With only one FIVB Level III course normally delivered each year, I was delighted to secure a place on this year’s course. The FIVB fund three Development Centres throughout the world but only one(?) deliver courses in English. The Thai Volleyball Federation are based in Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, and as I learned from visiting to complete my FIVB II, they are fantastic hosts with all the facilities required in one place.
It was around a month before the course that I learned I was to attend, and the pre-course work arrived shortly after my acceptance. Whilst the FIVB II was predominantly instructor led, with practical and theory exams, FIVB III candidates had to send in their session plans and theory presentations before arrival. A large part of each day was made up of candidates delivering their work and fielding questions and comments from others. This was interspersed with presentations from the well-known John Kessel from USAVB and Feng Kun, former Olympic Gold medallist from China. With such a wealth of experience leading the course, it was sure to be an informative trip.
It is hard to describe how these courses unfold as often the most memorable and informative parts are unscripted but that probably shouldn’t be a surprise with so many volleyball enthusiasts in one room. However, to give people a flavour of the intensity of the course, my notes show how things unfolded. Most days had 4 x 2 hour sessions, which didn’t leave much time to take in the sights of Bangkok.
Day 1
These courses always start with an official opening ceremony, but we swiftly moved through to the theory sessions with John Kessel starting us off discussing pattern interruption, regression to the mean and generation of power; a range of topics that would highlight how diverse the course would prove to be. Feng Kun then delivered a presentation on her reflections and learnings from a gold medal winning Olympic programme touching on a range of topics that we would dive deeper in to over the coming days. Then the candidate presentations started with the first set of topics relating to cycle planning. Whilst the topic was repetitive it allowed us all to see the difference in context that all the coaches worked in. Even with all of the candidates working with various National Teams, it was good to see the impact that geography and competition schedules had on their planning.
The afternoon saw us take to the practice court and I was one of the first candidates to deliver on court. My topic was “synthetic and analytical drills for high-level athletes” and I had chosen to work on the transition phase. It was nice to get one of my sessions ticked off so early and I was thankful to receive a couple of questions which allowed me to explain my thinking behind what I planned. Time seemed to pass very quickly when I was coaching – a lot quicker than it did when I was trying to draw out my drills to submit prior to the course!
Day 2
The majority of the day was delivered by candidates with both practical and theory sessions. The theory gave more examples of planning various phases and the beginning of some match analysis. However, the highlight of the day was the presentation from Mr Songsak Chareonpong, the AVC Referee Coordinator. He has an infectious nature that made discussing the rule changes that will be implemented imminently very interesting. He ended his presentation with some video examples to highlight the changes which will be very helpful when they are introduced.
Day 3
More theory and practical sessions from candidates ranging from the differences between men’s and women’s volleyball to opponent scouting, however, today’s expert delivery was a real treat. Mr Park Ki-Won, current Thai men’s volleyball coach discussed and demonstrated the development of blocking footwork before moving on to teaching the athletes a decision making framework for scoring supported by the necessary technical skills required. Whilst there was nothing new for me in the presentation, the clarity with which he put forward his ideas was outstanding and gave plenty food of thought on linking concepts, techniques, and practice methods together.
Day 4
Technical and practical topics today ranged from analysis to offensive and defensive systems but once again, the highlight was the delivery from the expert. Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai, the current coach of the Thai women’s volleyball team, delivered his plan for taking the current team from good to great in the next 4 years. It was a great opportunity to ask questions about some of the decisions he has already made and the difficult choices he has faced. He has a fantastic vision of how to bring all aspects of the programme together but once on the court, his attention to detail and high standards were equally visible!
Day 5
All 4 sessions today were delivered by candidates. With 35 of us on the course all putting in a lot of work prior to attending, there was a lot of detail to get through and sometimes a lot of questions!
Day 6
Those that have worked with me before will know I love a discussion about statistics and today’s expert was Somchai Donpraiyod, the Thai scout. His presentation covered a huge range of data but also an in-depth analysis of scouting software which will be beneficial moving the Scottish National Teams forward. While all 35 candidates were retaining their focus, on the 6th day of 4 sessions a day, we were all pretty pleased to hear that the format of the day was going to be slightly different. The final session of the day was going to be removed so we could attend the opening weekend of the Thai volleyball league for both men and women. When we arrived at the venue to find it was the 4th floor of a shopping mall, there was a little bit if a surprise amongst the group, but it proved to be an excellent setting to watch some of our fellow candidates coach their club sides.
Day 7
I was one of the last candidates to deliver my theory session with my topic of “Constraints Based Learning” something I already had a keen interest in. My presentation touched on pattern recognition and decision-making frameworks, and I was pleased with how it went. With all candidates now finished their presentations, the Thai Federation kindly took us out for dinner. There had been a lot of talk about Karaoke, but it didn’t mean I was less surprised that it started before the food. A huge thanks to my friends from India, Babar and Amerjeet, for providing the majority of the night’s entertainment. However, it wasn’t a late night with a big final day ahead.
Day 8
Day 8 had one final session from John Kessel on motor learning then on to the exam. To pass the assessment, the final exam, practical and theory all had to be judged to be of the appropriate standard. Once all the info was collated it was on to the presentations and closing ceremony. It shows how far the Thai Volleyball Federation have come when there was a slight delay to the closing ceremony as the discussion with FIVB over hosting the World Championships in 2025 ran over time.
The course was a fantastic experience, and I have to thank all my fellow candidates for making our time on the course so enjoyable. However, special thanks to Borja (Iceland/Spain), Gustavo (Norway), and Petros (Greece) for all the discussions which added significant value to the course content. Candidate presentations can be excellent, but it is often the discussions after that make a course like this so memorable. After such a positive experience at both the FIVB II and III, I am definitely somewhat disappointed that my journey as a candidate is over for now, but the experience will definitely shape my coaching for years to come, and I have no doubt the friendships and connections will do exactly the same.
Finally, a huge thank you to all the instructors, candidates, experts, and staff at the Thai Volleyball Federation for another incredible trip.