Latest news from Wales, GB and International Volleyball
Volleyball Wales - Road to London 2012!
As part of the Olympic countdown, Volleyball Wales were invited to attend the International Test Event held at Earls Court in London at the end of July. The event was aimed at testing the Olympic venue which attracted teams from Serbia, Mexico, Egypt, Brazil and the USA. Great Britain were also part of the tournament and acted as a great opportunity for the team to compete at the highest level and prepare them for what will be an exciting lead up to next year's competition.
Volleyball Wales secretary Nicky Stallworthy organised the day trip to London and rounded up current National Squad members and players from local clubs within Cardiff. After setting off from Cardiff at the early hour of 7am on a Sunday morning, we arrived in London ready to watch the first of 3 matches, Serbia verses Mexico. Volleyball Wales Head Coach, Sandra Stoll who is involved in next year's event as a Training Court Manager had been working at the venue during the week. After watching a fantastic opening match, which Serbia won, we were all eagerly awaiting the match involving Great Britain and Egypt. The GB squad had experienced an encouraging week's play against some of the best teams in the world. For many of the group it was a real treat to watch some high quality volleyball for the first time. The GB match didn't disappoint with a very convincing 3-1 win against Egypt. The last match of the day involving two of the top teams in the world, Brazil and USA proved for some to be the highlight of the day. Both teams offering as you would expect high quality play with some incredible ralleys and shot making. The match was poised at 2 sets all after Brazil had been down 2 sets to 1. Brazil ended up claiming the match 3-2, what an end to an exciting days play! Serbia ended up as the tournament winners with them receiving a better sets difference throughout the event.
On behalf of the group, a big thanks to Nicky for organising the trip to London.
LONDON 2012 SEEKS VOLUNTEER PERFORMERS FOR THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH
London 2012 Ceremonies has begun the search to recruit volunteer performers to participate in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Performing in front of a live audience of 70,000 and a broadcast audience of more than one billion people this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of one of the largest events ever staged in the UK.
Artistic Directors, Danny Boyle and Kim Gavin are searching for 10,000 volunteer performers to fill roles as dancers, percussionists and general all-round performers in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies respectively. To be eligible you must be aged 18 years or older on 1 March 2012 and able to meet the commitments for rehearsals. Performing opportunities for Under 18's will be facilitated through a separate process, with details to be announced at a later date.
To find out how to apply to audition for this once in a lifetime opportunity and for full details on the commitments involved - please follow this linkwww.london2012.com/ceremoniescasting
The Sport and Recreation Alliance is surveying sports clubs to assess their financial health (find out more about the Sport and Recreation Alliance). Completing this survey will allow us, and the Alliance (on our behalf) to campaign for reduced rates of VAT for sports clubs, lower utility rates, alcohol licensing costs, music licensing costs, drainage charges, Gift Aid, improvements to the CASC scheme, access to facilities and other important issues for clubs. Only with good data can we make politicians listen.
The more clubs that complete the survey, the louder our voice will be. As a thank you, your completed survey will be entered into a draw to win one of a number of prizes including a session for your club with an expert who will advise on reducing your bills and provide money-saving tips, and two tickets to the Wimbledon Championships!
To take part in the survey, simply click on the link below and complete the survey as best you can. It will really help if you have your club accounts to hand (don't worry, all the information you give will be completely confidential) and you may need to ask other members for information about the club. You can save your responses and come back to the survey later if you need to.
London 2012 is recruiting for Sport Competition Games Time Roles NOW!!!
London 2012 will start to recruit for Games Time paid roles from spring 2011. This is an opportunity for you to utilize your sport related skills and experience to help London put on the 'Greatest show on Earth'.
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) will recruit from across the UK - from a range of skills, communities and backgrounds and we will be staging one day selection events per sport.
Sports Competition Roles at Games Time
Sports Competition will be recruiting for their Games Time roles in 2 phases:
Phase 1 - from March 2011
Athletics, Aquatics, Badminton, Basketball, Canoe, Cycling, Gymnastics, Hockey, Modern Pentathlon, Rowing, Sailing, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball, Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Rugby, Wheelchair Tennis
Phase 2 - from June 2011 (Roles will appear on London 2012 website from June 2011)
Archery, Boxing, Equestrian, Football, Fencing, Handball, Judo, Shooting, Taekwondo, Table Tennis, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Boccia, Goalball
For further information about the above sports and the Games Time roles, candidates should visit the official London 2012 website.
www.london2012.com/get-involved/jobs/working-for-locog
Those selected at CV stage will be invited to attend a recruitment selection day as a first stage of the interview process.
