 December 7th, CIT, Cork- The South Recreational Mixed Cup Finals drew to a close for 2019 on Saturday. The tournament has really been going from strength to strength and this year we had a 54% increase in team entries. There are two levels of play Cup & shield. The first day of the cup was played back in November and after an intense 28 matches we had our league positions finalised. The second day consisted more of a straight knockout style. Teams are paired with similar teams according to the day one results. The morning session however meant Dalkey Devils, CIT, Cork Diggers and Phoenix VC all departed at the quarterfinal stage. UCC who narrowly overcame Phoenix VC (West Rec runners up 2019) in the QF were matched against defending south champions Netforce VC. The college club really got into their stride though and pulled off a remarkable victory to catapult them into their first ever South Rec Final. Over in Semi Final B, Impact VC were facing a difficult challenge in BOA. It was a close match up and tough for BOA who eventually lost out on that final spot. The final was a worthy and exciting final. UCC snatched the first set 26-24 and even had two match point to claim glory but Impact's experience pulled them through to take a 26-24 second set victory. Point for point the final set was anyone's but the club from Macroom finally pinched gold 15-12.
We will take a short break now until the new year but will be straight back with the Shield Final on January 11th again in CIT. We have defending champions, runners up as well as some new clubs this year hoping to create an upset. For all teams out there we also have our Championships coming up shortly so don't delay in gathering your teams. See you up in Gormanston Park!  Volleyball Ireland's TY Volley Programme is going from strength to strength. Since September we have hit the ground running training up over 380 TY Students as coaches. The course is currently running in schools in the following counties: Cavan, Carlow, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Longford, Mayo Roscommon and Wicklow. We have many more schools lined up for the New Year!
TY Volley is a Transition Year Volleyball programme for girls and boys. The students are trained up as volleyball coaches and deliver a 6-week introduction game to younger students. The TY leaders then organise and run a blitz at the end of the programme for all the students they have coached. What are the benefits?
There are two options for the TY Programme. OPTION 1: SPIKEBALL IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS
OPTION 2: MIDI-VOLLEYBALL WITH 1ST OR 2ND YEARS
If you are interested in the programme or are looking for some more information please contact Jessie, jessie@volleyballireland.com. The East League took place over the weekend of the 7th & 8th December. Day one was played in Portmarnock Community School. All 6 teams played in a round-robin with the final round continuing on the 8th. By the end of Day 1, the top 3 teams were Balbriggan 2 and MGL who were on the same points with a game left to play against each other. 3rd place was tight between Balbriggan 1 and TUD-CC. Balbriggan needed a set, TUD-CC needed a win in their head-to-head. DKIT 1 & 2 had both secured their places in the shield finals for day 2. The morning of day 2 opened with some very exciting games, TUD-CC vs Balbriggan 1, MGL vs Balbriggan 2 and DKIT 1 vs DKIT 2. The winner of TUD-CC vs Balbriggan 1 would guarantee them a place in the cup finals. After a close game it was one set all, however Balbriggan just needed one set to see them through. By the end of the morning the groups were determined. The Cup - Balbriggan 2, MGL & Balbriggan 1 The Shield - TUD-CC, DKIT 1 & DKIT 2 Day 2 continued with The Shield TUD-CC and DKIT 1 had the same points but was enough for them to go through to the final. The teams played each other twice already with the results split to one set each, each time they played so was very even match. In the final DKIT found another gear and beat the defending champions 2-0. After the shield came the cup finals which were closely contested as the difference between being in the finals or not were a matter of sets and points difference. The group finished with MGL topping it, Balbriggan 2 coming 2nd and Balbriggan 1 finishing 3rd. The final was between MGL and Balbriggan 2. This game was as close as they come! The first set MGL took it 25-20, Balbriggan 2 took the second set, 27-25 to bring it to the decider. The final set was exciting, passionate and down to the wire. Balbriggan dug deep to win it 15-12. A big thank you to the teams who played and to those who refereed and scored.  Volleyball Ireland hosted its first International Youth event over the weekend in Gormanston College.
