“Initiatives and partnerships like this play a big part in the development of sitting volleyball in Canada,” said José Rebelo, head coach of the national men’s sitting volleyball team. “It’s especially important for us as players and coaches to support these types of grassroots activities, seeing as sitting volleyball is so new in Canada.”
Able-bodied and disabled athletes, coaches and sports fans are invited to attend the free clinics.
“The Canadian Paralympic Committee is actively encouraging the development of sporting opportunities for all athletes. Canada needs to develop a seamless and supportive athlete development system, through which athletes can progress if they wish to the elite level,” said CPC President Carla Qualtrough. “Clinics like these should lead to more Canadians with a physical disability becoming more active, and could help lead to a broad base of sitting volleyball athletes.”
Volleyball Canada has been running clinics for three weeks and so far we has had over 40 participants.
The Team Canada clinics are scheduled as follows:
March 13: Sitting Volleyball – A Sport Without Boundaries
7 p.m. - 9 p.m. at G.F. Strong Rehab Centre Gymnasium, 4255 Laurel Street, Vancouver.
Part of the regularly-scheduled Train and Play clinics at the G.F.
Strong Rehabilitation Centre, which take place every Thursday from 7
p.m. - 9 p.m. until March 27. All are welcome to attend.
Presented in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health Authority.
March 14: Team Canada Kids, Coaches and Teachers Drop-in Clinic
2 p.m. -4 p.m. at Eric Hamber Secondary Gymnasium, 5025 Willow St, Vancouver.
Special session targeting mainly kids, teachers and coaches, but others are more than welcome to attend.
Presented in partnership with the Vancouver School Board.
March 15: Team Canada Super Saturday Drop-in Clinic
2 p.m. -4 p.m. at Windermere Secondary Gymnasium, 3155 E. 27th Avenue, Vancouver.
Kick-off of the six-week-long Train and Play session as a part of the Get Up and Go! program. All are welcome to attend.
Presented in partnership with Vancouver Park Board.
For more information about these and other Train and Play sitting
volleyball clinics in Vancouver, please visit
www.optimumvolleyball.com/sitting.html.
To find out more about the sport of sitting volleyball, go to http://www.paralympic.ca/page?a=302〈=en-CA.