If successful and offered a Games Time role you may also be required to attend a test event relevant to your sport Competition role.
If you are seeking to gain a secondment from your existing role to take up a Games Time Role we advise you start talking with your employer now.
Roles in Volleyball
Opportunities available in Volleyball will include
- Admin Group Leader
- Athlete Services Group Leader
- Referee Manager
- Field of Play Group Leader
- IF Liaison
- IF Services Group Leader
- Sport Equipment Group Leader
- Technical Officials Group Leader
- Training Site Group Leader (Beach Volleyball only)
Roles will start from spring 2012 although you may be required to attend the Volleyball test event from 13th July 2011 to 25th July 2011 or the Beach Volleyball Test Event from 3rd August to 15th August 2011.
Please access these roles directly through the London 2012 website.
www.london2012.com/get-involved/jobs/working-for-locog
British Olympic Association Confirms the Participation of Great Britain's Indoor Volleyball Teams for London 2012
The British Olympic Association (BOA) today confirmed that Great Britain's men's and women's indoor volleyball teams will be able to utilise Host Nation Qualification Places in order to compete in the London 2012 Olympic Games.
As the National Olympic Committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the BOA, among its many duties, is responsible for approving the eligibility and entry of all British athletes who compete as members of Team GB at the Olympic Games.
For the London 2012 Olympic Games, the BOA has stipulated that any sport seeking to utilise a Host Nation Qualification Place must first demonstrate the following:
1) The ability to deliver a credible performance during the London 2012 Games.
2) A long-term strategy to deliver a meaningful legacy as a result of the profile and visibility associated with competing in the Games, with a particular emphasis on increasing opportunities for participation by athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers at the grassroots level.
The BOA will now notify the Federation Internationale De Volleyball (FIVB), the International Federation for volleyball, of the decision to utilise the available Host Nation Qualification Places for Team GB in men's and women's indoor volleyball.
The decision to permit the British Volleyball Federation, which is the National Governing Body for volleyball in Great Britain, to utilise the Host Nation Qualification Places was made by the Olympic Qualifying Standards Panel, which among others includes Hunt; the Chair of the BOA Athletes Commission Sarah Winckless; and the BOA's Director of Sport Sir Clive Woodward. The decision was made following detailed consultation with the British Volleyball Federation.
The Olympic Qualifying Standards Panel is currently working with the National Governing Bodies to finalise and approve the qualification standards and pathway to London 2012 for every sport. In many cases, sports will qualify for the Games through their performance in specific international events. For a select group of sports, however, the qualification process may involve the use of a Host Nation Qualification Place.
The British Handball Association is the next priority in determining whether or not to use a Host National Qualification Place, based upon notification deadlines set by the International Handball Federation.
BOA Chief Executive and Team GB Chef de Mission Andy Hunt:
"Our objective is to be as inclusive as possible, as it is our aspiration to have the largest team in over a century representing Great Britain at home in London 2012. Equally however, we understand that the British public expects every athlete who competes for Team GB to be capable of delivering a credible performance during the Games. Significant public investment has been made in preparing British athletes for London 2012 and beyond, and it is entirely appropriate to expect our Olympic athletes will have the ability to be competitive in sports in which, historically, we have not been strong. It is also appropriate to expect that London 2012 will not be a singular moment in time, but rather a launching pad from which every National Governing Body can implement a long-term strategy to support the continued growth and development of their sport.
"Every athlete we take to the Games requires a commitment of resources and support from the BOA, and we have a responsibility to make certain our finite resources are being utilised in a manner that benefits all Team GB athletes - from those who compete in sports in which our medal prospects are particularly strong, to those who compete in sports in which we are making our Olympic debut.
"We are delighted to see that British Volleyball has put in place a plan to ensure that the men's and women's indoor teams representing Team GB are capable of delivering a credible performance in London 2012, and will utilise the unique platform of a home Games to inspire the next generation of volleyball participants."
Richard Callicott , President of the British Volleyball Federation:
"I am absolutely delighted that the British Olympic Association has determined to enter the Great Britain's men's and women's teams in the London 2012 Olympic Games as part of Team GB.
"The programmes for both teams has involved 173 full International matches since its inception in 2006 and we have developed exciting young talent with 20 men and 17 women now playing in over 24 different professional club sides in Europe and North America.
"It is a magnificent step on the road to London 2012, and a sign that volleyball in this country is moving forward. The sport has shown a tremendous solidarity between the Home Country Associations, and our coaches have set very high standards.
