Introducing Noozhawk’s After School Activities Guide—your go-to resource for effortlessly planning your child’s after-school schedule! Designed with busy parents in mind, this guide offers all the information you need to make informed choices about after-school programs in Santa Barbara.
We’ve interviewed representatives from a diverse array of local programs to bring you a comprehensive overview of this year’s offerings.
In this interview Noozhawk spoke with Ariana Garner, Co-Director at 805 Beach to learn more about their programs throughout the year.
Question: Can you tell us about the range of afterschool activities your business offers?
Answer: 805 Beach currently offers Fall and Spring After School Beach Volleyball Clinics. Our After School Clinics are a rollover class from our 9-week long Summer Camp that we offer each year. We also offer a variety of adult volleyball experiences, which are adult leagues, beginner clinics and advanced classes. We plan to increase our adult offerings this Fall!
Q: What age groups do you cater to with your afterschool programs?
A: We offer After School Clinics, Summer Camps and Holiday Break Camps (Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring Break) to all kids ages 9-17. Newbies are welcome!
Q: How do your activities support the developmental needs of children?
A: Our After School Clinics, Summer Camps and Holiday Break Camps support the developmental needs of kids in several ways. The focal points are physical, cognitive, social and their mental wellbeing.
Kids get great physical exercise outside on the sand, in the sun while developing and refining their motor skills.
Cognitively kids get to practice strategy and critical thinking by learning the rules and applying them to drills and games-like situations.
Socially, participants get to practice teamwork and leadership skills. Coaches will provide collaborative drills designed to foster communication and cooperation.
Likewise, the participants’ mental well health and wellbeing are promoted by participating in physical activity, which is a natural way to reduce stress and their enjoyment of being a part of something special and enjoying their time with others.
Q: What makes your afterschool programs unique compared to others in the area?
A: East Beach! East Beach is one of the greatest resources here in Santa Barbara, such an awesome natural recreational area and we are so lucky that we get to host our programs here.
Q: Can you share some success stories or testimonials from parents and children who have participated in your programs?
A: 2024 Surveys/Testimonials:
“This is the 3rd Summer my Daughter has participated in the Beach Volleyball camp and I have seen such an amazing and positive growth in her. Her first day of camp 3 summers ago she was so timid and nervous. Over the course of that summer she blossomed and her confidence grew tremendously. She developed skills and made wonderful connections with local kids and kids from all over the world who vacation here in SB. Her second summer she was already talking about beach volleyball mid way through school and how much she was looking forward to it. She adored the coaching staff and was so happy to be around some of the same group of friends she had interacted with the previous summer.
Her skills improved and she moved up from beginners to intermediate which boosted her confidence tremendously. She played the entire second summer and it was nearly impossible to take her on summer trips due to her not wanting to miss out on beach volleyball…. 😂This is her 3rd summer and she is LOVING it! She has “recruited” so many of her friends to sign up and they all are so stoked on it as well. Jordan really knows what he is doing and is a SB gem and legend. From a SB/Goleta local Mom, thank you for all you and your staffs hard work and dedication you put into our kids every day down on East Beach every day during the Summer. Much Love and Respect!”
Q: How do you ensure the safety and well-being of children during your activities?
A: Ensuring the health and safety of our participants is our number one priority. We have certified coaches who have undergone background checks, CPR/first aid and a coaches supervision workshop. We also offer adequate water breaks, provide sunscreen and additional water for kids to fill up their water bottles with. We also have access to each participant’s medical history and emergency contacts should anything arise.
Q: What qualifications and training do your staff members have?
A: Every coach has undergone training and certification in CPR and First Aid, as well as a workshop on coaching and camp supervision to ensure readiness to help your child learn the game of beach volleyball in a safe and spirited manner. We foster an environment of fun and mutual respect for all, and any form of verbal or physical bullying will not be tolerated.
Q: How do you incorporate educational elements into your afterschool activities?
A: To incorporate education elements into our beach volleyball clinics we focus on teaching the fundamentals, rules of the game, and sportsmanship through visual, verbal and hands on methods.
Visual learning: our coaches demonstrate the correct techniques and strategies. This helps the kids to see each skill and understand the proper form and movement.
Verbal instruction: Clear and straightforward explanations are given to the kids to ensure they understand the scope of the concepts we are teaching. We try to break down each concept with step-by-step information to see that the kids are understanding, encouraging their critical thinking skills.
Hands- on practice: The kids will get to apply what they have learned through practicing each skill and technique with immediate feedback from coaches. This allows the kids to learn by doing, reinforcing each skill and technique.
Q: Can you describe a typical day or session in one of your afterschool programs?
A: Our beach volleyball clinics are structured to progressively introduce new skills, rules, teamwork, and gameplay over the course of four sessions. Each clinic begins with focused skill development and fundamentals, gradually transitioning to applying these fundamentals in real game-like scenarios by the end of the session.
Q: What steps do you take to engage children who might be shy or hesitant to participate?
A: At the beginning of our first clinic coaches will introduce themselves to the campers and everyone will learn each participant’s names. Then the coaches will play an icebreaker game with their group to encourage participation. We know how intimidating it can be to meet new friends and we prioritize getting everyone comfortable as soon as possible.
Q: How do you communicate with parents about their child’s progress and experiences in your program?
A: During each session of our After School Clinics, coaches provide kids with daily verbal feedback and a written evaluation form after the third clinic. We encourage kids to take these evaluations home to share with their parents. Additional feedback for parents is communicated either in person or by email. At the end of each session, we also encourage parents to complete our anonymous surveys, which are emailed out to gather their input.
Q: Are there any special events or highlights throughout the school year that participants can look forward to?
A: In addition to our Summer Camp and After School Clinics we offer a Thanksgiving Break Camp, Winter Break Camps and Spring Break Camp. These are part day camps that begin at 9:00am and go until 12:00 pm. Our Thanksgiving Break Camp is a 3-day camp, and our Winter and Spring Break Camps are 5-day camps, Monday-Friday.
Q: How do you handle behavioral issues or conflicts that may arise during activities?
A: Our coach’s handbook outlines a clear chain of command for handling disciplinary issues. The first offense results in a verbal warning from the court coach. For a second offense, the issue is reported to the camp director, and the participant receives a final warning. If a third offense occurs, the camp director will contact the parents to pick up the child, resulting in the child’s removal from the session. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, foul language, or any form of disrespect towards others.
Q: What are the enrollment options and costs for your afterschool programs?
A: Our after-school clinics are $125 for residents and $137 for non-residents. There is also one scholarship available to one participant for every session. Each session consists of four clinics and meets twice a week, Tuesdays, and Thursdays for 1 hour and 15 minutes. We have 40 spots available for each session.
Q: How do you gather feedback from parents and children to improve your programs?
A: At the end of each session in the ‘Thank You’ email there is an anonymous google survey where we kindly ask for all feedback so we can continue to improve our offerings.
Click here to learn more about 805 Beach!