Three high-profile speakers to take the floor at this year’s CEV Coaches Convention

Three highly qualified and high-profile speakers – Atsushi Katoh, Kåre Mol, and Ranko Rajović – will be taking the floor at this year’s CEV Coaches Convention scheduled for this coming September in Sofia, Bulgaria, to share their wealth of knowledge and experience with coaches and PE teachers from across Europe working at the entry level of the game. 

Katoh is an experienced volleyball coach and instructor from Japan. His extensive career includes coaching roles in Tunisia and his homeland, highlighted by a win at the Men’s U21 African Championship held in 1984 in Cairo, Egypt. Currently, he is a technical coach at Piedmont VBC in North Carolina, USA and holds multiple FIVB certifications. Katoh embodies the core values of cross-cultural adaptability, especially through his ability to coach in English, French, and Chinese. His coaching philosophy integrates traditional Japanese techniques and martial arts principles, thereby fostering innovation and global collaboration in volleyball coaching.

Norway’s Mol has excelled as a player, coach, and mentor in both Volleyball and Beach Volleyball. With leadership roles at national level and a tenure as Chief of Sports at the Norwegian Volleyball Federation (NVBF) until 2010, Mol has literally shaped the sport’s landscape. His coaching philosophy prioritises continuous improvement and fosters trust, honesty, and excellence. Known for his keen eye for talent and holistic player development, Mol’s approach emphasises technical precision, strategic innovation, and mental resilience. He is the father and coach of Anders and Hendrik Mol (aka the Beach Volley Vikings) and their respective partners Christian Sørum and Mathias Berntsen, and he received the CEV Beach Volleyball Coach of the Year award in both 2019 and 2021.

Rajović is a specialist in internal medicine and a neuroendocrinologist. He heads the Department of Neuroscience in Education at the Faculty of Education in Koper, Slovenia. Rajović is the creator of the NTC learning system, currently implemented in over 20 European countries, with accreditation from education ministries in as many as seven countries. He has authored more than 20 books, manuals, and games for comprehensive child development and serves as an expert for the European Handball Federation (EHF) on neuroscience in sports. Additionally, Rajović founded Mensa Serbia and the NTC Department for Gifted Children. He received international recognition for his intellectual contributions in 2015 and resides in Novi Sad, where he continues his work with a focus on education and talent development.