LOCAL high school students had the chance to learn from Australia’s top male beach volleyballers this week.
The Australian senior men’s beach volleyball squad, including Riverlander Zac Schubert, are in the region to help develop up-and-coming talent at local high schools.
The group of players visiting the region also includes Commonwealth Games gold medal winning pair Damien Schumann and Chris McHugh.
Australian senior men’s beach volleyball coach Andrew Schacht said the visit to the Riverland was all about giving back to the community during a quiet time for the sport.
“We have had our season interrupted like the rest of the world has been, so we figured it might be a good chance to promote volleyball within the state, because we know we can’t travel outside the state at the moment,” he said.
“One of our athletes Zac Schubert, who is a Loxton boy originally, has been down with us for five or six years, so we thought it would be a great chance to bring the boys up and give back to the community.
“We don’t get much of a chance to do this usually to give back to the community, because we are usually travelling or recovering.
“We are excited to come up and help the schools this week and give people something to look forward to, because I’m sure it has probably been a tough time up here for the kids and everyone else not getting as much sport as they would like.
“It is good for us too with the chance to get away and give back to the community.”
Schacht was full of praise for 24-year-old Schubert.
“He has had a nice rise through the ranks,” he said.
“He moved down after high school and is now one of the top players in the country with beach volleyball and is aiming for the Olympics next year in Tokyo.
“He is a bright spark for our future.
“For a kid coming from regional South Australia, he has really done a great job and has shown what is possible.”
Schacht was hopeful the visit would be the first of more to come in the future.
“We are visiting Renmark and Loxton this time and we may be back again,” he said.
“If it goes well, like we think it will, we will hopefully be able to come back again down the track.
“We are also looking at heading out to other parts of South Australia because we are probably going to be stuck in Australia for a while.”
Former Loxton High School student Schubert said he “loves” any chance to get back to the Riverland.
“I’m still up here quite regularly to see the family, but this is the first time we have come up here to work with the school kids,” he said.
“The guys are all really keen to get amongst the community and pass on whatever knowledge they can to the students.”
Schubert said Riverland students were receiving advice from the country’s top beach volleyballers, as the athletes fill time awaiting key decisions to be made about their sport.
“We have got a team that is ranked 25th in the world and are well and truly on their way to going to the Olympics,” he said.
“We have got two more phases of qualifying to go.
“We are just waiting to see where everything is going to fall in the volleyball world at the moment in terms of international events.
“We will have events here in Australia, but who knows when we will be able to go overseas.”
Schubert highlighted the opportunities he has received through volleyball so far in his career.
“The beautiful thing about volleyball is that you get to see the world,” he said.
“Yes, the money can be good with success, but the actual life experience you get and where it can take you is pretty special.
“I doubt I would have seen the 26 different countries that I have in the last four years without volleyball.”
Schubert said his sights are firmly set on qualifying for next year’s Olympics and following in the footsteps of his well-known cousin, Australian hockey legend Grant Schubert.
“It has been my goal since about year 9 at school,” he said.
“My cousin went to this school and he went to the 2004 and 2008 Olympics with the Australian men’s hockey team, and since then I have wanted to achieve that same level.
“Volleyball has been a great pathway for me and I’m looking forward to having a crack at making it to Tokyo next year.”