Beach Season is Coming

 

Someone needs to contact Mother Nature.

Tell her that we love to play in the rain, wind and stormy days, but we do not like snow and lightning.  We will play in the snow, but lightning is the only element we would not like to see.  Check the website for start dates and times.
The beach players need to make sure they bring the following to the courts:

• A beach volleyball – each player must have a beach volleyball (check the website for the academy store, I bought some last year, so the prices are not bad.)
• A water bottle
• A towel
• An umbrella
• Knee pads
• A warm rainproof coat
• A hat or bandana
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• A pair of beach socks (old socks can work as well)
• A lawn chair
• A change of clothes
• Green garbage bag to cover gym bag when it rains
• Some bandaids, to cover the nicks and cuts from the elements
• A roll of white tape – helps with minor sprains and holding the body together when necessary.
• A treat (energy bar)- two hours sessions in the sun are long, and energy is required
• A Mask – until the province tells us otherwise
• Knee braces, elbow braces etc., as needed. – this is more of a reminder for old players like me.
• A smile and a great attitude – this is necessary, it Mother Nature does not bring the sunshine, it is expected that the players must.
• Weekly treats for coaches

The beach season is two hours twice a week, with tournaments on the weekend.  The tournaments are not run by the academy, and teams will have to register for them separately.  The beach volleyball courts are people’s happy place; parents are welcome to come with their lawn chairs and watch the training.  It was in the past before the COVID, a social event and an excellent way to spend two hours socializing and meeting the other volleyball parents.
The academy’s goal for the beach is to prepare the 2s teams to compete in tournaments.  The benefits for the athletes are the agility and movement that will become evident when they go back to school and try out on the hardcourt that does not shift underneath then when they move.  They will be stronger, faster and have increased verticals.  We play music at every session and get an opportunity to scrimmage at the end of most sessions, and if we have no lightning or snow, it is one fantastic way to spend some of your summers.  After school finish for the summer, we will try to have some free sessions to just drop in and play.  Players are expected to bring their parents to play at these sessions.

And to end this newsletter, we also have some incredible camps happening this summer.  One of those camps is in the sand, and the others are on the hardcourt.  Hope to see you all there.

The painting at the beginning of this newsletter is one of my latest volleyball artworks.  It will make an excellent poster for the volleyball player in your family.  You can get it as large as 48” by 60”.  The site sells everything from canvas prints to shower curtains, phone cases, duvet covers, and cards.  Check them out.

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/volleyball-spiker-darren-cannell.html

 

Two weeks of the Shutdown is done!

Yes, I am missing the athletes but I needed the rest and the Variants of Concern had me nervous. The academy has been shut down except for private lessons for all of May.  Two more weeks to go before we start outside beach training.  I am so excited to start another year of beach training. I am looking forward to the tunes, the sun, the wind, the rain and all the elements which make it such a fun experience.  It is only a few weeks away. Don't miss out on this awesome training opportunity Although some of the beach 2s training sessions are sold out, we have had some cancellations due to injuries which have open up some hard-to-get slots.  If you are interested, check it out. We offer two different levels and two different start times. Basic sessions are for any players new to beach volleyball Advanced is for any player who has trained at least one beach season. The different start times are June-August and then two sessions with later start times of July –August Times we do sessions are 2-4 pm (only July-August), 4-6 pm and 6-8 pm Summer camps We have various camps coming up this summer, and these camps are starting to fill up.  The Making the Cut Camps will be smaller as we have broken them into four different age groups and spread the camps over 2 weeks.  Check it out and reserve your spots. Setter, Libero and Hitter Camp This is a position camp for athletes who are already starting to specialize in one position.  The setters should not be new to the position but the libero and hitters can be. Outdoor Volleyball Camp Age 11-13 The other camp is basic volleyball skills outdoors for age 11-13 years old athletes.- it is almost full, so do not wait to register for this one. The Winners Will At first glance, The Three Rules may sound harsh. You might even say they're cruel or unkind. They’re actually, though, a form of tough love. When it comes to talented athletes, many are held back by self-doubt more than any physical challenge they may face. Does any of this sound familiar to you as a developing, competitive athlete? You can’t stop thinking about a mistake you made when the score was tied and everyone saw or the look on the coach’s face when you missed an easy shot. You become trapped in your own head, stressing out over every little mistake you’ve made. Maybe you feel like everyone is looking at you and scrutinizing your every move. If so, there’s a good chance that you may be carrying an unnecessary mental and emotional weight into competition and you are suffering from the ‘burden of self’: Self-consciousness. Self-importance. Self-absorption. If you want to overcome the constant worry you feel…knowing and living out The Three Rules can help you overcome this obstacle. By using these simple rules, you can take your game to the next level and be the one who can compete with confidence. Instead of self-consciousness…focus on becoming self-aware. Instead of self-importance…focus on giving generously of yourself. And instead of self-absorption…focus on staying humble. For a detailed explanation of The Three Rules…listen to Podcast Episode #4 on our website – www.thewinnerwill.com - Gisele