November Beach Volleyball Round Up

Summer 2022 was busy and exciting for British Volleyball. We are now at the last stretches of the season and have seen our men’s pairs Bello/Bello, Batrane/Bialokoz and women’s Evans/Mumby, competing in many tournaments showing a promising progression in their level of performance. 

In the last period, coming off the successful Commonwealth Games winning the bronze medal match against Rwanda, the pair Bello Bello competed their journey on the Pro Tour. They won another bronze medal at the Pro Tour Futures tournament held in Cortegaca, Portugal. After the successful events, they came back to the tour in Cape Town, South Africa to compete at the Elite 16 event, the highest level on the Pro Tour. The pair won both qualification matches, which brought them to the main draw. In the main draw they played in a tough pool against Qatar, pair who won the bronze medal at the last Olympics and were ranked 6th in the world at the time of the tournament, Netherlands, who were 16th in the rankings and against the young Swedish pair who just won the European Championship in Munich this year and were 12th in the rankings. Our British pair Bello/Bello showed an amazing level of performance, managing to take Cherif and Ahmed of Qatar to a tie breaker match. They finished the tournament in 13th position. They have just completed another Elite 16 in Uberlandia, Brasil, where they lost the first match of qualification against Brasil, getting a final 33rd place. With a lot of matches at the highest level under their belt, the Bellos have confirmed a bright future awaits them. 

Batrane and Bialokoz had a busy and terrific couple of months. They have competed in Warsaw in September in the Futures event, coming 9th in the final standings. After his event they flew over the Maldives in October to play up in the Challenge event. In the main draw they ranked 2nd in the pool, position that guaranteed them the play off match to access the Round of 16. Their Maldives expedition terminated here a tough match against the Americans Field/Budinger. 

From the Maldives, Batrane and Bialokoz flew to Dubai to play two challenge events back to back which secured them a 33rd and 25th place accordingly, finishing both tournaments at the qualification stages. The pair then reached Cape Town as well, to compete in the Elite 16 tournaments as well. They managed to win both qualification matches to get to the main draw. They had a tough pool as well in the main draw and competed against Austria, the Netherlands and Australia, who were 14th, 3rd and 32 in the word ranking accordingly. Batrane and Bialokoz managed to get a fantastic win during the pool play against Pristauz Ermacora of Austria. Unfortunately, this win was not enough to get through the next phase as they came 4th and it was a matter of point ratio as the pool standings were close in wins and set ratios. They concluded with a 13th place, showing a great deal of progression in their performance.

Last but not least, the newly formed pair Evans/Mumby made their first official appearance on the Pro Tour. Mumby came from a positive summer, in which she competed on the Pro Tour and placed 5th at the Commonwealth Games. Evans, on the other hand, came off a positive training period in the United States, where she is currently completing her studies. 

Anaya and Daisy competed in the double Challenge event in Dubai, after completing a successful training camp in Modena, Italy. They have completed both tournaments with a solid 25th place, after getting knocked out in the second round of qualification. The games were very close and were lost on very narrow margins. This shows a promising future for this women team, who we will see competing again together on the Pro Tour.

Athlete Spotlight - Darren Young

Darren Young is a fiercely competitive athlete.  He is a former RAF Fire-fighter who struggled to come to terms with life as an impaired individual after he was discharged based on medical grounds.  Sport massively assisted in getting him through and developing him into the strong, determined athlete the BVF has the pleasure of working with today. 

From a young age he has enjoyed sport, but constant injuries have acted as a huge barrier to him.  Then he discovered the world of sport for injured and impaired athletes and he began again. 

He has tried and played a number of sports at the highest level, whilst also running his own fire and safety company, 1st Aid Fire.  Due to his personal journey, he has a drive to improve the mental health and well-being of individuals, especially in impaired athletes, where challenges can be great.  This drive has given him opportunities, and he is currently actively involved in the UK Sport Powered by Purpose Programme, a programme designed to develop athletes to use their voice for the greater good, and is a member of the BVF’s Social Impact Working Group.

“The UK sport powered by purpose programme is about empowering funded athletes to have greater ownership of how they can use their platform and voice to power positive change. “

Darren is also dyslexic, something that a lot of people have to contend with, but his story is encouraging, proving it has not limited him in setting up his own business and thriving in what he does.

Below is a spotlight interview with Darren:

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. How did you get involved in sitting volleyball?

In 2017 I did not even know about Sitting Volleyball; never seen it or heard of it. It was only when I applied for the Warrior Games and Invictus Games that I was introduced to the game.  I remember walking in to a gym at Tedworth House and Charlie Walker the Warrior Games coach told me to sit on the floor when I am in his sports hall for Sitting Volleyball… I thought I don’t even know this guy, who does he think he is speaking too… I quickly worked out this was the Charlie Walker way.  That day I shuffled around on my bum for 6 hours, going home with blisters on my bum and cuts to my hands… Welcome to Sitting Volleyball!

So that was you hooked, what did you find as the biggest challenge?

Yes I quickly got the bug for the game, starting to watch a few games on YouTube to see what I would have to do, and then the next training session came round.

I knew how to play standing volleyball as I played for Combined Services in Cyprus but I was never knew how to move on the floor as quickly as some of the guys in that training session did.  Due to a bad back, and possibly, (looking back on it), carrying some extra weight the movement was always going to be a challenge… and being 47yr old…

Yes, I have heard that a lot.  As well as being part of the BVF sitting squad are you still involved in other para sports? 

