Beach volleyball Foot control in mixed football with passes and plays created the unique and exciting sport of standing volleyball.
first time, California Soccer League Hosted its annual league tournament on the sunny sands of West Beach in Santa Barbara. With more than 60 athletes competing on Saturday, the participants were divided into three categories: beginners, mixed and open.
Many of the tournament’s participants have adopted their love of football in Brazil and honed their skills over the years. The game started in Rio de Janeiro.
“My brother-in-law grew up in the city where the sport was invented and played for a lifetime,” said Gabriel Duarte, champion of the mixed and open divisions.
“They showed me the game in Rio and then they came to the United States and set up a school in San Diego, and that’s when I started playing four years ago.”
On many beaches in California, people playing football are unlikely to be found. And now, with tournaments like West Beach One, there are opportunities for participants to really show off their skills.
Trini Gomez and Hugo Pizano show off their experience as the winners of the opening category.
The other mixed champion, Julian Zanfranceschi, expressed sentiment about the importance of footvolley and its development elsewhere.
The football game begins with a kick serve. (Photo by Richie Zajic/Nuzhawk)
“I’m really happy to be a part of it because footvolley is on the rise here in the United States,” she said. “Seven years ago, when I was in Brazil, I had some friends from university who used to play. I asked one of them to teach me how to play and since then I have been fascinated by the game.”
In the tournament, there is a sense of community united by football and a shared appreciation for the sport.
In the open, Duterte’s teammate Acad Kader said that his experience in other sports led him to footvolley.
“I always played football,” he said. “I like football.
“One day I was at the beach and I heard some Brazilians are playing here, so I asked to play. I remember that at first I didn’t know anything. “
The Brazilian-born Kader said he never practiced the sport until he came to the United States.
Overall, the successful tournament not only exposed the people of Santa Barbara to an incredible sport they may not have seen before, but it also celebrated Brazilian culture.
— Noozhawk contributing writer Richy Zajic can be reached here [email protected]. Siga Noozhawk no Twitter: @noozhawk. connected with nosehawk no facebook.
Football players use their head and chest to serve or attack. The use of hands is not allowed in the game. (Photo by Richie Zajic/Nuzhawk)
