3Touch December

DECEMBER 2011 www.volleyballengland.org

VL :N A IDE THE I NS

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF VOLLEYBALL ENGLAND

AC CT TIO IO NR N FR EPLA YOM THE CATCH UP WITH FEATU RED GAMES

NATIONAL ACADEMY

Update on the Volleyball England Academy

WIGAN SEAHAWKS VOLLEYBALL CLUB Off to a flying start

COACHING PACKS From Volleyball England

Volley Sport VolleySport is designed for players with little or no experience of volleyball working at Key Stage 1 and 2 or beginner groups starting volleyball for the first time.

Mini Volley Mini Volley aims to build on player’s experiences of VolleySport and is primarily focused at those working at Key Stage 3 or groups that have limited previous experience.

Super Mini Volley Super Mini Volley provides the key link in the transition from small-sided volley games to the 6v6 version. It is aimed at players working at Key Stage 4 or those with a sound foundation in Mini.

Young Referee The Young Referees award is suitable for 14 - 19 year olds and will enable the candidates to competently officiate all of the smallsided game formats of the Let’s Play Volleyball programme.

The course is mainly practical in nature and referees learn skills through active participation in fun and interactive activities.

Young Leaders The Volleyball Leaders award is suitable for Year 10 (Key Stage 4) and above students, young club members or anyone wishing to develop their skills through coaching, refereeing and organising community volleyball activity.

For more information please visit www.volleyballengland.org

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On the cover: Megan Viggars (Newcastle Staffs and GB) in action against Leeds Photo Courtesy: Mark Pritchard Bimonthly - Volume 10 - No 3 ISSN 1479-0785 If you would like your news or views printed in 3Touch Volleyball, get in touch with the editor at: Volleyball England SportPark, Loughborough University, No. 3 Oakwood Drive, Loughborough Leicestershire LE11 3QF E-mail: info@volleyballengland.org Tel: 01509 227 722 Fax: 01509 227 733 English Volleyball Association Ltd. is registered in England number 2023635.

Published December 2011 by

Newark Street, Accrington, Lancs BB5 0BP Email: info@mercer-print.co.uk Designed by Paul Jones Editorial Board: Lisa Wainwright - Chief Executive Rob Harding - Head of Marketing and Communications Jessica Taylor - Marketing Officer Mark Pritchard - New Media Officer Subscriptions/Merchandise: £3 per issue, £15 annually Volleyball England: 01509 227 722 © Volleyball England 2011 For all queries regarding subscriptions, non-receipt and address changes, email Volleyball England at info@ volleyballengland.org or write to Volleyball England at the address shown above.

Please include your affiliation number in all correspondence.

Although this is an official publication of Volleyball England, the views expressed in this magazine may not be those of the Association. Products appearing in 3Touch Volleyball magazine are not necessarily endorsed by Volleyball England.

All contributions welcomed. These should be emailed to the editor at info@volleyballengland.org, where possible, or sent to Volleyball England for the attention of the editor, 3Touch Volleyball magazine. All photographs should be captioned to identify their contents and the photographer noted to acknowledge the source.

Volleyball England Equality Statement: Volleyball England supports the principle of equal opportunities for all participants, members, representatives and employees whilst working for, or on behalf of the EVA. It opposes all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination on the grounds of age, colour, race, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origin, gender, marital status, sexuality, HIV status, or unrelated criminal convictions, or disability.

regulars 4 WELCOME

Welcome message from President Richard Callicott

5 VOLLEYNEWS

News and Views from the world of volleyball

9 CLUB DEVELOPMENT

An update on Volleyball England’s exciting new campaign ‘Go Spike!’

Plus results from England Volleyball’s annual Membership Survey

20 COMPETITIONS

NVL Action Replay: Match reports and pictures from the featured games

features 13 WIGAN SEAHAWKS OFF TO A FLYING START

Interview with Wigan Seahawks 18 months on from its launch on what it takes to be successful

16 WORLD POLICE & FIRE GAMES, NEW YORK 2011

Report and photos from the volleyball action at the World Police & Fire Games 2011, held in New York

18 TECHNOLOGY IN Volleyball: video analysis

A look at how video analysis can improve volleyball performance

23 POLONIA IMKA LONDON TAKE ON EUROPE Report from the NEVZA Club Championships in Denmark

24 NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL ACADEMY

Catch up with Volleyball England’s National Academy one year on from its launch www.volleyballengland.org

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e m o c l e w

Richard Callicott - President There has been so much to look back on during 2011 and so much to look forward to in 2012. There have been many highlights over the past 12 months and I would like to mention just a few which represent how far our sport is progressing, against the backdrop of changing social and economic factors.

In March, the first of a number of exciting new facilities was opened in Worthing as part of Volleyball England’s strategic plan to increase people participating and enjoying beach volleyball.

We also received the great news that our beach men and women GB teams would join their indoor counterparts taking up their host nation places at the London 2012 Olympic Games, demonstrating long-term future development in the sport and helping to drive participation.

In April, we welcomed the first of our HEVO (Higher Education Volleyball Officers) to a training day at the National Volleyball Centre (NVC), Kettering, as part of a drive to increase participation in Universities. This excellent programme has gone from strength to strength with over 50 HEVOs leading the volleyball revolution in their Universities; encouraging more and more people to play. April was a busy month for National Volleyball

England Centre as it played host to the 2011 National Cup Finals.

Congratulations to everyone involved, it was a excellent weekend with great crowds.

I would like to give a special mention to Polonia IMKA London who completed a remarkable double in 2011, not only winning the Women’s Cup Final but also being crowned Super 8 Women’s Champions.

It was a jam-packed summer, not least with all the grass and beach tournaments being organised all over the country, including our very successful Volleyball England Beach Tour (VEBT). We received the wonderful news that Dr Don Anthony founder of Volleyball in Great Britain was awarded an MBE in the Queens Birthday Honour’s.

Don founded volleyball in this country over 50 years ago and has been instrumental in development.

I was overjoyed to see pictures of him receive his award last month.

We also received confirmation the National Volleyball Centre was to be an FIVB Development Centre, extending our International and development opportunities. The NVC played host to a number of events in 2011 including the prestigious European Committee Volleyball for Disabled (ECVD) Continental Cup. The ECVD Continental Cup is an International Sitting Volleyball Tournament for some of the leading countries in the world. It was a great honour for England to host the event and my thanks to the ECVD and UK Sport who helped support the event. I would like to thank everyone involved in making the tournament such a success.

Following the competition, the men’s team sitting received the great news from the British Paralympic Association (BPA) that they had accepted their host nation slot of London 2012

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Congratulations to Lisa!

Congratulations to Volleyball England Chief Executive, Lisa Wainwright, on the birth of her daughter, Mackenzie ‘Kenzie’ Wainwright on the 21st October, weighing in at 6lb 14oz.

Mother and baby are well and everyone at Volleyball England wishes them all the very best.

Paralympic Games. We hope they will be joined by the women’s sitting team to ensure all GB volleyball teams are represented at the London Games, despite some of the teams having their funding withdrawn.

tickets at next years Games and I was delighted with the great performances of the GB teams and the fantastic support they received from the busy grandstands and media.

The summer also saw the launch of our Go Spike campaign to attract a wider audience to participate in the sport, in all its forms. The nationwide campaign was lead through an array of ‘come and try’ Go Spike sessions and has delivered some encouraging results to date. We look forward to its growth in 2012 and recognise its importance as we try to grow participation figures in volleyball.

In November, we received the great news that from 2018, beach volleyball would be a Category Two sport at the Commonwealth Games. This means hosts will have the right to include beach volleyball in their programmes.

This is fantastic news for the sport in this country and provides a great platform to move forward on.

More information will be known shortly and covered in future editions of 3Touch.

It would not be accurate to talk about the summer without mentioning the Olympic Test Events. For the first time the UK got a feel of what next year will be like with two volleyball Test Event in Earls Court (indoor) and Horse Guards Parade (Beach).

The VISA FIVB Beach Volleyball International showed why beach volleyball will be one of the hottest

This is just a flavour; there has been plenty more I could discuss and share but hopefully the points covered have demonstrated the exciting times ahead for volleyball.

It has been a great year and thank you to everyone who involves themselves within the sport and the efforts that are made to grow it; it is appreciated at every level.

See you in the New Year!

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European Sitting Volleyball Championships 2011 roundup

Dr Don Anthony, the founder of Volleyball in Great Britain receives his MBE

Dr Don Anthony, the founder of volleyball in Great Britain recently received his MBE at Buckingham Palace, in recognition of his services to sport.

The GB women finished in 7th place, in what was a very tough competition against some of the best teams in the world. The team showed great improvements over the duration of the tournament in game structure and concentration, especially in their final match, beating Hungary.

I can think of few who have deserved this more than him. His work as a senior lecturer in UNESCO and the University of the Eastern Mediterranean as well as his work in the history of sport for the British Olympic Association and especially with the discovery of the link with Pierre de Coubertin and Much Wenlock should never be forgotten. It is a fitting tribute that one of the mascots for London 2012 has been christened Wenlock.

Congratulations Don.”

