Sports: Youth Volleyball

Santa Barbara is nearly synonymous with volleyball, having cultivated beach-playing legends such as Karch Kiraly and Todd Rogers, to name just two. This April, budding spikers can start their careers by signing up for Volleyball Starts Here, a youth league for ages 7-15. Sign-ups have begun for the league, which runs April 8-May 31 at Girsh Park in Goleta. The eight-week session is sponsored by the United States Youth Volleyball League (USYVL), which has mentored more than 100,000 children on the sport, according to its website. “One of the things that separates the USYVL from many other youth sports programs is the level of encouragement and ‘fun’ factor that we bring to the kids,” said Randy Sapoznik, executive director of the USYVL. The cost is $150 per kid, but there are discounts for families signing up two children or more. The price includes a volleyball, uniform, and individual medals. For more information, call (888) 988-7985 or visit usyvl.org.