By Sam Cortes, Communications Coordinator
Leading up to the 2022 Canada Summer Games, we are featuring the dedicated coaches who spend countless hours giving back to sport. Let’s get to know Beach Volleyball Coach Chloe Reimer McCaughan!
How long have you been coaching volleyball and why did you involved?
11 years. I started coaching while I was still playing myself, at 18. I loved the idea of developing athletes in a sport that is so empowering to young women. The individualistic, self-coached nature of this sport challenges & shapes you holistically. So, as a coach you have the opportunity to be a part of that building process, to have your fingerprints in the mold of developing confident, competitive, determined, self-aware, and self-assured young women who can hold their head up high in the face of adversity. I knew I wouldn’t have played indoor university volleyball without my beach volleyball experiences and wanted to pass on that same grit, confidence, and hope to future athletes.
What is your proudest accomplishment as a coach?
I love the opportunity to build relationships with athletes. Coaching offers me the opportunity to give them skills and insight that transcend the sand and the sport, hopefully spilling over into their everyday lives, shaping their attitudes, outlooks, and future accomplishments in all avenues of life.
My proudest moments are when I hear about athletes signing to colleges or universities. Knowing that they’ve accomplished their dream of playing at that level and I’ve been a small part of it is deeply rewarding.
As far as proudest accomplishment as a coach, in 2019 at the Swift Current WCSG, we could bring two teams for beach. My girls won Gold and Silver! Seeing them both battle to win 3rd set semi-finals, to play against each other in the final, and then stand on the podium together… well, it was nothing short of incredible!
What is your team doing in preparation for the Games?
Our Team isn’t finalized yet. It won’t be until the end of June 2022. There are around 14 athletes who are in the training pool for CSG. We train three times a week in the sand. Additionally, we include strength and conditioning, and hydration training! Next summer, they’ll play against each other in three back-to-back weekend tournaments next June to determine who will represent Team Toba.
What is something you do to stay motivated and connected as a team?
Beach volleyball is played in pairs, but we train as a larger group. So, we often mix up who’s playing together to build cohesion. It also allows some of the older veteran athletes to mentor the younger ones.
What are the team goals for the 2022 Canada Games?
To bring home a medal! And to represent Team Toba with class, sportsmanship, and respect.
What is the most important thing you want your team to remember/know going into the 2022 Canada Games?
I played in two Games myself and they were amazing opportunities to connect with athletes from across the country, to develop a new appreciation for other sports, and to revel in your identity as a Manitoban.
I think the most important thing I’d say to them is to engage with the whole experience. Beach volleyball and competing for a medal is the reason we’re going, but while we’re there, take it all in, experience it to the fullest, let yourself be immersed in the milieu of Canada’s most elite up and coming athletes. But balance that with the drive and compete to prove that Manitoba is a force to be reckoned with once we step on the sand!
