POULSHOT beach volleyball player Yasmin Kaashoek is hoping for a summer of success after being selected to play for England at two major international competitions.

In July she will switch the beaches of Bournemouth for those of the Bahamas after being chosen to play alongside Ellie Austin at the Commonwealth Youth Games.

Ahead of that she is in Austria this week for the European U22 Championships, playing with regular partner Anaya Evans – and despite the pair’s previous success on the international scene she was still surprised at being selected.

“It feels pretty incredible to be going to the Youth Commonwealths,” said Kaashoek, who has been included on the SSE Next Generation programme for the third successive year.

“It’s going to be an amazing opportunity. We’re going to Miami for a week before the event. Then we’ll fly down to the Bahamas – so I think it’s going to be pretty incredible.

“I’ve played with Ellie quite a bit, she is my second partner next to Anaya. She’s a little bit younger than me as Anaya is a little too old for the Youth Commonwealths.

“For the European U22s we are still a young team, both still only 18. We’ll be competing against 21-year-olds, adults.

“So to get out of the group stages would be great. Then for the junior Commonwealths the format has not been released yet. So we don’t know if it’s a single elimination or group stages.

“We would want to do as best as possible there, of course, but we don’t know what that will be yet.”

Kaashoek and Evans made history together at the inaugural World U17 Beach Volleyball Championships, in 2014, where they became the first English duo to finish in the top ten in an international beach volleyball competition.

It was that performance that helped her onto the SSE Next Generation scheme, which provides financial support to 50 promising young athletes around the country.

And the LeAF Academy student already has plans for what to do with the extra influx of money.

“Anaya and I are looking to go to Denmark for an international event called Nevza,” she concluded.

“I think this is my third year, so when I got the email confirming it I was so happy. Because then it means competitions like Denmark, where it would be self-funded, can actually happen.

“It’s really great to have SSE’s backing and support behind me.”

Since 2013, SSE is proud to make a difference to young people, their families and their communities, by investing in the future of sporting talent through the SSE Next Generation scheme. Keep up to date @YourSSE.