The volleyball boom for Lloydminster juniors has stretched all the way to the beach.
“This is the highlight of my summer,” said Matt Peck, head coach and director of the Rustlers junior beach volleyball program.
“I just absolutely love running this.”
Read more: Holy Rosary grads embark on athletic adventures
A pairs tournament Sunday at the Bud Miller courts illustrated the level of interest in the junior beach program, which has grown exponentially from its modest start almost a decade ago.
“When I came here and started this eight years ago, we had 10 kids to start and beach (volleyball) just wasn’t really a thing that anyone considered,” said Peck, a former Lakeland College varsity player who’s now an assistant coach with the national women’s champion Rustlers.
“Now, we have athletes who almost prefer beach over indoor, which is so cool to see.
“The athletes do a really good job at creating the culture that we want, and it’s very welcoming. It’s really neat to see so many kids jump in and give it a go and fall in love with a sport that maybe they otherwise wouldn’t have played.”
Even during the busy June period of high school exams and other personal commitments, youth from Lloydminster and area signed up for the seven-week junior beach program in record numbers this year.
The first of three tournaments scheduled for this season attracted more than 40 pairs for competition in two age groups Sunday.
“The numbers have been crazy,” Peck said. “We have 100 athletes in the program this year, which is the most we’ve ever had, by far. We have 43 teams playing today — 111 matches — it’s the biggest tournament that I’ve ever run.
“We’ve got 18 teams here now, competing for one title, and then we have 25 teams split into two divisions for the older group.”
WINNERS’ CIRCLE
Ethan Reiniger of Vermilion and Korbin Klimek of Lloydminster were the champions in the younger division, which covers athletes aged 15 and under. Reiniger and Klimek, also teammates in the club season with the 15U Rustlers, prevailed in an 18-team field.
Later in the day, 25 pairs competed in the older division, which crowned two championship teams in that category for athletes aged 16 to 19.
From a 12-team field, the Division 1 winners were the Lloydminster duo of Jory Wagner and Konlan Topp. They were also club teammates with the 17U Rustlers.
In the 13-team Division 2, the champions were young guns Adyson Krauss of Kitscoty and Eloise Benoit of Chauvin. The duo — previously 15U teammates with Momentum Volleyball Club — ousted older competition to capture gold.
It was a busy day for Krauss and Benoit. They were also finalists in the younger division.
Sunday’s weather was cooler than normal for late June, but decidedly warmer than Saturday’s fall-like conditions. While their supporters were bundled up in winter coats and comforters, the athletes shook the weather like the sand in their feet.
The atmosphere was akin to a family tournament, or a day at the beach. That’s just what the founders had envisioned for the program.
“I grew up playing beach in Australia, and the culture is what made me fall in love with the sport,” Peck said. “It’s a lot more relaxed and casual than indoor. So, yes, it’s competitive on the court, but high-fives when you switch ends, and being nice to each other. We don’t want any parents yelling or screaming or anything like that.
“It’s really important to me and the kids that they play beach the right way. So, with the younger group, it’s a lot of teaching them that this is the way we do things. With the older group, most of them have been playing for a while now, so they get it and they run things the right way. The athletes love that it’s a little more relaxed, just by how competitive it can get on the court sometimes.
“We preach that beach is fun.”
OPEN TO ALL
While many of the beach players are experienced in competitive indoor volleyball, the program philosophy encourages everyone to give beach a try, regardless of their sporting background.
“Yes, a lot of them would be club athletes, but with beach we try to welcome everybody,” Peck said. “So, we have a few athletes that this program is their first ever taste of volleyball, which is really cool. Sometimes indoor is a little difficult to get into, whereas beach can sometimes be a little easier.
“So, a lot of them have plenty of volleyball experience. But my favourite is when we get athletes who this is their first time playing, or really young athletes. We have a 10-year-old girl here today who’s just crushin’ it.
“A lot of these athletes started their volleyball career with beach.”
Two practice sessions per week are part of the junior program. Collegiate players help with coaching, and in some cases they’re opponents for the high school kids looking for an even greater challenge.
“I have 15-ish college athletes who help coach this,” Peck said. “Our Grade 11 and Grade 12 kids like playing against the college athletes because it’s obviously a very good challenge and test for them.
“Some of our best Grade 11 and Grade 12 kids are going to end up playing college or university. So, the level at the top end is crazy.”
The other junior tournaments are set for July 6 (threes) and July 27 (fours).
“All my tournaments have just been one-day tournaments,” Peck said. “With the numbers and how many people we’re getting, I might have to run a two-day tournament next year. We’ll see.
“The numbers are just insane, which is great to see.”
Read more: Barons take their game to next level
