Image credit: cfjctoday

By Earl Seitz

B.C. Cup Volleyball

Sand between the toes added to B.C. Cup volleyball

Jul 19, 2019 | 6:30 PM

Teams from eight provincial regionally based zones are in Kamloops for the U-15 B.C. Cup Volleyball Tournament.

Athletes are identified and selected to a zone team, and train to compete in the B.C. Cup in odd years, and the B.C. Summer Games in even years.

For the U-15 girls the three days of competition include indoors at the Tournament Capital Centre, and for the first time this year, a beach volleyball component.

The Thompson/Okanagan has two zone teams in the B.C. Cup—-with a large influence from the Kamloops Volleyball Association.

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Paul Hetherington with Team White and Ashley Shannick for Team Red , are the KVA coaches of the zone teams.

This is at the beginning stage of the process, where athletes are starting to be identified by Volleyball B.C. and eventually Volleyball Canada.

“Athletes who have future aspirations to play post secondary, potentially national team, Olympics.” says Thompson/Okanagan White coach Paul Hetherington. “They all have to be part of this kind of process to be identified early. They get access to more training, to more high level coaching, higher level competition.” Since the introduction of beach volleyball to the Olympics in 1996, the sport has grown around the world.

In our land known more for it’s ice and snow sports, Canada is kicking sand in the face of beach volleyball opponents.

“Canada at the international level has proven to be a world leader.” says Chris Dahl from Volleyball B.C. “Our women’s team has just won the World Championship, and our men’s team, we have a couple of teams within the top 20 in the World. So as a nation we’re leading in the beach, and we just went these athletes to have a little big of exposure to that game.”

The growth of the game beach and indoors is seen within the KVA, with six of the 28 athletes on the two Thompson/Okanagan zone teams from Kamloops.

For some of these players it’s their first test on the beach.

But if you can stand a little sand between your toes and have a little bit of skill in the volley game, you can play this.

“It’s a little bit more of a challenge, I will no lie.” says Kayla Dabrowski from Kamloops who plays for Thompson/Okanagan Team White. “But it’s a lot of fun.”

I think it’s good.” says Team White’s Camryn Bateman, also from Kamloops. “You just throw some sand in there. There’s just some slight tweeks in the rules too.”

While the main focus this weekend is going to be on the two days of full team indoor competition at the Tournament Capital Centre, getting these young athletes with their foot in the sand at this age, is key in development for a potential shot at the 2028 Olympics.

“So people who want to play, and get better, and be successful, and says get college,” says Camryn Bateman, “or for Olympic teams, this is how you get more developed for it.”

“It’s an opportunity to really improve on my skills.” says Kayla Dabrowski. “And make me a better overall player, and meet and play with different players.”

“Beach in the Olympics is actually the hottest ticket in the Olympics.” says Volleyball B.C.’s Chris Dahl. “So it’s a high profile event, and one that our country is excelling at at present too.”