CHANDLER — It’s time for East Valley Catholics to serve — that is, serve the ball.
The third annual co-ed sand volleyball season which pits parish against parish in refereed games got underway June 2 at Seton Catholic Preparatory High School. The players are from all skill levels and they compete every Wednesday in June for bragging rights.
“It’s competitive, but not highly competitive,” said Barb Lishko, coordinator of youth ministry at St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Chandler, who heads up registration. “It’s basically about fellowship.”
Those friendships stretch four levels of play including the brand new adult division. Lishko said those teams are mainly parents of junior high and high school youth wanting the same mid-week outlet as their kids.
Parents line both sides of the dual sand courts with camping chairs and umbrellas to cheer on their children before taking the court themselves. Rally-scoring games start with the junior high at 5:30 p.m. and end around 10 p.m. with the young adults.
Lishko estimated well over 100 players from a record of six parishes are testing their serving and volleying skill this summer. Three parishes are new to the game this year.
“It’s such a great outlet for the kids,” Lishko said. She started the volleyball games with a few other parishes in 2008 after space to continue softball competition came up short.
Lishko hopes that the players, especially the younger ones, not only have fun, but grow in their understanding that the Catholic Church is bigger than the parish they see every week.
“This is a great way for us to get together and bond,” Garrett Gaughan, an incoming junior, said just before rotating back into play with the Corpus Christi team.
Gaughan, president of the parish youth council, hopes the bonding goes beyond surface level though. He wants to talk strategy and best practices for the ministry.
“I know every parish has its own customs and I’d like to incorporate some of their ideas,” Gaughan said.
Bridget Clayton, an incoming ninth-grader at St. Mary Parish in Chandler, said it’s fun to play as a church family. She helped St. Mary’s junior high team win the set and was impressed by the skill level
Clayton has played volleyball at school, but this marks her first summer playing against other parishes.
