Mini Camp Sessions

 

Lots of mini Camps coming!

Making the Club Mini This 4 hour is lots of touches letting players get ready for the club season.  Club practices are not allowed to start before November so this is the last chance before to put in some hours and prepare. Be ready.  The club is happening and we are so excited.  Very limited spots to keep the ratio of coaches to athletes low. Making the Club Age 11-13 Mini This 7 hour is a skill training for athletes ages 11-13.  A mixture of skills, jump training and game play  Very limited spots to keep the ratio of coaches to athletes low. Age 11-13 Mini Junior High School Age Athletes Mini This 7 hour is a skill training for athletes who played Junior High School volleyball or are of that age.  A mixture of skills, jump training and game play  Very limited spots to keep the ratio of coaches to athletes low. Junior High School Age Mini Senior High School Age Athletes Mini This 7 hour is a skill training for athletes who played Senior High School volleyball or are of that age.  A mixture of skills, jump training and game play  Very limited spots to keep the ratio of coaches to athletes low. Senior High School Age Mini Jump and Private Sessions! Jump Training Twice a week (except during the break).  The best time to teach athletes to land properly increase their vertical, agility and strength.  This is a group of sessions every serious volleyball player should attend.  Limited spots are available! Senior High School Age Mini Jump Training Twice a week (except during the break).  The best time to teach athletes to land properly increase their vertical, agility and strength.  This is a group of sessions every serious volleyball player should attend.  Limited spots are available! Jump, Agility and Strength Training Private lesson Flexibility is how to describe private lessons.  For that busy athlete that cannot fix the traditional sessions into their schedule.  The athlete picks the day, time, the content and the coach they want to work with.  The private lessons allow a maximum of 4 athletes for the same price.   The academy also does full club team sessions just contact us to set up private or team training. Email us During the last four years of running the Canadian Elite Academy, I have had the opportunity to work with 33 different coaches.  You could not ask for a more excellent opportunity to learn how to coach the sport. It is always a learning experience watching the creative, talented coaches we have in Saskatchewan.  For this, I am very thankful. The sessions have ranged from private groups of 4 athletes to running sessions for club teams to scheduled sessions and camps.  I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to work with so many talented athletes.  The academy has sparked my passion for coaching. I look forward to getting into the gym and offering sessions.  For this, I am thankful as well.  Since 2019 when I introduced the present registration system, the academy has offered 256 different sessions, private lessons and camps.  75 of those were sold out. We had a total of 2062 registration during that time.  The academy will be planning a change starting at the start of the next school year.  I will still be involved in the administration but will be developing a new academy in the art area.  I will be seeking someone to be the head coach or group of people who will continue with the same level of service that we have offered in the last 4 years. If you are interested in applying for this position, please send me an email to start the discussion.  Email us

Last Minute session added!

 

We have added another session Another last-minute session added. The club tryouts are happening and these sessions will prepare athletes for the club season before the team practices begin at the end of the month. The session is spread over two days and is a total of 4 hours. Each participant is required to bring their own volleyball to the sessions. The sessions will run on Monday, October 25 night and Wednesday October 27 night from 7-9 pm The goal of this session is to provide each participant with as many touches in four hours as possible. We will try to work through as many of the volleyball skills as is possible and fine-tune a few of them. Hope to see you on the court soon. Find Out More I try to keep my notices down to once a week, but I added this session on such short notice because of the number of athletes are contacting me and asking for more sessions.  Sorry if it is starting to feel like I am spamming you!

Club team tryouts comments

 

