Beach Volleyball
Australian Sports Commission
Sport Overview
To say that a transfer of athletes from the indoor game of volleyball to beach does not exist would not be entirely accurate, however to date a structured pathway does not exist which aims to identify those athletes which demonstrate gifted attributes for the outside style of the game. It is apparent that the speed, explosiveness and style of beach volleyball is undergoing a major change world wide and as such attributes found within the indoor game are now being recognised and nurtured on the beach.
Subsequent to the recent closure of the AIS national women’s (indoor) volleyball program, NTID has partnered with the Australian Volleyball Federation (AVF) and its resources to seize the departure of targeted female indoor athletes from the sport and assist with their transition to the national beach program where they can:
- dramatically increase the depth and quality of talent in women’s beach volleyball in Australia; and
- ensure that Australia qualifies the maximum number of female athletes and delivers a gold medal result in women’s beach volleyball at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Current Projects
The AVF and NTID have established a talent transfer program that has targeted a number of talented female indoor volleyball players who have demonstrated the potential to achieve medal results at the 2012 Olympic Games in beach volleyball.
The program is a residentially based with the AIS/AVF Beach Volleyball National Centre of Excellence located in Adelaide. This NTID squad have been given full opportunity to succeed with access to world-class facilities, coaching and support services along with additional support to train and compete with/in targeted countries from the Asian zone which is recognised as an important stepping stone to participation in the FIVB World Tour and major international events such as the World Championships and Olympic Games.
To help support this program and to ensure that beach volleyball has a strong underpinning pathway, an additional 12 camps-based athletes who may be eligible for 2012 but are more likely to form the basis of Australia’s women’s beach squad for the 2016 Olympic Games will also be selected. These athletes are slightly younger and are targeted from the AVF’s current national junior (indoor) program. This is a camps based scholarship program with the athletes supported in their home environments by volleyball’s current state institute and academy of sport programs (i.e. SASI and the QAS). The athletes have support and direction from the NTID national coaches and are brought together regularly on national camps to train along side the NTID/AVF senior development program.
Squads
Residential program at the AIS/AVF Beach Volleyball National Centre of Excellence located in Adelaide.
- Becchara Palmer
- Alice Rohkamper
- Heike Jensen
Results
- After a successful 2007 World Tour, Heike Jensen has been selected to partner 2004 Olympian, Summer Lochowicz, for the duration of the 2008 Olympic qualification process (i.e. May 2007 until July 2008).
- Becchara Palmer and Alice Rohkamper – won the silver medal at the 2007 FIVB Junior (U23) Beach Volleyball World Championships.
Program Supporters
- Australian Volleyball Federation
- South Australian Institute of Sport
- Queensland Academy of Sport
- Australian Sports Commission
Contacts/Links
Australian Volleyball Federation
For further information and enquires please click here
Testimonials
“Addition of indoor volleyballers to the beach scene brings more power to the game, as indoor players are quite powerful compared with traditional beach players. The power game is also the direction the beach volleyball is heading around the world”. Eileen Romanowski, NextGEN Beach Volleyball Athlete, 2007
“The NTID program has allowed me to attend more competitions around the world to gain more experience, especially against the best players in the World”. Eileen Romanowski, NextGEN Beach Volleyball Athlete, 2007