That year, 2017, I was not selected for the Invictus Games but was given the chance to take part in the Chicago Warrior Games where I did swimming, discus and sitting volleyball.  First I did 50m freestyle swimming, but I didn’t even finish the 50m doing the same stroke… haha I was that out of shape!  Next 50m backstroke, and through grit and determination (and hating to get beat) I was pipped by 0.018 of a second for gold, but I was massively impressed with Silver especially after the freestyle.  Then I turned to discus which I had not done in 31 years from school.  Although I was quite good at school I didn’t expect to win gold, discus in my eyes was easy and I threw 31m with a bust shoulder! 

Then the main event; sitting volleyball.  We had only spent a few hours training as a team, and that showed on the court, getting beaten in all of our games.  However, that was the start of the real Sitting Volleyball journey.

So is this when you got involved with the BVF development squad?

Corrie Mapp, who I had trained with for the Invictus Games, asked if I would be interested in training with the GB Development Squad.  It was a case of why not, but I knew I’m wasn’t good enough, I had only been playing the game a few months… 

From my first game at the Warrior Games to representing GB in Holland it would be a long hard slog, one which was 5 years a 1 day.   

From not knowing the sport to playing for GB took me 5 years and 1 day… wow, surely that is some going?

Yeah that is really impressive, I think its important to get the message out that you don’t need a background in the sport to get involved in the sitting game.

So what are your playing highlights to date?

Between the Warrior Games in 2017 and the GB Cap in 2022, there was H4H Grand Prix Winners Medal and Invictus Games Silver Medal in Sydney.  I hope they’ll be many more highlights this year with a good programme of competition and training camps.

 What is the plan for the future?

Now at 53 years old, I have more drive and passion for the sport which has given me a new lease for life. Although the body is in constant pain, the back is crumbling and the fitness is hard to keep up; I have managed to lose some weight and feel as fit now as I did when I was 40 years old.  I’m still struggling to get classified after 5 years due to the lack of classifiers or classifying events, but I hope to have the evidence which they have asked for to make it official. 

This will allow me to dream about the Paralympics; if we qualify and if I am selected I will be I will be 54 years old and heading into the elite category within sport.  This is the one thing that keeps me going to the Grand Prix and the GB training, the end goal and retirement.

Retirement is something which I have thought about, and this is why I am doing my Coaching Qualification (level 2) and taking part in the Project known as Powered By Purpose, whilst I deal with clinical depression on a daily basis. I need something to be part of, something to keep me focused… Sitting Volleyball is doing that for now, but retirement is just around the corner.  Although I don’t have a high profile within the game I want to use the platform I do have for the greater good… #PoweredByPurpose

Thanks a lot for sharing your story with us, congratulations on your appointment to the UK sport #PoweredByPurpose project, we look forward to hearing all about it very soon.  If you want to find out more about Darren, please take a look at his website http://www.darrenjyoung.tv/

Copenhagen Sit Cup 22

British Volleyball are delighted to support both our men and women’s sitting volleyball national teams this weekend as they head to, Copenhagen, Denmark to take part in the 2022 Sit Cup. This international event gives both teams an opportunity to play competitively against both other national teams and club teams.

The squads consist of a mix of established players and some of the new additions which will give head coach Ian Legrand the opportunity to gauge the straights of both squads before the men take to the European B championships next month in France.

The squads fly to Copenhagen today with the matches starting on Saturday morning at 10am when the men take on experienced club side Pinneberg on court one. The women’s team get under way on court two at 10:45am against Kometa Praha.

We hope to be able to share some live feed on our social media of the matches over the weekend and will provide a full round up next week. Congratulations and the best of luck to all those selected.

More informaion can be found on the Sit Cup webpage here.

Social Impact

The British Volleyball Federation (BVF) is passionate about having a positive social impact, and to raise awareness using the voice of our organisation, and our athletes to highlight issues of importance within the wider volleyball community, and society as a whole. We hope likewise that the volleyball family will support us in driving social change and impact.

We are working with UK Sport and their social impact team to inspire positive change. Together we have a responsibility, an opportunity, and a purpose to drive change within our organisation, within our sport, and within the wider community.

“From the growing mental health crisis to the climate emergency, decreasing social mobility to increasing inequality, the world is changing.” UK Sport

Our priority topics

• Health and well-being - you will have seen across the last year various sports stars talking publicly in the media about their mental health and well-being.  This includes tennis stars like Naomi Osaka, and US gymnast Simone Biles who both have struggled with their mental health; to Laura Trott who opened up about health issues related to recent pregnancies.  These stories bring to light personal struggles that can happen to anyone, showing athletes as humans with struggles like anyone else.  Our organisation and athletes believe that mental health and well-being is pivotal in fostering a healthy positive life.

• Racial, ethical or women empowerment - There is still much inequality that occurs across the world, whether it's around Black Lives Matter, or equal pay for everyone. We will use our voice and promote those that are brave in speaking out on matters that need attention.

• Environment and sustainability - the BVF is passionate about doing what we can to reduce our carbon footprint, and be more consciously aware of what we can do to reduce our waste, and leave the world in a better place.  We will seek to engage with athletes like Issa Batrane, using his platform within the sporting world to promote and engage thinking on environmental and sustainable issues.  We will continue to work as an organisation and with our athletes to drive this movement forward.

• Inclusion - the BVF want to strive for inclusion for all.Our athletes already have links with their communities who we hope to work further to help diversity and inclusion within our sport, whether it's disability, socio-economic or LGBT+.We will work with our Para-athletes to promote greater awareness in accessibility and rightful inclusion in all areas of life. Inclusion matters.

