SVA Annual Report 2010-2011

Scottish Volleyball Association Annual Report 2010 to 2011

BIGGER • BETTER • STRONGER

Scottish Volleyball Association www.scottishvolleyball.org

Contents

Contents 1. Message from the President

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2. CEO Review

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3. Finance

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4. Commission Reports

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Beach Coaching Competitions International Special Events Referees Student (Universities) Youth and Schools

5. National Teams Report

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Senior Women’s Senior Men’s Young Senior Women’s Young Senior Men’s

6. Statistical Report 2010 – 2011

Scottish Volleyball Sponsors

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Scottish Volleyball PARTNERS

Hello and a very warm welcome to this year’s Annual Report.

It is a particular pleasure for me to make these opening remarks as I end my first year as President, and what a busy, exciting and fruitful year it has been. The pages that follow are jam packed with impressive detail of some of the highlights of the year from across all aspects of the sport; we are clearly making good progress towards our strategic objectives of being 30% Bigger, Better and Stronger.

I can also assure you that these successes are only the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps the most pleasing aspect for me so far in my Presidency has been to have witnessed first-hand the huge degree of commitment and passion that our sport enjoys from its committed band of supporters. The amount of effort that goes into the development, playing, coaching, officiating and volunteering of Volleyball within schools, colleges, universities, on beaches and particularly week in, week out from within our clubs is truly impressive. To everyone who gives of themselves for Volleyball I extend my warmest thanks and congratulations, it is through your efforts that we are where we are. Thank you.

M essa g e f r o m t h e p resi d e n t

Message from the President

I would also like to take this opportunity to say a special thanks to my Board colleagues for their hard work and commitment to the continuous development of our sport and to the Presidents and Members of each of our Commissions who are the engine room of all that we do. My final thanks go to the dedicated SVA staff who have continued to deliver the highest standards of service in a challenging year, but one that was very fruitful for us in terms of our adding to the growth in the Scottish population!

Together as an Association we mark our progress in this Annual Report. I hope that you agree with my reading of the detail, that we are doing very well in meeting our set targets and objectives. So, we look back on 2010/11 as a good year in progressing Volleyball, which, in turn, gives us a benchmark and platform for the future with increasing targets and expectations. But the year ahead is no ordinary year as we build towards the landmark London 2012 Olympics and the unique opportunity it will provide for increased media exposure and interest in three Volleyball disciplines: In-door, Beach and Sitting. The opportunity this will provide for increasing Volleyball participation and performance is one that we need to be prepared for and one which we need to maximise. Please join me in working to create and build this momentum, my expectation is that it might just result in our seeing a step-change in the profile and popularity of this great sport in our country.

Jim Berryman President

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C eO R E V I E W

CEO Review Scottish Volleyball’s professional Staff, Board, Commissions and Volunteers have worked “up and beyond the call of duty” these past twelve months, to complete year 2 of our Strategic Plan – Bigger, Better and Stronger, thus clearly demonstrating, once more, how to drive forward and deliver Volleyball through difficult financial and corporate times.

Overall this has been an exciting and challenging year for the SVA office. In particular there have been a series of temporary staff arrangements required to support professional staff through their maternity leave. We also have had to rely on the established professionals, Commissions, Board and Members to do even more than before. With every single person who has been asked to help rise to the challenge, we have managed to improve our corporate delivery, strengthen our communication, and have delivered 90% of the year 2 key performance indicators.

The success of the 2010/11 year 2 Operational Business Plan has ensured that as an organisation we have reached a level of delivery which “punches above it’s weight” in many different areas, and provides a professional office with a strong and vibrant working environment, for staff and members.

Priority areas delivered 2010/11 • Introduction of the SVA new Membership Scheme • Development of the SVA Continuity Business Plan and Risk Register • Pilot a new University Regional League in Dundee and Angus • Establish the SVA as an Area Institute partner for performance athletes 2011/12 • Successful funding of the SVA International Influencing Strategy for UKsport 2011 – 13 • Completion of sportscotland’s Business Operational Plan 2010/11 • sportscotland; funding secured for two years, 2011 – March 2013 • Sponsorship; new National Teams Sponsor ZOTI and the expansion of Schelde to incorporate continental sports • New Staff; Sponsorship Project Manager, intern appointment, finishes October 2011 • Events; Youth and Senior Internationals, National Cup Finals, Schools’ Cup National Finals • Increased Beach Tour dates with an exciting partnership with the Royal Yachting Association – the “Sea and Sand” community project • Sitting Volleyball Programme, delivered with the support of Stonelaw High School and South Lanarkshire Council

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• Competitions and Events, national priority to increase profile and professionalism • University, increased participation base and competition structures • Beach, expansion of tour, youth involvement and player pathways • Coaching, leading the way with the UK Coaching Framework and Coaching Certificate • Referees, continuation of the 2012 Olympic training programme and senior International appointments in Europe • Youth and Schools, re-launch of the JNL with specific emphasis on youth membership

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Key areas for delivery 2011/12

