South Bay Volleyball

About us 

South Bay Volleyball is a professional beach volleyball training academy dedicated to developing sand and indoor volleyball athletes of all levels ranging from beginners to professionals as well as coaches.  Since 1997, we primarily train on the beautiful beaches of Manhattan Beach in Southern California.  Our staff is carefully chosen, meticulously trained and takes tremendous pride in the development of our athletes.  We offer level and skill specific beach volleyball classes year round.  We also offer private training, semi private lessons, tournaments and special event clinics around the country. To be a little different, we wanted to use the photos, videos, our athlete success stories and testimonials below to help tell our story.  Ultimately, we absolutely love what we do and our athletes feel it.  We feel their struggles and celebrate their successes.  
The three greatest compliments we receive are one, having our athletes return year after year, two, referring us to their friends and family and three, watching them succeed above and beyond what they ever thought they could. Check out what some of our athletes have accomplished and mentioned about us.

Steven Ijams

Founder & Head Coach

Played as a setter/opposite at Lewis University, where he competed in the 1996 Men's NCAA Final Four.  He played 7 years on MVP, MPVA and EVP tours, as well as part time on the AVP Tour between 1996-2001.   Steven also has four Motherlode Volleyball Classic first place victories with 2 different partners in Aspen Colorado.  Steven has coached dozens of Professional Beach Volleyball players including Chris Schaefer, Leanne Schuster-McSorely, Nancy Mason, Ali Wood, Krista Bloomquist, Danalee Bragado-Corso, Michelle Morse, Carrie Bush-Dodd, Jen Meredith, Gail Stammer, Marla O'Hara, Pat Keller, Stacey Kammas and many others.  With over 20,000 hours of beach volleyball coaching experience, he has achieved great success in building and maintaining the highest level of respect amongst athletes and coaches.

"I absolutely love what I do and my passion for my profession grows every day. Seeing people's lives change through this sport and our programs is the most rewarding feeling.  I have had MANY students meet and even get married from class.  Now their children are starting to get involved in the sport with us.  I see students self-confidence and self-esteem grow daily.  I truly love being part of that.  I enjoy the evolution the game has undergone over the last three decades. I see my students share the same infatuation with the game that I have.  There is no greater job I can think of in life... with the exception of being the father of my little girl."  
- Steven Ijams

Steven teaches Intermediate through Advanced Training as well as an all skills indoor trainer at Vibe Volleyball Lab in El Segundo.  Along with being a professional instructor, Steven owns and operates a small business for web design/development and print advertising called Ijams Designs www.ijamsdesigns.com.