The Future of Beach Volleyball: Team Manitoba Athletes and Coaches Inspire the Next Generation

High-performance sport is about more than podiums—it's about passion, leadership, and creating a legacy that extends beyond the court. Team Manitoba’s 2025 Canada Summer Games beach volleyball team is proving exactly that.

This summer, head coach Chloe Reimer McCaughan, along with assistant coach Erika Vermette, and athletes Fiona Brown and Selestine Braun Li-Asomua, are not only training for the Games in St. John's, Newfoundland, but also helping build a brighter future for beach volleyball in Manitoba.

Giving Back, Growing the Game

From July 28–31, the team is hosting a four-day beach volleyball training camp at Hespeler Park in Niverville for 14U and 16U athletes. A training opportunity that combines mentorship and community building in Southern Manitoba.

Selestine (Altona, MB), a recent high school graduate and future NCAA Division I athlete at Binghamton University, knows firsthand the challenges of accessing elite-level sport opportunities in rural areas. That’s why she’s especially passionate about this camp. 

Her teammate Fiona (Winnipeg, MB), a current USPORTS athlete at Mount Royal University and 2023 MHSAA Scholar Athlete of the Year, brings her own impressive skills to the sand. Together, these athletes aren’t just competitors—they're role models, showing younger athletes what’s possible through dedication, resilience, and support.

"This camp is an opportunity to share our passion with the younger athletes, and give back to the next generation - many of whom look up to us as university and provincial players," Brown shared. "I hope the energy, excitement, and community that beach volleyball offers will inspire more young athletes to get involved."

Volleyball is already a very popular sport in Manitoba and increasingly beach volleyball leagues and tournaments have gained great traction across the province. Camps like this one can show the next generation that there is a successful career trajectory in beach volleyball at an elite, high-performance level. 

“I've had former athletes play NCAA sand volleyball and represent Team Canada at the Junior Olympics and Worlds!” Reimer McCaughan said proudly. “The main focus for introducing beach volleyball to young athletes isn't to just prime them for a career in sport though, but for a life in sport.”

A second camp is also set for August 1, ahead of the Grand Beach Open - one of the biggest tournaments in Manitoba and one of the best opportunities to promote this pathway. 

Coaches Committed to More Than Competition

Coach Chloe, a two-time Canada Games alumna herself, has led Manitoba's beach volleyball program since 2018, after years of mentoring under Olympian Wanda Guenette. She’s in this for the long haul and is determined to make beach volleyball accessible across the province.

“This camp is about more than just preparing for the Games,” said Reimer McCaughan. “It’s the start of what I hope will become a budding beach volleyball scene in Niverville. With more courts, a league, and engagement from this community, we can create something really special here.”

Assisting Chloe is Erika Vermette (Morris, MB), another high-performance athlete who brings her own experience as a two-time USPORTS champion and all-star, and former Team Canada beach player. In 2022, Erika was selected as Team Manitoba’s flag bearer, for her remarkable individual and team success as well as serving as a role model for those on their way up. 

The Journey to St. John’s

“I have been a part of the Games for over 15 years, with my first Canada Games at 17. It changed the way I viewed sport. Rather than just something I did to pursue excellence for myself and my teammates, it became about something much bigger, representing my province, my home, my place in this world,” Reimer McCaughan added.

Her coaching philosophy combines traditional mentorship with the memories and goosebumps she still gets to this day about her own Games experiences. Year after year, she hopes the athletes experience both the privilege and the responsibility it is to truly be "Friendly Manitoba" to our nation.

As they prepare for the 2025 Canada Summer Games, they’ll compete in tournaments in Vancouver and Calgary, using every opportunity to take their game to the next level. While the camp in Niverville will help fund these competitions, its deeper impact lies in the spark it ignites for the future of beach volleyball in rural Manitoba.