Today the reality of being the newly appointed Men’s National Team Coach hit home with the news of the official draw for the qualification round 2010 of the CEV Small Countries Division being announced last week.
Scotland have been handed a tough group placed against Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Andorra & Ireland. The tournament to be held in Andorra is only 6 months away and the prospect fills me with excitement and a realisation that there is a lot of work to do in a short time.
My first session with the squad is a little over a week away and already I am feeling very positive about the team and my role. Recently I have received numerous emails and messages of support from across the Scottish Volleyball community; this has been very humbling and has highlighted the responsibility I have to the game and the people who support it in Scotland.
Already the club coaches and the players have been very helpful through their assistance and allowing me to settle into the post relatively quickly. I hope that as the programme develops so will the relationship with the club coaches, players and clubs.
Probably the biggest decision I have had to make in my short tenure is the appointment of an assistant coach. I am delighted to announce that Steve Milne is taking on this role; Steve and I played together on the National team and his enthusiasm and knowledge of the game is fantastic and will undoubtedly rub off on all of the players.
In just nine weeks the Scottish Men will take part in the Novotel Cup in Luxembourg a tournament which will be an ideal opportunity for the team to come together and prepare for a good level tournament as well as giving me a chance to put my stamp on the team.
This tournament will go a long way to forming some of the performance goals for the international season in May. In the mean time my focus will be on developing the squad identity, systems and style of play for the team.
A phrase that I will use throughout my time as National Team coach comes from Michael Jordan’s induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, he said….
“Limits like fears are often just an illusion!”
Simon Loftus
Head Coach Scottish Men’s National Team