By Christopher A. Vito

VIRGINIA BEACH –– On the beach Saturday, all the pieces were in place for a party: Music, food and dancing. But there were soccer games to be played. The 14th installment of the North American Sand Soccer Championships took place with great fanfare and even greater turnout. Crowd estimates by Virginia Beach Police placed close to 100,000 fans, players and vendors in the 18-block vicinity of the three-day tournament, which concludes today. And there was plenty for them to see.

Unexpected guests
When Vladimir Radovic and his wife, Adela, booked their weeklong vacation to Virginia Beach, they did not expect it to coincide with the world’s largest sand soccer tournament. But Vladimir, a native of Yugoslavia, and Adela, a Peruvian, hail from countries which live and breathe soccer. On a serene stretch of beach near 37th Street, a couple blocks from where the tournament was being held, the couple from Washington, D.C., reflected on their passion for soccer. “We love it, but it’s important to realize that soccer is gaining ground here,” Vladimir said. “[Adela] is from soccer-mad South America and I’m from soccer-mad Europe,” he continued, “It’s good to see that Virginia Beach is soccer-mad for the weekend.” Adela added that, had the couple known of the Sand Soccer Championships, “We would have come anyway.”

Rhythm of the dance
While most teams were working on gameplans, Team Rio’s players were working on dance moves. Team Rio is the two-time defending champion of the U.S. Open, a men’s pro/amateur event that garners a $25,000 purse. That’s enough money to make anyone dance, even on tired feet. Following a win, Rio’s players gathered oustide Pro-Am Stadium to celebrate. While there, they danced, sang and played a variety of percussion instruments – tambourines and bongo drums included. “This is for them to relax and stay happy,” said Rio coach Beto Ceciliano. “They work so hard that, for them, this is their reward.” The music created an ideal backdrop for spectators, who also watched as three kitesurfers soared above the Atlantic Ocean in the early afternoon.

Soccer bonds
In the women’s division, the players of HB&B didn’t have their shoulders slouched after a second straight loss. Instead, smiles were plentiful. “When we first started, it was about winning. Not anymore,” said coach Bob Boester. It’s now about a bond, he said, that was forged through soccer. “A lot of us went through high school on the same team,” said Celina Cerone, who is in her sixth year of sand soccer. “It’s big for us that we play together and keep it going. “We all know the weekend, so we work around it.” Even to the point where one player – Erin Hebert-Long – rearranged her wedding two years ago, so she could participate. “If she had had the wedding, most of her bridal party would have been here playing soccer,” Boester said.

A ‘tidal’ bout
Nothing can prepare someone for taking a face-full of sand. Vance Bryan learned that the hard way. Bryan, who hadn’t wrestled since high school, stepped into a ring at 31st Street against an opponent six years younger than he. “Today was a test for me,” said Bryan, a third-class petty officer in the Navy. Bryan, 23, was one of a couple-dozen who took part in beach wrestling, a sport which, like beach flag football and beach rugby, took a backseat. For Bryan, a win in beach wrestling came at a price – a mouthful of sand. “I’m going to hit the sponge bucket and get right back in,” he said with a laugh. After washing down, Bryan – with sand still adhering to his sweaty brow – stepped back into the ring.

Toe jam
Wendy Elbe has seen it before. A volunteer at one of the many medic tents assembled along the beach, Elbe has treated jammed toes, sprained ankles and sore feet, all inevitable in a sport played on such bumpy terrain. But Saturday morning was especially demanding. By 10 a.m., a medic tent at 28th Street that she and another volunteer were working already had seen 100 players. “That was in less than three hours. And there are tents every two blocks,” Elbe said. She and other volunteers were working in conjunction with Sentara Bayside Hospital in Virginia Beach to treat any injury incurred on the sand soccer pitches. “We haven’t had any serious injuries,” said Elbe, who worked last year’s tournament. “We hope we don’t have any.”

Whistles aplenty
Looking out at the ocean from 25th Street, Tom Gill cracked a smile. It was a busy beach day. “We’re at Level 1, which means we have every block covered with a lifeguard stand,” said Gill, the captain of Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service. Contrasted with a normal summer afternoon, Virginia Beach was overcrowded. In a serious situation, however, Gill said soccer fields would become his means of getting to and from an incident. “The soccer players know we can come through the fields with lights and sirens,” he said. As the soccer players hit the sand concurrent with daily beach-goers, there was plenty to keep the lifeguards busy, Gill said. “Worse for them than the games are the whistles,” he said. “They’re used to being the only ones with whistles.”

Christopher A. Vito, (757) 446-2630
Christopher.Vito@pilotonline.com