Scottish Volleyball Association Annual Report 2013 to 2014
BIGGER • BETTER • STRONGER
Scottish Volleyball Association www.scottishvolleyball.org
CONTENTS
Contents 1. Message from the President
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2. CEO Review
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3. Finance
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4. Commission Reports Beach Coaching Competitions International Special Events Referees Student (Universities) Youth and Schools
8 10 12 14 16 18 20
5. National Teams Report Senior Women’s Senior Men’s Young Senior Women’s Young Senior Men’s
22 24 26 28
6 Statistical Report 2013 - 2014
SCOTTISH VOLLEYBALL SPONSORS
S C O T T I S H V O L L E Y B A L L A S S O C I AT I O N
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SCOTTISH VOLLEYBALL PARTNERS
Message from the President
Our young senior men and women both achieved above and beyond at the 2014 CEV Small Countries Division (SCD) Junior European Championships in Luxembourg and San Marino respectively. The young senior men’s team brought home the gold and the young senior women won bronze. Congratulations to all players and coaches involved including the 2013 UKSG’s squads. I would also like to thank our Senior National Teams with the men winning a silver medal in the 2013 CEV SCD finals in Cyprus and the women winning bronze within the same competition structure in Malta. All of our squads have demonstrated true excellence with very high performance standards, wonderful results and have done all of this on a very limited budget and often with personal financial contributions. An exciting future event and one to be reported in next years Annual Report is the prospect of the senior women's national team performing in Perth at the 2014 CEV SCD European Qualifiers in July which is being hosted by the SVA and supported by Perth and Kinross Council, LiveActive and Scottish Open Volleyball Tournament I hope you agree a hugely successful partnership to be cherished and nurtured for the years ahead. On the same weekend our senior men’s team will also be competing in Iceland. Hopefully both teams will triumph and qualify for CEV Small Countries Division finals in 2015.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Welcome to the SVA 2013 - 2014 Annual Report. It is now my second full year as President of our Association and once more I am delighted to report another successful year for Scottish Volleyball. Overall we have shown growth in all areas of activity especially within the junior competition structures, the senior leagues and the District Associations. All have demonstrated a real commitment to development and have when possible, participated to the highest of standards.
Also emerging through the summer months of 2014 is a brand new, exciting and vibrant performance competition awaiting our National Beach players this coming July and August 2014. Scotland for the first time ever shall compete as Scotland within a European beach competition. The SVA has entered four teams into the CEV Continental Cup in Slovenia, for our beach players and coaches this is a significant step forward in the development of beach pathways and it is truly great progress. Looking also to the future development of our sport I am very pleased that sportscotland has supported the Scottish Volleyball Association by approving and funding sport specific Regional Development Officers in the East and West regions thus ensuring further growth of volleyball in our schools, communities, clubs and competitions. Thank you to our key funding partner sportscotland, who recognise our good work and continue to dedicate funding and strategic support to volleyball. I would very much like to thank all the members of Scottish Volleyball; staff, players, coaches, officials and volunteers for their support and effort throughout the year. Also thanks to the SVA Board who has worked hard to ensure our Governance is excellent. The SVA was also fortunate to welcome two new Board members. Simon Coleman was appointed as our Performance Director in the Annual Report year 2012-13 and Ian Girot as Finance Director, November 2013. Both Directors bring vast and varied experience to the Board. Mel Coutts SVA President
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CEO REVIEW
Chief Executive Review 2013 was a year of change, re-alignment and fresh beginnings for our sport. The Board, Commissions, officials, members, volunteers and staff have all worked tirelessly to deliver the SVA’s Strategic Plan Bigger Sport, Better Profile and Stronger Clubs 2013-2017. Throughout 2013/14 the SVA yearly Operational Plan; the first year of the four year plan was completed by the end of March 2014. It is good to report that we achieved 94% of the identified Key Performance Indicators, either before or at the identified time. This high percentage of deliverables is particularly encouraging when considering the complex staffing issues we have experienced over the past three years. The addition of another full time development officer and implementation of new programmes have enabled the Association to increase membership, create new and exciting programmes whilst consistently maintaining high Governance standards. Our Senior National Teams performed outstandingly within the 2013 senior SCD European finals, with our men successfully bringing home the silver medal from Cyprus and our women playing in Malta and winning bronze. This year we had the added bonus of both junior squads competing in the 2014 CEV SCD finals. How proud I was to be present at the junior men finals in Luxembourg with the junior men winning our first ever gold in a European competition and how my personal pride was near bursting only a week later with our young female juniors winning bronze in San Marino. What a success for all four squads, the coaches, team staff, travelling support and parents!
Noticeable Achievements 2013-14
• 20% membership increase • Attainment of our charitable status “Volleyball for Scotland” -Trustees and Board appointed • Finance Board Director recruited • Successful external National Governing Body audit • Preliminary level of Equality Standard achieved • SVA implemented Equality and Diversity Policy and Action Plan 2013-17 • Children 1st approved Child Protection programme • Initial agreement to move the SVA into the New National Performance centre in 2016 • Successful funding of the SVA International Influencing Strategy for UKsport 2013-15 • Regional Development Officer - Edinburgh • sportscotland; funding secured for a second Regional Development Officer- West Area • A successful UKSG’s programme • Restructured Beach tour and junior programme • National League, National Play-Offs, Regional League, University Championships • National Cup Finals, Top Teams Cup, and Schools Cup Finals • New Schools Cup and membership scheme • New College Championships • Small Counties Divisional office administered from within the SVA • Two new Sponsors; GEFF and Anytime Leisure • Sponsorship; increased financial support from Local Authorities and established partners 4
S C O T T I S H V O L L E Y B A L L A S S O C I AT I O N
The SVA’s Strategic Plan is part of an exciting 12 year vision that is designed to see Scottish Volleyball expand, develop and achieve a growth of 30% across the sport as a whole. The 2013 -17 plan forms the middle section of a strategy pyramid, which combines three, four year cycles to achieve our 2021 vision. It continues the theme of Bigger, Better and Stronger with 2013-17 being all about: Bigger Sport; developing competitions, regional programmes and facilities; Better Profile; improving national performance and increased business and financial partners; Stronger Clubs; sustaining and increasing Indoor, Beach and Sitting Volleyball through regional and local programmes specifically aimed at schools and youth.
