Greater Long Branch Beach Classic
The Greater Long Branch Beach Classic officially made its debut this past Thursday as teams, partners, volunteers, and supporters gathered on the Long Branch beachfront for the inaugural edition of the event.
Created on the foundation of bringing the community together in a way unique to Long Branch and the Jersey Shore, the event represented far more than just a day of volleyball. From the very beginning, the vision behind the Greater Long Branch Beach Classic was to create an experience centered around community, connection, competition, and honoring those who serve others all while showcasing the incredible beachfront atmosphere that makes Long Branch special.
The Chamber would like to extend a huge thank you to the City of Long Branch for supporting and championing the event from idea to execution. Their support, alongside event partners DCH Ford of Eatontown, DCH Kay Honda, MRA International, Monmouth County Tourism, Monmouth Medical Center, and Chick-fil-A Eatontown, helped turn the vision for the inaugural Beach Classic into a reality.
The timing of the event was also intentional. Held on Thursday, May 21st, 2026, the Greater Long Branch Beach Classic served as an opening event into Memorial Day Weekend. Providing an opportunity to honor and remember military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country.
With that mission in mind, the Chamber was honored to welcome the AUSA Monmouth Chapter as the official charity partner for this year’s event. Through initiatives supporting veterans and military families, including their service dog program for local veterans and family members with special needs, the AUSA Monmouth Chapter continues to make a meaningful impact throughout the community.
Of course, an inaugural event is nothing without the teams willing to help build its very first chapter. The Greater Long Branch Beach Classic proudly welcomed ten founding teams to the sand: Beach, Please, CHAMA, Ctrl Alt Defeat, Doggie Sweets, Family and Children Services, Fuze, Opie’s Posse, SALT, Team Maverick, and Team TAC.......the other one!!!
To every player, captain, supporter, and team representative, thank you wholeheartedly for embracing the day, competing hard, and helping create the energy and atmosphere that made the event such a success.
While weather conditions became challenging at times throughout the afternoon, every team continued to compete with positivity, sportsmanship, and energy from the opening serve through the championship final. That attitude from everyone involved ultimately became one of the defining parts of the day and reflected exactly the type of community spirit the Chamber hoped the event would create.
Congratulations to the inaugural Greater Long Branch Beach Classic Champions… Team CHAMA!
As the first team to lift the trophy, Team CHAMA has officially etched their name into Beach Classic history, and we look forward to seeing them return next year to defend their championship.
The Chamber would also like to recognize the tremendous efforts of the Greater Long Branch Beach Classic Event Committee, including Committee Chair Carlos A. Reynolds, Aaron Levine, Elsa Pereira, and Nancy Zuckerman. Their work behind the scenes helped bring the event to life. Additional thanks also goes to Nick Listorti and The Link News for their continued support of the event and its vision.
Most importantly, thank you to everyone who helped support the inaugural edition of the Greater Long Branch Beach Classic. Events like this are built through collaboration, creativity, and a shared belief in what community events can bring to Long Branch.
We look forward to building on this event for years to come and continuing to create experiences that bring people together on the Long Branch beachfront in a way that is uniquely our own.