The ‘Friendship Tournament’ featured the Danish club Farum & Halte, as well as teams representing East and West Ireland, as well as representative sides from the Northern Ireland Volleyball Association. In total, over 180 players descended on County Meath for a weekend of 5set matches, training and coach knowledge transfer. The aim of the event is to help young players learn, grow and develop in a supportive and positive International environment. The action began on Friday evening with team training, followed by competitive games on the Saturday, social entertainment during the evening and on Sunday morning a chance to play Sitting Volleyball and be coached by leaders from other teams – this gave coaches a great chance to share ideas, concepts and philosophies. For the Danish team the Friday included a sightseeing trip in Dublin City, and of course a visit to the Viking Splash Tour! Jessica Panke Wagner of Farum & Halte VC said, "The event was a perfect mix of serious volleyball, social activities and fun, in a setting with great facilities in the Gormanston Sports Complex. We had 30 boys and girls from 11 to 15 years of age attending across our youth teams, who all have returned with memories that will last them a lifetime." Conor Flood, Volleyball Ireland’s development officer who led the project added, “it was a fantastic weekend of Volleyball with a great energy and buzz. We really wanted to give young players a taste of a weekend competition and what it’s like to play against international teams. The feedback has been excellent and we will grow the concept next year opening up entries to other club teams from across Europe. The friendly nature of the event meant coaches were sharing ideas and philosophies and hopefully taking this back to their clubs to help improve Volleyball for everyone – that’s what it’s all about.” All players and coaches stayed in on-site accommodation for two nights, helping them become familiar with a standard setup for International tournaments. General Manager of Volleyball Ireland Gary Stewart added, “One of the learnings from our entry in the u16 CEV Zonal competition earlier this year was that our players need more experience before they play internationally, as for a teenager it can be quite daunting. The idea behind this is to help them become familiar with a trip away.” Volleyball Ireland would like to thank Farum & Halte Volleyball Club and Irish native Dave Colgan for their support getting the event off the ground. Details on the 2020 event will be announced shortly.  Volleyball Ireland are delighted to announce the successful acquisition of 35,000 Euro of funding to support inclusion programmes.
The grant is routed from the Dormant Accounts fund through Sport Ireland and signifies the progress the Association are making with inclusion programmes. The funding will help kick start a Sitting Volleyball programme for people with physical disabilities. As well as a new Chair Volley programme for children and adults with more profound disabilities. The exciting Chair Volley initiative aims to work with community centres and service providers to create a network of Chair Volley activity and ultimately a National Chair Volley Championship. Volleyball Ireland GM Gary Stewart said, "We are very grateful to Minister Ross and Griffin and the team at Sport Ireland for supporting our application. We are looking to work with a range of partners to ensure that there is a Volleyball programme for everyone in Ireland, regardless of physical ability." The project will also help clubs that are located in areas of disadvantage establish youth sections. The support will include equipment, coach education and club development resources. If anyone clubs are interested in participating in this scheme please make contact with gm@volleyballireland.com You may have seen that we have secured the services of internationally renown Youth Volleyball Coach Kristof De Loose to deliver the next Coaching Masterclass event. There are only a small number of places left. This is not to be missed.
The Belgian comes with an incredible reputation as one of the most advanced development coaches in Europe, and signifies an unrivalled opportunity for Irish Coaches to learn from the very best. De Loose currently works as Director of Sports Training for Volley Vlaanderen (VV). He is responsible for all of the Volleyball coaching courses organised in the Flanders region and has been involved in coaching Volleyball at the youth, junior and senior level for more than 20 years. Moreover, he is a lecturer at the Flemish Coaching School, a Start2Volley (the youth programme of Volley Vlaanderen) trainer, as well as a member of the Youth Committee at Volley Vlaanderen. De Loose works for the Confederation de Europeene Volleyball as a Coach tutor and recently delivered a high quality workshop at the CEV Coaches convention in Slovenia this Summer. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn from the very best. Date: Thurs 12th December Venue: Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena, Dublin Time: 7-9pm Content: The session will be a mix of theory and practical work with a focus on youth development Cost: VI Registered Coaches FREE, Non VI Members €10 Booking: Through Go Membership > https://volleyballireland.azolve.com/Workbench.mvc/Show/6?ref=5A9AEC338EFDAD57EC7A0296FC94BB91D75DEE36  The DIVA Applications will be closing very soon!
