The 2013 South West Schools Beach Volleyball Championships and the Sandbanks Beach Volleyball Festival (incorporating the British Junior Championships) held from Friday 5th July to Sunday 7th July on Sandbanks Beach in Poole, Dorset have been endorsed by the CEV as part of their ‘Youth Beach Volleyball Summer Festival’ initiative.
The aim of the Youth Beach Volleyball Summer Festival initiative is to help the CEV pursue its goal of ensuring volleyball in all its forms is accessible in every country across Europe regardless of gender or ability. The CEV will provide support for the event by granting balls and nets that the Sandbanks organisers plan to ensure are used not only for the event itself but also through out the summer and across the South West region.
“The introduction of the Beach Volleyball Summer Festival does fulfil our intention to expand our development projects with the long-term goal to support the sport and get as many young people as possible introduced to Beach Volleyball” CEV President André Meyer says. “We are starting this ambitious project by supporting two youth festivals in the Netherlands and England. Though they differ in their concept, they share the same ultimate goal which is to make sure the young generations get to know Beach Volleyball and especially get to feel the uniqueness of this sport that has turned into one of the most successful and popular discipline included on the Olympic program”.
Whilst entries for the South West Schools Beach Volleyball Championships are restricted to schools within the region the British Junior Championships entries are open to any interested junior beach volleyball players from across the British Isles and the tournament organisers also hope that the link with the CEV may also encourage entries from clubs and teams across Europe.
Geoff Allen, Tournament Director said :
‘We are honoured that the CEV have endorsed the Sandbanks Beach Volleyball Festival and our aim to provide as many youngsters as possible with the opportunity to play beach volleyball. With 20 competitions from under 12’s to under 20’s, including 8 for the British Championships, all young volleyballers can find a competition that suits their age and standard.”
Entries for the competition which also include an adults mixed 4’s competition can be found on the sandbanks website: http://www.wessexvolleyball.com/sandbanks.asp
