What you need to know about beach volleyball
Beach volleyball made its first appearance at the Olympics in 1992 and by 1996 had firmly cemented its place as a medal sport. It rocketed through the NCAA’s Emerging Sports for Women program, achieving full championship status in only three years. Now, with scholarships being offered in the sport, beach volleyball facilities are in demand in high schools as well as in clubs, and in tournament venues, as well as at the college level, where explosive growth continues.
If you are thinking of putting in beach volleyball facilities, there is good news: You don’t need a beach. Many facilities being built today are in landlocked areas and once installed, see near-immediate use.
- Beach volleyball courts are not big sandboxes and they’re not self-maintaining. Building in the proper drainage and developing a schedule for regular maintenance will result in a facility that remains a pleasure for players to use.
- Don’t hit the Internet looking for facility dimensions; the information you find there is often outdated or outright wrong. ASBA’s publication, Courts & Recreational Surfaces: Construction and Maintenance Manual, provides information on clearances, court sizes, construction, and clearances. To order, go to www.sportsbuilders.org, and on the top blue toolbar, mouse over “Resources,” then select “Publications.”