2013 – 2014
Shaping our Future
Stronger Clubs Framework 2013 – 2017 BIGGER SPORT Competition and Regions
Competition Structures Regional Approach
Facilities
BETTER PROFILE
STRONGER CLUBS
People and Performance
Participation and Clubs
Workforce Development
Programmes and Opportunities
Player Development & National Squads Marketing & Profile
Stronger Clubs
School Volleyball
By 2021, we aim to have achieved
• Volleyball Development Centre • An Indoor Beach Facility • FIVB Volley All outdoor programme • Volleyball integrated into sportscotland regional infrastructure with Regional Development Officers • GB volleyball development programme based in Scotland • UKSport International Strategy - SVA development of more female representation, FIVB/CEV • Restructured Board and robust succession plan •
SVA development
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Bigger Opportunities Better Facilities Stronger SVA 2017-21 Bigger Sport Better Profile Stronger Clubs 2013-2017 30% Bigger- Better - Stronger 2009 - 2013
In conclusion On a more personal note this has been another exciting and challenging year for me; there have been staff changes with the appointment of Ioannis Panayiotakis to the post of Coaching Manager on a fixed term contract until 2014 and the appointment of Jen Thom as East Regional Development Officer. The SVA Board has once again worked positively with staff throughout 2013/14 with Ian Girot as the newly appointed Board Member for Finance. My thanks is also given to Malcolm Dingwall-Smith the SVA sportscotland Partnership Manager, the SVA Board, volunteers, officials Commission Presidents and members, Lynne Marshall and Michael McConville of volleyballphotos.co.uk Roddy Mackenzie of Final Media Whistle and finally to all the staff of Scottish Volleyball for their dedication, focus, enthusiasm and support. Margaret Ann Fleming Chief Executive Officer
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FINANCE
Finance The provisional accounts for the year ended 31st March 2014 have been prepared by the SVA Finance Officer, Ailien Pallot and reviewed by Haines Watt Chartered Accountants. The below review reflects the significant activities of the Association in relation to income and expenditure for 2013/14.
INCOME Total annual income reflected in the draft accounts of £368,333 from £386,915 (2012/13) of funds available to the Association. The SVA generated income of £143,329 (£131,650 – 2012/13) including affiliation fees £44,515 (£35,373); competition fees of £6,867 (£ 9,080); coaching course income £13,485 (£ 16,443) and referee course income £ 2,287 (£3,365). Finally, to enable the extensive national and international activity we are thankful for the player contributions of £10,800.
sportscotland We are grateful to sportscotland grant support during the year of £245,400 (£201,625 - 12/13). The increase was primarily related to the investment in the newly created East Regional Development Officer post.
UK Sport We are grateful to UK Sports’ grant of £5,000 (£7,580 12/13) which contributes to the
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international work of the organisation where we continue to have representation on the CEV Main Board; CEV Small Countries Division Board; FIVB Rules of the Game and Disciplinary Commissions.
Sponsorship GEFF – National Team Kit supplier, equates to £12,000 across a two year period from April 2013. 20% payback agreement on all on-line sales from club uniforms to branded SVA materials
FIVB / CEV SCD Finals June 2013 saw Scotland Senior Men and Women travel to Cyprus and Malta respectively for the 1st round of the FIVB World Championships and finals of the CEV SCD competition; both National Teams received financial support towards participation from FIVB to the value of £14,100 Glasgow Life provided funding of £7,275 towards a variety of events hosted throughout the year in the Glasgow area. Scottish Sports Aids Trust continued to support the Association with a further £1,500 grant towards the Junior National Team Programmes in 2013/14. Anytime Leisure is the SVA equipment partner with a financial agreement of 20% payback on all on-line sales from January 2014.
Annual expenditure of £366,609 (£383,115 – 2012/13) with staffing costs increased to £219,868 (£175,118) which reflects the additional post as mentioned above.
Going forward, our funding from sportscotland has been secured for a four year funding cycle with an increase for 2014/15 to £282,900 (£245,400 2013/14) with the addition of a second new post of West Regional Development Officer.
BALANCE SHEET Our Balance Sheet remains healthy with a general reserve of £47,355 (£45,631) and additional brought forward deferred funds of £66,137 available to expend in the forthcoming financial period.
