Sand volleyball at a bar & grill sounds like a fitness program for Jimmy Buffett. Yet more and more people in Cincinnati are doing it, says Vanessa Henderson, Cincinnati Recreation Commission community center director.

        “Sand volleyball numbers really surged after the 1996 Summer Olympics (when it became a medal event). . . . But the CRC has had volleyball since 1980, ” says Ms. Henderson. “Our program has been the basis for others, including the bar & grill leagues, which have increased in the past five years due to the sport's popularity.”

        The CRC offers two sand court locations — one at the Dunham Recreation Complex in Price Hill (the first in the city), the other at Bicentennial Commons at Sawyer Point.

        Dropping in on the action at Sawyer Point is a pleasant surprise. Nestled under the shelter of the Daniel Beard (Interstate 471) Bridge are three sand courts. Nets are strung across deep sand, and rose-colored construction ribbon marks the boundaries. By 6:30 p.m. on a weekday, the first teams are in the sand — barefooted, shorts clad.

        These guys (and women) show up rain or shine. Just ask John Spinney of Delhi Township. He's head volleyball coach at Thomas More College and helps out at the Sawyer Point courts.

        “One of the best things about sand volleyball besides the exercise is that it rarely gets cancelled,” Mr. Spinney says. “It takes severe, severe weather to do so (because) the sand court can hold so much water.”

        It does look like fun. Players belly-dive into the sand, giving the ball their best shot, with seemingly no fear of injury. “The sand makes it a low impact sport. You don't have to worry about falling (unlike indoor volleyball),” Mr. Spinney says. But he adds that playing in the sand does require more use of leg muscles to navigate and that is where a lot of the workout comes in.

        You may have once played volleyball when there were nine players on each side of the net.

        That has changed, and in sand volleyball it is common to have only two or three person teams to cover the whole side of the court. Besides giving a better fitness workout, small teams affect the rules of play. “In sand (because of the smaller teams) its a lot easier to be effective offensively, so they make the rules for spiking the ball a little more strict so that it's harder to put the ball away,” Mr. Spinney says.

        Anderson Township's Ray Bailey is a 10-year veteran of sand volleyball who, with Jen Carr of Oakley and Kevin Hall of West Chester, forms a CRC team called Game Point. He sums up the benefits of sand volleyball this way:

        “It's good for power moves like jumping; it's excellent for hand-eye coordination and developing ability to hit with both hands, and from a team standpoint, it's very social. It's a lot of fun.”

About the game

        Q: Is the ball the same as a regular volleyball?

        A: Sand volleyballs, as used in CRC leagues, are heavier than regular volleyballs. Prices vary at stores. We found them for $34.99 at The Volleyball Store (inside the Sports Express in Mason). Store hours vary, call first at (513) 459-7382.

        Q: What are the rules:

        A: Official sand volleyball rules can be found at www.usavolleyball.org. CRC Leagues have additional rules which are listed with the team application. Basic rules include: an official team is composed of at least two players; each match is scheduled for about one hour; a match consists of three games (winner, best of three). In CRC, play to 11 points in each game (win by 1 point). In traditional scoring, you have to be serving to score a point. Two quick time outs (lengths vary) may be taken by each team each game.

        Q: Is there a sand volleyball language?

        A: Yes, there's a lingo that goes with sand volleyball. Here a few phrases. Slime shots: rather than hitting the ball hard, a player places the ball with a soft shot. Jumbo shrimp: high deep shot that curves over players' heads in an arc. Jed: a block missile, a spike or serve that rockets out of bounds. Spade: an ace serve. Boom: a ball spiked straight down into the sand. Six pack: somebody hits a hard spike into somebody's face (volleyball etiquette holds that if you do it again, you buy him or her a six-pack to help ease the pain).

Where to play sand volleyball

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