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Charlotte resident's volleyball plans underway

Lee-al Nelson has a plan and this summer he offered a girls' volleyball camp as a step towards implementing it.Coach Nelson has brought a group of Grade 8, 9 and 10 girls (and even one in Grade 6) together for a week of intensive drills and training. His goal: Get a team together and take the girls to the provincials in 2009.He even brought in some heavy hitters to help out. Before they retired from professional play, Mr. Nelson's two brothers, Le-Roy and Leon, were listed among the top 30 beach volleyball players in Canada. In 2001, the two younger Nelsons competed in the Men's AA Beach Volleyball Nationals.Not only did they bring energy and skills to the volleyball camp, but they brought first-hand knowledge of Coach Nelson's past."These girls didn't know much about their coach," said Leon, as he showed off clippings from various newspapers featuring his oldest brother in play.Then the brothers pulled out a fist full of medals Coach Nelson won on various all-star teams.Coach Nelson has a history of taking his teams to new heights, says Leon, pointing to the team made up of Grade 10s from Smithers, he brought to fourth place in the senior division provincials. Coach Nelson, who has been playing volleyball with students for six years now, sees great potential for the junior girls, a group who are taking to the game with ease. "They are so young and so tall," said.The Nelsons have also been working with a group of 8-12 year-olds on the game. Funding for the camp has come from Volleyball Canada.