Specific “high profile projects” 2011/12 • 2011 Children’s Games, 4th – 7th August 2011 • Club Administrators Day, 21st August 2011 • SVA Talent ID Conference, 10th September 2011 • CEV Congress and Board Elections, September 2011 • SVA Sitting GB Tournament 2011/12 • Small Countries International Beach Event, 2012 • GB European League Event, 2012 • London Olympics, August 2012

The SVA Board and Commissions have increased their depth of knowledge and experience, working positively with the appointment of Jim Berryman as our new SVA President. Scott Borthwick, SVA Board Director has emerged in a leading role for the Association as the SVA Company Secretary. We also have a new Board Member in Raymond MacHugh, who has a remit for Marketing and Communication, and has supported some exciting SVA projects, including one for Scottish Volleyball’s Olympic 2012 dreams, with the Beach Sponsorship Project for Robin Miedzybrodzki.

As CEO I would also like to express my thanks to our other Board Members; Vice-President Mel Coutts and Technical Director Sandy Steel, along with a special thank you to Steve Scott who stepped down from the Board in March 2011, after many dedicated and faithful years of service. Finally another thank you is extended to Malcolm Dingwall-Smith, the SVA and sportscotland Partnership Manager, who has been a tremendous support to both Board and the office throughout this year.

To conclude I always look back to a quote that was penned when we were writing our 4 year Strategic Plan 2 years ago “The most important resource any NGB has at its disposal is the people who populate the sport”...today more than any other day this is so true.

Margaret Ann Fleming Chief Executive Officer

My sincere thanks to all who have made this a great year for me personally!

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FINANCE

Finance The provisional accounts for the year ended 31st March 2011 have been prepared by the SVA Finance Officer and are currently being reviewed by Haines Watt, Chartered Accountants.

The below review reflects the main priority areas for the Association in relation to income and expenditure for 2010/11.

INCOME Total annual income of £314,539, 2010/11 shows an increase from £308,476, 2009/10. sportscotland We are grateful to sportscotland for their continued support during the year of £206,290 (09/10, £204,720) which included new funding of £5,000 towards the Youth Programme, £5,000 towards our Club Grants programme and £5,000 towards developing a partnership between Scottish Volleyball and the North Lanarkshire Local Authority.

The SVA also generated income of £97,735 (09/10 £91,293); primarily this can be shown as, club affiliation fees £36,483; competition fees £7,572; coaching course income £17,121; referees course income £1,382; sponsorship £19,000.

Sponsorship We are pleased to confirm the continued support from our National League sponsor, Schelde Sports, which has a new British partner, Continental Sports, value for 2010/2011 £3,500.

Gerflor Gerflor have continued their consistent and positive support with a value of £4,500 being received towards the development of the SVA Junior Programme for 2010/2011.

SVA in partnership with FIVB SVA in partnership with FIVB received a brand new Taraflex court to the value of £26,000 to be used in partnership with Glasgowlife and the new NISA Sport Centre, opening 2012.

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Mikasa Mikasa have also continued their support of the Association with the roll out of club equipment both In-door and Beach, value over a 4 year period, £8,000.

ZOTI ZOTI have become the brand new addition to the SVA sponsorship partners with a clothing agreement with all the SVA National Teams.

The value of the agreement is £12,000 over the next 3 years.

Significant local authority contributions also came from Glasgowlife in their support for the Christmas Challenge, December 2010, of £5,000.

EXPENDITURE Provisional total annual expenditure of £314,538, 2010/11 was broadly in line with the previous year (09/10, £319,112) with the following exceptions: Website We have continued to invest in the upgrading of the SVA website with a £4,500 investment funded primarily through the introduction of the new membership system and Blog.

Staffing costs Staffing costs increased to £175,832 (09/10, £141,998) which reflects the increased activities of the SVA during the year, adding a full-time administrative officer, seasonal office staff and our new Pathways Manager.

Margaret Ann Fleming CEO Scottish Volleyball

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B E A C H C o mmissi o n R e p o r t

Beach Commission Report The Scottish Beach Volleyball Tour became 5 years old in 2010. We had it all going on this year, with junior festivals, a universities event, coach development, referee courses, scorers and linejudge clinics and 8 great Scottish Tour events providing some top quality play.

The season began with a Beach Coaching CPD clinic supported by the Coaches Commission and run by Denise Austin, a well respected coach and international Beach player. This was a great success with participants going away with the confidence to be able to coach the game to others. The next step is to provide an official Beach Volleyball coaching qualification which we will be able to roll out in Scotland.

The 2 junior Beach Festivals in Portobello, run

by Mel Coutts, and in Troon, run by Gillian Lyall, have been hugely successful for many years now. This year saw an additional festival at North Berwick, run by Emma Girot and Jamie McHardy, and next year we hope to run even more, now we have some more coaches!

Our next events were Beach Referees Grade 4 and Grade 3 courses which were supported by the Referees Commission and run by Jeff Brehaut, who has a wealth of experience, from refereeing Olympic finals to being FIVB Technical Supervisor on the World Tour.

