For many students mud volleyball is a perfect excuse to get a little dirty. For many, but not for some Firebird athletes. Every year this muddy sport rolls around and each coach hopes and prays the same thing: “please don’t let my players get hurt.”

Instead of agonizing over whether or not their players are going to suffer an injury that could demolish not only the players’ seasons, but the team’s as well, many coaches ask their players to refrain from the tradition.

In the last three years softball coach Pam Pine has had a player who tore her ACL in the competition and a player who cut her foot and got a staff infection from the mud that kept her from playing for the rest of the season. Not to mention the year when there was glass in the mud.

“You just don’t know what’s in the mud,” Pine said. “There are a lot of chances for injuries. We don’t have many players to begin with. We don’t need to lose anyone due to injuries.”

Pine does not order her players not to participate but rather she “asks” them not to partake.

Softball pitcher Sierra Dickson was on last year’s champion mud volleyball team but this year she cheered on her classmates from the sidelines, away from the mud.

“I was really disappointed that I didn’t get to defend my title, but I understand it’s better for the team if we don’t play,” Dickson said.

Last year Dickson’s team was jammed pack with athletes including: Jake Miller (basketball), Matt Green (football) and Seth McCauley (golf).

Dickson planned on going to cheer her teammates on from the side lines. She tried “distance” herself from the tradition in order to not tempt herself. I

n the end this year’s championship team was DyNasty: seniors Ashleigh Allam, Ali Rueschoff, Lauren Self, Melanie McCain, Jacob Miller, Taylor Stuart, Matt Green and Daniel Gilroy.