Beach volleyball training great workout, fun
by Kevin Cassidy
Islander Correspondent
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| Nancy Cothron talks to some of the participants about the next drill on the agenda during beach-doubles volleyball training at the Manatee Public Beach. Islander Photos: Kevin Cassidy |
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| Gillian Cassidy serves up a volleyball game of "king of the beach" while training at the Manatee Public Beach. |
Some young volleyball enthusiasts are flocking to the Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach on Tuesday and Thursday evenings to participate in beach doubles volleyball training with St. Stephens Episcopal School volleyball coach Nancy Cothron.
Some of the participants are simply looking to improve their skills for the upcoming high school volleyball season, while others are trying to improve their beach game for summer’s tournaments.
Cothron, who played college volleyball at Florida State University and has also played professionally in Italy, Sweden and on the beach here in the United States, puts the participants through a great workout.
Cothron starts them out with a nice run on the beach before switching it up with some core training. Then she incorporates volleyballs, but don’t think this portion of the training is easy. On one of the drills, she has participants going line-to-line, digging out volleyballs that she tosses to them. The second time through the drill, Cothron makes the players get dirty, having to dive from sideline to sideline for every ball.
Another drill that works on conditioning and court coverage is the four-corners drill in which Cothron tosses balls to the front corner, back corner, front corner, back corner, with the players having to track down each ball and at least get a touch on the ball. After going through that drill a few times, all of the young women trainees are seriously winded.
As the training session progresses, Cothron approximates actual match play more and more, with practice on serving, setting, hitting, digging and strategy. The training ends with some controlled scrimmaging in games of “King of the Beach.”
The beach volleyball training sessions are open to anyone at a cost of $5 per session.
For more information on group and individual training sessions, contact Cothron by e-mail at tcothron@tampabay.rr.com.
Key Royale golf news
The Key Royale Club men played an 18-hole, low-net-of-partners game June 24. The team of Vince Mercadante and Bob Kral lapped the field with a combined 3-under-par 125, eight shots better than second-place finishers Danny Hayes and Bob Dickinson.
The men’s nine-hole game on June 22 was also a low-net-of-partners game. Gordon McKinna and Fred Meyer combined to card a 2-under-par 62 to earn the day’s bragging rights. The team of John Driscoll and Paul Reyes fashioned a 2-over-par 66 to match the score carded by Don Ledford and Bob Jorgensen and finish in a tie for second place.
The June 19 weekly coed handicap tourney took an unusual turn in an individual-low-net game. Terry Westby, Fred Meyer and Gordon McKinna each carded a 5-under par-27 to finish in a three-way tie for first place.
Horseshoe news
The June 27 horseshoe games at the Anna Maria City Hall pits saw two teams dodge the raindrops and advance out of pool play to do battle for the day’s bragging rights. Hank Huyghe and Jeff Moore rolled past walker Steve Grossman 21-11 to take home first place for the day.
The June 24 games also saw only two teams emerge from pool play with the prerequisite 3-0 record. Ron Pepka and Jay Disbrow easily defeated John Johnson and Sam Samuels 21-13 to win the coveted duck trophy.
Play gets under way at 9 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. Warmups begin at 8:45 a.m. followed by random team selection. There is no charge to play and everyone is welcome.
Her-icane golf challenge on horizon
The Manatee High School Her-icanes girls soccer team will host its fourth-annual fundraising golf tournament at the Bradenton Country Club at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26. The team uses the money raised for uniforms, warmup suits, soccer equipment and tournament travel.
For a $100 donation, players can test their golf skills in a four-person scramble on the challenging layout at Bradenton's exclusive club course.
All players registered prior to the Aug. 1 deadline will receive a goody bag, cart and greens fees, a post-tourney banquet and guaranteed fun throughout the day. Also on tap are a straightest-drive contest, two closest-to-the-pin contests, a putting contest and tons of prizes will be awarded. The field is limited to the first 100 golfers, so don't delay.
The Her-icanes also are looking for tournament sponsors to help their cause. For $800, a business can purchase the Hat Trick, a package for a foursome of golf, banquet, tee or green sign on the course and a banner that will be displayed at all Manatee Her-icane home soccer games. A golden goal sponsorship includes a foursome and a tee or green sign on the course for $500, and a tee or green sign for the tournament for $125.
To sign up, list four players and each player’s phone number and send the list and check payable to Manatee Girls Soccer Booster. Mail it to me, Her-icane Coach Kevin Cassidy, 2011 79th St. N.W., Bradenton FL 34209. For more information, call me at 941-807-1105.
AMICC to host golf outing
The Anna Maria Island Community Center is hosting a golf outing on Oct. 9 at the IMG Academies Golf and Country Club. The tourney, which gets started at 12:30 p.m. with a shotgun start, is a fundraiser to support the Center’s program and scholarship funds so that nobody is ever turned away due to the inability to pay for the offered programs.
Cost for the golf outing is $175 per golfer or $600 per foursome for golf, carts and dinner. Non-golfers are invited to join the after-play party for awards, refreshments and dinner.
For more information, call the Center at 941-778-1908.
Parting shot
Don’t forget to e-mail me at kevin@islander.org or call me at 941-807-1105 with your summer sports news. |
