For those of you who didn’t have a northern hemisphere escape plan this winter, we’re almost through it – it has been a cold and wet one, punctuated by some lovely fresh winter days in between. The days are getting longer and warmer, with spring around the corner we felt like it was a great time release our new purpose statement and values.Our updated purpose statement and valuesTowards the beginning of this year, we decided to re-visit our Club’s purpose statement and values. We felt like the existing vision and mission statements weren’t so clear or easy to remember. After some internal workshops and iteration, we did a soft-launch at our AGM in June. We’re now ready to officially publish them, and hope that they resonate with you and your experiences with CBVA.Here’s our new purpose statement:Our purpose is to bring people together through beach volleyball
We wanted the statement to capture the essence of why CBVA exists, while being short enough to be easily memorised. Whether it was through on-court partnerships, life long friendships, or meeting new people at social events, the idea of bringing people together remained central to who we are and what we do, with the love for beach volleyball being the common thread linking us together.The values we’ve chosen describe the positive behaviours we have already seen in the Club, and want to continually promote and encourage. Like our purpose statement, we wanted these to be clear, memorable and relatable to your experience with CBVA:
We CareWe care for each other and the environment. We EnjoyWe enjoy spending time together as a Club and a community. We Lead, Champion & CheerWe want to lead the growth of beach volleyball, champion the sport and its players, and cheer & celebrate every success.
Getting to know … JayneJayne recently reached out when an opportunity arose to apply for a community grant through her employer. With her help, we applied for it and were successful in receiving $1,000 which we will put towards the replacement of nets for our permanent courts. Thank you Jayne for embracing our Club values and showing that you care about CBVA!We caught up with her to hear a little bit of her story.How long have you been playing beach volleyball and when did you join CBVA?I started playing (if you could even call it that at the time) when I moved to Coogee at the end of 2020. I eventually did some training and became a member in April 2021.If I wasn’t playing beach volleyball, I would be…In a lot less pain haha but probably playing social netball or something more boring.Tell us about your most memorable beach volleyball experience:There have been so many amazing experiences, but most memorable would probably be my first State Tour tournament in Port Stephens. I went with a group of girls that I had become friends with through training and we had so much fun!
CBVA Challenger OpenOn a sunny August Saturday, CBVA held a Challenger Open with divisions for men and women having 10 and 12 teams registered respectively.In the men’s division, the competition was fierce with each team bringing their A-game. Highlights included a thrilling final where Lucas & Beer (from Manly) edged out Giovanny & Nahuel (from Bondi) in a nail-biting 3-set match (21-15, 14-21 & 15-10), with spectacular plays and strategic moves that had the crowd on their feet.Final Men’s ResultsWinners: Lucas & BeerRunners-up: Giovanny & NahuelEqual third: Miki & Federico, Pedro & JuanIn the women’s division, the action was just as entertaining. The final featured a showdown between Team Bondi: Azzurra & Ruth and Team Manly: Brittney & Kaiti, with Team Bondi clinching victory in a high-energy, back-and-forth battle (18-14, 18-11).Final Women’s ResultsWinners: Azzurra & RuthRunners-up: Brittney & KaitiEqual third: Alejandra & Margaret, Hanna & ClaudiaThe day was filled with outstanding rallies, impressive teamwork, and the vibrant beach atmosphere Coogee is known for. Congrats to all the teams for their incredible efforts and sportsmanship. A big thank you to our Tournament organisers Chantal and Inés, the volunteers, and fans who made the event such a success!Thank you to our supporters for providing prizes for the event: Edge Fit Gym, Chargrill Charlies, Andersen’s Ice-cream, Coogee Diggers, and Avion Australia.The next tournament is a King and Queen of the Beach (single gendered and mixed pairs) coming up is on Saturday, 31st August. Registration is open now in RevSport.
The Paris OlympicsThe Paris Olympics have been a great moment for us to come together as a Club to support and appreciate beach volleyball being played at the highest level, at one of the most iconic venues for a stadium – right in front of the Eiffel Tower! It was great to see so many of you show up to Coogee Diggers for a community screening of some early pool games, and show support for the countries and teams you feel connected to. Of the Australian teams, Mariafe and Taliqua had a great run in the tournament, and were unlucky not to win a medal in the bronze medal play-off match. You can read more about their Olympic campaign here.Thank you to Calvin for his assistance in coordinating with Coogee Diggers.
Being the globally connected Club we are, we’ve been quite fortunate to have a couple of French correspondents on the ground in Paris. Yann has been holidaying there with his family, while our Board member Lauryne has been working with the French Olympic Committee for most of this year.Lauryne writes:In April, I had the honour of joining the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF) to work on the organisation of the Olympics. The CNOSF is responsible for sending the French Olympic Team to the Games and promoting sport and its values throughout France. During the Olympics, many nations choose to open houses or clubs—some accessible to all, others by invitation only—where fans can immerse themselves in the culture of the country, enjoy the Games on large screens, and celebrate the spirit of the event.My role was to assist in the organisation of “Club France,” a vibrant hub that welcomed approximately 45,000 people each day. In this lively atmosphere, visitors could explore various sports, cheer for the French athletes on massive screens, and celebrate every medal alongside the athletes as they took the stage.In this grand open-air celebration, my mission focused on managing the invitation process for VIPs, including presidents of French federations, representatives from other countries, and French Olympians. Each day, I welcomed them, offered refreshments, and coordinated with the volunteers to ensure everything ran smoothly.It was admittedly frustrating not to fully enjoy the Olympics, as my responsibilities left little time to watch the Games. However, it was incredibly rewarding to see the smiles on everyone’s faces and to contribute to their Olympic experience. During my breaks, I had the wonderful opportunity to watch the Aussies perform in skateboarding, as well as the French athletes competing in judo and fencing. I also had the chance to visit the spectacular beach volleyball venue next to the iconic Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see any Aussies in action there, but I would have loved to cheer for my friend Zac Schubert, whom I met during several state and national camps!With the conclusion of the Olympics, I’m looking forward to fully enjoying the Paralympics and continuing to be a part of this extraordinary journey!
Yann, Flora and their family were in Paris and here’s what Yann had to share:We were lucky enough not only to be in Paris for the summer holidays, but were also able watch some Olympic events, including the beach volleyball!We had bought the tickets over a year ago, and fate obliged – Australia were playing on the day we had tickets! The first game was USA vs. Cuba (Cuba nailed it!), followed by Sweden vs. Australia. The vibe was great (with lots of “Aussie Aussie Aussie!” being shouted throughout the stadium), and although it was somewhat a one-sided game for Sweden, it was great to see our ‘home colors’ play in our homeland.We talked to some Australian fans who traveled specifically for the Olympics; one of them was from Maroubra! What were the odds? The venue itself was also great, with the imposing Eiffel Tower dominating the court.Fun fact: We were told the Swedish team has ‘revolutionised’ beach volleyball in recent years (for example, the Swedish Jump Set). Their style of play, the way they attack with their two-touch strategy, game pace, and so on. It was impressive, we had no clue! It was great to gain some interesting game insight on the day, which made us appreciate the game even more.Overall, the Olympics brought an amazing vibe to an emptied Paris (Parisians had deserted the city for their holidays) and to the entire country. Through great victories and defeats, the French people rallied around our national athletes and cheered all in one voice. This is the beauty of sport, and it was so good to see, feel and experience. We’re very fortunate as French people living abroad, to have been able to live that first-hand. Gratitude.We can’t wait to see a similar vibe in Australia for the Summer Olympics in 2032! Vive les JO!
