The Sport Of Beach Volleyball

Who invented beach volleyball?

In 1930, a man named Paul Johnson popularized two man beach volleyball. Before that, they were playing a form of volleyball with four sixes on a side. But, it was really Paul Johnson that brought two man beach volleyball into popularity. After WWII the GI's came home, migrated to Southern California and started playing this game on the beaches that was already popular. Then when they left California, they then spread the game around the country.

Where were the first beach volleyball tournaments played?

The first notable beach volleyball tournament was in Santa Monica. The players in Santa Monica were very competitive and started to promote the sport and play in events and have prizes for events during the 1950's. There were players who really wanted to draw attention to the sport, and they would have beauty contests associated to the event to draw people down to the beach so that they could see this great sport of beach volleyball.

How are beach volleyball and indoor volleyball different?

Beach volleyball and indoor volleyball are different because indoor volleyball is very specialized. There's six people on a side and everyone has their own job to do. On the beach, with just two people on a side, each person has to have all the skills of the game. If they want to be successful they have to be able to pass, set, hit, play defense - everything.

In beach volleyball, what is the 'AVP'?

The AVP is the Association of Volleyball Professionals, and it is responsible for putting on the professional tour in the United States . The volleyball tour has enormous amounts of prize money, with events all over the country, and all the events televised. The Association of Volleyball Professionals was developed in 1983 when the players felt that the sport was being taken away from them by the promoters at the time we were putting on events. A gentleman by the name of Leonard Armano came to the players and asked us at the time if we wanted to have control over our own sport and we all agreed, so he started the Association of Volleyball Professionals on our behalf, and built it up to where it is today.

Why is beach volleyball more popular than indoor volleyball?

I think beach volleyball is more popular than the indoor game because one, you're outdoors. You're at the beach usually, you're by a body of water, and that you're playing in the sand which is very forgiving. Beach volleyball is maybe more difficult to move in, but its still a surface that creates a very exciting game. You get to play all aspects of the game because there's just two of you on a side. You pass the ball, you set the ball, and you attack the ball. It's not specialized like the indoor game. It's just, I think, a more fun game to play and a better environment. Beach volleyball attire for men is just a pair of shorts. For women, a bikini. You don't want to wear too much when you're at the beach, as you don't want the clothing to get in your way. You don't want to get overheated, so you wear as little as possible.

Is it more difficult to play beach volleyball or indoor volleyball?

It is definitely more difficult to play beach volleyball than indoor volleyball. The beach game you have to possess all the skills of the game. You have to be able to pass, set, attack, and play defense. Indoors is a much more specialized game, so you can possess one or two of those skills and be very good at indoor volleyball.

Are weaknesses more or less visible in beach volleyball?

In beach volleyball you can have no weaknesses if you want to be successful. You have to be able to pass the ball, set the ball, attack the ball, and play defense. If you're lacking in any one skill, your opponents will identify that weakness and will go after it and exploit it time and time again. The best way to be competitive is to have no weaknesses.

How does playing on sand affect volleyball skills?

The skills of volleyball translate very easily to the beach volleyball game. They're basically the same - the passing, the setting, and the attacking. However, playing on the beach is much more difficult because of the surface. The sand is so hard to move in and so hard to jump out of that it takes much more work and much more time and different muscles to develop to play the game.

Is beach volleyball easier to understand than indoor volleyball?

Beach volleyball is definitely easier to understand than the indoor game. The first thing is that there are only two people on a side for beach volleyball. There is no confusion with regard to what each person is doing out there, and in fact you can identify more easily with the individuals and the personalities. In the indoor game, because there are six people on a side and they are always rotating and in different positions, it's harder to understand who's playing, what they are doing, and what their responsibilities are. Beach volleyball is much easier to understand.

Are there more accolades for beach volleyball players?

It's more commercial. You have men in shorts and women in bikinis playing at the beaches, so there's money in the game. The athletes make money as they're on television; so it's more popular here in the United States than the indoor game. The difference internationally is, the indoor game is extremely popular, so in many other countries outside of the United States, the indoor players are the superstars of the game, whereas here in the United States, the beach players are the superstars of the game.