"I played my first few CBVA tournaments in the fall of 2008, and I got my world rocked every time, I was so out of my league. After training with Ijams all winter, I came out at the beginning of the 2009 season and got my 'A' the very FIRST tournament! The training I received with Ijams was absolutely the difference maker, 100%. Under his coaching, every part of my game has improved, and I play with much more confidence and aggressiveness. Ijams is much more than just a 'teacher'- I am proud to call him my 'coach'. He pushes his players to dream big and expect big things of themselves. This past year has ben a life-changing experience for me, and I have huge amounts of love and respect for Steven Ijams - as a coach, an athlete, and stellar human being. I'm looking forward to the year ahead, and continuing to improve my game, under his guidance. Next stop: 'AA', baby!!"

"Steven is the owner/head instructor of South Bay Volleyball.  I've taken several classes throughout LA County and San Diego County before I connected with South Bay Volleyball, so I've got experience with many different organizations. You can read up on all their achievements on their website, but here's one thing the website doesn't tell you: it's much more than vball lessons that you learn with their program. Even at 34, I'm learning practices that apply to every day life.  It shows that every single one of the coaches cares about each individual student and their training, and in my opinion, South Bay Vball's level of passion to make their students better in vball and life is what puts them on a whole different level than any other coach I've worked with. It's a community that you become a part of when joining SBV. "

"SouthBay Volleyball is a life changer.  My wife and I started at SBV a couple of years ago.  I played indoor volleyball recreationally for many years and my wife never touched a volleyball in her life.  We were looking for a sport to play together and signed up for the beginners class and boy did we immediately fall in love with the sport and also coach Steve.  Coach Steve is a phenomenal instructor, mixing in his immense knowledge of the game with a fun, everyone-can-play vibe.  I learned advanced techniques and strategies from the get go while simultaneously brushing up with the basic fundamentals, while my wife learned the sport from the ground up.  We are avid beach volleyball players now and continue to play in the intermediate level class.  I can’t recommend taking classes at SBV enough.  Whether you’re just starting or looking to level up your competitive game to new heights, SBV with coach Steve is definitely for you."

"Training with Steven is the best - hands down. He runs fun, efficient training sessions every week and provides personalized feedback to each player no matter the size of the group. As a student of the game himself he's always learning and evolving the physical and mental coaching cues he gives to make sure everyone is understanding and improving. I'll be training with him for a long time."

"Hey Steven, Great News! - I won 1st place in the Men's "B" Tournament at Manhattan Beach and earned my "A" CBVA Rating. Saturday there was a pretty good (tough) turn-out: 25 teams at Manhattan Beach including other people from class: Dan, Phil, Jack and Grey were also playing in the tournament. Jump training totally made a difference increasing my endurance and vertical jump. My legs were not tired at all and were an asset throughout the final. My lower back was still a little tight but forced me to play a little bit smarter than usual. See you Tuesday night!"

"As I have told you before, your coaching has helped me discover things about myself that I did not realize. Because of your volleyball classes and jump training, I learned how to reach new levels of determination and focus. Somehow this paved the way for me to become a runner. Thanks again for your inspiration."

"a staple for learning beach volleyball in Southern California."

"Steven is an amazing coach! No matter your level he will make you a stronger player and will coach what you as an individual needs to work on to improve. He breaks things down so they are easy to understand, he puts a lot of focus on strategy, and he is always encouraging."

"Steven is one of those rare people in life who has a gift and has chosen to pursue it fully. He is an extraordinary coach, armed with the ability to breakdown vast amounts of volleyball knowledge into fun and meaning full lessons. But even more remarkable is the atmosphere he creates on the court.  He is a master motivator and demands your best, and at the same time, the genuine care and respect for his students is what sets him apart."

"After participating in all segments of the 2006-7 jump training sessions, I saw dramatic improvement of my strength, endurance and agility on the volleyball court and the ski slopes.  As a coach, Steven is mindful of individual ability levels and pushes each person to overcome their perceived limits in order to get results.  He establishes a supportive environment, in which class participants compete with themselves against the sand, hills, and stairs.   I recommend this program to anyone who is serious about changing their body and wants a variety of challenging workouts that mix strength, core work and plyometrics in a fun atmosphere!"

