A group of grade eight volleyball players from Brooks Secondary School recently took part in their first beach competition in Parksville.
The High School Beach Open tournament on June 1 was the provincial championship for players in grades six through 12, said coach Darcy Gesell.
“It’s the biggest single-day beach event in Canada,” she added. “There were 45 courses set up at the beach area.”
The players had just been practising indoor volleyball until April.
“For all of them it was the first time they’d played in a beach tournament,” said Gesell. “The rules are new and the facility was new.”
For the most part, teams play in pairs, two versus two, however, the grade eight boys were in teams of three. As just two boys attended, they played against athletes in grade nine and 10.
Finn Thom and Macklin Boyd from Powell River participated in the grade nine/10 boys category, finishing 19th. The grade eight girls finished in the following places: Janessa Mayenburg and Camryn Pukesh, 17th, earning bronze in the silver division; Naomi Krowitz and Shea O'Donnell, 19th; Emily Landy and Phoebe Schur, 21st; and Sophia Reed and Nikki Specht, 23rd.
Tournaments are ongoing at the beach in Parksville throughout the summer. As well, two volleyball camps are taking place in Powell River. One, from July 2 to 5, features a camp for youth grade eight and older coached by Vancouver Island University Mariners men’s volleyball player Jeff Webb, who is a national indoor volleyball silver medallist and a gold medallist at the Canada Games beach championships, said Gesell.
“He’s very skilled,” she added. “He’s a certified referee and has a wealth of knowledge to share with these kids; it’s a great opportunity.”
A camp for girls in grades 5 to 7, from July 8 to 12, will be coached by Bill Rounis. The camp is full, but there is currently a wait list.
Gesell said completion of new courts at Willingdon Beach, made possible by a Powell River Community Forest grant, will make a big difference to players when they are completed.
“That’s definitely something exciting to look forward to,” she added.
To find out more about the camps, contact Gesell at Darcy.Gesell@sd47.bc.ca.
