Students returning to Rocklin High School this year are seeing something brand new on campus: sand volleyball courts that are already drawing attention, excitement, and new athletes to the sport. The installation marks a historic moment, making Rocklin High the first public school in Northern California to build beach volleyball courts on campus.
The idea for the courts has been in discussion for years, long before construction ever started. Coaches and staff had hoped to expand the program, but the project took time, planning, and the right support to become a reality. Devon Quok, the Varsity beach head coach, said, “probably almost 10 years ago, when [they] first thought about it, Coach Muscarella [the indoor volleyball coach at the time] wanted to get them in, and it just didn’t happen.” The funds came from different places, but to make it happen, RHS needed lots of donations to build the courts. “They were able to find a person to donate all of the labor to build the courts, and then they got a huge financial donation from a very, very nice person who supports them,” said Quok. This person has chosen to stay anonymous.
Before breaking ground, the coaches worked with administrators and the district to determine the best location and logistics for the courts. Quok said, “After a lot of meetings with the admin team, the PE teachers, coaches, and the district, we finally got approval of where we’re gonna put them.” They all agreed upon placing them next to the JV baseball fields and building two courts.
Construction began right after school got out for the summer, and the process moved quickly because of the volunteer labor and organized planning. “They broke ground after school ended, June 9 or 10. It was only about a week, 5-6 days, that the majority of it was done, and then [they] had to wait for some materials to come in to finish it with the polls and everything,” said Quok. The majority of the courts were completed in just over a week. After construction wrapped up, the school’s grounds crew worked to restore the surrounding areas, helping the courts blend naturally into campus.
Even the sand used for the courts was carefully selected. Coaches gathered samples and asked students, teachers, and staff for feedback to make sure the courts would feel right for the athletes. It is important to find the correct sand in beach volleyball. The sand has to be fine enough not to scrape players’ knees and feet while being gritty enough to keep traction and not dust up when it dries out and gets played in. The best sand, AVP recommended, is super expensive and out of the school price range, so they have to find one that is in their budget and fits the needs to play beach in. Quok said “I got a bunch of samples from a quarry and I tested it out just by the feel of what I thought was best. I asked a lot of the players, teachers and coaches to come by and give their opinion.” Eventually, they settled on one that was both in their price range and seemed fit to play beach in.
“We’re the only school in greater Sacremento that has sand courts on campus.”
-Devon Quok
While the courts are for the school’s beach volleyball program, they were also built to benefit the entire school. Multiple teams have already started using the sand for training and conditioning. Quok said “[they] want everybody to use it. That’s why they built them, not just for [the beach volleyball] program, but for people to train. Basketball has been out there, football has been out there, and boys’ soccer was out there, too.”
To keep equipment in good condition, nets and gear will mostly be stored away when not in use, while still allowing PE classes to utilize the courts during outdoor units. “They will keep their equipment and their nets put away the majority of the time just to keep that stuff good. And then the PE department will also start putting up nets during the spring for their outdoor unit,” said Quok.
The new beach volleyball courts are more than just a place to play, they are an opportunity to share the sport with more students. The program has already been a strong success in past years. Quok said “[she is] just excited to be on campus and share the sport with our student body and community, and hopefully people come out now that they are here and come watch them and see what they do. Since they are a pretty good program, the best program in the area, the past five years, they have won every single championship.”
The courts are also helping remove issues for athletes who previously had to travel to off-campus places to practice. Because of this, interest in joining the program has grown a ton. “They are the only school in the greater Sacramento area that has sand courts on campus, which is pretty cool .They have at least double the amount of players interested in playing this year than they had last year,” said Quok.
With these new courts, games are a lot easier to attend and the program is hoping more fans will come out to watch. The schedule is posted on the RHS website in Beach Volleyball.