"Working with Coach Ijams over the last two years has been an absolute pleasure, and he has dramatically helped improve my game. His focus on technique, strategy, and conditioning has helped me push past the plateau I had hit in training over the last few years and I finally feel like I'm close to reaching my potential. Our practices are not only incredibly educational, but they are also a ton of fun and I'm so glad I found them. Thanks so much for everything Coach!"

"I just wanted to drop you a quick email to thank you once more for the time you spent with my girls. They were so thrilled, their confidence soared and they loved their time with you. Thank you so much.I have attached a few pictures of our camp with you for you to see.We will be back in a couple of years and will definitely look you up again."

"Many thanks!! Please also thank Steve. I think he tried to text me but texted Carly instead.  Such a nice thought and text.  He let me know he really enjoyed working with her and was impressed w/ her attitude and her progression.  Carly responded back directly but I wanted to thank him for reaching out.  And, of course for being a rock star.  As you know, both my girls really respect him for his expertise, talent and great attitude.  His reaching out to me was just an extra, extra.  As you know, his coaching will not go unused with Carly.  She respects him and looks forward to all of his feedback, advice and her implantation of their plans'

"I began training with Steven Ijams in Nov 2010 to rev up my fitness in the jump training programme. Needless to say, christin and I earned our AA rating at our very first tournament! The difference in athleticism from day one of season is what really set us apart. I continued to take steven's classes and work with him in smaller groups to develop my game- physically, mentally and emotionally. We set goals together and with his guidance I was able to earn my AAA rating before the end of my very first beach season! Steven has the unique ability to develop both novice players and players transitioning from indoor to beach. I am so grateful to be working with a coach that consistently inspires me, a coach that pays attention to detail and a coach that is patient as we work through the challenges of making breakthroughs!  Lots of love to Southbay Volleyball...... I couldn't have done it without you!" 

"My beach partner and I flew from Rhode Island to train with Steven for 5 days on the recommendation of a good friend.  We did not have any expectations other than we were self-taught and had a lot of room to improve with private lessons.  We were absolutely thrilled with our SBV experience.  Steven and his team arranged for a blend of private lessons, pick-up games, and group lessons.  The entire coaching staff made us feel at ease and ready to improve our game right away.  The coaches broke down our game at every level - showed us the correct technique- then drilled it until we were able to do it fluidly.  The coaching staff has so much knowledge and passion for the sport, both in strategy and technique which I will apply right away.  Whatever your level of beach volleyball, I highly recommend training with Steven and his team of coaches, if you want to improve all aspects of your game.  We are planning our next SBV training session now!"

"I have been working with Steven Ijams for over 10 years now as my beach volleyball coach.  In 2012 we introduced video analysis into our lesson plans and it’s completely changed my game.  Seeing myself perform, comparing that footage to high level athletes and hearing him talk through my personal instructional videos have made all the difference.  I’ve been so pleased with his ability to edit video for my education, that I’ve also enlisted his help to creating highlight reels for parties I've hosted as well as a tribute reel of my recent 2015 and 2016 Dinosaur volleyball tournament in Hawaii.  His vast knowledge of the sport, his ability to break down and communicate key fundamentals both visually and verbally through his video editing puts him in such a unique and almost exclusive position to help athletes of all ages progress much faster."  

"I don't mean to write another testimonial but I just wanted to say thanks again for your coaching these past few years. I was playing this morning next to a couple of Bob's golf/volley friends and they watched a few plays and made good comments. I just got an invite to the next four man tourney (never been on the list till after the Cinco). I always wanted to be able to play decent in front of Bob's friends and that's starting to happen. I told Bob I know I'll never be a Nancy or a Leanne but I'm not terrible anymore. I can't believe that a few years ago I'd never played in my life and didn't even know how to throw a ball!! You taught me everything from the very beginning and kept me going when I was down. Thanks Coach. Keep doing what you're doing for people."

"I moved here 4 years ago and, having played competitive sports all my life, I was looking for an athletic outlet beside running on the strand.  I found South Bay Volleyball by chance and have never looked back.   The Intermediate class was the first time I had played organized volleyball, let alone on the sand, and in 2 years time, found myself in competitive tournaments, transforming my body to the best shape of my life and creating new friendships that will last a lifetime.     At the center of this experience has been Steven Ijams and his coaching techniques.  He is a tremendous coach for both the experienced and intermediate volleyball players and has developed a program to bring along even the beginner.    In addition, if you are working on general fitness goals, South Bay volleyball is also the place to be.   With various training programs both on and off the sand, you are able to break through those walls and fitness plateaus that plague even the most elite athlete.   They are group based and, with a little encouragement from friends, you are able to achieve strength and explosion never thought possible.  I recommend South Bay Volleyball to all athletic minded individuals who want to not only learn volleyball, achieve great results, but also challenge your mind and body while having fun."

