The 2010 edition of the USA Beach Volleyball Junior Tour will be the biggest ever with 20 events in 14 states.

Starting in May with the U.S. Border Open in Brownsville, Texas – the inaugural event for a new facility – the tour for boys’ and girls’ beach volleyball teams (no co-ed teams) ages 10-20 will travel the country over 12 weekends, culminating with the USA Beach Junior Tour Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Eighteen different USA Volleyball regions are participating in this year’s Tour. Besides the U.S. Border Open, the other new events for 2010 are the Ohio Valley Open (Mason, Ohio), the Hawkeye Open (Des Moines, Iowa) and the Keystone Open (Norristown, Pa.).

“We are really excited to bring the USA Volleyball Beach Junior Tour to so many new parts of the country,” said Ali Wood Lamberson, USA Volleyball’s director of beach programs. “The Beach Junior Tour is a great way for kids to try beach volleyball, or improve on their existing skills.”

“We are glad to be able to expand the number of tour qualifying events in 2010 and look forward to awarding championship bid invitations – that include free entry fees – to the top three placing teams in each age division for the Open Championships in Ft. Lauderdale,” said Rick Schanz, the tour director from the Elevation Group. Schanz added, “Championship bids will be extended to the top three teams in each age division with alternate bids offered through sixth place, so we should have good representation from across the country at our finale in Fort Lauderdale.”

The 2009 Tour had 13 events in 11 regions with 2,224 participants. An average of 85 teams competed per event, a 49 percent increase in average participation from previous years.

The USA Beach Junior Tour focuses on competition and fun in a healthy environment. Players officiate their own matches and the events foster a friendly environment amongst competitors.

The tour is sponsored by Spalding King of the Beach volleyballs, sanctioned by USA Volleyball and produced and operated by the Elevation Group of Companies.

Event registration will be open on March 15 and posted at www.usabeach.org.

2010 Events Schedule can be viewed on the USABeach.or Events Page