2013 – 2014
EXPENDITURE
Margaret Ann Fleming CEO Scottish Volleyball
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B E A C H C O M M I S S I O N R E P O RT
Beach Commission Report The 2013 beach volleyball season was especially notable for one major factor - the sunshine. Although it’s outwith anyone’s control, the weather makes a huge difference to an outdoor sport like beach volleyball and everyone benefited from having sun on the sand at virtually all of the summer’s tournaments. The sport got huge exposure at its Horseguards Parade venue during the previous year’s London Olympics and, coupled with the great weather, there was an excellent buzz surrounding the 2013 Scottish beach volleyball season. The Edinburgh 7s festival took place under blazing skies in May and saw thousands turn out to see beach volleyball, rugby and netball. Olympic star Shauna Mullin was one of the main attractions on the sand, although she and Anneka Hastings couldn’t quite match the exceptional skills of volleyball veteran Mel Coutts and her partner Helen Brown. The Scottish Tour kicked off with the NUVOC Open at Portobello. The first event was clinched by Barry McGuigan and Graeme Riddle in the men’s side of the competition, while Gillian Lyall and Agata Zaremba took victory in the women’s contest. King and Queen of the Beach was won by multiple-times Scottish Champion Colin Paterson in one of only two appearances by the veteran master on the sand that summer. The 2013 season was notable for two showcase events offering double points - St Andrews and
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Troon. These were won by Barry McGuigan/ Colin Macnab and Mel Coutts/Natalija Durkaca; and Jack McKeown/Callum Moir and Gillian Lyall/Jen Thom respectively. This format has been discontinued for the 2014 tour. Broughty Ferry and the Jets Open at Portobello completed an outstanding season on the sand, which saw good participation levels and a high standard of volleyball. For the first time in a number of years there was a healthy Men’s Division Two section, which was hotly contested by wily old veterans taking on relative newcomers to the sport. A standout event of the summer was the Riverside Masters at the Glasgow Transport Museum, which saw the top pairings in the country go head to head on one of the best days of an already scorching summer. Barry McGuigan and Graeme Riddle overcame the challenge of Jack McKeown and Colin Macnab, and Marius Chudzik and Leonard Sobieracki, while Cathy Smy and Lilian Lieber beat Gillian Lyall and Agata Zaremba, and Olympian Lynne Beattie partnered with Laura McReady. At summer’s end, Jack McKeown and Nicola McKenzie were Scotland’s Beach Tour Champions 2013. A huge thanks to the SVA for their assistance and to the army of volunteers who make the Scottish Beach Tour possible.
Jack McKeown Member, Beach Commission
2013 – 2014
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C O A C H E S C O M M I S S I O N R E P O RT
Coaches Commission Report This has been a relatively busy year for the Coaches Commission. Coach Education and Development is consistently one of the main elements of the SVA’s development strategy. The Coaches Commission is charged with the responsibility for constructing and delivering development programmes, and monitoring the success of a variety of people and groups to achieve the targeted aims. The year started with a change in personnel, with Simon Loftus taking up the interim position as Coaching Manager. Later in the year there was a second change which saw Ioannis Panayiotakis take over the role as Coaching Manager. The Coaches Commission was active in supporting both post holders. The following is a snapshot of some of the events and achievements for 2013 – 2014:
• • • • • • • •
Coach Impact Study – reviewed, audited and actions set for 2014 – 2015. 2013 – 2014 Female Coaching apprenticeship system There have been 2 level I UKCC courses held in Edinburgh and Glasgow. There was a very successful level II course presented at Stirling University. There have been 5 one day Introductory to Coaching Volleyball courses presented in various locations. There were 2 Continuous Personal Development clinics on various topics There was a series Coach Education courses delivered for Trainee Teachers at Strathclyde University Coach of the Year Award went to Martyn Johnstone and Ally Jack.
I would like to thank the members of the Coaches Commission, the staff tutors and the SVA Office staff for all their support. A special thanks to Ewen Cameron, sportscotland Partnership Manager for all his assistant throughout the year.
Thomas Dowens President Coaches Commission
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2012 – 2013
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C O M P E T I T I O N S R E P O RT
Competitions Report After the 2013/14 Season, the Competitions Advisory Group (CAG) had dealt with the least amount of Competition cases as a result of the excellent administration of the clubs After consultation with members of the CAG and approval from the SVA Board, the new Rules of the Competition were introduced for all National Competitions in Season 2012/13. CAG successfully dealt with 9 cases within the National League and Cup competitions. The CAG added a further 2 members to its group for last season bringing the total to 15 SVA members which ensures a much broader range of areas covered within the group. I must personally thank all the CAG members for their commitment and hard work over this season. Their work is valued as it allows the competitions to run much more smoothly.
National League Men’s Division 1 –Edinburgh Jets VC Men’s Division 2 East – Su Ragazzi II VC Men’s Division 2 West – Glasgow Mets II Women’s Division 1 – City of Edinburgh VC Women’s Division 2 – Su Ragazzi VC
Scottish Cups Men’s Scottish Cup – Edinburgh Jets VC Women’s Scottish Cup – Edinburgh Jets VC Men’s Thistle Bowl – South Ayrshire VC Women’s Thistle Bowl – Su Ragazzi VC Men’s Scottish Plate – City of Edinburgh II VC Women’s Scottish Plate – North Grampian VC
Overall, the National League had 32 teams competing over 5 Divisions and there were 48 entries into all Scottish Cup competitions. We also seen a 100% rise in teams entering the Regional League which boasted finalists from Universities of Dundee & Edinburgh, Orkney, Perth and Scotstoun VC.
The Playoffs
The creation of the new Special Events Commission was timed to perfection as they entered into the crazy month of April with 3 big events to prepare for; Scottish Cup Semi Finals, the Playoffs and the Finals Weekend. The delivery of these competitions would not be possible without their support and I know they want to deliver bigger and better events next season which is good for the publicity of Scottish Volleyball.
