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April 10, 2025

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SAFE SPORT


IMPORTANT UPDATE: Changes to Safe Sport Reporting


Volleyball Alberta is committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment for all members. As part of our ongoing efforts to improve our safe sport protocols, we’d like to inform you of some important updates.


Effective immediately, we recommend clubs remove any reference to the Canadian Sport Helpline or the Abuse-Free Sport Helpline.

 

New Safe Sport Reporting with ALIAS Solutions


Volleyball Alberta is proud to announce that we’ve partnered with ALIAS Solutions to offer an independent safe sport reporting service. This new platform will allow individuals to report improper conduct confidentially via both the web and phone, ensuring that all safe sport (maltreatment) reports are managed by ALIAS’s independent third-party case management team.


This partnership strengthens our commitment to creating a safe, inclusive, and transparent environment for all members of Volleyball Alberta.



Stay tuned to the website for further updates on this important development and we thank you for helping us to maintain a respectful and supportive volleyball community.


STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS

Volleyball Alberta is pleased to announce that Eryn Orysiuk has joined the VA Staff team! Read more about each staff and their areas of responsibility on our website's, Contact Us page.


Eryn Orysiuk Director, Finance & Corporate Services

Volleyball Alberta is excited to welcome Eryn Orysiuk to our team as the new Director of Finance & Corporate Services. Many in our community may already know Eryn as a proud Team Alberta alumna and, more recently, as the Secretary/Treasurer on our Board of Directors. We’re thrilled to have her passion for volleyball and leadership experience in this new role. Please join us in welcoming Eryn to the VA staff team!


Summer Job Opportunities!

We are still seeking applicants for the Beach Tournaments Coordinator position, based in Calgary. This role includes in-office logistics during the week and tournament operations on weekends. The ideal candidate will have experience in beach volleyball and a passion for growing the sport. If you're available and interested, apply today! Term: May-August 35hrs/week. Application deadline: April 15.


We are also ready to accept applications for Summer Camp Coaches, Coaches for our Edmonton Youth Beach Programs at John Fry Park and 2026 AB Winter Games Coaching opportunities.


Please visit our website's employment opportunities page for more information.

CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS

What an incredible year for our volleyball community! Over 920 teams to 7,000 matches assigned to referees, we’ve seen amazing growth and dedication.


As we kick off the 2025 Provincial Championships this weekend, we’re celebrating our athletes, coaches, and referees who’ve helped make this indoor season a success. Over the next three weekends, we’ll see athletes from across Alberta competing at the highest level! Here’s to finishing the indoor season strong and celebrating all the hard work that’s gone into making this season a success! 

Zero Tolerance Policy

 Draws & Results Page 

Preparing for Provincials & Nationals

Provincial Clothing, Fundraisers & Awards

Provincial Clothing Pre-Order Pick-Ups

Team orders can be picked up after the team's first match on Saturday morning of Provincials. Please note: at larger venues like Saville Community Sports Centre, Edmonton Volleyball & Pickleball Centre (EVP), Legacy Athletics, Rally Pointe, or Seven Chiefs Sportsplex, we ask that you wait until after 10:00am to pick up your teams order if possible, even if your first match is at 8:00am. Teams at Saville and Rally Pointe, please find pre-orders available for pickup at the Pop-Up Shop, all other venues please find your venue coordinator for pre-order pickup. The order contact will verify and distribute the items (only they can pick up/sign off). We’d love to see teams in their #VAProvincials swag! Tag @volleyballalberta to share your photos with us on Instagram & Facebook!

50/50: Three raffles, three chances to win!

Volleyball Alberta will once again be hosting 50/50 raffles during our three Provincials weekends! Funds raised will directly support our Team Alberta programs, and with three separate raffles, you’ll have three chances to support and win! How to participate? Simply scan the QR code on-site at your Provincials venue or click this link to [purchase tickets online] Winner takes half!

Sportsmanship Award

Volleyball Alberta is excited to continue recognizing outstanding sportsmanship at our events! Throughout Provincials, if you see a referee, athlete, coach, team staff, or fan from another team fostering a positive environment—whether through respect, kindness, honesty, or integrity—nominate them! After each Provincials weekend, one winner will be randomly drawn from the nominees to receive a VA prize package. Let’s celebrate great sportsmanship together! The Sportsmanship Award nomination form will open on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at 8:00 AM. [submit a nomination]

All-Star Awards

During Provincials, the 1st-4th place teams in each black division of the 15U–18U age classes will have the opportunity to recognize their standout athletes with an All-Star Award. Good luck to all teams! Nomination forms will be distributed on-site by the VA Venue Coordinator.

