The Saskatchewan entry in the 2010 National Team Challenge Cup (NTCC) took the July 3-4 weekend off hardcourt training in favour of beach competition outside of Yorkton.
The site was 8km east of Yorkton cut into the Prairie at the Cherrydale Golf Course. Over the past two years, Mr. Dale Cherry and family have provided the land and helped build the addition to his facility to produce five beach courts that are exceptional.
Mr. and Mrs. Cherry treated the team like family providing camping, opened their property to the team and provided exceptional meals. It was an excellent facility for the team to spend the weekend.
The under 19 Men's Provincial Volleyball team arrived in Yorkton on July 2 during a thunder storm to prepare for a weekend of Beach Volleyball at the Beach Courts at Cherrydale Golf Course. Assistant coach Chris Lohnes worried about the weather and had arranged for indoor courts due to the incredible storm that flooded much of Yorkton on Canada Day .
The five courts at Cherrydale were going to be the home for the team for two days of team building and inter-squad play in the sand. Nine of the 11 members were on hand for four three-hour sessions of play, pitting all the team players together in teams of two, playing each other in four different playing formats.
As all in Yorkton experienced, Saturday and Sunday were incredibly sunny hot days. Play was very exciting and highly competitive as the two coaches, Tom Graham and assistant Chris Lohnes, set up the team play to produce high number skill contacts, to determine which player would be tops for the weekend in the following - all around player -one who could play the best with all his team mates, top offensive and defensive player.
Tops on the list was the team bonding and developing and a commitment to each other. All four goals were accomplished which will play a major role in the team travelling to Toronto for a the NTCC tournament the end of July
Top player was Paul Thomson, Offensive player: Taylor Bean and Defensive player: Ryan CherwatyThe team goals this summer are centred aroundthe NTCC experience inTorontofrom July 20-25.U19 players from all over Canada will attend a training camp for the Junior national team and compete in a tournament as part of the selection for the national team. Several players on the team have a good chance of making the grade with all guaranteed an exciting experience.
As part of this end goal, the two coaches wanted to provide a developmental experience for the players not only to improve and grow in their volleyball skills but to develop as individuals capable of succeeding in future endeavours.
A women's tournament was held, however, only two teams made the weekend due to the weather earlier in the week. The teams played each other for nearly two hours and had an exciting time in the sand.
One player traveled from North Dakota and another from Carlyle. Local left handerLindsay Shumay had a very good day playing with Shelby Adams. Jody Ferris, who played Blitz, is now at Dickenson University In North Dakota. Her team mate Kaitlin Christensen was visiting from North Dakota for the weekend's play.
The beach courts were developed by Chris Lohnes who played CIS for five years at Dalhousie University in Halifax.
Beach volleyball played a big part of off season training. Chris has been a coach with the Blitz for six years and hopes to develop beach volleyball to provide another avenue to develop volleyball players. There are five national standard courts set in a prairie Scene.
The courts were developed by community effort through sponsorship by the following - Cherrydale Golf Course, Yorkton Toyota, Family Brown Builders, CJ Audio, D & R Auto Extras, Fastenal, Michael Tucker Graphics and Sign Printing, Weber's Building Center, Yorkton Blitz Volleyball Club, D and W Plumbing, Kee's Taekwondo, Harvest Meats.
Future endeavors for the beach courts are to develop an inter-high school championship and two beach tournaments next summer.