John Syer Top Teams Cup
I would mostly like to thank the Club Administrators and Team Secretaries who make my job much easier by going about their tasks in an efficient manner. Here is hoping to make this stronger in the 2014/15 Season.
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Competition Winners
S C O T T I S H V O L L E Y B A L L A S S O C I AT I O N
Men’s Division 1 – Glasgow Mets VC Women’s Division 1 – Edinburgh Jets VC Men’s Division 2 – Glasgow Mets VC Women’s Division 2 – Kyle Team Ayrshire VC
Men’s – City of Edinburgh VC Women’s – City of Edinburgh VC Scottish District Cup Winners – Team Fife VC Men’s Regional League Winners – University of Edinburgh VC Women’s Regional League Winners – University of Dundee
Martyn Johnstone Competitions and Performance Officer
2013 – 2014
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I N T E R N AT I O N A L S P E C I A L E V E N T S C O M M I S S I O N R E P O R T
International Special Events Commission Report
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S C O T T I S H V O L L E Y B A L L A S S O C I AT I O N
It has been another busy, exciting and exceptional year for the Special Events Commission and its members. At the beginning of season 2013 – 2014 the President of this Commission Jen Downs made the decision to step down after 10 years dedication and commitment to the Special Events team and events. The SVA would like to sincerely thank Jen for all her hard work both in producing high quality events but also her enthusiasm for volleyball throughout her tenure. Over the summer months the Board and staff of the Association looked to help support the Commission in the search for a new President with the same drive and experience, and in October 2013 the Association appointed Brian Minikin. Brian has had a career in sport management, coaching and planning, spanning close to 40 years. His extensive career has resulted in an accumulation of experience and knowledge which the SVA knows shall strengthen volleyball both Indoor and Beach significantly thus developing event management, Commission members and Local Authority partnership working.
Since October, Brian and the SVA office staff have worked to recruit new members for the Special Events team with their sights set on the preparation for the SVA Cup Finals and the CEV SCD Women’s European Qualifiers being held in June 2014. In March 2014 a new team had been unveiled just in time for the end of season finals, play-offs and beach events of the 2014 summer months. The Commission has been driven by Brian’s experience in people management and an early indication of how good this new team was going to be was the excellent delivery of the end of season championship matches. The events leading up to and including the Finals Weekend were a great success. The Special Events team over the finals weekend worked endlessly – a Taraflex floor down, protocol running smoothly, a supportive and enthusiastic crowd with both halls in Wishaw being used. Well done to all teams, officials and events staff that helped to organise, support and deliver such a wonderful event and the Associations congratulations to all the winning teams. Margaret Ann Fleming Chief Executive Officer
2013 – 2014
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R E F E R E E S C O M M I S S I O N R E P O RT
Referees Commission Report Introduction Referees Commission activities are designed to match the key performance indicators of the Scottish Volleyball Association development plan. This work focuses on supply and training of officials. While much of that is about referees and refereeing, it is fair to say that as recent as the beginning of June, training of line judges and scorers was a key factor in the undoubted success of the Small Countries Division event held at Perth.
Commission Work Domestic Training Activities – Volleyball and Beach Volleyball Servicing of Competitions (as above, covering Volleyball and Beach Volleyball) International Involvements – referees, scorers, line judges, technical delegates and team managers. Writing teaching materials
Achievements 1. Domestic Training Courses: • Grade 4, Grade 3, Grade 1 (completed matches), JNL award, • The Beach referees, assigned to London 2012 as NTOs, are in the appointment system to service the Beach tour. • In 2014 there is another full programme of Beach events and it is hoped that as many Referees as possible will get in some practice and maintain the momentum started two years ago. • In terms of the KPIs, we have achieved our targets of 30% increase over the whole range, 2. Servicing of Competitions and Other Activities Appointments to League, Cup, Playoffs: Targets were met – matches were provided
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with referees as per regulations. Appointments to and servicing of other SVA Competitions and SVA Recognised Competitions: Targets met. Full credit is due to Brian McDougall for his efforts to appoint to all competitions, including university matches. 3. International Involvements (see also introduction) Appointments to Internationals: Targets met: all internationals provided with referees, line judges and scorers – and Technical Delegate, as required. Alice Stewart has done great work to train and to get line judges and scorers to this and other SVA events: Targets met. CEV/FIVB: International Referee administration and appointments/ Rules of the Game Commission/ World Championships Events. We have had Brian McDougall refereeing at the World League and Sandy Steel as one of the participants in the Referee Delegate’s Seminar in Montreux, and as Course Instructor in two IRCCs – Volleyball in Serbia, and provisionally also in Zimbabwe, Africa. John Swan having hung up his international whistle last year, having reached 55, is now a CEV Technical Supervisor, as well as acting as Scotland Team Manager. Grant Macintyre has just completed a stint as referee in Iceland and will again act as Refereeing Delegate in UK Schools Games later this year, having successfully done this duty for the past two years.
Albert Jaster has done a lot of work to support Grade 4 courses and to find a fixed point in the calendar for them. Remember that the practical part of Grade 3 can be in a variety of places and times to suit the candidates – training games, tournaments, proper matches (given enough notice to get an observer on site).The JNL referee course has again run successfully. Well done all of you! The Playoffs provided an excellent vehicle for the Grade 1 course held last April (2013) over three days of presentations, video analysis and practical refereeing. The successful referees have now completed their matches and are now ratified as Grade 1 Referees.
