Junior Program

HomeJunior Program

At Spray Beach Yacht Club, we strive for a welcoming, safe environment where Juniors can gain new skills, become comfortable and competent around the water, learn self-reliance and team work, and make lifelong memories at the Jersey Shore.

Spray Beach Yacht Club’s Junior Program (“SBYC”) offers a summer of sailing, swimming, tennis and fun events. The Junior Program began in the 1920s, and since the 1930s has been a core part of our Club’s sailing heritage. The Junior Program today includes professional sailing and racing instruction as well as opportunities to develop swimming and tennis skills.

SBYC also offers Member Families with younger children programs such as the Sand Crabs playgroup for
ages 0-7 and Ducks, an introduction to sailing for ages 4-6.

Juniors 7-18 years

To participate in any of the Junior Program activities youths must be Registered and have paid the Junior Membership fee. Junior Members must be 7 years old by June 1st or be 6 years old and have completed 1st grade. Junior Members who register for sailing pay additional fees for sailing instruction and slip rentals and/or Club boat rental. The SBYC Junior Program runs for eight weeks from mid-June to mid-August.

SAILING

SBYC began as a sailing club and is committed to continuing that tradition. The Junior Sailing Program is designed to develop knowledgeable youth sailors and to instill in them a love for the sport of sailing. All sailing activity is conducted under the supervision of our Sailing Director, Parry Barclay, a world-class sailor, past Optimist National Team coach, and a middle school teacher. Our Junior Sailing Instructors are sailors who have mastered sailing skills and developed a passion for sailing. Full-time instructors are trained and certified by U.S. Sailing and are certified in First Aid and CPR. For more information on our sailing programs, please see the Terms and Conditions attachments on the SBYC website under the Member Sailing Juniors or the Summer Juniors menu tab.

Sailing Instruction is held Monday through Saturday with programs for first year sailors through advanced racers. Course offerings are customized for age and skill levels, and include instruction on Optimist Dinghies, Lasers, and Bic. Sailors must pass a swimming test prior to going out on the water. The Junior Sailing Program consists of two four- week sessions. Sailors may sign up for the first four-week session or both sessions at a reduced rate. To get the most benefit from the Sailing Instruction we encourage sailors to register for both sessions.

On a limited basis, SBYC also welcomes Junior Sailing Members from families who are not currently Club Members (“Summer Juniors”). These Summer Junior Sailing Members have all the privileges of Member Sailing Juniors. A Summer Junior’s parents are also welcome to participate in Junior events at the Club, and may participate in two other Club events as guests of Members.

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Tennis

SBYC offers Registered Junior Members, group tennis instruction with several qualified tennis instructors. Lessons are conducted at the Beach Haven Courts. Tennis lessons are instructional and noncompetitive.

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Swimming

SBYC provides Registered Junior Members, group swimming instruction taught by Certified Swimming Instructors. This is a parent/guardian-involved activity. Parents/guardians assist the instructors on a rotating basis. All Juniors, whether they sail or not, can benefit from classes to learn new strokes, improve technique or just build up confidence in the water.

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Social Activities and Fun Days

Social Activities and events are open to all Junior Members and will be posted on the SBYC website Junior Calendar. Juniors must be Registered Junior Members to participate. Activities include:

Monday Lunches – 12noon-1:00pm on the Wharf. All Juniors are welcome to join their fellow Juniors for an SBYC-provided lunch on the wharf. This is a great way to kick off the week. Parental and grandparent support in coordinating these lunches is always needed and appreciated. Please refer to the sign up in order to lend a hand.
Funday Activities – Events may include Thundering Surf Day, Paintball, Mini-golf with the commodores and/or tournament, Paddle Boarding, Kayaking, Bonfire on Sunfish Beach, Beach Soccer, Girls Night Out, Boys Night Out, and boat trips to Little Egg Harbor destinations. Some events require participants to pay an event charge and are often subsidized by the Juniors Program. We require a minimum of one adult chaperone for every five Juniors, but all parents are welcome to attend and assist. All activities and events will be posted on the SBYC website Junior Calendar.

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Fundraisers

This is a fun way to join friends to raise funds to support the activities available to Juniors. Annual Junior fundraisers include: Pancake Breakfast, Mighty Duck Regatta, Senior Cornhole Tournament, Spaghetti Supper, and Thundering Surf ticket sales.

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Volunteering

Even the youngest members of this family club give back to the club as well as the larger Long Beach Island community. The Juniors maintain the clamshell garden at the southend of the grounds, participate in fall and spring Work Weekend, act as the color guard on Flag Day and volunteer as servers at select club events. In addition the Junior Officers are elected each year and then volunteer their time planning and hosting events for their fellow Juniors along with the support of the adult coordinators. Finally, in the past the Juniors have supported fundraisers from Reclam the Bay, the Maritime Museum and Southern Ocean County Hospital.

Under 7

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Sandcrabs

The Sand Crabs is a playgroup for Pre-Juniors ages 0-7. Sand Crabs meet in the Main Clubhouse on Thursday mornings for one hour from 11:00 am - Noon. The children will enjoy creative activities followed by a healthy snack. Sand Crabs are free of charge, but all children must be accompanied by an adult. Sand Crabs is hosted by the Auxiliary with the assistance of some Junior helpers.

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Ducks

DUCKS: 9am-11am, Saturdays

Structured play in the bay! The Ducks program is for 4-6-year-old family members only. Our curriculum is designed to build comfort with the beach, bay, and the Opti. Activities include team building games, swimming, floating, steering, paddling, flipping and trying to sink the Opti! The kids will also learn basic boat parts and the basic mechanics of how to move around the boat. Sailing related “arts and crafts” will be incorporated into each class. Children may sign up for one session (3 classes) or both sessions (6 classes). The use of a club Opti is included as part of this program for our youngest sailors.