It’s always a delight when, between regional high schools, there is a nexus for all to unite and play, to express their talents and showcase their efforts. This is what San Bernardino Valley College has done since 1997: provide not just an arena for high schools to host their games, but also a personal relationship between local schools’ athletic departments.

Spearheading this effort at SBVC is Dave Rubio, head of the athletic department at SBVC since 1982. At the mention of the partnership, Rubio is quick to express that he is “more than happy to help [the schools].” Help is an understatement, for this uniting effort once hosted the largest high school tournaments in the nation, the Desert Classic Volleyball Tournament, which caters to a sundry of varsity and junior varsity volleyball teams.

Among the list of partners there are 24 teams in each division, each with its own tournament hosted at SBVC. To organize it all, Rubio and the coaches of each participating college collaborate through their school administrations to authorize entry fees, secure transportation methods, and coordinate games. While the logistics may be dense, the gratitude from teams highlights the simplicity in the partnership.

“The new facilities at the college,” which were inaugurated in August of 2016, “very much impressed and continue to impress the teams and their coaches,” notes Rubio. This relationship with regional schools is a powerful tool to introduce SBVC to prospective athletes nearby. “[T]hey just want to play with their coaches, but when they play at our campus they love what they see.” It’s the hope of Rubio and the entire athletic department to nurture these relationships and see tremendous growth for SBVC in the near future.