The BVF Beach Performance Pathway weekend at SideOut Leyton brought together over 40 athletes from across the home nations for two packed days of learning, collaboration, competition, and development.
The weekend highlighted the strength of collaboration across the British beach volleyball pathway, with athletes and coaches from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales working together to create an inspiring and supportive performance environment both on and off the sand.
Day 1 focused on athlete learning and development, with sessions led by coaches from across the home nation programmes. Athletes also had the opportunity to take part in a brilliant Q&A session with BVF performance athletes Javier and Joaquin Bello, Alice Jagielska, Kirsty Star, and Niko Gleed, who generously shared their experiences, insights, and advice from competing at the highest levels of the game.
Joaquin Bello. Photo curtesy of @miguelll.oliveira
Following the Q&A, the performance athletes joined the pathway athletes on the sand throughout the training sessions, where they coached, shared advice, demonstrated technical and tactical concepts, and played alongside and against the athletes. This gave the pathway athletes an invaluable opportunity to see the practical application of ideas and decision-making in live situations, while also learning directly from athletes currently competing within the high-performance environment. The interaction created a highly engaging learning experience and allowed athletes to ask questions, receive feedback, and better understand the standards and behaviours required at the top level of the sport.
Luis Bello. Photo curtesy of @miguelll.oliveira
Day 2 introduced a competitive environment designed to challenge athletes under pressure while maintaining a strong emphasis on development over results. The format encouraged athletes to embrace competition as an opportunity for learning, experimentation, and growth, rather than simply focusing on outcomes.
Athletes competed with their established partners where possible before rotating into alternative pairings throughout the day. By regularly changing partnerships and matchups, athletes were challenged to adapt quickly to different playing styles, communication methods, and tactical situations. The environment encouraged creativity, problem solving, resilience, and decision-making under pressure, while also helping athletes develop a greater understanding of how to work effectively with different teammates and against a variety of opponents.
The competition format also created opportunities for athletes to take ownership of their learning, communicate more effectively, and think critically about tactical adjustments during matches. Coaches observed and supported throughout the day, helping athletes reflect on performances, identify solutions, and apply learning in real time within a pressured environment.
The weekend concluded with an observation and reflection session over lunch, giving athletes and coaches the opportunity to share experiences, observations, and key learning points from across the two days.
A huge thank you goes to all the athletes, coaches, and support staff who contributed to such a positive and energetic environment throughout the weekend. In particular, we would like to thank our BVF performance athletes - Javier and Joaquin Bello, Alice Jagielska, Kirsty Star, and Niko Gleed - for their time, enthusiasm, and willingness to support the next generation of athletes.
We would also like to thank the home nations and their coaching teams for their continued collaboration and commitment to athlete development across the pathway, with special recognition to Luis Bello for his hard work, leadership, and contribution across the weekend.
Finally, a sincere thank you to SideOut for the use of their excellent venue at Leyton and for their support throughout the event, helping provide a fantastic environment for learning, development, and collaboration.
The weekend was a brilliant example of the progress that can be achieved when athletes, coaches, and organisations come together with a shared vision for developing beach volleyball across the home nations.