GILROY—Gavilan’s volleyball players are taking their game outside this spring.
The Rams announced the launch of their sand volleyball program this week, which begins in Spring 2015. The addition of the sport was driven by Southern California teams as well as its growing popularity across the Golden State.
Gavilan coach Kevin Kramer said sand volleyball also brings the school closer to compliance with Title IX—the 1972 United States Education Amendment, which states there must be an equal amount of athletic opportunities for both male and female athletes.
Sand volleyball, Kramer said, is also cost effective addition as the only major financial obligation stems from the one-time cost of adding facilities—something that’s still in the planning process. Plus, recruiting is easier than starting a program from scratch.
“We already have a captivated audience as far as indoor players that would obviously translate over and we’ve had a huge, huge interest in people from the community that are interested in participating,” Kramer said. “Put all those things together and the board and the president decided it was a good route to go to get a little closer to getting (Title IX) compliant.”
For Gavilan, the addition of sand volleyball has been a few years in the making. The Rams have participated in it at the club level and played teams from San Jose State University as well as other junior colleges in the area, but Kramer said they are excited it’s been officially added to the California Community College Athletic Association’s list of varsity sports.
Sand volleyball varies slightly from its indoor counterpart as teams shrink from six players to two and it’s played on a slightly smaller court. The general rules, such as how many contacts per side, stay the same, but Kramer said these small changes make it a completely different game requiring more strategy and skill.
“You really need to be an all-around player,” he said. “In the indoor game you can kind of separate back row players and setters and front row players. In the outdoor game you really have to be able to do everything.”
Players will also strengthen their own knowledge of the sport as coaches aren’t allowed to provide in-match instruction. Sand volleyball is also gentler on the athlete’s body as they don’t feel the pounding from the hardwood courts.
“It really becomes them and their partner problem solving, working it out, strategizing and those types of things,” Kramer said. “The kids really get to go out and just play. …From a coach’s standpoint, they learn how to play the game on their own on a completely different level.”
Not everyone who plays indoor will play sand and vice versa, but those who do will definitely strengthen their game, Kramer said. Not only will they see improvement in their individual skills—passing, setting, hitting, ect.—but will see agility differences on the hardwood, too.
“It’s going to make them a heck of a lot stronger,” Kramer said. “They find after trying to jump in the sand and move in the sand, they come inside and they feel like Usain Bolt moving around the court because they don’t have the sand holding them down anymore.”
The Rams are currently recruiting players for the spring season. For more information, contact Kramer at [email protected].