"We will demonstrate that GB can compete with more than just a credible performance."
Lynne Beattie, Captain of the GB Women's Volleyball Team, currently playing professional club volleyball for Cedat 85 San Vito in Italy:
"It's fantastic news to hear that we are going to compete for our country at London 2012 after all the uncertainty of the past few months. We have been dedicated to that dream for the past four years and giving up that dream was just unthinkable for all of us. But we are well aware that this is just the beginning of our next battle. Our focus now is to produce the best-possible performance in London, for
the public, for the sport and for the legacy we would love to leave behind for the next generation."
Ben Pipes, Captain of the GB Men's Volleyball Team, currently playing professional club volleyball for Langhenkel Volley in the Netherlands:
"The verdict from the BOA is a massive victory for British Volleyball and for all the staff, coaches, and players alike. It is the sum of years of training and torment in the pursuit of our collective dream of taking volleyball to London 2012. Today will etch a mark in British Volleyball history as a day our sporting peers and heroes said yes to us, our dreams, and legacy hopes for volleyball in Britain's sporting future. To be a part of the Team GB family is a massive honour. It comes with high demands and expectations, but we are ready, able and proven in meeting these demands.
"By making this decision, the BOA have opened the doors to more than just those athletes good enough to make the final cut for the respective volleyball disciplines. They have opened the gates to all of those who have inspired, supported and nurtured the paths of those athletes. Walking out onto that court and becoming an Olympian is my life-long dream. Volleyball is my life and I want to see it grow from strength to strength in Britain."
British Volleyball launches replica merchandise range
The British Volleyball Federation are pleased to announce the launch of a range of merchandise available through one of the UK's leading online sports and leisurewear suppliers, Kitlocker.com.
Earlier this year the BVF partnered up with leading Italian sports clothing manufacturer Erreà, creating a clothing range that included bespoke match kits, tracksuits and sweatshirts, alongside off-the-shelf training and travel garments.
Mr. Angelo Gandolfi, owner and founder of Erreà Sport said: "We are delighted to be working with GB volleyball, especially in this exciting period up to the 2012 London Olympic Games, and we hope that this is the start of a very long relationship."
"The high quality, competitively priced and readily available volleyball specific products, of Errea, coupled with the dynamic efficiency of award winning Sheffield based Kitlocker.com, made this an irresistible business decision when we needed to kit out our teams ahead of the 2010 international volleyball season." commented British Volleyball's Performance Programme Manager,
Tom Ward, owner and founder of Kitlocker.com added: "It is fantastic to be able to offer volleyball fans all over the world the opportunity to buy British Volleyball replica merchandising and increase our offering to the volleyball market."
Erreà Sport, founded in 1988, are an Italian company specialising in the production of technical sportswear and are regarded as one of the leading brands at both national and international level. From the head offices at San Polo di Torrile in the
Kitlocker.com was established in 2005, by volleyball players Tom Ward and Mike Kent, with the knowledge that leisurewear provision within the university sector was extremely disjointed. They recognised the failings in provision and embarked on creating an innovative and comprehensive service. They aim to provide high quality goods at highly competitive prices and with exceptionally good customer service. Kitlocker.com is the largest volleyball kit supplier in the
You can see the range by following the link (http://www.kitlocker.com/ecommerce/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=477).
For further information please contact:
Tel: +44(0)114 273 4391; M: +44(0)7917357055; E: kenny@britishvolleyball.org
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Volleyball Wales plays at the Scarlets home match (31st Oct 2010)
A group of junior players were invited to play at the Scarlets home game against Glasgow on the 28th Oct 2010. They took part in an exhibition match as part of the pre match entertainment prior to the Magners League clash. Spectators were invited to 'have a go' and were given some coaching before being introduced to the court for their first experience of volleyball. About 15 youngsters joined in and showed some real talent on court. Volleyball Wales hopes to run a few more taster sessions in Llanelli / Swansea over the next few months and if anyone is interested in attending, they should contact Yvonne on yvonne.saker@volleyballwales.org for more information.
Statement from BVF Board to News Media on the funding arrangements for British Volleyball - 18 August 2010
Since 2006 the British Volleyball Federation has maintained its investment in the six Olympic and Paralympic disciplines under its control, with a view to allowing each squad to pursue its objective of competing with credibility in the London 2012 Games.
The Great Britain Volleyball programme is the largest of any team sport and consists of Indoor Volleyball for both men and women, Beach Volleyball for men and women, and Sitting (Paralympic) Volleyball for men and women.
