An account of our competition in Brasilia

In anticipation for one of the most important events of my career, Josh and I landed in Brasilia a full week early to acclimatize to the altitude and conditions of this unique beach volleyball environment. Few tournaments in the world are played at altitude so we wanted to adjust our ball control to the thin air and the altitude, which impacts recovery speed over the span of a game. We successfully progressed the way wanted alongside a Swiss team that had the same intention and due to the early arrival of Canadian, USA, Japanese and British teams who provided some competitive training.

The qualification tournament was scheduled for Wednesday so we withheld from competing for the first few days to adjust to the new environment and then increased intensity until an active rest day Saturday. We then scheduled three training sessions on Sunday to simulate our qualification tournament and played USA/Canada then another Canadian team and ended with Japan’s top team. It was a tough day with minimal nutrition (nothing is open Sunday mornings in Brazil) but we persevered in discomfort and were better off for it. With a healthy amount of reps and competition under our belts we toned down our training in anticipation of an emotional and physical qualification tournament.

The draw turned out to have less teams than we anticipated so we only had 2 rounds to win in order to claim a main draw birth. We patiently waited in the meeting and after everything was calculated we drew Venezuela to begin and then the winner of a young Austrian team VS a powerful Australian duo. With our path set in stone we focused our energy on the following day and went to sleep swimming in anxiousness for what we new was the most important day of our partnership to date.

Although this event is one many possible opportunities to count for our best four finishes to rank us in the quest for the Olympics, the resulting points from Brasilia have a massive impact on our entry for the Grand Slams. Without entry into Grand Slams (top 56 teams in the world) we would miss out on extremely valuable playing opportunities as well as the extra Grand Slam points. With this in mind, a solid result in Brasilia would qualify us for Grand Slams (Beijing and possibly Russia and Rome) boosting our chances of Olympic qualification.

With that in mind we awoke Wednesday morning with butterflies in our stomachs and tense smiles to go along with them. I haven’t been nervous for a long time but I was filled with something larger and more empowering; my body realizing the last 6 months mattered most today. I had an ominous feeling I couldn’t shake but it was energy that had been brewing for a long time and if I harnessed it I could turn it into an advantage.

We warmed up on the warm up court and stepped onto court 1 with 10 minutes to go before first whistle. We did our Dean Sampano special (arm circles), hit and served some balls then cooled off for a minute prior to the game whistle. Months of preparation and we were here, at the moment which counted most with no room to question or doubt. It was time to trust we were more skilled and prepared than the other team and find grace together in the pursuit of victory.

To be honest I don’t remember too much of the game. I know we were spatchy in the first set and lost multiple runs of points and didn’t serve as well as we had planned. Our sideout game didn’t display our true colors but the other team struggled to sideout so we were able to make up a few points. We lost the first set but questioned not and adapted to the situation. Beach volleyball is an amazing game of strategy so although we lost the first set I knew we could adjust our defensive game plan to shut them down while elevating our rhythm and athleticism to take over.

We stormed out to a lead and didn’t let go in the second. We played bigger than we had played to date and the silent connection that lacked in the first set revealed itself timely fashion. I then tripped over the line and sprained my toe but didn’t call a timeout and hid the pain. I knew I had done some damage to my big toe joint but confidently sealed the injury in my competitive vault. The Venezuelan’s began to fade as we firmly responded both in sideout and transition.  We won big rallies, took more chances and built confidence in pursuit of a third and final set. I then landed from a block and turned but left my big toe behind. It twisted and bowed outwards and left the socket, forcing my body to crumble as I felt my toe shift in a direction it wasn’t meant to. I lay there, unsure of my health and then placed my hand on my toe hoping it had found its way back in. It was where it was supposed to be but I knew it was unstable so I delayed the game as long as possible without calling a timeout or allowing our momentum to fade. I strode to the back line to serve, suppressing my pain enough to win the second set without giving our opponents anything.