Don’t miss this brilliant opportunity for you and your college to participate in Volleyball Irelands very exciting brand new DIVA programme. The DIVA programme is aimed at recruiting Female College Students to become Volleyball Activators. Developing, Inspiring, Volleyball, Activators or ‘DIVA’ is funded through the Sport Ireland Women in Sport Programme. It will support your students develop leadership skills and establish social volleyball classes within your institution. For many Activators, it will be the first step on the Coaching and Leadership ladder. Whilst the programme is initially aimed at recruiting female leaders, the Activators will then deliver recreational and social volleyball to all students. We are actively looking for Students and Colleges that may wish to promote Sitting Volleyball – which is designed for people with a physical disability or mobility issues. We hope this programme will lead to increased participation, engagement and activity within College life. As part of the programme, we are actively looking for Students, Colleges and Third Level institutions to help bring the initiative to life. If you are interested in supporting this unique programme or would like to become a DIVA. Please contact Jessie at jessie@volleyballireland.com  Last Thursday 28th November in Maynooth University the SSI Volleyball League came to an end. 6 games were all showcased on Volleyball Ireland Facebook page for Students, Friends and Families to see the league Semi-Finals & Finals.
In the Women's Semi Finals TCD & NUI Galway dismissed Maynooth & UCC quite convincingly. TCD then showed why they are strong Premier Women's team in the National League with a dominant 2-0 win over NUI Galway. On the Men's side RCSI defeated IT Carlow easily while TU Dublin City Campus were dumped out by Galway Mayo IT in the game of the day. Galway Mayo IT just didn't seem to get going in the final which enabled RCSI to take home the Men's League trophy for 2019/20. All finalists have received entry to the 2019/20 Championships which will take place in Gormanston Park on Saturday February 29th & Sunday March 1st for what is said to be an amazing weekend of volleyball. This years Championship Finals will be held in Gormanston on the weekend of the Championships, differently than in 2018/19 when they were part of the Finals Weekend. FULL SSI Semi-Final / Final Result Women’s Semi-Final 1 - Trinity College Dublin 2-0 Maynooth University Women’s Semi-Final 2 - NUI Galway 2-1 University College Cork Women’s Final - Trinity College Dublin 2-0 NUI Galway Men’s Semi-Final 1 - RCSI 2-0 IT Carlow Men’s Semi-Final 2 - TU Dublin City Campus 1-2 Galway Mayo IT Men’s Final - RCSI 2-0 Galway Mayo IT  As part of National Accessibility Week, South Dublin County Sports Partnership and South Dublin County Council organised a Disability Sports Expo showcasing different disability sports and how mainstream sports can be adapted to include people with disabilities. Volleyball Ireland were invited along to deliver fun taster sessions showing how they adapt their sessions to be more inclusive.
The first session was with a group of adults with intellectual disabilities from local disability services. The group really enjoyed their introduction to Volleyball. They were shown the Dig, Volley and the Spike with the Spike being a fan favourite! We also had a very exciting game. We used beach balls and balloons to adapt the sport so everyone could take part. The second session of the day was with a group of college students. The students are in their first year studying Sports Science and Health in TUDublin Tallaght Campus. They were introduced to our fast-paced game of Sitting Volleyball. The group first had to learn how to move while sitting down, then we went straight into a game using a beach ball. After this the students were shown each of the Volleyball skills and the drills that we use for Sitting Volleyball. They had great fun learning the skills, we finished off with one very competitive game. If you would like more information about how to adapt volleyball for someone with a disability please contact Jessie at jessie@volleyballireland.com  The CEV schools project returned to Cork this December bringing more new schools with more new players into volleyball. The 6 week project began at the end of October with an introductory teacher training day. This built a base knowledge and allowed the schools to spent the next 5 weeks preparing their students for the fun blitzes scheduled for December 3rd and 4th in Father Mathews Arena, Cork.
A total of 250 primary students and over 100 post primary students will participate over the two days. The event will mean schools can compete at a similiar beginner level and have challenging games through a fun and relaxed environment. The project is closely linked with the now well estabilished Cork club Netforce VC. The newly formed junior section will help these students have an avenue to volleyball they can seek out after school is over to continue their development within the game. Schools will also be assisted into Volleyball Ireland's national school competitons starting early in 2020. The real success story being Walterstown national school who started their volleyball journey at this same event last year then making it all the way to an incredible National semi final. We would like to thank Cork sports partnership in working together with us on this venture and in particular James Kirby who has been a direct link and promoter of the project for the last two years. We have grown from 120 primary students to an incredible 250 in just one short year. It's exciting to see where we go next!  Volleyball Ireland are delighted to be working with Student Sport Ireland on a range of initiatives that will see a closer link between the two sporting bodies. More details will be announced in due course but the first event is the production of the SSI League Finals in Maynooth today (Thurs 28th).