Commission Responsibilities Brian McDougall has already been mentioned for appointments. Albert Jaster has been instrumental in driving changes to Grade 4 – and still managed to squeeze in some refereeing. Alice Stewart has taken charge of Grade 3. John Swan organises the Commission meetings
and will look to develop further his experience as a Technical Delegate in the future. Sue Kee is the link to the Beach Commission and is in charge of the new Media side of publicising the work of the Commission, as well as driving initiatives in Beach courses. Sandy Steel is in charge of Grade 1 and Elite schemes. He will also be the contact now for Grade 2.
2013 – 2014
Training in Detail
Grant Macintyre is Commission Vice-President. Alice Stewart has coordinated the Training for Scottish NTOs
International Involvements The FIVB Congress in Anaheim, USA saw a new FIVB President, Dr Ary Graca. Since then there have been many changes at FIVB as the new President’s vision for the sport becomes clear. Well done to all those involved.
Sandy Steel President, SVA Referees Commission
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S T U D E N T ( U N I V E R S I T I E S ) C O M M I S S I O N R E P O RT
Student (Universities) Commission Report The 2013/14 season has seen a number of significant developments within student volleyball, which herald some exciting changes in the sector.
College Activity One of the key development areas this season has been within the college sector, where there has been an encouraging increase in the number of college teams competing in the Scottish Colleges Championships:12 men’s teams and 6 women’s teams were involved in the regional qualifying tournaments this season. In the National Finals at Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility on 30th April, Fife College narrowly edged Dundee & Angus to lift the men’s title while Edinburgh College took the honours in the women’s event. A number of colleges are now establishing volleyball groups and clubs, with these student groups looking to become involved in district and regional competition. Support from Scottish Student Sport (SSS) and the SVA is being provided to ensure that this growth is successfully managed and encouraged.
Competition In universities league competition, Strathclyde University created their own piece of history, deservedly winning BUCS (British Universities & Colleges) Tier 1 for the first time, while St Andrews women comfortably retained their BUCS Tier 1 title. The outcome of a very competitive men’s Tier 2 went right to the wire, with Dundee claiming the title and promotion against fellow promotion rivals RGU 15-12 in the final set of the season to bounce back to Tier 1 following their relegation last season. A strong Strathclyde women’s team finished their Tier 2 league campaign unbeaten to claim promotion to Tier 1, while Abertay picked up the women’s Tier 3 title. In the Scottish Students’ Cup Edinburgh claimed the double with both men’s and women’s teams picking up the silverware: the women defeating Glasgow in their final and the men gaining revenge on rivals Strathclyde to retain the trophy from last season. The BUCS Conference Cups held in Dundee, produced somewhat unexpected results, with a competitive and determined Glasgow Caledonian team beating their fancied rivals Strathclyde and Stirling men upsetting the odds against a strong Napier team to lift their trophy.
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Disappointingly there was no Scottish representation in the main BUCS Championship “Final 8” tournament, hosted for the first time at Edinburgh University on 15/16 March, with Scottish hopes having been extinguished in the earlier knock out round. However the event, which featured some the Britain’s top players, was well delivered and feedback on the standard of the Scottish officials was universally positive.
Representative Volleyball In the continued absence of a student Home Nations Tournament, the Scottish Students men’s and women’s representative squads took on their respective national junior teams at Edinburgh University in April, with the women going down 1 – 3 and the men sharing the honours in two very competitive 3 set matches. Thanks are due to Tom Rooney and Colin McGinlay for their preparation of the women’s squad and Iain Cook for his coaching of the men.
Volunteering There is a unique energy and enthusiasm that exists within the student game and despite the annual turnover of club committees due to the nature of tertiary education, student clubs invest a huge amount in the game’s promotion and development. This is recognised through the annual Scottish Student Volleyball Volunteer of the Year award, which this year was awarded to Vitalija Lavrekyte from St Andrews University VC for her outstanding work across a range of club development initiatives which promote the sport and encourage participation.
Summary Volleyball in the student sector is currently a real growth area of the sport with 47 student teams now involved in student competition. Particularly encouraging is the fact that volleyball within the college sector is becoming more established and organised and the development of regional student leagues is now a real likelihood for the 14/15 season. Thanks must go to the many enthusiastic and committed students who balance their academic demands with the requirements of running a student club. The future of the student game is bright indeed!
