Arne Darras

1) Why are you on the Athletes’ Commission?
Because it matters that players’ opinions are genuinely considered. We experience the sporting aspects and the feel of a tournament from the front row.

2) What are you most proud of?
Reaching two finals in the past beach season.

3) What would you like to improve for athletes?
The overall appeal of the tournaments. I want Belgian Beach to be so popular that everyone wants to play every weekend. That will only raise the overall level.

4) If you could change one rule, which one and why?
I am not a fan of jump sets, because they make the game easier and shorten rallies. The court is big enough to defend with two, so there are already plenty of scoring options. As an alternative, I’d adopt a basketball-style rule: once you jump and touch the ball above the net with your hands, you must send it over.

Arthur Follet

1) Why are you on the Athletes’ Commission?
I’ve been around the circuit for a while and I want to help the sport grow.

2) What are you most proud of?
Becoming Flemish champion with Mano in a season when I actually wasn’t going to play beach volleyball.

3) What would you like to improve for athletes?
Avoid misunderstandings about the system and help the federation make beach events as enjoyable as possible.

4) If you could change one rule, which one and why?
If the new rule about setting is already in use, I’d like to roll it back. Executing a technically correct overhead set belongs in the sport.

5) Fun fact
I am right-handed, but I hit a volleyball with my left.

Arnor Van Leemputten

1) Why are you on the Athletes’ Commission?
It’s important that beach volleyball remains accessible, so enjoyment and professionalism go hand in hand. I try to look from different angles. Athletes, organisers and the federation are all needed to write a successful story together.

2) Which beach moment are you most proud of?
Playing the U18 School World Championships in Puerto Rico. With Belgium we beat the eventual winners, Brazil. I’ll never forget it. It was my first real taste of an international tournament in tropical conditions.

3) What would you like to improve for athletes?
More playing opportunities, so everyone gets enough chances at their level to compete and develop. That way, true volleyball fans can keep enjoying plenty of beach volleyball.

4) If you could change one beach-volleyball rule, which one and why?
Judge the second contact a bit more strictly again, like before. It produces longer rallies and gives smaller, technical players more chances to make a difference. To be honest, that doesn’t hurt me either.

5) Fun fact
I’ve been a duo with Bavo Mees for over ten years. We’re almost the longest-standing pair in Belgium. Only Tim and Anshel are just ahead of us.

Jordan Pirick

1) Why are you on the Athletes’ Commission?
Because I believe we can truly move beach volleyball forward in Belgium, both sportwise and humanly. I want to share my vision and experience and help build an attractive, better-structured practice for all players. I also hope to add a few more tournaments to the calendar in Wallonia.

2) What are you most proud of?
Hard to pick one, but every time we win a tough match. Beach volleyball amplifies emotions. Those are the moments that remind me why I love this sport.

3) What would you like to improve for athletes?
That beach volleyball can be practised year-round in Belgium as a full-fledged sport, not only as a summer activity to stay in shape for the indoor season. I also want better communication and transparency about tournaments, ranking and calendar, so athletes can plan better.

4) If you could change one rule, which one and why?
Add the let on serve. A serve that clips the net and drops just behind is often more luck than merit.

5) Fun fact
I started indoor volleyball after a friend took me to a recreational beach tournament in Waremme. Since then I haven’t stopped indoor or beach, but I’m only now starting my fourth season in Beach Belgium.

Christophe Witvrouwen

1) Why are you on the Athletes’ Commission?
Beach volleyball has meant a lot to me for years. I want to help optimise the organisation from a player’s perspective.

2) What are you most proud of?
A combination of my first tournament win in Leuven in 2022 and my runner-up finish at the Masters in 2023.

3) What would you like to improve for athletes?
Not one single measure. I mainly want to keep optimising the balance we know between level and enjoyment.

4) If you could change one rule, which one and why?
Tough question. If I have to pick, the jump pass. Mostly because I can’t do it myself.

