In April, 18 passionate volleyball coaches from all four corners of Aotearoa, united for a weekend of development as part of the Level 3 Coaching Course.
Across two intensive days, they delved deep into the intricacies of defensive and attacking concepts and skills.
Day one saw Johann Timmer (Game Development Manager at VNZ) take the reins, guiding the cohort through the nuances of defensive play, looking closely at planning, reading, and execution.
On day two, Rob Tarr (Game Development Manager at Harbour Volleyball) steered the conversation towards attacking strategies. Coaches absorbed sessions on individual and team components to setting and attacking.
VNZ’s Coach Development Manager, Shaun Matthews, also provided guidance on facilitating the decision-making process and the importance of long-term planning.
“I have already incorporated elements from the weekend into my planning for this week’s training. The other coaches are really friendly and supportive, and I feel like I’ve developed a further network of coaches to bounce ideas off. I would highly recommend this course to other coaches” (Course Participant)
Additionally, the Level 3 Pilot programme in the Bay of Plenty recently concluded on a high note. For the final session of the course, Jason Lochhead (VNZ High Performance Coach) addressed critical gaps in the game, helping coaches to develop their understanding of the arm swing technique when attacking, jump serving, and defending. Coaches got to observe Jason in action, discuss and reflect on ways to teach the techniques and skills, as well as do some coaching of their own.
VNZ want to thank Johann and Rob, for sharing your knowledge and experience with the group. In addition, we would like to thank Rangitoto College for graciously hosting and to the local athletes whose participation enriched the coaching experience.
Congratulations to the dedicated Bay of Plenty coaches - Treena Blythe, Taina Savage, David Hadcroft, Suzanne Miller, Linda Page, Tom Collier, and Michelle Darke for completing the programme. A special acknowledgement is also owed to Brittany McMurtrie (nee Allison-Carnie) for her instrumental role in sharing and advancing this course.