Beach Volleyball roundup

In the past couple of months our beach volleyball athletes have been competing in multiple Beach Volleyball Pro Tour events, showing consistently good progression.

Issa Batrane and Freddie Bialokoz have competed in one Challenge event in Itapema, four Futures event (Australia, Lithuania, Greece and Italy) and in a Zonal Event in Norway. The team Batrane Bialokoz showed very steady progression. In the first tournaments they had to go through the qualification tournament and slowly they have been climbing up the ladder, securing the main draw via entry points for the Futures events. The best results so far in the season are two Bronze medals at the Futures events in Ios and Ciro’ Marina and a silver medal at the NEVZA tour in Norway.

Joaquin and Javier Bello have competed in two Challenge events (Tlaxcala and Espinho), and have then took part in four Futures event in Australia, Thailand, and twice in Greece. Steady performance for the team always qualyfing in the Futures events in the main draw via entry points. The team has been competing on the Spanish tour as well, via wild cards. The best results for team Bello Bello are a gold medal in the NEVZA Zonal tour in Norway, a 5th place in Ios, two gold and one bronze medals on three Spanish Tour stops.

Jessica Grimson and Daisy Mumby had their debut on the Pro Tour in the Challenge event in Tlaxcala, Mexico. They have then competed in five Futures events, namely in Thailand, Spain, Greece and Italy. Jessica and Daisy showed great improvement, with the last tournament showing a great progression from the qualification tournament through to the main draw, getting a final 5th place. They got an historic gold medal for England at the NEVZA Zonal Tour in Norway.

Silver Medal at the European Sitting Volleyball Bronze Nations League

Sean Poole, Acting Head Coach, reports on GB Men’s silver medal-winning performance at last weekend’s European Sitting Volleyball Bronze Nations League. The competition was held in Lyon, France between Great Britain, France, Estonia and the Czech Republic from 7-11 July.

Already missing captain and 1st setter Rob Richardson, the squad was further depleted in the week leading up to the tournament by personnel who had contracted Covid the previous weekend at the Dutch Cup in Assen, Holland. As a result, Head Coach Ian Legrand, Team Manager John Worrall and players Steve Allen and John Munro were unable to travel to Lyon.

A couple of replacement players were drafted in at the last minute (including Jaochim Pierre earning his first GB cap and who was to prove invaluable throughout the tournament) to take the squad size up to 8. New flights were booked for them and Sean Poole was briefed to take on the Head Coach and Team Manager roles and Justin Phillips was nominated captain of the side in Rob’s absence.

The group traveled out to France on 3 separate flights from 2 different airports (and same for the return trip) with 4 players not arriving at the hotel until around 1.30am on the morning of GB’s first match against Czech Republic – hardly the best preparation for a tournament but unavoidable in the circumstances.

Czech Republic were the only team at the tournament that we couldn’t properly scout beforehand as we couldn’t find any video of them from later than 2019. They were our first opponents on the Saturday morning so we were unsure what to expect.

As a result of the last minute personnel changes, Team GB were not able to field their regular starting six and so the first match was always going to be a test of new experimental line-ups. The line-up for this match included new cap Jaochim playing as Libero.

GB took the first set 25-21 and appeared to be settling down well but thanks to some incredible defense (I can’t remember any loose balls falling on the floor on the Czech side of the net), the Czech side proved too strong on the day, taking the next 3 sets 25-23; 25-22 & 25-22.

All in all, considering all of the issues Team GB had overcome in the previous few days, and our new untested line up, not a bad result really, and with set scores so tight, very unlucky not to have taken more from the match.

Team GB players were disappointed at the result of the Czech game, but after a re-group, discussing the positives from the match, they prepared for their second match later on Saturday evening against Estonia.

The team went into the Estonia game a lot more settled. Jaochim was moved from Libero to 4 hitter, his second position of the tournament, and GB dominated the first set 25-16. The second set followed suit but an injury to setter Danny Kitcher at 20-16 up threatened to throw the team off the rails. As Team GB didn’t have any other setters on the bench, 4 hitter Daz Young was called in to cover Danny’s role and setter Kev Tann asked to take on more of the setting responsibilities. By the end of the set Team GB had managed to increase their lead from 4 to 6 points, finally winning 25-19.

In the third set, Jaochim started as a replacement setter for the still injured Danny – his 3rd different position of the tournament (pretty good going for a player earning his first cap!). Estonia dug deep to take the set by the narrowest of margins 23-25 but GB managed to settle down to the new line-up by the end of the set and were determined not to let the game slip from their grasp. They took the final set 25-15 for a thoroughly deserved 3-1 win. Next, bring on the home side France but not before a good night’s sleep!

Sunday morning saw a bit of a lie-in as the GB/France game was scheduled for 11.00hrs. With Czech Republic beating Estonia earlier in the day and having come from 2-0 down to beat France the previous day, the best result that Team GB could now hope for in the tournament was 2nd place – if they could beat the home side.

On the one hand expectations were high after the recent joint training camp with Team France in Vichy, France where Team GB beat France 4-0 in the 4 scrimmage matches they played there but on the other hand players were nervous as GB were missing 2 of their key players from those matches. Could the rearranged line-up replicate the training camp results?

The France match produced the best volleyball of the tournament for Team GB as they achieved the only 3-0 result of the whole tournament. Good steady play throughout the match, sensible shot choices and a real team atmosphere on court all helped to produce the final result – 25-21; 25-17; 25-23. Team GB had finished in second place at the tournament!

