12th CEV School Project webinar series to unfold in April

Four highly qualified speakers will share their knowledge and expertise through the 12th series of webinars run by the CEV Technical and Development Department in conjunction with the CEV School Project ‘Play Volleyball – Grow with it’. The three sessions scheduled for April will continue the successful initiative whereby hundreds of coaches and other people working at the grassroots level have been inspired to think outside the box as they grow the next generation of Volleyball players. As always, the registration is open here, so make sure you sign up in due time to receive the relevant video link!  

The first speaker, Ukraine-born Nataliia Klimenova, is someone already known to the Volleyball family from a previous such session and from an in-depth interview with the CEV (click here) where she discussed, among other things, the challenges faced by female coaches. The former elite player is now based in Calgary (Canada), where she runs her own Volleyball academy, offering individual sessions as well as large-scale camps, thereby mentoring young athletes and fostering a total passion for the sport. She will discuss the use of video analysis and social media to enhance Volleyball practices and engage young athletes. In her approach, Nataliia emphasises the role of effort and hard work, always encouraging her students to learn from mistakes and previous experiences to become the best version of themselves they can possibly be. Nataliia’s webinar is scheduled for April 15 at 4 pm CEST. 

A week later, on April 22, members of the Volleyball family will get to know and listen to Mexican Karla Carrillo, a seasoned sports and event manager with more than a decade of experience in areas as diverse as ethics, sports governance, capacity building, safeguarding, and strategic development. She has worked at a variety of major international events, including Olympic Games and World Championships. Carrillo will discuss what to know and what to do to prevent dropout in Volleyball – taking lessons from her experience and her ability in driving positive change through research, training, and innovative projects. 

The last webinar of this series scheduled for April 29 will feature some other familiar faces as well – namely Dr Jimmy Czimek and Tonya Blickhäuser from the German Sport University Cologne (DSHS). Dr Czimek has been leading since 2014 the A-coach training programme run by the German Volleyball Federation (DVV) and is a senior lecturer at DSHS with a specialisation in Volleyball coaching and training methodologies. Dr Czimek and Blickhäuser, a research assistant at DSHS, have co-authored a guide for teachers and coaches produced and published by the CEV in 2024 in conjunction with the CEV School Project. Together, they will be sharing their new coaching approach of the Construction-Kit Concept Wheel, including a focus on the so-called SmashVolley.

There is plenty of inspiring content and ideas to look forward to, so hurry up and make sure you register for this must-seize educational opportunity!