Site hosted by
   ESSEX VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION

[ Up ]

Eastern Volleyball Federation (EVF)

• After some musical chairs at our AGM in June where the Chair and Secretary swapped roles, we have filled all but one of the Executive positions. But due to the significant workloads of our volunteer Executive, including all being part of the teams running our respective counties and Clubs we remain Region-lite. Region-lite is where we limit what we will do to reflect our volunteer status, limited time available and in agreement with our wider constituents. We continue to be guided by our annually updated development plan. Some of our Counties are beginning to produce similar documents to provide them with a road map for their future direction.

Below are some highlights from our Counties:

Essex

• Junior Development work across the county is increasing significantly
• Tendring has applied for Regional Academy status supported by the Region
• NL League successes and two new women’s NL teams
• Local League joined with Suffolk at Div 1 level this was considered a success.
• New Southend Club established with two new local league teams
• Sitting Volleyball development continues but difficult to find disabled players.
• A number of successful coaching courses increasing coaches at all levels
• Brentwood VC joins Chelmsford and Tendring in achieving accreditation

Suffolk

• Team wise has 2 teams in Div 1 but joined with Essex to increase competition, 5 teams in Div 2
• Established this year a separate women’s team competition.
• Development is occurring in a number of schools.
• 2 "back into volleyball" sports initiatives run - Newmarket and Ipswich

Cambridge

• Committee met infrequently due to pressure
• Has 3 men’s leagues totalling 15 teams
• Women’s league 6 teams
• Beginners league 8 teams
• Men’s NL dropping one team, 1^st team relegated to Div 2
• Women narrowly missed second successive year of promotion
• Peterborough developing juniors
• Considered appropriateness of accreditation – but will not be pursuing yet as the workload seems disproportionate to benefits.
• "Best 8 sports" Playground to Podium sitting VB included as a chosen sport.

• Local league 15 men’s teams in 2 divisions
• 7 women’s teams
• NL 1 men’s 1 women’s
• Junior development increasing courtesy of Dawn Graceson
• Funding available (£1k) for "Get back into volleyball" initiative
• AGM discussed the ref situation and agreed to get clubs to sign code of conduct (NB: Brentwood do something similar where players are asked to sign a code of conduct to respect officials)

• Bedford does not have a County Association
• Groups playing at Cranfield Uni, Luton 6^th Form, Bedford (GNG and Uni of Beds), Redborne School.
• "Get back into Volleyball" grant secured
• Team Beds & Luton (County Sports Partnership) are supportive and looking to promote a County Association. Plans are currently being developed. EVF prepared to provide some seed corn funding to help set up the association.

• One league based in Norwich with men’s and mixed division 6 teams in each
• New ladies team formed in Norwich
• UEA appointed full time Volleyball Coach to start in August 2008 working in schools and with clubs
• Four VolleySport Courses held in County
• One Sports partnership held volleyball competition with 6 high schools.
• 6 new courts being developed at the Sports Park

General

• Club registrations continue to rise
• Coaches on the increase
• Referees reducing and those going onto referee after obtaining qualification.
• 40+ additional level 1 coaches qualified since April
• 2007 Interregional juniors participated in u15 boys, u17 boys and u14 girls
• Boswells and Tendring continue to have success at the highest level

• Great Yarmouth hosted successfully a round of 2007 Summer Beach Classic for the second time and is again scheduled for 2008.
• Sitting volleyball sessions continue to be held in Ipswich, Ely, Cambridge, and Essex. Three officers from region involved in BVF Sitting Volleyball Committee. A development plan has been jointly agreed with Essex CC for the development of sitting VB.
• Another club in the region obtains Volley 1 accreditation in Brentwood VC and joins Ipswich, Chelmsford and Tendring.
• JUVO the junior outdoor tournament was again successful in 2007 and is now a model from Volleyball England. The 22^nd JUVO is due on Sunday 22^nd June 2008 at The Brentwood Centre and has an increase in entries this year of over 100 teams. The Veteran’s equivalent tournament takes place the day before.
• The regional men and women’s competition run at UEA Norwich continues successfully with an increase in the standard of entries.
• The EVF Executive had a very successful meeting with the President of VE in January.
• Close ties were maintained with Sport England East, East NGB Forum and Federation of Eastern Sport including submissions on facilities, workforce development and talent development.
• A further Essex County Development Plan has been prepared; and there is an upsurge in interest from Essex schools.
• A committed team of Executive members has kept the region functioning.
• The Region has signed off the initial bid for Club and Coach.
• The Region considers that the recent changes at VE are very positive particularly the meetings of Chairs and Commissioners with new CE of VE. Also the long awaited provision of VE Board meeting minutes.
• The VE CE’s view of an increased role for Regions is considered a double edged sword – welcome the recognition and responsibility – concerned about the capacity implications.

• The 2009-2013 Sport England funding round will move to a system where 20-30 sports’ plans will be supported with 65% directed through regions against the current 100% to National NGB’s. This means the region must gear up to be fit for purpose and national links must become more effective.
• The landscape for sport is now virtually complete with all six counties having County Sports Partnerships and Community Sports Networks emerging. This presents potential as an opportunity for those counties who engage and a threat to those who do not.

• The need to resolve an anticipated increased role for regions whilst the Regions capacity requires a Region-lite approach.
• Continuing to ensure a credible regional plan that is understood and recognised at all appropriate levels.
• The need to influence schools in effectively utilising our coaches in delivering the additional 5 hours strategy
• To forge effective relationships between Community Sports Partnerships/Networks and clubs and counties.
• The need to continue to improve the relationship with our National NGB
• To build on the improving relationship with all our six counties and in particular help to form a Bedford County Association.
• The delivery of Club and Coach challenges.
• A need to produce more referees and to encourage them to ref.
• The continuing challenge of finding able and willing volunteers to maintain and advance the region