City of Morgan Hill Bikeways, Trails, Parks and Recreation Master Plan

6 East Monroe Street

Fifth Floor

Chicago, Illinois 60603

Phone: 312.447.2010

Fax: 312.444.1125

Section 7: Recommendations | May 2017

Sports Market Business Strategy – Morgan Hill, CA

PAGE 103

STEP THREE – New Facility Development

1. SAND VOLLEYBALL

The City of Morgan Hill should consider a feasibility study to further investigate constructing a dedicated

sand volleyball facility. This facility should be capable of hosting large tournaments and the City should

consider all or some of the following components:



20 sand courts



Berm seating for spectators



Shade structures



Lighting



Quality sand



Fencing to block wind and keep out animals

The development of the proposed sand volleyball facility would require approximately 3 acres of land. Sand

volleyball facilities do not require a large investment, typically $10,000 - $15,000 per court and also have very

low maintenance costs.

Sand Volleyball facilities are scarce throughout the United States. There is a need for Sand Volleyball facilities

throughout the country, as demand for large sand volleyball complexes far exceeds existing supply. As the

sport grows in popularity, so too will the demand for this type of sports complex. For example, there is

demand for a sand volleyball complex from the following groups in California: USA Volleyball, AAU/Club

programs, NCAA programs, Jr. College teams, Northern California Volleyball Association (NCVA), and

California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA). Any one of these groups could not only look to use the

facility for practice, clinics and tournaments but could also represent a potential partner for Morgan Hill to

develop the complex or become an anchor tenant. A facility in Morgan Hill could also be used by teams in

cold-weather climates looking to train in the winter months for week-long trips.

When developing sports facilities, however, it is critical to develop multi-purpose facilities to meet the

increase or decrease in long-term demand. Sports that are popular today will not necessarily be popular in 10-

15 years and the City of Morgan Hill should consider this when choosing the program of facilities. Sand

Volleyball courts, for example, can also be used for Beach Rugby – a new sport that requires two sand

volleyball courts per match and should be considered for this facility given the popularity of rugby in the Bay

Area. Also, if the surfaces are part of a larger, multipurpose facility that offers other surfaces, like outdoor

fields, it could become a large multipurpose complex that is capable of hosting a variety of sporting and non-

sporting events, thereby increasing the chances for long-term success and viability of the facility.