Paul has been around the beach game since the age of 16 (29 years).  Originally from SoCal, he learned the game from the old locals at Zuma. Unfortunately he tried out for his high school team (Chatsworth) and was cut because he wasn’t sure what a 6-1 was at the time.  At Pierce College under Ken Stanley’s instruction he learned the indoor game.  Playing in the Valley Beer Leagues, Taft High School on Mon. nights, Chatsworth on Tuesday, CSUN on Wednsdays, it became a passion.  Moving to Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, Mend helped out with the North Idaho College womens team while attending school. After a sojour to Europe, Mend attended Simon Fraser University in Canada where he received a Bachelor of Education.   As a teacher and coach, Mend coached indoor; College, High school, and Jr. High (men and women) as well as Provincial and Summer Games Teams.

He built one of the first beach courts away from “the beach” (Kits, Locarno, Spanish Banks) on the main drag in Port Moody, BC. for his school and club team to train.  With that same club team, Mend was named Club Coach of the year (‘94) as they won the Western Canadians in Calgary.  He continues to coach indoor (and beach) and has been working with the Jr. Girls team at Pen High for the past 4 years and continues to Coach Club (Volleytech) 14u girls, 15u girls and 13u boys.  Out of the 22 years he has been coaching indoor in BC, there is only 3 years his school teams have not made it to the Provincial Championships. Mend was the first Beach Chairperson for the BC Volleyball Association and put together trips for the BC Provincial Team’s in ’99 and ’00 to California.  Some of those team members took home some US hardware including the 18u Boys Gold Medal won by Darren Goss and Mingo Miguel (Big thanks to John Kessel and USA volleyball for allowing us the opportunity to bring our athletes down).  Also, a big thanks to Dick Blount who has always been there to help out any Canadians who make there way down to Hermosa.  He is Hermosa’s Beach Ambassador!

Some of the players Mend has worked with: Brian Hiebert, Makare (Wilson) Desilets (before the AVP), Mingo Miguel, Darren Goss, Geoff Emslie, Martin Reader, Josh Howitson, Ryan Cawsey, Tammy Thomas, Ashley Grieg, Kristina Long, Andrea Frustachi, Kathleen Brownlee, Annie Gallie.

As a player Mend and his partner Paul Smith (also one of Canada’s top beach coaches) won a couple of back to back Provincial Beach Championships (single A) in the mid ‘80’s.  Mend continues to play on his backyard court where he continues to run camps for beginners to top level competitors.  Mend seen below with Martin Reader, one of Canada’s up and coming young players on the FIVB... past BC provincial team athlete.  A quote of Mends, “indoor is just the off season for beach!”

It’s all about beach!