Canada Volleyball National team Qualifing journey to the Olympics (Tokyo 2020)

For our teams in Canada, they have to qualify at the tournaments in January. The women's tournament is January 9-12 in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic.  The winning team will get to go to the Olympics.  The FIVB rankings (as of September 29, 2019) of the four teams at this qualifying tournament can be seen in the table below.  The teams in the black box are the ones at the tournament.

The men's team will be in Vancouver Canada on January 9-12, they too will need to win to go to the Olympics 

Good luck to both our teams...Make us proud.

What is go great about being part of the Academy?

The best thing about being involved with the academy is seeing the athletes mature and grow into awesome players.

This past week I was Mustang Volleyball tournament and some of the Junior City playoffs.

It is so great to see some of the 360+ athletes who have attended sessions since last January on the court.  To see them playing the game and doing so well brings a smile to my face knowing that is some small way I was lucky enough to meet these athletes and be part of their volleyball journey.  The coaching at the academy is so much fun for me as a veteran coach of 30+ years it has revitalized my love for the sport and I look forward to the limited time the athletes allow me to be part of their development.  To all athletes entering into city playoff and club tryouts continue to work hard and enjoy the game and never ever forget it is a game and it should be fun.     

The Basketball Elite Academy will begin in January.

The current goal is to launch the Basketball Elite Academy in January 2020.

The following will be used for the base for the sessions which will be offered at the academy.

Dribbling

Dribbling is an important skill for all basketball players. This skill will allow you to move up and down the court, maneuver past defenders and execute plays. Proper dribbling requires ball-handling skills and knowledge of how to spread your fingers for ball control. It is also best if you know how to dribble equally well with both hands.  There are different types of dribbles: 

• change-of-pace,
• crossover dribble,
• behind the back,
• pull back dribble,
• low dribble,
• basic dribble,
• between the legs dribble

Shooting

In order to score points in basketball, you need to shoot the ball into the hoop. This requires the ability to properly hold and throw the ball into the air toward the basket while avoiding defenders. A proper shot requires precise aiming, arm extension and lift from the legs. There are different types of shots you need to learn, including jump shots, layups, and free throws.  There are several ways to score in the game:

• Jump Shot
• Dunk
• Alley-oop
• Free throw
• Layup
• Three-Point Shot
• Hook Shot

Running

Running is a big part of basketball. In a full-court game, you will find yourself running back and forth as the game quickly transitions between offense and defense. When you have the ball, running will help you to avoid defenders and get to the basket quicker. On defense, you often will find yourself needing to run after the opponent, especially during fast breaks.

Passing

Passing is another skill that when mastered can help you become a complete basketball player. Basketball is a team sport that involves finding a teammate who is open for a shot. The ability to pass the ball to this player can make the difference between scoring and not scoring. Really great passers are an important part of a basketball team and usually the ones who set up scoring plays.  There are several types of passes you need to learn:

• Overhead Pass
• Chest Pass
• Push Pass
• Baseball Pass
• Off-the-Dribble Pass
• Bounce Pass

Jumping

Jumping is another skill that can define how good a basketball player is. Jumping is involved in offense during the jump ball in the beginning, while taking shots and sometimes while trying to catch a pass. On the defensive end of the game, you will need the ability to jump when trying to block a shot or a pass. Being able to out-jump your opponent for a rebound also is important.   Rebounding - is essential to gain or regain possession after the shot. Usually, the team who has the most number of rebounds after the game has more shot attempts and chances to score.

Volleyball tryout disappointments

The U13, U14 and U15 Girls tryouts for the biggest clubs in Saskatoon happened this past weekend and there were a lot of disappointed girls after the cuts were made.  The fact that girls were disappointed is a reality and can be used to motivate them to put the effort in to become better.  The other reality is that club volleyball is a competitive situation which might not be for some athletes this year but can be in the future.  The chances are greatly improved if the athletes put in the effort between now and the next tryouts (shameless plug for the academy).

The other reality is that volleyball is a lifelong sport and the competitive side is not for everyone sometimes sports are played just for the fun of it.  Inform games are easy to organize and we are getting to a place where perhaps parents need to set up playdates for older children where they can play in non-competitive scenarios. (Friday night pickup game (another shameless academy plug)

Friday Night Pickup Games

I too am missing the Friday night Pickup games and I am looking forward to the end of school volleyball so I can quit going to tournaments when I should be hosting pickup games.  The games are coming as soon as we  are past school season and November break.

