Coach Update: Fall Workshops, Awards and 2027 Requirements

The Quick Hit

2026 Coach Award Nominations
Five Development Coach Workshops
National Excellence Program Coach Opportunity
2027 Coach Education Requirements
Coach’s Corner: Keep the End in Mind

2026 VBC Excellence Awards: Nominate a Coach

Nominations are open for the 2026 Volleyball BC Coach Awards.

Awards will recognize coaches at the 13U-14U, 15U-16U and 17U-18U levels, an emerging coach under 25, and a club that has demonstrated a strong commitment to coach development.

Think about the coaches and clubs doing great work in your volleyball community. Help us recognize them by submitting a nomination today!

Nominations close October 15, 2026.

Nominate a Coach or Club Here

Upcoming Development Coach Workshops

Registration is open for five online Development Coach Workshops running from October through January.

Across three live Zoom sessions, coaches will work through:

• Basics of the game and systems of play

• Teaching volleyball skills

• Practice and drill planning

Foundations of Volleyball eLearning must be completed before attending.

Head coaches entering their second year as a head coach are required to complete the workshop. Full 2027 coach education requirements are included further down in this newsletter.

Step Inside Canada's National Excellence Program

Volleyball Canada is inviting coaches to observe the National Excellence Program’s high-performance training environment at the Richmond Olympic Oval.

Coaches will see how Canada’s top emerging athletes train and learn from Matthew Krueger and the NEP staff. Areas of focus include practice design, communication, systems training, motor learning and integrated performance support.

The opportunity is open to U15–U18 club coaches, provincial team coaches, post-secondary coaches and others interested in national-level training.

Observation opportunities are available from October through December.

View NEP Opportunity Details

2027 VBC Coach Education Requirements

Clubs are encouraged to review the updated requirements as they begin organizing their coaching staffs for the upcoming season.

Planning to attend Volleyball Canada Nationals?

Volleyball Canada has additional education and certification requirements based on a coach’s role and experience.

View Volleyball Canada Requirements

KEEP THE END IN MIND

Some teams are already several weeks into their season. Others are preparing for tryouts and their first practices.

This is a good time to think beyond the next match or tournament. Early results can make it tempting to settle on a lineup, define athletes by one position, or prioritize systems over skill development.

Give athletes time to learn, make decisions and explore different roles. The best lineup today may not be the lineup with the most potential later in the season.

COACH REFLECTION

Are the decisions I’m making now helping us get through the next match, or helping our athletes improve throughout the season?

COACH RESOURCE: GET YOUR TEAM ON THE SAME PAGE

If your season is already underway, it’s not too late to create a team agreement. In fact, your athletes may have a better sense now of what the team needs.

Ask them how they want to communicate, compete, respond to mistakes and support one another. Use their answers to agree on the behaviours the team wants to be known for.

Already created one? Take a few minutes to revisit it. What is working? What needs more attention?

Download Team Agreement Resource

VBC Coach Partner Spotlight

Through our partnership with Gold Medal Squared, Volleyball BC members receive 50% off GMS+, an online coaching resource featuring training videos, systems and practical tools coaches can use throughout their season.

Use code VBC-COACH50 to access your discount and explore GMS+.

Explore GMS +

Questions about certification, professional development or coaching resources? Email coach@volleyballbc.org.

Thank you for coaching. You’re making a difference.

Ryan Adams

Coach Development Manager

Volleyball BC