Life's a beach for these sporting teens

There may not be a better way to spend a beautiful summer day along the waterfront than enjoying a game of beach volleyball.

But for those athletes who toiled all last week at the makeshift courts that occupy the Cambrian College venue where tennis was once played, there is a larger goal in mind.

"It helps a lot with your vertical, because of the sand," said 14 year-old middle Isabelle Moreau, looking forward to beginning her secondary school career at Collège Notre-Dame come the fall. "When you do your approach, you can't jump as high in the sand, but on the court, you end up jumping higher.

"It's really different, because you only have two people on the court. You really have to communicate and move a lot."

Moreau and a host of other teens were taking part in the annual Kabuum Beach Volleyball Camp, with the concept expanded this summer to include a youth league.

"Me and my partner (Geneviève Gauthier) are doing the Chill league," said Moreau. "I decided to come to Kabuum to practice."

The pairing recently won second place at an OVA (Ontario Volleyball Association) tournament in North Bay.

Heading into her second year at École Secondaire Champlain, 15-year-old Tasia Lachapelle has not yet made the leap to the club volleyball ranks, though not due to a lack of passion for the sport.

"I love volleyball," said Lachapelle. "It's my favourite sport, so anything that I can do to play it, I am doing."

Participating in the Kabuum Camp for a third straight summer, she looks forward most to the positive impact she can have when she returns as a member of the Champlain Requins during the school year.

"Our midget team last year was undefeated," Lachapelle said. "We're a small school, so everyone knows each other. We're all really great friends, and have fun with it as much as we can."

For these youngsters, life definitely is a beach.