Introducing Your Player Representatives!

The UK Beach Tour would be nothing without our amazing players, who year after year take to the beaches of Britain to compete, inspire and promote our amazing sport to the nation.

We want to ensure that the player’s voices are heard when it comes to making decisions about the growth and direction of the tour, and as such we are delighted to introduce your UKBT Player Representatives for 2023!

Players ranked in the Top 20 of the UKBT were approached earlier this year to apply for the role, and were voted in by the UKBT membership base; these players will sit upon the UKBT Advisory Board (full details to be announced!) and will help advise on UKBT policy, strategic growth and any other issues that affect our player’s experience.

Let’s meet the reps!

SHAILA ALVAREZ - FEMALE PLAYER REPRESENTATIVE

Shaila is no stranger to the world of competitive sport; having competed, coached and refereed in Judo for over 14 years, she has transferred her positive mindset seamlessly to beach volleyball, competing on the UK Beach Tour since 2018.

Training and coaching out of Yellowave, Shaila puts her successes in life down to her upbringing. Having been raised in a sports-obsessed family, she found herself instilled with strong values around hard work, fair play, respect and inclusivity from a young age; values that will shine through in her role as a player representative.

You will find Shaila competing across various stages of the UK Beach Tour all across the country. Her notable achievements include winning a Deep Dish 3-star event last season as well as securing a top 5 finish at the Weymouth Grand Slam; fantastic progress that she attributes to the various coaches she has worked with over the years.

It is hard to find someone more positive and approachable than Shaila; her relationships and engagement across the whole UKBT community allows her to speak for all players, regardless of their demographic or national rankings. She is a fantastic addition to our advisory group.

JAVIER BELLO- MALE PLAYER REPRESENTATIVE

Part of England’s top ranked pairing, Javier Bello is a mainstay player on the UK Beach Tour.

Alongside teammate and brother Joaquin, he has risen up through the ranks of the UKBT, from winning junior championships in Sandbanks all the way to becoming British Champion back in 2021.

These achievements have paved the way for a successful international career, with Javier winning England’s historic first medal at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

In addition, Javier plays an active role within the International Beach Volleyball Player’s Association, providing our advisory group with key insights into the issues that players face from all across the world.

Having also competed across multiple beach volleyball tours, he brings fresh first hand experience that will help inform UKBT events, in addition to his strong rapport amongst the beach volleyball community.

Here is what Javier had to say about the role:

“I’m really excited to work together with the UKBT and be a part of the growth and promotion of our sport, whilst making sure that the players are treated fairly and represented in important discussions.

I can’t wait to get started and I’d welcome any and all players across the UKBT to get in touch with me should they feel there is something I can advocate in my role. ”

We are very excited to be working with Javier and Shaila this season, and can’t wait to see the impact that they will have in their roles. If you are an active player on the UKBT, please feel free to reach out to either of them across the course of the season.