Jill's Journal: How can they play with those nails?

I’ve spent 62 years on this earth with little-to-no luck of maintaining manicured nails. I’ve started a business from scratch, paid taxes, survived the perm era, and learned the mysterious ways of microwaves, seat warmers, and smartphones. I’ve even figured out how to use emojis.

But I have to say one fashion trend this high school volleyball season that has me scratching my head are the brightly-painted faux fingernails that some of our Lady Lynx volleyball players have been sporting this season.

Apparently, this is a thing.

These are the same girls who just brought home third place at the State AA Tournament – smart, athletic, hardworking, powerful hitters … and potentially part-time hand models. Meanwhile, I sit on the sidelines with my trusty ol’ Nikon in hand and I break a nail by simply pushing the shutter button. I surely know that they can send a man to the moon, but I still can’t figure out how these girls can serve, set, spike, and celebrate with celebrity-like manicured nails.

When I was their age, the only thing we taped to our fingers was … tape. Maybe a Band-Aid if we were feeling fancy. The idea of adding extra length? Unthinkable. We were too busy trying to not break things.

But these girls? They fly around the court like caffeinated hummingbirds, launching themselves after impossible saves, never losing a single press-on. I break a nail unloading groceries.

And the colors! Red. White. Black. Polka dots. Pink. Purple. 

In my interviews with some of the girls following Brandon Valley’s third-place win, I had to ask senior Riya Sheley how she and the others could possibly play volleyball with nails that I only wish I had. 

“If you have nails, you can see your hand better when you hit the ball,” she told me. “A lot of us like bright colors … it’s hand-eye coordination, but its’s also just fun.”

Of course, I had to ask if a nail ever went flying off when she hammers a kill or gets a hand on a block.

She smiled, showing me her hands, each missing a brightly-colored nail coming off of three straight days of high-scale volleyball.

“You get used to them,” she assured me.

‘You get used to them?’ I’m still surprised by automatic soap dispensers, faucets and towel dispensers I plunked my paws under at various convenience stations along the I-90 route to and from Rapid City.

Although I can’t fathom how they do it, I absolutely love it.

This team has personality. Flair. Confidence. They worked their hearts out all season, battled through injuries and a five-set semifinal thriller loss, and walked away with the third-place hardware – the second-best finish in BV program history. And crazily so, they did it while looking like they were ready for a Vogue photoshoot.

So, while I may never fully understand how they jump serve with an extra inch of acrylic on each hand, or how they open a water bottle without sending a nail across the floor, I’ve decided my confusion is irrelevant.

They’re teenagers. They’re athletes. They’re having fun. They’re expressing themselves.

And me? I’m just the 62-year-old woman on the sidelines snapping pictures, taking notes and cheering them on, all the while thinking, “If I wore nails like that, how in the world would I ever get my jeans zipped and fastened.”

But if these girls can pull off state-level volleyball and state-level style at the same time, maybe, just maybe I can learn a thing or two from them.

I’ll start small. Maybe a clear coat. Let’s not get crazy.

* * *

Congratulations to Brandon Valley Head Volleyball Coach Marette Grage and staff, and of course, the Lady Lynx on your third-place state finish. Once again, it’s been a fun season to tell your story from the first serve to the final kill!