By now most people have heard of pro beach volleyball. Most people have probably even seen it. (I heard it was the #1 sport viewed on CBC.ca during the '08 Olympics). Most people may know that it is played with the same height net as indoor volleyball, and with a slightly smaller court. Most people have noticed that it is played with teams of two (unlike indoor teams of six), and that it is played on sand.
What a lot of people don’t know, however, is how athletes from our Canadian winter wonderland, our ice hockey celebrating citizenry, could end up playing beach volleyball.
While I can’t tell everyone’s stories, I can tell you mine.
When I began playing the sport was still in it’s infancy, and I have, in fact, been introduced as a pioneer in the sport (which is both flattering and makes me feel just a teensy bit old). There were no national teams, coaches or development programs, and there were very few public nets. There was however, a group of very driven athletes, and a few tournaments on summer weekends offering small prizes: a free t-shirt and the promise of good competition and a weekend at an Ontario beach town with your friends. I was hooked. (The winners of our events were traditionally obliged to buy a round for everyone else – often the bulk of their prize money - and in the early days I was the recipient of the free round far more often that the provider).
My story is simple. I played: as much as I could, anywhere I could. I played indoors in high school and university. I played beach every day after work in the summers. I played tournaments in Wasaga, Grand Bend, Midland and Toronto. When the tour went national I played in Vancouver, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Calgary, New Brunswick, Ottawa and Montreal. When summer ended I went where the sport could be played year round. A friend and I moved to Sydney, Australia, where we rented a shoddily furnished apartment at Bondi Beach, and played with some of the country’s top athletes. It was at Bondi that I witnessed my first World Tour Event. I would rise, make myself a cup of coffee and head down to watch the world’s best players. I said to myself “I want to do that. I can do that”. I moved to Southern California, to pursue an MBA and trained with some of the US’s top players. During that time I was competing for Canada on the World Tour, (which took me to Brazil, Bali, Australia, Portugal, Chile, Japan and a host of other wondrous destinations). Ultimately I qualified for and competed in the 1996 Olympic Games.
That was then.
Beach volleyball is much better recognized these days, by fans, sponsors and organizations alike. It is regularly the first event to sell out at the Olympics, and has developed huge TV and web audience. Despite the international popularity of the sport, it’s growth had begun to slow a little here in Canada (which I greatly attribute to the loss of a national tour which would provide both opportunity and aspiration to younger athletes).
This is now.
There are, however, increasing opportunities for young athletes. In Canada, indoor beach facilities have sprouted up across the country. (There are at least four such places in Toronto alone). We have a number of provincial level events across the country as well as exciting independent ones. (The Not-So-Pro in Wasaga Beach, and the Midland tournaments are favorites). Volleyball Canada has developed national team training programs and camps, and has in fact, recently hired a new Head Coach for the beach program who brings with him a history of internationally successful program development. Finally there is currently is a group of loosely connected elite athletes, coaches and promoters working to rebuild the Canadian pro tour that was such a great launching pad for so many of our athletes.
Looking Ahead
What does the future look like? The growth of beach volleyball parallels the growth of other “newer” sports, largely driven by the passion, desire and entrepreneurial nature of athletes solely looking to find ways to pursue their sport and do what they love.
What a lot of people don’t know, however, is how athletes from our Canadian winter wonderland, our ice hockey celebrating citizenry, could end up playing beach volleyball.
While I can’t tell everyone’s stories, I can tell you mine.
When I began playing the sport was still in it’s infancy, and I have, in fact, been introduced as a pioneer in the sport (which is both flattering and makes me feel just a teensy bit old). There were no national teams, coaches or development programs, and there were very few public nets. There was however, a group of very driven athletes, and a few tournaments on summer weekends offering small prizes: a free t-shirt and the promise of good competition and a weekend at an Ontario beach town with your friends. I was hooked. (The winners of our events were traditionally obliged to buy a round for everyone else – often the bulk of their prize money - and in the early days I was the recipient of the free round far more often that the provider).
My story is simple. I played: as much as I could, anywhere I could. I played indoors in high school and university. I played beach every day after work in the summers. I played tournaments in Wasaga, Grand Bend, Midland and Toronto. When the tour went national I played in Vancouver, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Calgary, New Brunswick, Ottawa and Montreal. When summer ended I went where the sport could be played year round. A friend and I moved to Sydney, Australia, where we rented a shoddily furnished apartment at Bondi Beach, and played with some of the country’s top athletes. It was at Bondi that I witnessed my first World Tour Event. I would rise, make myself a cup of coffee and head down to watch the world’s best players. I said to myself “I want to do that. I can do that”. I moved to Southern California, to pursue an MBA and trained with some of the US’s top players. During that time I was competing for Canada on the World Tour, (which took me to Brazil, Bali, Australia, Portugal, Chile, Japan and a host of other wondrous destinations). Ultimately I qualified for and competed in the 1996 Olympic Games.
That was then.
Beach volleyball is much better recognized these days, by fans, sponsors and organizations alike. It is regularly the first event to sell out at the Olympics, and has developed huge TV and web audience. Despite the international popularity of the sport, it’s growth had begun to slow a little here in Canada (which I greatly attribute to the loss of a national tour which would provide both opportunity and aspiration to younger athletes).
This is now.
There are, however, increasing opportunities for young athletes. In Canada, indoor beach facilities have sprouted up across the country. (There are at least four such places in Toronto alone). We have a number of provincial level events across the country as well as exciting independent ones. (The Not-So-Pro in Wasaga Beach, and the Midland tournaments are favorites). Volleyball Canada has developed national team training programs and camps, and has in fact, recently hired a new Head Coach for the beach program who brings with him a history of internationally successful program development. Finally there is currently is a group of loosely connected elite athletes, coaches and promoters working to rebuild the Canadian pro tour that was such a great launching pad for so many of our athletes.
Looking Ahead
What does the future look like? The growth of beach volleyball parallels the growth of other “newer” sports, largely driven by the passion, desire and entrepreneurial nature of athletes solely looking to find ways to pursue their sport and do what they love.
Very recently the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) in the US announced that they will be including sand volleyball (as they have called it) to college and university programs. Although the levels, format and structure have yet to be clearly developed, the mere fact that an athlete could play beach volleyball at university is a tremendous step forward for the sport. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that Canadian universities keep pace.
For more information check out:
http://www.ontariovolleyball.org/
http://www.volleyball.ca/
http://www.fivb.ch/
For more information check out:
http://www.ontariovolleyball.org/
http://www.volleyball.ca/
http://www.fivb.ch/
No comments:
Post a Comment