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A Christmas beach volleyball program featuring Olympic-level coaching took place in Whitehorse during the holidays from Dec. 28-30.

Guest coaches included beach volleyball Tokyo Olympian Brandie Wilkerson, high-performance coach Angie Shen, and Canada Beach National Team alumni Victoria (Vee) Altomare.

The event was sponsored by Volleyball Yukon, Northern Lytes, Lotteries Yukon, and Northland Beverages.

Shannon Poelman, Team Yukon鈥檚 Canada Summer Games women鈥檚 beach volleyball coach, explains how the guest coaches at the event got involved.

鈥淏each volleyball has really started to grow and develop interest in the Yukon. For the last couple years, Volleyball Yukon鈥檚 been promoting beach volleyball because with our communities ... to field a team for indoor, you need at least six players on the court, whereas with beach volleyball, you only need two. We鈥檝e been really trying to develop beach, and ... Angie Shen, who is one of our visiting high-performance coaches, she was sort of my beach volleyball mentor coach. I took my advanced development with her and I knew she had coached Brandi (Wilkerson) and some of the current Olympians, so I reached out to her because I thought she would be amazing. She鈥檚 very energetic and positive and I thought she鈥檇 be great. And I knew that she had this connection with Brandi Wilkerson, who鈥檚 the beach volleyball player for Team Canada at Tokyo. So I reached out to her 鈥� she鈥檚 always wanted to come to the Yukon 鈥� so I said 鈥榙o you think Brandi would want to come with you?鈥� and she said 鈥榶eah, let鈥檚 find out.鈥� So it just sort of got the ball rolling there,鈥� related Poelman.

鈥淎nd then the other athlete, Vee Altomare, she was Canada Beach National Team alumni, she was (on) the first female team. Her partner was Melissa Humana-Parades ... she played in the Olympics as well, with Sarah Pavan, and won worlds, but Vee was her junior partner and they were the first women鈥檚 medal winner in the 鈥� I think it was U21 category. They brought home the silver for Canada. So that was one of the women鈥檚 first beach medals for Canada, and they were partners ... I didn鈥檛 know her at all, and she 鈥� Angie coached her, and she said 鈥業 want to come up too.鈥� She just came up ... on her own dime,鈥� added Poelman.

The event took place at Porter Creek Secondary school.

It featured Intro to Beach Volleyball for ages 13-16, High-Performance for men and women ages 17-22, and a 鈥淣o Sand, No Sun鈥� mini-tournament Dec. 30.

鈥淲e had three days of the athlete program and we had one day where it was like a coach鈥檚 clinic ... just for our upcoming Canada Games,鈥� said Poelman. 鈥淭here鈥檚 the male coach and myself and then there鈥檚 some other coaches that wanted to be involved and learn about beach, like, for the club level, so that we could start promoting it more.鈥�

Poelman explained the purpose of the program.

鈥淔irst of all, to really build excitement and interest around beach ... to give the athletes and us exposure to high-performance coaching and high-performance athletes.鈥�

32 athletes and three coaches, as well as Poelman, attended the program.

鈥淲e had a few community kids that were able to come in, because I offered a travel subsidy for those. I really tried to plug it with the communities.鈥�

There are plans in the works to have more events like this in the future.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I would hope and I know 鈥� these ladies are all in Toronto, so I know with Air North 鈥� I know they鈥檙e starting their Toronto flights direct from Whitehorse, I鈥檓 hoping to be able to take advantage of them more, even taking the athletes out that way. Ontario has one of the bigger beach programs 鈥� just more exposure that way. So I definitely look for other opportunity. And we have some good connections as well in British Columbia, and looking there as well for competition, additional coaching,鈥� said Poelman.

The next big thing coming up is of course the Canada Games.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 coming up next is the Canada Summer Games 2022, if everything goes well. Right now, we鈥檙e into club season, which is specifically indoor ... looking to April, May to start up the beach program, and training for Canada Summer Games ... in August 2022 if ... everything鈥檚 cooled down with COVID.鈥�

Of course, COVID restrictions have had an affect on their activities.

鈥淲e had to limit our numbers ... for that program specifically,鈥� related Poelman. 鈥淎s we go on to club season, there are certain protocols that they have in regards to the numbers, following measures. Events like the nationals indoors have been cancelled the last two years, so not too sure what will happen. That usually occurs at the end of April, beginning of May, so there鈥檚 no call on that yet. It鈥檚 still happening. And the same with all the beach events that Volleyball Canada has planned for the summer. So far, so good, but, as we know, it can change daily, so, fingers crossed.鈥�

Surprisingly enough, the outdoor volleyball season starts earlier than one would expect in the Yukon.

鈥淲e try to get out on the outdoor courts as soon as the snow clears ... you can certainly start training indoors anytime. There鈥檚 always skills and drills that you can run, but it鈥檚 nice to get out on the sand courts outside, as that has tremendous effects on the game, when you鈥檙e playing, so you want to get as much exposure there,鈥� Poelman explained.

She says they have used the beach courts at Rotary Park in the past, but are now looking at a new location.

鈥淲e鈥檙e looking at funding to get beach courts up and running this spring, so that鈥檚 all still pending funding. We鈥檙e hopeful that project will go through.鈥�

As for the location of the new courts, 鈥淚 actually shouldn鈥檛 say right now, because we haven鈥檛 solidified our funding,鈥� said Poelman. 鈥淚t wouldn鈥檛 be at Rotary Park, because those reports were identified as recreational purpose for all public, and we aren鈥檛 able to book those courts for usage. We鈥檝e been in talks with our partners and we do have a location identified. It just isn鈥檛 solidified yet, with the funding.鈥�

Poelman said they are hoping Volleyball Yukon will incorporate beach volleyball into their program.

鈥淰olleyball Yukon has tried to run programs, and I think that is the hope for us, is that with the interest building, that they will start to build a beach season into their club programs, so that鈥檚 again something that we really hope and want to do. With Canada Summer Games, that鈥檚 the focus this summer, but we hope that the club affiliates will take on those programs. And I know that the high schools, they do run a very short beach program, last thing before they finish school, sometime end of May or June.鈥�

As for the Christmas beach volleyball program itself, Poelman says it was a memorable experience, with the guest coaches being pleasantly surprised by the athletes.

鈥淭he coaches commented on the skill level of our athletes. I don鈥檛 know what they expected, but they said it was a lot higher than what they expected, so that was super-positive, and just to see the kids out on the court again, and excited about something, it was so amazing, and these three ladies really brought a lot of energy and a lot of positivity. It was great.鈥