Dr. Darren Shares... My wife and I own timeshares. The high-pressure sales used by timeshare companies would be considered the part I least enjoy in acquiring these properties.  Not allowing us the time needed to research the property and see if it is a good fit for our family is unnecessary pressure to an already stressful situation.  You might be asking yourself why the academy's head coach is telling us about timeshare sales in a newsletter for amateur sports?  Many young athletes ask me questions about the current increasing trend of signing to age class club teams and the "timeshare sales pressure" placed on the athletes and their parents.  The politics of amateur sports is increasing yearly. Any changes that can be made to allow interested participants the time and information necessary to make informed decisions would go a long way in removing unnecessary stress.  The time deadline and contract signing are an overinflated view of how clubs see themselves and their offering.  If clubs have tryouts, a decision should not be made until all tryouts in that age class in the area have been completed.  This is more of an urban issue than a rural one. Many regions of our sparsely populated area only have one team close to athletes' residences. This makes deciding which club to play an easy decision. However, we are seeing athletes travelling 100 kilometres to play on the team of their choice.  We also have clubs known for recruiting athletes from far and wide rather than building a farm system and developing athletes from the start of their volleyball development.  There is a growing trend where athletes are selected without tryouts with no opportunity for walk-in athletes.  Athletes are being approached by coaches and asked to sign for a team after high school tournaments and high-performance activities such as provincial team training sessions.  Many of the above activities continue to raise the stress levels in athletes seeking a spot on a volleyball team. Having an athlete sign early should be an option but not a requirement or a forced deadline. All it does is increase the stress to an already stressful time for amateur athletes.  Suppose a club is run correctly and offers a quality experience. In that case, this will make athletes more willing to sign the moment they are selected.  Are administrative deadlines applied to stop athletes from seeing what other clubs are offering?  A club should compete for players based on the experience that they offer rather than on pressure sales.  What happens if a deadline passes and an athlete does not sign?  Is the chances of being able to accept after the deadline significantly increased based on my ability.  If I am the province's best player, many clubs will move mountains to find a spot for me on their roster. What happens if I say yes to meet the deadline and then decide not to play with that club after the fact.  How am I punished for breaking an agreement or a signed contract?  Are they binding, and if so, by who? In the end, amateur sports are meant to be fun. Tryout procedures, deadlines, contract signing, coach's ethics, fair play, equal playing time, respect, practice attendance, costs, past history should all be considered before an athlete selects a team. Parents and athletes need to do the research to make sure they are trying out for a club that promotes ethics, morals and practices which will teach the athletes the way to approach more than just sports. In the end, tryouts can also just be an excellent chance to play another couple of hours in the sport, even if you are not interested in playing on the team. . .

The following is a reply to this from a Volleyball Parent Thank you for this write-up on club team selection. I couldn’t agree more with the many points you made Darren. It is sad and frustrating to me when teams have their tryouts & demand commitment prior to letting players experience multiple teams. I don't believe it is in the best interest of the player, which should be the point, shouldn’t it? Club volleyball in many areas have become lost in politics over athlete best practices. I see it in the most prevalent clubs and it is disheartening. Thanks for writing that post and encouraging athletes and their parents to carefully evaluate the team for whom they will be committing, rather than simply accepting a position without proper research and consideration.  Yours truly Volleyball parent

A letter to a volleyball parent

 As a parent, I found it hard not to coach my child. I did a few things to help him. First, I never tried to critique the coaches he had. Second, I made sure my son understood the coach is working on team building, and the player's job is to do whatever the coach thinks the player must do to help the team succeed. Players need to do the right thing for the team, which might be different from their selfish desires or wants. That is an excellent lesson that sports teach. It is not about you. It is about the team. The decision to be a setter or hitter is not a decision that belongs to the player no matter how much they wish. If the setter is what they would like to play, they need to train outside team activities to develop their setting skills until they are at a level that the coach will notice and then place them in that role. Talking about it is easy. It has to be earned. The skills in volleyball or any sport take time to develop, and players have to put in the time. The players must develop all their skills by touching the ball way more than others. Touch the ball on their own, do the home training, work on fitness, work on agility, and do more than the other players, earn the position they are interested in by putting in the time. If a player has problems serving, how much time outside of team practices and games has she works on the skill? If she has not, the blame does not rest on the parent, coach, teammates or anyone other than themself. It takes time, effort, and self-motivation to develop to the point that a player, through action, not words, will be a valuable contributing member to a team in any role a coach sees to make the team successful. If players believe they can only contribute in a single position and feels when placed in another, it is a demotion, then mentally they are thinking more about what is good for them and not what is best for the team. Coaches, coach, player play, parent parent.   Coaches will take the skills that players bring to the team and use them in the best way for the team to succeed. Parents provide the opportunity to allow their children to work towards success and love their children.