Paul McPate President, Students Commission
2013 – 2014
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Y O U T H A N D S C H O O L S C O M M I S S I O N R E P O RT
Youth & Schools Commission Report I would like to thank my Commission members who dedicate their time to the development of youth volleyball in Scotland. Due to the background of the volunteers we attract to this commission, it is a challenge to get us all round the table at the same time for meetings, therefore this season has seen some improvisation and other means of communication have been adopted to reach decisions. We have worked closely this year with the Regional Development Officer to lay some foundations, and look forward to building on those with Lynne Beattie and Andrew Fleming who have recently been appointed into their posts. The recently amended JNL structure has been accepted generally, however, the U15 age category did not attract as many new teams as hoped, therefore 2014-15 will see JNL offering U18 & U16 age categories. The competition attracted a total of 19 teams in total. Big thank you is due to Wishaw SC for hosting all the finals. The second year of the Junior Super Cup was progressed as an open entry competition with new teams entering to have their first experience of JNL level. Scottish Schools Cup continued to attract many schools with 60 teams entered across the P7/S1, S2/3 & S4/5/6 year groups. Thank you to Calderhead High School or accommodating this year’s finals and allowing another great spectacle with a high standard of play and excellent support. As promised, new School Festivals were introduced in Aberdeen for P7/S1 & Edinburgh for P5-7 and saw 104 children, many of whom were brand new to Volleyball, have an amazing time learning new skills, competing against their peers, meeting new schools to compete against and make friends with and also learning to officiate. Nationally, 25 schools participated in the festivals on offer which equated to 270 teams made up by 1,016 children and my personal thanks go to Martyn Johnstone and
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Graeme Spowart for organising these fantastic events. The commission is looking at different venues and areas for 14-15 to cope with demand. Juniors undertook officiating qualifications this season to increase the bank of qualified referees delivering at JNL. An Aberdeen Junior course was run for the first time in many years which was a resounding success, many thanks to Ross Allan for helping to organise the event. There were also several juniors who took the first step on the coaching ladder by sitting their Introductory Award, UKCC Level I or UKCC Level II. Well done to all involved. Across all competitions and events, there are a significant number of people who are involved as volunteers and/or hosts to make these opportunities happen for the young people, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all they do. This includes the many parents who loyally transport and support their children at Volleyball. Last year the commission introduced a Young Volunteer of the Year award by the Y&S Commission last year to recognise the outstanding work by our young people. Congratulations to Mark McLaughlin who won the 2012-13 Award. Sheffield hosted the 2013 School Games which is a replica of an event such as the Olympics and is designed to give athletes their first experience of a major sporting event in the hope that any fears will be alleviated when their time comes for the real thing! Scotland was represented by 48 athletes and 12 coaches. All were an absolute credit to their country, school, club, family and themselves and made a significant amount of progress over the course of the preparations and competition. The Y&S Commission will continue to build for the future of Volleyball in line with the SVA 2013-17 Strategic Plan Members: Spowart, Members: Heather Graeme Darling, Spowart,Graeme Jess Reid, Liam Jess Reid, Liam Fleming, Robert MicallefFleming, Robert Micallef-Eynaud, Claire Crowe, Eynaud, Claire Crowe, Tom Rooney, Tom Rooney, Ian Brownlee, Jennifer Henderson. Ian Brownlee, Jennifer Henderson. Graeme Spowart Heather Darling Commission Youth & Schools Commission
2013 – 2014
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S E N I O R W O M E N ’ S N AT I O N A L T E A M R E P O R T
Senior Women’s National Team Report At the time of writing last year’s annual report we were a matter of weeks away from competing in the 2013 CEV Small Countries Division Final which also doubled up as Round 1 of the 2015 FIVB World Championships. Twelve months further on we can reflect back on the achievement of winning a bronze medal, the first ever SCD medal won by a Scotland Senior Women’s team. Victories over Luxembourg and hosts Malta assured the squad of third place behind winners Cyprus and second placed San Marino. But for a blip in performance against San Marino there could even have been a silver lining and the performance against the reigning champions from Cyprus was quite breathtaking at times. But that was then and this is now. It is difficult to fully describe the time, energy and effort that goes into a two year SCD Championship cycle and do it justice. Players and staff alike are immersed in pursuing a single goal for a concentrated period of time. It can be a bit of a rollercoaster journey with many ups and downs along the way but when it finishes on an ‘up’ then all the aching joints and disappointments melt away…only for the rollercoaster to trundle out of the station for the next two year cycle. As the new cycle began in August 2013 several players made the very difficult decision to step away from the Programme. While they made their choice with a heavy heart they can hold their heads high for the outstanding contribution they have made not just in the previous twelve months but, in some cases, over a number of years. Without their contribution the Programme would not be where it is today. Some new players were added to the squad and as with any period of change it took some time for the Programme to settle back down. However, the Christmas Camp marked the beginning of a real burst of energy as we began working on developing the players’
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understanding of how to play the game. We began to explore the purpose behind certain phases of play and the players lapped it up. The first signs that things were beginning to fall into place materialised on our trip south at the beginning of the New Year to play against Team Northumbria. Fifteen players headed to Newcastle for three days of intensive scrimmage. Team Northumbria were flying high at the top of the English National League with an unblemished record. Their mix of former GB players and foreign athletes presented the perfect test for the squad and while we came away without a win it was evident that some of our systems, and in particular our defence, were developing well. The Programme received a real boost with the news that the CEV had awarded Scotland host status for one of the two pools in the Women’s SCD Qualification round in 2014. Not only that but the event is to be staged in conjunction with the Scottish Open Volleyball Tournament in Perth, a fantastic opportunity to perform in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. The challenge facing the squad is to ensure they finish in the top two in order to book a place in the Final which will be held in Liechtenstein in the summer of 2015. Standing in the way will be Malta, Ireland, Northern Ireland and reigning champions Cyprus. The three days should be a real feast of volleyball and one which the whole squad is relishing. With the domestic season now drawn to a close the players are entering an intensive phase of preparation that actually began with a very successful three day camp over the Easter Weekend. The level of play was extremely high as we pushed and probed at our ability to function as a unit in all phases of the game. Highlight of the Camp was a match against the newly crowned SCD U20 Men’s Champions and while the girls were unable to match the power of the men they showed their ability to learn and solve problems. Further scrimmage matches are planned against a Men’s First Division select and a visiting American Collegiate squad along with a series of weekend and midweek practice sessions. The rollercoaster is most definitely on the up.
that the Senior Women’s National Team Programme is now much better equipped to deal with and overcome these whenever they appear…and we hope to show that in Perth come June!
