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Skill Levels

Beach Volleyball Skill Levels

The guide below is not set in stone.  There certainly will be many players that fall somewhere in between two different levels, so may fit appropriately in either. 

When signing up for events, you should try to find levels that are appropriate for you to help assure greater continuity within each respective group.  Players that are "way out of their league," whether too high or low, may be asked to drop out for continuity and safety reasons.

E.g., An "Intermediate Level League" would be considered primarily appropriate for B level players, but may certainly include some BB players.  Friends often want to play together even if when their skill levels vary a bit.  An A level player though should not join a B level league.

*Are you an Experienced Indoor Players... But NEW to Beach?
You may want to start at a skill level slightly below your indoor level, until you get acclimated to the flow of the game.  The evil sand-monster will noticeably slow your defense, and take a several inches off your vertical.

"Rec" Level (sometimes referred to as Picnic Volleyball)
"Recreational" players are pretty much beginners.  There's nothing the matter with it, as everybody starts at this level! Recreational players often are not very familiar with the basics of volleyball, or have not spent much time honing their skills.  Recreational players will be just learning the fundamentals of the bump, set, and spike.  Rec players have a great time meeting folks and making friends, while they enjoy the game under significantly loosened rules. In some sports, Rec is "D" level.  Until I can see a discernible difference between Rec "D" Beginners and what may be labeled "C" Level, anything below the  "B" Intermediate Level at Alpharetta Beach will be considered Rec.

"B" Level is Intermediate
"B" players are still in the learning stages, but have had much more time in the game and have thus become a bit more familiar with the individual skill sets used in the game. "B" players are beginning to get comfortable with the bump, set, and spike, and are trying to use 3 hits more often, but have a good bit of time and practice yet in order to play the game skillfully. "B" players make a good bit of mistakes, but they can often see where they want their skills to be, and are working towards that place.  B players  are getting a bit of consistency with their touches, but have not yet gained the ability to make consistent  shots or clean contacts like  BB players can.  B players often welcome advice from more skilled players, so don't be afraid to ask for tips from better players.

"BB" Level is High-Intermediate
"BB" players know where to be on the court at all times, and are consistent with their contacts most of the time. BB players generally know where to be defensively most of the time, and are can see open spots to allow their hits  and shots to be  more effective to earn points offensively. While some BB players still can work their way to becoming A or better,  many BB players have hit their ceiling for development due to individual abilities.  Those BB players that want to grow their skills should always feel comfortable to ask more skilled players.  It's amazing how for example you can have 25 folks explain how to set, but the way the 26th person explains it is the magic key that changes your setting skills forever.  Keep asking.

"A" Level is Competitive
"A" players know all the skills extremely well, but still often do not always execute the super-high level plays extremely effectively. "A" players will periodically have nearly fault free games, but generally make a few less than perfect or less than effective plays each game that should have been done better. "A" players are also often limited by their own physical characteristics, that prevent them from ever getting much better.  For this reason, "A" level is often the best a player will ever get.  While some "A" players will ask for advice, often they don't want to hear or take advice as much, because they're full of themselves and think they know everything.  For that reason, please don't tell me what to do - haha.

"Open Level Men" should not join A level leagues.  If you have signed up for Open Level beach tournaments or leagues in the past few years, you are only allowed to play in Open level events (described below).

"Open" means Advanced Players
This is about as good as it gets in Atlanta, though there are a couple folks that have greater potential.  "Open" Players usually keep to themselves and set up private gatherings to play, so they can best regulate their competition.  Totally valid, so don't put a hex on 'em. Instead look for opportunities to watch them play.
I'd be glad to run some Open events here at Alpharetta Beach, but you Open players are very limited in numbers.  If you are Open, I hope you'll reach out to me if you're interested in having activities here, so we can work a bit off your other Open Player connections to fill any events Alpharetta Beach may host for you. 

Not sure where you fit in?  Feel free to give me a call, and I'll see if I can define you over the phone, or get you out here for a few minutes to show me what you're bringing.

Thanks, Jim
Cell/Text 4O4-433-453I


Contact

1720 Old Milton Pkwy, Ste B

Alpharetta, GA  30009
Jim Koza - Owner

 
info@AlpharettaBeach.com  
404-433-4531