The primary motivation of this website is to bring together volleyball coaches from England to their mutual benefit. The hope is that along with providing information these pages – and the associated Facebook group, Twitter account and YouTube channel – can become a virtual meeting place where the country’s volleyball coaches can collaborate and cooperate toward building a stronger base of coaching talent. That should, in turn, contribute to a stronger, richer volleyball community.

One could think of it as a kind of fraternity. The idea behind Coaching Volleyball is that it acts as a platform for the free sharing of information, ideas, opinions, and opportunities. And not just in the virtual world, but in the real world as well.

In an ideal world there would be a top level organization providing a strong platform for those interested or involved in coaching volleyball. We all know, however, that Volleyball England has limited resources, and what it does have to invest in things like academies. There’s also no big volleyball coaches group in England, like the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) in the States. The hope here is that this website can at least partly help to fill the gap for local coaches.

To help that along, the expectation is that this site will offer …

  • Programme/Club Administration and Development insights and ideas
  • Practice and Training Plan development recommendations and considerations
  • Drills & Games to use in training and practice sessions
  • Coaching Education resources and suggestions
  • Volleyball Career information and advice
  • Reviews of volleyball coaching related products, services, and other offerings

Look for articles and feature content to start filling in over the next few weeks. I will author a lot of content myself based on my own varied experience coaching volleyball at various levels and operating in numerous administrative capacities (my bio). I’m expecting, though, that others will contribute based on their own experiences. And of course discussion will be encouraged at all times.

Most important than the content, though, is the opportunity for volleyball coaches to come together in a collegial fashion to exchange information and ideas. Part of that will naturally be online through discussions, but it is hoped that there will be some live events as well – either online or off – to further the connectivity and collaboration. I’m hoping for that to include things like:

  • Webinars on topics of interest
  • Social Meetings to develop personal relationships
  • Instructional Sessions to share knowledge and experience
  • Training Cross-Collaboration to help each other out and gain added experience
  • Mentorships to help new coaches develop

To facilitate the fraternal sense mentioned above, and to keep the group small and close-knit (at least for a while) the site will be run on a membership model. In the mean time, while the site is being fleshed out and shaped, it will be open for general access.

Suggestions are more than welcome! Feel free to use the contact form to offer them or to ask any questions you might have.

Best Regards,

John Forman
Head Coach – Exeter University Volleyball Club BUCS teams
Coach – Devon Women’s Volleyball Club (NVL1)

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John Forman
John Forman

John is currently the Talent Strategy Manager (oversees the national teams) and Indoor Performance Director for Volleyball England, as well as Global Director for Volleyball for Nation Academy. His volleyball coaching experience includes all three NCAA divisions, plus Junior College, in the US; university and club teams in the UK; professional coaching in Sweden; and both coaching and club management at the Juniors level. He's also been a visiting coach at national team, professional club, and juniors programs in several countries. Learn more on his bio page.

Please share your own ideas and opinions.