The closing ceremony provided further moments of celebration for the Team GB squad as Justin Phillips was awarded “Best Server” of the competition and setter Kev Tann was awarded “Best Setter”.

In summary, considering the circumstances in the week leading up to the tournament, this was a decent result for Team GB. Thanks are in order for all of the players who were a credit to Team GB with their flexibility, competitive drive and high standard of play throughout the tournament. Thanks also to Captain Justin Phillips who led his team by fine example and to the coaching support team members who proved invaluable.

Players:

• Justin Phillips (captain);

• Charlie Walker (Asst. Coach);

• Mark Hemming;

• Kev Tann;

• Danny Kitcher;

• Dan Bing;

• Daz Young;

• Jaochim Pierre

Staff:

• Sean Poole (Head Coach)

• Kieran Good (Assistant Coach)

• Saffron Betts (Team Therapist)

• Mel Young (S&C Coach)

Photo: Nathalie Jamais and ParaVolley Europe

Great Britain competing in the Sitting Volleyball Bronze League

Having just returned from the Dutch Cup, the GB Sitting Volleyball Squad have left our shores again to France this time for the ParaVolley Bronze League.

It is taking place in Lyon from 8th-10 July.  The team will be competing against the Czech Republic, Estonia and France in the hope to qualify for the Silver League.

With a COVID hit squad, including our head coach, Sean Poole takes up the challenge to assist the team to competitive performances and winning ways.

Squad

Charlie Walker (Player-Assistant Coach)

Justin Phillips 

Kev Tann

Dan Kitcher

Mark Hemmings

Darren Young

Daniel Bingley 

Joachim Pierre 

Staff

Sean Poole - Head Coach 

Kieran Goode - Mental Skills Coach / Assistant Coach

Saffron Betts - Therapist 

Mel Young - S&C Coach 

The schedule of matches, results, standings, photos, and videos will be posted on the competition specific webpage: https://bnl2022men.paravolley.eu/

All the games will be live streamed on the ParaVolley Europe YouTube page:

https://www.youtube.com/c/ParaVolleyEuropeLive

Videos of all the matches can also be found at the same YouTube page.

Photos from all the matches can be found at this link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paravolleyeurope/albums

British Volleyball taking part in the Dutch sitting volleyball cup

Great Britain’s Sitting Volleyball Teams return to action today against some of the sport’s heavyweights in the Dutch Tournament.

Held in Assen, the Netherlands, the competition runs from 1st – 3rd July with the USA, Brazil, Germany, Canada, Italy and Kazakhstan taking part alongside the home nation.

Head Coach of Great Britain’s Women’s squad is Ian Legrand. Support staff include Amanda Pollard, Team Manager; Richard Flynn, coach; and Lauren Bolger, therapist.

The women’s squad list is as follows:

• Andrea Green

• Bobbi Clarke

• Claire Harvey

• Jeannette Adu-Bobie

• Jessica Frezza

• Nicole (Jodi) Hill

• Paige Clarke

• Rebecca Slater

• Stacey Quirk

• Vicki Ross

Coach of Great Britain’s Men’s squad is Sean Poole. Support staff include Saffron Betts, Therapist; and Mel Young, Strength and Conditioning Coach.

The men’s squad list is as follows:

• Charlie Walker

• Dan Bingley

• Danny Kitcher

• Darren Young

• John Munro

• John Worrall

• Justin Phillips

• Kev Tann

• Mark Hemming

• Rob Richardson

• Steve Allen

• Vikrant Gurung

All of the games are set to be live streamed over on the tournament organisers’ YouTube channel. Make sure you follow the Great Britain Sitting Volleyball Facebook page for updates throughout the day. 

BALE, BELLO BROTHERS AND HOST OF SPORT STARS ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COMPETE AND EAT TOGETHER THIS JUBILEE AND THANK YOU DAY

●        England’s Beach Volleyball twins, the Bello Brothers, lead the Complete and Eat. Campaign

Gareth Bale, and Britain’s No.1 Beach Volleyball Team, Javier and Joaquin Bello, who are currently competing in the Welsh Grand Slam ahead of the Commonwealth Games 2022, want to encourage sport teams up and down the country to enjoy spending time together over food following their matches.

Javier says, “Sport teams are like big families, so we thought Compete and Eat would be a great way of getting people together.  Uniting competing teams after a tournament, along with fans, volunteers and coaches, it’s a nice way to thank everyone for their support over the last year.”

Joaquin continues, “This jubilee weekend is going to be a massive party and Sunday’s Thank You Day will bring millions of people together.  We have a lot of people to thank, the support we have had to get us ready for the Commonwealth Games is immense, so we just want everyone to be a part of something special”

The Bello brothers, aged 21, have been making history from an early age. Javier and Joaquin won a gold medal for Team England at the Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games. The twins were born in Madrid, Spain, but count London as their home and have played volleyball since the age of six.

In support of Thank You Day – which takes place at the end of the weekend celebrations on Sunday 5 June – Britain’s leading sports institutions are announcing plans to help communities ‘compete and eat’ together, by throwing open their doors and bringing people together, as Gareth Bale plans a free sports festival in Glamorgan.

Local children have been invited to attend Bale’s Sport Festival today (Wednesday 1st June) at The Vale.  They will be able to take part in activities such as basketball, volleyball, table tennis, golf and rugby, sports that they normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to try and then enjoy a free lunch thanks to Deliveroo.