Volleyball ART

Volleyball art

The Haikyu Volleyball Anime has created some great images and art around or sport really liked this image.

Online shop

A lot of participants are showing up to sessions without a ball, I do have a few balls that have been left behind that I bring but if a player is going to be a serious volleyball player they should have a ball to use between practices to refine their skills.  We do sell balls and clothing in the Mechanise section of the website get yours today.  We have the balls and clothing at the session for pickup once you have paid for them online.

Buy Now

This week in volleyball

This week we have on Tuesday, October 22 from 7-10 Making the Club U13 U14 U15 Boys session there is currently only 4 boys registered, the last-minute registrations will push that number higher.

The session on Wednesday, October 23 from 7-10 for Making the Club U13 Girls is also low numbers.  In this world of gender evolution we do allow any gender to attend any session so if you are looking for a more personal experience than the academy can offer in the sold-out sessions register for some of these smaller sessions no matter the gender or age as both do not have any bearing on the experience as volleyball is volleyball.

The private lesson on October 23 still has space for one more participant if you believe you need someone on one coaching for an hour.  Private lessons can be scheduled at any time as long as we have 8-day notice currently the two most popular skills for private lessons are serving and setting.

Early next week, we have our first ever Kijima and other defensive drills session.  Defense for me is one of the most exciting parts of the game and Kijima is one of my most favorite drills.  This is going to be a great two-hour session, don’t miss it.

Register here

Good luck to all during club tryouts

Good luck to all during club tryouts Good luck to all the players who are in tryouts and school playoffs.  Remember to be focussed and work hard to achieve your goals.

If your mind can conceive it and your heart can believe it. Then with some effort, I know you can achieve it.

Selling Out Sessions

The method of registering athletes has started to work well for scheduling coaches and gyms.  The earlier participants register means we start to fill the sessions and the waitlist allowing the academy time to find appropriate coaches and courts.  Thank you to all who registered early and sorry to the interested athletes who I could not accommodate in the last sessions as it sold out.

Making the Club U13, U14, and U15 Girls

This week we have some great sessions happening Tuesday and Thursday, they are the first of the Making the Club sessions.  These three-hour sessions are preparation for U13, U14 or U15 girls by giving them a large number of touches covering the seven volleyball skills.  The participants will also be sent an electronic copy of the document below which they can bring to their club tryouts which will make them stand out from the rest and show they are serious about the sport.  The timing of the sessions is scheduled just before the Saskatoon bigger club tryouts and the other ages will be scheduled just before their club tryouts.

Canadian Elite Academy Volleyball Van

If you happen to see a Canadian Elite Academy Volleyball Van around town it is the newest piece of equipment.  It was a business decision to lease a used Ford Transit which has allowed me to remove the volleyball equipment from my garage allowing me to park our personal vehicles out of the snow.  A special thanks to the Saskatoon Truck Center where the van was leased paid for the branding on the vehicle, which was very nice of them. 

Volleyball Captions For Instagram

Inspirational Volleyball Quotes

•  A lot of people had doubts. I tried to tell people I never had doubts.
• Misty May-Traeanor, after an Olympic victory
•  I grew up on the beach and played side-out scoring all my life, but rally scoring is better for our sport. There is pressure on every play. You can’t make a mistake, but that also means your opponent can’t make a mistake. It makes the matches more exciting to watch.
• Holly McPeak
• Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.
• Vince Lombardi
•  You touch every other ball and, if you screw up, you only have one more person to back you up. You can’t go hide in the corner.
• Kerri Walsh
•  We don’t have a World Series or a Super Bowl, so to be able to come home with a gold medal is amazing. I want to do it again in four more years.
• Kerri Walsh
• Don’t ever let the ball hit the ground without a body hitting the ground with it.
• Unknown
• Take your victories, whatever they may be, cherish them, use them, but don’t settle for them.
• Mia Hamm
•  Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.
• John Wooden
•  Whoever said, “It’s not whether you win or lose that counts,” probably lost.
• Martina Navratilova
•  Champions keep playing until they get it right.
• Billie Jean King

Motivational Sayings

•  A great defensive play is worth about five points in emotion.
• Caren Kemner
•  Don’t fire your opponents up. If they’re down, don’t tick them off. Let them stay down.
• Sinjin Smith
• If you want to stay fit, surround yourself with a couple of chicks who are fired up, so that the one day you’re not, you can feed off their energy.
• Gabrielle Reece
• Volleyball is the sport through which I am able to express my God-given talents of being an athlete. It is a sport which involves relating, pushing, and encouraging your teammates. It has helped evolve me into the person I am today.

