ASHBURN, Va. — Jackson Herbert was first introduced to volleyball when his parents played in a sand volleyball league when he was little. He was instantly hooked and since then he hasn’t stopped playing. The eldest of three, when his two siblings got older, he started playing with them as soon as they could hit the ball. “Volleyball, in my family, brings us all together and is something that we all share in common where we can enjoy, and at the same time, be competitive,” he shares.

Jackson, 16, a rising senior at Briar Woods High School, spends a lot of time focused on training and playing volleyball for his two separate teams. “I play indoor for St. James, located in Springfield, VA where I play right side, which is one of the wing attackers,” he describes.

He also plays beach volleyball, as a blocker, playing with kids from all over the country including Delaware and Tennessee.

Having to travel for beach volleyball, training and playing in Loudoun County is not easy when the closest beach is at least a three-hour drive.

“The hard part about beach volleyball in Northern Virginia is that it is not very popular so to get better I have to push myself by playing in men’s tournaments instead of playing against kids my age,” Jackson says. “This is difficult because by playing in harder competitions I face a lot of failure, but this has crafted me to become a better player facing this hardship.”

Playing up an age group and in men’s tournaments, Jackson recently played 14 hours on the beach in a tournament and had his first victory. “After a long day of playing, it’s just after 10pm and the lights are on in our last match, and we won!” he shares. “It was my first men’s beach tournament where I won, and it felt very fulfilling knowing the hard work paid off.”

Long days and playing can be taxing on any athlete but playing in the heat and sun comes with its own challenges. Jackson practices for at least two hours each practice during the week for his beach volleyball tournaments. “The key difference between indoor and beach is needing more control and placement of shots because I want to be more explosive on the sand,” Jackson shares.  He also lifts weights before each practice and focuses on hydration and getting plenty of electrolytes for the long days in the sun and heat.

Jackson and his parents will typically travel to Virginia Beach for tournaments, but visit Hermosa Beach, CA; Gulf Shores, AL; and Ft. Lauderdale, FL a couple times a year. Jackson remembers playing in one of those tournaments where he had 25 blocks, which is quite an accomplishment! This year, he will be traveling to Chula Vista, CA to train with the Beach U19 National Team which is the national leading team to prepare individuals for the Olympics and Paralympics.

He continues to train and has his eyes set on playing in the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) tour one day. AVP is the U.S. premiere pro beach volleyball league of elite volleyball professionals. “When you find a sport you love, find any opportunities to be around that sport and get involved,” Jackson says.

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