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Welcome to SanDiegoVolleyballCamp.com. For the 4th year in a row, we will running the only officially sanctioned AVP beach camp for youth (ages 12-18) in all of San Diego County from August 4th-8th, 2008 (8:00am-11:00am) sponsored by the Association of Volleyball Professionals Next division (AVPNext), Wilson, Smartwater and Volleyball Magazine. Once again the camp will be open to both girls and boys this year. The camp will consist of 4 days of individual and small group all skills instruction led by current/former AVP players and top local high school/club volleyball coaches. The camp will conclude on Friday with a 2 x 2 tournament, with sponsor prizes awarded to the champions. Through their participation in the camp, players will be automatically enrolled in AVPNext and eligible to play in AVPNext youth tournaments throughout the country for a period of 1 year. This is an all skills camp and will focus on improving all facets of the player's technique and mental/physical approach to the game. Participants will be matched with the coach and players best suited to their abilities/experience, with a maximum of 12 players per coach. Space is extremely limited so sign up early! All profits from the AVPNext Youth Beach Camp are donated to a local youth volleyball nonprofit organization.
   
Matt Olson teaching approach footwork |
Alyssa working on her passing form |
Laura Ratto teaching the "pokie" |
Demi goes up high for a kill |
With all the options for summer volleyball camps throughout San Diego County, it is important to understand exactly why the AVPNext Youth Beach Camp is your best option; aside from the high level, personalized instruction. Every year the top high school and club teams, like perennial state champion Mira Costa High School, practice on the beach in the offseason. Why?
- #1) Because there are only 2 players on the court at any one time, every player gets many more repetitions and action on the court.
- #2) On the beach, there are no specializations like libero or setter, so every player must be capable of performing every skill. This makes for a more well rounded, better player in the long run. The US Men's National Team coach Hugh McCutcheon recently made these comments: "We need 'specialized generalists.' We need athletes that can play a position but can also play the entire game (they can all dig, set block, etc.) The best time for athletes to learn all the fundamental skills is when they are young. So by making players specialize too early, we don't allow them to learn how to play the whole game." Jay Satterfield wrote in Volleyball magazine "Doubles is one way to develop all of your skills while building hops and lateral dexterity (which improves passing)."
- #3) Moving and playing volleyball in the sand can be very difficult, as many of you may have experienced. While going from indoor to beach is difficult, going back from beach to indoor is great for the player! Beach builds quick twitch muscle fibers, especially in your legs. When you get back onto solid ground, such as indoor volleyball, you will be much quicker and stronger vertically (your hops will improve!) and laterally.
- #4) Last and maybe most important is prevention of overuse volleyball injuries. More and more, coaches today are recognizing the impact that year round indoor volleyball can have on the player's joints (knees, ankles, hips, shoulders, etc.) Many older players train strictly on the beach in the offseason because the sand is far more forgiving on the joints and helps to build the muscles around the joints which serves to protect them once they return to the hardwood. Need proof? Ask John Dunning (Stanford) who keeps jump counts on his players in season, and won't even let them jump indoors in the offseason.
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