Volleyball Ireland will be streaming the event live on our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyxdRGoNpeTJwNrNJ-x31Dw The event kicks off at 1030am with Trinity College Dublin taking on Maynooth in the first Women's semi final before NUI Galway entertain Uniiversity College Cork. In the Men's draw RCSI take on IT Carlow before TU Dublin take on Galway Mayo IT. Women’s Semi-Final 1 10.30am Trinity College Dublin v Maynooth University Women’s Semi-Final 2 12pm NUI Galway v University College Cork Men’s Semi-Final 1 1.30pm RCSI v IT Carlow Men’s Semi-Final 2 3pm TU Dublin City Campus v Galway Mayo IT SSI/VI Cup Draws Immediately After Men’s Semi-Final 2 Women’s Final 5pm Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2 Men’s Final 6pm Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2  Bookings are now open for the Intl Coaching Masterclass event with Belgian Kristof de Loose. Kristof is a globally recognised expert in Youth Volleyball Coaching and we strongly recommend that anyone interested in Volleyball Coaching should attend. Date: Thurs Dec 12 Venue: Sport Ireland Indoor Arena, Dublin Time: 7-9pm Cost: Free for VI members Booking; Now via Go Membership. https://bit.ly/2Do1vlE  As part of a new feature to promote our International Squads, we are hosting a series of Interviews with players from our Junior, Senior and Beach Teams. First up we have the captain of the Women's u17 team Maria Jones. Maria also plays School Volleyball for Colaiste Mhuire in Ennis and National League with the Munster Thunder.
Representing Ireland Maria has visited the Faroe Islands, Sardinia and Copenhagen this year alone... So Maria, you’ve been all over Europe this year playing Volleyball. How did you find the experience? I found the experience incredible I enjoyed every second of it. Over the last two years I’ve made the best friends from all over the country and I will always be grateful for the opportunities and experiences I had with them. We are such a tight knit team which made it all that bit more fun for us. We trained really really hard and worked so much to get where we are and I’m so proud of what we achieved as a team. I imagine, you’ve made some great friends playing Volleyball in Faroe Islands, Sardinia and Denmark – what is the camaraderie like in the u17 girls team? Like I said we are such a tight knit bunch and we’re always the loudest and definitely the most social in every tournament we went to, we might not have won but we will always be remembered by the other teams for the friendships we made with them. We have made friends and contacts with players really from all over the continent! What was the highlight of the Intl season for you? I think the highlight of the season for me was winning against Iceland in Faroe Islands, I remember one of our coaches Jenny king crying tears of joy after that match and that honestly was the greatest part of it all. What is the best part of playing Volleyball for Ireland? I think the fact that your representing your country is a huge honor and wearing the flag on the jersey means a lot to everyone on the team, it’s something that none of us take lightly and we try to represent Ireland as well as we can always. What did it feel like to win that final point against Iceland and clinch a first Intl victory? Everyone involved that day was so hyped up and so focused on the task at hand. Everyone played their best that day, it was amazing. We were all really in the zone, we were able to put good scoring streaks together and we were very confident receiving serve. The last point was so exciting and the reactions of the coaches was the most rewarding part because of all the work Gianni, Teresa and Jenny put in behind the scenes. We felt that although we had put in good performances against the other teams, the win proved we could compete and it was a relief after all the hard work. We had all spent basically all our Christmas Holidays in training camp, with our coaches giving up so much of their time it was a great reward. What are your ambitions in the future playing Volleyball? We all have different ambitions for our futures, some girls would love to play abroad for university but in the short term future we all plan on playing all season with our schools and clubs and then see what is in store for us internationally. I am lucky in that I have such great coaches both at school and club so myself and the girls locally here in Ennis are just going to soak up as much advice and skills as we can and try to constantly raise our game. How are your preparations for the new club and school season coming along? Well myself and all the girls are all in different schools and clubs and we are all training super hard for the oncoming season so it will be very interesting to meet each other on different teams in school and club events. Have you learnt much through this experience? Yes I have learned so much over the past year and a bit. We have all grown so much as a team and as individuals. We have gained confidence and learned that hard work and what you put into things you will get out. What advice would you give to younger players who are making their way in Volleyball? Try to go to as many training sessions as you can, play with older and more experienced players as much as possible, and listen to what coaches are saying to you always. Believe and aim high! Thanks Maria and good luck for the coming season!  Recreational volleyball is well and truly up and running for 2019-2020!