Gareth Bale said, “I’ve a lot to be thankful for, football has allowed me to enjoy some incredible experiences, and play for my country. I wanted to provide young people with the opportunity to connect with sport, and hopefully develop a sporting habit for life.

“I want young people to see the benefits that sport can offer. So Wednesday 1st June will see hundreds of young people try things they may not have done before and play with kids from different schools”

“Playing sport together isn’t just great exercise, it’s a brilliant way to get to know one another. That’s why Thank You Day’s ‘compete and eat’ initiative is so important - and why it’s so great that so many clubs and venues are throwing open their doors and taking part.

“It doesn’t matter what you do - whether it’s tennis or team games, in the pool or on the track - what matters is that we all take the opportunity to come together and have a good time. It’s a bit of competition to get the blood flowing, some great food to, and a really good chance to say Thank You to the people that make a huge difference in all our lives."

And across the country:

·         The LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) are encouraging all their clubs to open their courts to their local community and bring non players and players of all ages together.

·         The ECB is asking its clubs to take part in ‘compete and eat’ and for rival teams to share a big lunch together during their games. In addition the England men’s team have signed up to the campaign, and will be sharing their thanks to volunteers via video messages during the forthcoming test match.

·         ukactive is urging its members and partners across the UK’s fitness and leisure sector to encourage their local communities to visit their facilities in celebration on the day

Tim Hollinsgworh, CEO Sport England said,

“This year is a really exciting one for sport across the nation and Thank You Day offers us all the opportunity to acknowledge all the volunteers, coaches, backroom staff, teammates, friends and family who have supported us and helped make it happen.

“Sport England is delighted to be part of this national movement and would like to encourage all sport fans to celebrate together and take the change to say “Thank You” on Sunday 5th June.”

Mike Sharrock, Chief Executive of the British Paralympic Association, said:

“As we witnessed during the record-breaking ParalympicsGB performances at Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022, Paralympic sport has a unique power to unite and inspire the nation and break down barriers for disabled people.

“We are incredibly proud to support the national Thank You Day as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations, marking an opportunity for people to join with neighbours, communities and families to feel the joy of participating in sport in a celebration of all the things that bring us together.”

Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive said:

“We are thrilled to support Thank You Day by raising awareness across the fitness and leisure sector. The day provides a great opportunity for our members and partners to celebrate not only The Queen’s Jubilee but also the incredible staff, members and visitors that make our nation’s gyms, pools and leisure centres such an essential part of our communities. At ukactive we will be saying ‘Thank you’ to our sector on 5th June for all the great work they do all year round to support the UK’s health and happiness.”

Ollie Pope, England men’s cricketer said:

“We are delighted to be supporting Thank You Day for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Cricket brings people together and the day will provide us with the opportunity to officially thank and recognise volunteers at every level of the game for their invaluable contribution to the sport. Without them we simply wouldn’t have a game.”

Lisa Wainwright MBE CEO Sport and Recreation said:

“The Sport and Recreation Alliance is delighted to be supporting Thank You Day again this year, as we celebrate the work of everyone in our sector during what has been a challenging period over the past couple of years.

“Nationally and locally, there are so many people to thank for keeping grassroots sport and recreation going and finding new ways to reach people, at a time when we needed it more than ever.

“We’ll be raising a glass to all of them, and of course it’s also a great opportunity to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years of service – hopefully everyone is able to get out and enjoy themselves!”

UKAD's Clean Sport Week 23-27 May

The BVF are proud toreaffirm our commitment to clean sport by backing UK Anti-Doping’s (UKAD’s) Clean Sport Week campaign.

Clean Sport Week is UKAD’s national awareness week, which runs from 23 – 27 May and champions clean sport, education and anti-doping initiatives with sports across the UK.

The theme for this year’s campaign is “what you see is 100% me” as we all want to see 100% hard work, determination and respect for the rules from athletes competing on the world stage. So, alongside UKAD, we are making it our mission to ensure all our athletes are ready for the upcoming Commonwealth Games and can say with confidence “what you see is 100% me” when turning up to compete this summer.

In the build up to Birmingham 2022 and Clean Sport Week, we have been working with UKAD to complete the Assurance Framework, which National Governing Bodies must do to show they are meeting their anti-doping responsibilities. In addition, we are ensuring all our athletes are prepared for the Commonwealth Games by taking part in UKAD’s 100% me education programme and by inviting them to attend the Clean Sport Week webinar on Tuesday 24 May, which is open to all and will look at important anti-doping topics and advice for preparing for a Major Games.

We also encourage anyone in our sporting community that would like to learn more about anti-doping to sign up to UKAD’s free new Introduction to Clean Sport course via its website, here.To celebrate @ukantidoping’s annual awareness week, #CleanSportWeek, why not sign up to the Clean Sport Hub to complete its free Introduction to Clean Sport course to learn more about anti-doping?

Sign up now 👉 https://ukad.enetlearn.com/Login/?c=82

FISU World University Championships - Beach Volleyball

The FISU Summer World University Championship (Beach Volleyball) will take place in Lake Placid, USA from 24 August 2022 to 28 August 2022. BUCS is sanctioning a GB Students (sport) team to attend.

All athletes who wish to be considered for selection must submit the BUCS online registration by 13 May 2022. (11.59pm). As part of the nomination, you are required to submit a ‘Certificate of Academic Eligibility’ form and a ‘BUCS Institution Athlete Nomination’ form and send these to GBStudents@bucs.org.uk.

