New chapter for volleyball in Tasman

Not only has volleyball managed to keep its doors open to players throughout the pandemic, but it has also been one of the few codes to see growth over the two years of sporting disruptions.

Local volleyball has been thriving and has seen a staggering 18 per cent growth in player numbers.

This comes on the back of the amalgamation of Nelson Bays and Tasman Volleyball as the sport looks to cement itself as one of the major sporting codes in the country.

The joint forces have created Volleyball Tasman, a venture between Nelson, Marlborough, Buller, Kaikoura, Golden Bay, and the West Coast.

Secretary/treasurer Pam Brodie says the merger has invigorated them after receiving unanimous support from the other clubs.

“It has taken two years to get here but it is an exciting time.”

Pam says despite the difficulties of Covid, the game has continued on.

“We have managed to keep our doors open and have done our best to keep the kids playing.”

Since the 2020 lockdown, no local indoor volleyball events have been cancelled.

Volleyball Tasman development officer Josh Ovsenek says this was due to their willingness to innovate.

“We do things differently and found creative ways around running when a lot of the other sports saw it as too difficult,” says Josh.

Josh says keeping the lines of communication open between management and players was also crucial to continuing.

“People have felt safe and comfortable to come along and play. We tried every which way to make things happen which is why we have had such a positive uptake.”

Pam says they are very proud of the fact player numbers have risen.

“We have continued to grow, we are the only growth sport in the region, but we just don’t get the recognition, we have to do it the hard way, but we do it successfully.”

They say this was made possible through the concept of strengthen and adapt.

Ways in which the code adapted to the times included the introduction of a draft league.

“You don’t have to have a team and can sign up individually, similar to how you would do an NBA draft.”

The concept proved successful and has already seen Southland Volleyball adopted the draft league system.

“We are leading the way in a lot of things,” says Pam.