The West Rec. Final played out on October 5th in Loughrea, Galway was another successful tournament with new teams full of younger players making their first appearance this year. The winners Serve-Ivors took the cup while Claremorris once again retained the shield. Our South Rec has just commenced with an increase of 11 to 17 teams this year, with Cork club Net Force hosting the event last weekend. The competition is going from strength to strength with once again new clubs emerging like Cork Diggers and Youghal VC in action. Both Day 1 in the cup and shield are finished and we are looking forward to the final days in both competitions. Impact VC leading the cup while newly established club Youghal VC head the shield event. Cup final will be played on December 7th in CIT while the shield will get us underway for 2020 on January 11th once again in CIT, Cork. The Recreational Tournaments provide a great stepping stone from Social Volleyball to National League Competition, or simply a fun sporting day out. In 2018 the numbers of Recreational Players doubled to over 300, and that looks like increasing again. For any teams out there looking for some fun alternatives and wishing to give recreational volleyball a go, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We will have more events scheduled in the new year catering for various levels and ages of all players. lThis weekend youth teams from across three nations will descend upon Gormanston Park College Sports complex for Volleyball Ireland’s first ever youth development blitz and camp. The weekend camp will aim to build experience for our younger players through some challenging matches, without the pressure of international competition.
The event will see teams representing Denmark and Northern Ireland, as well as a range of regional representative teams made up of Ireland's National Team members and players from the new National Youth League. The blitz style event is partly funded through the CEV/SCA development fund and the Participation to Performance Programme. The schedule and concept will help prepare young players for Intl competition in the future. General Manager of Volleyball Ireland, Gary Stewart said, "a key part of the strategy is to provide more opportunities for our young players to grow and learn and we are grateful to the CEV and Small Countries Association for their support. I'm sure the players and coaches will gain a lot from the weekend and I'd especially like to credit Development Officer Conor Flood for his drive and determination developing this project. It will be great to have our friends from Denmark and Northern Ireland with us for the weekend." This is the first international youth event that Volleyball Ireland have hosted of its kind. The aim is to grow the event, providing opportunities for young Irish Volleyballers to to enjoy, learn and develop their skills. It will be the first in a series of Intl age group events that will provide opportunities for players to reach their potential. If anyone wishes to come along and watch, there is free entry. The teams will kick start the weekend with some training slots on Friday evening. Games will commence 9.30am, Saturday November 30th and will run through until 5pm. Then it’s onto dinner and Saturday night activities exclusively for the players and coaches. The camp will finish on Sunday morning with some light training sessions and fun mixed games. The East League is a fun mixed competition aimed for players playing Div1 and below. The first day, teams play a league style format with the top teams progressing to compete for the Cup on day 2. Teams who don’t make it to the Cup group will still get the chance to play for the Shield on day 2. It’s all to play for! Where and When
Entry Details
Format
Happy Playing!   Volleyball Ireland are delighted to publish it's 2019 progress report. You can download the full version at the bottom of the page. The progress report will become a quarterly update on Volleyball activities highlighting some of the key achievements we are making against our Strategic Plan – Raising the Game. This edition covers 2019 to date. The last nine months have been incredibly busy as we launched a new Strategy, kicked off an Inclusion plan, held an EGM and an AGM, delivered an Olympic Qualifier and adopted a new Constitution. We also held a record breaking awards evening with over 220 guests. We’ve also: •Hosted the CEV Continental Cup Beach Volleyball Tournament •Launched the first National Volleyball League for Junior Players, now at u16 & u18 ages •Launched new four-year Strategic Plan •Adopted a new Constitution and Governance rules •Delivered of first Performance Camp for Beach Volleyball Players •Competed in 2 x CEV European Zonal Championships •Increased Grant acquisitions to develop new and innovative projects such as the Women in Sport DIVA programme •Launched an Inclusion plan and Sitting Volleyball strategy Behind the scenes we are supporting clubs attain ClubMark status and have rolled out a number of programmes to help develop youth sections for our clubs, including the CEV Schools Project. We have introduced the first Coaching Masterclass series which will see Volleyball coaches learn from each other at workshops across the country. On this we have secured the services of Kristof de Loose – a world class development coach to deliver the next Coaching Masterclass event on December 12th. Do not miss it. And of course, we hosted the CEV Continental Cup – an event which really raised the profile of the