Series of volleyball clinics will begin on Jan. 16

U.S. Open champ and club coach Adam Johnson and his staff will offer instruction for children at Thurston Middle School gymnasium.The Adam Johnson Volleyball Club Winter Clinic Series debuts in Laguna Beach on Jan. 16 at the Thurston Middle School gymnasium.

The clinics, which run through Feb. 10, are designed to provide youth with the basic fundamental skills of indoor volleyball and give them “a great foundation to move forward in the sport and in life,” said Johnson, a former member of the United States National Team.

The Laguna Beach resident’s stellar indoor and outdoor volleyball career includes five times as U.S. Open champion, two times as Manhattan Beach Open champion, a world champion in 1992 and a silver medalist at the 1987 Goodwill Games.

Johnson’s 44 victories puts him at No. 9 on the Assn. Of Volleyball Professional’s all-time wins list.

He’s the club director and coach for the Adam Johnson Volleyball Club.

He coached the Nike Laguna Beach 14s girls’ Open Division team to a fifth-place finish at the 2004 United States Volleyball Assn. Nationals.

Johnson and his coaching staff will conduct the clinics.

“The skills we will touch upon are passing, serving, setting, defense, hitting and a better understanding of the game,” he said. “The goal of these clinics is to teach the kids the game of volleyball in a fun, productive atmosphere.”

There will be a total of four practice sessions for the clinic. The clinic series schedule is as follows:

Girls and boys, second and third grades, 5:30 to 7 p.m. Mondays.

Girls and boys, fourth and fifth grades, 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays.

Girls and boys, sixth, seventh and eighth grades, 5:30 to 7 p.m. Fridays.

The cost is $105.00 per child.

Fees will be prorated if a player joins a session already in progress.

Paperwork will be available at the fist session or can be obtained online at ajvolleyball.com, listed under “club entrance.”

A second clinic series will be offered beginning the week of Feb. 13.

For more information, call (949) 494-7399.