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Coaching Mentorship Program

The Ontario Volleyball Association (OVA) is proud to introduce a comprehensive Mentorship Program designed to connect coaches with experienced mentors. This initiative aims to address the needs of coaches seeking guidance in specific aspects of coaching. The program is a collaborative effort between the Regional Coach Subcommittee and the OVA and is generously funded by the Regional Council.

Program Objectives
  • To facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise between experienced coaches and those eager to learn.
  • To provide a structured platform for mentors to share their skills and experiences.
  • To enhance the overall quality of coaching within the OVA.

Town Hall

On Tuesday January 28th, the OVA hosted a virtual Town Hall to further discuss this new program and field question from our members.

To view the recording, please head over to our Town Hall page.


How It Works

Mentors 

Mentors who wish to participate in the program must be members in good standing with the OVA and have completed all required coach eligibility requirements (listed below). They will then follow the registration link further down this page to complete an application form and provide the following information:

  • Information for coaches to contact them (email, phone, etc)
  • NCCP number and certification status
  • Detail about coaching experience and expertise
  • Short introduction to present themselves to the coaches (can be a video)
  • Desired mentorship structure:
    • Individual 1-on-1 mentorship
    • Group mentorship (include max number of coaches)
  • Cost of the mentorship offered with details of what it covers

This information will be used by OVA staff to create a profile for the mentors on the OVA website. This profile enables interested coaches to review and connect with mentors that meet their specific needs.

Mentees

Prospective Mentee Coaches will then be able to browse the profiles of available mentors on the OVA platform and directly connect with the mentor they wish to work with. There will be a registration link for Mentees to fill our with basic information that the Mentor should know that will be directed to the selected Mentor once submitted.

Mentorship Agreement

It is the responsibility of the mentor and the coach to arrange the terms of the mentorship, including any fees for services provided.

Once a mentorship partnership is established, the mentor will complete an online form detailing the coach's information, the mentorship plan, and the learning objectives. This form is a crucial step in formalizing the mentorship agreement and ensuring both parties are aligned on the goals and expectations.

Mentorship Sessions and Payment

Coaches are eligible to receive a subsidy for participating in a mentorship program. The subsidy will be $50 per session up to a maximum of $200 for a 1-on-1 mentorship and $25 per session up to a maximum of $100 for a group mentorship.

Post Mentorship Review

At the conclusion of the mentorship program, the mentor will complete another online form to confirm the completion of the program by the coach. Upon submitting that form, the coach will receive an email with a post-mentorship survey to complete. Once the survey is submitted, an OVA staff will review the documents and issue the subsidy to the coach for the sessions completed.

 

 

Mentors

Registration

Mentor registration is open! If you feel like you would like to step forward as a mentor at this time, please follow the registration link below.  Please ensure you have the following:

  • Making Head Way · Coaches Association of Canada Safe Sports Training
  • NCCP Anti-Racism in Coaching e-learning module
  • Foundations of Volleyball
  • Making Ethical Decisions Online Evaluation

Once you have filled out your Mentor Registration, your profile will appear in the list at the bottom of this page as soon as positive.

If you have any problems or would like to update an existing profile, please contact Taylor Callow tcallow@ontariovolleyball.org

Resources for Mentors

The following documents are designed to assist mentors in providing effective support to coaches. They are available to all mentors for optional use.

Mentees

Choosing a Mentor

Below is list of Mentors who have registered for the program. 

Click on a Mentor's name for added information about them, their areas of expertise, who they are best suited to mentor and what days and time they are available.

Once you have chosen your Mentor, please follow the link below to fill out an application form. Once submitted, your application will be sent directly to them and they will respond to you directly.

This list of mentors will be updated as more apply, so if you don't find someone who fits your need, please check back in at a later date.


Nadine Plett

Location

Hamilton

About

I’ve been coaching for 6 years. I was a statistician at the USport and national team level for several years and am now a USport full time assistant coach. I coach club as well and am in progress on a masters of coaching degree.

Ideal Mentee

An ideal mentee would be a club coach looking to improve the focus and motivation in their practices using evidence based teaching methods. Coaches who want more knowledge about how to use tech and stats is also an area I can mentor.

Availability

1on1 Mentorship- $100

Group Mentorship- $70

Thomas McNorton

Location

Windsor

About

My name is Tom McNorton and I have been involved with coaching Volleyball since 1980. I was promoted to a Vice-Principal position with coaching experiences in basketball, but the Principal needed a girls’ volleyball coach, so I was volunteered.

Since then, I have coached basketball, cross-country, soccer baseball and volleyball at the elementary school level.

VOLLEYBALL COACHING EXPERIENCE

1980-2004 Elementary Girls

2004-2022 South County travel 12U to 14U level

2016/17 Ste Cecile Academy Sr. Girls

2022 to present Rose City Volleyball Club 14 and 15U girls

2023/24 Maranatha Christian Academy Sr. Girls coach

EDUCATION

BA in History/ Sociology

BED in Education

MED in Education

Specialist in Health and Physical Education

SOQP Superintendent Qualifications

EDUCATION EXPERIENCES

Taught in elementary Catholic Schools for 31 years as a classroom teacher, Vice-Principal, Principal, H&PE consultant

Taught H&PE Specialist courses OISE

Since 2004 teaching H&PE at the Faculty of Education and Faculty Advisor at the P/J level

MY PHILOSOPHY

1. Maximum Participation for Maximum Time-Each practice should have all players involved for the entire duration.

2. Earned not Given-Except for Fair Play, court time is earned through analysis of statistics and documentation.

3. Parents as Partners-I utilize parents at practices as much as possible as tossers, targets and volunteers to manage outside events, banquets, rooms, statistics, lines and scoring. If done equally, they feel more a part of the team.

