Six-week sessions begin on Thursday, February 21, 2008 at the G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre and on Saturday, March 15 at Secondary School. Following a “train and play” format, the clinics are designed to provide participants with a mix of instruction and game play.
“We’re extremely excited about this opportunity to move sitting volleyball forward in Canada,” said Phil Allen, coordinator of Disabled Volleyball Programs for Volleyball Canada. “The Vancouver clinics are designed to be inclusive as it’s a sport that can be played by just about anyone, and we’re encouraging everyone – men and women as well as those with a physical disability and those without – to come and try it out.”
Sitting volleyball is a Paralympic sport that is very popular in Europe, but is quite new to Canada. Volleyball Canada has run a national team program for both men and women since early 2007.
The Canadian men’s team won the bronze medal at the 2007 Parapanamerican Games in Brazil, but did not qualify for the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Summer Games, running from September 6-17, 2008 in China.
“The Canadian Paralympic Committee is actively encouraging the development of sporting opportunities for all athletes. Canada needs to develop a seamless and supportive athlete development system, through which athletes can progress if they wish to the elite level,” said CPC President Carla Qualtrough. “Clinics like these should lead to more Canadians with a physical disability becoming more active, and could help lead to a broad base of sitting volleyball athletes.”
The clinics are being offered through the Get Up and Go! program, launched by the Vancouver Park Board in conjunction with the Vancouver School Board in January 2008. Under the program, school gymnasiums are opened on Saturdays for use by the public for recreational sport programs that were previously only held at community centres, which have become overbooked.
“At this point we’re getting the word out to as many people as possible so we can populate the programs,” said Travis Dodds, a local coach and co-founder of Optimum Volleyball. “Ultimately, it’s our hope that these sessions will blossom into the first sitting volleyball league in the country.”
Dodds will be one of two instructors at the clinics.
The “Train and Play” clinics are scheduled as follows:
At G. F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre gymnasium
4255 Laurel Street, Vancouver
Thursday evenings from 7 pm to 9 pm
February 21 until March 27
At Windermere Secondary School
3155 E. 27th Avenue, Vancouver
Saturday afternoons from 2 pm to 4 pm
March 15 until April 26
Each six-week clinic costs $20, or $5 for drop-ins to each session.
Participants can register for the clinics in advance at www.optimumvolleyball.com/sitting.html.
For more information about the “Train and Play” sitting volleyball clinics, visit www.optimumvolleyball.com.
To find out more about the sport of sitting volleyball, go to http://www.paralympic.ca/page?a=302〈=en-CA.
