Barrhead, you play great volleyball … but you can always improve.
Who says so? None other than former British national player Nathan Bennett, who hailed originally from Athabasca.
Bennett is managing director of Impact Volleyball Camp (IVC), which gives youngsters a chance to brush up their skills with the help of leading coaches.
IVC will bring five days of intensive training to Barrhead Composite High School gyms between July 15 and 19.
“I would encourage students to sign up as early as possible,” said Bennett last Friday.
“One of the things that set IVC apart from other camps is that professional volleyball players from around the world come to train our young athletes.”
Bennett said some of IVC’s commitments are to remain the best value for money camp in Alberta and B.C. and to offer a unique experience with the pros.
“We want to make a positive, lasting impression as an inspiration to the future of volleyball,” he added.
It is the second time Barrhead has been chosen for the camp, which was started nine years ago.
The selection is testament to the town’s growing reputation in Alberta for volleyball.
“I continue to follow Barrhead volleyball,” said Bennett, who used to compete against BCHS as a schoolboy at Athabasca’s Edwin Parr Composite.
The camp will also be returning this year to Grande Prairie, Fort St. John and Peace River. For the first time it will be held as well in Spruce Grove and Lac La Biche.
Returning to IVC as camp director is pro-player Ellen Orchard.
She has played the past three seasons in Switzerland for VC Kanti Schaffhausen as a middle blocker. Before that she played for four years for the University of California, Berkeley, where her team made it to the semi-finals of the NCAA tournament in 2007.
Orchard holds two records: one for all-time career blocks, and the other for the number of blocks in a game for UC Berkeley.
Unfortunately, Bennett will not be able to attend because of his commitment in Vancouver, where he coaches the men’s volleyball team at Capilano University.
This year he received the Coach of the Year award from Pacific Western Athletic Conference. He coached at IVC Grande Prairie in 2012 and will be coaching at IVC Spruce Grove this year.
The camp’s focus in Barrhead will be on improving athletes’ individual and team play skills, as well as strengthening mental and physical abilities for the long term.
There will be daily sessions on each skill – serving, passing, setting, defence, attacking and blocking – and lessons on a specific position, such as outside, middle and setter.
Bennett said the sessions would last from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is online at www.impactvolleyballcamp.com.
When the names of the coaches are determined, they will be posted on the website as soon as possible, he added.
Early registration entitling participants to a $50 discount ends on April 30. After that the price will be $400, plus a $9.95 fee. Regular registration ends on July 5.
IVC offers $25 for friend referrals and runs contests on Facebook throughout the year, with additional discounts and prizes up for grabs.
Impact Volleyball Camp launched an athlete sponsorship programme in 2012 called IVC Cares – a community-funded project that offers discounted or free registration to athletes who would not be able to attend camp without help.
IVC matches donations up to $1,200. In 2012, IVC Cares and its sponsors were able to help athletes participate in a camp near them.
To find out more about IVC Cares sponsorship at: http://impactvolleyballcamp.com/ivc-cares/