© BMTotterdell

Don founded the Amateur Volleyball Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (AVA) in 1955.

Volleyball England President Richard Callicott commented: “Don Anthony was the founder of Volleyball in this country over 50 years ago and since then has been instrumental in the development of the sport of Volleyball. This is a richly deserved honour and one that is well overdue.

© BMTotterdell

The GB men’s and women’s sitting volleyball squads recently returned home after finishing in their highest ever positions in the European Championships, held in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

GB Captain Emma Wiggs in action

The GB men’s team finished in 9th place overall. This was an important competition for the team, after their 7th position in the Continental Cup in July. The team will take many positives from the tournament but were disappointed with their loss in the pool stages, against Poland.

GB’s Jabber Muzzafar blocks during their game against Poland

The women’s competition was won by the Ukraine who beat the Netherlands in four sets in the final (25-21, 26-28, 25-15, 25-14).

The team from the Ukraine have already qualified for London 2012 with a top-three finish at last years World Championships.

The Netherlands have also secured their spot in next years Games due to their second place finish, in their home country.

In the men’s final, Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Russia in the gold-medal match in four sets (22-25, 25-23, 25-10, 25-23).

Bosnia and Herzegovina, have already qualified for the London 2012 Paralympic Games with their second-place finish at last year’s World Championships. It was a very impressive tournament for the champions; as they managed to win all of their matches without dropping a single set until the semifinals against the Ukraine.

Community Development Coaches support Olympic legacy in Tanzania!

Volleyball England Community Development Coaches Megan Hopkins and Gerard Van Zwieten recently swapped their usual sports halls for a quite different coaching venue; Arusha, Tanzania! The week long visit was part of LOCOG’s International Inspiration programme, which aims to deliver on the London 2012 promise to ‘reach young people all over the world and connect them to the inspirational power of the Games so they are inspired to choose sport.’

During their trip, Gerard and Megan

supported a group of Tanzanian teachers to improve their volleyball coaching skills and learn how to deliver Volleyball England’s Young Leaders and Young Referees award.

The end of the week was rounded off by a huge sports festival, run by the course participants and attended by several VIPs including the Tanzanian Ministry of Sport and Paralympian superstar Oskar Pistorius.

Gerard Van Zwieten

Megan Hopkins

Watch out for the full details and photographs of their visit in the next edition of 3 Touch!

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s w e n y e l vol Nienburg Sitting Volleyball Tournament, 2011

by Team Captain, Anton Raimondo “East London Lynx Sitting Volleyball club achieved UK volleyball history by being the first team across all genres of the sport (Standing, Beach, and Sitting) to win a European tournament.

The Ergenisse von Nienburg 2011 two day tournament is held annually just 50km north of Hannover in the small town of Nienburg. Hosted at an eminent agricultural college, over the years it has become one of Germany’s top club tournaments attracting teams from across Europe including Denmark, England, Norway, Serbia and top clubs across Germany. This year’s event included 10 teams of a range of standards, from a social team (Rulitschka – tournament sponsors), to Leipzig – Germany’s league champions.

The tournament was split into two Pools with Lynx fighting through 3 rounds to reach the finals.

Throughout the tournament we maintained a relaxed and structured style of play; surprising many of our opponents and breezing through to the finals. We saved our best performance until last where we faced favourites and previous cup winners, Leipzig. We dominated much of the final and took the game 25-22, 25-13. There were notable performances from John Munroe, who devastated with his topspin serve, Rob Richardson who surprised the opposition with his quick 2nd touches and Netra Rana, with a number of spectacular saves. It was a fantastic team effort and we will be looking to build on this on our return to Europe for tournaments in Leersum, Holland and Hamburg, Germany.”

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Torch Trophy Trust Rewards Volleyball England Volunteers

Volleyball England Hall of Famer and volunteer, Freda Bussey, was recently awarded A Torch Trophy Trust award, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to volleyball.

Freda was presented with her award by Her Royal Highness, Princess Alexandra at The Army and Navy Club in London.

Freda has been involved in all levels of the game and her contribution to the sport is incredible, with even more time being devoted to the sport since her retirement as PE Teacher.

Freda was an England international from 1972-1981. In 1986, she founded Ashcombe Volleyball Club and obtained lottery funding to build the Ashcombe Volleyball Centre in 1999.

She was recently responsible for a successful bid to build new beach courts on Worthing sea front, which were opened in March 2011.

Freda is currently the Chairman of South East Volleyball Association.

A further nine Volleyball England volunteers were commended in recognition of their service and commitment to the sport; Will Roberts, Steve Walton, Mark Graham, Gordon Neale, Sam Dunbavin, James Kemp, Charlie Orton, Alan Xu and Steve Betts - all received commemorative certificates as runners up.

‘’It was a huge honour to receive the award, as I know how many other people give their time freely to their sports and dedicate so much of their time to helping others achieve in sport.”

Princess Alexandra. It was a fantastic evening.

I was also introduced to former Rugby International, Roger Uttley and Silver medal Olympian and Chairman of Sports Coach UK, Chris Baillieu”, Freda commented.

‘’It was a huge honour to receive the award, as I know how many other people give their time freely to their sports and dedicate so much of their time to helping others achieve in sport.

The Torch Trophy Trust originated in 1948 when London last hosted the Olympic Games.

Before every Olympic Games a torch relay is organized journeying from Olympia in Greece to the Host City. Following the 1948 Games, the Torch designed for the last leg of the Relay into Wembley Stadium was presented to the Trust. Since then the Torch Trophy Trust has provided bursaries to assist volunteers in sport and presented awards to individuals who have been identified as making an outstanding contribution as a volunteer in their chosen sport.

Being involved in sport has been a major part of my life; as a player, PE Teacher, Volleyball Coach, Local and National administrator and much more. It has been very rewarding to watch so many young people progress in the many different sports I have coached.

The highlight of the Awards Ceremony was meeting my life long hero Sir Bobby Charlton and being presented with my award by

BPA defer decision on Women’s After finishing in their best position at the European Championships, the GB Women’s Sitting Volleyball team were dealt a blow when The British Paralympic Association (BPA) announced that it has deferred the decision to accept their slot at the London 2012 Paralympic Games until February 2012. This scenario is also true for Goalball (both men and women’s squads), but Wheelchair Fencing has been given the green light.

Explaining the decision, BPA CEO Tim

Hollingsworth said, “The decision for Goalball and Women’s Sitting Volleyball is not a ‘no’, it is a deferral at this stage. Both sports have a tougher challenge to meet credible performance standards for London as neither sport competed in Beijing or Athens. It is therefore right that they have longer

Updates from in and around the world of Volleyball. If you have any news that you’d like to share please email info@3touchvolleyball.co.uk

Volleyball’s Ashley Trodden 2011 UK Coaching Awards Finalist Ashley Trodden, the Assistant Coach for the Great Britain Men’s Sitting Volleyball Squad and was a finalist in the Heather Crouch Young Coach of the Year Award at the 2011 UK Coaching Awards, hosted by Sports Coach UK. Ashley was one of three finalists that beat over 300 nominees from a range of sports to make the shortlist. The glittering awards ceremony was held at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower in London on 29th November.

Over the last year, Ashley has had success at both National and International level. He successfully led Surrey Gators to victory in the Sitting Volleyball Grand Prix series during the domestic season as well as being instrumental in the progress made by the Great Britain Sitting Volleyball Teams over the last 12 months.

off the court.

The nomination tops off an exceptional year for Ashley, who has enjoyed success both with his teams and personally. As a coach he was named the Volleyball England Performance Development Coach of the Year and as a player has enjoyed success with Malory Eagles (London), earning him a place in the England Development Squad.

It is fantastic that Ashley has been recognised for all his hard work and a reflection of the strides taken by volleyball coaches from across the country.

“We are extremely proud of the outstanding work done by Ashley and our coaches from across the country,” said Craig Handford, Volleyball England Head of Technical Development and Excel.

As Assistant Coach for the GB Men’s team, Ashley was involved in the squad’s 2nd place finish at the Harpers International Competition, 7th place finish at the ECVD Continental Cup in Kettering and 9th place finish at the recent European Championships.

GB Assistant Coach Ashley Trodden in action

Ashley is also heavily involved with the GB Women’s team through his work at Project Roehampton, where he leads daily training for players from both squads and helps to co-ordinate training schedules both on and

“This is a dream that comes true for our Beach Volleyball club and I assume this is just the very beginning of a great era for Beach Volleyball in Sweden and hopefully also in the neighbouring countries” stated Ulf Norman, CEO of the new Beach Centre.

The impressive venue houses 16 courts and 2,500 tonnes of sand. It also incorporates restaurants, bars, a gym and relaxation area. Both members of the public and athletes are encouraged to enjoy the feeling of a natural beach with lamps with sun-like effects installed around the courts.

Olympic facts

s GB Sitting Volleyball Squad

“As an organisation we have been working very closely with both squads for the past couple of years, including engaging them directly in our supportive Talent Transition Programme.

We are now equally

The world’s largest indoor Beach Volleyball centre was officially opened in Goteborg, Sweden recently.