Being somewhere across the globe from home to fight in a single elimination event is an incredible feeling. I can’t say I love it but the pressure and demand for ultimate presence forces me to challenge my body and mind to be the best I can be in every moment. This third set was no exception and Josh and I knew what was on the line. We lead from the start and didn’t even give our opponents a sniff of the lead. I then tweaked my toe again, fell over, but pushed through it knowing victory was close at hand. Josh served an ace to win at 15-12 and we rejoiced in our first FIVB win together as well as to being one step closer to the main draw.

I rushed to the medical tent and explained to the physio what happened. He then taped me up and locked my big toe to my foot with a couple dozen feet of tape. I was confident the tape would hold and that I could play worry free granted I kept it warm. We had a few hours off to replenish lost calories, recover lost fluids and prepare mentally for our second battle.  We were surprised to hear the higher ranked Aussies lost to the Austrians so we reviewed their game (our coach Lennard recorded it) and knew we had a VERY realistic opportunity to qualify.

Our coach served at us for warm up and before we knew it we were shaking hands with the Austrians on a crowded court two. The weather was perfect, the wind was mild and our BRIEF (Belief, Ritual, Intensity, Emotion, Focus) was all time.

The first set went back and forth with some great rallies and we found ourselves second place in the head to head pursuit for 21 points. It was close but our sideout and point conversion didn’t allow for a comfortable lead or a confident finish. Once again we were down a set sipping water in our timeout booth but there wasn’t a second I thought we would lose. We knew we had to adjust and we did, taking a formidable lead in the second set to win it without a doubt.

Apparently our team loves third sets because we have played far too many. Apparently it takes us a set to come up with a winning strategy and we strove into this third set with intent and purpose. The main draw birth had our name written all over it.

The set started and the lead went back and forth. The Austrians had a response to the majority of our threats and we found ourselves down 10-12 when I turned to bump set a ball from a dig Josh made when my toe burst through the thick tape job and bent completely sideways. Once again I dropped to the ground grasping my foot and rolling in pain; I knew this one was bad. I had to call a medical timeout and with Josh’s help hobbled to the bench. We were now down 10-13 and forfeiting wasn’t an option considering the current stakes I wasn’t about to start. The same physio from before cut the broken tape job off, washed my foot and then started from scratch. We didn’t have much time so I told him to just tape my big toe to the rest of my toes and then throw on a sand sock. He did just that and after the maximum five minutes I bluffed my way out of the medical timeout.

Playing against an injured team is always tough. You never know how badly the person is hurt and it is difficult to stay motivated and crisp when you think you were just handed a massive advantage. I knew I would be underestimated (considering I had gone down a couple times before) so I gave them nothing and allowed them to give something up. They came at me and I shot over line for a crisp sideout , 11-13. I told Josh to serve the big buy and that I would block big line so he did and I crashed ball and stuffed him hard. 12-13 side switch. We knew their tall left side would be tentative so we funneled him to the cross and Josh made a great short dig to transition kill, 13-13. We knew the big guy would try hard for something so we both anticipated him coming to the line. He didn’t pass perfectly so I blocked big six but he snuck a large hit under me and beside osh. 13-14. Their defender had missed a couple jump floats into the net and this final serve found some lift and caught the top of the tape, drizzling over for a short let. Both Josh and I, unwilling to surrender, shot forward seam and ran into each other as we sprawled to reach the ball. I got a healthy touch on it but Josh had committed to his dive and wasn’t able to get up and reach the ball before it hit the ground. Game 13-15.

I slowly rose, shook their hands as well as the referee’s and then fell. I couldn’t support myself; my spirits were crushed. We had just lost a battle to a team we had every opportunity of beating and I had hurt my foot in ways I didn’t want to understand. I was in pain but the thought of losing such a realistic main draw birth to define our team in pursuit of Canada’s Olympic birth hit me harder.

