Beach Volleyball Grows In Popularity As Fun Sport And Exercise Fad
Beach volleyball has become the "in" thing both as a competitive game and as an exercise activity, the sport gaining more popularity for its tough full-body workout, and outdoor appeal.
John Fairbanks and Matt McCutcheon, Daytona Beach regular beach players, talk about the demanding nature of the sport. An enthusiastic player himself, Jason Morgan believes that with just two players, completely covering the court is somewhat hard in beach volleyball. Assistant principal and outdoorsman Jon Cunningham also shared his love of beach volleyball when talking about its really cool way of staying in shape. He can often be spotted playing at least several times every week on the courts of Daytona Beach's Ocean Deck. This is what makes running and jumping in the sand so engrossing for Cunningham.
This was clear in beach volleyball as it made rapid strides. Since it was included as an "emerging sport" in the NCAA in 2011, the number of college teams has expanded from 15 to 50, fulfilling the requirements of the NCAA for an official championship, which will enter its inaugural season in spring 2016. The sport is now only held exclusively for women in the NCAA, which creates new athletic opportunities for the female athlete, who, perhaps, prefers the outdoor game to the traditional indoor game. About 60% of college volleyball players focus exclusively on this sport, which is unique from indoor volleyball in rules, team size, and necessary skills.
In contrast with indoor volleyball, beach volleyball is a two-player sport, involving vastly more general all-around skill since there are no specialty positions in a six-player team, as is typical in indoor volleyball. Another founder of Blue Crush Elite Volleyball Academy and also former professional player, Larissa Maloney stipulates that every player in beach volleyball is totally committed to each play. They are compelled to learn every part: setting, passing, and attacking-moves that raise their dexterity and independence more too. Playing outdoors also poses challenges especially when it comes to the wind and strong sunshine; for example, these make the game even tougher.
Beach volleyball can be a very demanding sport, as it requires strength and agility in the sand, which may leave beginners failing to jump effectively. Maloney says that learning to jump in the sand is a skill of its own. She runs her academy in Ormond Beach, training young athletes and taking them to tournaments across Florida and beyond. As there are no high school teams for beach volleyball, college recruitment relies on club and tournament play.
On a university team, around 15-20 players are recruited. The matches are played as the five pairs compete with each other, and the winner is chosen by winning three games.
With this great chance of befriending new people while keeping fit, Morgan has moved down to Daytona Beach from Minneapolis. With much comfort and warmth in it, the beach volleyball community does allow him to mingle easily with the others.
The main differences that distinguish beach from indoor volleyball include the playing surface (sand versus hard court), size, and team dynamics. Beach volleyball courts are smaller. Teams consist of only two players with no substitutions, and matches are shorter—best of three sets to 21 points. Those dynamics make for an action-packed, high-intensity game that is attracting fitness enthusiasts and athletes of all stripes to the sand.
