized once

more to bring in another layer of sand.

D. Drainage: Part II

The unpredictability of the rainy-season brought about the opportunity to observe the effectiveness of the

first drainage system, and furthermore the opportunity for improvement. The next step in the process to cre-

ating a usable court came down to un-puzzling all of the rocks previously laid in the trenches and widening

them, digging at a slight slope from the middle of the court to aid the gravity flow of water once in the

trench. So far this has proven to be an effective solution.

E. Supporting Posts

Secondary posts were brought down from the previous sand court and tamped into the ground to provide

support to the net line. Tamping is an easy method that insures support of posts when concrete is not used.

The process involves digging out a deep hole, setting in the post, and using small rocks to fill in the surround-

ing space in the hole. A sledge hammer is then used to make sure the rocks are packed in and positioned cor-

rectly around the post. The remained of the hole is then filled with the dirt that was previously dug out.

11

Conclusions

The main features designed for this new court include the surrounding drainage trench, the safety sand area,

and the direction in which the court faces; these three updates will prove to be beneficial to the players and

overall recreation park. With high hopes that rain water will continue to flow properly through the trenches

and that the boulder in the middle of the net will not stand to be a future safety concern, the culture involv-

ing Sand Valley-ball at Kalu Yala will continue to be a popular sport for all interns, directors, and future guests

in the Valley.

12

Works Cited

Coduto, Donald, Man-chu Ronald Yeung, and William A. Kitch. Geotechnical Engineering Principles and Practices. 2nd. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Higher Education, Inc., 2011. 148-151. Print.

Sandorfi, C.C. "Volleyball." Court Cents. n.d. n. page. Web. 15 Jun. 2013. <http://web.archive.org/web/20040726092240/http://www.volleyballmag.com/instruct/aug95 /court2.htm>.

13

Sand Valley-ball Court

Assumption of Risk, Agreement to

Participate, and Informed Consent Liability Waiver

I, ________________________________, fully understand that participating in playing on the Sand Val-

ley-ball Court at Kalu Yala involves physically demanding activities (e.g. stretches, warm-ups, games)

that are potentially dangerous. I understand that participating in such activities includes inherent risks

that could potentially result in, but be not limited to, minor injuries such as cut, bruises, scraps, sprains,

and abrasions, as well as, more severe injuries such as broken bones, concussions, spinal and neck inju-

ries, paralysis, and death. I agree and hereby state that I am solely responsible for my physical and

emotional well-being, and I voluntarily agree to participate in those activities to a degree I deem ap-

propriate, after fully considering my own physical and emotional health, my abilities and current medi-

cal condition.

In consideration of my participation in playing on Kalu Yala’s Sand Valley-ball Court, I willingly and

knowingly assume for myself, my heirs, family members, administrators, estate, and assigns all risk of

physical and emotional injury during or after participating in all activities, phases, and aspects of this

game. I hereby release Kalu Yala, its employees, instructors, volunteers, agents, sponsors, administra-

tors, or managers, and all others who are involved with this program, from any and all present and fu-

ture claims of liability and/or ordinary negligence resulting from my participation in this program.

I knowingly agree to indemnify and hold Kalu Yala, or anyone acting on its behalf, harmless for all fees and costs it incurs to enforce this agreement. I also understand that this waiver is intended to be as broad and inclusive as permitted by law and agree that if any portion is held invalid, the remainder of the waiver will continue in full legal force and effect.

Caution Read this Agreement Before Signing !!!

I have had sufficient time and opportunity to read this document. I have read and understand it, and I

voluntarily agree to be bound by its terms.

_________________________ _________________________

Name (please print) Course/Company

_________________________ _________________________

Participant's Signature Date

14

Sand Valley-ball Court

Medical Information Form

This Medical Information Form is to be used in conjunction with the Kalu Yala Sand Valley-ball Court

Liability Waiver.