sport in Ireland. I would like sincerely thank all the volunteers that supported the event. As the Newstalk Radio show Off the Ball said, “It was a magical weekend and an incredible sight.” But could not have been possible without the 50+ volunteers that gave up their time for Volleyball. I think it really shows what can be achieved with ambition, hard work and everyone pulling together. Included in this update are the results of our first Stakeholder survey which we rolled out in Spring. This will be used to benchmark our performance as a National Federation and it will help inform action plans to improve your experience of Volleyball in Ireland. Thanks to those that took the time to give us great, honest and invaluable feedback. I hope you enjoy reading about our progress and the progressive strides we are making for the Irish Volleyball Community. Best Wishes, Grainne Grainne Culliton. President 
 Volleyball Ireland are looking for a Women's National Team Head Coach. The voluntary position provides an opportunity to create an impact and leave a profound legacy on Irish Volleyball. ROLE PURPOSE
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS The successful candidate must: • Be a Volleyball Ireland Registered Coach (Grade 1), or hold a recognised Volleyball coaching award or equivalent qualification from another Federation • Commit to completing a Safeguarding and Protecting Children workshop • Have time to commit to the role • Sign and abide by Volleyball Ireland Code of Conduct and Policies APPLICATION PROCESS Please send a 1 page cover letter and accompanying CV outlining your suitability to the role to gm@volleyballireland.com no later than Friday December 6th. Note: This role description is not exhaustive. It is intended as an outline indication of the areas of activity and will be revised with positive ‘changing needs’ as required to support Volleyball Ireland and the High Performance programme. The applicant’s vision for the role that will be discussed at interview stage, may alter the content of the Job Description.
4v4 Mini Volleyball Programme for Schools
Over the last two weeks Volleyball Ireland have been delivering a new 4v4 Participation Competition for post-primary schools. The Mini Volleyball format is played on a Badminton Court sized area and provides more touches, and more action for the players. The format is used as a transition from Spikeball to full 6v6 Volleyball. The first event was held in Kilkenny’s Watershed arena with 28 teams and 164 Girls from across Ireland taking part, with representatives from Kerry, Galway, Kildare, Dublin, Kilkenny, Laois, Waterford and Clare. The programme is aimed at 1st and 2nd year Students. The Boys event was held in the same venue yesterday (Nov 20) with 140 players from 22 teams enjoying a day of Volleyball action. The event included Colaiste Na Hinse of Bettystown, Co. Meath who have been inspired to play Volleyball after the hosting of the CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup in the village earlier this Summer. Conor Flood, Volleyball Ireland Development Officer said, “The 4v4 Mini Volley programme is really to help players get used to playing Volleyball. Many players have come from Spikeball in Primary Schools and this format really helps them get used to the skills, rules and tactics of Volleyball. Some of these players would also be playing National Youth League Volleyball with clubs and you can really see the benefits of this format for developing their skill set. The emphasis is on keeping the ball in the air as much as possible with all players getting plenty of touches." The focus now turns to the Senior Cup with the final chalked in for December 12th in UCD.  Clodagh NicCanna and Barbara Wojcik-Jaruga have joined the Volleyball Ireland Board.
Clodagh is well known in Volleyball circles as a long standing player, coach and referee of the Dublin Volleyball Club, as well as being a decorated National Team Player. She'll use her vast experience to take up a role overseeing the Competitions and Development Commission. Clodagh is currently the Development Director of a global software company. Barbara, who is a tax accountant by trade is currently working with Coca Cola Helenic Bottling Company, in their Dublin 15 HQ. Barbara will take over the role of Treasurer from Anna Dukacz, who has stepped down after several years service. Barbara who hails from Poland is currently playing Recreational Volleyball with the Balbriggan club. Jeff King, who has led the development of the new Strategic Plan has stepped down after three years service. The Board of Volleyball Ireland would like to welcome both Barbara and Clodagh to the team, and thank Anna and Jeff for their years of tireless service helping shape the Association. The Directors of Volleyball Ireland are now: Grainne Culliton (President), Denise Tallon (VP), Regina Halpin (Secretary), Aidan Curran (Governance), Peter McDonnell (HR), Barbara Wojcik-Jaruga (Treasurer) and Clodagh NicCanna (Director of Competitions & Development). Volleyball Ireland are actively looking for Directors with specific skills in Commercial Activities and Performance Sport to join the Board.  Volleyball Ireland are delighted to announce that renowned International Youth Volleyball Coach Kristof de Loose will be the guest coach at the next Coaching Masterclass event. The Belgian comes with an incredible reputation as one of the best development coaches in Europe, and signifies an unrivalled opportunity for Irish Coaches to learn from the very best.
