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VolleyCamp Virtual a big success!

 H135 players registered for Volleyball Ireland’s first ever online camp.

The programme featured a range of practical volleyball challenges, fitness workouts, yoga and guest talks from some of the biggest names in Volleyball.

The camp kicked off with a Q&A with Cody Kessel – a male USA player who is currently playing pro with Champions League team Berlin Recycling Volleys. Cody discussed his career and dreams of playing in the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. Cody’s key messages:

“Focus on the things you can control, dont worry about noise”
“Be a holistic athlete, 24/7, eat well, sleep well, stretch”

Cody talked through his favourite match when he played in the semi final of the German Cup for underdogs SVG Luneberg as they came from 2nil down to beat his current club and powerhouse Berlin Recycling Volleys. Cody highlighted some key aspects of his technique and what he works on so jump so high. He also talked about the importance of team culture and how his Luneberg team mates had the mission to “Choose Joy”.

Jessie Carmody provided an educational insight on Anti Doping in sport with great engagement from our participants asking about banned substances and the testing process. We also followed an online documentary about the Stanford College University Team.

On Thursday we had the pleasure of welcoming Australian Beach Coach Lauren Soderberg who presented an inspiring talk on ‘What it takes to become an Olympian”. Lauren provided some remarkable insights including some great words of wisdom:

“Talent only gets you in the door”
“Winning is a terrible teacher”
“Tear your losses apart”
“Celebrate small successes”
“Take responsibility for your own learning”

USC’s Victoria Garrick provided a TedTalk on the Hidden Opponent – and the importance of looking after your mental health. 

Thursday evening featured a Q&A with Izzy Carey and Alex Graves, where preparation was again a consistent theme. “You can only play as well as you train”.

Friday morning saw a change of pace with CEV Development Manager and 10 year professional Vuk Karanovic chatting about life as a professional playing and working in Volleyball. His 108 caps for Macedonia prepared himself for a career off the court. He reiterated the great “gift sport gives, it teachers discipline, team work and continuous improvement”.  Vuk reiterated that the group should have an open mindset to different cultures and learning. “Volleyball can provide you with amazing experiences in different cultures around the world”. 

Our final guest speaker was Nutrition expert and Intl Basketball player Hannah Thornton who provided a brilliant insight on the importance of nutrition, particularly for Teens – which is an area she specialises in after studying the subject in Colorado. Hannah explored the ‘Complete Athlete Checklist’ and talked about carb loads before performance. 

We hope the Camp was enjoyable and insightful for participants and we’d like to thank our special guests for their time supporting the programme. 

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