Lake Redding Park
Not much time elapses where Lance Jacobs’ feet are not in the sand, either diving for a ball. or helping teach the younger generation of beach volleyball enthusiasts.
“Beach volleyball is a huge passion,” Jacobs said. “I obsess over it.”
Beach volleyball coach Jacobs, along North State residents of all ages, have been playing beach volleyball in Redding since the central Redding courts were installed in 2021.
According to reddingsandclub.com, Redding Sand Club — or RSC — Redding’s primary beach volleyball courts are at Lake Redding Park. RSC offers training, league play, and tournaments for those who are passionate about playing, and who want to learn more about beach volleyball.
North State residents of all ages have been playing beach volleyball in Redding since Lake Redding Park’s courts were installed in 2021. Redding Sand Club offers training, league play, and tournaments for those who are passionate about beach volleyball, according to reddingsandclub.com.
The Redding community has made good use of the two courts at Lake Redding Park. The courts are popular, and are often so crowded that it can sometimes be difficult for players to secure an open court, as a varity of RSC members, locals, visitors and athletes alike are all competing for play time.
Redding resident Erin Salazar is a local teacher whose daughter is part of the RSC club. Salazar recognized the need for more community beach volleyball courts and started a petition to encourage the city to create two additional courts for residents.
“We have talked to the city council, they are aware of what we are doing,” Salazar said.
Salazar believes the community would utilize and be grateful for two additional courts. Salazar’s online petition promoting more beach volleyball courts began non February 4, and it has already amassed 170 signatures.
Photo courtesy of Sand Volleyball fundraising page.
The amount of signatures on the petition already displays how many North State people love the sport and that they would love to have more courts. You can sign it at this link.
Jacobs has lived in Redding for 25 years. Jacobs’ name is synonymous with beach volleyball in the community. Jacobs played a pivotal role in getting the first two courts installed at Lake Redding Park, as well as starting the Redding Sand Club. Jacobs has also recently been named the head coach at Simpson University’s new beach volleyball program.
“I’m not trying to put crazy pressure on the city because they have been really generous, I just want to let them know the community would love to see this happen,” said Jacobs.
Jacobs shares a similar sentiment to Salazar. They believe the city has done great work installing the courts, which means the game even experience more loval growth and add additional courts.
Thanks to the installation sand volleyball courts, the dynamics of the Lake Redding Park area has changed drastically. Prior to the volleyball courts’ installation, the parks saw a significant presense of unhoused people and drug use in the area. For many who wanted to visit the park, it felt like a potentially risky and unsafe environment.
“The footprint has changed dramatically, it is a safe place now,” Jacobs said. “It is used widely by the community. If you go down there in the evenings, you can see anywhere from 20 to 80 people out there using the courts.”
An area that used to be unsafe has developed into one of Redding’s most important communal centers. The community is definitely getting good use out of the courts. Seeing as many as 80 people out at the courts is evidence of the success of the investment into the sport, and the growth of beach volleyball in the community.
“If it had four courts, you could have trainings and social level players out there with a lot less bumping into each other, and beyond that you do need 3 courts to host collegiate level tournaments,” Jacobs said.
Not only could more courts benefit the community as far as allowing more people to play, but it could also bring in some positive foot traffic with large tournaments attended by out-of-town participants. If Redding hosted tournaments, visitors would spend money on hotels, food, and other necessities, all of which would be a huge financial benefit to the North State economy.
Likewise, more courts could benefit the Redding Sand Club, the community, and the new college programs in the area.
Jacobs has been training the new Simpson University beach volleyball team at the park for matches in February and March. Shasta Community College’s beach volleyball team is in its first season as well.
Beach volleyball head coach Kelly Brazil has also made use of the courts for training her new team.
Brazil has lived in Redding most her life where she played volleyball at Enterprise High School, and then Shasta Community College. Brazil has been coaching since age 22 and has been coaching indoor volleyball at the school since 1995 according to shastacollegeathletics.com.
