SUMMERSIDE - Reid Hall and Adam Podstawka have spent years together just playing in the sand.
It paid off for the 22-year-old beach volleyball players from Ontario Friday.
They took Canada Games gold in Summerside after a decisive victory in two straight sets over Karl DeGrandprÉ and Emmanuel AndrÉ-Morin of Quebec.
The game scores were 21-14 and 21-18.
"We've been training the entire summer for this actually and the wintertime, too," Podstawka said.
Where does one train for beach volleyball in winter?
An indoor facility in Toronto.
"Heated sand," Podstawka explained. "Yeah, it's nice."
The pair has a long volleyball history together. They've played beach eight of the last nine seasons, played indoor volleyball, played university - and hang out together to boot.
Hall is originally from Georgetown, Ont., and Podstawka from Ancaster. They're now in Toronto, not far apart from each other.
"We're both currently living at York University and we live across the street from each other just off-campus," explained Hall.
They see each other basically every day and sometimes participate in a lesser-known York University game of "waddies," which Podstawka describes as a combination of curling and horseshoes.
Speaking of their gold on the beach volleyball court, the pair credited coach Jason Hubbard for a strong game plan, one that benefited from close analysis of opponents by mapping out shots and watching video.
Hubbard said their years of volleyball experience gives them cohesion and an advantage against those who might have played together a few months.
"They know what each other's going to do. They know how they're going to react. They know what the other is thinking."
Familiarity leads to gold for Ontario duo
-
-
Published on
August 22, 2009
- Published on June 21, 2010
-
Lori A. Mayne
SUMMERSIDE - Reid Hall and Adam Podstawka have spent years together just playing in the sand.
It paid off for the 22-year-old beach volleyball players from Ontario Friday.
- Rate
- Top of the page
