Sand
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Participation in beach volleyball has grown by over 25% in the last two years and over 300,000 girls under the age of 18 are participating in the sand sport (according to the 2009 Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association's research). The addition of Sand Volleyball to the NCAA's Emerging Sports List for women will add 12-14 collegiate participation opportunities for women, and, over time, college scholarships will be available in NCAA Divisions I and II.
The NCAA requires 40 participating teams for a sport to move from the Emerging Sports List to full NCAA sponsorship, which includes a championship. With the popularity of Sand Volleyball already at an all-time high, many believe this will not take much time at all. Even if full sponsorship was to take several years, giving women more choices and more opportunities to play volleyball is a win for the sport.
The opportunity for juniors play is also expanding rapidly. The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) hosts a whole series of junior beach events. For information go to www.AAUBeach.org.
USA Volleyball is also part of a group that hosts a series of youth beach events called the USA Beach Junior Tour, which concludes with their USA Beach Junior Tour Open Championships. More information on that tour can be found at www.USABeach.org.