“The courts are full all the time, it’s amazing how many people are out there. I think it’s great that anyone can go out and play,” Brazil said.
Brazil has seen how lively the courts have become since she drives past the park everyday.
“If they (city council) observe the use of the courts we have now, and the space over there right now is being under utilized,” Brazil said.
Lance Jacobs talking to his Simpson University beach volleyball team
Jacobs had a similar opinion on the matter.
“It is really crowded down there right now,” Jacobs said. “The courts are just bursting at the seams. If you look 5 yards west there is no footprint.”
Jacobs and Brazil agree that more courts would be great for the community. The two coaches also find that there is room at Lake Redding Park to install more courts, making the project appear feasible. The community and their respective programs could benefit immensely from more courts. But what about players in the community?
“Most of my recruiting is focused on local players,” Brazil said.
The need to find local talent to recruit at Shasta Community College and possibly even Simpson University is another postivite reason to install more courts. More courts could allow more talent to showcase their abilities for coaches to see, and then to possibly recruit them. Mia Rossman and Grace McQuoid are some of the local players that have put the current courts to good use.
Mia Rossman grew up in Redding and is now playing beach volleyball at the University of Pacific as a freshman. Grace McQuoid grew up here, too, and she is committed to play indoor volleyball at Vanguard. McQuoid also coaches a U14 team for the Redding Sand Club. Both these women have been coached by Lance Jacobs at Lake Redding Park, but that is not the only thing that connects them.
“We have known each other since my freshman year of high school, her senior year and my junior year, we were both captains for Foothill so we grew close through that and through beach volleyball as well,” McQuoid said.
Rossman and McQuoid’s friendship has been cultivated on the hardwood and in the sand. They have been playing alongside one another and pushing each other to succeed for some time now.
“I really enjoy the connection you build with your partner. My teammate last year was Mia Rossman and we became best friends through the sport,” McQuoid said.
Beach volleyball is a two-on-two game. The team is a lot smaller than indoor volleyball teams. This can encourage the development of close friendships like Rossman and McQuoid. It is evident that these courts have helped foster relationships in the community.
“Before the courts were installed, I traveled to Chico and played with a beach volleyball club there,” Rossman said. “It was a commitment to have to drive down there every day.
Rossman and her family had to invest a lot in her beach volleyball training. There are club fees, gas prices, not to mention the amount of time it takes to travel. The addition of the two courts in 2021 allowed for Rossman to train in Redding, rather to Chico everyday to train.
“It would be nice to get more courts in Redding, because I remember having to go at odd times to practice, train, and play,” Rossman said. “It was hard for players because those courts were taken a lot. It was frustrating at times because as a player you want that access to train.”
As nice as the two sand volleyball courts have been for athletes like Rossman, there is opportunity for expansion. More courts could allow more players to play, and also give them more access to sharpen their talents. McQuoid has had a similar experience to her friend at the beach courts.
“I have been there a few times where I have just been sitting on one of the tables for at least an hour waiting for a court to open up because there are so many people there playing,” McQuoid said. “Having two more courts would make all the difference.”
Until more courts are installed, it’s a battle to find an open volleyball court available for training. With the amount of people who flock to the courts, the popularity of the beach volleyball in Redding is abundantly clear.
According to cccaasports.org, the popularity of beach volleyball is growing at a rapid rate beyond the North State.
“The sport has blown up all over the world,” Jacobs said.
The beach courts at Lake Redding Park have helped spur the popularity of the sport in the community, which inlcudes Simpson University and Shasta Community College.
Meanwhile, Salazar, the mother of a beach volleyball player, believes that good things will come from the city matching the growing popularity for beach volleyball to keep up with the demand and interest in the sport. She is optimistic that she’ll soon surpass her petition’s 200-signature goal, and city leaders will take note of residents’ interest in beach volleyball and desire for more courts in Lake Redding Park, and beyond.
“We appreciate the courts we have now, and they have been great for the community,” Salazar said. “We just want to build upon that, if possible.”