Simon Dahl, a former beach volleyball player who represented Sweden twice at the Olympics, was the Project Manager of the opening and is extremely pleased with the outcome of a very special weekend: “The Beach Centre has exceeded the expectations of everyone here in Sweden and we had a great opening, with splendid matches from players including the world’s elite and crowded stands”.

Ian Le Grand, Head Coach of the GB Men’s team was delighted for Ashley and the recognition he has received. “Even though Ashley didn’t win the award, to be nominated is fantastic and very much deserved. He has put in an incredible amount of work over the last year and the progress of both GB squads is in no small part down to the effort he has put in.”

to continue developing prior to any final decision having to be made.

World’s largest indoor Beach centre opens in Goteborg

committed to continue to work closely with them towards the February review. At the same time we are serious about ensuring that every athlete and sport that goes to these games is able to match our clear criteria for credible performance.”

Richard Callicott, Chair of GB Volleyball said “Whilst we are disappointed not to be given the green light by the BPA at this stage, the players know that it’s not a ‘no’ and are all determined to keep going to achieve their goal of competing at London 2012.”

The first Olympic Volleyball competition was held in Tokyo 1964, when the gold medals were won by the Soviet Union (men) and Japan (women)

Barbara pictures – acknowledgement In the final Hall of Fame article, (October 2011) a number of pictures were not credited correctly. The following player’s photographs: Jurek Jankowski, Alex Bialokoz, Vince Joyce, Richard Dobell, Phil Newton, Matt Jones and Ucal Ashman were supplied by Barbara Totterdell for which we are very grateful.

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ITALY WOMEN SEAL BACK-TO-BACK TITLES IN JAPAN

Italy were once again the queens of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Cup as they successfully defended their crown in Japan.

The quadrennial round-robin event showcases the very best 12 men’s and 12 women’s national teams in the world.

Italy were joined by FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix winners USA who finished second and China in third. All three join Great Britain at the Olympic Games next year.

It was a tense affair right until the last few matches, with hosts Japan as well as Brazil and Germany all still fighting for one of those precious top three berths. However, in the end all three fell short as Italy tore up the script to deliver a memorable campaign.

Continental Qualification Tournaments Dates: Africa: TBC Asia: Women: May 19-27, 2012*, Men: June 2-10, 2012* * Jointly with the World Olympic Qualification Tournaments organised in Japan Europe: Women: May 1-6, 2012 (Istanbul, Turkey), Men: May 8-13, 2012 (Sofia, Bulgaria) Norceca: Women: (dates and location TBC), Men: May 11-19, 2012 (Puerto Rico) South America: Women: May 1-15, 2012 (location TBC), Men: May 1-15, 2012 (location TBC)

World Olympic Qualification Tournament

The qualification process for Volleyball at the 2012 London Olympic Games for the 12 teams per gender (24 in total) will be:

The World Olympic Qualification Tournaments consist of three tournaments for men and one for women to be held between May 19 - June 10, 2012.

1 host country (Great Britain)

Schedule: Women’s World Olympic Qualification (Tokyo, Japan), May 19-27, 2012

3 from the FIVB Volleyball World Cup 2011 (first, second and third) 1 from each Continental Qualification Tournament 3 from the World Olympic Qualification Tournaments

Men’s World Olympic Qualification (Rome, Italy), June 8-10, 2012 Men’s World Olympic Qualification (Berlin, Germany), June 8-10, 2012 Men’s World Olympic Qualification (Tokyo, Japan), June 2-10, 2012

UPDATE ON INTERCHANGEABLE LIBERO RULING Rule 4.1.1 a team may consist of a maximum of 12 players. This rule now applies at both the domestic and International level of the game.

Rule 19.1.1 a team may consist of a maximum of 12 players, and of those twelve, a team has the right to designate up to two (2) of them as Liberos. (i.e. none, one, or two).

The existing Libero exchange protocol has not changed, (a completed rally between exchanges), but now either of the Libero players can replace a backcourt player, or the off-court Libero can replace the one on court provided the Libero exchange protocol is observed.

This rule applies at both the domestic and International level of the game.

For literal corrections made to the 2011 rule book visit the Volleyball England website at www.volleyballengland.org/ refereeing/rules/rules-of-the-game.php

Safeguarding Star!

Janet Inman, Volleyball England’s Development Director, has been named as a NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) Safeguarding Star.

These awards were introduced by the NSPCC CPSU to recognise individuals who have contributed extensively to safeguarding children in sport either through direct action or improving organisational policy. From a large number of extremely strong nominations, there were six eventual Safeguarding Star award winners.

Janet shone out to the panel due to the huge impact she has made in the area of safeguarding in sport, both in her role as a volunteer at Volleyball England and also as Director of Lincolnshire CSP. She holds a unique record of having successfully guided both organisations through all three levels of the CPSU sports safeguarding standards which is a very impressive feat considering the amount of work involved in this! As Director of Lincolnshire CSP, Janet champions

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safeguarding within the county. In addition to being Volleyball England Development Director, she has also taken safeguarding roles at club, county, regional and national level for over 20 years. Through this she has had a huge range of voluntary safeguarding duties, for example writing policies, training, recruitment and case management. Janet has

Janet Inman (5th from the right)

ensured that children’s safety is at the top of all agendas.

sport and Janet is an outstanding example of this.”

Stuart Johnson, Head of Development for Volleyball England said, “Volleyball England is thrilled that Janet’s enormous contribution to safeguarding in our sport over a number of years has been formally recognised. We are very grateful for the support of all volunteers in the

The Safeguarding Star awards were presented by Jonathon Agnew (cricket broadcaster and former England cricketer) and John Amaechi (former British-born NBA player) at the 10th Anniversary CPSU Gala Dinner at Warwickshire County Cricket Ground in Edgbaston.

The evening was a double celebration for Volleyball England because the Volleyball England Youth Forum had been invited by the CPSU to be on the judging panel for the Safeguarding Star Awards. Please be assured that there was no volleyball bias! Hannah Carey and Jenny Little from the Youth Forum were then involved in the presentations at the Gala Dinner explaining why each of the winners stood out to the panel.

Both girls thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Hannah said, “I loved the Awards Evening and being part of the Volleyball England Youth Forum – it feels so good to think that you have a say in what happens.”

clubdevelopment

nto pdate I U et G Volleyball

The Go Spike campaign which aims to get 10,000 more adults (16+) playing volleyball was launched in May 2011. After a busy summer of activity information is filtering back on number of people that participated at events across the country.

The Six Projects of Go Spike: events with activities that have taken place across the other five projects.

Events for 2012 are already starting to be planned. If you know of a high footfall event taking place near you let us know and we will see if we can link volleyball to it. Email info@ gospike.net with the details.

2. Team to Club 1. Go Spike at External Events TARGET: 5,000 participants ACTUAL: 4,837 participants Volleyball was taken across the country to high footfall events between June and October.

The Go Spike experience varied between an outdoor court available to passers by to ‘Come & Try’ the Volleyball England Speed Cage*. A variety of events was covered which included Race For Life, County Shows, local festivals, Airshows and linking with other sporting events.

The locations were chosen based on areas where volleyball

resources were available to allow the opportunity of continued volleyball participation afterwards. This included support from affiliated clubs and Community Development Coaches.

A total of 71 Go Spike events have taken place between June and October combining external

TARGET: 500 engaged, 250 retained ACTUAL: 701 engaged, 151 retained Team to Club was a project aimed at increasing the membership of Clubs within England who had a membership base of 25 members or under. The 28 Clubs who signed up to the project were given funding and Go Spike resources to help recruit new

players through Festivals and Come & Try sessions. 12 Team to Clubs now have regular activity being promoted via the Go Spike website.

If your Club consists of 25 members or under and you are looking to increase numbers let us know by emailing info@ gospike.net

3. Semi Permanent Beach Hubs TARGET: 5,000 new participants, 1,000 weekly participants ACTUAL: 886 new participants (Weekly participant data is not available yet)

Volleyball England have purchased 20 beach volleyball net systems that will be used in ten different locations with the support of local councils and

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clubdevelopment volleyball clubs. The equipment will be up for at least six months of the year and can be used by the general public as well as local clubs. Out of the ten locations three have already used their equipment; Weymouth, Skegness and Bridlington. Confirmed sites will receive net systems available for use from April/May 2012: Tendring, Redcar & Cleveland and Weston Super-Mare.

Three more locations are still to be confirmed. The locations will be announced in the New Year.

4. Permanent Beach Hubs

have been set up in Worthing and Margate.

Further information on locations and how to book courts are available via the Go Spike website: www.gospike.net

5. Higher Education Volleyball Officers (HEVOs) TARGET: 700 new participants, 1,500 weekly participants ACTUAL: 542 new participants (based on one off festivals), 555 weekly participants

TARGET: 5,000 new participants, 1,200 weekly participants

Two other permanent courts

TARGET: 2,000 new participants, 200 weekly participants ACTUAL: 2,591 new participants, 850 weekly participants Affiliated Clubs have been promoting their outdoor sessions over the summer to the general public. A total of 37 Club sessions were advertised on the Go Spike website for individuals to find via the postcode session finder.

