Theatre Club or Volleyball - right choice Denise

Denise Austin is a pioneer in UK beach volleyball. She began her playing career in North Devon with her first ever South West Pro Tour win in Croyde in 1987. There is little she hasn’t achieved as a player domestically having won the national tour since 1998 and consistently throughout this period with her last Volleyball England Beach Tour Final Win in 2012.

Denise and is a VE Hall of Fame member for her international beach volleyball achievements. She is still the only GBR player to ever finish in seventh place in an FIVB world tour event.

Denise is a member of the VE coaches commission and has written the manual for the UKCC coaching module for beach volleyball for coaches. She tutors for VE on beach volleyball.

 1. How were you first introduced to Volleyball?

I was hanging out at the North Devon a college one evening waiting for a theatre club to begin and I was wandering the corridors. I stopped by an old style wooden gym with low ceiling and started watching people playing. I didn’t even know what it was called at that stage. A guy called Reg Beck (RIP) saw Mrs and said did I want to join in. No need to ask me twice. I LOVE SPORT. I played badminton for Devon at that point so I got the whole keeping it off the floor thing, my technique was probably pretty bad as the next day during a history class I almost passed out when I saw 100’s of pun prick bruises up my arm. To be fair the balks we definitely harder when I first started. 

2. What was the most difficult skill to master on court?

Bending my knees to receive. Being used to a shuttle and racquet you are low and move relatively low but the flick of a racquet is so easier, it’s harder and different than having to get low to keep the ball off the floor. For about eight years I think I just thought please don’t serve at me...then I realised that probably wasn’t helping. And stared thinking this balls coming to me. Since playing beach volleyball the inner dialogue/mental side of the game is the hardest part. As a coach you are always trying to put an old head on young shoulders as when you can master your mind you become a much more scary player. 

3. What makes you most proud of our Volleyball Family?

The United Kingdom always punches above its weight. To be a player from the UK you have so much determination and passion. Watching every player go out and forge a path for themselves internationally. Every single one whose done that should be so proud of themselves. Plus our volunteers. Our events are some of the best fun professional event by volunteers. Our European friends are always impressed by the commitment. The Olympic Volunteers were amazing. 

4. What was your greatest Volleyball achievement?

Hard to totally narrow down but 
Two things. 

Buying a ticket to Rio for six months, not knowing a soul and renting a hostel for four nights while we found our feet. Walking the length of Copacabana and Ipanaema in search of real beach volleyball. Back then we only found one court where we saw a pokey being played. We stopped and watched got chatting, they sent for the only person in their network who spoke English - Cesar - who was found and he helped us find an apartment for six months. Those first friends introduced me to Monica Rodreigues who court was next to theirs who had won silver at the Atlanta Olympics and she was playing with Jackie Silva who had won gold. I auditioned to be part of their training group. Having JACKIE watch me set I have never been so nervous. Anywa she nodded and I trained with them for six months five days a week Monday to Friday 08:30-11:30. We would do a sprint run first thing followed by two and a half hours training. I improved so much that winter I didn’t recognise myself when I came back home. Putting myself out there, spending all my savings on a dream to visit the Mecca of beach volleyball but not knowing anyone pre. Google and Facebook days. It was the best trip ever. 

The second was playing in a World Tour in Espinho in 2000. It was equivalent to a 4* now. Making it out of the qualifier and in the main draw we beat Portugal 1, lost to USA 3 15-13 in some of the best volleyball I played in my life, beat Germany 1, Japan 1 and then lost to Brazil 1 to finish seventh in the world. It’s the highest place finish ever for a UK team. It still is. 

4. What are you missing most during the lockdown?

Aside from the obvious which is the ability to earn a living, my business has collapsed so that’s really worrying. I miss my daughter Ellie. She’s playing for Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. When lockdown happened and we could  see that my work/her planned world tour beach volleyball season/our living and working in Croyde (We moved full-time into our motor home in September so we don’t have a house to live in in the UK and were relying on campsites) was not going to be possible we took the decision that it was practical for her to stay in the US. With quarantine restrictions she might have had to spend six weeks not doing much either side of the Atlantic. 

So I haven’t seen her since January in Tenerife. I wish my last hug was bigger and longer. It could be a while before the next one. 

5. What are you looking forward to most once the lockdown is over?

Eventually hugging people freely again. I am a massive hugger of all my friends so having confidence to be able to do that freely again!!! 

Layla my nine year years old, being able to see her friends and also make friends we are in a new village in Portugal and we literally haven’t had chance for her to meet anyone her age. 

Coaching and feeling confident to organise and plan for beach camps again. It’s really rocked my confidence in my work and knowing what the beach camp industry will be and feel like post lock down will be interesting. Everyone will have had to adjust and shift life plans and choices. The work I do while being fun and really enjoyable is so far removed from being essential except maybe for your mental health that I don’t expect it to be business as usual straight away. I hope our sport can rebound at some point as our community is massively missing each other.