The Grade 3 was run alongside the Scottish Universities Beach Event which provided some great Beach Volleyball and an excellent chance to practice and demonstrate skills for the Beach officials. A team of officials from Scotland continue to train hard, and will be attending the Beach Volleyball Olympic Test Event in London later in 2011 and other events abroad, with hopes of being in the final team for the Olympics in 2012.

The Scottish Tour kicked off with the Grampian Open, which, in its second season, brought many new players onto the tour from around

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Aberdeen. We hope to see many of their faces again in 2011. Portobello was next on the calendar, which went off without a hitch.

Consistently one of the biggest events on the calendar with lots of different competitions going on at the same time. This year there was also a Scorers and Linejudges Clinic run at this event by Shelly Paterson for those who wanted to learn more about this aspect of officiating and possibly wanted to become involved at international level and potentially the Olympics. Troon was the next stop, with some more fantastic weather and great play, followed closely by Broughty Ferry, the King & Queen of the Beach, the St Andrews Championships, Troon (revisited) and the Jets Open. The St Andrews event is another event which consistently tries to improve year-on-year and this year saw a seated area for spectators for the first time. And who could miss Colin McGinlay’s dulcet tones on the PA! The Scottish Tour winners this year were Colin Paterson and Ulla Barnick.

On to Scots on the World and European Tours, Shauna Mullin continues to do well with her partner Zara Dampney. Robin Miedzybrodzki is on the sponsorship trail in an effort to gain sufficient funds to enable him to play in the necessary events in Olympic qualifying year following a BVF funding cut. Both players won at Weymouth and at the VEBT finals in 2010.

The whole GB Team have been buoyed by the news that host nation berths have been allocated to GB Mens and Womens Team for 2012, which will inspire them to do well going into the 2011 season. Good luck to them all.

A big thanks to the SVA office for all their hard work again this year, to the organisers of all of the events and to all who participated. Looking forward to seeing you all on the Scottish Beach Tour in 2011!

Colin Paterson President, Beach Commission

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C o ac h I NG C o mmissi o n R e p o r t

Coaching Commission Report This has been such a busy year for the Coaches Commission, and this report needs to begin with a huge ‘Thank you’ to the members of the Commission, and the group of tireless Staff Tutors for their dedicated service.

The remit of the Coaches Commission is the strategic development of both the structures and content of our coach education and development programmes, and we have filled the calendar with projects and programmes including; • 7 UKCC level I courses • 6 one day ‘Introduction to Coaching’ courses • 5 Fast Track player and coach development sessions • 5 CPD Clinics for coaches including 1 Clinic on the Beach • 2 ‘Game On’ mentoring clinics • Consistent deliveries to various Universities • 1 Coach Forum as part of the ND project • A sustained mentoring programme for UKSG Coaches • A sustained mentoring programme for identified Club Coaches

Some highlights from the year…

Denise Austin’s exceptional Beach Coaching Clinic. May 2010 – Portobello - the sun was a bit wishy-washy, but Denise was clear, was brimming over with information, and was full of enthusiasm for the task.

Jeff Williams’ terrific CPD Clinic on developing the offence. February 2011 – the gym at Coltness was full of players, of coaches, of enthusiasm and commitment for the topic and Jeff’s expertise.

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The ‘Game On’ mentoring clinics in September 2010 – Scottish Coaches passing on their experience and expertise to other Scottish Coaches...great.

The hugely successful Northern Development Project. Kids from the North East being offered the opportunity to pursue the dream of excellence...and succeeding.

All of this work is not possible without the help and support of a large group of people.

The members of the Coaches Commission who give so freely of their time. The group of Staff Tutors who deliver the courses and support in so many ways. The group of Staff Coaches who deliver such expertise, my grateful thanks to them all.

A special mention is probably justified to John Orr, for all the work, the enthusiasm, the support, thanks John.

In addition to all that has been identified, the Coaches Commission has overseen the appointment of two Head Coach positions for National Team Programmes; has organised and supported the very successful Collaborative Practice Day; has welcomed Shelly Paterson as the latest recruit to the Commission; has introduced and developed a Quality Assurance System to ‘check and challenge’ the processes and procedures of the UKCC level I award, and finally has contributed significantly to the development of the UKCC level II award.

A very busy year indeed!

Thomas Dowens Chair Coaches Commission

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C O M P E T I T I ON S C O M M I S S I ON R e p o r t

Competitions Commission Report The Competitions Commission continued to administer the running of five divisions of the National League and eight cup competitions; Scottish Cup, Thistle Bowl, Scottish Plate and the ZOTI Top Teams Cup. Having had a quiet time last year, this season proved more challenging for the Commission, as the spell of particularly bad weather at the turn of the year meant that several matches were postponed, and this, allied to the postponement of the First Division in the early part of January to enable the National Teams to compete in an event in Luxembourg, and the general business of the competitions calendar, meant that some teams had to play multiple matches in the same week in order to fulfil their commitments.

The Commission would like to thank and acknowledge that it was to the credit of all teams and clubs that this feat of rearrangement was accomplished.

There were several problems requiring mediation and the Competition Commission completed these issues in a professional and satisfactory manner. The stability of the National Leagues meant that clubs were able to stay within the boundaries of the regulations on the vast majority of occasions.

