UPDATE AS OF 2/26/2024

We’re trying something new with our latest classes in March. I talked to Lisa at Marin Juniors (MJ) a few weeks ago about their local program. They practice once a week and then host a scrimmage tournament once a month against teams from other clubs. This is similar to the local league we tried to host a few years ago, but this is probably better because then we can play against other teams outside of our area instead of just our own ABV teams. Our classes were already once a week, so now all we need to do is get some of our students to sign up as an actual team and take them to the MJ tournament. Our classes are being held this month on March 3, March 10, and March 17. The new MJ local tournament will be on March 23 (or 24). So basically, we think a good cycle would be three practices and a scrimmage tournament. If we get a good turnout this month, we can do another round of practices in April and May for the MJ tournaments on April 20 and May 11.

I want to emphasize that even though we’re calling them tournaments, Lisa says the format is very beginner friendly. There’s no score involved and the rules will be simplified. I think the main benefit is that there’s this added element of performance and competition to make serves and keep the ball off the ground. I hope you consider signing up in March so we can participate in the April and May tournaments too. And if you have a schedule conflict that precludes you from signing up in March, email me to let me know you would be open to signing up in the later months.

FYI, on the near horizon, ABV plans to take a break after May 12 and plan to resume some time after the school year ends with summer camps. Planning those takes a lot of schedule juggling, but we’ll provide updates on our summer programs as soon as our plans are sorted out.

About me (Dave BEZA)

Current:

  • ABV Club Director

  • Head Coach at Albany High School, Girls and Boys Volleyball

  • Research Administrator at UC Berkeley

Previous Experience:

  • Golden Bear 16G

  • Hercules Dynamite 14u nonleague

  • Head Coach at Summit K2 High School (back-to-back CIF playoff appearances, first in school history)

  • Head Coach for UCSD Women’s Volleyball Club (top 16 finish in the national tournament)

  • Head Coach at Mission Bay High School in San Diego (first league title in school history, back-to-back CIF section finalist)

  • Club Director at Starlings Volleyball, Mission Bay

Other Passions:

  • Spending time with friends and family, playing video games, and going to concerts

I started coaching as my first job out of college almost 20 years ago for my old high school. I was never a standout player, but I used what I knew to help students grow their love for the sport. After my first season, I become obsessed with becoming a better coach, so I kept signing up for different trainings around California to learn how to improve myself from coaches at the highest level (Division I college, USA National Team). I would also coach multiple teams a season to try new drills and get more confident in making coaching decisions. And that’s what I continue to do up to today in the limited spare time I have outside of family and work.

I have really been enjoying helping build the skill level and enthusiasm for volleyball in our community. I hope the experiences I have collected can be passed down to our players and I am always truly grateful to be able to be a part of their development.