De Loose currently works as Director of Sports Training for Volley Vlaanderen (VV). He is responsible for all of the Volleyball coaching courses organised in the Flanders region and has been involved in coaching Volleyball at the youth, junior and senior level for more than 20 years. Moreover, he is a lecturer at the Flemish Coaching School, a Start2Volley (the youth programme of Volley Vlaanderen) trainer, as well as a member of the Youth Committee at Volley Vlaanderen. De Loose works for the Confederation de Europeene Volleyball as a Coach tutor and recently delivered a high quality workshop at the CEV Coaches convention in Slovenia this Summer. Date: Thurs 12th December Venue: Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena, Dublin Time: 7-9pm Content: The session will be a mix of theory and practical work that will inspire youth coaches. Cost: VI members FREE, Non Members €10 Booking: Registration is live on Weds November 13th. Limited Places. Insurance company O’Driscoll O’Neil have been revealed as a new partner of Volleyball Ireland.6/11/2019
The partnership will see the Dublin based firm, become the Headline sponsor of the 2019/20 Volleyball Ireland Association Cup and Shield Competitions, taking the flagship Finals in the Volleyball calendar taken to the next level. The Cup and Shield Finals will take place on Sunday May 10th at the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena, with the event including fun coaching sessions for juniors in between matches and entertainment to keep fans intrigued throughout the day. Improving the quality of the Finals Event is a key aim of Volleyball Ireland’s 20x20 pledge to raise the profile of Volleyball and its female players, coaches and referees.
Sports Team Manager at ODON Kathryn Reddy, was joined by Vinnie Dos Santos of defending Men’s Cup champions Dublin VC and Marie-Claire Sobogal of Shield holders UCD at today’s announcement at ODON HQ in Herbert Place. Reddy said, “O’Driscoll O’Neil are delighted to add Volleyball to our expansive portfolio of sports. We support and encourage Volleyball Ireland’s ambitious plans to improve the Finals Event for players and supporters alike. We are excited to be a part of what will be a fantastic Event in May for clubs, fans and of course the players. O’Driscoll O’Neil take pride in being the number one Insurance provider for Sports Insurance and with over 25 years of experience within this market we are happy to offer our expertise and services to Volleyball Ireland” General Manager of Volleyball Ireland, Gary Stewart added, “We are delighted that ODON are supporting this years Association Cup and Shield Competitions. This support will allow us to improve the production of the Finals and create an event and atmosphere that players will love competing in and fans will enjoy watching. It’s our flagship competition and our players deserve to be playing in the best venue in the country, with the stands packed to the rafters.” National League Clubs, Recreational teams and Student Sport Ireland affiliated clubs are reminded that deadline for entries is November 20th and can be made via the Go Membership portal (under events and courses). The Cup draw will be streamed live on November 22nd. Volleyball Ireland would like to thank Niall, Kathryn, Laura and the rest of the team at O’Driscoll O’Neil for their support. Volleyball Ireland are looking for a Social Media Officer (Voluntary role) to help promote the great work that players, volunteers and coaches deliver for Irish national teams. The position has come about based on feedback from National team coaches and players, and the strategic objective to Raise the Profile of Irish Volleyball. The main purpose of the role is to:
Interested parties can send a brief cover letter outlining their suitability for the role to gm@volleyballireland.com before midnight on November 17th 2019. A more in-depth Job Description is available on the link below.
 We caught up with Mens Head Coach Andrei Molnar to discuss the latest developments in the Narbonne Twinning Project, and find out his plans for the coming year.