Each Club that submitted their details received Go resources to help promote their session. This activity has continued through to the indoor season.

If your Club is currently not advertised on the Go Spike website and you are running an opening session that you would like to be advertised then email info@gospike.net with the following information:

ACTUAL: 443 new participants (Weekly participant data is not available yet) The sand from the Beach Volleyball Test Event at Horse Guards Parade, has now been distributed to three locations across London to create seven permanent beach courts. Crystal Palace (pictured) and Leyton (Waltham Forest) each have three courts with one court at Westminster. Each location ran a launch event across September and August and volleyball activity still continues across the three sites.

6. In the Park/On the Beach (Open Club Activity)

There are currently 45 Universities, actively promoting volleyball to the students at their Universities. This has involved events linked to freshers weeks and holding one off Festivals to help promote the recreational sessions available. You can view the list of Universities linked to the project via the Go Spike website.

• Venue address (including postcode) • Day and time of the week the session is on • Cost to attend (we recommend the first session being free and charging a pay as you play amount thereafter) • Contact at the Club for more details (name, email, telephone) • Club website, Facebook and Twitter details (if applicable) Any Clubs that have their sessions advertised on the Go Spike website will receive resources to help promote the session. We will also require monthly feedback on attendance figures to help monitor participation levels. *The current participation figures in this area also includes the work of Volleyball England’s Community Development Coaches (CDCs)

Go Spike promotion

Crystal Palace Beach Hub

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Underpinning all of the projects is the promotion in the form of the Go Spike website, social media forums and PR support from Promote PR.

Website TARGET: 10,000 unique users The Go Spike website (www. gospike.net) was created to engage new people in the sport of volleyball with basic information on what volleyball is as well as to promote sessions and events that are part of the Go Spike campaign. The session finder on the home page identifies what activities are going on in your local area based on the postcode you provide.

The activities are colour coded to distinguish the different projects.

Since the Go Spike website launched on July 4 2011 8,450 unique visitors have visited the website. (11,210 total visits) Social Media TARGET: 750 likes/Followers Facebook - 178 likes [Facebook Page ‘Go Spike – Get Into Volleyball’] Twitter - 132 followers [Twitter Page: ‘Go_Spike’] E-News - The first monthly Go Spike E-news went out in October to 564 people and reached over 1,000 by November.

Did you want to get a copy of the monthly Go Spike E-News? All you need to do is register your details on the Go Spike website Promote PR have been working on the Go Spike campaign across the last 5 months and since then stories have circulated in different media forms including web articles, magazines, newspapers and national TV which has accumulated circulation coverage of 99,574,296.

Please Note: All data is up to date as of 9.12.11. Data is updated on a monthly basis.

For more information about Volley 123 accreditation or about sharing your club news, email Kate Rothery, National Club Development Officer at k.rothery@volleyballengland.org

2011 Survey results drive improvements in Member Services Thank you to everyone who replied to this year’s Volleyball England Membership Survey, your views really are vital to the organisation as we strive to improve our service to all our members. We were really pleased to see improvements in satisfaction across all our programmes from 2010, with some really positive comments about the Beach Tour and our Annual Awards in particular.

Here’s a summary of what you, our members, told us this year and what Volleyball England is doing to address your feedback and improve what we offer.

• You told us that you didn’t know enough about what’s on offer to Volleyball England members….

All members now receive a Membership Handbook as part of their affiliation pack, including all the details of member benefits, competition dates and support contacts.

• You told us that you wanted discounts on hotel bookings for your team’s away matches and for your supporters… We have now signed a deal with new partner Helms Briscoe, a top hotel booking company.

All members can access their booking service which offers excellent rates in almost any

location for any bookings of 10 or more. For more details please contact Helms Briscoe’s Carole McKellar, she is a volleyball player, coach and volunteer – contact her on 01625 267 888 or cmckellar@helmsbriscoe.com.

• You told us that facilities are a real issue for many clubs…

We know that finding quality, affordable and available facilities is a real challenge for volleyball clubs across the country.

Volleyball England are now working together with 4 other indoor sports to create new guidance on ‘Developing the right sports hall’ to create a more efficient and flexible approach to the upgrading of sports facilities.

We hope this will increase the number of quality facilities on offer to our clubs.

We continue to work on other improvements to our services including the development of a brand new user-friendly website, increased coaching and refereeing courses and even more partner discounts for next season.

The 2012 Membership Survey will be launched in May next year, but in the meantime send your views to Kate Rothery, National Club & Membership Development Officer, at k.rothery@volleyballengland.org

network welcomes new clubs!

Volleyball clubs receive over £19,000 of awards from Sport England!

Congratulations to Harlow VC, Croydon VC and Ashcombe VC who have all been awarded grants in October and November from Sport England to support the development of their clubs. Between them they have received an impressive £19, 268 from the Small Grants fund.

Surrey’s Ashcombe VC have long been a prominent force in English junior volleyball and now have secured significant funding to allow them to continue developing the volleyball stars of the future. The club has received £7,168 to set up a new junior club for 12-14 year olds who have been inspired by local Change 4 Life volleyball clubs. Ashcombe’s newly set-up Sitting Volleyball side, Surrey Gators, are also driving the project and are looking forward to welcoming young players to their growing squad.

Rising stars Croydon VC, a club which has only just celebrated its second birthday, now have a top facility to call their home.

The club were awarded £5,600 from the Small Grants fund to set up the

Croydon Volleyball Centre based at partner school St Thomas More. Their bid also has allowed them to continue offering free sessions and matches to juniors, a policy which really encourages local young people to get involved in volleyball.

Harlow VC are by contrast a brand new club for the 2011/2012 season. New Head Coach Ilia Kalanov, a top volleyball coach originally from Bulgaria, arrived recently in the area and quickly spotted a gap in the market for a volleyball club. After running some informal sessions that were increasingly well-attended, the £6,500 awarded will now allow the club to set up a top quality volleyball court in the local sports centre and buy the volleyball equipment and kit that the club really need to start up.

If your club would like to make an application to the Small Grants fund, visit www. sportengland.org/funding or contact Volleyball England s National Club Development and Membership Officer.

Kate Rothery, k.rothery@ volleyballengland.org

With the Volley 123 programme accrediting its landmark 50th club over the summer, the programme continues to grow from strength to strength welcoming Dartford VC and VK Barnet to the network this month. Congratulations to the volunteers and members of both clubs for all their hard work!

Congratulations also to Tettenhall Tigers Volleyball club, who become only the 9th English volleyball club to achieve Volley 2 accreditation. This puts the West Midlands based junior club into an elite group of clubs who have all demonstrated quality standards for young people above the minimum requirements.

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Higher & Further Education

3 Touch takes a look at the excellent work taking place in higher and further education institutions from across the UK… Participation Research Research shows that students who play sport at college and University are most likely to continue playing that sport for life. Also highlighted in the research was that Volleyball is growing within both colleges and Universities - with 50% of colleges now offering volleyball activity.

Reports indicate that volleyball is one of the top 5 sports which students are most likely to try or participate whilst at University. It is with this in mind that Volleyball England has made a commitment to developing volleyball within the higher & further education sectors.

the programme also supports other sports/ leadership courses. The duration of each award is 6 hours and can be delivered by any Level 2 volleyball coach or PE teacher.

Special Offer!

Volleyball England currently has a special offer for all colleges to purchase both their Young Leaders & Young Officials course for just £75, (usually £100). Please contact Volleyball England’s National FE & HE Development Officer- Zoe Hughes (z.hughes@volleyballengland. org).

Universities & Colleges

Volleyball England’s HEVO scheme launched in March 2011 has 51 student volunteers (HEVOs) in place throughout Universities in England. The scheme has grown quickly in popularity; with students recognising the opportunities and work experience it provides for career development.

So far the scheme has proved to be an excellent asset for developing University Volleyball and raising the profile of the sport to the student population.

HEVO Success!

Volleyball England is working in partnership with British College Sport to help further develop volleyball within colleges.

The Volleyball England Young Leaders & Young Officials courses aim to provide potential young leaders & officials with a basic knowledge of volleyball. These courses are designed to help develop the skills and confidence needed to introduce aspects of the game safely. This is a fantastic opportunity for young people the ability to learn about officiating and how to organise small-sided games, events and tournaments. It is a great way to introduce volleyball, enhance players knowledge and

Institution. With the introduction of this role, Volleyball England aim to encourage more students to participate in volleyball through; club development, promotion and the creation of recreational sessions and intra mural leagues at each of the HEVO sites.

• 51 HEVOs at 45 Universities • 1,500 students playing volleyball weekly throughout HEVO Universities

Higher Education Volleyball Officers (HEVO) The Higher Education Volleyball Officer (HEVO) is a voluntary role for University students who will help develop volleyball within their Higher Education

Congratulations!

Congratulations to all HEVOs who have held their mass participation volleyball festivals to help attract new members. Loughborough University used Volleyball England’s speed cage and tested student’s spike speed and attracted nearly 100 students! York St Johns University held an outdoor tournament on campus with a BBQ – inviting all those who attended, to their training session that evening.

Also congratulations to Loughborough University who have completed and achieved their side out accreditation and have received a £100 Sportset voucher for their University.