Print Name_____________________________________ Date(s)_____________

Program_______________________________________

As a participant in this program, I acknowledge that I am aware of the physical activities involved and

agree to the terms of the Liability Waiver. I am accepting my own responsibility for my decision to par-

ticipate based partly on the information that I am disclosing on this Medical Information Form. This

Medical Information Form implies no diagnostic analysis whatsoever, it is being used so that I may

make an informed decision about my own physical ability to participate in playing on the Sand Valley-

ball Court offered this date.

Are you currently under a doctor’s supervision for an illness, injury or medical disorder? YES / NO

If yes, Why?__________________________________________________________________________

Are you pregnant? YES / NO

Are you taking any medications? YES / NO List medications and reason for taking:

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Are you allergic to any medications? YES / NO Please list:

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Are you allergic to bees, snakes or other biting creatures? YES / NO

If yes, what type of reaction do you have and do you carry medication for it?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

List any injury you have had that required a doctors’ supervision including : head, back, spine, bone,

muscle, tendon, ligament, disk, hernia, dislocation, fracture, sprain or strain, please list any others and

the dates of doctors care:

15

Please circle any condition that you have: dizziness, loss of consciousness, epilepsy, migraine headaches,

heart condition, shortness of breath, high or low blood pressure, diabetes, hypoglycemia, please list any

others:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Would any of the conditions circled or listed above prevent you from participating in the physical activi-

ties at Kalu Yala? YES / NO

__________________________________________ _______________

Participant’s Signature Date

__________________________________________ _______________

Participant’s Parent/ Guardian Signature Date

__________________________________________

Print name of Parent/ Guardian

__________________________________________ ___________________________

Emergency Contact Person Phone Number

16

Sand Valley-ball Court

Accident Report

Director/Supervisor ___________________________________

Victim: M / F (Name) __________________________________ Age _____

Date ____________ Time ____________ AM / PM

PART I

A. ___ Injury ___ Illness ___ Incident (describe):

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

(Choose details from PART II & III).

B. Medical Evaluation? ___ No ___ Yes Method: ________________________________________

Medical Facility? ___ No ___ Yes

Pre-existing condition? ___ No ___ Yes

C. Weather (circle):

Sunny Strong wind Foggy Light wind Rain Overcast Other:________________________

D. Narrative: (Describe how the accident happened, include medical treatment provided, and disposi-

tion of victim. Attach physician’s report if victim was examined and/or treated by one)

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

E. Analysis: (Include any recommendations, suggestions and observations)

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

17

PART II

A. Type of Injury or Illness (may be duplicated from PART I).

___ Abrasion ___Laceration ___Dermatitis

___Burn ___Puncture ___Fever

___Concussion ___Sprain ___Gastrointestinal

___Contusion ___Strain

___Fatigue ___Infection

___URI (Resp) ___AMS (Altitude)

___Urinary Tract ___Allergy Other:_________________________

PART III

A. Contributing Factors or Type of Near Miss/Incident (may check more than one).

___ Clothing ___Fatigue ___Slip/fall

___Darkness ___Speed ___Misbehavior

___Drugs ___Lightning ___Instruction

___Equipment ___Medication ___Supervision

___Exceed abilities ___Missing/lost ___Weather

___Falling rock/object ___Protection failure

___Fast water ___Psychological

___Failed to follow instructions

18

Sand Valley-ball Court

Incident/ Close Call Report

(For Internal Use Only)

IMPORTANT: COMPLETE ALL SECTIONS OF THIS FORM WITH SPECIDIC FACTS ONLY.

To be filled out whenever:

A medical problem has had a significant effect on an individual’s participation.

An individual receives medical attention.

An incident occurs that does not result in injury, but which reveals a potential safety problem (a

“close call”).

—————————————————————————————————————————————————

Staff member supervising the activity (Full name): _____________________________________

Date _____________ Time _____________ AM / PM

Weather (circle):

Sunny Strong wind Foggy Light wind Rain Overcast Other:__________________

Participant’s name: _____________________________________

(If more than one participant, attach additional forms with complete victim information).

