Atenas Hosts National Volleyball Championships

As a former college and beach volleyball player, I was thrilled when Atenas was chosen to host the beach and indoor volleyball championships for the 2010 Juegos Deportivos Nacionales (National Sports Games).

Beach sand and bleachers were shipped in to the Central School Park where three courts handled the men’s and women’s under 21 tournament. The gym in Atenas was retrofitted with new sport court volleyball flooring for the indoor tournament.

The event welcomed teams from all over the country and offered a great time for Atenas residents. Admission was free to the public who enjoyed the high level of competition and various food vendors.

The men’s championship match for the two-on-two beach event was this Saturday. There was standing room only to watch the final between Escazu and Atenas. Escazu entered the championship match undefeated, while Atenas lost one match (to Escazu) and had to climb through the loser’s bracket to face Escazu in the final.

Both teams were highly skilled and athletic which made for an epic battle. The lively crowd was overwhelmingly routing for their hometown team and their energy proved to feed the underdog Atenas duo. Raúl Sandoval and Julio Álvarez of Atenas won the first game to the delight of the crowd, before narrowly losing the second game to force the tie breaker.

A skirmish broke out in the crowd during the second game between several Atenas fans and a single Escazu fan which caused a break in the action followed by loud chants of “Ole, ole, ole, viva Atenas!”

Atenas jumped to and early 4-to-0 lead in the final game to 15, and they never looked back. With the crowd cheering wildly, the Atenas duo claimed the 2010 Beach Volleyball Championships.

In a country that is crazy for soccer and not much else, Atenas has created a legacy in volleyball. The success of men’s indoor team who are also perennial national champions has spawned youth programs for boys and girls.

Their success also brings pride to locals and resident expats. The event was such a success in Atenas that the commission is considering Atenas as the regular host of the volleyball games for years to come.

For volleyball players and teams in the U.S. interested in touring and playing Costa Rica teams, a new tour company is offering volleyball tours in Costa Rica. Your teams of all ages can come to play local competition and enjoy the many attractions of Costa Rica.

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Find out more information at Costa Rica Volleyball

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Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.