ABC1900 is one of Denmark’s largest beach volley clubs, as well as one of its largest volleyball clubs. During the last five years, ABC1900 has had a constant number of members, ca 450, primarily due to the limited number of courts: ten courts every summer evening from 7 pm to sunset at the local outdoor swimming stadium on the beach.

In the spring of 2010 ABC1900 began building a new beach volley complex in north Aarhus called Beach Park Aarhus. The first stage with ten courts and a small club house for equipment storage was completed, and the area was opened for beach volley play on April 30. 2010.

It is expected that club membership will increase in the coming years, especially for younger members.

ABC1900 offers its members activities at all levels of play. In May and June there is training at high, middle and lower levels for both women’s and men’s teams. ABC1900 offers training to beginners, both to members and non-members. Intro training is a popular activity where members, new members and future members learn about the basics of beach volley play.

ABC1900 organizes a beach volley league for each level of play one evening pr week for the whole summer. The leagues are for four men’s levels, three women’s levels and two Mix levels, all consisting of two-player teams.

For less experienced players, there is also a Mix league for teams with two to four players with at least one man and one woman player. Here a team can put into practice what they have learned at Intro training, but any team can participate with or without previous experience.

With the ten new courts and new location at Beach Park Aarhus, ABC1900 can now organize activities and events for its younger members. It is now possible for ABC1900 to take its share of responsibility for attracting and developing new members under eighteen. One of the new events is Beach TeenCamp for the under-eighteens.

ABC1900 organizes weekend tournaments each season.

The season opens with King/Queen-of-the-Beach. This is a tournament where each participant is assigned a new partner as the tournament progresses. One plays with several different partners where versatility and the ability to adapt to different partners and opponents is at a premium.

Aarhus Open takes place the last free weekend before the Danish Championship League starts. League play runs from the middle of June to mid-August.

Aarhus Championships (Århus Mesterskaber) is held in August, on a free weekend.

The three tournaments are open to all players, but the majority of participants are members of ABC1900. Some out-of-town teams return year after year for the weekend tournaments.

Many of ABC1900’s members play in the Danish Championship League, or “DM Touren,” at all levels of play. “DM Touren” is organized by the Danish Volleyball Association and is held at beaches in Denmark with the help of the local beach volley clubs. F.ex. participants from ABC1900 travel together to Løkken, sleep in tents and eat together, party Saturday night, play from Friday to Sunday, and return to Århus to play in the ABC League (ABC-liga) the following week.

DGI moved its yearly event, DGI Open, from Skæring School (Skæringskole) to Beach Park Aarhus in 2010. DGI Open has continued its success with this ranking tournament after the move to BPA.

There can be no club without a party or two. The social side of club life is nurtured through a number of parties throughout the summer season. The weather can be chilly in the evening, but a big party tent, a lighted grill and high spirits at BPA or at the swimming stadium increase the temperature and set the mood for an ABC party. And ABC1900 has a talented group to organize parties in connection with Aarhus Open, King/Queen-of-the-Beach and Aarhus Championships (Århus Mesterskaber). Midsummer Eve or the longest and brightest evening of the year is celebrated with bring-your-own-“dog” grill on the beach in Aarhus.

ABC1900’s vision is to create a year round beach volley milieu in Aarhus and to promote beach volley both socially and as a sport at all levels. ABC1900’s strategy to fulfill its vision is to recruit and train its members for voluntary work and services in the club.

ABC1900 can offer so many activities to its members because members themselves contribute their time and energy on a volunteer basis. About one in four members volunteer their time as members of the organizing committee, as trainers, as members of various committees and as those responsible for an evening’s activities at the courts. Behind the scenes are those who create and update ABC1900’s homepage, make and repair equipment, write and send out ABC1900’s newsletter and those who keep the lines of communication open to the municipality of Aarhus, the Danish Volleyball Association, building funds, local high schools, and the board of Aarhus1900 of which ABC1900 is a member. And of course to all the club’s members!

ABC1900 is a member of Aarhus Athletic Association 1900 (Aarhus Idrætsforening af 1900), or Aarhus 1900, which is one of Denmark’s largest sports clubs with more than 4.000 members in 18 different sports, each with its own separate club.

ABC1900 is a member of Denmark’s Athletic Association (Danmarks Idræts-Forbund) or DIF, which is a collective umbrella organization for sports in Denmark and for Denmark’s Olympic Committee.

ABC1900 is a member of Denmark’s Gymnastic and Athletic Association (Danmarks Gymnastik- og Idrætsforeninger) or DGI, which is the central organization for 5000 local sports clubs.

ABC1900 follows both DIF’s and DGI’s guidelines with respect to antidoping.

ABC1900 holds the lines of communication open between members, organizing and working committees, national league and municipality through the following:

·         Newsletter at strategic times during the year

·         The club’s homepage here at www.abc1900.dk where the latest news and events are up to date

·         Brochures for members, new members and people interested in ABC1900

·         On the courts and at the beach

Aarhus Beachvolley Club was founded by a group of volleyball players on June 17. 1993 consisting of 39 members. During the next two years ABC offered collective membership to local volleyball clubs which resulted in a membership of 1000 players. There are still many members in ABC1900 who were among these first 39 members and members of ABC1900 now range in age from the youngest who are about 15 to many members in their 40’s and 50’s.

In 1995 ABC became a member of Aarhus 1900 and with its help started looking for a location for 10 permanent courts which could become the club’s home.

ABC1900 has now 10 courts at Beach Park Aarhus, as well as the right to play in the evenings at “Den Permanente”, the outdoor swimming stadium on the beach in Aarhus.

The second stage of developing Beach Park Aarhus includes establishing 10 new courts and a larger club house. Further plans include still more courts so the area can be used more flexibly for other sports and events such as beach handball, beach football and maybe even beach basketball.