Great article In Volleyball Magazine by Ed Ratledge:

"...being between two trips to the beach to respectively play then coach volleyball, I got to thinking about value in our sport.  My conclusion was that the costs of beach volleyball are incredibly low in comparison to the benefits we enjoy from our involvement with it.  For anyone already involved, it's very easy to see the low monetary cost of beach volleyball.  All it takes for a California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA) member to sign up for a tournament is $20 and spending a day at the beach is free.  CBVA has a thriving youth division, as do several other organizations like the AAU.  (COBRA SPORTS note:  COBRA has been the official volleyball system of the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) Beach Volleyball Tour for 12 years.)

Coming down to a tournament is a great excuse for anyone to enjoy a day at the beach.  And the kids get to play in a low-stress atmosphere....  How many things do our kids really get to do entirely for themselves?
Indoor volleyball has become so high-pressure and intense that players are burning out. 

The lack of coaches around beach volleyball tournaments also breeds responsibility and independence.  Many of the players in the older age divisions complete the web-based sign up on their own and I'm always fielding questions from teens about registration, locations, etc. 

What little coaching our beach volleyball infrastructure gives us comes in the form of camps. These usually provide tips on how to make the transition from the indoor game.  They can speed up the learning curve quite a bit for players who might get frustrated by the elements like wind and sand. Most camps combine fun with learning and cost around $100 to $150 per week.  Camps are well worth the money if they are coached by a qualified beach professional. (You can find Ed's camps at ratcamp.com.)

One final bargain of beach volleyball is the lack of physical toll it takes on your body. It has one of the lowest injury rates of any sport. In my 12 years on the sand I've never experienced a major injury. I would highly recommend playing on sand to anyone who struggles with common indoor injuries because it can help to fortify at-risk joints like ankles and knees by strengthening all the muscles around them...."

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