David Beard

Inspiring

• The best passing drill is pass-set-hit. The best setting drill is pass-set-hit. And, the best hitting drill is pass-set-hit. Anything less than a game situation, unless very well planned, has the possibility of introducing artificial situations, and complete transfer to the game might not occur when drills are constructed in this manner.
• Marv Dunphy
•  Anyone serious about playing indoor, you should play outdoor.
• Sean Scott
• Volleyball is one of the most interactive games going. It is a game of intuition, imagination, improvisation – but most of all, of reciprocity – of teamwork. There is no way to freelance in volleyball.
• Marv Dunphy
• To be true to one’s self is the ultimate test in life. To have the courage and sensitivity to follow your hidden dreams and stand tall against the odds that are bound to fall in your path. Life is too short and precious to be dealt with in any other fashion.
• Flo Hyman
• Volleyball rules are simple. If it is on the floor, pick it up and get it into the air. If it is in the air, keep it off the floor.
• John Kessel

Gabrielle Reece

• I didn’t get into this to pick up a new hobby, I don’t want to be a golfer. I want to be the best.
•  Stay calm and aggressive.
•  It’s sort of like, our bodies are designed to keep moving, and when we don’t move it, we’re not going to feel great.
•  I think any time people behave in a way that’s truly them, then they never fail. You get in trouble when you try to copy others.

Misty May-Treanor Volleyball Quotes

From Misty: Digging Deep in Volleyball and Life

• We’d shared a once-in-a-lifetime experience over the past eight years, and we’d be forever joined. Sisters. Friends. Teammates. Business partners. Trailblazers. (On teammate Kerri Walsh.)
•  There are a lot of people out there who would love to trade spots, so I have nothing to complain about. but we are spread pretty thin. People don’t see that. Sometimes they thin we just come here and play volleyball.
•  In the beach volleyball world, every major decision goes through Karch. He is the Obi-Wan Kenobi of the sport, the Jedi Master of the sand, reminiscent of the wise, exalted character in the Star Wars universe who teaches Luke Skywalker the ways of the Force. He’s all-knowing, all-seeing.
• Was I the only person who wasn’t exhausted after the gold medal match? Was I the only one who wasn’t blubbering away? Sheesh. For once, I bet I was more amped up than Kerri.
•  I was flying high, floating on a cloud, living life at 310 percent, with an angel on my right shoulder.
• …Olympic gold medals aren’t about the awards; instead, they’re all about the rewards. I want to spend the rest of my time on earth experiencing the gifts of my Olympic gold medals, connecting and building relationships with others, and sharing and expanding upon their strength, power, beauty, and majesty.

William G. Morgan

•  In search of an appropriate game, tennis occurred to me, but this required rackets, balls, a net and other equipment, so it was eliminated, but the idea of a net seemed a good one. We raised it to a height of about 6 feet, 6 inches (1.98 metres) from the ground, just above the head of an average man.
•  …content in the knowledge that the game brought a richer life to millions of people throughout the world.
•  We needed a ball and among those we tried was a basketball bladder, but this was too light and too slow. We therefore tried the basketball itself, which was too big and too heavy.

Wilt Chamberlain Volleyball Quotes

•  I assume that most people know that I’m a volleyballer of some renown. In fact, for a long time, volleyball became as big a part of my life as basketball once was.
•  Everything is habit forming, so make sure what you do is what you want to be doing. (A View from Above)
•  I believe that good things come to those who work.
• Nobody roots for Goliath.
•  The man who won’t loan money isn’t going to have many friends – or need them.
•  I started playing volleyball very late in my athletic career, around the age thirty-three or thirty-four, but I became quite proficient.
•  It’s a highly skilled and very fast-paced game.
•  Being able to hold my own against the best in the world, on the beach or indoors, is something I’m very proud of.
•  They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they’d make up their minds.
• Our volleyball game is tighter than our spandex.
• Volleyball: Invented by men; perfected by women.
•  Volleyball is my passion and style is my fashion.
• Meet me at the net.
• You have to want it.
• Prepare to be stuffed.
• The Block Party is just beginning.
• Court is in session.
• Defend until the end.
• I play volleyball; what’s your superpower?
• Pass the expectations, set the standards, and kill the competition.
• Volleyball takes more than just believing.
• When the ball is in play, there’s always a better place to be than where you are.
• Volleyball: Can you dig it?