All six teams have automatic host-country qualification for London 2012, as laid down by the respective international federations the FIVB and WOVD.
BVF President Richard Callicott said: "Since 2009, the BVF has faced increasing difficulties in continuing to support all of its programmes within the funding allocation made available to it by UK Sport. Accordingly, and following discussion with UK Sport, the BVF Board has determined that it will henceforward expend UK Sport funding only on the Men's Indoor Volleyball, Women's Beach Volleyball and Sitting Volleyball programmes. This decision is in recognition especially of UK Sport's investment principles, which prioritise support for sports on the basis of relative performance merit taking into account current performances and future medal potential,. The BVF Board's decision seeks to ensure that the teams with the greatest potential can continue to develop towards the fulfilment of their performance targets for 2012.
"This decision means that that Women's Indoor Volleyball and Men's Beach programmes will no longer be funded directly with monies from UK Sport with effect from 1 October 2010. This does not, however, mean that the BVF is abandoning these teams."
Mr. Callicott stressed the Federation is working hard to find additional income from sponsorship and commercial sources to enable these players to continue their preparation and to compete in London 2012. For the forthcoming winter season the majority of the players in the Women's Indoor programme will be taking up playing contracts with European club sides, and the BVF is hopeful that during that time sufficient income will be found to enable them to play competitive matches and continue their training from May 2011 onwards.
"We want to help all those people active in our volleyball programmes to fulfil their dreams and enrich the Olympic experience in London in 23 months' time," he concluded.
Audrey Cooper, head coach, GB women's volleyball, said: "It is obviously difficult to register our shock and disappointment after three years of phenomenal progress. However, will we give up - no. We have a group of determined and resilient athletes and staff, as proved by our recent highly successful profile raising cycle ride from Sheffield to London. We will assess what this means for us and look for a solution. Clearly that solution will involve the development of partnerships with external organisations and commercial companies with similar characteristics and desires. Only two years away from London 2012 we have come too far to let the dream die."
Liz Nicholl, Chief Operating Officer at UK Sport, added:
"For the London Games, UK Sport has invested record sums in volleyball, with over £4 million supporting the Olympic and Paralympic programmes. The decision made today by the BVF Board maximises the support for those teams with the greatest performance potential. This was no doubt a difficult decision for the Board, but it is one we feel took great courage and that is right from a performance perspective, especially in these economically challenging times."
For further information contact:
Richard Calicott, President, British Volleyball Federation: mobile 07810 181111
Audrey Cooper, head coach, GB women's volleyball: mobile: 07771 940511 or
office: 0114 223 5744
Sue Mott, David Welch Management: mobile 07836 283566
Office: 01832 274340
Mobile: 07774 811581
Welsh Juniors on Mosgito, S4C at 5.30pm on 6th July 2010
On the 6th July 2010, several of the Welsh Under 14/15 squad members appeared on S4C's Mosgito. The programme targets under 16 year olds to try new activities and focuses on exciting new experiences each week. U17 squad players Cai Morgan and Lewys Mann were interviewed by the shows main presentor and even taught her how to serve. If you would like to try volleyball, send your details to mail@volleyballwales.org to find out about clubs near you.
Inter-regional Championships Review (17.5.10)
U15 boys - Coach Chris Webb
A team that was very much brought together at the last minute, with a mix of experience from one year to one week meant that on paper this team should not have been able to challenge any of their competitors. Against the odds the boys got off to a dream start convincingly winning the first set against Yorkshire with strong serving and good defence. The team then came through a tougher second set to confirm the perfect start with a match win. Tough games followed and although they were competitive in every game and even ran the eventual group winners within 5 points of a victory the team were unable to win another game and eventually finished fourth out five teams in their group. This took them into a playoff for seventh and eighth place and another hard fought game took them close to another unexpected victory but it wasn't to be and the team finished in a very respective eighth place.
I'm extremely proud of all the players for the way they worked as a team and dealt brilliantly with this very tough challenge. I would like to give a special mention to Conor Robins, whose aggressive serving and hitting won us a large number of points and my Coach's player of the tournament Matt Perry, our captain who lead by example with great setting, solid blocking and motivating comments throughout the weekend. (Written by Chris Webb, U15's Boys coach)
Welsh Teams play in British College Championships (6.5.10)
Following the Welsh Colleges competition held in October 2009, the top Girls and Boys teams went through to represent Wales in the British College Championships in April. The Girls team came from Llandrillo College in North Wales, whilst the Boys team came from St Davids College in Cardiff.