As a parent, I only shared how I thought my son played when he asked. I tried not to say anything until asked. That was so hard for me. I always tried to support the coaches by reinforcing playing time is earned, not a right. Then promoted and encouraged him to develop his skills by providing opportunities and teaching him what it means to be a team player. A selfish athlete should pick individual sports, not team sports. As a parent, we need to provide opportunities, love and support. Teach your child that anything of value needs to be earned, and the child will need to step up on their own to achieve.

Please do not take any of the above comments as me telling you how to raise your child. I had all the answers on how to raise a child until I had my own. Now, I am going back and apologizing to all the people I made suggestions to when I thought I knew everything.

As far as the academy sessions go, put her in as many sessions as possible (a little self-promotion)

As far as club tryouts go, check with the SVA for more information. They are occurring already in some clubs.  

I hope this helps.

No real answers. A little wisdom but still learning.

Selecting a Club Team?

 

Last of the six skill sessions!

Don't miss this fun night of spiking. This week we have the final skill of the six we have been offering over the last six weeks.  This week is Hitting and usually is one of the most exciting sessions.  Everyone loves to hit.  Hope to see you on the court. Private lessons With the club tryouts happening, we have had a lot of private lessons, and it has been a lot of fun to meet all the athletes and hopefully help during their tryouts.  Mini Camps In November, we will start to run the three minicamps. This will allow players to attend the camp and work on their skills and get a chance for some gameplay. It will be an excellent way to help athletes prepare themselves for the upcoming club season.  Team practices should not begin until the end of November, according to SaskVolleyball.  The 11-13 minicamp is on November 2-4th. The  Junior High School Mini Camp is November 18-20th The Senior High School Mini Camp is November 23-25th. Jump Training We will still be running November Jump training on Tuesday and Thursday from 6-7.  This is the best session you could attend to protect your knees and increase your vertical jump before club season begins. . Academy Stats (October 2020-October 2021) 67 differnt sessions 28 sold out sessions 685 registrations. Feedback Overall rating 4.8/5.0 407 ratings Dr. Darren Shares... My wife and I own timeshares. The high-pressure sales used by timeshare companies would be considered the part I least enjoy in acquiring these properties.  Not allowing us the time needed to research the property and see if it is a good fit for our family is unnecessary pressure to an already stressful situation.  You might be asking yourself why the academy's head coach is telling us about timeshare sales in a newsletter for amateur sports?  Many young athletes ask me questions about the current increasing trend of signing to age class club teams and the "timeshare sales pressure" placed on the athletes and their parents.  The politics of amateur sports is increasing yearly. Any changes that can be made to allow interested participants the time and information necessary to make informed decisions would go a long way in removing unnecessary stress.  The time deadline and contract signing are an overinflated view of how clubs see themselves and their offering.  If clubs have tryouts, a decision should not be made until all tryouts in that age class in the area have been completed.  This is more of an urban issue than a rural one. Many regions of our sparsely populated area only have one team close to athletes' residences. This makes deciding which club to play an easy decision. However, we are seeing athletes travelling 100 kilometres to play on the team of their choice.  We also have clubs known for recruiting athletes from far and wide rather than building a farm system and developing athletes from the start of their volleyball development.  There is a growing trend where athletes are selected without tryouts with no opportunity for walk-in athletes.  Athletes are being approached by coaches and asked to sign for a team after high school tournaments and high-performance activities such as provincial team training sessions.  Many of the above activities continue to raise the stress levels in athletes seeking a spot on a volleyball team. Having an athlete sign early should be an option but not a requirement or a forced deadline. All it does is increase the stress to an already stressful time for amateur athletes.  Suppose a club is run correctly and offers a quality experience. In that case, this will make athletes more willing to sign the moment they are selected.  Are administrative deadlines applied to stop athletes from seeing what other clubs are offering?  A club should compete for players based on the experience that they offer rather than on pressure sales.  What happens if a deadline passes and an athlete does not sign?  Is the chances of being able to accept after the deadline significantly increased based on my ability.  If I am the province's best player, many clubs will move mountains to find a spot for me on their roster. What happens if I say yes to meet the deadline and then decide not to play with that club after the fact.  How am I punished for breaking an agreement or a signed contract?  Are they binding, and if so, by who? In the end, amateur sports are meant to be fun. Tryout procedures, deadlines, contract signing, coach's ethics, fair play, equal playing time, respect, practice attendance, costs, past history should all be considered before an athlete selects a team. Parents and athletes need to do the research to make sure they are trying out for a club that promotes ethics, morals and practices which will teach the athletes the way to approach more than just sports. In the end, tryouts can also just be an excellent chance to play another couple of hours in the sport, even if you are not interested in playing on the team. . .

