Jon and Dave
Meet Dave and Jon
It’s the people at Volleyball Beach that make it more than just a place to bump the ball around – it’s a vibrant community with so many awesome people, like this dynamic duo! Keep reading to learn more about two of Volleyball Beach’s longest players.
Dave and Jon both started playing at the Beach in the mid ‘90s, and they say its friendly casual spirit and laid-back vibe has remained unchanged. There were only eight sand courts at Volleyball Beach then, but over the years more were added. Jon and Dave remember that before some of the new courts were installed, Volleyball Beach included a human foosball court and dodgeball area.
Subbing on different teams is one of the best ways to meet new people at Volleyball Beach. That’s how Dave and Jon met, in fact. They weren’t on the same team when they started, but eventually their paths crossed when one ended up subbing on the other’s team. At one point someone asked them if they were brothers and they went with it, which spiraled into a 10+ year running joke around the Beach.
Scrap Nation!
Eventually, the duo organized their own team, put together of friends they’d made as they played in the leagues over time. For 12 years now, Jon and Dave have been playing with their current team, Scrap Nation, several nights a week, and occasionally in Volleyball Beach’s weekend tournaments.
The Scrap Nation name was inspired by the team’s playing style – “scrappy, not crappy!” They may not be the most graceful team on the beach, they admit, but they keep the ball alive and are a challenging adversary for the other teams in B league.
So, why have Jon and Dave been playing at Volleyball Beach all these years? Because it feels like home.
“It’s a place where everyone and anyone can come out and have fun,” according to Dave. “Everyone here plays fair and if there’s a call that comes into question, we just play the point over again, no big deal.”
“When you come out here, you may not know anyone when you walk in, but you’re going to know a lot of people when you walk out. Everyone is here to have fun and make friends,” Jon says. He also recommends that, like Dave and himself, people sub on different teams. “That’s how you really are going to find and build your own team out here.”
Besides the easygoing atmosphere at Volleyball Beach, Dave and Jon appreciate how the leagues are organized, especially when compared to other volleyball facilities.
“The skill divisions are set up well, and the staff does a great job at making sure the teams that play against each other are fairly matched,” Dave says. “If a team ends up in the wrong division, they help get them moved to the right one.”
“They also do a great job at keeping everything on time and running smoothly,” Jon adds. “That makes it easy to show up, play your games, and reconnect with your friends.”
Jon and Dave have some advice for anyone hesitant about signing up for the leagues: “Just come out and play!”
“Like Jon said, you may not know a single person when you start, but give it one night and you’ll walk out with many new buds,” Dave says. “We’re all here to have fun, and if that’s what you are here for, you’ll have fun, too!”