“I had a team that could run a perfect pick-and-roll but couldn’t run barefoot on sand for three minutes without cramping,” Ben told me during an exclusive interview at his new headquarters—a renovated lifeguard station on the south end of Crescent Cove. “That was my lightbulb moment. The beach isn’t a vacation. It’s the ultimate training ground.”
In the world of athletic coaching, transitions are rarely glamorous. Usually, a “new chapter” means a different indoor facility, a louder weight room, or a longer bus ride to away games. But for the man they call Coach Ben, the latest chapter isn’t just new—it’s a complete ecological and philosophical overhaul. coach ben big beach adventure new
“This is the locker room now,” he said with a grin, gesturing at the endless horizon. “No walls. No excuses. Just sand, salt, and hard work.” “I had a team that could run a
As I packed up my notebook and peeled off my wet socks, Coach Ben was already raking the drill lines for the next group. The sun was climbing over the dunes, casting long shadows across the tide line. He wasn’t looking at his phone or checking stats. He was watching a pelican dive. It’s the ultimate training ground
Athletes discard their $200 trainers. Ben believes modern shoes have made feet lazy. The first quarter-hour is tactile: walking lunges in the wash, toe-grabbing drills in the soft sand, and balance work on driftwood. “You have 26 bones in your foot,” Ben shouts. “Let them work!”
The answer is yes—with a catch. Because the program is entirely dependent on tide schedules and group size, Ben limits each session to 15 people. However, he has just launched a waitlist and a digital “Sand Notes” newsletter where he posts weekly drills you can do on any beach, anywhere.