As reported last year at the SVA AGM, the Competitions Commission no longer had the right to hear appeals and this became the responsibility of an Independent Appeals Panel comprising of SVA members. This change allowed for successful resolution for many clubs who were unhappy with a decision made within the Competitions Commission. Many appeals were upheld in favour of the Competitions Commission’s original decisions, however it did highlight the need for a full review of how our Competition Commission, competitions and structures are all delivered and this review shall be carried out over the closed In-door season.

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Overall, the National League stayed the same size as last year. South Ayrshire and Dundee entered a second Men’s team each and we were on course for the first growth in the League size for several years. However, just before the season was due to commence, both Team Fife (Men) and Glasgow Mets (Women) indicated that they would have to withdraw from the First Division. This necessitated a hasty reworking of the fixtures, and Troon Kyle & Carrick (Men) and South Ayrshire (Women) were reinstated to the top flight at short notice.

Competition winners were as follows:

Men’s Division One Women’s Division One Men’s Division Two Women’s Division Two Men’s Division Three

Glasgow Mets City of Edinburgh South Ayrshire Troon Kyle & Carrick Glasgow Mets II

Men’s Top Teams Cup City of Edinburgh Women’s Top Teams Cup Troon Prestwick & Ayr The Cup Finals at Wishaw Sports Centre proved to be once more the highlight of the indoor playing season. 16 teams, 8 finals, a 600 strong crowd over both days, from U19 Junior players to veterans of our game, the Cup Final extravaganza weekend was truly a feast of Scottish Volleyball at its best. You can read a full list of Cup Final winners on the website www.scottishvolleyball.org with the SVA senior Winners being – Women, Troon, Prestwick & Ayr, and for the Senior Men, Su Ragazzi VC. After 27 years as a Member of the Competitions Commission, and the last seven as President, I have decided to step back from the Commission and have resigned as President.

Mike Heaney has already taken over the Presidency for next season, and I would like to wish Mike and the rest of the Commission good luck for the new year ahead.

Steve Scott President, Competitions Commission, 2010 – 11

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I NT E R N A T I ON A L S p ecia l E ve n t s c o mmissi o n R e p o r t

International Special Events Commission Report Another busy year for the Special Events Commission as we strive to make each event more professional. Last year’s Finals Weekend was a triumph – a Taraflex floor down, protocol running smoothly, a crowd and exciting matches!

Over the summer, I was lucky enough to be involved in the GB Euro League set up again, taking on the role of Technical Manager, Court Manager and Accommodation Liaison – further enhancing my events experience and hopefully stepping closer to a position at London 2012.

Our photographers, Lynne Marshall and Michael McConville were also heavily involved in this programme with Lynne travelling to the away fixtures with the teams too.

In September, the UK School Games were held in Newcastle and many of the Special Events Team were involved this year. Mike Heaney and Michael McConville attended this event – albeit as Referees, but also as representatives of the SVA Special Events Team. Javier Ramos was, for the second year running, a Court Manager, further building his experience in this position and I took on the role as Technical Delegate.

In November, we welcomed a new member to the Special Events Team with stalwart Gail Wilson giving birth to our newest member – Emma! We’ll hopefully see Emma and her mummy back at events soon!

The Top Teams Cup Finals were the first event in a busy December and ran successfully at Wishaw Sports Centre. A relatively new event in the calendar still provides a fantastic day of Volleyball. A quick switch across the city a week later saw the weekend of the Christmas Internationals.

Despite weather worries with heavy snow, England and Northern Ireland were able to join our home teams to put on a showcase of

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Volleyball at the Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena.

2011 so far has proved to be another busy year for the Special Events Commission. Both the cup semi finals and the National Cup Final weekend, were played at Wishaw Sports Centre.

The Special Events Commission and the SVA have built up over the past 3 years a really nice relationship with the Wishaw Sports Centre staff, who are always willing to help, and go that extra mile to make our Cup Finals weekend something to remember. This year the Cup Final weekend was Bigger, Better, Stronger than ever before! Thus enabling the Special Events Commission help fulfill Scottish Volleyball’s strategic ambitions.

I look forward to another summer of Volleyball this year with involvement in the GB Programme again. The test event for London 2012 also takes place this summer which I hope will have representation from the Special Events Team.

Finally, in August 2011, we look forward to hosting the International Children’s Games.

This will take place at Wishaw Sports Centre and we hope to have many of our Volleyball Community involved in the organisation of this event. Already, the Organising Team are in full planning mode as the event approaches – let’s make it an event that Scotland can be proud to host!

Jen Downs President, Special Events Commission

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R e f erees C O M M I S S I ON R E PO R T

Referees Commission Report The work of the Referees Commission can broadly be grouped under the following: Domestic Training Activities • Servicing of Competitions • International Involvements

Achievements 1. Domestic Training Activities: • Three Grade 4 • Two Grade 3 • One JNL introductory and 1 JNL upgrade 2. Servicing of Competitions and Other Activities • Appointments to League and Cup • Appointments to and servicing of other SVA Competitions • Appointments to SOVT at Perth In connection with all of the above, full credit is due to Brian MacDougall for his sterling efforts on behalf of Volleyball to appoint to all competitions.

