Three female speakers to feature in latest School Project webinar series

Three female speakers will be taking the ‘virtual floor’ provided by the 10th webinar series run by the CEV Technical and Development Department in conjunction with the CEV School Project ‘Play Volleyball – Grow with it’ that is scheduled for later this month and early May. This follows on the resounding success of the latest such webinars held earlier this month with people from across the globe joining in to grow their coaching skills. To sign up and receive the link for these three eagerly anticipated sessions, make sure you register here: https://schoolprojectregistrationportal.cev.eu/ 

Belgium’s Volleyball legend Virginie De Carne is known for a truly exceptional playing and coaching career, with stints in a variety of countries such as her native Belgium, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and Finland, where she earned numerous championship titles and other accolades, including multiple MVP awards. After transitioning from player to coach, Virginie continues to make waves, mentoring aspiring athletes and implementing innovative training methods. Her dedication to youth development and grassroots initiatives has already left a lasting impact on the sport. At this stage of her life, she focuses primarily on her own VDC Volleyball Academy, where she shares her wealth of knowledge with the next generation of aspiring volleyball players. Her recent studies in Sports Psychology for Elite Athletes underscore her commitment to both personal and professional growth. De Carne will help the attendees find ways to empower kids through what she refers to as creative mistakes. 

Jana Kulan, formerly known as Jana Matiasovska-Aghayeva, is a Slovak-born Azerbaijani volleyball player turned coach. She played for the Toray Arrows in Japan and the Azerbaijani national team, participating in major events like EuroVolley as well as the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship. She currently works with youth teams at VK Jihostroj České Budějovice in Czechia, leading U20 girls and assisting in coaching U16 and U22 boys. She also contributes to the delivery of camps organised by the Czech Volleyball Federation for U14 boys. Through coaching, Kulan shares her passion for Volleyball and emphasises the importance of pursuing athletic and personal development at the same time. She will run a session under the theme ‘Spike Their Motivation: Keeping Kids Engaged in Volleyball’.  

Finally, Korea’s Lee Sangeun, who among other things is a member of the Athletes’ Entourage Commission at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is the driving force behind the so-called ‘Dream League’, a groundbreaking project focussed on empowering girls and women through ice hockey. Supported by the IOC Young Leaders Programme, she is dedicated to reducing gender disparity in the sport. Drawing from her extensive background in short-track skating, speed skating, and ice hockey, she brings a wealth of experience to her advocacy efforts. With firsthand experience at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, Lee is passionate about creating inclusive opportunities for athletes. Through the ‘Dream League’, she has already empowered over 1,000 women in ice hockey and continues to champion equality in sports, thus striving to make a lasting impact on the lives of female athletes.