OVA News

A few things should come to mind when you think about beach volleyball and the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The obvious ones being, it was the first time beach volleyball was an official Olympic sport and that John Child and Mark Heese won the Bronze Medal. The best kept secret from the games is that the Canadian pair of Margo Malowney and Barb Broen-Oullette played the first ever match at the Olympics.

OVA: What was it like playing in the first match of the 1996 Olympics?
Margo: It would have been a lot better had we won!
I think we underestimated the enormity of it. We had been thinking ‘it’s just another tournament. Approach it like it’s any other tournament.’ But it’s not. It’s the Olympics. We lost to a team that we’d never lost to before. We were nervous and not as well prepared as we needed to be. It’s a bittersweet memory for me.

OVA: Best memory from the 96 Olympic Games
Margo: Being “adopted” by an entire US army regiment on volunteer leave for the Games. They assigned themselves to our service and offered to be there for us whenever we needed. The games had mission leaders, coaches, staff managers, volunteers and security everywhere, but there was something powerful in that gesture.

Margo’s journey through volleyball started off like many other OVA athletes. She grew up in Toronto and started playing in Grade 7. She then played for her High School and Club team, which then lead to her playing at Queen’s University. While at Queen’s she was named Rookie MVP, Team Captain and MVP.

OVA: Why did you start playing Beach?
Margo: I began playing beach in summers during my university years, and played on our Ontario based tour on weekends. For the first few summers I was working at a downtown securities firm as a summer student – I’d wear my suit and work in a high rise all day, then race to the beaches  where we’d set up our own nets (no nets were allowed at that time) and play until we couldn’t see anymore. I’d pack up and drive back to Mississauga and my parents place and do it all again the following day.

I’m a beach player through and through. Although I did play university indoor vball, once I discovered beach it was no contest. I found it natural to love a sport that was outdoors, at the beach and that required so little “stuff”. When I say “stuff” I mean equipment (like skiing where you need layers upon layers of clothes and tons of equipment to lug around – all of which are critical), as well as what I’ll call bureaucracy. When I started there really weren’t any coaches or programs. Athletes were largely driven by their own desire to compete and perform. I am independent and entrepreneurial by nature and the sport suited me. I took particular satisfaction in the high degree of responsibility and control: if I lose 5 games in a row, with 5 different partners it seems pretty clear that I needed to look to myself to make some changes. You can’t throw blame very far, and for a young athlete I think that is a valuable lesson. I’ve carried that into other aspects of my life: it was a lesson in how to look objectively at a situation without including all the cloudy, personal clutter.

After graduating from Queen’s Margo attended the University of San Diego where she trained full time with top US players, competed on the world tour and earned an MBA in International Business.

OVA: What do you like most about Beach Volleyball?
Margo: That is a tough one – and as I think about it I can’t choose between the fantastic places the sport has shown me (Copacabana Beach during carnival, Kuta Beach in Bali, Caribbean Islands, beaches in Korea and Japan etc etc etc) or the wonderful family of friends I have made as a result of the sport. People I’ve met through this sport are among the best people I know.

OVA: What are the advantages to indoor athletes who play beach volleyball?
Margo: After a summer of beach I would start the indoor season with such a sense of confidence – I’d spent the summer travelling and playing with and against some of the top athletes (and my indoor competitors) – any psychological advantages they may have had from playing for a stronger school or program completely disappeared for me. I was also in much better shape because I’d spent the past few months training and competing. The indoor court always felt so small and crowded when I got back to it – we had six people to cover the same area that I’d covered all summer with just two. Last but not least would have to be increased ball control. Contacts. Contacts. Contacts.

Volleyball continues to grow in popularity every year in Ontario and Canada. Volleyball Canada and the OVA have made some big strides for our National team, including the hiring of our National Team coach Lennard Krapp and partnering with Beach Blast and the Canadian Sport Centre to create a National Beach Volleyball Practice Centre in Ontario.

OVA: Where do you see Beach in Canada going in the next 5 years?
Margo: There is talk in the US about including “sand volleyball” in university athletic programs. I’d like to see the same thing happen here in Canada and I’d like to see the volleyball associations spearhead the conversation.
I’d also like to see the reinvigoration of a pro tour. It doesn’t need to be all things to all people – especially in this economy – but needs to exist in order to give our young athletes inspiration, and to provide a next level competitive step for current athletes before they compete internationally.

OVA: What message would you give to any young beach athlete wanting to play for the National Team?
Margo: Be fearless. Believe.

I’ve been told by young athletes that my story inspires them. I didn’t play for one of the top schools and we weren’t a particularly successful indoor varsity team. Although I’d had a few individual successes (had some coaches try to recruit me in high school and was MVP here and there), I was not one of the “it” players. I’m sure most people would agree that I wasn’t really seen as a threat early in my beach career. But I knew that I wanted to play. I had a deep desire and passion for this game, and I (arrogantly or naively) truly believed that I could compete with the best.

I still believe it today – but I’m wise enough to understand that I won’t be competing at a world level again. More importantly I’m also wise enough to understand that it was that unwavering belief that enabled me to in the first place.

OVA: If you could change one thing about our sport what would it be (organization, rule, training, anything etc.)
Margo: You asked if there was anything I could change – so my response is simple – I’d change the climate so we Canadians could train and compete year round.
Jen Harkness and I spent almost a year living at Bondi Beach in Australia playing beach virtually every day. When we left we were not considered top players in Canada, but I believe that we were the first to train year round and that alone made all the difference.
So realistically – I’d like to see facilities that are free of charge so athletes can easily train year round. I’d like to see this for everyone, not just current national team members. If we want this sport to grow, anyone who has the desire to learn to play should have an opportunity to do so freely. It would provide a greater pool of players to select from for a national team, as well as creating opportunities for athletes like myself to improve, who may not have had as strong an indoor program to fuel them.

OVA: Best memory from playing Beach Volleyball?
Margo: There are so many individual memories, but the best – for me – is undoubtedly the grand adventure itself: world travel and the hands-on international education that has provided me. Maneuvering different modes of travel, airports and cultures; discovering what the ER is like in Denpassar; meeting Navy Seals on deployment from Guam; learning the art of the kimono from a Japanese kimono teacher; the crazy customs process flying into Acapulco; developing a lifelong love for genuine taquiera Mexican burritos. All intertwined with a developing sense of self as I learned to set, meet and exceed my goals.

Oh – and acing an ex-partner for game point in a Canadian Nationals and knocking her out of the event.

We would like to thank Margo Malowney for taking the time to help write this article. If you would like to recommend an athlete for PROfiles please contact Josh Nichol jnichol@ontariovolleyball.org | 416-426-7233.