Cynthia Barboza grew up playing on the beach and was the No. 1 indoor recruit her senior year of high school. Photo by Ray Vidal
Growing up in Huntington Beach , I witnessed firsthand the benefits in strength, strategy, range and competitiveness that go along with playing beach volleyball. Many indoor players are done competing after their seasons are over, but some of the best indoor players actually compete year-round by using beach volleyball as an amazing sort of cross training. Even though most players in the country do not live right by the beach, creative players can still find ways to utilize the beach and/or doubles volleyball as a tremendous tool for growth in their sport.
One of the most obvious benefits from playing beach volleyball is increased strength and endurance. The challenge of jumping and running in the sand is much more difficult than most people imagine. In fact, many indoor players are initially turned off by the entire experience of beach volleyball since they cannot do many of the things that they are used to doing indoors. Therein lies the challenge, however, and, those who stick with the beach game will definitely feel stronger, jump quicker and higher, and turn and run faster for longer periods of time when they return to the indoor game.
Also, players that play a lot of doubles are forced to expand their range. Range is how far (in distance) a player can go to make a play. Range increases that are created through playing doubles include: defensive range, setting range and hitting range. Players that can dig a ball that is hit 10-15 feet away from them can clearly dig more balls than players who only dig balls that are hit to them. Often, in indoor 6-person volleyball, players are only called on to dig balls hit very close to them, but clearly there are numerous advantages of digging with a larger range. Playing doubles volleyball forces players to expand their range. In addition, players become more comfortable at the edge of their range and find ways to make plays that many players cannot make.
Hitting range is another great tool that can be developed through doubles. If a player can hit a set that is “far” away from them that player creates more scoring opportunities for her team. Doubles volleyball forces players to hit more sets that are imperfect since they are the only hitter on the court. Doubles players also must choose whether they can hit the set, make a shot, or simply get it over, rather than defer to another player on their team.
One of the less obvious benefits of playing beach volleyball is the increases in strategy that go along with being one of only two people on the court. Often in indoor volleyball, players fall into a rut of whoever hits the ball harder gets the point. Doubles volleyball forces players to make better choices. Since there are only two players to read and react to, tendencies become easier to notice and teams quickly adjust to stop obvious trends. Successful doubles players must learn to evolve and develop new ways to get out of trouble situations. Also, players must learn to utilize all of their skills. For example, a player who cannot set well will not get served until she develops her setting to the point that her team is more effective when she does set. This forces change and growth that can be tremendously valuable as an indoor player. Often indoor players specialize in one or two skills, but clearly players who play a complete game are more effective over time than those with a limited skill set.
Finally, playing doubles heightens competitiveness. Players do not have subs, coaches or other players to count on when things are not going well. This creates internal conflict that can yield many coping and success strategies that are invaluable for any players who wish to play at a high level. Players who quit running for balls or shut down when they are blocked or cannot learn to play against a variety of different teams will not succeed for long in the doubles game. Players must learn ways to get themselves out of jams, to find a way to win, and to deal with failure. All of these characteristics are just as important in the indoor game, but due to the structure of the 6-person game, there are many other factors to blame for lack of success. Doubles forces players to look inside themselves for answers. This response is the best response that players can have competitively: to recommit to their goal and keep fighting.
All of these benefits are great, but there are two other considerations that I have yet to mention. Beach/doubles volleyball is fun and very, very different from 6-person indoor volleyball. So enjoy the game and soon you’ll have taken your game to a whole new level! See you at the beach!