Mikasa Achievement Awards

Every year, countless athletes, coaches, referees, and leaders make a lasting impact on volleyball in Alberta—don't let someone's amazing contributions go unnoticed, please submit a nomination! The form opens on April 12 and closes on May 5. For the Athlete and Coach Competitive Categories, we ask that nominations be submitted within 3 days after their Provincials. All other categories can be submitted between April 12 - May 15. [submit a nomination]


Volleyball Canada Nationals

Provincials Are Here — and Nationals Are on the Horizon! We’re set for three action-packed weekends of Provincials, and we can’t wait to see the energy, the competition, and the #VAProvincials spirit in full swing. But the excitement doesn’t stop there — Volleyball Canada’s Youth Nationals are returning to Edmonton this May, where 15U–18U teams from across the country will gather at the EXPO Centre for a one-of-a-kind, festival-style celebration of the sport. For many years, Alberta has proudly played host to Youth National events, and we’re excited to once again be at the heart of welcoming the nation’s teams. Visit the 2025 Youth Nationals page on the VC website for full details and join the mailing list to receive [VC Nats Newsletters]

2025/26 Club Signing & Tryout Process update

A draft of the updated process was shared with Club Presidents in March for feedback. We’re now in the process of reviewing and finalizing details. Thank you for your patience as we work closely with the Alberta Schools' Athletic Association to align club signing and tryout timelines with their non-school team participation policies. While details are still being finalized, we want to reassure everyone that the overall structure remains consistent. The primary signing process will start at the beginning of September, in line with the 2025/26 membership year and Volleyball Alberta’s new Membership Policy and the Winter tryout period will begin after the ASAA Provincials. More information will be available soon. Once finalized, the updated process will be posted on the Club General Info Page of our website, shared in our next newsletter, and posted to VA’s Instagram and Facebook channels. Stay tuned!

SUMMER PLANS

Beach Tournaments

Please read through the Beach Registration Guide to be ready for opening day! Only May & June tournaments will open for registration on April 10 at 9:00 AM. We are still finalizing a few details and now plan to open July & August registrations on April 23 (pending confirmation). Please check back regularly on our website for the latest schedule updates [Youth Beach Tournaments] [Adult Beach Tournaments]

April 10, 2025 at 9:45am: Sportlomo is currently experiencing technical difficulties and may be running slower than usual. If a page seems unresponsive, please click once and WAIT. Multiple clicks can cause further delays or issues. Most actions are taking 30–60 seconds to load — your patience is appreciated while the system catches up. If you added the event to your basket multiple times, please DELETE the duplicates. If you added the team to the waitlist multiple times, DELETE the duplicates.  

Youth Beach Programs/League - Edmonton at John Fry Park

Registration is OPEN on Sportlomo - Volleyball Alberta Events! For more information, please visit the Beach Youth Edmonton Programs page on our website.

Adult Beach Leagues - Edmonton at John Fry Park

Registration is OPEN on Sportlomo - Volleyball Alberta Events! For more information, please visit the Beach Adult Leagues page on our website.

Summer Camps

Registration is open for Volleyball Alberta Summer Camps, now in FOUR locations: Calgary, Edmonton, Grimshaw & Sylvan Lake! Offering Smashball Day camps for youth ages 6-11, Volleyball Day Camps for youth 12-16 and an overnight volleyball camp experience in Sylvan Lake for ages 12-16! Limited Spots Available! Camps in Calgary, Edmonton, and Grimshaw still have room—Sylvan Lake is FULL and taking a waitlist. For more information and the links to register, please visit our website Summer Camps page. Register on Sportlomo – Volleyball Alberta Events  Spots are limited, register early!

GO Sports Spring – New Outdoor Atomic Program in South Edmonton!

We’re excited to introduce a new Atomic program in South Edmonton for ages 9-12! This 7-week outdoor program will take place on grass courts at the Orchards Residents Association. Starts May 5th - For more information, please visit the GO Sports North page on our website.


TEAM ALBERTA

Team AB Indoor 15U-17U ID Camp Update

We successfully ran our 15U Girls, 16U Girls and 15/16U Boys Major Centre ID Camps these last few weeks at Olds College. In total, just over 200+ athletes participated. This past weekend, we successfully held the 17U Girls Major Centre ID Camp and also the 18U Girls Canada Games Tryout Camp at Raise Athletics in St. Albert. This weekend is the 17U Boys Major Centre ID Camp and 8U Boys Canada Games Tryout in Sylvan Lake. For more information, please visit the Indoor Team Alberta pages on our website.