Street address: _________________________________________________________________

City: _______________________ State: ______ Zip code: _______________

Phone No:_______________________________ Age: _____ Sex: _____

Type of clothing: __________________________________________________________________________

Participant’s size (circle one):

Small (up to 100lbs) Medium (100-140lbs)

Large (140-180lbs) Extra Large (180+)

Other physical conditions: ___________________________________________________________________

Full name(s) of primary witness(es) ____________________________________________________________

Description of incident ______________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

19

Resultant of injury (if any) ___________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

First aid treatment given ____________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Other medical treatment action taken (Transported to a hospital? Where? With whom? Etc.) _____________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

List possible safety rules or procedures that the participant did not follow: ____________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe the participant’s previous level of participation (behavior and attitude): _______________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________ _________________________________

Signature of Staff Member Filling Report Signature of Valley Operations Director

________________

Date Filed

20

1. Three facilitators should be designated to manage the following:

MEDICAL -Responsible for all medical issues (administrating or directing); usually the

only one with the most medical training.

TEAM -Responsible for coordinating the whole team including making all phone calls

(911, etc.), sending people to the road head to direct traffic, coordinating help

and information.

CLIENT -Responsible for moving the group away from the accident area and dealing

with their emotional issues; provide help to the other coordinators.

NOTE: Choosing who does each role should be decided at the beginning of each semester. If there are less

than three facilitators then responsibilities will need to be divided evenly.

2. Think first! It only takes a few seconds.

A) Assess safety before jumping right in to rescue or treat.

B) Assess the mechanism of injury. How did this happen? What injury should we expect? Is this life

threatening? If so 911 should be called right away. Should they be immobilized (usually a good

idea)?

C) Is there more than one injured participant?

D) Make a Team Plan.

3. A) Facilitator responsible for the MEDICAL aspect should do a primary survey by checking the ABC’s

(Airway, Breathing, and Circulation). Also check for severe bleeding. If there is a problem with any of

Sand Valley-ball Court Emergency Action Plan

21

B) Facilitator responsible for the TEAM aspect should do the following:

Call 911 if needed and stay on the phone until they arrive.

If 911 is called, send one person to the road where Suicide Hill meets the Pacora and one

person to the blue gate (South entrance of the field) to show EMS where to go.

Coordinate between the Medical and the Client Facilitators to update them and to see if

they need anything.

Notify the Valley Operations Director(s) as soon as possible.

C) Facilitator responsible for the CLIENT aspect should do the following:

Keep the clients out of harm’s way and away from the Medical Facilitator.

Give people jobs to do to keep them busy.

Don’t promise more than you can deliver; it is okay to say that we are doing everything

possible.

Within these constraints, try to deal with the groups’ emotional trauma, which is very real.

Keep in mind that time will seem to go slower than it really is.

4. Follow-up:

- Make sure that the court is secured.

-All facilitators present need to document in writing what they saw (Incident/ Close Call Report) and

submit this to the Valley Operation(s) Directors.

-Incidents and the involved parties are to be kept confidential; any and all media attention should be

directed to Kate Stewart.

-It is a good idea to have a staff debrief to deal with any issues.

22

Responsibility of future maintenance to the Sand Valley-ball Court will be designated to future Outdoor Rec-

reation interns. This could possible be a task added to the morning chores list or chores designated to the

Outdoor Recreation team by its director(s).

WEEKLEY MAINTENANCE TASKS

Weeding through Safety Sand Area, Trenches and Sand Court.

Rake leaves off court and that in trenches from surrounding trees.

Using a rake to even-out the court

LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE TASKS

On as-needed basis, bringing in sand at the beginning of each semester to replenish and repack

the court.

Replace the main court poles in 2015.

Keep brainstorming new drainage designs

Sand Valley-ball Court Maintenance Plan