Why Stanair is backing local athlete Nicole Evans for another season on the sand

 

“Beach football can be very humbling” 

 

What do you do after earning a football scholarship in the US, coaching youth teams in California and scoring goals in packed stadiums? 

 

If you're Nicole Evans, you come home to Rugby with your dog Norman and end up playing for the England women's beach football team. 

 

At Stanair, we are proud to sponsor Nicole for a second year. Her story is one of skill, grit and determination. She plays for a national squad currently ranked fourth in the world, yet without a penny of official funding.  

 

For Nicole and her teammates, success means hard work, personal sacrifice and support from sponsors who believe in them. 

 

 

Nicole first encountered beach football by chance. While coaching a youth team in California, she and her players entered a local beach tournament. The heat, the sand, the fast pace — it was unfamiliar, exhausting and hugely fun. She was hooked. 

 

That casual start turned into something serious. A group of players created CaliBeach Soccer, a club she still plays for. 

 

At the time, visa rules kept her from travelling internationally; her moment came after returning to the UK. She continued playing for CaliBeach and during one match was spotted by an England coach. She has now toured with the national team across Spain, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and El Salvador. 

 

 

Beach football is a five-a-side version of the game, played on a sand pitch similar in size to a 5-a-side football pitch. Matches are made up of three twelve-minute periods. On paper it sounds simple; in practice, it is anything but. 

 

The ball does bounce, just in a very unpredictable way. Most of the game takes place in the air. Every shot, pass and jump happens from an unstable, shifting surface. A lot of traditional football techniques do not apply. As Nicole says, "Beach football can be very humbling." 

 

Fouls and four-second rules add technical pressure. Players can receive yellow and red cards just like in football; instead of being sent off for good, they serve a time-out before rejoining the match. The sport is fast, physically intense and tactically sharp. 

 

Nicole explains that it took months to master the basics. "The first challenge is just lifting the ball out of the sand," she says. "You are always off balance and the ball behaves differently every time. It is a steep learning curve and you need patience." 

 

 

'There are a few purpose-built sand training courts in England that we use when we can, including one in London. But it is still a two and a half hour drive for me. 

We use whatever sand spaces we can get — sometimes volleyball courts or even local parks — just to get extra touches on the ball.' 

 

It was during one of those long journeys and training periods that Nicole put out a call for local support, reaching out to Midlands businesses to help fund her season. 

 

Simon Barnicoat, Sales Lead at Stanair, saw the appeal. "When Nicole contacted us, we were immediately struck by her determination and how much she was giving to the sport," he says. "She was not asking for the world; just the chance to keep playing. It was an easy decision to help." 

 

 

For Stanair, this partnership is not just about one player. It reflects our belief in supporting sport, community and people with potential. 

William Smith, Managing Director at Stanair, explains: "We have always believed in backing individuals and organisations who are working hard to move forward, often without the spotlight. Nicole represents all of that. She is a local athlete competing on the world stage and doing so with very little outside support. 

We are proud to help her continue doing what she does best. Supporting sport at this level is part of our wider commitment to helping people and communities grow stronger; Nicole is an excellent example of that in action."