Funny Volleyball Quotes (Author Unknown)

• Our game is tighter than our spandex.
• If you’re dating a volleyball player, raise your glass. If you’re not, raise your standards.
•  I’m so good, your mom cheers for me.
•  Volleyball: More than a sport – it’s a way of life.
•  Even Cinderella can’t get to this ball.
•  Volleyball: Invented by men, perfected by women.
•  There’s no elevator to the top, take the stairs!
• Volleyball is my life, everything else is just details.
•  Title match game. Final Set. Down by two. Dig Deep.
• The setter, a hard-working, talented volleyball player who receives NO GLORY!

Volleyball Captions

• just serve it.
• You didn’t lose, you just ran out of time.
• You know an ace more than a card.
•  Sore or sorry? You pick.
• PrACTice like a champion.
• Volleyball season is every season.

For Setters

•  Life is better when I’m digging and passing.
•  You know you’re a setter when your wrists turn red from bumping so much.
•  What all good spikers know: Thank your setters!
• Love me, I’m a setter.
• You know your a setter when no one understands how difficult your job is.
• Why did the setter cross the road? To get to the shanked ball.
•  My setter is better.

Karch Kiraly Quotes

•  Most people put a hat and glasses on to go incognito. I take them off.
•  We play at the world’s most beautiful beaches but in the world’s most challenging conditions. It is not like you play one match and you go back to air conditioning. We do it all day long.
•  Physically I’m not as strong as I was, but I try to make up for it mentally. It’s a big challenge, and I relish it, competing with guys half my age.
•  The beach game taught me great lessons about how to elevate the play of my teammate, or teammates, and how to anticipate and expect the ball so much more than the indoor game ever could.
•  It taught me — even forced me — to be a much better all-around player. That allowed me to help our USA Olympic Team in many more ways than I ever could have otherwise.
•  I still get excited just attending a final four, because the process is so long, so arduous, so challenging, that when it finally arrives, the adrenaline can’t help but take over.
•  I love the sense of accomplishment and camaraderie that the indoor game can engender.

Good Volleyball Quotes

 My body is a vehicle for the mechanics of my sport.
Gabrielle Reece

 No volleyball play can begin without a serve, and the serve is the only technique that is totally under your control. In other endeavors, you cannot succeed without believing in yourself, and that belief is completely under your control.
Karch Kiraly

 It takes a lot of hard work and dedication just like any pro sport. Especially for beach volleyball, you don’t have to be tall or as fast as other sports. You just have to have the skills.
Misty May-Treanor

If it’s worth it, then you do it.
Logan Tom

Breathe, believe, and battle. My former coach, Troy Tanner, told us that before each match. Breathe – be in the moment. Believe – have faith that you can rise above it. Battle – you gotta be prepared to go for as long as it takes.
Kerri Walsh

Volleyball anchored me at a time in my life when I needed it. It gave me a reason for being this big, big girl.
Gabrielle Reece

Game Day

There is pressure on every play. You can’t make a mistake, but that also means your opponent can’t make a mistake. It makes the matches more exciting to watch.
Holly McPeak

Being a volleyball player is what I was born to do. I loved every day of it. I loved every practice, every weight training, every video meeting, every match!  (And) I loved playing in front of people. I loved entertaining them. With all of that go along very high expectations! Some players do not like that. They don’t want the stress and pressure from the club to win. I loved it. I knew that it was NOT acceptable to lose.
Lloy Ball

Volleyball sayings

• Our blood, our sweat, your tears.
• All Out, All Game, All Season
• A team above all.  Above all a team

FUNNY VOLLEYBALL SLOGANS

• You set it in the air and I’ll hit it anywhere
• Block this!
• Where the Spirit of Service & Spiking lives on!
• Foul Play Suspected
• We play daily – you play weakly
• Volleyball is our business and business is good
• Can you dig it?
• You just got served
• Welcome to the Block Party
• The New Kids on the Block
• Hustle hit and never quit
• Hustle and heart set us apart
• Volleyball 631. Six players. Three touches. Won.
• It’s Goin’ Down!
• Bump – Set – DOMINATE

