FSCJ Beach Volleyball Volunteers at Jacksonville Beach Cleanup
This Thursday the Manta Rays Volleyball program traded in time before practice for gloves and trash bags as they volunteered at their team cleanup in Jacksonville Beach. The team came together with one mission: protect the beach that serves as both their training ground and a treasured part of the local community.
For a beach volleyball program, the sand isn't just a playing surface — it's home. The athletes understand that maintaining a clean, safe, and beautiful beach environment is part of respecting the sport itself. By volunteering their time, the Manta Rays demonstrated that their commitment goes far beyond the game.
Throughout the afternoon before practice, players worked side by side collecting plastic bottles and bags, cigarette butts, food wrappers, and other debris scattered along Jax beach area. What might seem like small pieces of trash can have a significant impact on marine life and removing that waste helps preserve the natural beauty of Jacksonville Beach and protects wildlife that call the area home.
Coach Hinck emphasized the importance of service within the program's culture.
"We talk a lot about discipline, effort, and accountability on the court. Volunteering is an extension of those same values. Taking care of our beach shows gratitude for the place that gives us so much!"
The cleanup also served as a team-building opportunity. Players bonded outside of practice, working together in a different kind of setting while reinforcing the program's core standards — leadership, responsibility, and pride in representing the community.
