Our History

We're very proud of our company's history.

Sprocket’s began in Los Gatos in the summer of 1994 just a few days before the infamous “white Ford Bronco” car chase. The store was located ½ mile down the same street from where it is now and when it opened, it was one of four other volleyball specialty stores within a 30 mile radius. For the first year the owner was the only employee and worked 7 days a week alongside his yellow lab, Sprocket, whom the store was named after. If there was ever a day off needed, Mom came in and covered.

In the spring of 1995, Sprocket’s began it’s expansion into the volleyball community, sponsoring an unprecedented 22 grass volleyball events and providing pro beach volleyball caliber nets for all six sand courts at West Valley college bearing the Sprocket’s name/logo. The store also expanded and moved to its current location with volleyballs and surf clothing mixed throughout the store.

Because the mix of volleyball, surf and beachwear was so foreign to a small town like Los Gatos, most people didn’t entirely “get it”. With the 1996 Olympics featuring beach volleyball for the first time, volleyball was “put on the map” and in 1997 volleyball specialty was given its own area in the back of the store. The front of the store became more apparel driven with a blend of surf, beachwear, and clothing & accessories that typify the beach lifestyle. In 1998, Silicon Volley was launched as a core division of Sprocket’s to focus on our web presence as well as expand our team division. With this launch, Sprocket’s established itself as a leader in team uniforms and equipment both at retail and on the web. This growth established Sprocket’s as an Elite team dealer for Asics and a Key Account dealer for Mizuno, two of the most prominent volleyball companies in the industry.

Over the course of the next decade Sprocket’s has continued to grow and define itself in the volleyball community, working with high schools, clubs and colleges. Nike and Under Armour were added to the already diverse product line-up and Sprocket’s Silicon Volley began offering on-site printing of uniforms and apparel to better accommodate the growing team market. The surf side of Sprocket’s has also continued to expand with Rainbow sandals, Surftech boards and RVCA clothing being just a few of the latest additions.

Sixteen years later Sprocket’s is still the same core business that it began as, in a small little town sandwiched between Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz. The emphasis is still on living the beach lifestyle through surf, volleyball and clothing, the shop is still open 7 days a week, and there is still a yellow lab hanging out in the store. About the only thing that has changed is that the owner doesn’t work seven days a week anymore…he works six. And yes, Mom still does come in to cover a shift every once in a while.