SandYard 2024 – 25 Hybrid Program
Welcome to SandYard new "Hybrid" program.
What does this mean?
September - November, the players train and compete in Beach Doubles
December - April, the players move indoors and train and compete in indoor 6s.
Start dates:
Fall Beach Doylestown PA
Starting December 10th – Indoor sixes Montgomeryville PA
SandYard Volleyball Club Team
Welcome to SandYard Volleyball Club, a unique hybrid program designed to offer the best of both beach and indoor volleyball. Our comprehensive training schedule begins with beach volleyball in September and transitions to indoor training in December, ensuring our athletes develop versatile skills and adaptability across both formats.
Beach Volleyball Training (September - November):
- Location: Beautiful Fanny Chapman sand courts, providing a dynamic and challenging environment.
- Focus: Enhancing agility, endurance, and overall game strategy specific to beach volleyball.
- Training Includes:
- Practices twice a week
- Sand conditioning and strength training
- Skills development in serving, passing, setting, and hitting
- Partner dynamics and communication
- Competitive drills and scrimmages
- Competition: The beach teams will compete in AVP home tournaments and East Coast Championships (FL) in November.
Indoor Volleyball Training (December - March):
- Location: Montgomeryville PA
- Focus: Building on beach training with an emphasis on indoor game techniques and team coordination.
- Training Includes:
- Practices twice a week
- Court-specific conditioning and strength training
- Advanced techniques in serving, passing, setting, hitting, and blocking
- Team dynamics, communication, and game strategy
- Competitive drills, scrimmages, and tournament preparation
- Competition: The indoor teams will compete in 3-4 indoor tournaments between January and April
Head Coach for 12s and 14s: Melinda Cozza
Melinda Cozza, known as Coach Mel, is the Director and National Coach for SandYard Volleyball. She has been coaching youth sports since 2000, starting her career in Chicago. There, she coached Track and Field, specializing in the high jump, at Walter Payton College Prep. She also coached the Notre Dame College Riding Club. For the past six years, she has focused on coaching volleyball in the greater Philadelphia area.
An active beach volleyball player since the late 90s, Coach Mel began her journey on Chicago’s Lake Shore. She grew up playing both grass and indoor volleyball with her family in Indiana. Her passion for beach volleyball runs deep, with her father often recounting his days playing for the US Navy.
Youth sports have always been her passion. Coach Mel loves watching young players learn and gain confidence, knowing that their coach believes in them.
"I started this program because I noticed that many players coming to tryouts lacked basic volleyball skills. I’ve studied volleyball methods from various cultures, recognizing that our nation isn’t the strongest in this sport. By examining how countries like Brazil, China, and Sweden train their players—particularly how they avoid early specialization—I aim to implement a similar approach here.
In these countries, young players are encouraged to play every position on the court, developing a comprehensive skill set before specializing later in their careers. I believe that by adopting this methodology, we can equip our players with all the necessary tools before they reach high school, where specialization often becomes inevitable.
I’ve observed that younger players learn incredibly fast, whereas older players often struggle to unlearn incorrect techniques they were initially taught. This discrepancy emphasizes the importance of instilling proper techniques from the beginning.
Another challenge in our area is the lack of coaches for younger teams. Many potential coaches find working with younger players boring, leading to a reliance on volunteer parents who may not have the necessary expertise. While their help is invaluable, it often means that players miss out on learning the correct techniques.
I am passionate about working with young players because they continually amaze me with their rapid progress. This passion inspired me to start a program that combines beach doubles, which enhances all-around skills, with indoor 6s, which focuses on game strategy. My goal is to develop well-rounded players who are prepared for specialization in high school, equipped with a strong foundation in both skill and strategy."
