Dartmouth beach volleyball player pursues dream of becoming national team

Tynan Gannett is fast becoming a volleyball titan.

At just 20 years old, Gannett is believed to be the first Nova Scotia man to form a national beach volleyball team.

Gannett grew up in Dartmouth, NS, and competed for Team Nova Scotia at the 2022 Canada Summer Games in Niagara, Ont. There he was scouted for Volleyball Canada’s Beach Next Gen National Team.

He said he tried, got selected and by January had moved to Toronto to start training for international competitions.

“It feels pretty good,” Gannett said. “It took quite a few years. So yes, it gives a lot of satisfaction.”

Gannett played volleyball for Dartmouth High School and the Dartmouth Volleyball Club as a teenager. He said he spent a lot of time at the beach training facility in Burnside.

“I was there three or four times a week for three summers in a row [the] Canadian Games.”

In Toronto, he now trains with his team twice a day from Monday to Friday.

Gannett will be participating in multiple domestic events across the country this summer, including in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, ahead of a world tour in Edmonton in July.

He said travel is all part of the job, but it is the biggest expense as the athletes have to pay for their travel.

“I’m mostly spared from a job I had in Dartmouth. I spent five summers working at a tennis club, St. George’s, and I can do a little bit of coaching here in Toronto and I referee a little bit,” he said.

But, Gannett said, he couldn’t have fulfilled his dream without help from home. Earlier this month, he was encouraged to start a GoFundMe page to help cover costs.

“Everyone from home, especially, has been very supportive of us,” he said.

“I mean apart from money I get words of encouragement from all my friends. Everybody seems to be keeping track of what I do, all the tournaments I play. So it was really sweet and it was great to see and feel supported while I am here.”

Andrew Costa, Gannett’s former coach, said he deserved the placement. He said Gannett was his first athlete he teamed up with to make the national team.

“The reality is Tynan has worked for everything he’s been given,” said Costa.

Costa said he saw rawness and potential in Gannett from the start as he demonstrated high athleticism and coordination.

He had a good basic understanding of how to play indoor volleyball and always seemed up for the challenge, whether that was playing against opponents who were stronger than him at the time or asking him to develop a new skill. to master,” he said.

Costa said he is extremely happy and proud of Gannett. When he got the call that Gannett had made the team, he was “over the moon for him.”

He said this is just the beginning for Gannett.

“He’s going to be a fantastic role model for future Nova Scotia volleyball athletes… I’m excited to see what this summer and the years to come bring him playing the Maple Leaf.”