Tournament Brings 600 Youth Volleyball Teams to Los Angeles; Tournament Champs Crowned

The SoCal Cup, largely considered to be the nation’s largest premier tournament series for boys’ volleyball, held its Winter Formal competition at the Los Angeles Convention Center this past weekend.

Organized and operated by AIM Sports Group, the three day event, which took place December 8-10, drew approximately 600 club teams across various age groups (12U through 18U) from all over the US and beyond, driven to compete for what is fast becoming the ultimate bragging right in the sport. The SoCal Cup hosts three annual tournaments: the SoCal Cup Open Championship in January; the SoCal Cup Showcase in June; and the SoCal Cup Winter Formal event in December. SoCal Cup also operates in-season league matches.

“Our SoCal Cup tournaments continue to get more and more successful each year, and we are already almost at full capacity with teams eager to compete at our next event, the SoCal Cup Open, which will take place next MLK weekend (January 13-15, 2024),” said AIM Sports Group Founder John Gallegos. “It’s truly gratifying to see thousands of enthusiastic young athletes and their families gather in downtown Los Angeles in support of youth volleyball. We’re proud to be able to help establish high profile venues and entertainment value for, first and foremost, the sport of volleyball, and also provide marketing opportunities for the rapidly growing number of brands tapping into this surging sport.”

This year’s event drew a record Winter Formal crowd of about 60,000 across the three day tournament, made up of a diverse audience of athletes, families, and spectators. The event is also fast becoming a coveted marketing opportunity for sponsors looking to make a splash before the enormous ‘captive audience’ of young families. Sponsors and partners at this year’s event included got milk?, who had a crowd-pleasing video and gaming installation that promoted the health benefits of milk; beverage company South Norte created a popup sports bar and lounge that served parents premium tequila-based cocktails and craft beers; and Sideout Sports, who served as the official merch partner for the event. Additional sponsor activations at the Convention Center included displays by Florence Marine X (apparel), INSAND (outdoor workout classes); EBOOST (sports-based energy and recovery products); Slunks (apparel); and others.

Boys volleyball clubs that achieved bragging rights this year by winning their divisions included:

• Balboa Bay 18 Blue from Newport Beach, CA (18 Open)
• 435 Elite Boys VC 18 from St. George, UT (18 Club)
• Balboa Bay 17 Blue from Newport Beach, CA (17 Open)
• AZ Fear 17 SL from Phoenix, AZ (17 Club)
• Team Rockstar 16 Rockstar from Long Beach, CA (16 Open)
• Team Rockstar 16 Gold from Long Beach, CA (16 Club)
• A4 Volley Boys from Lake Forest, CA (15 Open)
• OTT VBC 15 from Yorba Linda, CA (15 Club)
• Team Rockstar 14 Rockstar from Long Beach, CA (14 Open)
• 949 14 White from San Juan Capistrano, CA (14 Club)
• SC Legends 13 Elite from Chatsworth, CA (13 Open)
• Bay to Bay 12-1 from Campbell, CA (12 Open)

Founded to provide elite competitive and developmental playing opportunities and training for young athletes, the SoCal Cup has grown exponentially over the last four years and is now the largest and best-attended youth volleyball tournament in the country. Learn more at SoCalCupVolleyball.com.

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