OCEANSIDE — Harbor Beach is now home to four new volleyball courts, funded through a partnership between the city and Visit Oceanside using federal relief dollars.
City leaders and local high school volleyball players gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new courts on Dec. 15.
The new courts replaced older nets installed by community members.
“They sorely needed to be replaced,” Mayor Esther Sanchez said at the ceremony.
Sand Court Experts, a contractor recommended by national beach volleyball organizations, completed the work on the new courts.
The city funded the project with $12,200 from the American Rescue Plan Act, legislation signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021 to provide economic relief to individuals, businesses, and local governments affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Oceanside Parks and Recreation officials said permanently installed nets would improve access to the courts for the broader community.
Parks and Recreation Director Manuel Gonzalez reached out to Visit Oceanside CEO Leslee Gaul about becoming the courts’ first sponsor, a proposal the tourism marketing organization accepted.
Visit Oceanside, a nonprofit tourism marketing organization, helped fund preventive maintenance and future net replacement without impacting the city’s general fund.
Gaul said she was honored to partner with the city to support the courts.
“Tourism is a symbiotic relationship with the city and how it works together,” she said. “Although we have direct impact with tax dollars on the general fund, it’s really neat to have an opportunity to have a more direct impact through this inaugural sponsorship for the nets.”
Several local high school teams, including Oceanside High School, Coastal Academy and Mission Vista High School, use the courts for CIF men’s and women’s beach volleyball.
Organized groups may also rent the courts for games and tournaments, while the courts remain open for free public use year-round.
The new volleyball courts are the city’s only courts located directly on an Oceanside beach.