So Andrei, 3 of the Ireland u20 Junior Squad are heading to Narbonne for a weeks training. How did this project come about? The Twining project “Jumilage” between the Irish Squads and Narbonne Volley was initially approached by Lauren the last Squads coach. Jumilage projects are a particularity to Francophone countries, I personally am used to the term because Romania is a Francophone country as well. After I took over the Irish Squads, I found the project in a dormant state and recognized its potential for Irish volleyball players and started working with our French partners in making it a functional one. What are the main aims of the twinning project? The short term plan is to expose the Irish Volleyball players and their families to the high-level volleyball and its perks. On the medium and long term, it is an absolutely unique opportunity in having a direct path to the professional volleyball life. For us as coaches and managers I personally think it is a great opportunity to work with a club of world level from which we can learn a lot as well from a professional point of view. The u14s were in Narbonne at Easter, how was that experience for the team? Despite my past contact with the professional clubs I have to admit I was shocked in how we were welcomed by the local authorities of the AUDE Department, Narbonne Volley and local families. It was an unbelievable volleyball experience and it was impressive how much our lads changed in just one week. How accommodating have the French families been hosting our Irish players? The French families accepted us like we were part of their family, that is the only way I can describe everything. It was a perfect example that the community is the most important aspect all-around a sports programme. Is this expected to be a long term project? Yes, this kind of partnerships takes time to solidify. It is my intention to work in an exchange of player programmes, but in a coaching development as well. Tristan Martin was one of the best setters in France and he is a very respectable coach tutor as well, I guess all of us have to take some French classes from now. Have there been any benefits for the coaching team as well as the players? Seeing how coaches like Tristan Martin and Philip Schneider work kinda gave us new perspectives in the development objectives. For example, it is important to have results as a team, but what life opportunities are we giving to our young players and such. Our young players started setting fastballs and playing pipe from the third training only, such is the power of example which they had from the Narbonne juniors. So tell us about the lads that have been selected, who are they and where are they from? Ciagan Davoren is the youngest of them playing as a libero and he is from St Brigid's College, Loughrea, Co. Galway. Cian Humphreys is one of our left wings and he is from St Flannan’s College, Ennis, Co Clare . Cathal Dwyer is one of our middle blockers and he is from St Flannan’s College, Ennis, Co Clare. The 3 of them took part in the huge success that the Irish National Team had in Scotland as well. How were these lads selected? In the professional volleyball all clubs have a player pattern that they usually use, all players know this. You might have no chance in this team, but you are wanted by an even better one, this is a cold reality that the Irish players have to learn as well. During our period with the U14, I had an opportunity to have extended talks with Tristan and Philip in relation to what kind of players they are searching, age, height, position etc Do you have any more exciting plans in progress? At this moment I am trying together with the coaching staff to put together an U16 Squad to represent Ireland in the CEV. I am extremely excited about this because we have managed to attract some very gifted children to the programme. By next Summer I personally hope to have a competitive Squad at this age group as well. I haven’t forgotten about the seniors where players like Aidan McDonell (Squads captain) and Eoghan Monahan have provided an excellent example of character to the younger lads. So by 2021 we should have senior Squad ready to compete at international level. The SCA competition for u20 Men is next year, how are preparations coming along for that? The preparations are going very well, the Scotland tournament gave the lads a very well deserved breath of air in this very long training process. But we are going to keep the Squads motto all the way to the end “Play the point, not the game”, which has made us keep focus so far. Three Irish Volleyballers are heading off to the South of France today to spend a week training with Narbonne Volleyball Club - a professional club based near Toulouse.
Ciagan Davoren, Cian Humphreys and Cathal Dwyer have been selected by the French coaching team to gain an advanced experience of life at the top level. The mid term programme is part of twinning project that will see Irish players and coaches the opportunity to learn from a professional environment, opening up a pathway from participation to performance. The project is the brainchild of Men's Head Coach Andrei Molnar who said, "The short term plan is to expose the Irish Volleyball players and their families to the high-level volleyball and its perks. On the medium and long term, it is an absolutely unique opportunity in having a direct path to the professional volleyball life. For us as coaches and managers I personally think it is a great opportunity to work with a club of world level from which we can learn a lot as well from a professional point of view." Davoren is a libero and youngest of the squad, hailing from St. Brigid's College in Loughrea Co. Galway which has a proud history of producing top quality volleyball players. Ciagan is joined by two players from St. Flannan's in Ennis, Co. Clare who are becoming a real force in School's Volleyball. Humphrey's is a left wing and Dwyer a Middle. All three excelled at the recent Flying Scots Tournament in Scotland where the u20 team finished 3rd. The lads will stay with host families and become immersed in French and Volleyball cultures learning from quality players and coaches. General Manager of Volleyball Ireland Gary Stewart added, "I'd like to congratulate the three players for being selected for this trip and also congratulate Andrei for driving the twinning project with Narbonne forward with his energy, passion and enthusiasm for development. Finally, the contribution of Eric Marty, the Narbonne Club and the families in France should be commended for the generosity, kindness and help in providing this opportunity." On Tuesday we will be publishing a full interview with Head Coach Andrei Molnar and gaining an insight from the players themselves. |
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