Sitting Volleyball Grand Prix round 2 preview - Mike Stoneman (South Hants)

The founding member of South Hants Sitting Volleyball Club was in his late teens when he was diagnosed with bone cancer that later resulted in his left leg being amputated. 

As a keen sportsman, it came as a hammer blow, and seemingly curtailed aspirations of enjoying the cut and thrust of participating in competitive team sport for good. 

That was until 2009, when he went along to the Amputee Games in Aylesbury with other people he knew to try out some of the sports on offer.

 

Mike was keen to give them all a go, but it was sitting volleyball that particularly piqued his interest, so he and friends set about setting up a club on the South coast. 

Initially established as Portsmouth Sitting Volleyball Club, with a number of the initial squad members drawn from attendees at the city’s limb fitting centre, the club later linked up with the South Hants Indoor Volleyball Club and adopted that name. 

Since then, the club has grown into the success story it is today – and given Mike the chance to fulfil his wish of regular time on the court. 

“I’d always loved sport, but I hadn’t been able to compete since the age of 18 and then had my leg amputated in 2004 after having problems for a number of years... it meant I thought I had missed out in that part of my life. 

“But then I got the chance to try sitting at the Amputee Games and I really enjoyed it, even if it was at the age of 38. 

“I had the opportunity to compete in sport – something I hadn’t had for so many years – was fantastic and something I thought I would never have the opportunity to do. 

“I love the competitiveness, it has helped keep me fit and active, it has helped me maintain good mental health, I have enjoyed being part of a team and the social interaction, not just with team-mates but opposing teams too.” 

South Hants has established itself as one of the leading sitting volleyball clubs in the country and they have regularly challenged for honours in recent seasons, including reaching last season’s Sitting Grand Prix Cup Final. 

They have a core of 20 players, with up to a dozen players regularly attending training sessions at Harbour School on Monday nights between 7pm and 9pm. 

Mike said: “We started out as a team with disabled players, but now we have some non-disabled players too and there is a good mix. 

“It is challenging for us to get more players involved and of course we would like to have more. In the past it has been mainly organic through word of mouth and the connections we have. 

“We have tried to reach out to schools and clubs across Hampshire but had had only limited success with that. Our most successful route, though, has been to ask people to come along and give it a go. 

“Not everyone stays, of course, I would say it’s about one out of three people who stick with it, but it has helped keep us at a decent level in terms of numbers.”

 

While still playing, Mike, who turns 60 next year, has taken an increasing interest in coaching. 

He now shares those duties with long-term coach Richard Osborne and two others. 

“I’ve only got involved in the coaching fairly recently,” said Mike. “Richard was coaching all the sessions for a long time and has done a brilliant job with it. 

“But now we share the load around a bit more and I think it works well. I haven’t done my Level 2 Coaching yet – I'm sure to Richard’s dismay – but I will do it at some point! 

“I’m still fit and healthy and want to play on for now, but coaching is a way I can continue to stay involved when I do finish playing.” 

This weekend, South Hants, along with the rest of the sitting volleyball community will be paying tribute to another of its co-founders, Steve Bailey, who sadly passed away recently and whose funeral was held earlier this week. 

As someone who has left an important legacy within the sport, he will be honoured by a minute’s applause at the National Volleyball Centre during tomorrow’s (Saturday 9th November) second Sitting Grand Prix of the season. 

Mike said: “Steve was a good man who all connected to South Hants and beyond will really miss. 

“He was one of those who helped set it up at the start and the club has gone from strength to strength, with great support from South Hants since we joined them.” 

The first Grand Prix of the 2024-25 season in September proved to be something of a disappointment for South Hants as they suffered relegation from Tier 1 to Tier 2 for tomorrow’s second round of competition. 

Mike says the team are determined to bounce back to the top-flight at the first time of asking this weekend. 

He said: “We thoroughly enjoyed the first Grand Prix, but we didn’t really perform at our usual standards – I think we were a bit rusty after the summer break. 

“No disrespect to the Tier 2 teams, but we don’t want to be there for long... we want to get back to winning and get straight back into the top tier and be competing with the likes of (reigning champions) Sitting Bucks.” 

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To find out more about South Hants Sitting Volleyball Club, go to the club's Facebook page.

Find out more about the Sitting Grand Prix Series by clicking here.