 

Are you ready for Club Tryouts?

Two sessions to help you be ready. Club tryouts are right around the corner, and coaches will be looking for two skills over all the others.   These two are the first ones to start a rally, serving and passing.  For this reason, we have organized a special serving session (Pre-tryout serving session) on Monday, October 11, 2021, and a digging session on Thursday, October 14, 2021.  These sessions are both 7-9 pm. The basic fundamentals will be from 7-8 pm, and the more advanced will be 8-9 pm.  Athletes are welcome to come to one or both of the times. Three Mini Camps Coming in November If COVID allows November sessions, we will see three mini camps. The mini-camps will see skill training for three hours, two hours of jump training and 2 hours of gameplay. The Age 11-13 Mini Camp will be on November 2-4th November 2 – 5-6 skill training and 6-7 jump training November 3 – 5-6 skill Training November 4 – 5-6 skill training, 6-7 jump training and 7-9 gameplay   The Junior High School Mini Camp will be on November 16-18th November 16 – 5-6 skill training and 6-7 jump training November 17 – 5-6 skill Training November 18 – 5-6 skill training, 6-7 jump training and 7-9 gameplay   The Senior High School Mini Camp will be on November 23-25th November 23 – 5-6 skill training and 6-7 jump training November 24 – 5-6 skill Training November 25 – 5-6 skill training, 6-7 jump training and 7-9 gameplay   For more information, check out the link below. Jump Training will continue in November We have some very dedicated jump training athletes in our group and we will continue to offer this for the month of November The club tryouts are creating a lot of stress in younger athletes.  Here are my thoughts about the way to approach the conversation.  Volleyball is a game. It is meant to be fun.  A position on a club team is earned by the work put in before you try out.  If you go into tryouts with no work before, then you are a person who believes that everyone should get a ribbon just for having a heartbeat. The club system is competitive, and players should understand that when they pay team fees, they pay for practices, not games. Games should be looked at as a bonus and something you earn by putting in the time.   Equal playing time is not a game element.  Equal playing time is something that should happen in pick-up games, in playgrounds, in your backyard, during recess, before and after school.   If you think the sport owes you a team to play on, and when you make the team the right to play the same amount as everyone else, you miss the most significant lesson sport can teach participants.   Anything of value needs to be earned.  You do not earn it on a team.  You display your skills in a game and at a team practice.  Team practice is where you learn to meld your skills with the other teammates.  You earn it in informal settings (shameless plug coming) or at academy skill sessions.  Take a ball and train, earn the right to display your skill on a team.  Put some time in yourself without a coach in front of you and see what skill level you can reach. Every once in a while Dr. Darren Cannell shares....

October Offerings

 

The Month of October Offers.

October and COVID. The month of October and COVID have limited the academy offerings.  The increase in the number of COVID infections in the younger ages concerns me at the academy.  For this reason, we have limited the number amount of offerings for October. Jump Training Pillars In a few words, we are offering the trendy jump session for the month.  The three pillars of Jump training are Jumping, Agility and Strength training.  Check out the video of the three pillars.  Register soon.  The training will help you limit injuries and help you jump higher, hit harder, be faster and protect your knees. Canadian Elite Academy - Jump Training - All Three Pillars Jump training has three pillars. Jump Agility Strength This video is a glimpse into the Jump, Agility and Strength training done at the Canadian Elite Academy. Private Sessions Private session again allows us to limit the number of people in a session.  Private sessions allow the participants to choose the day, time, content and coach.  It is the same price for one to four athletes. Email me and suggest a few  dates, times and coach and I will do my best to set it up. See you and three of your friends on the court. Skills Sessions The Thursday 7 pm Skill sessions will continue in October. There are three skills left.  Blocking, Digging and Hitting are the three skills left.  Register for all three or each one individually.