• In October & November over 500 students have attended HEVO organised volleyball festivals • 26 students qualified Level 1 coaches • 15 student referees qualified • Strong relationships built between Universities and Volleyball England to ensure continued success

HEVO Case Study:

Chester, Sunderland & Middlesex University The HEVOs at the University of Chester (Mattias Horseman), Sunderland University (Eve Porter) and Middlesex University (Steve McMahon) have done a fantastic job of developing a volleyball club within their University.

The 3 students were accepted onto the HEVO programme in March 2011, with little or no volleyball club in place at each of their Universities. The students worked closely with their University Sports Department and Volleyball England to put together a plan and secure; volleyball court time, players and equipment ready for the start of the academic year in September.

Sunderland University now have a fantastic pathway in place for students who wish to take up volleyball. Sessions on offer range from beginner leading into social, intra-mural competitions and finally BUCS team training.

The volleyball programme has been so successful that they have piloted volleyball to run a separate community session for students and community players.

The University of Chester have had a 100% increase membership and now compete in BUCS, under the new name of the “Chester Huskies.” The name change came about due to their work with The British Huskie Asscociation to help raise money for disadvantaged children.

Middlesex University had no existing volleyball club until this September where it now plays host to 35 regular participants. This is thanks to the hard work of Steve and the University staff who have supported volleyball through their Active Universities programme.

Steve has also set up a friendly London HEVO mixed volleyball league.

If you would like further information about developing volleyball at your college, or to purchase a course; please contact Volleyball England’s National FE & HE Development Officer, Zoe Hughes, z.hughes@volleyballengland.org 12

Off to a Flying Start

Wigan Seahawks’ Men’s National League Squad in action

Just 18 months on from its launch, Wigan Seahawks has gone from strength to strength, achieving success both on and off the court; most recently picking up a commendation in Volleyball England’s Club of the Year 2011 category.

Whilst the players posed for photos for their new marketing campaign, 3 Touch put Club Chairman and Junior Development Coach, Steve Kerr under the spotlight to share the successes, challenges and secrets behind starting up a Volleyball club in the modern crowded sports marketplace.

In the very beginning, Steve supported the Club through his role as Wigan’s Community Development Coach; alongside Sports Co-ordinators, Andy Duncalf and Jim Keaton.

Together they identified Hawkley High and St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School as strong volleyball hubs. ‘‘These schools were doing fantastic work and had a very pro volleyball attitude. It’s really thanks to them that we had a foundation to build on. After some creative thinking by student Rebecca Moroney the Seahawks official club name was coined from the initials of St Edmund Arrowsmith (SEA) and part of the name from Hawkley Hall High School (Hawks).

Wigan Seahawks officially launched in June 2010, hosting an outdoor festival which saw an impressive 150 people gather to take part and celebrate the club’s initiation.

Club Structure At present Wigan Seahawks operate as a Junior Development, Community Club. Steve and the team run sessions in local primary schools for years 5 and 6 and offer a continual pathway

through secondary school, with development sessions and competitions for every age group.

Through operating a solid development structure, Wigan Seahawks’ ambition is to create a pathway from junior level up to National League and form an academy structure. ‘‘We’ve recognised that school competition is great but in order for us to grow talented young people in this sport, beyond school, we need to be offering them a challenge.’’ Following

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www.volleyballengland.org development pathway through the schools, colleges and club.

They currently have 40 young leaders and volunteers logging hours with Volleyball England’s Plus Programme; through their work supporting primary school sessions and competitions.

Goals and Aspirations…

One of the Seahawks’ main goals is to create more opportunities for those interested in volleyball, outside of school. “We have evolved quickly and want to continue to do so. We have some big development plans and ambitions – there are always quite a lot of challenges that go with that. Although, it is so rewarding to look back at the success we have enjoyed in such a short space of time’’

the unfortunate collapse of the City of Preston National League team in 2010, Wigan Seahawks spoke to former Preston Head Coach Simon Edwards (now Head Coach at Wigan Seahawks) about what they wanted to achieve in Wigan and the possible introduction of an NVL side.

After just one year, the Seahawks NVL squad has 17 members (two under 16’s) and currently sit 2nd in the league in Division 3. “Our priority is to grow our own talent, ensuring the NVL team goes from strength to strength. Ask Simon about the future of the National league team and he’ll tell you its promising - have you seen our U11’s play?!’’

What worked well…

Through Steve, Andy and Jim’s

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roles they were able to deliver a lot of curriculum PE volleyball sessions to the local primary schools in the area. Targeting the year 5/6 age group has been a real plus point for the Seahawks. ‘‘The main idea behind working with this age group is that the students are automatically thinking – where can I play Volleyball next?’’

To coincide with the sessions, Steve ran Wigan mini games for the local Primary Schools. Over the last two years 38 teams have taken part with over 200 primary school children from Wigan playing Volleyball. “It’s the last experience they’ll have playing sport at primary and the first experience at high school – this seems to be working well for us.’’

Seahawks also have an excellent programme for young officials and volunteers, creating a clear

Another main focus is to encourage more adult volunteers to take on specialist work at the club. They have already begun to introduce volleyball to the wider community. So far the County Sports Partnership, Sportivate has helped run four adults-only, branded Go Spike park sessions.

These sessions welcomed 60 participants, 9 of whom have joined the club. Next summer the Sportivate project will be implemented across six parks.

“By increasing the capacity to deliver through these small projects we want to see if we can bolster our adult membership whilst encouraging them with volunteering work behind the scenes’’ Steve said.

The Seahawks also have big plans to run ladies-only Sportivate sessions in a bid to attract more ladies to the club.

“It’s going to be a brand new thing, something totally different to encourage them to get active with volleyball. We’re hopeful to gain funding from the Active Woman project.’’

Challenges…

From the outset the Seahawks have found it hugely challenging to encourage the students to make the transition from participating in PE lessons to becoming a committed club member. “To continue growing it is vital that we are able to

change attitudes towards volleyball - to a sport they want to compete in and show commitment towards.’’

One of the toughest challenges is competing with other sports.

In Wigan, Football and Rugby League are the priority sports.

The Seahawks believe they are starting to change this culture.

“Students are beginning to chose Volleyball over other sports especially if they have had exposure to it in primary school. There’s still a lot of groundwork to be done but we are going in the right direction.’’

Another major challenge has been access to funding - booking facilities and securing them as regular sessions being the main issue. “The sessions that we run cater for a wide range of athletes and age groups; from year 7 and 8s right up to the National League squad. It has been tough to cater for the demand and finding the money to support it.

Initially for start-up operations we received a small amount of money from the Wigan Volleyball Development Group.

This enabled the purchase of basic training equipment and volleyballs.”

Support and Funding…

During Seahawks’ launch year they were successful in gaining a Sport England small grants bid of £7,000. £5,000 of this money was capital investment for the sole purpose of purchasing equipment like international posts and slider systems. The remainder of the fund was used as a subsidiary towards membership and competition costs. “We have received a lot of support from both Sport England and Volleyball England, they are the key partners in everything that we do for volleyball.’’

The Premier League for Sport scheme and partnership with Wigan Athletic (WA FC) has made a huge contribution to the success of the Seahawks launch and continual growth.

Funding distributed by WA FC went towards the employment of Steve, alongside funding from Volleyball England and Wigan Sports Council. This allows Steve to operate the project and develop Volleyball around the borough on a full time

basis. “We felt that with this we could influence other schools and make this the driving force behind volleyball development in the borough.’’

secure some money from local businesses and have plans to create a sponsorship package to help generate further income.’’

One of the great things about this project is that the Seahawks are able to associate themselves with a widely recognised and hugely respected brand in Wigan Athletic. ‘‘We ran a big launch at Wigan Athletics’ stadium.

During the event Seahawks members were treated to a meet and greet with the players and tour of the stadium. It’s a big club and has really helped to raise the profile of both volleyball and the Seahawks within the community.’’

Branding and Marketing…

Following the project launch at the football club, Wigan Athletic has continued to support satellite sessions delivered by Steve within the community. One of the main priorities from these sessions is to take the initial interest generated and feed members into the club as a solid exit route to keep them within the sport.

Wigan Sports Council has been another hugely supportive partnership for the Seahawks and volleyball. “It’s fantastic, we’ve been able to get the right kind of people around the table and come up with a development plan that benefits the whole of Wigan.’’ In terms of competition, School Games Organisers have worked well to manage School competitions that feed into County round and Regional competitions. “There’s now a platform to compete as well as just train – this is vitally important for the student’s development and transition into the sport.’’

“We have also managed to

In an exciting development the Seahawks are looking at a marketing company to help brand the club. In an effort to shout louder about the club within the local community and volleyball world, the Seahawks are in the process of creating banners, flyers and posters for distribution. “It’s really important to create a strong identity for the club, where the members feel part of something and that we are easily recognised.’’

To ensure the Club is seen and promoted, the Seahawks endeavour to field a team in as many competitions as possible.

“We feel it’s important to get your name out amongst the volleyball community. Hopefully people are starting to recognise that Wigan Seahawks are a team to watch out for.’’

