Beach Volleyball Camps and Tournaments
A crucial part of the recruiting process involves getting in front of college coaches and showing off your skill set. A great way to do that is by attending beach volleyball camps, tournaments and showcases where coaches will be present. Read on to get answers to top questions about beach volleyball events or use our event finder to find a beach volleyball camp near you.
5 results
Ages / Grade Level: 12yr – 18yr
Ages / Grade Level: 14yr-18yr
Division: NCAA D1
$206
Ages / Grade Level: 12yr-18yr
Division: JC
$350
Saint Mary's College of California
Oct 5, 2024
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Oct 5, 2024
Moraga, CA
Ages / Grade Level: 9th-12th
Division: NCAA D1
$263
Ages / Grade Level: 9th-12th
Division: NCAA D1
$263
FAQs about beach volleyball camps, showcases and tournaments
For beach volleyball, there aren’t huge tournaments where hundreds of college coaches will be scouting out recruits like there are for indoor volleyball. Instead, there are smaller beach volleyball tournaments, showcases and camps hosted by club teams, third parties and colleges. These events are important to attend in order to get exposure to college coaches, as well as gain experience competing against other elite athletes. We explain how to find these different types of events and give more explanation on what they can do for your recruiting.
- Attending beach volleyball camps
- Beach volleyball showcases
- Beach volleyball tournaments
- Beach volleyball skills development
College beach volleyball camps: Get access to the specific college programs you’re interested in
Specific colleges will host their own beach volleyball camps, in which they invite recruits to their campus to compete in drills and games. The sole purpose of these events is for college coaches to be able to watch recruits they are interested in play in person, so they can get a better idea of their strengths and weaknesses as a student-athlete.
College beach volleyball camps can sometimes be a little tricky because college coaches usually send out invitations to their whole database of recruits. Come camp day, they will pay the most attention to the handful of athletes they are actually recruiting. For this reason, it’s imperative that you’re in touch with the college coach before you go to their camp. Let them know you’re interested in their program and you’ll be at their event. Send them your highlight video, club experience and contact information. It’s equally important to follow-up with the coach after the camp, too. Here’s what you can include in your follow up:
- Thank the coach for the opportunity
- Ask them if they had a chance to watch you compete. If so, what did they think of your performance and what skills should you work on more.
- Include your tournament schedule and invite them to an upcoming game.
To find beach volleyball camps near you, use our event finder above.
Beach volleyball showcases: A opportunity for elite athletes to play in front of college coaches
There aren’t quite as many beach volleyball showcases as there are other events, but they can be a great opportunity to really show off your beach volleyball skills in front of college coaches. Beach volleyball showcases tend to attract high-level college coaches because they are oftentimes pretty exclusive, inviting only the top athletes. To qualify, you need to attend one of their camps ahead of time and perform well. However, not all college showcases are this exclusive, so you need to research the event beforehand to determine if you need to take any qualifying steps.
When you’re looking for college showcases, another important piece of information to look for is which college coaches will be in attendance. Before the event, the host will almost always post the college coaches who will be there, and to make the showcase worth your time, you should be interested in at least 2-3 of coaches going. Unlike college beach volleyball camps, this is your opportunity to compete in front of multiple coaches you’re interested in at the same time.
Here are some of the top college beach volleyball showcases:
Similar to the college coaches, you always want to follow up with coaches afterward. Ask if they had a chance to see you play and seek feedback on how they thought you performed and if there are any skills you should work on. At this point, it’s safe to ask if they are recruiting you and if there’s any additional information they need to make their decision.
National juniors beach volleyball tournaments: See how you stack up against the top athletes in your age group
Beach volleyball tournaments are crucial for getting exposure—and they are great additions to your athletic resume. College coaches want to see that you have experience in high-pressure, elite beach volleyball tournaments. Unlike the college camps and college showcases, you’re probably not going to know beforehand the exact coaches that will be attending these tournaments. And even if you do, there’s no guarantee those coaches will choose to watch any of your matches.
To make sure you’re maximizing the impact of these tournaments, you need to send out emails to the coaches you’re interested in ahead of time and let them know what your schedule will be—down the court you’ll be playing on. Even if they only get a chance to stop by for a few minutes, that can still make a big impact on your recruiting. Most of the following beach volleyball tournaments will be held in May, June, July or early August:
- USAV Beach Qualifiers and Nationals
- AVP America Nationals
- Beach Volleyball Clubs of America
- AAU Beach Nationals
- BVNE Nationals
Skills development: Hone your beach volleyball skills and get discovered by college coaches
In beach volleyball, USA Volleyball Beach High Performance (HP) hosts the more well-known and recognizable skills development programs in the country. Coach Simic recommends starting with local or regional HP programs, and working your way up to the national or international level. While HP may not give you direct exposure to college coaches right away, they are a great way to make sure you have all the skills needed to compete in college. And the higher up you go, the more college coaches are going to take note. They host both training programs and competitions, providing multiple opportunities to get what you need as a beach volleyball athlete.
No matter what beach volleyball camps, tournaments and showcases you’re attending, keep the college coach coaches you’re interested in up to date! If you take the time to play at one of these events, you need to make sure that college coaches know about it. And it’s up to you to tell them.
