On Saturday Richmond Volleyball Club celebrated 10 years of beach volleyball at the beach courts in Teddington. From humble beginnings of just a few training sessions a week, the club has grown over the years to using the courts to near full capacity, running up to six summer training sessions every weeknight as well as hosting weekly open sessions and tournaments as part of the UK Beach Tour on weekends and junior beach volleyball camps during the school holidays.
Richmond Volleyball is a Volleyball England accredited Beach Volleyball Development Centre producing many national champions and several players currently representing England at international competitions such as the Commonwealth Games, European Beach Volleyball Championships and on the Beach Pro Tour started their journey at the courts in Teddington.
In September 2014 the current Richmond Volleyball Beach Manager Martin Rees together with the late Andre Montenegro organised the first ever Saturday open session with a group of just 8 players. The aim was to provide fun; all year-round beach volleyball for all levels, with club members as well as non-members from the local community welcome. 10 years later the sessions have grown into three separate sessions with regular attendance often over 60 players every week.
To celebrate this achievement the club invited all members, friends and family for a fun day of Beach and Grass Volleyball with music and lots of great food including a barbecue.
Martin Rees commented: “It was fantastic to see so many players that were there from the beginning as well the current and next generation of players, all coming together to celebrate, enjoy playing the sport and have fun on the sand. I would like to thank everyone who attended, contributed food and all the volunteers that helped organise this great event. Finally thank you to all the players, parents, coaches, volunteers, partners and the staff at Teddington Sports Centre for their dedication and support that helped make it such a successful 10 years.”
If you feel inspired and would like to try this sport, the Saturday open beach sessions are the best place to start and include sessions for complete beginners. Click here for more information or come and see us at the courts at Teddington’s Broom Road Recreation Ground.
We’re pleased to introduce the Richmond Jurassic Classic to our line up of tournaments. This is a fun, yet competitive 2v2 beach tournament aimed at older players inspired by the Hawaii Dinosaur Tournaments.
Teams need to have a minimum combined age of 80, with bonus points awarded to older teams.
The event takes place on Sunday 8th September 2024, with a separate mixed competition in the morning and men’s and women’s single gender competitions in the afternoon.
We can’t believe it’s been 10 years since the beach courts at Teddington were opened – and what a 10 years it’s been! From humble beginnings of just a few training sessions a week, we have now grown to run 28 summer training sessions a week for all age groups and levels.
On 13th September 2014 current Beach Division Manager Martin Rees together with the late, great Andre Montenegro organised the first ever Saturday open session with a group of just 8 players. The aim was to provide all year round beach volleyball for members and non-members at all levels. 10 years later the sessions have grown into 3 separate sessions with regular attendance often over 60 players every Saturday.
To celebrate this achievement and to say thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to make this happen over the years, we invite you to take part in our end of summer party:
WHEN: Saturday 31st August
WHERE: Beach Courts at Teddington Sports Centre
TIMING: 10:00 – 17:00 (join at any time)
WHO: All Richmond Volleyball Beach members (adults and juniors, past and present), family and friends (free admission – but please bring a dish – see below!)
WHAT TO BRING
FOOD: We are planning to have a barbecue and we will provide sausages and burgers (meat and meat-free) and buns. Please bring a side dish for everyone to share and/or anything else you want cooked on the barbecue and let us know what you will bring.
DRINK: Bring your own
BEACH VOLLEYBALL: 3 courts available (+ grass courts) for social play – format depending on numbers
REGISTRATION: Registration is free, but please fill in this form to confirm your attendance, how many people you will bring and what dish you will bring. In order to get an estimate of how many people will attend and how much food we need to buy, please fill out the form as soon as possible.
VOLUNTEERS: We appreciate any help you can offer to make this a successful and fun day.
The weekend of April 23-24 saw Richmond Volleyball Club make history. The Club took home an unprecedented seven medals in the National Volleyball Championships at the National Volleyball Centre in Kettering.
Richmond Volleyball Club qualified for seven national championship finals: Under 15s, Under 16s, Under 18s Girls and Boys and the Men’s Cup. They took home a clean sweep of gold medals in all categories entered.
ANDY HOPPER Club Chairman, says:
“To qualify teams in all six age group finals was an amazing achievement but then to return from Kettering with an unprecedented six junior gold medals was simply epic. And after many years of success at junior level, securing the club’s first senior trophy in the men’s cup was another astounding victory. The support we had all weekend was extraordinary and played a massive part in our success. Thanks to all the parents and supporters who travelled to Kettering and made it feel like home. The first season after the pandemic has been incredibly hard for everyone and I’m so proud of all the players, coaches, team managers and volunteers who have made these incredible results possible”.
The Men’s National Cup Final is the prime knockout title in the Volleyball England competition calendar. More than 50 teams entered this season’s Men’s tournament, competing at local, regional, and national level. The Cup Final on April 23 saw two of the country’s top teams Richmond Docklands and Newcastle Staffs battle it out on court. With the first two sets under their belt, Richmond found themselves 19-11 down in the third. But some tactical adjustments by coach Marcel Sivak and some determined play by his players saw Richmond secure a 27:25 third set victory and the title.
Men’s Cup Final Photo: Phil Gibbin
The Junior Grand Prix, which started in January, saw a record number of 309 teams split into two tiers competing in qualifying matches up and down the country. Richmond had entered five boys’ and 13 girls’ teams. From the start of the tournament, Richmond juniors topped each stage, consistently winning their pools in all age groups and securing their place in finals.