Team AB Beach 16U & 18U Selection Camp Reminder

Registration is open for the 2025 Team AB Beach 16U & 18U Selection Camp.

Dates: June 28–29, 2025. Location: Calgary. Register on Sportlomo – Volleyball Alberta Events 

For more information, please visit the Beach Team Alberta page on our website.


2025 Canada Games Beach

The men's team of Brandon Burnside/Mason Doering and head coach Corey Cowper will represent Alberta. Erik Peterson will coach the women's team. Sasha Pasloski, Kiara Keibel, Erika Bang, and Ella Layzell will attend the final selection camp to determine the two athletes who will represent Alberta at the Canada Games. These teams will train throughout the summer in preparation to compete on the national stage. For more information, please visit the 2025 Canada Games website.

COACHING SYMPOSIUM

Digging Deeper: 2025 Volleyball Alberta Coaching Symposium - Save the Date!


Coaches, mark your calendars for June 20-21, 2025! Join us for a 2-day coaching symposium featuring world-class presenters Sarah Pavan and Graham Vigrass. Hosted at Deerfoot Inn & Casino and Rally Pointe in Calgary, this event will cover high-performance topics like transitioning from indoor to beach, elevating setter training, and incorporating liberos into practice plans.


Registration opens Wednesday, April 16 at 12:00 PM MDT - don’t miss your chance to earn PD points and connect with fellow coaches!


Full details here: https://www.volleyballalberta.ca/clinics-and-symposiums/


Following the symposium, we’ll come together to honour excellence in the sport at the 2025 Mikasa Achievement Awards & Hall of Fame Banquet on Saturday evening. Don’t miss this chance to celebrate Alberta’s volleyball legends and rising stars!

COACHES CORNER

Coach Eligibility Requirements

Coaching Tips


26 Inspiring Quotes on Coaching (LEADERSHIP)


57 Inspirational Quotes for Coaches

Sport Parenting


4 Important Rules Every Volleyball Parent Should Know


What Coaches Wish They Could Say To Volleyball Parents


REFEREES

Blue Whistle Campaign

If you see a Blue Whistle, be kind—they’re new! The Blue Whistle symbolizes respect and sportsmanship for all referees, no matter their experience level. When you see a Blue Whistle, take a moment to reflect—your support helps ensure the future of youth sports. Let’s foster a positive atmosphere for everyone!


Positive Referee Feedback Form

Help us highlight our outstanding referees and support their development! Share your positive experiences with as much or as little detail as you wish. Your kind words will brighten their day and assist with their growth. Please share your positive feedback HERE

MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION

Please start your membership registration on VA’s Club Locator Page powered by Sportlomo to “Register to your Club” OR “Register to Volleyball Alberta”: https://volleyballalberta.sportlomo.com/

Planning to Join a Beach Program or Compete in Beach Tournaments?


Make sure to upgrade or add one of these Beach Memberships in your Sportlomo account:

  • 2025 Youth Recreational Player – Beach
  • 2025 Youth Competitive Player – Beach
  • 2025 Leader - Club/Team Personnel – Beach Coach


Club-Run Beach Programs

Add the beach category by selecting "Register to Your Club" in Sportlomo. This will automatically link your membership with your Club, Volleyball Alberta and Volleyball Canada, ensuring you meet Club/VA/VC event eligibility requirements.


Non-Club-Affiliated Players

Select "Register to Volleyball Alberta" if you're joining a VA-run program or competing in Beach Tournaments without a club.


Start your membership registration here: VA’s Club Locator Page

SAFE SPORT


Empowering Youth Athletes: Safe Sport Education Resource


We encourage all youth athletes to take advantage of the Safe Sport Education Resources—an essential online program designed to help athletes aged 13 to 19 recognize, report abuse, set boundaries, and create safe, healthy sports environments.


This free resource, available in both English and French, is an invaluable tool in fostering positive experiences in sport. With insights from top Canadian athletes like Marie-Alex Bélanger, Damian Warner, and Marissa Papaconstantinou, the program includes 8 short modules, leading to a certificate of completion.


Funded by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Return to Sport grant, the program is open to all youth athletes, regardless of their sport. Don’t miss out—encourage your athletes to complete this program today!


Learn more and register at www.safesportforyouth.org.


SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS

Volleyball Alberta | www.volleyballalberta.ca | 780-415-1703

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