Carbondale Invests $50,000 in Pro-Quality Sand for Second Annual Open

The Town of Carbondale spent $50,000 importing high-grade sand from Denver. It’s sitting in Miners Park right now. It’s not just dirt. It’s Association of Volleyball Professionals-quality sand. The old stuff? It’s at the rodeo and the cemetery.

That investment pays off this Saturday. The Second Annual Carbondale Open kicks off at 9 a.m. at Miners Park. The Town of Carbondale and the Maroon Belles Volleyball Club are hosting. They’re betting on upgraded courts to draw in youth athletes who usually have to compete against adults just to get a game in.

Laird Little, the Maroon Belles Volleyball Club Director, says the debut last year proved there’s a hunger for this. “We started this last year at 18U, 16U, and 14U, and it was really successful last year,” Little said. “We want to make this more about youth sports in general, and that’s why the prizes reflect that.”

Make no mistake: this isn’t a charity drive. It’s a community infrastructure play. The new sand was chosen for specific grain size, shape, and consistency. It cuts down on dust. It eliminates clay. It stops kids from getting cut up on rough surfaces. The nets got an upgrade too. They’re adjustable now.

The stakes for the players are higher this time. No more generic gift cards. The prizes are experiences. Aspen Snowmass offers 4-day flex passes. Sunlight Ski Mountain is donating full-day passes. The Carbondale Rec Center is handing out 20-day punch passes. These were donated by sponsors, but Little has a plan to lock it in. He wants to write a grant next year so the town actually buys the prizes. He wants to own the tradition.

“We are looking to continue this tradition for the next 20 years,” Little said. “The idea is to keep the kids active, and the earlier you start getting them out there, the better.”

The tournament structure is straightforward. Separate brackets for each gender. Age groups remain the same as last year: 14U, 16U, and 18U. Pool play starts at 9 a.m. Bracket elimination follows in the afternoon. Winners are crowned before sunset.

Last year, about 20 to 30 teams showed up. Little didn’t give a number for this year’s expected turnout, but the court upgrades suggest he’s expecting more. The Miners Park improvements aren’t just for this one tournament. The courts are already seeing increased usage. Local club practices are using them. Informal, unorganized games are happening on weekends. The sand is doing its job.

The tournament is independent of any single club affiliation. That’s the point. It’s open. It’s for the community. It’s for the kids.

Little notes that before this, if a kid in Colorado wanted to play volleyball, they often had to play against adults. This tournament fixes that gap. It gives young athletes a chance to compete against their own age group. It’s about visibility. It’s about participation.

The money spent on sand is a sunk cost now. The surface is the asset. The event is the catalyst. The precedent is set. If Little gets that grant, the town stops being a passive host and starts being an active sponsor. That changes the dynamic. It changes who pays for the fun.

Read that again. The town is budgeting to potentially buy the prizes next year. That’s a shift from donation dependency to municipal investment. It’s a small town making a big bet on its own youth.

The event starts Saturday. The courts are ready. The sand is fresh. The only question is whether the turnout will match the investment. Last year was a success. This year is the test.