For selection criteria and eligibility, or to complete the application process, please go to the BUCS website here https://www.bucs.org.uk/resources-page/world-university-championships-beach-volleyball.html

Awards for GB representatives in 2022 World ParaVolley Awards

It is with great pride to announce the following people have received awards during the 2022 World ParaVolley Awards.

WORLDPARAVOLLEY: “AWARDED TO WORTHY CANDIDATES FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF PARAVOLLEY.”

Outstanding Achievement Award

OSBORNE Richard (GBR) - PVE - Coach 2010-2022. Responsible for the development of Georgia International and Invictus Games Teams; Coach for GBR Armed Forces Invictus Team; GBR Development Coach; Sitting Volleyball Lead for Volleyball England (2020-present)

WAUCHOPE Dee (GBR) - PVE - International Referee (2007-2021); Paralympic, World Championships, International and Zonal events.

Distinguished Services Award

ARCHIBALD Glynn (GBR) - PVE - International Referee, Referee Delegate and Observer, WPV Referee Commission Team Leader and in the fields of technical officiating and governance

CALLICOTT Richard OBE (GBR) - PVE - Pioneer and supporter of standing and sitting volleyball in GBR and Internationally from 1970-present, in the field of event organisation and governance. Member of WPV Judicial Commission

CHODZKO-ZAJKO Maciej (GBR) - PVE - Team Leader of WPV Technical Commission. Senior Staff Member and Tutor. International Referee.

DILLON Jerry (GBR) - PVE - International standing volleyball player at four Paralympics. Represented GBR over 100 times. Active motivational speaker, raising awareness, promoting paravolley, and what Para athletes can achieve. Vice-Chairman of the British Amputee Sports Association.

ROGERS Matthew (GBR) - PVE - Founder of VolleySLIDE; Sport Manager London 2012; Media Manager World Championships (2014); National Team Manager; work in the fields of development, event management, coaching and Education through Digital Communication.

ZHANG Jun Ming (GBR) - PVE - International Classifier (2007-present); Chair/Team Leader and developer of the Anti-Doping Commission of World ParaVolley; Led and met deadlines for the WADA Compliance Review in 2018; Appointed to events in multiple medical capacities.

Honorary Life Members

NEALE Gordon OBE (GBR) - For his leadership in the fields of refereeing, coaching, administration and governance.

For more information please visit the World Paravolley website here

British Volleyball secures new funding from UK Sport

The British Volleyball Federation has secured up to £635,000 of funding to be distributed across it’s Paralympic and Olympic sports disciplines. £375,000 was allocated to Sitting Volleyball, and £260,000 to be split across Beach and Indoor Volleyball.

The funding is being raised from a new fund developed by UK Sport, called the National Squads Support Fund (NSSF). It’s the first time volleyball has received UK Sport funding since London 2012.

Sally Munday, CEO at UK Sport, said: “The National Squads Support Fund is a key part of our new investment approach and demonstrates our commitment to a wider group of sports and athletes in our Olympic and Paralympic high-performance community. We are investing in a longer-term, holistic view of success, powering a broader range of sports, champions and medallists, built on the highest standards of integrity and partnership.

Richard Callicott OBE, President at the British Volleyball Federation, said: “The British Volleyball Federation is pleased with the award made by UK Sport. It will provide us with a way forward to compete and train as we prepare for Paris 2024 and gives our players an increased incentive by being recognised. We thank UK Sport for having the vision to recognise the value of helping unfunded sports on the first steps to future success. Creating the National Squads Support Fund is a great move in the right direction. We look forward to showing what we can achieve.’

Further details can be found in the announcement published by UK Sport here: https://www.uksport.gov.uk/news/2021/03/29/national-squads-support-fund

SVA launches successful re-brand to Scottish Volleyball

Today is a historic day in the history of our sport.

A short time ago we launched our new logo and brand.This has been a culmination of months of hard work with my board, staff, volunteers, and I hope you are as excited about it as we all are.

This new image is the tip of the iceberg of our new and exciting programme of development work that has been undertaken to enhance the quality and expertise that exists within our sport.  Our aim is to improve how we communicate with our membership and provide a platform for a strong future.  This is much more than a new colour scheme, font and logo.  As a staff team and board, we have been on a journey to develop a new mission, vison and values document that will be our compass and foundation for all future work.

We are coming towards the end of a 12-year development strategy which had the strap line of Bigger, Better, Stronger.  As we emerge from this global pandemic, I am delighted that our sport is returning with a clear vision for the future, with a fresh modern image and a drive and purpose that I have no doubt will allow us to reach new heights.

Every aspect of our new brand has been designed and planned with great detail.  The colour scheme embodies our countries sporting pedigree with a modern twist, the deep navy which reflects the history of sport in Scotland. This is complimented by a light blue based on the modern saltire and completed a rich vibrant purple which mirrors the iconic Scottish hill side heather.  The logo itself is formed with the S and V and shaped into a volleyball and we think it’s a great new fit for our sport.  Moving forward, we will be known as Scottish Volleyball and I know it will take a bit of time for us all to get used too, this new streamlined title reflects our modern approach.

Please keep an eye on our social media throughout the day as we share more and more of our new image.  Finally, I would like to take the opportunity to highlight the key work our graphic designer, Megan Raats, who has undertaken this process on behalf of Scottish Volleyball.  Megan, who is a recent graduate of the University of Edinburgh and a volleyball player was the perfect fit for this project.  Not only does she have expertise and knowledge of graphic design, she is also part of the Scottish volleyball family. Her keen and innovative vision has allowed our ideas to be drawn into the amazing new brand.

