FOUNDED IN 1947, THE FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE VOLLEYBALL BECOMES THE INTERNATIONAL GOVERNING BODY OF ALL FORMS OF VOLLEYBALL. BY 1969, THE FIVB HAD DEVELOPED A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (IOC). IT’S THIS PARTNERSHIP THAT WOULD LATER PROVE TO BE THE THORN IN THE AVP’S SIDE AMID THE HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL BEACH VOLLEYBALL QUALIFICATION PROCESS FOR THE 1996 U.S. OLYMPICS.

TO MOST, THIS THORN HAD A NAME AND IT WAS RUBEN ACOSTA HERNANDEZ, WHO WAS APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF THE FIVB IN 1984, A MAN WHO CLEARLY PUT HIS SIGHTS ON THE EXPLOSIVE POTENTIAL OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL’S INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION AND THAT OF THE FIVB’S FULL CONTROL OF IT.

SHARING MR. ACOSTA’S VIEWS ON EXPANDING THE BEACH GAME INTERNATIONALLY WAS THE SPORT’S OUTSPOKEN FACE AND UNABASHED AMBASSADOR, SINJIN SMITH. AND IT’S THIS RELATIONSHIP THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY DRIVE A WEDGE BETWEEN SINJIN AND THE AVP, IRONICALLY ENOUGH, AN ORGANIZATION HE HELPED CREATE.

THOSE CLOSE TO THE MATTER SAY SINJIN WAS CAST AS A PARIAH. THEN AGAIN, WITH BEACH VOLLEYBALL FLOURISHING WITHIN TODAY’S WELL-HEELED INTERNATIONAL MARKET, MAYBE HE COULD LOOSELY BE VIEWED AS A MAVERICK. THOUGH THERE ARE THOSE IN THE SOUTH BAY WHO WOULD DISPUTE SUCH POINTS. SUCH ARE BARBS OF RIVALRY THAT NEVER DIE.