Craig Faill Woman’s National Team Head Coach
A N N U A L R E P O RT 2 0 1 3 TO 2 0 1 4
2013 – 2014
The progress that has been made over the past three years has been extremely encouraging especially as we begin to see some of the successful U19 Women’s squad graduate into the Senior ranks. The performance environment in which the players are immersed grows richer and more valuable with each passing season. The end goal is still some way off and there is much work to be done before we can truly say we have a strong performance programme. The rollercoaster will throw in the inevitable dips during the journey ahead. The pleasing thing is
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S E N I O R M E N ’ S N AT I O N A L T E A M R E P O R T
Senior Men’s National Team Report The Journey So Far… 2013 ended with the news that Head Coach Simon Loftus was resigning to coach in America after five successful years with the programme. This news followed on from the retirement of senior players Colin Giles and Barry McGuigan, who had both contributed to club and National Team volleyball over the years. This meant it was going to be a fresh start for the Men’s National Team in 2014. I was appointed as Interim Head Coach in January and the first step was to plan a programme to prepare the squad for the Small Countries Division Qualification tournament in Iceland in June 2014. The programme had also lost Callum Green, Gavin Watt and Jamie McHardy from Simon Loftus’ last competitive squad. In February we held two open training days where players were invited to attend or were nominated by their club coach. Both days were well attended with over 24 players attending at least one of the sessions. The two sessions created a buzz in the gym and the level of enthusiasm and commitment was exemplary. March started with Power League fixtures against the Under 20 Scotland Men and both matches were very competitive. This gave the coaching staff our first opportunity to look at players in a competitive environment and it highlighted the key development areas for the squad. This prepared us for our development weekend on the 15th and 16th March where the focus for the group was side out and block defence. It was a very successful weekend and the building blocks were laid for what was to come next! At the end of March a Golf Day was held at Mearns Castle Golf Academy to raise funds to
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support the players selected for Iceland. The day was well attended by players, family and friends of the Senior Men’s National Team. It was a very successful day and nearly £900 was raised to support the programme. In early April we had a training day followed by a trip south of the border to face English Cup winners and table toppers Team Northumbria. The Saturday was a shorter than usual practice day with a focus on systems and unit building. There was clear evidence that the players were eager to face their English opponents the next day. The trip to Newcastle was an extremely worthwhile venture and we won a very competitive five set match. We stole the early advantage and then found ourselves two sets to one down. This was the cue to re-focus on our game plan and demonstrate what we had been practising. The players dug deep to win a crucial fourth set and steal the momentum for the fifth set. We eventually won a close fifth set on the back of an excellent squad performance. Special thanks to David Goodchild and Team Northumbria for hosting us and providing such stiff competition. After a very busy four months the squad for Iceland was named at the end of April and the players selected to represent Scotland are: Fraser Brown, Alan Krawczyk, Niall Collin, Paul Glissov, Stewart Caldwell, Christopher Lamont, Mark McGivern, Seain Cook, Alistair Galloway, Sean Hendry, Robin Miedzybrodzki and Danny Traylor. The squad has a good mix of youth and experience and everyone is looking forward to the challenge of securing qualification for Luxembourg 2015.
Gordon Welsh Interim Head Coach, Men’s National Team
2012 – 2013
A N N U A L R E P O RT 2 0 1 2 TO 2 0 1 3
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Y O U N G S E N I O R W O M E N ’ S N AT I O N A L T E A M R E P O R T
Young Senior Women’s National Team Report The young senior women’s national team has just completed another very, positive, enthusiastic and busy year. The success of this group can be measured in four different ways and does allow the programme to demonstrate real progress and ambition against previous years. The four areas are; the amount of activity in both training and playing opportunities, the number of athletes who are participating, the quality of players and teams and fourthly in legacy. Activity • A training group went to Ireland in Easter 2013 as the guests of Naas volleyball club. • This was followed by a one off summer training camp at Inverclyde in preparation for the UK School Games • UK School Games September 2013. • Manchester Tameside VC visited in November with two age group teams playing against a large number of young Scottish athletes • Reciprocal visit to Tameside with the athletes - New Year 2014 • Extensive preparation during winter programme for SCD finals in April 2014 • CEV SCD Finals - San Marino April 2014 – Bronze medal won • Many of the players involved in these activities and other young players were also involved in National School Cups, Junior and Senior National League competitions. Athletes • The total composition of the young senior women programme for 2013-14 comprised of 60 athletes. • The age range is from 13-18yrs.
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•
•
Over 30 current or very recent members of the Scottish Junior Squad are playing with the top 10 Senior National League teams in Scotland and others are playing Universities League Seven of the fourteen squad members in the current Scotland Senior Team were part of the Scotland Junior Squad in the last three seasons.
Quality • The young senior women National team won bronze at the European SC Championships in San Marino, only two narrow 3-2 defeats prevented the colour of the medal from being much brighter • CEV SCD Junior finals – Mhairi Agnew - Best Point Scorer • CEV SCD Junior finals - Priya Gill - Best Blocker and • CEV SCD Junior finals – Priya Gill – Best setter • UKSG’s - The Scottish East and West girls both finished third at the UK School Games • The West team ultimately claiming the bronze medal ahead of their East coast colleagues. • This was the best composite finish by the Scotland girls group at the UK Games Legacy • There is a no compromise - no complacency vision for this group of players and coaches • The Young Senior Women's programme has developed and supported the extension of a number of junior teams playing competitive volleyball in Scotland • Aberdeen Grammar School and NUVOC arrived on the competitive scene • To challenge existing successes and ensure better results within European volleyball • To help create a seamless pathway from junior to senior international representation
The Naas and Tameside VC clubs, all the schools, clubs and UK school games coaches who have worked with junior players, the parents and guardians who have provided their time, money and support and the families who made the trip to San Marino! The Scottish Volleyball Association who have given this programme administrative, emotional and financial support and provided competitive opportunities.