Yana Verhoeven

1) Why are you part of the Athletes’ Commission?
I joined to help build the future of beach volleyball in Belgium. The sport matters to me and I want to help organise it better and make it more visible, also towards the indoor community where many players come from. I was curious about how things work behind the scenes too. I want to learn, think along and help launch new initiatives so the sport can keep growing.

2) What moment are you most proud of?
This year at the Challenge in Leuven. We lost the semifinal and then played the third-place match. In the third set it was about 3–4. I chased a cut shot, crashed my head into the post and struggled to continue. On the next rally my partner dived all the way to the barriers and picked up a small knee cut. We got a five-minute medical time-out, regrouped and ended up winning that third set and the match. It hurt, but I’m very proud of our fighting spirit and that we didn’t give up.

3) What would you like to improve for athletes?
Accessibility and affordability. Lower entry fees would help, especially for students. We often arrange travel and accommodation ourselves and that is costly. More national-level tournaments would be great as well. I know work is already underway.

4) If you could change one beach-volleyball rule, which one and why?
Right now you only get a five-minute medical time-out for bleeding. I’d extend that rule to allow a five-minute medical time-out for any acute medical reason, not just bleeding. That way you can get brief treatment and continue in a fair way.
Fun fact
I’ll keep that one for later! 😉

Anke Coopmans

1) Why are you part of the Athletes’ Commission?
Last year I noticed that real input from athletes wasn’t always taken on board. There were concerns and comments, but they didn’t always reach the right people. When I was asked, I said yes to help represent the athletes’ voice and work on solutions.

2) What moment are you most proud of?
• My very first beach tournament with Emma Van Doren. We had zero expectations and mainly joined for fun. In that system you had to qualify on Saturday to play on Sunday. Against all odds, we went straight through to Sunday. It felt like a little miracle.
• Our first Pro-series final in 2024, with Noor Augustynen. It was unique for us, full of tension and with a great atmosphere around the court. Definitely one of my finest moments so far.

3) What would you like to improve for athletes?
More tournaments and therefore more choice. Last year there were only seven to eight stops, which meant you almost had to play everywhere and the season became very intense. With ten or eleven tournaments you can plan better, spread the workload and more teams get chances because not everyone is present at every event.

4) If you could change one beach-volleyball rule, which one and why?
I’d like referees, in case of doubt or discussion, to be allowed to briefly review after the whistle whether a ball was in or out, rather than having to stick to the first decision. Sometimes the whistle is a reflex and a short check is simply fairer for both teams.

Fun fact
For the first time in 24 years I’m not starting the indoor season. From November I’ll focus fully on beach volleyball. Exciting, and I’m really looking forward to it.

Britt Ruysschaert

1) Why are you part of the Athletes’ Commission?
To stay up to date with the long-term plans for beach volleyball.

2) What beach moment are you most proud of?
My first, unexpected Belgian title with Isabel.

3) What would you like to improve for athletes?
Clear planning in advance, with firm tournament dates and schedules, and avoiding misunderstandings, for example about the points system.

4) If you could change one beach-volleyball rule, which one and why?
Apply the overhead setting rules more strictly: if you set overhead, it should be technically correct and clean.

Olga Troshina
Profile to follow. Her input will be added later.

Sarah Van Cleemput

1) Why are you part of the Athletes’ Commission?
For me, strengthening a sport starts with the people who live it. I look forward to using my beach-volleyball experience to help build the growth of our beautiful sport.

2) What beach moment are you most proud of?
In 2013 my passion for beach volleyball really blossomed. After winning the Belgian U20 title, we were allowed to represent Belgium at an international tournament in Berlin. That experience only fuelled my love for the sport.

3) What would you like to improve for athletes?
For me, beach volleyball is not only about performance, it’s also about bringing people together. I want to help professionalise the sport without losing its spontaneous and accessible character. That unique vibe is what makes beach volleyball so special.

4) If you could change one beach-volleyball rule, which one and why?
Beach volleyball is about the mix of physical power and technical finesse. I’d therefore limit the one-contact return rule. That tactic often removes long rallies, the physical challenge and the technical highlights that make the sport so beautiful. It can be useful now and then, also to catch your breath 😉, but let’s prioritise a game full of rallies and spectacle.