SMBC Boys Volleyball Club is thrilled to announce the launch of its Boys Beach Club Program for youth and junior boys volleyball players who want to take their game to the sand. The program will be based out of Thousand Oaks, CA, but athletes from all any and all Southern California areas are welcome to join! Here are answers to some Frequently Asked Questions:

#01 - When and where will practices be held?

Our primary practice location is the Yarrow YMCA in Westlake Village, but we have multiple courts available in Thousand Oaks, as well as the first-serve rights of use at the Ventura Harbor Cove beach courts for more tournament-esque play. We will build a practice schedule that is designed to meet the needs of our athletes, working with the players and families.

#02 - How often will they practice?

This depends on the program your athlete enrolls in. All enrolled beach athletes will practice at least once per week, with the highest level practicing three times per week. See next question for more specific details.

#03 - What are the different Beach Club options?

We have three categories of athlete: Full-Time Beach, Part-Time Beach, and Cross-Train. Full-Time Beach athletes are committed exclusively to beach volleyball and are not playing indoor volleyball; these athletes could practice anywhere from 2-3 times per week, depending on further specifics. Part-Time Beach athletes are committed to beach volleyball, but are also committed to indoor volleyball club teams and/or other sports; these athletes practice anywhere from 1-2 times per week, depending on the time of year. Cross-Train athletes are athletes not looking to play in any beach tournament events, but who want to keep training for beach volleyball in some form to keep their skills up.

#04 - What if I am playing indoor for SMBC Boys?

You can still participate in the Beach Program. We will ensure the schedule works for our athletes who want to participate and there are discounts available for athletes playing for both sides of the overall program, beach and indoor.

#05 - Can I play for the SMBC Boys Beach Club even if I don't play for SMBC indoor?

Yes - the program is open to all those who wish to participate in beach volleyball at the club level.

#06 - How is the season structured?

We have three phases of the overall season. Season Phase #1 is October to January and does have some overlap with the boys indoor club season; with holidays, it is three months of practice time spread between four calendar months. Season Phase #2 is February to April and does have some overlap with the boys indoor high school season; three months. Season Phase #3 is May to July and has overlap again with boys club indoor season; three months. We will work with our athletes to ensure they are not overloaded and can participate in both our beach boys program and also their club or high school indoor season.

#07 - What does it mean to be a Full-Time Beach Club athlete?

This is for athletes who are not playing another sport (indoor volleyball or otherwise) and wish to focus exclusively on beach volleyball. Practices are three times per week in each phase. For each three month season phase, it is $498 per month (three months per phase) to be Full-Time Beach. These athletes will practice three times per week. Decision on whether to be Full-Time can be made on a phase-by-phase basis. We will also send Full-Time Beach Club athletes to tournament events.

#08 - What does it mean to be a Part-Time Beach Club athlete?

This is for athletes who have other commitments in addition to playing beach. These athletes practice 1-2 times per week, depending on the season phase. Cost per phase is discounted for those athletes also playing for SMBC Boys indoor. (Phase #1, Oct-Jan) $398 per month for non-SMBC athletes, $330 for SMBC athletes. (Phase #2, Feb-Apr) $198 per month for non-SMBC athletes, $160 for SMBC athletes. (Phase #3, May-July) $398 per month for non-SMBC athletes, $330 for SMBC athletes. We will also send Part-Time Beach Club athletes to tournament events.

#09 - What does it mean to be a Cross-Train athlete?

This is for athletes who have a more limited commitment to beach volleyball, but still want to play. Cost to participate as a Cross-Train athlete is built on a case-by-case basis.

#10 - What are some Tournament Event dates?

This is not a comprehensive list and events can be selected on a player-by-player basis to suit schedules, but here are a few of the known events:

October 18 ... AAU's in Hermosa Beach, CA
November 15 ... IBVL in Hermosa Beach, CA
December 14 ... AAU Fall Championships in Hermosa Beach, CA
January 24 ... Harbor Cove Championships in Ventura, CA
June TBD ... Nationals Prep Camp in Ventura, CA
July 13-14 ... AAU Club Nationals in Hermosa Beach, CA
July 15-18 ... AAU Pairs Nationals in Hermosa Beach, CA

For more info, please contact our Director Dave Callis!
(cell) 831-601-9016  (email) dnrcallis@gmail.com