3. International Involvements • Appointments to Internationals – all requirements met • Alice Stewart and Douglas Orr have done excellent work to get line judges and scorers to SVA/BVF events

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• Training for potential Olympic NTO’s continued with Euro-League events initially run by Sandy Steel. Further training events have taken place within the Home Nations • CEV appointments – international referee administration and appointments (targets met) • NeVoBo appointments – targets met, many thanks are due to Peter Scheffer of Netherlands for making this happen • FIVB Activities – Referee Administration, registration and ratification/Rules of the Game Commission/World Championships Events • Brian MacDougall will take the reins of probably his third FIVB World Event later this year, August 2011 in Argentina, the first British referee to do so. Well done!

John Swan and Grant Macintyre have also received CEV appointments • UK School Games was well supported from SVA Personnel and Referee Commission • Sandy Steel has been nominated as Refereeing Delegate in the World Championships in Brazil this summer 2011 and is to conduct an International Referee Course in Thailand

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Training in Detail • The new format of Grade 4 has proved to be successful, allowing the maximum of enjoyment from the participants, and a minimum commitment • Successful pilot of evening Grade 4 Club Referees Course • Piloted one new day Grade 2 course in a successful Club Tournament format • Four NTO’s will score at International Beach events this summer as part of the GB NTO programme

International Referees/ International Involvements Currently we have had three fully ratified international referees. The relatively healthy number of CEV appointments has shown that our referees are every bit as good as other European referees. Nevertheless, we continue to need all our referees to gain nomination to Youth and Junior World Events in preparation for London 2012, and to generate “legacy” for the future.

Sandy Steel attended the FIVB Headquarters in Chateau les Tourelles, Switzerland, as President of FIVB’s Rules of the Game Commission, in January 2011 and again for the Executive/Board meeting in March to determine the annual budget and formalise the Working Programme for 2011 – 12. He also attended a special meeting in Lausanne to determine the direction of the two Libero issue started at the previous Congress in Dubai and continued at the Congress in Rome. At the time of writing he is now in charge of harmonising Beach and Volleyball rules at the World level. So there may be some changes come the Congress in 2012 in Anaheim, USA (Disneyland).

Commission Responsibilities Brian MacDougall Responsible for appointment of Referees to the National League and other Competitions Albert Jaster Grade 4 Co-ordinator John Swan Referee Commission Meeting Organiser Sandy Steel In charge of Grade 1 and Elite Schemes Grant MacIntyre Referee Commission Vice President, Beach Commission Liaison Officer, BVF Training Co-Ordinator Alice Stewart NTO, BVF Linejudge Co-Ordinator Douglas Orr NTO, BVF Scorer Co-Ordinator Alan Bryce Commission Secretary Well done to all those involved and I hope to see you on the 21st August at the SVA Administration day.

Sandy Steel President, SVA Referees Commission

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S t u d e n t ( U N I V E R S I T I E S ) C o mmissi o n R e p o r t 18

Student (Universities) Commission Report Scottish Student Volleyball has had a busy season on all fronts. Student player registration figures reached 273 for the current season, highlighting the high number of players involved in the sport within universities. A record 26 teams participated in this season’s Scottish Universities Leagues for Men and Women, with Dundee and Edinburgh Universities deservedly taking the Women’s and Men’s Division 1 honours respectively, while Strathclyde won the Men’s and Glasgow won the Women’s 2nd Division.

In the Cup Competition there was a healthy overall entry of 21 teams, with both Edinburgh and Dundee completing the “double” in the Men’s and Women’s competition respectively.

The level of play produced in some of the league and cup fixtures is impressive and the involvement of overseas players, as always, adds an extra ingredient to the sporting mix on court.

Success on the Scottish front enables the top University teams to challenge on the British stage and once again Scottish teams did well at the British Universities Championship Finals in Sheffield in March. In the Trophy Final St Andrews easily dispatched Southampton 3 – 0 to continue the recent Scottish success in this event (Dundee and Aberdeen having won in the previous two years). In the main Championship, a weakened Edinburgh University Men’s team were unfortunate to finish just sixth, however Dundee University Women’s team capped an outstanding season by making their second British Championship Final in three years, losing 2 – 0 to a Leeds Mets side bristling with international experience.

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On the representative front, the fourth Scottish Student Challenge for Women took place at Dundee University in April, involving the Scottish Universities, Scottish Senior and Scottish Junior squads. The Scottish Universities Squad registered an historic 3 – 0 win over the Senior National Team following their earlier 3 – 0 victory over the Scottish Junior Squad. Scottish Universities coaches Tom Rooney, David McEwan and Aileen Hall are to be congratulated on their work with this squad of players.

This year’s Scottish Colleges Tournament had a very positive entry of 14 teams (8 Women and 4 Men), with Kilmarnock and Aberdeen Colleges winning the Men’s and Women’s events respectively. Aberdeen College is to be congratulated on securing a bronze medal at the British Colleges Finals in Bath at the start of April. The hard work of Jenni Lloyd in the Scottish Universities Sport (SUS) Office is to be commended in continuing to grow Volleyball activity in the FE sector.

