Beach Volleyball is an up-and-coming sport played all over the West Coast. It is a new phenomenon that brings players of all ages together to play the sport they love. The best part is, it’s on the beach. Laguna Beach is home to many famous AVP beach volleyball players, and with the most bottomless sand in SoCal, Laguna has hosted famous tournaments for years. Beach volleyball became a CIF-sanctioned sport three years ago, and as the third season approaches, the girls of Laguna Beach are looking to earn new wins and titles. 

This season, a new coach is looking to create a legacy at Laguna Beach High School. Kalob Partida started his career at the collegiate level playing indoors and quickly transitioned to the beach when he realized his love for it. He plays professionally, has his AA ranking, and hopes to get his AAA soon. Aside from playing, he coaches a 14-1s team, volunteers with the US women’s national team, and has his beach volleyball program. 

What would you like to see for this team this year?

“I think honestly, I love to win. My goal is to win matches and, more importantly, learn through the losses. I don’t expect us to win every game, but I do expect us to learn and create a culture that will last over years. I think that one of the main goals for the season is to teach everyone in the group to know what it is to play beach volleyball and be a competitor. Also, to be someone that they are proud of, especially on the beach because it is a hard sport. So, the goal is to just grow, cultivate the culture, and have fun while we are doing it.”

What coaching style do you coach by? 

“It’s interesting because I never really had a definitive coach on the beach. One person that I did learn a lot from is my previous head coach, that I coached at Jserra High School. Her name was Heidi Colapinto and she is someone that I learned a lot from over the past two and a half years that I worked with her. A lot of what she does I relate to what I am doing now. But overall, ever since being in the gym for the USA team, I have ricked up on amanyof the tendencies and thowthose coaches talked to the players and athletes. I implement everything that they say into what I am doing now. And, ya, I would say, Karch, Alfee, and Tama are people that I have rearned from this past year of being in that gym.”  

What impact do you hope to have on the team?

“I would say setting the example for the ones to come. And what I mean by that is that you take on a sort of responsibility as a head coach and a varsity player that people are looking up to. And some people see you and expect every high thing from you. It’s not just being a volleyball player, but it’s being a good person, a leader, and someone they can look up to and trust. And know that it’s not just about the game of volleyball, but it’s the overall meaning of what it is to be an athlete and to be a competitor. And so if there is anything I want my players to leave with is to understand it’s just as important to be a good person as it is to be a good competitor.”