Josh and I hobbled back to the hotel over the span of 30 minutes and went directly to an “all you can eat” establishment to drown our sorrows in Brazilian pizza. We discussed the game and did our best to plot our immediate future considering my massively swollen foot wasn’t allowing me to move properly. With no idea how this new twist in the Binstock/Reader saga would impact our schedule, we went home to sleep on full bellies and wait on our support team to advise us.  

Brazil penthouse pool workout on our active rest day

 After landing safely in Brasilia and training double days in the sand from Tuesday through Friday, we decided to take the pressure off the gas pedal to active rest before setting up a 3 session day today to mimic our qualification path Wednesday.

We rested in the morning and took in a few 1000 calories in the form of an Acai bowl (picture below)

then chilled by the penthouse pool at sunset to prime ourselves for the following day. Here is our workout.

After a nice mobility warm up I did some exercises I learnt from Rob Williams utilizing the Core X bands. I started with lateral and pivot movements opening up my stance and arms at the same time to connect my core to my legs and upper body. I did 3 sets of 16 side steps and quarter turn pivots, going from normal ready position to wide spread back to ready position. I then went onto all fours, using a Joga inspired balance posture but adding difficulty with the Core X bands. I would raise on hand and the opposite leg controlled for 3 seconds, hold for 3 seconds and then coming back to a stable 4 point position. I did 3 sets of 16 for each leg/arm combo.

We then both got after some ab roll outs with proper lumbar spine positioning and kept the reps under 10 as not to fatigue ourselves. I mixed in some V ups to push up on the foam roller. We complimented these core exercises with single and double arm plank holds while paying attention to shoulder stability and proper trunk muscle recruitment.

Josh wanted to some preventative/maintenance shoulder work so he did some isolated band exercises to target his rotator cuff muscles. He then did wall slides (his favorite/least favorite exercises) to strengthen scapular movement and stability.

We then stretched for quite sometime, allowing our bodies to sink deeply into personal favorite poses. Below is Josh's specialty and you will catch him chilling in this position after every training session or game. It really gets after pelvic stabilizers which generally stiffen from training in sand.

I tucked into some groin, quad and hamstring stretches after doing some trunk and pelvic mobility exercises specific to movement patterns I want to improve.

With only the use of an ab wheel, Core X, elastic band and a foam roller we activated our cores, hit our trunk stabilizers, strengthened our shoulders and opened up mobility patterns specific to our individual needs. Lots of work yet to be done here in Brasilia but we definitely took in the 26 degree sunset next to the pool as we took care of our bodies in preparation for our qualification tournament on Wednesday.

Gratitude

A few weeks ago I was walking to brunch with Jordan (roommate/cuz/ape/stallion) and we high fived over life. Not our first high five, however, this one spurred a train of thoughts and emotions that rushed through me like an avalanche in the Alaskan backcountry.

Gratitude, appreciation, love, joy, humility. Gratitude.

My life is amazing. That isn't a "my life is better than yours" statement, it is a pure, friendly epiphany driven affirmation. It is entirely a "holy shit, I love my life and get to live my passion everyday" thought and I haven't been able to genuinely stop to be thankful for my life path since it went into overdrive late 2011.

I had been in Toronto since I herniated 2 disks in my back mid summer, and was spinning my pedals and reaching for something I couldn't see clearly. But on October 1^st the gears of my life began to catch; I moved downtown Toronto with my cousin Jordan. Without getting into the details, it wasn't until I got my own place that everything started coming together. My health, energy, excitement and pure "joie de vivre" exponentially increased and my essential flame has been burning bright like the Olympic torch since!

I haven't had my own space for a long time and it was neve a big deal, I just called it the “21^st Century Nomad style” and dealt with it. I made the most of every situation, couch, hotel room, single bed, floor or spare bedroom and stayed in a positive mental space because I had to. As a matter of adaptation I made each unique setup an opportunity for growth but without knowing it I was never truly able to completely relax. Now with the independence of an apartment and a year contract keeping me committed, I have flourished in my own space (and king size bed) where I can now rest, recover, create and explore my creative side. It has been a launching pad for my social life, a sanctuary for my physical recovery and a zen garden for my mental health.

