Airtel Vodafone Sandkickers

a) Club history

Sandkickers Volleyball Club was the original idea of a group of friends with two simple philosophies… to have fun and never get up!

The club was formed around 2003 after a number of successive beach volleyball tournaments in Jersey, even though none of the founding members had ever played indoor volleyball. The club unsurprisingly had a number of tough challenges in its first few seasons against the ‘established’ mens teams, but after the introduction of one of two seasoned league players, Sandkickers began to establish themselves as a competitive mens team. The club grew over the next few years and was able to establish a second mens team, which enabled the club to attract new sponsors and players.

The club entered its two mens teams into the mens league over four consecutive  seasons and saw many of its ‘newbies’ grow in seasoned players. The clubs crowning glory is that five or six of its players have gone on to represent Jersey in the inter-insular mens volleyball teams, inter-island club matches, the Jersey Volleyball Open and at a number of Island Games.

In the last three to four seasons, Sandkickers Volleyball Club has established itself as one of the top mens teams in the league and in the last two seasons has seen the club be crowned as indoor mens league champions for 2010/11  and 2011/2012 seasons.

Following this success, Sandkickers has also gone on to represent Jersey in the Jersey vs Guernsey men’s champions of champions match, winning in May 2011 against a strong Guernsey team and hostile Guernsey spectator gallery. The club repeated this success the following year and were crowned Channel Islands champions in July 2012 on home soil.

Since it’s formation, Sandkickers has welcomed a wide range of players, with a range of skill levels and a broad spectrum of nationalities.

b) Club honours

2010-2011 Jersey men’s indoor volleyball league Champions

2011 Channel Islands men’s indoor club champions

2011-2012 Jersey men’s indoor volleyball league Champions

2012 Channel Islands men’s indoor club champions

c) Current team

Matthew Morel – Middle Blocker / Outside hitter / Really bad stand-in setter

Daniel Grigoras – Opposite / Outside hitter

Mike Toal – Setter

Mathew Cook – Outside hitter

Mark Grenyer – Outside hitter

Adrian Moss – Middle Blocker

Tanguy Tomes – Middle Blocker / Outside hitter / Opposite

Mike Jones – Outside hitter / Middle Blocker

d) training

The club trains alongside the other mens club so that good quality sessions can be run. training for 2012/2013 season is still to be confirmed.

e) Special club recognition:

Sandkickers is a friendly club based on a group a friends having fun. However, the club would have never been successful without a few key people.

Three players in particular must be thanked for their help since Sandkickers started. There players are:

Terry Perrier – the club’s first ever setter and seasoned league player. Terry was integral to helping Sandkickers learn the game, have fun and aim to competitive.

Vernon Breese – the club’s first ever coach and mentor. Vernon helped both teams get established in the mens league and without him we would have never got anywhere.

Darren Parker – a player, our treasurer, a fanatical Liverpool FC fan and a lovely guy. Darren made the running of the club effortless as time as Club Treasurer and will be a sorely missed friend.

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