While others were off enjoying the last few days of summer vacation, close to 100 kids in grades 6 to 12 were indoors this week working on their sets and spikes.
The seventh annual Sunshine Coast Volleyball Camp took place this week at Chatelech Secondary School in Sechelt. Organizers are thrilled with this year's turnout and the enthusiasm shown by participants.
"The numbers are phenomenal," said coach Jan Richey. "To get this many kids during the summer inside for a camp is a testament to the players themselves. They want to be here and they want to learn."
Richey was joined this week by Quinn Campbell, who coaches and teaches at Chat. Campbell and Richey also head-up the growing Sunshine Coast Volleyball Club.
For the second straight year, Jesse Knight, who coaches at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and with Volleyball B.C. was on hand. On Monday and Tuesday, Doug Reimer, head coach from UBC, also stopped by to offer his tips and experience.
"Volleyball is not a sport where people can turn on the television and be introduced to the game. There's not a hoop in a driveway or on a playground. It's hard to get to the players and teach them the necessary skills unless you have camps like this," said Reimer. "I'm very impressed with the level of play and the number of players. I think it speaks to the development of the sport here on the Coast in the schools and at the club level."
Reimer said it's important to teach the fundamentals, especially at a young age.
"A Chinese coach once told me that it's important to touch a thousand balls every day," Reimer said. "You have to make sure the players are confident enough in themselves and their level of play, so when they go back to their school or club teams, they can work on those skills. If I go into any school and talk with 10 kids about stick handling, at least six of those kids would instantly know I was talking about hockey. But, if I asked those same kids about a spike and hand positioning, most of them would have no idea I was talking about volleyball. It all goes back to getting kids involved in the sport, and giving them this kind of instruction is critical to their development."
The camp was divided into two sessions.
Grades 6 to 8 practised for three hours for four mornings this week, while grades 9 to 12 practised for three hours in the afternoon.
Today (Friday), coaches selected 24 of the top participants from the week to take part in a high performance camp, which ran during the day.
A total of 50 kids took part in the morning session and another 48 in the afternoon sessions.
"The calibre of play is very high," said Knight. "I'm impressed to see so many of the same faces this week from last year. The skill level has certainly improved. These players want to be here. It's a nice change because we can teach volleyball instead of being a babysitting service, which can be the case at some camps."
Richey is hopeful that this week's camp will be a positive stepping stone as the school season starts in September.
"If this week is any indication, it's going to be a good year for volleyball," Richey said.