"I've had a lot of coaches over the years both in track and indoor and beach volleyball.  The hallmark of the best coaches are positive attitude coupled with ability to motivate through a lot of different techniques, coupled with an ability to see and analyze the sport and technical aspects of it and then relay that information to athletes in a way that clicks.  I truly value your expert analysis of the game and your ability to diagnosis and then explain technical changes on skills or strategy. But most of all I value your positive attitude and the way you motivate your athletes.  I think you do an amazing job every day of doing what you do best...being a great coach and one I have the privilege of telling everyone I know is one of the best coaches I have ever had. Thank you for being you and for doing what you do so well."

"Dearest Coachie,
Today was such a good day for me on so many levels. You have given me the gift of volleyball and it was the one thing that was able to pull me from a tough night and put a smile on my face. It's been a life changing 1 1/2 years since finding vball and finding you. I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd be fortunate enough to find a sport I love so dearly but also find people that I truly consider family.
But I mean it when I say it - it's because of you and your faith in me that I've gotten to where I am. You say jump and my answer will ALWAYS be "how high?". It's because of you that fighting for my AA and playing a qualifier next year are all completely within the realm of possibility. You are always the voice in the back of my mind and the one person I try to thank by playing my heart out whenever given the opportunity.
And it's an email like the one below that make you so amazing. I'm a very fortunate girl to have you in my life :)"

"btw...thanks for taking the time w/ her - seriously, i'm a big supporter of more than coaching - developing the person and the player- which you are doing and i just want to let you know it's truly appreciated!"

"As someone who never touched a volleyball before, you can just imagine how intimating it can to come and play in the South Bay.
I came to learn how to play but got a lot more. New friends, new fitness routine and a new passion!
Thank you Steven for being such a wonderful coach, you are so talented and helpful!
Yoy make the the game simple (not easy) and fun! You created a community - and I am proud to be a part of it!"

"I definitely don't say enough how much I value,  love, and respect you as a person, professional, and friend.  I do hope you know that it's more than just on birthdays and holidays, though :) I am so grateful for that one Saturday morning 9 or so years ago when Snow first brought me to your class :)"

"Just wanted to say thanks for all the hitting knowledge you've shared and for helping me out as much as you have. :) I know its your job....but still!     I feel like it'll help me make huge strides this season!  (That's my hope anyway!) My goal this year is to get a rating.  I really really want to play more competitive ball!!    Call me crazy...but I've always felt like the potential is there, I've just needed to put in the time and get the coaching.  So anyway, thanks a bunch!We'll see ya this weekend!"

"Hey Steven,

Great class today! I really like hearing all the technical explanations and your wisdom/experience as a player. Super helpful when you talked about digging a really hard driven ball (loosening the grip of your hands), and especially about what causes the ball to spin a lot when passing (hitting more towards the wrists than the meaty part of the forearms). I've been battling that for awhile now so it's great to learn what's been going on with my arms when passing. When I played later today I really focused on passing more in the middle of my forearms, and it worked like a charm. I learned so much today - thank you!

Have a great weekend and see you next week!"

"It seems like yesterday that I showed up at your intermediate class in 2008 and bullshitted my way in (even though I had first picked up a volleyball only six months previously). From the months of watching the advanced class from the sidelines, taking notes, and begging to get in. To getting my rating with Kyle (I did it!), to being in our epic Thursday summer mens advanced class of 2010 when 10 out of 12 guys got rated, to coming back from getting my thumb ripped up (thanks, coach :) ), and to dealing with the ups and downs of the mental game, I can say that I've learned more from volleyball than I have from many life experiences.
And I can't even begin to name all the great people and friends I've encountered along the way through SBV.
Volleyball, a weekend hobby that I picked up around 40 in middle age just to stay in shape, has taught me how to fail constantly and get up, how to be an encouraging partner and teammate, and how to work hard at a very difficult skill and appreciate the simple act of getting better."