Girls team report
Teacher Mr Paul Lloyd from Llandrillo College coached the girls team up to the British Championships but the inexperienced team had a tough path ahead. There were 3 pools and Llandrillo were drawn with the South West and South East team (who won last year and lost in the final this year to Stoke). Llandrillo lost both games but gave a good performance dispite the obvious nerves and lack of confidence and experience.
Second round pool saw Llandrillo drawn against Scotland and the North West where they again lost both games but this time giving both teams a real run for their money. Due to points difference Llandrillo finally ended the competition in 8th place. (Written by Paul Murray - 5x60 Officer, Llandrillo College)
Boys team report
St.Davids Catholic college located on Ty Gwyn road in Penylan Cardiff represented Wales at the British colleges volleyball competition in Loughborough from the 16th-18th of April. Despite the teams lack of training the St.Davids college squad with two experienced players in the squad - Polish born Maciej Mlodzianowski and Welsh volleyball junior captain Aiden Lewis the team exceeded expectations. The team were placed in a reasonably strong pool with teams from the South West, South East and East of England.
Wales (St.Davids College) saw their first game against a very strong South West team that included an England cadet player in their ranks. Wales lost the game 2-0 but managed to push the South West team all the way through each set. They then played a college from the South East of England which they managed to win 2- 1. This was a great achievement for the college and they beat the previous record of winning more than one set. The final pool game saw them face a team from the East of England which they lost 2-0. After the pool stages, the Welsh team were put in to a league table with all of the teams regarding their outcome from the two pools. The Welsh team had to play in a play-off game to see whether they played in the 7thand 8th place or 9thand 10th play off game.
The team battled hard but eventually lost 2-0 to the East Midlands. This meant that they played in the 9th and 10th play off where they faced the team they had beaten in the pool stages the South East. Wales took the first set quite comfortably but then the tiredness and lack of match play kicked in and the inexperienced players found it difficult. The Welsh team eventually lost the match 2-1 and finished the tournament in last place (10th) however this did not reflect the performance of the team over the weekend.
The St.Davids and Wales captain Aiden Lewis added 'the team performed exceptionally well over the weekend. Our objective was to win at least two sets and managing to win a game was a massive achievement. We did not have much preparation going in to the tournament and with some players playing in only their second competitive competition I think we can only take this weekend as a massive confidence boost and platform to build on for next year'. (Written by Aiden Lewis, Captain)
St.Davids College Squad
Next year Volleyball Wales plan to support the colleges leading up to the Welsh Rounds and then offering support up to and during the British Championships. Should you be interested in finding out how VW can help, please get in touch.
Celtic Dragons - Top of the League (22.2.10)
Wales' 1st Sitting Volleyball Team, the FDSW Celtic Dragons, are top of the leaderboard in the Sitting Volleyball Grand Prix series after three events (Dec 09, Jan 10 and Feb 10). The new comers to the sport formed in Oct 2009 and after some intensive training under the watchful eye of FDSW Performance Director Anthony Hughes, travelled to Kettering in Dec 2009 to surpise the English teams by winning the 1st event.
The other teams fought hard in the Jan 2010 event to knock the Dragons off the top spot but were unable to do so. Eventually the winning streak was broken in the 3rd event with the Dragons coming 2nd to the East London Lynx however The Celtic Dragons lead from the previous two events meant that they were able to hold on to 1st place overall.
For more information about Sitting Volleyball,click here.
Junior Development Squad announced (31.1.10)
Following the trials at the Welsh institute of Sport, Head Coaches Sandra Stoll (Boys) and Jack Allman (Girls) have selected a development squad to work towards the pending UK School Games in Sept 2010. The Games are being held in Newcastle and will be the first year that Wales have been invited to compete in the full competition. As well as regular training sessions, the development squad will be going on tour to Germany in April and will be competiting in the Inter regional Competition in May in Kettering. Keep checking this site for updates on their progress.
Wales Juniors v Argentina (21.1.10)
On Thursday 21st January Wales Under 16 girl's team competed in a friendly match at The Welsh Institute of Sport, Cardiff against an Argentinean School who were in their final stages of their UK Tour. The two teams played 3 sets with the Argentinean School coming away with a very close win, however both teams played some impressive volleyball. It was a great atmosphere and a good opportunity for the Welsh players to experience an international and competitive match. We hope to keep in touch with Belgrano Day School in the future.
Jack Allman - Head Coach, Wales U16's Girls