The quality of development and administrative work which takes place in many student Volleyball clubs was highlighted this season when Dundee University VC picked up the “Club of the Year” award at the annual Dundee Sports Awards in February. The University club epitomises the strengths of student Volleyball: enthusiastic volunteers investing significant time and energy to support team and individual development and providing opportunities for all levels of play and ambition; be that officiating or playing.

Student Volleyball continues to be an important part of the overall activity in Scotland and 2010/11 has been another positive and productive year for this sector of Scottish Volleyball.

Paul McPate President, Students Commission

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YO U TH A ND S C HOOL S CO M M I S SI ON R e p o r t

Youth and Schools Commission Report This has been a challenging year in terms of personnel, however thanks to the Office, Board and Commissions the effects on participation were not too disruptive. JNL saw the same number of teams entered and all school festivals took place with a similar number of team entries. School affiliation is currently lower thAn 2009/10, however steps are currently underway to increase this for next season. Several clubs took advantage of the grant aid available and many had the ‘Meet me at the net’ experience to improve links between clubs and the SVA. A ‘Club of the Year’ award has been introduced to recognise and reward all the various programmes and commitments that are required of the membership in the daily running of their clubs, and their related successes.

Other highlights have been the Scottish Schools Cup which was once again a phenomenal success, with a further increase in the number of teams that were entered. We also had the UK School Games 2010 in Newcastle, where Scotland, and the SVA were represented by 48 very proud players and their 12 industrious Coaching Staff and Managers.

In conclusion, it has been an exciting season for current and future Volleyball players of all ages; please read below for this season’s statistics: • Affiliation – 53 Schools affiliated (43 HS, 7 PS & 3 Combination) • National School Festivals – 8 events, 326 teams entered which equates to 1000+ pupils • JNL – A JNL referee course and Grade IV upgrade course kicked off the season for the 26 teams entered (U16 – 7 girls & 5 boys, U19 – 8 girls & 6 boys) • Scottish Schools Cup – 81 teams entered (29 P7/S1, 26 S2/3 & 26 S4/5/6 teams) • UKSG – 24 U16 Girls and 24 U17 Boys represented Scotland in Newcastle 2010 • Grant Aid – £2,700 allocated between Clubstart, Early Club Development and Club Development Awards • ‘Meet me at the net’ – 6 club visits undertaken with the support of the SVA Board • ‘Club of the Year’ – New recognition award introduced with 6 nominations entered • Youth & Schools Commission – 8 members and 3 meetings this year with the main focus being on increasing affiliation/participation and the structure of JNL • Child Protection – The Association have now moved to the new PVG Scheme and have a comprehensive Child Protection Policy and Good Practice Guide • Action 2011/12 – A mass distribution project is currently underway, aimed at increasing school affiliation and participation, as well as targeting the key people involved in delivery of Volleyball in Scotland. The restructuring of the JNL is being investigated, to improve the competitive outlet for Juniors, as well as the potential development opportunities as we approach the Olympics. UKSG will adopt a more school based structure from 2012, therefore options of how the SVA incorporate this are being explored

Heather Darling SVA Interim Club and Participation Development Manager

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S E N I O R W O M E N ’ S N A T I ON A L T E A M R E PO R T

Senior Women’s National Team Report The Senior Women’s National Team Programme started out a busy year with a Young squad travelling to Leeds to participate in the Carnegie Tournament. Thanks are due to Simon Loftus, who continues to offer valuable practice and competition opportunities for Scottish sides. The Women came out with a 1 – 3 record but the youngsters who travelled gained valuable court time in a higher level of competition. They took time to readjust to the competitive environment but they benefited from the experience.

The Scottish Universities Tournament provided a further chance to gain match experience.

The squad won all of their matches and demonstrated excellence in several aspects of their performances.

The next event was in Liechtenstein for the Small Nations Tournament. Hopes for good performances were high for this one. The Scottish Women were well prepared, and ready, and all that can be said is, well...if it could go wrong in the build up to the event itself it did! The contingency factors that had to be dealt with included players having to attend weddings, players sitting exams, and the continuing fall out from volcanic ash.

The stable element in the midst of all of the disruptions was the commitment and buy-in from the players and the staff. To try and place the effects of the contingencies in perspective it should be noted that the Scottish Team only had three recognized players from the squad which competed in Breda the previous year.

The team was new; we were disciplined and we travelled to succeed.

In the event we lost the three matches.

Overall our play improved, but we lacked the experience and competitive edge to close out sets. However on a very positive note we

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created the platform to win sets and matches in the future, and this can only get better as we develop quality match play.

In the face of strong opposition the players demonstrated a formidable spirit and their willingness to look for opportunities to improve was consistently in evidence. The commitment of the players was matched by Team Manager Gail Campbell’s efficiency. She supported in every way, ensured the communication lines were both clear and productive, and was unmoved by the various contingencies that were encountered – Gail was a stalwart of the campaign. Malcolm McLean is fast becoming an outstanding IT Analyst, his help with the tactical preparation of the players was invaluable.

