Many things set City College apart from the run of the mill community college.
We go to school in paradise. The beach is always trying to entice City College students to skip class and work a little more on their tan. The golden sand though beautiful is not just a Siren’s call; it is the floor of a classroom.
The class is beginning beach volleyball and you do not need to be Misty May Treanor to dig it.
“It’s awesome because of the atmosphere ¬ – you want to come to class. It’s not just a lame PE class you have to do”, said Amber Rubio a first year student at City College.
On a grey mourning with a slight breeze in the air the beach is relatively deserted. The morning lacked the usual buzz of tourists scurrying around between the harbor and Streans Warf. There may not of even been a line at Sambo’s, but there was plenty of action on the beach. The students spiked, dove, and even kicked their way through the upbeat class.
The beginning level beach volleyball is the first of three levels of beach volleyball offered here at City College. The instructor Tammy Steuart is a City College alumnus who played volleyball here as well as on national championship team at Sonoma State.
It’s been interesting.” Steuart said. “The class has seen a whale in the harbor, and a couple weeks later saw a dead body that had washed up on shore.
The class covers the basic rules and different hits of the game as well as playing 4-on-4, 3-on-3, and 2-on-2, each offering a different dynamic.
“I love it, its perfect weather it gives you a workout and it’s fun”, said student Chris Steinwender.
The class is extremely popular averaging about 35 students per class.
“I had one gal sitting here who said, God, I texted my friend and sent a picture of me, where else can you be in class and sitting on the beach,” Steuart said.
It is fitting that City College offers beach volleyball as a class because the sport is so prevalent here in Santa Barbara. Every year Santa Barbara hosts the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) pro beach volleyball tour, which during this past year allowed locals to get an up close look at both the men and women Olympic gold medalists just back from China.
All three levels of beach volleyball will be available for students in Fall 2009.
