11 May 2024
An ex-England beach volleyball player is taking over the courts in Verulamium Park – giving them a much-needed burst of new energy, writes Anna Shreeves.
Deep Dish, founded by Jake Sheaf, was set up in 2012 and has become a leading name in beach sports in the UK with centres in Bournemouth, Crystal Place and now St Albans.
As well as their centres the company also hosts beach sports camps abroad with one currently running in Portugal.
Jake has played volleyball all his life, with his professional sports career starting in 2006 when he was asked to train with the GB squad along with his older brother Luke, leading up to the 2012 Olympics.
Since then Jake has competed for GB at the 2015 European Games in Baku, many World Tour events and made his Team England debut in the 2018 Commonwealth Games; the first year that the sport was included.
Deep Dish is working closely with Everyone Active, who run Westminster Lodge and Batchwood Sports Centre, in operating the courts, as part of a strategy to find a specialist company to take control. Working with St Albans existing beach volleyball clubs and teams, they hope to inspire a new wave of players in the area.
Jake said: “We are putting on organised classes and social sessions to attract lots of new players to the sport as well as bring together existing players.”
In St Albans they are planning to bring a wide range of activities to the site including weekly classes for all ages and levels of players – from beginners to advanced – social play sessions, tournaments, court hire, private events, birthday parties, corporate outings, and much more.
Currently available are beginners classes on a Tuesday night, intermediate classes on a Thursday, social play sessions on a Saturday, national tournaments on some Sundays, and court hire throughout the week.
Deep Dish is on a mission to bring beach volleyball to the mainstream and says the sport can sometimes come across as very intimidating. Their focus is to remove these barriers and any preconceived misinterpretations of the sport and create a community place for all to come.
Inclusion is at the heart of Deep Dish and Jake is aiming to attract people to the sport who have no experience, to inspire them to try something new and be a part of the St Albans beach volleyball community.
He said: “I think the beauty with volleyball is that you can learn the skills at such a slow pace and the beginner sessions that we do, it is all about that, just taking it slow, learning the skills and then also having fun as a group.
“We want everyone to come in and enjoy this together whether you’ve been playing for 10 years or 10 minutes. It is a fantastic way to improve mental, physical and social wellbeing.”
Jake said he has noticed the sport grow since Covid and following the Commonwealth Games last year in Birmingham. With the Olympics this year, he is hoping to see it grow even further.
Everyone Active general manager William George said: “Verulamium Park is at the heart of the St Albans community and our new partnership with Deep Dish will bring beach sports directly to our doorstep, even without a beach nearby. This partnership is not just about sports; it’s about enhancing both physical and mental well-being. We hope it inspires everyone to give beach sports a try, no matter their skill level.”
To get involved and for court bookings head to Deep Dish’s website: https://www.deepdishbeach.com/st-albans