Back to brunch. Jordan and I (as always) rolled in aggressive style and arrived to find a medley of amazing people, one of whom was a University friend I hadn't seen for years! We all had rich conversations about life and it was through this inspiring gathering that I was drawn to a place of reflection. I came to a deeper place of appreciation for my path I and the social, physical and mental dividends being created through my diligent pursuit.

Toronto has been a social and life experiment. I had never sunk my emotional roots in the city (a side from one relationship) and was therefore recluse and hesitant to commit to anything that lasted more than an hour. I have since embraced Toronto with my entire being and celebrated it as my home. This change in tune immediately opened amazing opportunities, influenced incredible connections and has shot me into a deeper understanding of myself.

I have adapted to the fast paced lifestyle of Toronto and am thoroughly enjoying it. Leading my life via my passion has naturally attracted people that dare to be great and challenge their own reasons for existence. From artists to business men to DJ's to fellow athletes I am continuously reminded that I am here to be the best I can be and share that empowering energy with those who cross my path.

I believe I am exactly where I am supposed to be in life and I thank everyone who has supported and cheered for me. You are all an inspiration in your own way and have all been integral in me arriving where I am today.

Happy holiday,

Martin

My partner for 2012

I am very pleased to announce to that I will be competing on the 2012 FIVB tour as well as qualify for the Olympic games with Sir Josh Binstock. This is a move that may surprise some of you, especially after winning the 2011 Continental Cup with Chaim Schalk. To those skeptics, Chaim and I definitely had a good run but over the span of 2 seasons we weren't able to put together our best performances at more than a few events. Granted we both dealt with injuries (the most recent and severe being my back) but there were plenty of opportunities to step up and we never found a strong enough rhythm to consistently improve our results. I thank Chaim for a very memorable 2 years but this isn't a blog about the past, it is about the exciting future for a team that has been destined to happen for a long time!

After a frustrating end to my season in July 2011 with a back injury, I began looking at my options for a partner to pursue the 2012 Olympics with. There were a few top ranked teams playing really well and it just so happened Josh Binstock was splitting with Rich Vanhuizen. Josh and I have been solid friends for quite a long time and no stranger to each other on the court. We have always gotten along famously and from the first time I watched him play I admired his intensity and desire for the ball. He was a devastating blocker for most and with his recent transition to defender he has brought those attributes to the back court and built on them. In my opinion he became the best shot defender in Canada over the 2011 season and then went down to some late season USA events and earned more respect against some of the top athletes in the world.

It being my decision to play with Josh gives a sense of confidence I haven't had for a while. One of the main factors for my excitement is that Josh hand sets over bump setting and that is something I haven't had the luxury of since master hand setter Ray Sewell. I love hitting off a hand set and Josh's hands are fast enough for him to consistently set internationally; I look forward to crushing his butter!

So what is the next step you ask? We are currently residing full time in Toronto and training daily. We are working out like pre season College football players and starting our beach reps in a new indoor 3 court facility our national team built. We plan on going hard until christmas and then we are looking at a training camp in LA come the new year.

Our Olympic qualification is not a guarantee as the ranking going into the Canadian trials will be the two teams with the best results in the first tournaments of 2012. Those two top FIVB teams go to the NORCECA continental cup and will fight to win our nation a direct birth. Then another canadian trials will be held to narrow our best teams down to one final Olympic bound team! Lots of tournaments and high pressure situations to come but I have never felt more up for the challenge.

The road will be intense as all our tournaments run April through late June. They are closing in on us quickly making every day an important opportunity to improve and strive for our best as soon as possible.


Keep in touch for big things, I can feel it!

JokWear Campaign

Here is my spoof video I made for my new clothing sponsor JokWear which will be launching February 2012! Here is what JokWear has to say about the competition, the guidelines and the prizes!!!

