Meet The Team: Enrique Bello & Peter Soczewka

In the run up to the Commonwealth Games this year, we want to shine a spotlight on the teams hoping to qualify.

We caught up with brothers, Enrique Bello and Peter Soczewka. These talented lads have been making making quite the splash on the court over the last year.

Enrique Bello

Factfile:

Position & Side: Defender - right

Height: 180cm

Date of Birth: 23 February 2004

Hometown: London

Tell us a bit about yourself!

My name is Enrique Bello and everyone calls me Quique. I am 18 years old, currently studying for my A-Levels and will start my Law studies at London School Economics this fall. I was born in Madrid (Spain) and moved to the UK at the age of 6 when my parents relocated for work.

When and how did you get into beach volleyball?

Growing up I was surrounded by volleyball and beach volleyball with my dad being an ex-professional player and coach, my cousin also being a pro player both indoor and beach and my brothers Javier and Joaquin. When I was 7, I joined Richmond Volleyball where I was lucky enough to be able to play both volleyball and beach volleyball.

Do you have any pre-game habits/rituals?

No, I’m very relaxed in the sense that I just focus my mind on what I am going to do.

Of all the events you’ve played, is there a match or tournament that stands out in your mind? Why?

It was during my second U18 European Championship in Ljubljana in 2021. After the pool stages, we were playing Switzerland to reach the next round. We ‘comfortably’ won the first set, narrowly lost the second and were up in the third (I think we had at least 2 match points) only to see a series of small mistakes that took us to lose 15-17. It was a tough learning experience that I think I will remember for a long time, but that has helped me improve the way I manage the end of sets/matches.

Outside of beach volleyball, what do you do in your free time?

I study, watch NBA matches, play video games (FIFA and NBA), and spend time with my friends and my girlfriend.

Is there a coach or athlete that you look up to and why?

My brothers and how they manage to make history in British beach volleyball while being able to continue studying. I get to see first-hand what goes on behind the scenes and the amount of work, sacrifices and determination it takes to get where they are, and I am inspired every day to be a better player and to also make sure I have a plan B to fall back into after my sports career finishes.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Travelling internationally playing beach volleyball, meeting new people and enjoying life.

Is there any advice you would give to young players?

Being a young player myself, I can pass on the advice I was given that there are no shortcuts but to work, train and learn from every opportunity.

Peter Soczewka

Factfile:

Position & Side: Blocker, right side

Height: 6’3

Date of Birth: June 2^nd 2005

Hometown: London, England

Tell us a bit about yourself!

My name is Peter Soczewka, 16 years old, currently playing both indoor and beach for England. I’m in my first year of sixth form and I’m looking to take my volleyball to the next level by going to study overseas in the United States. I only started playing beach volleyball around 2018-19 where it really turned from a hobby into something I truly love and something I would like to take to another level.

Luckily for me I grew up in London with plenty facilities for beach volleyball, and with world class coaching, as well as huge support from my parents I was able to progress quickly.

Currently playing on the UKBT as one of the youngest players and heading to u22, u20 and u18 European championships. This really motivates me as I am still young and have plenty of time to progress and become even better.

When and how did you get into beach volleyball?

I first got into beach volleyball around 2015, where my dad who is also one of my coaches took me to a world tour in Poland. I was lucky enough to be a ball boy at a 4-star world tour, which allowed me to speak to and make friends with some of the world’s best beach players. This really inspired me and encouraged me to start training on the beach more often which I was easily able to do with my dad being a coach.

Since then, I’ve competed twice at the U18 European championships and will being going for the third time this year, not only in one age group.

Do you have any pre-game habits/rituals?

To be honest, I’ve never really done anything special before games, I like to speak with my partner and coaches before the game to make sure we are all on the same page. I always make sure to think positively before the game no matter who we are playing against.

But after that I usually just chill and relax making me ready for the game.

Of all the events you’ve played, is there a match or tournament that stands out in your mind? Why?

One match that I’m sure me and Kike will remember for a long time is our round of 16 game at European championships last year in Slovenia. We played against Switzerland and where definitely the underdogs going into the game. we played a three-set game winning the first ‘easily’ then narrowly losing in the second.

Once the third set started, we had a very large crowd building up creating a great atmosphere. In the third we had around 2-3 match points and after a series of mistakes we lost the game 17-15 in the third. This was a tough defeat but one we learnt a lot from.

Outside of beach volleyball, what do you do in your free time?

Outside of volleyball I really do enjoy heading to the gym. This is something I do usually 5-6 times a week and I love it. It really helps me get my mind off things and helps me become a better person. As well as this I really enjoy spending my time with friends.

Is there a coach or athlete that you look up to and why?

As I mentioned previously there are many athletes and coaches that I look up too for varying reasons as I believe that everyone can inspire you in some way or another. To pick one out of everyone I think of when asked this question is very difficult for me. I have been inspired by so many people in my life and I am so grateful for each and everyone of you.

There are many athletes I look up to but certainly two I know personally, Javier and Joaquin Bello. These are the two best beach volleyball players in England and things such as their work ethic their attitude and many other things just rally make them unique. What really makes me look up to them is that although they may be considered ‘small’ for volleyball, it never stopped them from improving themselves, which then played off with multiple medals on the world tour.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In five years I’m hoping to be playing volleyball in the United States at university, something I’ve always looked forward too.

Is there any advice you would give to young players?

As a young player the advice I would give is to just believe in yourself and always train hard. As soon as you fall in love with the sport everything becomes easier.

Team Questions

Team factfile:

Coach: Luis Bello and Peter Soczewka

Club: Richmond Volleyball

Social media handles: 

@ebello_

@_psoczewka

Describe your team in three words.

Smart, young, and determined.

What would you say is your team’s super strength?

In my opinion our team’s super strength is our youth and the way we play; we’ve had a lot of experience playing against people much older than us with the only expectation to play our best and it’s something we use to our advantage.

How long have you been playing together?

Since 2019.

What would it mean for you both to reach the Commonwealth Games?

Like for every athlete, it would be a dream to represent your country in a multi-sports event taking place on home soil.

The Commonwealth Games Qualifier Tournament will commence on the 26th of May, and we can't wait to see the pair of them show us how it's done.