CEV School Project mobilises hundreds of teams in Ireland

Volleyball Ireland is teaming up with Northern Ireland Volleyball (NIVB) to deliver a first ever cross-federation programme under the umbrella of the CEV School Project ‘Play Volleyball – Grow with it’. Therefore, Volleyball Ireland staff has already helped deliver coaching sessions for teachers and students in Dundalk primary schools with a view to joining with NIVB teams early in the new year at a fun blitz.

Volleyball Ireland Development Team were busy this past month delivering educational courses to secondary schools. A total of 15 such courses were completed and 264 students involved nationwide in coaching and refereeing education.

The 4v4 fun blitzes got underway in November as well. Helping to provide a wow factor for the young kids, the organisers used some of Ireland’s largest arenas to host the events in Dublin, Galway City, and Kilkenny City. A total of 173 teams and over 1,000 children are taking part if we were to count also the event scheduled for early December in Cork.

Newly appointed FIVB coach Graham Bell started working with Volleyball Ireland’s Division A schools this past month. Part of his role within Volleyball Ireland is to mentor the players and teachers in tactical and technical preparations for their matches. This will help elevate the understanding of local top-flight athletes and future coaches/referees.

A special course for the Professional Development of Secondary School Teachers was hosted with teaching associates. In turn, these associates will now use their new knowledge to deliver volleyball sessions to over 300 teachers in the new year. This butterfly effect will hopefully lead to an impact on school volleyball activity around the country.

Moreover, Volleyball Ireland ordered and bought new T-shirts and promotion branding to raise awareness of the CEV School Project. Already 264 T-shirts have gone out to students in line with the educational courses delivered. The branding and logos take centre stage at all events as well as at the upcoming senior Championships, whose quarter and semifinals were hosted in November. Since this past September, as many as 334 matches have taken place, thus helping identify the six finalists.