David Fischer, Volleyball Coach with 13 years of AVP pro beach / sand experience on how to start an NCAA Sand program.

1. Starting an NCAA Sand Program
By David Fischer
310.266.5887
fischerbeach@hotmail.com
Copyright, 2013

2. How and Why, an Overview
NCAA Sand Volleyball
Why:
• Exciting Olympic sport played worldwide
• Increased opportunities for female student-athletes
• Improved recruiting and performance for indoor volleyball team
• Inexpensive facilities
• Revenue opportunities: camps, clinics, interacting with donors
and partners
• Marketing potential – great sport both live and online
• NCAA gives $30k to schools hosting this “emerging sport”
How:
• Coordinate with indoor volleyball program
• Facility: sand courts with water, electrical, shade
• Announce, recruit, market!

3. Key steps
1. Select Sand Volleyball Staff
Head Sand Volleyball coach, Assistant can work with sand/indoors
2. Facility -- Rent or build?
Getting it right the first time
3. Recruiting / Marketing
Getting the word out early to players, fans, sponsors
4. Scheduling
Putting together the training and competition schedule
5. Compete for National Championships
Team expectations

4. Facility
NCAA requires 2 courts, but with 5 or more…
Multi-team invitationals possible, shorter dual meets
University can offer Sand Volleyball PE class
Plenty of training sand for other sport usage: low-impact conditioning
Potential to host camps/clinics for recruiting and fundraising
Other Facility considerations:
• Facing: Sand volleyball courts go North / South, preventing a great deal of squinting
• Lighting for evening / morning use
• Spacing
• NCAA rec’s 6m between side-by-side courts, 9m between end-to-end courts
• This allows sufficient spacing for 6-person volleyball events (18x9m courts). A
doubles court is 16x8 meters
• Water : drinking fountain, outdoor showers, hose to cool-down courts
• Vending machines / snack bar
• Bleachers for feature court
• Shaded areas for spectators, gazebo with electrical for announcer / media
• Sound system

5. Recruiting / Marketing
Getting the word out early to players, fans, sponsors
Pulling from the indoor team and the student population
• The 23 existing sand programs involve most of their indoor volleyball players
• Sand volleyball is excellent off-season training for indoor players
Strategy for year 1 – grabbing the indoor phenoms for a 5th year
• Athletes with completed indoor volleyball have 1 year to compete in sand only
• Can recruit from any school without college sand
Sand Scholarships
• NCAA allows 5 sand volleyball scholarships in 2014, 6 in ’15 and beyond
• Sand scholarship athletes cannot play indoors
Announcement – get word to:
• Sand Volleyball clubs are common in California, Texas, Florida, Midwest
• USA Beach Volleyball, running sand clinics across the US
• Volleyball, DIG, USA Volleyball magazines
• Tournament directors across the country

6. Scheduling
Planning to Win
2013 NCAA sand competition dates: March 7 – May 5
• 5+ sand practice days / week in spring
• Weights / conditioning 3x/week
• Weekly video sessions
• Primarily weekend competitions = minimal class
conflicts
• ’14 sand-only student-athletes begin training in fall

7. Benefits of Sand Volleyball
Sand Volleyball…
… has been one of the most popular and televised Olympic events since
1996
… Is becoming crucial to hold / attract top indoor volleyball recruits
… is played recreationally and professionally across the globe
… is one of, if not the best training activities for indoor volleyball players
… players play the whole game: serving, passing, setting, attacking, and
defense
… players are versatile: they can play left/right side, they can play with
anyone
… requires a smart diet and rigorous conditioning
… requires that players become leaders, strategizing and motivating
… provides more opportunities for female student-athletes
… is a fun, healthy sport that can be enjoyed for decades after college

8. Staffing: Select Head Coach
Getting the right leader
Head Coach
• Expert in sand volleyball, high-level playing / coaching
• Respected in the beach volleyball community
• Head college coaching experience
• Accredited and active with USA Beach Volleyball
• Academically minded
• Entrepreneurial
Assistant Coach
• Expert in volleyball, effective communicator, organized
and intelligent
• Experience in team logistics, film editing, running drills
and conditioning
• Can Assist both indoor and sand teams

9. Goals
Represent the University with class, on and off the
sand
Compete for national championships
• 5 doubles teams vying for the Team Championship
• Strongest doubles teams vying for Pairs Championship
Prepare student-athletes for future success
Help grow the sport of sand volleyball

10. Existing / proposed programs
Programs in spring ’12 Institutions confirmed for spring
‘13 Institutions still considering for
Cal State Long Beach Georgia State University spring ‘13
College of Charleston Florida International University Coastal Carolina
Florida Atlantic University Louisanna Monroe Tennessee
Florida Gulf Coast University Grand Canyon University St. Mary's
Florida State University University of San Francisco UC Riverside
Stetson University University of the Pacific Cal
Universtiy of Hawaii University of Nebraska Santa Clara
Jacksonville University Stanford Notre Dame
Tulane University
Mercer University
Pepperdine University Each program supports each new
University of Southern California program – collectively the NCAA
requires 40 schools to host sand
Loyola Marymount University volleyball
University of North Florida
University of Alabama
Webber University (NAIA)

11. How I can help your college sand program
Questions about facilities?
• I have contacts who build sand courts, indoors and
outdoors
Looking for a Head / Assistant Coach?
• I know most pro beach volleyball players in the US
Questions about starting a program? I’m happy to help
• fischerbeach@hotmail.com
• 310.266.5887
Link to bio: http://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/w-volley/coaches/fischer
Copyright 2013, David Fischer