Volleyball Ireland are delighted to announce two new recruits to the team.
Matt Hanlon and Matt Ford join us in Player Pathways & Finance roles respectively.
Player Pathways Manager – Matt Hanlon
Matt is a familiar face in junior Volleyball circles as one of the driving forces behind the Dalkey Devils youth section and East Regional Development Centres, where he carries out the Head Coach function.
Originally born in the USA Matt is a former Div3 College Champion with Vassar College, finishing his outside hitting career with a 2.83/3 passing rating. He also spent some time as Opposite for UCD 6 years ago. Matt is a qualified USA Volleyball Coach with a keen focus on Fundamentals.
Matt’s main function will be supporting the early stages of the player pathway, including overseeing the Development Centre project.
Matt commented, “I’m so excited to be a part of Volleyball Ireland and help build on some of the huge strides the organisation has taken in the last few years. I’m looking forward to developing our pipeline so that players have an exciting road ahead of them in their volleyball career and our national teams continue to have a high calibre athlete arriving to represent Ireland, at the highest levels of the game.”
Finance Coordinator – Matt Ford
Matt Ford is a semi-professional athlete with Munster Reds Cricket team and has represented Ireland A at International level. Born in South Africa, Matt relocated to Ireland in 2018 to pursue his sporting and academic career.
Matt is a CIMA Associate Chartered Management Accountant, with a diploma in Management Accounting.
Matt’s role will deliver our day-to-day financial obligations ensuring a smooth process for customers and suppliers, as well as exploring growth in our revenue operations.
Matt said, “Sport is very much in my heart so to work in a growing sport like Volleyball is exciting for me. I have loved the last couple of months with VLY, getting to know the team and contributing to the operation, which will benefit the community. Volleyball is something fairly new to me, but I love the team spirit, excitement and fast paced nature of the game, which you might not expect from an accountant!”
Commenting on the recruitment, Chief Executive Gary Stewart added, “I’m delighted to add the Matt’s to the team, both of whom come with excellent experience and qualifications.
From a strategic perspective it’s vital we invest in our player pathway which will have benefits for our clubs and national teams. The number of young players taking up the sport has mushroomed over the last couple of years and we need to support our coaches and clubs to ensure they can reach their potential. Matt has a software engineering background and will also add value to our digital transformation.
Our revenues have more than doubled in the last 3 years, so it’s vital we have an expert working in this area. Matt will be joining part time and will add real value as we make efficiencies and generate income that can be reinvested in Volleyball.”
