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.

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