Our physiotherapist in San Marino - Jenny Jones, and my fellow coaches Tom Rooney and Aileen Hall who have contributed to so much of our work and progress over the past few years, and of course we must especially thank those young players who give so much of their time, effort, talent and attitude to Scottish Volleyball.
2013 – 2014
At this point, I would like to thank so many people who have played a part in such a rewarding year.
I would ask all young players to keep their eyes open for training opportunities with this group; we want to see you there!! Vince Krawczyk Head Coach, Young Senior Women Team
A N N U A L R E P O RT 2 0 1 3 TO 2 0 1 4
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Y O U N G S E N I O R M E N ’ S N AT I O N A L T E A M R E P O R T 28
Young Senior Men’s National Team Report The young senior programme in 2013/14 was focused around the preparation for the finals of the SCD European Championships for U20 men, which were held April 2014 in Luxembourg. I am extremely proud and pleased to report that our Young Senior Men not only showed an outstanding level of play, they also brought home gold! The development and competition programme asked for a total of 25 days involvement and started in early October 2013. In addition to the national team practices, the players were encouraged to participate in the U18 JNL where this was an option. The support of the JNL clubs and structures was a significant element of the programme. The 5 day Christmas Camp at Ravenscraig Regional Centre was again of great worth to the development of the players, and the team systems. The support of North Lanarkshire Council was again of particular note. The original squad of 32 players was cut to a working group of 18 immediately after the Christmas Camps, and these players took part in the Power League in the period from end of January to March 2014. There were four PL fixtures that featured two teams from the YS programme (Scotland Blue and Scotland White) and an invited guest team. Great thanks are due to the three division I clubs (South Ayrshire; Dundee; Jets) and the Senior Men’s NT squad who participated in the PL. Thanks are also due to the Referees Commission, particularly Albert Jasper, Mike McConville and Scott Mackenzie for their enthusiastic support of the project.
S C O T T I S H V O L L E Y B A L L A S S O C I AT I O N
The PL offered a series of very competitive sets (36 in total) and matches in the build up to the actual Finals, and enabled the coaching staff to tackle issues of mental preparation, and performance resilience. The Coaching Staff for the 2013/14 programme continued from the previous year with the addition of Jillian Galloway. This level of continuity helped ensure the players were offered individualised support. The coaching staff is due grateful thanks for their professionalism and endless enthusiasm for the programme. They are;
• • • • •
John Scrimgeour – Assistant Coach Bill Stobie – Team Manager - Assistant Coach Simon Coleman – Head of Delegation Assistant Coach Liam Fleming – Assistant Coach. Jillian Galloway – Physiotherapist
The support of the players’ parents was also a significant element of the success of the programme, as was the support of the SVA office staff. The quality of the work delivered by the players has been outstanding. The highlights of the development part of the programme were the performances in the Power League, where the players learned how to function, and compete as a team. The 2013/14 YS Programme has been an outstanding exercise in cooperation, team work, and focused application. The success of the programme is shared by many people, and in particular the group of very talented, and dedicated Scottish athletes. Thomas Dowens Head Coach, Young Senior Men National Team
2013 – 2014
A N N U A L R E P O RT 2 0 1 3 TO 2 0 1 4
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S TAT I S T I C A L R E P O R T 30
Statistical Report 2013 - 2014 In Summary, the affiliated and active members of our Association as at 30 April 2014 is as follows:Affiliated Clubs
75
Registered Teams
220
Affiliated Schools
58
Senior Membership
1249
Junior/School Membership
591
Associate Membership
122
Qualified Coaches Level 0 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 UKCC
Male 2 440 50 33 9 13 165
Female 2 289 32 23 2 0 101
Registered Coaches
107
47
Qualified Referees International Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Beach Grade 2 Beach Grade 3 Beach Grade 4 Junior
Male 4 7 286 48 275 3 1 4 59
Female 0 0 8 30 254 3 0 3 74
Registered Referees
153
114
Player Registration Division 1 Division 2 University District (Senior & Junior) Junior Regional
Male 87 134 191 293 106 75
Female 98 55 294 276 114 28
Sub Totals
886
865
Total Player Registrations
1751
S C O T T I S H V O L L E Y B A L L A S S O C I AT I O N
Men 116 0
Female 63 0
Total 179 0 22
School Festivals P5/P7 P7/S1 S2/S3 S4/5/6
Number of Teams 32 94 124 20
Number of Players 68 318 492 138
Scottish School Cup P7/S1 S2/S3 S4/5/6
Number of Teams 17 18 25
Number of Players 99 102 196
2013 – 2014
Beach (over 6 beach tours) 2V2 Junior 4-a-side
School Participation - take on School Affiliation Information - approximate figures. Please note that not all schools report this information. Curricular Activities
10424
Extra Curricular Activities
1895
A N N U A L R E P O RT 2 0 1 3 TO 2 0 1 4
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BIGGER • BETTER • STRONGER
Scottish Volleyball Association, 48 The Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9TJ Telephone: 0131 556 4633 Fax: 0131 557 4314 Email: info@scottishvolleyball.org www.scottishvolleyball.org
Scottish Volleyball Association