A pair of professional beach volleyball players are pleased with Cayman’s junior talent.
Top-ranked American ladies Chara Harris and Megan Wallin recently staged a youth clinic at the Public Beach. Harris, 31, states the girls here can reach great heights in the near future.
“Cayman has a lot of athletic kids,” Harris said. “Once they hone in on the fundamentals, there is a good chance of them doing well in international competitions.
“This is my first time here and I loved it. The sand here is the best, it’s the optimum playing surface.”
The clinic attracted some 20 girls aged 10-18, who honed in on fundamentals like serving, spiking and footwork. The session was sponsored by Life Extension Sports and Fitness (a new Seven Mile Beach fitness facility) in association with the Cayman Islands Volleyball Federation. Among those in attendance from the federation was vice president Kennedy McGowan and junior national girls coach Andrea Williams.
Harris and Wallin reside in Sarasota, Florida and they were accompanied by their male partners who also play in the US in Scott Harris (Chara’s husband) and Matt Brockway (Megan’s boyfriend).
Wallin, 29, is no stranger to these shores, having visited on other occasions. She states the climate and the beach make Cayman an ideal destination.
“This is my third time to Cayman and there is thick sand here that is good, soft and clean,” Wallin said. “You won’t fall and scrape your knees like in other places where the sand is mixed with other things. The best thing is the beach is so close to the water, it’s clean and it’s the perfect temperature. Sometimes in Florida it gets to 100 degrees.
“You guys have the optimum place for playing beach volleyball. I love the people and Caribbean food, like jerk chicken! We live in Siesta Key and it’s a short flight here, like two hours or so, which is nice.
“I would love to come back. Kennedy (McGowan) and Noel (Williams, the volleyball federation president) treat us like royalty. The Caymanian people know how to treat us.”
Harris and Wallin compete on the Extreme Volleyball Professionals Tour (a pro beach volleyball circuit in the US). Harris has been ranked as high as 13th in the US while Wallin is currently 16th in the 2012 pro women’s national rankings. Both have had interesting journeys to the pro ranks.
One of six kids, Harris grew up in Grand Blanc, Michigan and played at Grand Valley State University on a volleyball scholarship while pursuing a degree in biology, French, and secondary education. She guided the volleyball team to its first three Elite Eight appearances in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II play, three conference championships and three regional titles, ultimately earning All-Conference and All-Region honours for two consecutive years. After graduating from Grand Valley, she moved to Florida to begin teaching and playing professionally.
A third generation Floridian, Wallin grew up in Sarasota and competed in volleyball, basketball and athletics growing up; being named Florida Athlete of the Year in 2001. She received a full scholarship to play volleyball at Michigan State, helped the team to four NCAA Division I tournament appearances and was named to the All-Big 10 Academic Team four years in a row. After college, Wallin excelled on the beach, winning 10 tournaments and appearing in the finals for 10 other events.
Harris is quick to note that she only teamed up with Wallin later in life.
“I didn’t start beach volleyball until age 24. Megan and I played against each other before we became playing partners. I started out indoors from seventh/eighth grade before going to college on a scholarship. A big reason why we switched to beach is because there is a pro beach tour in Florida and there are not many indoor pros. One of the biggest differences (to get used to) was indoor had six people playing (on a team) while beach was with two people.”
Of the two, Wallin is the most recognized. She was ranked 13th in the nation three times from 2008-2009 and participated in a celebrity match at Super Bowl XLIII, collaborating with ESPN. Wallin even competed against two-time US gold medallists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor.
Those successes are inspiration to local players like Josie Smith, 18. The West Bay native, who now lives in George Town, states she learned much from the pros.
“I really enjoyed it, getting to train with professional people is very useful,” Smith said. “It was very effective and definitely worthwhile. I feel beach volleyball (clinics like this) will make me and everyone else better indoor players.
“I got to get more skills involved. I would practice the spiking. It’s a different technique as you have to make your hands go back first. Indoors there is a different approach to spiking as you just go for it.”
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