correct pronunciation

refnrev · #1 (**permalink**) Fri Aug 12, 2005, 03:27pm

Leaned something new at the rules interpretation meeting last night. On TV in college and Oympic games the Libero has been prounced Lu BEAR O but found out last night that the actual pronunciation is LEE BAH RO. Also was glad to learn that, at least at first, we're told to make it a real learning experience and that we have been told be be patient and assume more of a teaching role and try to correct mistakes by players and coaches rather than penalize them. You could see how several of the coaches and officials are going to be in much more of a cooperative spirit this year as everyone makes this transition. This should be a very interesting season!

MCBear · #2 (**permalink**) Sun Aug 14, 2005, 10:48am

refnrev, ditto out here on the left coast! We just had our state rules meeting yesterday and the emphasis with the libero (actual pronunciation - LEE-beh-ro - just a very minor difference from the phonetic one being shown on the PPT slides) is on being proactive this year in teaching about the position and emphasizing that we are still experimenting with it. There are still a lot of coaches and players who do not have experience with club ball who are going to have to learn how the libero works and what the position can (and cannot) do. That way, after this season, it can be tweaked when it becomes an actual rule next year.

refnrev · #3 (**permalink**) Mon Aug 15, 2005, 10:14pm

MC Bear,
What surprised me most at the rules meeting was how many coaches are confused about it. I knew that several of us who officiate would have lots of questions about back row, front row, over the height of the net, etc. But from the questions I could see that so many of the coaches are still pretty much in the dark about how this thing is really going to work. I'm just glad that we don't have to try to track this thing on a lineup card when we're the U.

MCBear · #4 (**permalink**) Tue Aug 16, 2005, 12:53am

Yep, the only thing we have to worry about is that the player who was replaced by the libero is the one who returns to the court (and the lineup card will show that since it will indicate whether a legal sub has taken place or not).

varefump · #5 (**permalink**) Wed Aug 17, 2005, 07:38am

The 2005 NFHS Volleyball Guide states that the correct pronunciation is "lee-bah-ro", but when I attended the 2004 NASO conference in Arlington, VA, the 'top' volleyball expert there (name to remain anonymous) said that the word should be pronounced "LEE-bro".
Our state interpreter, during her clinic, pronounced it both ways.
So I still don't know which way is correct.
Hopefully, by the end of this thread, someone in authority will clarify this situation.

FMadera · #6 (**permalink**) Wed Aug 17, 2005, 08:55am

Quote:

The 2005 NFHS Volleyball Guide states that the correct pronunciation is "lee-bah-ro", but when I attended the 2004 NASO conference in Arlington, VA, the 'top' volleyball expert there (name to remain anonymous) said that the word should be pronounced "LEE-bro".
Our state interpreter, during her clinic, pronounced it both ways.
So I still don't know which way is correct.
Hopefully, by the end of this thread, someone in authority will clarify this situation.

LEE-bro isn't correct. Libero is a three syllable word, not two, which would make it wrong.

The correct pronunciation is LEE-buh-ro. It's Italian for "free player." Some people pronounce it "lih-BARE-oh," but I tell them, "it's not the 'statue of lih-BUHR-tee.'" Accent on the first syllable.