Each contestant is asked to submit a 1 minute video that shares with others why they think they should be the next JokGirl or JokBoy?  They are to focus their 1 minute video on areas that exemplify the 4 Pillars in JokWear and the newly established JokWear Foundation; 1.Sports, 2.Arts, 3. Academics and 4. Community.  The end result: a $1000 Bursary for Post Secondary, a Trade School, an Arts Program, a Community Endeavor or Sport Competition. Also a full suited JokWear kit of apparel, along with being a part of the JokWear Board of Athlete's for the Year as the Youth Ambassador Athlete's and lastly having the opporunity to be a part of the first JokWear Apparel Catologue Shoot!

I am looking forward to being a part of this experience as a JokWear board member and athlete ambassador! I am going to be a part of the video voting process and I am sure it is going to be an outrageously fun and challenging experience. Looking forward to the entries and meeting the two athletes who win the competition! 


All the best!

Delicious paleolithic pancakes with a twist

Over the last week I have felt incredibly inspired to cook in my new pad! I have had moments of creative brilliance and while on the subway I have been scheming ways to combine routine foods with highly nutritious and easily accessible ingredients. With a fresh space, newly inspired ideas from recent reading and some of the best produce in the city at my new front door I began to create.

My first recipe in a series of self proclaimed amazing meals will be a new spin on a classic "The Paleo Pancake" from when I was staying with Paleo enthused health nuts on Grand Cayman Island! The following recipe was free-styled with no specific ratios but a certain consistency in mind. They turned out great and will now become a staple in my morning routine as they are easy, quick and rapidly digestible. Enjoy! 

1 - Grab half a cup to a cup of almonds and throw them in the blender. Mince them finely

2 - Add a few eggs into the ground almonds stir until they are well mixed

3 - Add two to three scoops of protein powder (preferably Kaizen Whey isolate) 

4 - Throw in some Glutamine for improved immune function and lean muscle retention

5 - Sprinkle pinches cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice and cardamon 

6 - Add a teaspoon of vanilla bean extract

7 - Stir in Vanilla Almond Breeze until you have a nice thick consistency 

8 - Heat a pan with coconut oil and pour out a few pancakes 

9 - Cook the pancakes until there are one or two bubbles them flip them. Be careful not to cook them too quickly or with too high of a temperature because they can dry out easily. 

And there you have the first step of this feast! Now for the added goodies. 

I poured yogurt on top of the pancakes and then topped them with craisins and chia seeds. Then I sliced up a banana and poured a light serving of maple syrup on top of the entire goodness because I have a serious weakness for it! 

Voila, in about 20 minutes you have a highly nutritious meal with few carbs, high protein, good fats which will leave you feeling light and energized for your morning of taking over the world. 

Back to my west coast longboard roots

Today was one of the best Sunday Fundays I have had in a very long time. Granted it was a late start due to an amazing Saturday evening dinner party but better late than never!

My trainer and I had planned on doing a public sparring session in a park down in the Kensington Market area. We met up there at 5 and it turned out to be a zoo!!! Kensington on Sundays apparently goes off with a mixture of hipsters, free spirits and fun loving earthy folk interested in vintage fashion, grass roots music and un-flashy yet highly touted restaurants and cafes. We strolled around people watching for a bit and then Kriston came up with the idea of throwing 20 tennis balls to people in the park to see how they responded. Super neat idea and it was our first experiment in our joint mission to interact, challenge and inspire people to become more active. 

We strolled up to the full park and started throwing the balls to kids playing on the jungle gyms and sand boxes. They had no idea what to do with them but they had no choice but to catch the balls after I made eye contact with them. We started throwing them back and forth, making games and I focused in on the kids who saw this as a challenge and unique opportunity. Other people in the park got into it and kids began playing games with strangers (in a good way) they had never met before. It was such a joyful experiment challenging the kids with tosses, teaching them how to throw and causing social interaction through a simple game of hot potato. Even more hilarious when I rolled a ball to a kid who wasn't looking. Seeing their faces light up when a tennis ball appeared at their feet was priceless. 