Wigan Seahawks have also taken the plunge with social media. Over the last 6 months the Seahawks have operated a Facebook as the main form of communications. “To ensure we cover the safe guarding and protection of young members everything is done under the identity of a club page. Facebook has proved to be an excellent way of sending out instant notifications, promoting internal events and getting our members talking about volleyball.’’

Over the last three months the Seahawks have also launched a Twitter account.

Under 13’s Development Squad with Coaches Steve Kerr and Jim Keaten

Under 16 Girls and Boys Squad

The thinking behind this is to encourage its members to tweet about volleyball and the club on a social level. “Whilst the use of these relatively new methods have proved cost effective, we complement these communication channels with email, phone and text messages – collectively keeping everybody informed.’’

On Court Achievements…

Seahawks player Hannah Merrick was invited to the England cadets training camp.

“For a young club having not been established for that long to have a young performer be nominated at an awards and have the chance to go to an England cadets camp is more than we could have hoped to achieved really.’’

National Premier League for Sport – U14 Girls Won 2010, U16 Girls Won 2011, U14s Boys Won, U16s Boys 3rd Regional Lets Play Volleyball – U14 Boys won, U16 Boys won, U14 Girls won, U16 Girls won Regional Premier League for Sport – U14 Boys won, U16 Boys won, U14 Girls won, U16 Girls won National Championships – All teams through round one.

slowly becoming an academy club and that’s where we want to be.’’

Off court recognition…

As a result of a lot of hard work done by the club, the Seahawks now boast membership numbers of around 150 juniors and adults combined. They also have captains in every team which form a junior forum. “It’s very important to us to listen to what our players and teams want out of the club.’’ It is with this in mind that they plan to expand the committee with the introduction of a Junior Men’s captain and Ladies captain seat on the committee.

The Seahawks were recently recognised in the Wigan Sports Council Award ceremony and received nominations in four categories; Club of the year, team of the year, coach of the year and performer of the year.

Topping off their successful year Wigan Seahawks also received a commendation from Volleyball England within the 2011 Club of the Year category. ‘‘This award was a fantastic way to be recognised for a lot of hard work that has been done – we are very grateful to everyone who has contributed and proud of the clubs achievements. It’s more than we could have ever hoped for.’’

Lancashire League Cup – U16s Boys Won The Seahawks also have Harry Edwards and Jack Nurdin on the U17 North of England Boys Squad. “We are all working towards building a club for the development of local home grown talent to excel. We’re

twitter.com/ WiganSeahawksVC

facebook.com/Wigan SeahawksVolleyballClub

Men’s National League Squad

Contact Wigan Seahawks Chairman & Junior Development Coach, Steve Kerr, on 07919 383 010 or wiganseahawks@gmail.com For more information about Volleyball England’s club support please contact National Club and Membership Development Officer, Kate Rothery, k.rothery@volleyballengland.org

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World Police & Fire Games - New York 2011 The World Police and Fire Games 2011, held every two years, is one of the world’s largest multi-sport, Olympic style events for active and retired police and fire service personnel. By Jayne Sharpe game they managed to pick up more points; 5 against Hong Kong and 8 against Finland The last game was all set to be a tough one, with the daunting task of taking on group favourites, St Jerome.

If the group favourites, St Jerome, won the match they would go through to the next round, but if the UK team won, then Barcelona would go through. In terms of group standings, it was still all to play for!

Needing nothing short of a miracle, they stepped onto the court, not expecting much more than the previous games but with the points target of double figures in mind.

Amanda Slater and Alan Bryan

New York City played host to 10 days of sporting competition that respectfully coincided with the 10-year remembrance of 9/11. The impressive 2-week programme saw over 15,000 service men and women gather from over 70 different countries to compete across 65 sports including both indoor and beach volleyball disciplines.

Amanda Slater and Alan Bryan, both from the UK Prison service, entered the mixed beach contest. The beautiful beach of Coney Island provided the perfect setting for the competition; which after a short delay to the start, due to Hurricane Irene, got under way in beautiful sunshine.

The World Police and Fire

games have a history of being a well organised event which attracts a very high standard of competition. Amanda and Alan, unfazed by being the only novices in their group, entered the competition for the love of the game and an opportunity to meet new people from around the world, who shared their passion.

During the first few games the pair struggled to find their feet in the sand. The first game was played against the very talented Barcelona Fire Team, who only dropped two points to Amanda and Alan’s attack.

Gradually, game by game, through a lot of determination, the UK pairing began to show signs of improvement. Each

The 2013 World Police and Fire Games will be held in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

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To Amanda and Alan’s disbelief their miracle appeared - not in the form of an angel but a ‘noisy’ group of UK Prison/ Police officers from the indoor squad. With enough banter to boost the morale of a turkey at Christmas, the group got behind the pair! With every point cheered, Amanda and Alan exchanged point for point with the group favourites; the game continued like this with the UK pair managing to hold onto the lead throughout.

The couple ended the trip with a visit to The Empire State Building, when at the top, just like in several movies scenes, Alan proposed to Amanda and produced a beautiful ring which he had been hiding in his sock. Luckily he had gotten through all the security checks without being rumbled and of course Amanda said “Yes!” Congratulations to both Alan and Amanda from everyone at Volleyball England.

At 20-18, a service error from Amanda was met with a groan from the crowd, as the score hit 20-19, St Jerome with service.

Tension mounted, as the ball was served over the net. The Barcelona team (believing the UK pair could win to help them go through) were also now cheering on the plucky UK pair! The ball crossed over the net, Alan received the ball on the dig, Amanda set with another dig and Alan hit the ball with a top spin lid to the back corner, winning the game!

The Barcelona team, invaded the court in celebration, as the fantastic UK supporters laughed, cheered and clapped.

A victory too late, but none the less very much enjoyed beach volleyball rocks!

BEACH VOLLEYBALL Results UK Prison Service 2 v Barcelona 21 UK prison Service 5 v Hong Kong 21 UK Prison Service 8 v Finland 21 UK prison Service 21 v St Jerome 19

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Technology i In a new series of articles coach John Biddscombe of Guildford International Volleyball Club gives his coaching perspective on how the evolution of technology is being used in volleyball to help individual players and teams reach peak performance. In the first of the series, he looks at video analysis, and specifically what achieved by clubs that have limited resources, in terms of both personnel and finance.

Until recently the technology and software required to carry out any meaningful coaching analysis was prohibitively expensive for most of us.

However with the introduction of smart technology, what in the past was only possible for professional teams is becoming increasingly accessible to all levels of clubs and coaches.

Historically, research studies have claimed that we only take in and remember 30% of what we have been watching.

Considering this theory, tools which assist in achieving a better understanding of their players and teams’ performance, will be an invaluable asset at all levels of coaching. One of the best ways to gain an in-depth insight into performance is through Video Analysis.

Coaching At its most basic coaching follows this cycle: Athlete performs – Coach observes – Coach Analyses – Coach gives

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feedback – Athlete performs and so the cycle continues (see diagram on page 19).

This theory exists on the basis of the coach being able to accurately see all that is going on, in what is often a complex skill or a match. The use of video analysis enables the coach to break the movement down, identify areas for improvement and then articulate these thoughts back to the athlete.

Video Analysis It has long been recognised that an athlete benefits from observation, even more so when it’s themselves performing a skill.

Video Analysis at its very basic can be done using a standard video camera – which will allow you to transfer the action on to a computer or make a DVD. However this method can be time consuming and does not provide instant feedback.

To get the most out of video analysis the coach needs to be able to highlight certain points, compare different performers side by side and analyse the same performer from different angles all together.

For many years the leading coaching analysis software was Dartfish, but as a niche product the costs of developing the software and therefore the retail price has always kept it out of reach for most amateur clubs.

Introducing Kinovea…

At the recent FIVB level 3 Coaching course in Kettering delegates were introduced to an Open Source software program called Kinovea (http://www. kinovea.org/en/) which can do many of the things possible in Dartfish.

In Kinovea it is possible to work with either a live camera feed or recorded video clips which have already been stored on the computer. There is an option to view two clips, two camera feeds

in Volleyball moment the ball is served in a rally. You can then use one set of controls to move both clips backwards and forwards, frame by frame if required.

There is an option to superimpose one clip over the other as well, this is similar to the effect used in TV coverage of Skiing and Motor Racing to compare the lines through a series of bends to see where time is being made or lost – perfect for visually demonstrating to the athlete where improvements can be made.

Analysis of Key frames One of the most interesting aspects is the use of Key Images, which are frames in the video of specific interest to you. You can add a variety of annotations to the frame to enhance or explain a skill such as lines, circles, cross hairs or even measure angles.

There can be several Key Images defined in a video sequence and the video can be saved so that it pauses at each Key Image.

EXAMPLE A spike could be played back at 50% speed and each key phase highlighted as a Key Image showing - the initial starting position, the foot plant, showing a measure of the angle of bend at the knee, the body in the air, the contact point maybe highlighting in correct technique and then the landing. Using the grid, it is easier to see whether the ball is being hit at the optimum point. or one camera and one video clip side by side.

