Sitting Volleyball Weekend Extravaganza at Southend Essex
Article is from Pete Guernari, British Volleyball Federation's Sitting Volleyball Program Development Manager.
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The British Volleyball Federation Great Britain Sitting Development Squad continued there now renowned ambassador role on behalf of the development of the sport of sitting volleyball in the UK with the latest and most successful training and promotional weekend down on the very sunny shores of Essex in Southend at the Southend Leisure and Tennis centre. With encouraging co-operation of Southend Borough Council and management company, "Creating leisure" (http://www.creating-leisure.co.uk/) the British Volleyball Federation (http://www.britishvolleyball.org/) organised a whole series of sitting volleyball events around theirs squads training weekend. Creating Leisure very kindly made 7 sitting volleyball courts (1 show court) available for all the promotional events to give the people of Southend and indeed the wider audience throughout Essex and the UK the opportunity to experience Sitting Volleyball at all levels. |
3 come ‘n’ try sessions were planned over both days divided into 2-hour sessions. From 3.00pm until 5.00pm on the Saturday and 2 sessions on the Sunday 10.00am until Midday and Midday until 2.00pm. A "fun tournament" for teams of all abilities was available on the Sunday from 10.00am until 2.00pm.
On the Saturday from 11.00am until 3.00pm there was a Sitting Volleyball clinic tutored by the British Volleyball Association Head Coach Jozef Banfi. Jozef guided the Netherlands National woman’s team to a sliver medal in the 2004 women’s Paralympics and is a ECVD coach instructor (http://ecvd.eu/). The BVF Squad themselves trained on the Saturday afternoon and Sunday Morning with an exhibition game during the Sunday afternoon.
The first activity of the weekend was the Sitting Volleyball Coaches clinic. This was the 1st clinic of its kind in the UK. 11 people attended the clinic from all warps of life. Several of the GB playing squad attended as they look to develop as coaches for sitting volleyball in different areas of the country. The players were Martin Chapman from Hull, Keith Hill and Andy Skinner from Lincoln and Kelvin Daniels from Gatwick. Ken Edwards attended on behalf of Essex Volleyball Association and the local Essex initiatives to promote and develop Sitting Volleyball.
The most exciting attendees were;-
Tomasz Morawski the full time community
volleyball coach from the University of East Anglia, Norwich.
Jacqui Swan a tutor from the Castle point Adult community college for people with learning
difficulties.
The husband and wife team of Mr. and Mrs. Smith all the way from Saxmundon, Suffolk.
Pamela Gibb, a Schools Development Officer for Essex Education based in Thundersley.
The course was divided into 2 hours of theory and hours of practical.
The theory covered the following information;- What is sitting volleyball, History of game, Rules of game, Who should play sitting volleyball, Differences between sitting and standing volleyball, Sitting volleyball in GB Sitting volleyball, International organisations and competitions, the WOVD and ECVD.A DVD presentation of game
The practical session covered an introduction into the exercises to develop the skills to play the ball, movement and the basis tactics of play.
Quotes following the clinic
Tomasz - I travelled long way from Norwich to Southend to attend this sitting volleyball clinic and it was definitely worthwhile. The clinic was a great opportunity to get essential information necessary from incredibly experienced and successful coach, Josef Banfi. I was suitably enthused by both Jozef and all the Great Britain players. I shall definitely be developing a sitting volleyball club in Norwich using my newly acquired knowledge and skills.
Jacqui Swan - I knew that my body wasn't going to belong to me following the physical session of the clinic. Having said that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and found it one of the most deceptively challenging sports that I have ever played. Along with the physical workout the clinic showed me that techniques of the game were obviously a big part of the game in both needing to be able to both use your arms in moving and playing the ball, all at great speed. As learnt and advised throughout the clinic I could see many ways to successfully adapt this true sport for all for all participants especially people with learning difficulties. The clinic made me very aware of positive attitudes towards all people that pursue a sport. I will carry that philosophy with me throughout my coaching/delivery throughout my life and career. My summary quote, 'Humbled by Sitting Volleyball'.""
Pamela Gibb - I am thoroughly amazed and enthused by the sport of sitting volleyball. I shall definitely be encouraging sitting volleyball sessions into all school ages.
Phil/Kim Smith - ""Having a disabled daughter, Jessica, and the whole family having had a go previously with sitting volleyball it was a major gain to attended a coaches clinic to provide us with the confidence, knowledge and experience to offer ourselves towards leading sitting volleyball sessions local to us.""
Jozef was suitably enthused with the successful outcome of offering this vast coaching experience to the attending participants to help development sitting volleyball in the UK.
Such was the success of the clinic that all people attending stayed on and joined in with the come‘n’try session on the Saturday afternoon. Indeed Phil journeyed back with his family to join in with the Come ‘n’ try sessions on the Sunday and to watch the exhibition Match.
On the Sunday the squad where introduced the Mayoress of Southend, Gwendoline Horringan and Cllr Jarvis. She was so captivated by the sport that she stayed to watch a large proportion of the exhibition match exclaiming that she "didn’t realise how competitive it was".
Of the Sitting Volleyball squads weekend training session it was noticed how improved the squad were in terms of playing ability. It was also noted that more and more players have been introduced to the programme with12 players attending the weekend with a further 6 players not available for selection.
Of the weekends Sitting Volleyball promotion Anthony Thompson the centre manager for the venue Southend leisure and tennis centre. (http://www.creating-leisure.co.uk/centredetails.php?RECORD_KEY(centres)=ID&ID(centres)=55) was very pleased with the success of the weekend. ""As a centre selected as a pre Olympic and Paralympic training venue we were delighted to host the one of the Paralympic sports. We have begun a partnership with the British Volleyball Federation that we wish to further and develop in the future with the sitting version of the game of volleyball along with the standing game.
In his summary of the weekend’s
event’s Pete Guernari, Programme Development Manager for the BVF Sitting volleyball
programme said, "All outcomes of were achieved -
- finding a venue to host the GB sitting squads weekends training
- promote the sport of sitting volleyball in the Southeast of the UK, Southend.
- raise the awareness of the sport of sitting volleyball throughout Essex and beyond and
- offer the various opportunities to learn try or simply spectate the sport.
As well as what successes there were on over the weekend I have interest from other 4 other potential GB players and other sports, namely Justin Frishberg Chairman from GB Wheelchair Rugby wish to work together to do some similar events in the future to share best practice. This weekend was by far the best weekend for the promotion of sitting volleyball alongside the GB men’s training weekend."