We then left the kids with the balls and hung out with some pretty funky individuals hanging around the multi level chin up bars. These guys were there doing a form of Parkour and Kriston being a specialist and lover of the sport got along famously with them. He threw down a couple impressive moves and I got in there for some hanging funzies for some street cred; good times!

We then went over to the longboard crew and started mingling with them. Kriston had met one of the owners of the Longboard living shop. He hung out over some longboarding sessions around a large concrete circle and discussed the longboarding movement in Toronto and where Longboard Living was looking to positively influence it. 

As some of you may know, I come from a boarding background and I rode a stylie Sector 9 original pintail longboard all the way through college in Victoria and University in Vancouver. In my opinion it is the most efficient mode of transportation and also the most fluent and graceful as it requires long pushes and arcing carves to get from A to B. I also believe it is more sophisticated than the short board and attracts a mellower more well spoken demographic. I haven't boarded in a while but had been yearning for the freedom, creativeness and balance of the sport as of late. We rolled to the shop and Ryan hooked me up with a Skulls skates loaner then we hit the town. 

Our path took us to a large parkade where we hiked 5 flights of stairs and cruised in circles all the way down! It was amazing, like riding a mountain with chair lifts in the form of stairs and on the top we had an amazing view of the CN tower and the downtown core. We then commuted to Dundas square through downtown streets. I had really missed the speed on flats and propelling myself with balance and grace but most of all I missed passing the bicyclists! They are always surprised when a long boarder cruises past then rips a couple turns in front of them before taking off again. Beautiful. 

We arrived at Dundas square to find a massive event taking place. Ryan of longboard living was aware of the situation and took us to the breakdancing section where he introduced us to a pivotal player in the TO break scene. The event was called Manifesto and was the 5 year anniversary. Manifesto is a non-profit grassroots organization working to unite, energize, support and celebrate Toronto’s vibrant and diverse music and arts community, and find innovative ways of working together towards common goals. Such an amazing initiative and felt fitting that we found ourselves there to network with some integral people in different Toronto scenes.

We left there and returned to the Kensington market to end our evening but parted on a few thoughts. I realized I haven't been adventurous in the big city because I have been restricted and dependent on transit. With the use of a long board I was able to explore, experience and acquaint myself with some of the smaller streets and areas hidden in the shadows of mainstream places. I felt like I was able to connect with the city and experience an event I wouldn't have even known about had I not gone for a cruise. I was exposed to new stores, restaurants and businesses in passing as well as being introduced to very key characters in different TO scenes. I was able to take out a four wheeled paint brush and carve creative lines throughout a city I would normally experience from the seat of a bus, street car or underground subway. The session energized, elevated and pumped me up while connecting me with people who believe in green transportation, social responsibility and community.

The lifestyle of longboarding in Toronto is definitely different than in BC but it still attracts the same people. Without flowing hills Ryan and his posse at Longboard Lifestyle have catalyzed a scene based around community cruise sessions, leadership, learning, green transport and physical activity. Ryan brought up a great point that he believes longboarding is a life skill, something that should be learnt at a young age and he plans on integrating it into society. They are socially aware, safety conscious and highly organized and after the wonderful boost back into the sport tonight, I can't wait to get after more riding and exploration with this quality group of people. 

With a new light on Toronto, I can't help but become even more excited fully commit my life to the big smoke. Slowly I am finding ways to bring out the west coast and the more I embrace it, the more I meet incredible people who seek to inspire and ignite Canadians in their communities. 

Camp Madawaska

After the 2011 national championships and Canadian team trials I was invited by Josh Binstock to roll up with him to a volleyball camp called “Madawaska”. I had heard of the camp before through Mark Heese and a few other athletes but had no Idea what I was getting into when I accepted the invitation!

