Some of the top volleyball minds from across North America will be on hand to share their knowledge as part of the Coaching Symposium next month’s Volleyball Showcase.
The Volleyball Showcase features the men’s volleyball teams from the Trinity Western Spartans, UBC Thunderbirds, Alberta Golden Bears and Laval Rouge et Or. Those four teams have combined to win 13 of the past 15 Tantramar Trophies, presented to the top Canadian men’s university team each year.
All four head coaches – Ben Josephson (Trinity Western), Mike Hawkins (UBC), Brock Davidiuk (Alberta) and Gino Brousseau (Laval) – will be among the speakers at the Coaching Symposium.
Other university coaches scheduled to speak at the symposium include Matt Krueger, the lead assistant with UBC’s men’s program; Gina Schmidt, the head coach for SFU women’s volleyball; and Laurie Eisler, the head coach for Alberta women’s volleyball.
And there will also be coaches with national team experience on both sides of the border with current Team Canada Women’s National Team Head Coach Shannon Winzer, and former U.S. National Team coaches Doug Beal and John Kessel. Beal led the U.S. Men’s National Team to the Olympics three times while Kessel has more than 30 years experience in a variety of roles with USA Volleyball.
“It is fantastic to see such great coaches and leaders in the sport give back so effortlessly. It is a testament to the strength of the volleyball community,” said Elie Shermer, the creator and founder of The Elements Toronto (TET), the organizers behind The Volleyball Showcase.
The coaches’ symposium is set for December 28 and 29, beginning at 9:00am both days. The cost is $125 for one day or $225 to attend both days. There are also 10 enhanced experiences available per game (five on each team’s bench) over those two days for an additional $150 per person. The enhanced experience will allow the coach exclusive behind-the-scenes access, including a seat on the bench during the game as well as access to pre-and post-game speeches as well as the in-game huddles.
As for the action on the court, the teams will play a round-robin tournament December 28 to 31 with the top two teams from that set to play for gold on December 31 at 4:00pm.
The cost is $25 for a general admission pass and $50 for courtside seats or $75 for a general admission full tournament pass and $150 for a full tournament courtside pass.
Proof of double vaccination is required to attend the matches as well as the coaches’ symposium.
For more information or to purchase either tickets or passes to the coaching symposium, please visit www.volleyballshowcase.ca