Dave McEwan grows with every game.

Coltness High staff also provided a valuable support to the infrastructure of the squad training and my thanks goes to South Lanarkshire Council for their continued support of Scottish Volleyball.

In December, to conclude a very busy and challenging 2010, we were invited by the English Volleyball Association to participate in a two day training camp with the English Ladies.

The problems created by the very adverse weather conditions were overcome, and the two scrimmage matches that were played were very helpful.

January 2011 saw the squad heading to Luxembourg for the Novotel Cup. The leadup to the event was excellent and the hosts put everything in place for quality Volleyball to take place. The venue, accommodation, practice environment and match schedule were all excellent. The matches again highlighted that the Scottish side have the capacity to perform and compete at this level, but lack the experience, and perhaps the confidence to overcome adversity in the competitive arena. Three matches played; three good performances, but again three losses.

Craig Faill is now the new Women’s NT Coach and has already made significant changes that are designed to help the programme take ‘the next step’. My best wishes go to Craig, and the squad, for every success in the future.

John French Woman’s National Team Head Coach

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The lack of consistently effective hitting on the ‘outside net’ continues to appear to be the main problem. However, the re-emergence of some of our British players, particularly Jen Thom, offers great hope for the future. The team pattern and systems of play are all good, but we must learn to play with sustained focus to match the teams at this level.

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Senior Men’s National Team Report This season has been a hugely successful one for the Men’s National Team and the players and staff associated with it. After the first season with the squad it was important that we moved things forward in terms of the style of play and I think we have gone some way to achieving this.

In May 2010 the squad qualified for the Small Nations Finals for the first time in 6 years with superb wins over Ireland, Faroe Islands and Andorra. A major factor in this success was the buy in from the players and the extended preparation phase we had, which included winning the Scottish Open Tournament in Perth and finishing 2nd at the Leeds Carnegie Invitational Tournament. In total we played 12 matches in the build up to Andorra which was vital in building the team cohesion and the level of play.

In December we continued our rivalry with England in the Zoti Glasgow Life Christmas International Series. This series was important for the squad as it saw a number of new players receive their first International Caps and more importantly get a 13 year monkey off our back.

The victory against England in the second game will be memorable for a number of reasons but in particular Stuart Edgar playing an unbelievable game in what was his 100th for Scotland.

His attitude and leadership on and off the court is an excellent model for all the young players who are making the transition from the highly successful Junior team.

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I should at this point highlight the work that Simon Coleman, Ian Cook, Stuart McGrenary and latterly Ian Brownlee have done with the Junior Team over the last 2 years; a number of these players are now staking their claims on the Senior Team.

January saw the team return to the Novotel Cup in Luxembourg where we took on the hosts, Belarus and Stevens Tech from the USA. We finished 3rd which was an improvement on the previous year but we again came up short against Luxembourg in the game which mattered most. Lack of composure in critical phases of the game cost us the match.

Heading to the finals this will be the area in which we will work very hard to improve.

On my support team of Iain Parker, Steve Scott and physio Kenny Watt I am extremely grateful for your dedication and help over the last 12 months, I could not do it without you!

Finally after Andorra I lose my assistant Iain Parker, he is taking over the Junior squad as head coach.

Iain has been a superb assistant and friend and I wish him luck with his new appointment.

Simon Loftus Men’s National Team Head Coach

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Young Senior Women’s National Team Report With the positive addition of the UK School Games in the last five years the number of high quality female players in the teenage age group has never been greater.

The job of the under 20’s coach is as I see it, is to develop this group still further and to retain a high level of interest in the game among that group.

With this in mind, a large number of very good quality playing opportunities for the squad were put in place over the last 12 months.

18 young players attended the Scottish Universities challenge tournament in April 2010 and competed with great credit against the Scots Universities and a Senior Scotland Team.

In May a Scotland under 20 and a Scotland under 19 team took part in the Scottish Open Division of Honour and managed to win matches against senior club sides at this prestigious competition.

In September 2010, the UKSG’s took place in Newcastle and although this was not under the remit of the Scotland under 20’s group , coaches from the under 20 programme assisted in helping the West and East of Scotland to finish with a creditable 3rd and 5th place respectively, both sides finishing comfortably ahead of Northern Ireland and Wales. Over 60 players trialled for the games with 24 players ultimately enjoying the magnificent experience that is the UK School Games.

In August 2010 two different under 20 sides competed in matches organised by Troon Volleyball Club against top English side Leeds Carnegie and then finally at christmas, 38 different players participated in a variety of challenge matches at the Kelvin Hall on the same weekend as Scotland’s Senior and Junior Men competed and won against England and Northern Ireland respectively.

At the Kelvin Hall that weekend the Scotland under 15 team took to the court for the first

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time ever against the North of England and went down narrowly by two sets to one against much more experienced opponents. The West of Scotland played the East at under 20 level and the Scotland under 20’s played the under 19’s.

