On any given weekend, the northern end of Coogee Beach hums with the thud of volleyballs and the laughter of a community built over nearly two decades. Behind it sits a partnership that has quietly outlasted passing trends: the sponsorship between Avion, an international freight forwarding company, and the Coogee Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA).
A Partnership Born with the Club Itself
CBVA’s origin story is a familiar one in community sport: a handful of friends, a stretch of public beach and a love of volleyball. This is what preceded the formal establishment of the Association in 2008, which has now grown into an Incorporated not-for-profit community sports club whose purpose is to bring people together through beach volleyball. Each year, more than 500 people register, with roughly equal gender diversity, ages from under 10 to over 65, and members from a range of cultural backgrounds.
Avion wasn’t recruited after the fact — it was there from day one. The connection traces back to Marco Viglietta, Avion International Australia’s Managing Director, among the club’s founders, giving the sponsorship a depth rarely seen in corporate-community partnerships.
More Than a Logo on a Banner
It would be easy to picture this as a company name on a banner near the courts. The reality runs deeper. Avion’s backing helps fund the infrastructure and programming behind CBVA’s two permanent courts and three portable nets, along with junior programs, adult training, and pathways for higher-performance players. Nine coaches support training across both age groups.
The junior program makes up around 20% of annual registrations, serving children aged five to seventeen and helping ensure players get access to quality coaching regardless of family circumstances. CBVA also runs school sessions throughout the year for Brigidine College and Randwick High School.
For a club run largely by volunteers, that backing is structural, not incidental. Membership dues cover the practical costs of running the club and its lease obligations; sponsorship dollars give CBVA room to grow, not just get by.
Backing Young Talent
CBVA hosts two rounds of the Youth Beach Series at Coogee each year, typically in December and February, drawing junior athletes from across NSW. Last season, 76 athletes competed, with several local players claiming podium spots.
The club has also subsidised juniors to compete at national and international tournaments. Eleven CBVA athletes represented NSW Phoenix at national level; two received the Phoenix Award, recognising resilience, excellence, and supportive qualities, while one received the Youth Culture Captain award for leading her peers through pressure with spirit and encouragement.
Adult players continue to represent CBVA at local, state, and national tour events, with many achieving strong results individually and in the season-end rankings.
A Second Family by the Sea
Ask people inside CBVA what the club means to them, and the conversation rarely stays on sport for long. Blake Bentley, CBVA’s Treasurer, has described the association as a second family for many members.
That sense of belonging is no accident. A large share of CBVA’s membership has relocated to Australia from overseas, and the club has become an anchor point where newcomers build friendships through a shared love of the game. Blake has credited Avion’s consistency — and Marcos’s personal commitment — with steadily improving what the club can offer over time.
Sixteen Years and Counting
Avion’s sixteen-year relationship with CBVA has continued in a landscape where many sponsorships come and go. Marco has described the commitment as an investment in sportsmanship, resilience, and camaraderie — values he sees carrying beyond the sand into players’ lives.
Beach volleyball thrives on accessibility — anyone can join a game on public sand, regardless of age or experience. CBVA has leaned into that openness, welcoming newcomers with no barrier beyond a willingness to show up. Sustaining that openness at scale takes resources member fees alone can’t provide.
Avion’s support extends beyond Coogee too, backing beach volleyball communities in Maroubra, Manly, and on the Gold Coast — though the CBVA relationship remains the longest-standing.
A Steady Partnership
For businesses considering community sponsorship, the Avion–CBVA relationship is a straightforward example of what sustained support can look like: continued growth for a club now supporting more than 500 members, coaching and competition opportunities for junior athletes who might not otherwise afford them, and a community with a place to belong at Coogee Beach.
Sixteen years in, the partnership reflects a steady, long-term commitment — built, fittingly, by people who simply wanted somewhere to play.
Join now! Start playing this season: www.cbva.org.au
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