The programme is a mix of education, learning and social get togethers, with a focus on; Club Development, Youth Development, Coach & Referee Education.
Gary Stewart, General Manager of Volleyball Ireland said, “the whole volleyball community is disappointed that we can’t get on court of course, but we’re hopeful that these virtual sessions will keep our members engaged with the sport, and connected to the volleyball community. We’re hoping that whilst players can’t train or play, they may consider taking part in a coaching course and use those times reserved for training and matches to train as an official.”
A key part of the programme are the Social get togethers which will be relaxed, informal and light hearted. Gary added, “the social side of Volleyball is one of its key strengths and we’re very much aware that people miss that. Hopefully the informal referee get togethers and coach catch ups will give that social connection.”
The programme isn’t all serious, with week 3 of the Virtual Volleyball initiative featuring the Big Club Quiz on November 13th – who will be crowned the biggest brain in Irish Volleyball?
There are five key categories included in Virtual Volleyball:
Club Development: These workshops will upskill volunteers and build capacity in clubs. A variety of topics will be covered including Social Media, Managing Meetings and information on our new club development programme – VolleyGrow.
Youth Development: Designed for u18s a variety of educational workshops will take place including introductory workshops for coaching and refereeing. We also have some International stars of Volleyball lined up to share their experiences and tips.
Coach & Referee Education: A mix of accreditted courses, workshops and Q&As will keep our referees and coaches engaged and upskilled throughout the lockdown period. We will also be hosting some informal catch ups and chats where coaches and referees can share experiences and tips.
Watch Parties: We’d all love to be playing Volleyball right now, but we can’t. So instead we’ll be replaying some action for matches gone by, as well as sharing some interesting online documentaries so you can get your VolleyFix. Grab the popcorn.
Informal, Social, Chats & Talks: The social side of Volleyball is arguably the best side of Volleyball. We’re missing that right now. So instead we will be hosting some social catch ups including the Big Club Quiz – who’s the biggest brain in Irish Volleyball? These sessions will be a great chance to catch up with your Volleyball buddies.
How do we sign up? Each Monday morning we will be publishing registration links and info the week ahead. Most sessions will be held on Zoom. All courses except the Foundation Coaching course are free.
You can find more info on Virtual Volleyball here.