Megan was able to make our vision of a new identity come to reality. It has not been an easy process; we have had countless versions and setbacks over the course of the past 10 months. I would like to personally thank Megan for her great work and wouldn’t hesitate in recommending her.  If you would like to see her incredible works, you can have a look at her website and portfolio here! You can also follow her on Instagram and LinkedIn.

The next few weeks will give you an opportunity to see some of the new industry leading partnerships that we are entering into in this new era for Scottish Volleyball.  We look forward to you being involved with us for what is going to be an incredibly exciting journey.

Margaret Ann Fleming, MBE

CEO Scottish Volleyball 

From the SVA: Celebrating our Past; Building our Future

Image credit: SVA

In a time where we would normally be making the final tweaks to our domestic beach volleyball programme before it gets underway in May, we are instead using the time to reflect on what we have achieved as a sport with the help of the Team Scotland media team.

 Over the last few weeks, Beach Volleyball has featured heavily in Team Scotland’s Sport’s Focus Spotlight, looking back at everything from the first players in history to represent Team Scotland on the World Stage at the Commonwealth Youth Games, Bahamas 2017, to further history making with our senior team success in the sports debut at the Commonwealth Games, at the Gold Coast 2018.

Team Scotland spoke to Emma Waldie and Jenny Lee our 2017 Team Scotland Youth athletes: (see Facebook video )

Team Scotland also spoke to our senior Commonwealth Games athletes; Mel Coutts, Lynne Beattie, Robin Miedzybrodzki and Seain Cook about their experiences at the Gold Coast, what it meant to them and what their  favourite memories are.

For Robin and Seain’s account of their Gold coast experience, read the full article !

To find out about what the Gold Coast meant to Lynne and Mel, read the full article!

As a result of this International success, the SVA have been working closely with the British Volleyball Federation (BVF) and the other home nations, to build a case for our sport at the performance level going forward to Birmingham 2022 and beyond. This work is ongoing, and we hope it will only present further opportunities for future generations of Scottish athletes to follow in the footsteps of our Commonwealth Games athletes.

It’s important to recognise that the success we have had is not only at the playing level.  We have had great success on our beach refereeing pathway with Jamie Salvin completing his qualifications to become an international beach referee where he has been appointed to FIVB, CEV and Zonal competitions all over the world also contributing heavily to putting our country and our sport on the international map. 

It has been inspiring to look back at these insights and successes, but this is only the beginning. What we have achieved so far will be used as a platform to launch our sport to the next level with Birmingham 2022 and other exciting opportunities on the horizon. This means working to develop, not only our performance pathways, but importantly our club and community engagement where we are steadily building demand and capacity in our sport for all levels and abilities.

A great example of this is the inception of a brand new beach volleyball club in Ayrshire; West Coast Beach Volleyball . See Monday’s article for an insight into their new club beginnings.

WCBV have followed in the footsteps of Edinburgh Beach Volleyball Club in the East of the country who have seen a massive surge in interest of our sport at a community level at their permanent hub in Portobello.

As a governing body, we are also involved in some fantastic ‘Changing Lives’ project work in Edinburgh, aimed at breaking down the barriers that some communities face to sports participation, as well as using sport intentionally to support skills development opportunities for young people, encouraging positive destinations when they leave school.

Find more here!

Our sport has come a long way in a short amount of time, but we are hungry to achieve more. Watch this space as we develop our pathways, grow our workforce and hopefully in time, build our own facilities to help the sustainable development of our sport long term.

If you are new to beach volleyball, why not check out 12 things you didn’t know about beach volleyball courtesy of Team Scotland.

See you all on the sand soon!

World Tour bronzes for England's beach stars

A special summer for English beach volleyball got even better at the weekend, as England won two FIVB World Tour medals.

Image: Volleyball England

After Ellie Austin and Anaya Evans ended England’s 20-year wait for a World Tour medal in June, England’s beach stars added two more World Tour medals at the latest event in Rubavu in Rwanda.

England’s number one women’s pair Jess Grimson and Vicky Palmer added another career highlight by winning a bronze medal against home team Rwanda to gain their maiden World Tour medal.

“What a way to end the season,” said Vicky Palmer on Instagram. “To top it all off, we finally got a World Tour medal. Dreams can come true.”

While it was a bronze for Javier and Joaquin Bello - England's number one men's pair - as they got on the podium at the highest level for the first time too - and recorded the first ever World Tour medal for an England or Great Britain men's team. 

“Bronze it is!” said Javier. “Thank you to everyone who helped us achieve our first World Tour medal.”

WORLD TOUR DOUBLE

With seven teams in the competition, Palmer and Grimson blew away Rwanda in the first round to head straight into the semi-finals. Here they lost out to eventual champions the Netherlands in a superb battle. Having won the first set 22-20, they couldn’t get over the line being squeezed out 21-19 and 15-10 in the next two sets.

It didn’t faze the experienced pair as they brushed themselves off to defeat Rwanda’s top pair (21-10, 21-14) in the bronze medal shootout.

In the men’s competition, the Bellos eased through the pool stages in straight sets as they defeated fellow England team Garcia-Kidd and Bialokoz, followed with victory of Japan’s second team.

In the quarter finals, the Bellos overcame an early setback against Cyprus of going a set down. When it came to the crunch, they showed their nerve to win two tights sets to advance (22-20, 18-16).