Cool Volleyball Slogans and Sayings

• Meet me at the net
• Let’s settle this at the net
• See you in Court
• Play from the heart
• It’s An Air Affair!
• Heart is the difference between those who attempt and those who achieve
• Play like you’re in first; train like you’re in second
• The price of greatness is responsibility.
• When you play ball, leave it all
• Unfinished Business

Volume 90%

Good Volleyball Sayings and Phrases

• Fast and Furious.
• The true champion believes in the impossible.
• All things are difficult before they are easy.
• Winners in life don’t always win; they just don’t give up.
• Make good habits and they will make you.
• No one is a failure until they stop trying.
• It is very hard to win when your thoughts turn to losing.
• Opportunity may knock, but you must open the door.
• Defeat isn’t bitter if you don’t swallow it.
• The true champion loses many battles before winning the war.
• The greatest game you can win is won within.
• To be satisfied with yourself is a sure sign that your forward motion has stopped.
• It isn’t the hours you put in, but what you put in the hours.
• The harder you work, the harder it is to lose.
• Sometimes it’s not how GOOD you are, but how BAD you want it

Team Spirit

• Make your competitive juices overcome your excuses
• Hard luck is composed of laziness, bad judgment, and poor execution.
• Victory comes to those who make the least mistakes.
• Reaching high keeps a man on his toes.
• Bad habits are like a good bed – easy to get into but difficult to get out of.
• “I can’t do it” never yet accomplished anything – “I will try” has performed miracles.
• It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.
• Bump it, Set it, Smack it down
• Winners train; Losers complain
• BUMP, SET, SPIKE IT. THAT’S THE WAY WE LIKE IT.
• Teamwork Makes The Dream Work.
• Intensity is not a perfume!
• Respect All, Fear None
• If its gotta be, it starts with me
• Refuse to Lose
• All it takes is all you’ve got
• It’s what you do before the season start that makes a champion.
• ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING
• Championships are won at practice
• Play like a Champion Today
• Never let good enough BE enough!
• Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard
• Winning is a habit, Success is a choice
• OUT HUSTLE, OUT WORK, OUT THINK, OUT PLAY, OUTLAST
• Whatever it takes
• 7 days without volleyball makes one weak
• The will to win is not nearly so important as the will to prepare to win.
• Be prepared! “If only” are the famous last words of those who weren’t.
• Actions speak louder than coaches
• Great opportunities come to those who make the most of small ones.
• To demand more of yourself than you do of others is the first step on any ladder of success.
• Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
• Practice winning every day

Awesome Volleyball Slogans

• Defense All Day.
• Offense sells tickets, Defense wins championships.
• The fans can make you famous.
• A contract can make you rich.
• The press can make you a superstar.
• But only the love can make you a player.
• There is no limit to what can be accomplished when nobody cares who gets
• the credit.
• Good. Better. Best.
• Never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is best.
• Some want it to happen,
• Some wish it would happen,
• Others make it happen.”
• dedication + motivation = success
• Deeds not Words
• Demand respect or expect defeat
• Sweat plus Sacrifice equals Success

VBall has been very good to me

• Unity in Adversity
• Bringing out the best in each other!
• On front: We’re Going To Win
• On back: So Coach Doesn’t Lose His Job
• Win The Last Game
• Ya Gotta Believe
• We Are Family
• Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now
• Practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect
• You can’t be as good as, you have to be better than
• Look up, get up, but never give up
• (Tip:  Use volleyball slogans on players lockers, the team locker room, posters in the gym, on team communications, emails and more)
• United we play, United we win
• Believe & Achieve

Private lessons anyone?

What you need to know about private sessions. In the past few days, there have been numerous requests for private lessons.  There are only so many times available for the private lessons but we do have the ability to run two private lessons at the same time on the two courts in the same gym.  We have quality coaches available to teach the requested skills, so that should not be an issue.  We cannot handle more than two so when we have two private sets at the same time then we would have to consider it full. Private lessons The athletes choose the skill The academy finds the best coach to teach it. The athlete must be accompanied by an adult so the coach is not left alone with the athlete The private lesson can be shared between up to four athletes for the same price. The private lesson is one hour long. Athletes must bring a ball just like all academy sessions. If you do not find a time or date that works for you ask…we might be able to make it happen.

Check out Private sessions. The sessions designed to prepare the participants for the club tryouts can be found with the above images.  The Weeklong set of sessions is designed for the U16, U17 and U18 girls and boys all the others are three-hour sessions. Prepare for the Club sessions