A Message from Sinjin Smith...

Dear Friends,

Throughout my playing career, one of my main goals has been to provide more opportunities for people to play and enjoy the sport that has brought me so much success. It is my pleasure to bring you this exciting opportunity to become involved in the Sinjin Smith Volleyball Academy, opening Fall 2008 at the new Hangar Athletic Xchange (HAX) in Los Angeles, California U.S.A. HAX is an exciting new sports and fitness complex in the Los Angeles area that will host the Sinjin Smith Volleyball Academy, the John Wooden Basketball Academy, the Lisa Leslie Basketball Academy and a full-service fitness center. The Sinjin Smith Volleyball Academy will feature programs for both indoor and beach volleyball, in addition to core fitness, strength and agility training, a health and wellness program, and educational programs for our members. The cornerstone of the Academy will be HAX Volleyball Club, a Junior Olympic club volleyball program for boys and girls ages 12-18, and the HAX Kids Club for kids ages 10-and-under. Our management team includes some of the most experienced professionals in the sport of volleyball on all levels, each dedicated to the development of the Academy and the enjoyment of our members.
As one of the fastest growing sports in the world, beach volleyball once again took center stage at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I watched in Beijing as the new generation of young stars began the same Olympic journey that started for me when years of hard work culminated in beach volleyball being added to the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996. In July 2008, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) approved ‘sand volleyball’ as an emerging women’s sport to compete at the Division I and II levels for full scholarships. Through the academy, we will work to support the effort to secure the 40 collegiate programs necessary to adopt sand volleyball as an NCAA championship sport. In my role as the President of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Council, I have worked many hours to ensure that beach volleyball continues to grow in popularity. One of the main ways to increase the popularity of our sport is to provide the fans with more opportunities to play. The Sinjin Smith Volleyball Academy will feature a year-round beach volleyball training program and an international academy in partnership with the Adachi Coaching Program (ACP) in Tokyo and our international academy center that will open in Japan in Spring 2009. Through this exciting partnership, we will develop an international training program to develop the next generation of volleyball and beach volleyball Olympians from around the world.

Let’s work together on this legacy of building new ways for people to enjoy volleyball and beach volleyball at the Sinjin Smith Volleyball Academy! Come be a part of our team...

Photo Credit "FIVB" - Pictured is Sinjin Smith, President of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Council, conducting daily beach volleyball clinics at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.