This past Sunday marked the end of our Fall Beach season, and as is tradition, the boys competed in a King of the Beach tournament. The King of the Beach (or K.O.B.) format is as follows:
Players are split into two divisions Young Guns (14 & under) and Top Guns (15 & older)
Eight 20-minute rounds
Players compete with a new partner during each round
Four players with the overall best record in each division at the end of the eight rounds enter a "Championship" round in which they play one final 20-minute round
The K.O.B. format is one of our staffs favorites since it forces players to adapt, adjust, and strategize quickly and efficiently. While playing a normal beach tournament with the same partner allows you to get into a rhythm throughout the course of the day, a K.O.B. forces you to communicate and strategize effectively.
During the first round, maybe you play on the left side but when you switch partners into the second round you adjust and play onto the right to maximize the strengths and minimize the weaknesses of your current pairing. These iterations continue throughout the tournament as you look to maintain a high level of play and maximize your chances of reaching the Championship round.
At the conclusion of 8 rounds, we had two players go undefeated in the "Top Guns" division: Johnny Hui and Dylan Jong. There were then 6 players tied for the 3-4 spots, in a "roll off" Jack Ebertin and Luke McFall made their way into the finals. Johnny Hui was paired with Luke McFall and Dylan Jong was paired with Jack Ebertin.
In the Young Guns division there were four players with matching records that automatically advanced to the finals: Wade Smith and Bryce Nohava took on Reiter Madden and Aarush Yakgna.
In the end, Dylan and Jack outlasted Luke and Johnny in a battle on court 1, while Wade and Bryce took down Reiter and Aarush in a closely contested match on court 6.
Want to be a part of the Bay to Bay Beach Club? Mark your calendars for Spring Beach Club tryouts on February 3rd!
When: Sunday February 3rd from 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Where: West Valley College
Register: Click to Register for Beach Club Tryouts
Keep up your training during the break in club volleyball season with the greatest cross-training tool: beach volleyball!