Local beach volleyball player Sophie Hancock to compete in Under-19 World Championships in China
By NAFISAT ALAO
At just 16 years old, local resident Sophie Hancock is set to make waves on the international stage as she competes in the Under-19 World Beach Volleyball Championships in Shangluo, China at the end of this month with her partner Ruby Cochrane.
Hancock has been passionate about beach volleyball since she was around 11 or 12 years old.
According to her, the sport has become a significant part of her life, shaping her into the dedicated athlete she is today.
She started her volleyball career with the Defensa Volleyball Club in Oakville. However, when the pandemic made indoor sports challenging, she was introduced to the outdoor game of beach volleyball, and she found a new passion for it.
“In November of 2020, my family and I went down to Florida so I could train at RPS Academies and learn the basics there. When I came back to Canada I started finding success with all different partners and ended up winning four national championships,” said Hancock.
“I did continue to play indoor volleyball when I came back to Canada….but after that, I kind of just decided to focus more on beach volleyball,” she added.
This past semester, Hancock attended Malvern Collegiate Institute, having previously completed her studies online through Blyth Academy to allow for greater flexibility and training opportunities.
Alongside her upcoming beach volleyball championships in China, Hancock has also committed to attending the University of California, Berkeley on a volleyball scholarship. Though she won’t begin her studies for another two years, she is already very excited about joining the prestigious university.
“I’m so excited. To have that opportunity has been my dream since I was 12 years old. I have visited the campus twice already and it was a dream opportunity for me. I love the campus and the facilities and I am so pumped,” she said.
In preparation for the World Championships, she described what her training process is like, emphasizing her commitment to playing at the highest level possible while still in the city.
“Right now I have been working on playing at the highest level competition I can play here in Toronto so I have been playing more adult and women’s open tournaments just because that is the highest level that is here and I am going to be playing against professional players who are all way older than me,” said Hancock.
She acknowledged that playing against tough competition can be disheartening at times but noted that it has been an important part of preparing her to compete at a higher level.
As for her personal goals, Hancock emphasized that she is primarily focused on playing her best beach volleyball and fully embracing the experience.
“For me, I have just set the goal to play the best that I can play, and I know how that sounds but I think I am not as much focused on winning rather than going and taking as much as I can out of the experience,” said Hancock.
“Going into it with the mindset of prioritizing winning is so difficult because we also don’t know the teams until we get there so we just want to go into it with the mindset of doing the best we can to compete against other teams,” she added.
Of all her influences in the sport of beach volleyball, Hancock mentioned that Heather Bansley and Melissa Humana-Parades have been particularly profound sources of inspiration for her.
Humana-Parades recently won the silver medal in beach volleyball at the Paris Olympics earlier this month with her partner Brandie Wilkerson.
“It’s great to see other players who are around my height. Typically in beach volleyball everyone is taller and I am only five-foot nine inches so it’s cool to see other players that are my height and that I could see myself in,” she said.
Hancock said that she believes she will be able to adapt very well to the different atmosphere and conditions she will face in China, including the challenges of playing in a new environment.
She said all of her previous travelling and training experience has led her to this moment and competing in the world championships.
Her advice to anyone pursuing a passion for sports is to “keep working hard because everyone comes from different circumstances. As long as you are staying focused on your goals you can always achieve it,” she said.
Beyond the upcoming world championship tournament, her long-term goals in beach volleyball include excelling in college, enhancing her skills, and eventually aspiring to join Team Canada.
“I don’t really know what that looks like right now but I would love to keep trying for all the world championships and in two years for the next U19 and possibly the Canada Games,” she said.
Hancock and her partner Cochrane are both excited for the opportunity to be taking part in the FIVB (Federation Internationale de Volleyball) Under-19 World Beach Volleyball Championships that take place from Aug. 27 to Sept. 1 in China.
For more information on the Under-19 World Beach Volleyball Championships, please go to https://en.volleyballworld.com/beachvolleyball/competitions/u19-world-championships/competition/host-city
