Coral Gables Senior High School is preparing to introduce a historical addition to the school campus. As the spring sports season approaches, both the girls and boys volleyball teams are collaborating to raise funds for the installation and maintenance of Gables’ first beach volleyball courts. The construction of these sand courts is nearing completion for the spring season.
The project began over winter break, with the sand pits being completed on Jan. 8. The volleyball courts are located in front of the entrance of the track, a part of Gables’s vast field. Making enough space for two courts, the nets were added on Jan. 12.
In the coming days, Gables’ volleyball athletes and coaches hope to organize a friendly tournament to use these courts for the first time.
Funding this accomplishment took the efforts of many generous donors. Over the break, both Cavalier volleyball teams held a carwash to help raise money for the cause. Direct efforts like theirs were conjoined with the contributions of Friends of Gables, who promoted the cause via social media.
“I started fundraising money when the ideas were first drawn up, before the car wash. I reached out to family members, friends and even asked my parents to make a donation,” sophomore William Hardie said.
Gables alum helped convert the idea of sandy courts into reality. However, reaching for an ultimate goal, the volleyball teams are looking to achieve their $90,000 goal, aimed at funding the construction of the new sand courts and future tournaments or competitions for the new team. In the future, Gables volleyball intends to put together a Chipotle fundraiser to reach their final milestone.
“I used to play with Phoenix [Volleyball Club] at Kennedy Park, the way I can now play a sport that I really loved playing in my own school is so exciting. I think it’s so exciting for not only volleyball players, but all students at Gables since we are the first public school in Miami-Dade to have a beach volleyball court on campus,” sophomore Serafina Baraloto said.
Mrs. D’Alemberte, head coach of the boys volleyball team, joined forces with her husband to bring the idea to life. As a Gables alum and a coach at Phoenix Beach Volleyball, Mr. D’Alemberte liked the idea and was determined to follow through with it.
“I came across this idea along with my husband, Josh, who is an alumn of Gables. We’re big promoters of outdoor sports. We thought, ‘why doesn’t Gables have beach volleyball?’ […] We just thought, ‘Let’s make this happen’. It took a lot of support from the community, from the boys’ volleyball team, the girls’ volleyball team, Friends of Gables and a lot of private donors to make it happen,” Mrs. D’ Alemberte said.
“I’ve always loved beach volleyball, I would always invite by friends to play at the sand courts in Kennedy Park. So, seeing this in my own school is very exciting, it’s also such an amazing opportunity for the players to get better and have fun playing beach,” senior Quesada said.
Once the construction process is complete, Gables will have the privilege of owning the first beach volleyball courts in Miami Dade County Public Schools. Now, the Cavaliers want to assemble a team of girls beach volleyball players, since the boys are playing in the indoor season. This team will also be the first of its kind representing the school district.
Tryouts for the girls beach volleyball team will take place on Feb 5. for anyone interested. The construction of these courts will propel Gables into another sport and a new environment, attracting more students to become Cavaliers in the future.
