The fifth edition of the CEV Coaches Convention took place from 13th to 15th September 2024 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
“Having attended the convention in 2022, There was a great amount I was able to put into my practice when I returned. I was excited to have the opportunity to attend again and add to my knowledge and learn from some of the great speakers they had presenting!”
This year’s edition of the event featured three speakers with different backgrounds, as it aims at giving a wider perspective on important topics that young Volleyball coaches have on their agendas.
Over 150 participants learned from three experienced and acknowledged speakers:
- Professor Ranko Rajovic
- Atsushi Katoh
- Kare Mol
With 37 countries in attendance, Scottish Volleyball sent five candidates from varying development stages of the games. Robbie Kelly (Active Schools Coordinator, Kings Park), Darren Campbell (PE Teacher, Falkirk High), Stuart McCraken (Head of PE, Woodfarm High), Maddy Weber (SV Foundation Development Officer) and Danny Traylor (Senior Women National team head coach).
The Convention’s agenda includes theoretical and practical sessions on Saturday, a networking event later that day, and working groups discussions on Sunday, when the participants will try to apply the knowledge gained on Saturday.
Dr. Rajovic, who opened the day, gained the attendees’ attention by explaining more about the importance of neuroscience in sports, by stimulating the brain at an early age. Rajovic highlighted the importance of the environment we are doing things, and training, in particular.
“Having the opportunity to understand how the neuroscience plays into the development of athletes was a great insight into how I can adapt my practices to benefit them, not just their volleyball skills. There are so many simple adaptations that can be made to really get their brains firing!”
In the second theoretical session, Atsushi Andre Katoh gave the PE teachers and coaches tips on how to become better development coaches.
The CEV Beach Volleyball Coach of the Year (2019 and 2021), Kare Mol highlighted that coaches must be able to see kids in a playful environment, as they also need “serious fun”.
The day at Levski Sofia Sports Hall continued with practical sessions, delivered by the three speakers with the participation of kids who train at the Levski Sofia club. In each one of the sessions, the attendees had the chance to observe different drills, approaches and methodologies, with the aim of finding that one strategy (or by combining them) that would work in their day-to-day work with the kids they are coaching. Furthermore, the coaches could take part in Q&A sessions with the speakers, addressing challenges that they might be facing in their work.
Divided into 25 working groups, the 160+ attendees from 37 countries from across Europe, had to solve real Volleyball cases, based on the new knowledge they had gained on the day before in both the theoretical and practical sessions.
The “challenges” that were created by the speakers of the event – Mr. Ranko Rajovic, Mr. Rok Tomazic, Mr. Atsushi Andre Katoh and Mr. Kare Mol, inspired the attendees who had to work in mixed groups, meaning they had to complete the tasks, looking for a solution with colleagues from other countries.
“Sunday morning was a great opportunity to share ideas and practices with other coaches and teachers from all over Europe. We tend to do our coaching in isolation, so I enjoyed the opportunity to chat about what others do working with their programmes.”
We would like to thank CEV and The Bulgarian Volleyball Federation for putting on a fantastic event and bringing world class presenters together! We are already looking forward to next years offering!
