Summer is coming.
For young volleyball athletes, that means registration for the Sunshine Westside Beach Camp and South Bay Beach camp is in full swing. From beginning to expert, a summer of focused volleyball instruction on the beach in smaller teams ensures players get more contacts per hour, learn how to communicate and work better on a team, and continue their love for the sport over the summer months.
“There’s more to volleyball than playing inside. Although it’s the same sport, it’s different in how we train, and overall, learning to play outdoors rounds out our players’ skills and teaches them work ethic, focus and determination, all while having fun with their friends and teammates” said Kyle Weindel, associate club director.
Beach camp coaches teach beginning to expert players from ages 8-16, grouped by age and ability, ensuring that everyone is receiving appropriate instruction. Beginners are taught the basic fundamentals needed to have fun playing, and advanced players learn skills to fine-tune their game, such as ball control, reading opponents movements, doubles strategy and serving. Both beginners and advanced players are welcome at the Sunshine beach camps because the community and fellowship of the program is unmatched, Weindel said.
“The most important part of the camp is having fun. We want every player to have individualized attention from the coaches, so there’s a lot of interaction, a lot of fun. We’re in the business of providing opportunities for young girls and want to provide as many opportunities to play this game as we can,” Weindel said. “Volleyball is a loved sport, and during the summer, our methods of teaching and drills are engaging, effective and fun for girls of all ages.”
Sunshine Beach Camp is an extension of Sunshine Volleyball Club’s successful indoor program, a program that has instilled the love of volleyball in girls since 1998. Over the last three years, both indoor and outdoor volleyball programs have seen growth.
“Sunshine has doubled in size and we’re up over 600 players and over 50 teams on the indoor side. We’re really looking forward to expanding our beach camps as well that regularly see 300 to 500 kids per summer,” Weindel said.
Sunshine comprises top-tier coaches dedicated to the sport year-round. Chris Flood, the current beach director, has coached on an Olympic level and assists volleyball at Pepperdine, another one is the head coach of the ninth-ranked California Golden Bears. Many coaches are also players, including one on the fourth-ranked beach volleyball team at UCLA and another one on the seventh-ranked team at Stanford, and several who play professionally in Italy and Germany and U.S. national indoor teams.
Joining a summer team for the love of the sport is a valuable experience for time management, goal setting and training ahead of the school year.
“Athletes have a reputation of knowing how to work hard, how to manage their time between friends, family, school, athletics and training, there’s not a lot of time. But they do it because they love the sport and the values it instills in them,” Weindel added.
Westside Beach Camp is in session from June 10 through Aug. 16 at Will Rogers State Beach. South Bay Beach Camp runs from June 17 through Aug. 9. Players can enroll by the week or by the day. Daily registration ranges from $65 to $80 per day, weekly registration ranges $265 to $330, depending on location.
To learn more about Sunshine Westside Beach Camp visit, https://sunshinevolleyballclub.com/programs/beach-camp/westside/. Information on South Bay Beach Camp can be found here: https://sunshinevolleyballclub.com/programs/beach-camp/south-bay/.