When shooting live video, one of the most useful features is the ability to delay the action on the screen. This means that the athlete can perform the skill, make their way over to the computer and see themselves immediately without the coach having to do anything. It is also possible to capture the video to the computer’s hard disk for further analysis.

When viewing either live or recorded video it is possible to superimpose a grid on the

display and also adjust it for differences in perspective, which can be useful when watching specific phases of play such as setting or hitting.

Playback When working in playback mode all standard playback control features are available, as well as the ability to slow down or view a clip frame by frame. It is also possible to use this to get two different clips and synchronise them side by side at a given point or action, for example the

It is also possible to show the same skill from different angles side by side and synchronised on the contact point with the ball, or show the athlete performing alongside someone demonstrating the desired technique. There is a magnifying function so that you can zoom in on a specific area of the screen.

Using Kinovea you can track, measure and time items such as the flight of a ball and enabling a calculation of its speed to be made.

As an Open Source program it is always being developed, the next release looks like it will be possible to play back video in full screen mode. I have found it to be a great piece of software, so if you are interested in using video analysis then it is something you really should try out.

In the next edition of 3Touch John will explore how technology can pick up in-game statistical analysis…

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National Volleyball

3Touch magazine rewinds to 28th/29th October 2011 and catches up with Saturday 29th October - Super 8s newcomers, Leeds Carnegie Women’s team prove they’re ready to compete with the top teams!

Super 8s: Leeds Carnegie V Swiss Cottage 3-0 (25-21, 25-13, 25-15) Comments from the winning Head coach Simon Loftus: ‘‘Swiss Cottage have been one of the top teams in the English game for a few years now and as such we are measuring ourselves and our progression by how we perform against such established teams. With this in mind we worked very hard on preparing a solid match plan and improving our system of play in the build up to this match as we knew that we would have to play at a high level to beat them. As it happened the team played extremely well and executed our game plan with great

Leeds Carnegie, Dori Kun sets the ball

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Williams), this definitely raised our confidence and our expectations on what we could achieve this year.’’

Swiss Cottage’s Barbara Kurucova prepares to set

effect. This match was very pleasing as it showed me that we are ready to compete with the top teams in the country despite it being our first season in the Super 8s.’’

The campaign so far… ‘’The Women’s team have had a great start to the season, having lost just one game to Polonia 3-1 away. This was probably the highest level women’s game I have been involved in and we were only a few key points away from taking the game to 5 sets.

The other games we have played have been relatively

straight forward. We have had a number of new players which means we have good competition for places and the level of the practice environment is fantastic. All of this means that the team are constantly pushing each other forward.’’

Key moments in this season…. ‘’Coming from a set down to win away to Malory as it was the first set we had lost in the league in 3 years and it showed immense character to beat a good team and a great coach (Jeff

Aspirations for the team… ‘’With the loss to Polonia it looks like we may have to go the long route to the finals.

The main goal will be to try and make the team peak for the playoffs and see how we do. Personally I would like to win something whether it is with the men or the women.

I am incredibly lucky to work with two really good teams.

They both have a superb work ethic and desire to fight for each other.’’

Leeds Carnegie team in action

olleyball League

Pictures: Mark Pritchard, Volleyball England photos

h some of the movers and shakers in the Super 8s and National Division 1!

Saturday 29th October, Division 1 side Newcastle (staffs) fight back in an epic five set thriller to win a thrilling match.

Leeds VC V Newcastle (Staffs) Ladies 2-3 (25-19, 25-21, 17-25, 32-34, 15-17)

Newcastle (Staffs) Meg Viggars makes a block

A snippet from the match report (www.nsvc.co.uk) “…The 3rd set was to see a change of tempo from Castle as they finally made a positive start leading 8-5 at the first technical timeout. With the girls backcourt also finally matching that of Leeds, confidence grew and with winners being hit by all wing players Castle took the set comfortably 25-17.

With momentum now in favour of NSVC, the 4th set started in familiar fashion with both Stuart and Chadwick blocking well. But the experienced Leeds side would now dig deep and from

20-15 down would battle back to 22-22. From this point onwards a combination of both great and nervous play from both sides would take over as the set became something of an epic. Castle would survive 2 match points before finally winning the set on their 7th attempt 34-32.

Both teams soon put the marathon 4th set behind them as the battle continued in similar fashion into the 5th. At 10-9 down, captain

Mankee found key hitters with well timed sets to edge Castle in front. Leeds as ever battled on, but Copestake provided solid first pass and on their second match point Castle took the game 17-15.

The girls, despite being far from happy with the performance, were obviously delighted with the win after coming from behind and also acknowledged the fighting qualities of their opponents.’’

Leeds’ Penny Spears makes a dig

Leeds’ Patricia Mas Barreira in action

The campaign so far…

3 Touch caught up with Newcastle (Staffs), Club Sectary Rachel Viggars to summarise the season so far.

“As a very young (average age 18) and newly promoted side, we at first struggled to adapt to the higher standard in our first two games. This was not helped by a change in team personnel. However, over the last two games we feel that we have grown in both confidence and performance; and can now compete in the league.’’

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Saturday 29th October, Leeds Men win the battle of Yorkshire as the defeat Sheffield in straight sets Leeds Carnegie V Sheffield Men 3-0 (25-15, 25-15, 25-18) Leeds Carnegie’s Robin Miedzybrodzki prepares to spike

Robin Miedzybrodzki

Comments from Sheffield’s Head Coach Keith Trenam: ‘‘Throughout the game we found it difficult to match Leeds Carnegie, who fielded their strongest team.

Here at Sheffield the focus is the development of individuals through the Volleyball England Men’s Development Programme.

Young players from around the country travel to Sheffield to train and compete to raise their standard, with ambitions to play for the national team or gain a professional contract.

Because of this we do tend to

Sheffield defending

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lose players as they go on to fulfill their career ambitions.

This is very positive for us as a player development centre however the team results do struggle due to the turnover of the players.

Last year was a particularly successful year for us as a development programme but this meant that a lot of players moved on.

In terms of results and aspirations for the team, we will be looking to build towards the end of the season, as we gain more experience as a unit.’’

Sheffield libero Jamie Baker digs the ball

A K M I Polonia take London on Europe

In November, double Champions Polonia IMKA London (women’s team) competed in the 2012 NEVZA (Northern European Volleyball Zonal Association) Club Championships in Denmark. The competition is a “mini Champions League” for the best club teams from northern Europe. and it is exactly what we expected.”

The loss left the team with no chances of qualifying but they went into the third match versus Oslo Volley eager for their first victory.

Oslo needed to beat Polonia to secure their ticket to the next round – so they had all to play for!

Oslo came out with guns blazing, while fatigue had caught up with the English team who were not used to playing at such a high level and intensity, for three consecutive days.

This was the first time that an English team has entered the NEVZA Club Championships (NCCs) and the first time in over ten years that an English club has entered any official international competition.

Polonia IMKA London has been playing pre-season and mid-season international friendly matches every year for the past 3 seasons (this year, they played 3 matches in the Netherlands in September).

The experience gained from these friendlies proved invaluable going into the NEVZA Club Championships with their first opponents being Holte IF from Denmark, a team that they had faced in a pre-season tournament in the Netherlands in September 2010.

The NEVZA Club Championships offer a very high standard of competition and Polonia’s pool featured the 2011 Danish champions and runners-up, Holte IF and Fortuna Odense respectively, together with the Norwegian champions of 2011, Oslo Volley..

Polonia had done their homework on all the teams by studying several

videos of them playing in their domestic leagues and had prepared detailed game plans. With only the top two teams qualifying, they knew that it would be very tough to make it to the next round, but they also knew that the teams had several weaknesses of their own and were certainly beatable, if Polonia could perform consistently at the levels they knew they were capable of reaching.

The team performed exceptionally well, particularly in the first two matches. Holte proved too strong for all the teams at the Championships, and Polonia lost to them in 3 sets despite some spirited and brave play from the London side.

Polonia had their big opportunity in their next match versus Fortuna Odense. After winning the first set, Polonia lost the second and fourth sets after strong passages of play and having held the lead for most of the time. Polonia IMKA London Head Coach, Mark Kontopoulos said, “The match was decided on the smallest of details, but that is how it goes at top level volleyball

Reflecting on the tournament, Mark Kontopoulos said: “My strong feeling was that we would have certainly had a very good chance of beating both Fortuna Odense and Oslo Volley and therefore qualifying for the next round, had we been able to have regular matches at that high level. In fact, with the experience that we gained in the short time we spent in Denmark, we would probably have a much higher chance of beating these teams if we were to play them again as early as this season!”

what we are capable of achieving and has inspired our team to continue to improve and to push for international success in the future.

Our opponents, all officials and spectators were truly amazed and even more impressed with our level of play and competitiveness when they heard that we only train twice per week and that our players don’t get paid, but actually have to pay to play!”

“This has also inspired us to continue to seek ways to raise enough funds to be able to compete abroad regularly and to not rely on our players paying monthly fees to cover the club’s expenses. On that note, we would like to ask that volleyball fans around the country support us by buying a Polonia Ladies 2012 Calendar from our website at www.polonia.vc.”

