COCONUT BEACH VOLLEYBALL COMPLEX
BACKGROUND
Since April 1988, Coconut Beach Volleyball Complex has served as the home of sand volleyball in the New Orleans region. Made of twenty-two courts and 100,000 square feet of outdoor man-made beach, Coconut Beach Volleyball Complex was one of the largest sand volleyball complexes in the United States and served over 4,000 players a week participating in
organized leagues or tournaments. Through a Cooperative Endeavor between Mike Drury, a local businessman and NORD, Coconut Beach called West End its home for over 22 years. Unfortunately destroyed in August 2005 by Hurricane Katrina, Coconut Beach was rebuilt and re-opened on June 3, 2006. Initially rebuilt on a much smaller scale with only 6-lighted courts, the plan was to increasethe number of courts as the land from the original complex was released from the Army Corps of Engineers, who had commandeered the complex for site preparation of the Flood Gates on the 17th Street Canal. Construction of eight additional courts was completed April 2007 and eventually added an additional 8 courts in May 2008. At that time, Coconut Beach was determined to be the largest lighted sand volleyball complex in the country. On January 17th, 2012 Coconut Beach West End closed per order of the Army Corps of Engineers for the development of a pumping station on the 17th Street Canal. Currently, Coconut Beach is working with the city of Kenner to develop a 22 court sand complex in Laketown on Lake Pontchartrain next to the Pontchartrain Center. SUCCESSFUL EVENTS
Coconut Beach has hosted numerous national professional sand volleyball tournaments including AVP Tour, De Kyper/Playboy Tour, Coors Light WPVA Tour, Bud Light 4 Men & Women Tour, Planet Spike, Serve it Up, Spalding Gold Tour, and the Corona Wide Open Tour. Coconut Beach hosts major charity events. 30th Annual Children’s Hospital Tournament, 14th Slam N Jam Tournament, LSU Medical School Special Olympic Tournament and the First Middle School Slam N Jam Tournament. As of this date we have help raised over $1,150,000.00 for charity. MANAGEMENT TEAM
• Mike Drury, Owner/Operator
• Christie Drury, Owner/Operator