Under 15 Boys and Girls. National Champions Photo: Phili Gibbin
Under 16 Girls’ Champions Photo: Steve Smith/sandsphotos.co.uk
Under 16 Boys’ Champions Photo: Steve Smith/sandsphotos.co.uk
On Saturday, Richmond’s Under 16s girls and boys were on top form, they played consistently well and didn’t lose a single set. The U15s followed suit on Sunday morning. The Sunday afternoon championship finals proved a little tougher for Richmond’s Under 18 boys and girls. There was a lot of pressure on the Richmond players to keep up their string of successes and some strong rivals as Richmond boys faced IBB Polonia Academy whilst Richmond girls faced Urmston Grammar. The matches got off to a shaky start for Richmond with a loss for both the boys’ and girls’ teams in the first set. In the second set both Richmond teams got back on track, calmed their nerves, and started to show how well they could play, both teams sealed their victory in the fourth set.
PETER SOCZEWKA Men’s Junior Coach says:
“It has been hugely satisfying seeing Richmond Volleyball junior teams competing and playing their best volleyball this season at the national finals. Our rivals Polonia Academy and Urmston Grammar showed great volleyball on the day, but it was not enough to beat our teams. Now most of our juniors will move to the beach training to improve technical skills and agility which would hopefully allow them to be successful in the next indoor season”.
This year’s tournament was the first time in two years that clubs could take to the national stage and compete in the National Championships, as the 2019/20 season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.
MIKE KEEFE Women’s/Juniors Girls Division Manager says:
“This has been an unprecedented year for Richmond Volleyball with post-Covid demand leading to a 40% rise in the number of volleyball players we have had training this season. Volleyball is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK and getting as many players on court as possible post various lockdowns was our number one priority along with continuing to develop the talent already present within the club. After making it to the National Finals in 2020, only for these to be cancelled due to the first lockdown, we were hungry to get back to the top of all three Junior competitions two years on. The coaches and teams did not disappoint winning Gold in the U18, U16 and U15 categories which is a first for the club and hasn’t been done by any other club for several decades. We are very proud of the players, coaches and team managers and would like to thank all the parents, volunteers, and venues for their unwavering support in our return to the highest levels of the sport.”
Under 18 Girls Photo: Phil Gibbin
Under 18 Boys Photo: Steve Smith/sandsphotos.co.uk
Richmond Volleyball Club celebrates its 30th year this summer
Founded in 1992, Richmond Volleyball Club provides indoor and beach volleyball for players of all ages and abilities across West London and Surrey. It has several senior men’s and women’s teams competing in the national, regional, county, and local leagues.
This season’s wins make Richmond Volleyball Club the most successful Volleyball Club at junior level in England. Its thriving junior division offers training for 10-year-olds and above and over the past five years the club has developed a track record of producing quality athletes for Volleyball England’s talent pathway. Later this Summer four Richmond players will be vying for the number one spot to represent their country in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Look out for Richmond players: Javier Bello, Joachin Bello, Enrique Bello and Katie Keefe.
I am very proud of what the club has managed to achieve this season. I am immensely grateful to all the players and coaches for their hard work and enormous dedication. Without their endless dedication, none of this would happen. This season is proving to be a successful and a historical one on the court, but it is important to highlight that it has been an excellent example of teamwork also off the court and behind the scenes, as it was the teamwork and sacrifice that carried this team through some challenging times to the successful finish. It is a great place to be but equally the success offers new opportunities for the club that we should look to explore with similar dedication and hard work in the coming months.
Scores from the Volleyball England National Cup Finals:
Men’s National Cup Final | Newcastle Staffs vs Richmond Docklands | 0-3 (23-25; 19-25; 25-27)
U18s Boys National Championships Final | Richmond vs IBB Polonia Pro Volley | 3-1 (22-25; 25-11; 25-15; 25-21)
U18s Girls National Championships Final | Richmond vs Urmston Grammar | 3-1 (20-25; 25-12; 25-18; 25-17)
U16s Boys National Championships Final | Richmond vs Urmston Grammar | 3-0 (25-17; 25-16; 25-22)
U16s Girls National Championships Final | Richmond vs Urmston Grammar | 3-0 (25-10; 25-23; 25-10)
U15s Boys National Championships Final | Richmond vs Urmston Grammar | 3-0 (25-17; 25-13; 25-22)
U15s Girls National Championships Final | Richmond vs Volleyball Development Camps | 3-0 (25-21; 25-14; 25-14)
We are the RVB Junior Girls and are raising funds for Teenage Cancer Trust because we want to help teenagers like ourselves.
Richmond Volleyball Club is very fortunate to have a fantastic group of teenage girls. We have had a record number join this year after a difficult 18 months of little or no volleyball and they have been super busy honing their volleyball skills. More importantly, they have been learning the value of teamwork, making new friends, playing matches, experiencing the excitement of competition, getting loads of exercise and of course much, much more!!
In 2019, we raised £587 for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Our challenge back then was to collectively perform 10,000 digs (a critical volleyball skill) during their training session. They did it!!! With pretty much a whole new set of beginners this year along with some seasoned veterans, we are aiming to hit that 10,000 digs goal again this year and raise funds for those teenagers who are in hospital with cancer. The girls are really up for it but they really need your support.
The festive season is all about giving so tell all your friends, relatives, co-workers, neighbours, etc. to donate anything they can and help the girls SMASH their goal. Any amount donated large or small is greatly appreciated so get the word out and help the team reach their goal by December 15th! We want to wish everyone all the best over the Holidays and a very Happy New Year!
Thank you for your support! Richmond Volleyball Club
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