In the coming year 2011, the under 20’s are going to Belgium at Easter to play against Youth players from the top end of the game in Belgium and Austria. This will be a massive and useful challenge to Scotland’s best Youth players. They will go there having attended an EasterCamp and having played in the Scottish University Triangular Tournament.

Then at the end of May the under 20 team will be playing against England twice in a weekend at Sheffield prior to the GB Men’s team playing in European League matches. On the same weekend we hope that we will be able to put out two teams in the Scottish Open at Perth.

My vision is to have in place over the next 12 months well established age group squads at under 14, 16, 18 and 20 level.

These are exciting times for Scottish female Youth players and apart from improving the performance level of these young women to enhance markedly the standard of the Women’s game in Scotland, we hope to find the new Mel Coutts, Gillian Lyall, Morag Thow, Audrey Cooper (the Scottish coach to the GB Women’s side) and Jess Reid. That is, women who have been massive influences on the Women’s game over a long number of years.

I would like to thank many people who have made the last year possible. The Scottish Volleyball Association particularly through Margaret Ann Fleming and Thomas Dowens and my fellow Youth coaches Tom Rooney, Aileen Hall, Gordon Cree, Jenny Krawczyk, Scott McIntyre and Martyn Johnston and of course Linda Anderson our team manager.

Vince Krawczyk Scotland Young Senior Women

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Young Senior Men’s National Team Report The Scotland Young Senior Men practiced over October – December 2010 in preparation for the Glasgowlife Zoti Christmas Internationals.

The Scotland Young Senior squad have been established in the Scotland YS Programme over the last 3 years. Many of the players also have a significant and growing number of caps at the UK School Games U17 Competition, representing East and West of Scotland respectively. This international experience is paying dividends and can been seen with the impressive level of Volleyball these players are achieving. Recent achievements include the back to back 3 – 0 victories over England Juniors at the Kelvin Hall in December 2009.

The 2010 Glasgowlife Zoti Christmas Internationals brought the challenge of Northern Ireland, who won the gold medal at the 2010 UK School Games in Newcastle in September.

Scotland played Ireland in a double header on 17th and 18th December at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. The strength of the current Scotland U21 squad was shown as the team achieved convincing 3 – 0 wins in both matches (Friday 17th - 25-20, 25-11, 25-21 and Saturday 18th 25-10, 25-23, 25-14).

The team was captained by Fraser Brown (formerly Glasgow Mets and now with Leeds Carnegie). Jamie McHardy (City of Edinburgh) was voted MVP on the Friday 17th match and Seain Cooke MVP was awarded MVP on Saturday 18th. Strong performances from libero Liam Darling, middle blockers Mark Lawson and Conner Boyle (gaining his first Scotland U21 caps) and power hitter Sean Hendry meant there was no weakness to give the Ireland Team a foothold into the match.

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It is a cliché to say the Future is bright. The YS Men are an excellent group of players who have a bright future ahead of them. Seain Cook and Andrew McGregor received their first Scotland Senior caps in 2011, with Jamie McHardy 1st reserve for the Small Nations Finals, and Sean Hendry helped Glasgow Mets to the Scottish 1st division title in 2010/2011.

Some of these players will now work with Simon Loftus and the Scotland Senior Men and others will continue for another year in the Scotland Young Senior Programme with permanent Head Coach Iain Parker. Best wishes to Simon, Iain and the players in their continued Volleyball career. I am sure we will be seeing some of these players wear the Scotland Senior Men’s jersey in the years to come.

Ian Brownlee Interim Head Coach (October - December 2010) Scotland Young Senior Men

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Statistical Report 2010 – 2011 In Summary, the affiliated and active members of our Association as at end of Season is as follows: Affiliated Clubs

54

Registered Teams

135

Affiliated Schools

53

Senior Membership

1030

Junior Membership

215

Associate Membership

32

Qualified Coaches

Male Female

Level 0 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 UKCC

1 387 52 28 8 12 75

2 264 34 22 2 2 51

Registered Coaches

51

16

Qualified Referees

Male Female

International Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Beach Junior

4 9 26 41 177 5 40

0 0 8 27 175 4 39

Registered Referees

125

93

Player Registration

Male Female

Division 1 Division 2 Division 3 University District Seniors District Juniors Junior

93 97 66 124 227 8 102

109 70 0 149 127 15 146

Sub Totals

717

616

Total Player Registrations

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Beach (over 8 Beach Tours)

Men Female Total

2V2 106 51 Junior Mixed Teams

157 86 56

School Festivals

Male Female

P6/P7 (1 Festival) S2/S3 (2 Festivals)

32 220

46 P7/S1 (2 Festivals) 174 220 S4/5/6 (3 Festivals) 186

Male Female 192 138

75 104

70 104

72

Scottish School Cup P7/S1 S4/5/6

S2/S3

84

School Participation - take on School Affiliation Information - approximate figures Curricular Activities

17502

Extra Curricular Activities

2723

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BIGGER • BETTER • STRONGER

Scottish Volleyball Association, 48 The Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9TJ Telephone: 0131 556 4633 Fax: 0131 557 4314 Email: info@scottishvolleyball.org www.scottishvolleyball.org

Scottish Volleyball Association