As I completed my first CAS experience about volleyball pancake, I started to get more familiar with the CAS program and has the enthusiasm to accomplish more things beyond this point. In my second CAS experience, I would like to accomplish something in the Creativity part of the program, which conclusively I chose to work with an instrument that I am really familiar with, marimba.

Marimba is a percussion instrument, very similar to a xylophone but larger in size. I have been playing this instrument since I was 4, which I am very familiar with how to play the instrument and actually perform it in front of the audience. For this experience, I would like to play a single piece several times and each time with different kinds of mallets in order to find out the most suitable mallets for that piece. Thus, to have a better sense and perception of different mallets in further performances on marimba.

In order to make it a good quality recording, I will have to record the sound not just with any interior microphone in a phone, instead, I would use a more advanced microphone that specifically helps to record the sound with better quality. I choose to work with the microphone called “RØDE VideoMic Pro”, which this type of microphone is designed for better audio recordings. After having the equipment ready, I will start working on selecting the mallets in the following week!

The Introduction of RØDE VideoMic Pro:

Continue on with my experience with volleyball pancake, I have been practicing this specific skill during team practices for approximately a month now. I am confident to say that I am way more familiar with the “pancake” skill than I was before the start of this CAS experience. I feel enthusiastic about making solid progress on it and being confident enough to apply this skill in a game.

After some fundamental works and few precise attempts on enhancing this skill (see an example on the video of the previous post), I evaluated the things that could be done even more effectively and revised the practice to make it more beneficial on improving this specific skill. For example, I found out that the skill has to be utilized at a suitable range, not too close and not too far. Setting that particular range is significant because it creates a more comfortable motion on diving the ball rather than having some awkward motions when the ball is too close to the body. Moreover, it helps to make the entire motion more smoothly and more essentially, help to increase the chance to actually dig up the ball for further continuation of the play.

In addition, I decided to wear the elbow protection while practicing pancake skills. It can lower down the risk to get injured, which is essential especially on during such advanced skill that creates more direct contact with the floor. Also, the elbow protection is able to limit the friction between the skin and the floor which help to make the continuation of motion more completely.

As a result, I have successfully displayed a complete motion of the pancake skill and successfully dug up the ball. I reached my goal in this CAS experience, which is to “pancake” 8 out of 10 balls in a trail. It’s a meaningful and remarkable experience for me especially on completing my first CAS experience.

For this CAS experience, I decided to improve an advanced volleyball skill called “PANCAKE”. Defending is a significant part during a volleyball game. It is what keeps the game from continuing. It is especially essential for me as I am the Libero of my team.  The position of a libero doesn’t necessarily require the skills to attack such as spiking or blocking, however, being a libero means to be the best defensive player of the team. By improving this advanced skill, it will be able to help me, especially on strengthen my defend area since this skill is used defensively at the majority of the time during the game. It is able to dig up some balls that are considered impossible to save. I am glad that I get to improve this specific skill as one of my CAS experience and to improve my performance in the game by being consistent with it.

I have been watching related videos on Youtube and been practicing this skill during team practice. My goal is to successfully “pancake” the ball 8 out of 10 times of trial. Here are the resources and evidence that I have done until this point…

• Youtube Video that helped me in learning pancake in volleyball…

• My experience in “making pancake”!

  I still have a lot to work on in order to master this skill, however, I am satisfied with the result that I have got until this point. I am looking forward to being more familiar with this advanced volleyball skill and hopefully, successfully apply this skill during a game in the future!

My name is Henry, a current Junior studying at Kaohsiung American School. Simple and steady, the ideal way I am always seeking for in life. Instead of relaxing at home all day, I am the type of person that likes to fill my schedule with a variety of different things that I enjoy and interested in. Here is my profile for the CAS. 

For me, I have greater enthusiasm for sport and music which they count as major parts in that variety of things. By filling my schedule with a substantial amount of things to do, I put time management as an essential concept in my daily life. I like to plan things ahead of time in order to result in great efficiency. It gives me a sense of confidence that I have the time to accomplish the works that have to be done. Everyone only owns 24 hours per day, therefore, it is necessary to manage my time more wisely so I will be able to have the chance to accomplish things that I have been wanting to do it in my life. A life full of excitement is one of my desire but sometimes things just won’t go that well and time just will not stop for you. Thus, time management becomes a crucial life skill for me and master it will be one of the ultimate goals that I wish to achieve before graduating from high school.  

Creativity is a complex and abstract element that I have been working on especially in high school. I am interested in putting creativity into art especially in music. Music is able to create lots of unique things and variations that are totally different from others. I think I still have a lot to work on with creativity since it is so abstract that no one has a perfect answer for it.

As I mentioned above, the enthusiasm for sport and music are a major part that greatly influences my life for years now. I believe these 2 elements help me have a stronger fundamental in the activity category. These 2 things are the main factors that keep my life going with endless excitement and keep me motivated when I am low in life.

I will start up with sports. Athletics and sports have become one of the essential for me since I was little that I couldn’t remember the rise of it. I have mainly been playing soccer and basketball when I was in elementary school but had a major switch to volleyball as I went into middle school. Volleyball becomes one of my favorite thing to do in life. I love the concepts that are required in volleyball and I love it because the success of it cannot be done just by one person. I love how everyone on the team aims for the same goal and dedicate to it with passion and enthusiasm. I love sport because it gives me a sense of belonging and a unique way to relate myself to society.

The power of music becomes another major factor that inspires me in life. I have been playing an instrument called “Marimba”, a bigger kind of xylophone, since the age of 4. I have never held back from playing the marimba. I always believe that music is just another form of communication. It is a language that is full of emotions and expressions. It is a way to bring joy to the world and is another connection between the world and myself.

Service, another major element in the CAS program. I believe it is the category that I need to work on the most out of the three CAS program because I think it is hard for me to gradually give back to the community with such rapid life every day. Furthermore, I do not have a lot of ideas and plans specifically about service which I believe I have to work more harder on this category especially in the CAS program.

These are all my major points about myself through some brief introductions. I am looking forward to finding some intriguing questions and challenging moments in CAS and hopefully, I will overcome these challenges and be able to discover deeper into the truth of self and to guide me to the light of my future.