“We are looking forward to continuing to compete abroad, not only in our regular international friendlies, but also by returning to the NCCs and potentially other official competitions in the future.”

“The trip to the NCCs has shown us

Tournament Information Head Coach: Mark Kontopoulos Assistant Coach: Clair Summersell Team Manager: Isabelle Collott Squad: Anna Wachula, Anna Borsos, Idiko Dobos, Kelly Monteiro, Maria Kikira, Brynn Maurer, Gabi Medricka (Captain), Petra Jurikova, Ivana Placko, Laura Plonka, Cinzia Pezzolesi and Ioanna Lapa (libero) Other Team Staff: Frankie Moore, Adriane Ribeiro, Sofia Vlachou.

Results: 4 November 2011: Polonia vs Holte: 0-3 (22-25, 12-25, 14-25) 5 November 2011: Polonia IMKA London vs. Fortuna Odense: 1-3 (2523, 22-25, 14-25, 26-28) 6 November 2011: Polonia IMKA London vs. Oslo Volley: 0-3 (20-25, 21-25, 14-25)

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Volleyball England National Volleyball at Loughborough

Since its launch in September 2010 the National Academy has ope The players have been housed and educated centrally as part of a One year on from its official launch 3 Touch visited the National Volleyball Academy at Loughborough College and caught up with second year athletes, Jermaine Miles and Paige Nelmes and freshers, Elliott Allison and Jodie Amor to compare their views on ‘life in the Academy’...

1. What have you enjoyed about being an athlete in the National Volleyball Academy so far?

Jermaine Miles - “Having the opportunity to train everyday with top coaches and support staff. As well as living and training alongside likeminded athletes.’’

Paige Nelmes - “I have really enjoyed having access to fantastic facilities and coaching; alongside getting to know and living with the other Academy athletes, there’s a great group of players here.’’

Jodie Amor - “Everyone here is really friendly. It has been really helpful to live so close to training and being able to play volleyball everyday.’’

Elliott Allison - “I really like the high level of volleyball that is played here and the professionalism within the Academy.’’

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2. What challenges have you faced?

Paige Nelmes - “At first I found it difficult to move away from home and balance my school work with full time volleyball training.’’

Jermaine Miles - “I have found balancing my college work with a full time training schedule difficult at times but my overall organisation and concentration has improved as a result.’’

Although I do enjoy the independence this brings.”

Elliottt Allison - “I think the toughest challenge is consistently performing at a high level in training and keeping on top of my studies.’’

3. How do you feel it has helped or will help you to progress as an athlete?

Jermaine Miles - “I have become a better player and more than anything,

‘‘This is my first full year with the academy and the athletes are progressing extremely well. We have created an excellent environment to improve all the athletes by providing daily training, supported by top coaches and support staff.

It has not been easy for some of the students being away from home but they have all risen to the challenges both on and off the court.

Many of these athletes will have long careers in volleyball and it is exciting for us to see each one progress and grow the academy for many more years to come.’’

Rogerio Ponticelli, Head Coach Jodie Amor - “I’m really hoping to achieve good grades so I think the biggest challenge will be to keep on top of my studies whilst training everyday. I have also found it challenging having to move away from my parents.

it has helped improve my consistency in game situations.’’

Paige Nelmes - “It has helped me to develop all my skills as an athlete. Helping me see what level of training and dedication is required in

order to be a good player and compete with the top teams on an international level.’’

Elliott Allison - “Being here at the National Academy will really help me to develop my physical conditioning and skill levels. I feel that through the work I have done at the Academy I have already progressed quickly.’’

Jodie Amor - “I think that my confidence and technical skills will increase. I really want to achieve as a volleyball player and reach my potential. Rogerio is a great coach, I am really looking forward to the next two years.’’

4. What would you be doing if weren’t an Academy player?

Paige Nelmes - “If I weren’t selected for the Academy I would probably be studying at college and playing for my local volleyball team.’’

Jermaine Miles - “I would probably be working towards a qualification in Law and training with Malory Eagles.’’

Jodie Amor - “Before I was selected for the Academy, I had plans to attend sixth form in my home county of Wiltshire. I’d be training just twice a week and playing in Division 3 league matches.’’

ngland’s olleyball Academy oughborough College

erated as a full time training centre for England’s top junior talent. major development project.

2Year

2Year

Year

Jermaine Miles

Paige Nelmes

Elliott Allison

Height: 193 cm

Height: 173 cm

Height: 201 cm

nd

Position: Opposite

Years Playing: 6

nd

Position: Setter

Years Playing: 10

Current Club: Sheffield

Current Club: Malory Eagles

College courses: BTEC

College courses: Uniformed public services

Coaches: Rogerio and Keith Trenam

Elliott Allison - “I definitely wouldn’t be progressing as quickly or probably reach my potential as a volleyball player. My local area doesn’t have very good facilities.’’

5. How has being part of the Academy helped you to develop your personal skills?

Paige Nelmes - “I am a lot more confident and independent – I have also

Coaches: Rogerio and Jefferson Williams

realised I can cook.’’

Jermaine Miles - “I feel that my concentration both on and off the court has improved.

I would like to think I have also developed a more professional attitude; through my involvement with the Olympic Torch Ambassador Programme and being invited to help turn switch on the Christmas lights outside Loughborough Town Hall.’’

1

st

Position: Middle

Years Playing: 2

Current Club: Sheffield

Coaches: Rogerio and Keith Trenam College courses: Law, Business and Sociology

Elliott Allison - “My physical ability has really improved, I have become a much better athlete over a short space of time; especially in terms of my strength and conditioning.’’

Jodie Amor - “I already feel a lot more confident to meet new people. Moving here has really helped me to mature.

The level of independence and work load has taught me

1

st

Year

Jodie Amor

Position: Outside Hitter Height: 176 cm

Years Playing: 6

Current Club: Newcastle Staffs

Coaches: Rogerio and Ant Viggars

College Course: Sport Level 3

to be a lot more organised and efficient.”

6. What plans do you have for the future, when you graduate from the Academy?

Jermaine Miles - “My main ambition is to train and play in America on a scholarship programme.’’

Paige Nelmes - “I am going to try and get a scholarship in the USA. Or I will stay in the UK and begin work alongside

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www.volleyballengland.org playing volleyball.’’

Elliott Allison - “Firstly I would like to go to Sheffield University and continue to train full time. One of my future aspirations is to gain a professional playing contract abroad.”

Jodie Amor - “I have a few

options that I am considering; I’m looking into maybe taking a gap year or starting University. I would like the idea of playing in America on a scholarship.’’

7. What is your highest Volleyball achievement to date?

Future Academy Plans Over the next three years, Volleyball England is aiming to establish 6 daily training environments for junior players based at post-sixteen institutions with professional coaching, appropriate support and ancillary services and linking to ASSE programmes. Each Junior National Academy will cater for up to 15 student volleyball players who wish to remain in full time education while

undertaking a full time training programme delivered by Volleyball England. Alongside this Volleyball England will deliver a Junior National Team competitive programme for a select group of academy players providing an extended exposure to International representative Volleyball with the aim of qualification for the Junior European Championships for the first time.

Jermaine Miles - “A real high point for me so far was representing England at the CEV Youth European qualifiers in Latvia.’’

Paige Nelmes - “The best experience I have had is competing in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in

Beach Volleyball, it was a fantastic event”.

Jodie Amor - “Playing for England against Scotland.’’

Elliott Allison - “So far for me, my best achievement was winning Gold at the UK School games, last September.”

Sportset Official kit supplier to Volleyball National Academy Academy athletes are once again being supported by Poole based volleyball specialists Sportset. Sportset are the premier volleyball specialists, supplying equipment for all levels of play and for all age groups. Nick Nelmes (pictured below) from Sportset said, “We are extremely proud to be supporting the Academy again and delivering quality products and service to the players. The academy represents an excellent opportunity for these players to further their volleyball development and we are proud to be associated with the programme for another year.” For more information on Sportset, visit www.sportset.com

First years Elliot and Jodie are also joined by new recruits; Christopher Ashton, Lauren Joyce, Teme Samuel and Maria Haritou in the September 2011 intake.

1

st

Year

Christopher Ashton Position: Passer/Hitter Height: 185 cm

Years Playing: 5

st

1

st

Year

Lauren Joyce

Teme Samuel

Position: Middle Height: 183 cm

Years Playing: 6 years

Current Club: Newcastle Staffs

Current Club: Ashcombe Dorking

College courses: Game Design BTEC

College courses: A levels Biology, Chemistry & Maths

Coaches: Rogerio and Will Roberts

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1

Year

Coaches: Luke Thomas

Position: Middle Height: 188 cm

Years Playing: 2

Current Club: Ernest Bevin Coaches: Rogerio

College courses: Interactive Media

1

st

Year

Maria Haritou Position: Middle Height: 178cm

Years playing: 5

Coaches: Rogerio & Ant Viggars

College course: Sport and Leisure

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On completion of each level you will receive great rewards including hoodies, t-shirts and pens For more information or to register, please contact Ilona Berry (National Leadership and Volunteer Development Officer) on i.berry@volleyballengland.org or 01509 227713 or visit www.volleyballengland.org