The 2023 Summer Beach season has come to a close, and while we are all sad to see it go, there is still a lot of Beach Volleyball to be played. Ontario Volleyball Association (OVA) is committed to providing year-round opportunities for beach players to continue their development during the winter months. Whether you are still in the development phase of your volleyball career or running the high-performance pathway, there are programs available for you to stay on the sand.

Winter Beach Tour will commence in November and run through spring 2024. Like the recently completed Summer Beach Tour, it will comprise of weekend events with multiple age divisions. Keep your eyes open for schedules and registration dates in the coming weeks as space is limited for these events.

OVA’s Beach Volleyball Drop-In Training Program will provide the opportunity for athletes to develop their beach volleyball skills during the indoor beach season. This program is suited to athletes who are both new or experienced in beach volleyball. Attention will be taken so that athletes are training in an environment suited to their needs and their development level. Improvements in ball control and technical abilities of athletes training beach have demonstrated direct translation to an improvement in their indoor game. Sessions will run from November 14th to April 30th at Volleyball Canada’s Beach High-Performance Facility in Downsview Park, North York. For more information and registration, please visit the Drop-In site.

Players looking to step up to provincial level programs must complete an Identification Session to be eligible for selection. Beach High Performance Winter Identification Sessions are in full swing and there are still open spots available for the September 12th, 13th and 14th sessions held at Ashbridges Bay. For more information on ID Sessions and the process, please visit the Year-Round Beach Training website or go directly to the registration page.

Those who have completed an Identification Session are eligible for Year-Round training programs that service the 16-18U developmental level and is ideal for athletes who are interested in being exposed to the training and preparation needed for current or future U19 World Championship objectives. This program is directly funded by the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario through the Ontario High Performance Sport Initiative Program (OHPSI)

INTEGRATED BEACH TRAINING (IBT):

For players trying to balance Beach High-Performance with their indoor season, IBT will work with the athlete to establish a monitored training schedule so there is a healthy management of training and personal needs in both indoor and beach disciplines. To be eligible for this option, athletes must have a minimum number of combined beach/indoor ball training hours (E.g., 2 beach training along with 2 indoor training days). Athletes without a strength & conditioning program from their indoor club will also receive a strength & conditioning program monitored by OVA’s Sport Science Lead for self-lead sessions.

This program will run from November 14, 2023 - April 30, 2024

FULL-TIME BEACH TRAINING(FTG):

This pathway is for athletes who are ready to fully immerse themselves in high-performance beach training. Athletes who have committed to year-round full-time beach training. Athletes who have committed to year-round full-time beach training gain very noticeable improvements in their game. Technical-specific gains are directly contributed to the opportunity to train through a true off-season. The program consists of 4 training days per week at Volleyball Canada’s Fulltime Training Centre at Downsview Park as well as monitored strength and conditioning program with two in-person strength coach led sessions.

FTG kicks off on September 30 and runs through to the beginning of Summer 2024 Beach season.

Further information and applications for both the FTG and IBT programs can be found here.

The winter is long, but we will all be back on the beach before you know it so, please take advantage of these programs to build your game before the outdoor season starts next spring. And as always, please keep an eye out for further information about development opportunities like the March Break Camps that will be announced later this fall.

For further Winter Beach inquiries, please contact the Manager of Beach Programs, Suzanne Wallace.

For further High-Performance inquiries, please contact the Senior Beach Development Coach, Angie Shen, or the Athlete Development Coordinator, Oklend Llakaj.