It was the eventual winners Japan 1 that defeated them in the semi-final but the pair bounced back to in the bronze medal match. The third-place match saw the Bellos face Japan’s second pair and showed their extra quality to take it in straight sets (21-18, 21-15).

England had waited 20 years for a World Tour medal and now it’s been three in one season. It capped a sensational summer for England beach volleyball. A matter of months have seen beach volleyball return to London, success for England’s players in the Continental Cup, World Tour and domestically in the UKBT, and beach volleyball picked to be part of Birmingham 2022.

FIND OUT MORE: https://www.volleyballengland.org

Beach volleyball confirmed for Birmingham 2022

It has been officially confirmed that beach volleyball will be part of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Image: Getty Images

The Commonwealth members voted to officially ratify the decision to include the sport.

“It is fantastic to receive the final confirmation that beach volleyball will star at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham,” says Volleyball England CEO, Janet Inman. “We’re delighted that Commonwealth members voted to make the sport part of the Games.

“We want to help make the Games a fantastic spectacle which Birmingham can be proud of. It’s also a huge opportunity for the sport to create a lasting legacy for beach volleyball. The Commonwealth Games is such a brilliant platform to showcase why beach volleyball is such a great sport and inspire future generations to get into volleyball.

“Seeing our most talented performers representing England home sand will be a truly special occasion. We’re thankful to Birmingham and Commonwealth Games Federation for the opportunity – the hard work starts now to ensure we make the most of it.”

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will open in the second city on 27thJuly 2022. As hosts, England will automatically qualify for the women’s and men’s beach volleyball competition.

ON HOME SOIL

The confirmation that beach volleyball will star at the Games comes at a really exciting time for English volleyball with a great crop of rising stars in the game.

England number one women’s pair Jess Grimson and Vicky Palmer have been competing at FIVB World Tour level and recently captured another Weymouth beach title on the Volleyball England Beach Tour.

While Ellie Austin and Anaya Evans are the up and coming talents in the women’s game. The pair have been competing at World Tour level and have been gaining vital experience, with the highlight of them winning a historic World Tour bronze.

The England men’s team are also in good shape three years away from a huge home Games. The team of Chris Gregory, Issa Batrane, Phil Smith and Javier Bello qualified for the second round of the Continental Cup, a competition which holds a place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games for the overall winners.

After missing the Continental Cup through injury, Joaquin Bello has been back playing with his brother Javier at FIVB World Tour level.

So England should two well-prepared and great teams to represent the nation in the second city. Ten years on hosting the Olympic Games, beach volleyball will be back at a major games in Britain. It promises to be a superb occasion.

FIND OUT MORE: https://www.volleyballengland.org

Home Nations Junior Beach Competition returns to Cardiff

Home Nations Junior Beach Volleyball Competition comes to Cardiff for the second year. This annual event sees national junior beach volleyball teams from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland & Wales battle it out on the sand.

Image: Timo Wagner

The tournament takes place in the Cardiff Beach Volleyball Centre from August 9-11, 2019.

​Schedules and further information can be found here: https://www.inter-beach.net

FIND OUT MORE: https://www.volleyballwales.org

New Volleyball England CEO and Deputy CEO appointed

Sue Storey has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Volleyball England following the announcement that Janet Inman will step down from the role.

Image: Volleyball England

Starting in November 2019, Sue joins Volleyball England from the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) where she has been for the last 7 and a half years.

Bringing with her a wealth of experience and a strong reputation in sports ground safety, Sue has worked on both domestic and international projects and built relationships with partners including premier and football league clubs, national governing bodies of sport and World Cup and Olympic Games organising committees.

In addition, Sue is a non-executive director of the Active Partnerships Network, previously the County Sports Partnerships Network (CSP’s), where she plays an important role in supporting the organisation’s delivery of the government’s sport strategy, ‘Sporting Future’.

On her appointment, Sue said, “it is an honour and a pleasure to take on the role of leading Volleyball England as Chief Executive. I am passionate about sport and will tirelessly dedicate my time to growing volleyball with the aim of delivering the sport to the position of greatness it deserves.

“Volleyball England leads a great family of volleyball enthusiasts and I will continue to work in a collaborative and collective way with our members, partners and friends to ensure we maintain the excellent standards set, build on our current position and capitalise on the golden opportunities on the horizon.

“I would like to pay a huge tribute to Janet Inman whose stewardship and dedication has led the organisation through some very challenging times. I am delighted that Janet will still be around the volleyball family through her work with the Volleyball Foundation.”

Adam Walker chairman of Volleyball England said, “Following an extensive recruitment process, the Board and I am delighted that Sue has agreed to join the team in November. She brings a wealth of experience and passion to help Volleyball England to continue moving forward. We are all looking forward to working with her.”

DEPUTY CEO

In a restructure of the Senior Management Team (SMT), Sam Jamieson has also been appointed as Deputy CEO (DCEO) with an immediate start, joining Sue Storey (CEO) and Emma Clouston-Jones (Finance Controller).

“I'm really pleased and privileged to be able to support volleyball through the next phase of our journey as Deputy CEO,” said Sam, who has spent 5 years working for Volleyball England, including as Core Market Officer and a member of the SMT since 2017. “Together, we've come a long way over the last two years and am looking forward to the upcoming challenge next year developing the strategy for the 2021-25 funding cycle, which will be vital to securing the sport's long-term sustainability. 

“I'm looking forward to working closely with the board, SMT and our key representatives in the working groups to take the sport on through the next stage of our development.”

FIND OUT MORE: https://www.volleyballengland.org