For the first time ever, The Bahamas is competing in beach volleyball at the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) level, and the teams gave a good account of themselves yesterday afternoon.
The boys' 'A' team of Nathan Wert and Kyle Wilson was competitive, but suffered a tough 21-9 and 21-13 loss to Cyprus, while the girls' squad of Mechelle Moss and LaTavia Braynen was completely overwhelmed by England, losing 21-5 and 21-7. The latter took just under an hour to complete. Head Coach Renaldo Knowles, who coached both squads, said that a lack of practice time and workout sessions was crucial in the fall of the girls yesterday. Still, he likes their progress. He said that there is much more to come from the Bahamian duo.
Both matches were played at the Malcolm Park Beach Soccer Facility at the foot of the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge.
"To see where they came from, from the beginning to now, it's great progress. They're only going to get better from here," he said. "We've had a lack of practice, and there is a lack of proper facilities for us to work with. They actually came out and did a good job. The teams that we'll play here probably play together a lot more than we do, so their chemistry would be better, and that makes it easier for them to do the things that they need to do to win. We're going to do our best, and that's all we could ask of them. This is something new to them, and for them to come out here and compete, given the magnitude of the tournament, that's great."
The Bahamas fell behind 9-1 at the beginning of the match, and never really challenged the British squad the rest of the way. The second set was just as one-sided, but Moss said that the experience they gained will carry them a long way.
"It felt wonderful to be out there representing The Bahamas at home," said Moss. "We just wanted to go out there and compete well. We came out unsuccessful, but it was a good experience for us. We just need to develop more in the sport, and we'll be able to compete with those ladies."
Braynen is confident that they'll be able to have a better showing in their next game.
"I felt that we could have put more balls in play today. Now that we have already played our first game, we feel very confident. We're not shaky anymore," she said.
The Bahamas will play Australia at 12:50 p.m. today before the competition moves into the quarter-finals tomorrow.
In boys play, Team Bahamas' 'A' team was competitive early on in both sets. They trailed 10-9 in the fist set and 10-7 in the second, before Cyprus pulled away. The Cypriots rolled off 13 straight points, covering the end of the first set, and the beginning of the second, to distance themselves from the Bahamian duo.
"They had a few long rallies, and that kind of took a toll on us," said Head Coach Knowles. "The conditions out there, along with the pressure of them playing at home, was a bit too much for them. The guys know what to expect now, so I'm confident that they will come out and have a good showing in their next game. They know how to control their breathing when they need to and how to slow down the game, so that should work in our favor."
Despite getting off to a slow start in the second set, the Bahamian duo managed to pull within 10-7 halfway through the set. Cyprus once again pulled away, taking advantage of unforced errors by Wert and Wilson.
"It was pretty rough - our first match in a tournament like this," said Wert. "I know that personally I was a bit nervous, but overall it came out good. We just have to stay positive and do our best to the very end. It's just all about placement at this level, and knowing where to be, and pick up the ball pretty quickly."
Wilson said that it was a good eye-opener for them.
"We just have to remember to stay calm, remember what we practiced and not panic," he said. "It was a little shaky, but going into the next game, we should be better."
The Bahamas will play South Africa in their next game, at 1:40 p.m. today.
The Bahamas' 'B' team of Aaron Springer and James Cleare will also be in action today, playing a double-header. They will take on Australia in their first game at 9 a.m. this morning, and St. Lucia in their second game, at noon.
It bears repeating: This is the first time that any beach volleyball team from The Bahamas is competing in a tournament with the magnitude of the Commonwealth Youth Games.
The CYG Bahamas 2017 continues today with seven of the nine sports on the docket. Over 1,000 athletes from 64 countries are competing in the CYG Bahamas 2017.

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