Beach Courts in the middle of nowhere

Josh and I drove North East for 3 hours and arrived to camp late Wednesday evening. It was spectacular timing because it was Casino night with free drinks and hilarious auction after with the proceeds going to charity! I played poker for the entire evening without getting dealt a single hand but it wasn’t a problem because I’m not a gambler and I had no interest in taking any of the auction items. Overkill and Beach Blast had donated a bunch of swag and I have enough beach clothes to last me a lifetime! It was highly entertaining watching an array of moderately desirable clothing go for silly prices! Bidding wars happened over scarfs, shorts, undies and all kinds of hilarious stuff and people were getting vicious! It was a fun first night with the adults but we were pretty tired from driving up and had to go to bed in our luxurious accommodation!

First class lodging!

Field of dreams at 6 AM

Before we knew it the 6 AM wake up call was upon us. Camp Madawaska runs their own time zone to utilize more daylight so 6 was actually 5. They run an incredible amount of programming throughout the day and it is only made possible by the super early start. The entire camp rolled to the tennis courts for a morning session called “Togetherness” which activates, motivates and brings everyone together to start the day off right. Once all the kids had arrived I realized the magnitude of camp Madawaska. There were over 700 people involved in the warmup!!! Such a cool place to be and I couldn’t have been more excited to be a guest of honor with Josh.

We cuised to breakfast and we were then introduced to the dual nature of the camp. I knew I was going to help with beach but the “court” component was MASSIVE. The kids were divided into court and beach which caused quite a bit of animosity and chirping between tables! It was such a great energy as tables chanted beach and sang songs proclaiming their superiority. A table would erupt in banging and a team would stand up, chant a rhyme and then the whole room would erupt with either support or disapproval depending on how good it was. Such a great initiative and I had such a great time watching!

After breakfast we took a quick nap and then hit up the sand courts for the first morning session. We coached a bit, enjoyed watching the kids play and then did a really fun question and answer period to close it out. The kids were so interactive, interested and keen to learn from our experiences playing beach around the world. The questions were all fantastic so we were able to share volley experiences and sporting knowledge with them for 25 minutes.

Beach VS Court coaches

The second session of the day started with the indoor vs court coaches match! Josh threw his shoes on and played but I stayed off cause I am still working through my back injury and didn’t want to jeopardize me recovery. The game wasn’t short of action and the beach boys absolutely demolished the court guys. The court ladies beat the beach ladies so the 3^rd set changed to co-ed 6’s and the court team won. It was an unfortunate loss for beach but with such a dominant performance from the men the coaches challenged the male court team to a rematch for the following day. (Court accepted and got pumped the next day!)

Dinner was tasty and the chanting between volley realms was spicy! The kids still had energy and had one more session to complete that day! We ended the 3^rd session with game play and Josh and I walked around helping, encouraging and coaching. With such an array of talented athletes there was no lack of action and I was thoroughly entertained by the U14 men’s division. These young boys were super talented, understood the game and were employing an effective blocking defense! They were ripping balls line, showing finesse, tearing jump serves and playing magnificent defense. Needless to say we have some stellar athletes coming up through the Ontario volleyball system and I can’t wait for them to start challenging me!

The rest of our time there was spent coaching, exploring and connecting throughout the camp. We scoped out the leaderships activities on their low ropes course, swam in the lake, watched competitive court games and overheard some of the tryouts for their final evening of “Madawaska has talent” which was promising to be the best show ever. As we were about to leave we got caught up in the Madawaska Olympic ceremonies. Each cabin represented a different country and had to come up with a dance, cheer, poster and present it in front of everyone! Such a great idea and all the kids were so involved!

Opening ceremonies at Madawaska Olympics

One thing I cherished was being able to select athletes I thought showed exemplary skill, desire and hustle. Josh and I went to all the groups and handed our jerseys and autographed cards to kids we felt deserved a pat on the back. One of the girls had never even played volleyball but managed to adapt, learn and stay positive!  

Between the owners, organizers, coaches and athletes we got to know some fantastic people in the volleyball world and connect with the next generation of volleyball stars in our country. It was such a great experience for me personally and I can’t wait to go back to the best volleyball camp in Canada next summer!!! 

http://www.madawaskacamps.com/

Photo we took for Volleywood with all the beach athletes