4. Practice time is precious. It is a combination of teaching, fitness training and fun with gamification as a vehicle.

5. Relationships with the players is important on the court. I make it a priority to talk to every player at every practice about volleyball and other areas of their lives. I cannot teach effectively unless I have a relationship.

6. Game time, my teaching is at a minimum. I focus on strategy, cheering and game management. Coaching is at practices.

7. I believe in the concept of randomization where each drill or game has players randomly chosen. It promotes equality

and an appreciation of all players with no favouritism.

ACHIEVEMENTS OR AWARDS

2004-WECDSB JF JOHNSON OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR AWARD

2008 Finalist TVO sessional lecturer award

2015 Educator of the year J/I Faculty of Education University of Windsor

2018 OVA AWARD for coaching longevity

AUTHOR OF 4 Books

1. Coaching with Values 2018

2. There’s a Madness to my Methods 2022

3. Dear Elementary Teachers; A Guide to Teaching Health and Physical Education 2023

4. Volleyball for the Fun of it 2025

 
SPECIALIZATIONS
Practice Planning and Development, DVP with Youth Volleyball, Gamification, Brain Development and Sports, Parent Communication, Systems of 4-2, 5-1 and 6-2.

 

OTHER INTERESTS

Pickleball, Slow Pitch, Fitness, Guitar Playing, Card Tricks, Umpiring Slow Pitch

Availability

1 on 1 consultations by phone or video ($50 per hour after initial contacts)

1 on 1 coaching seminars at practices ($150 for 2 hours plus mileage or accommodations)

Group or Club meetings and seminars (to be negotiated)

Stuart Hooper

Location

Halton, Peel, Hamilton

About

My name is Stuart (Hooper). I began coaching in the OVA with West Side (it has been awhile) in 1998. I have been actively involved with three clubs over the years currently as Coaching Director with Milton Edge. I have coached all age groups both boys and girls.

From 2003 to 2008 I was the Assistant Coach of the Sheridan Men’s Varsity team and am currently the Head Coach of the Sheridan Women’s Varsity team. I was a Varsity player for Sheridan winning three provincial titles, a National Silver and Bronze. 

As well as a NCCP performance coach I have completed level I of FIVB coaching certification and am currently working on Levels II and III. I was named Sheridan Coach Of The Year 2023-2024.

 I couldn’t tell you how many tournament medals I have as a coach, there was a boxful. My best finish was a National Bronze with West Side. For me my goal as a coach is the prepare the athletes to “get to the next level”. If they are U14 lets get them to U15. U18 lets get them to CCAA or U-Sport. I am proud that in 2024-2025 there are 10 athletes Men and Women playing in either OCAA or OUAA that I have coached at the club level. 

I want to provide a positive safe space for athletes to learn and grow. My teams have a mantra “ You can’t control the event, you can only control how you react to it” I believe that athletes need to try new things, need to make errors and need to know that it is okay. We don’t care that a error was made we do care that you react well to it, learn from it and apply that learning to the next opportunity. 

If you do these things as well as having a solid understanding of the fundamentals of our sport. “Hold your hands like this”, “move your feet like this” the “nuts and bolts” of skills and a knowledge of drills to teach this then the wins will come. I have a background in adult learning principles and training coupled with my volleyball experience gives me the confidence to say I am expert in this aspect of coaching. 

I can also help with the “soft skills” I had mentor of mine say to me when I first started coaching and picked my first team. “Great now you have 40 people to manage” he wasn’t wrong. I find the hardest aspect of OVA coaching is managing the expectations of players and parents. Over the years I have developed many strategies to help with this. I would be happy to share these with you and your club. Making the season as enjoyable  as possible for all  is tough but there are ways to at least set the stage and maintain an environment for a positive season. 

I coach as I have a love for our sport and growing up there were many adults that gave their time and energy to coaching me in all the sports I played. I like to repay that debt. I enjoy watching the athletes grow in confidence and succeed on the court. Then take that into the other aspects of their days. 

Sport has been a big part of my life and has been there for me to enjoy in good and bad times.

Preferred Areas of Mentorship

My ideal Mentee would be any coach who would like help. I would be as comfortable helping out a brand new coach who is volunteering (and thank you without you the OVA is not nearly as successful as it is) to coach their child's team with basics and fundamentals as I would sharing experiences and knowledge with a season coach who is looking for another set of eyes or would like to pick the brain of another senior coach. The material can be related to on court skills or working with you to solve issues with athletes and other stakeholders.

 I would tailor the subject matter to fit what you need.

I would also be very comfortable addressing a group of coaches from a club. I have created over the years several presentations addressing such as  tryouts, season phases, in season evaluations, managing expectations of athletes/stakeholders and general knowledge. These have been well received by coaches at the clubs I have been involved with.

I am willing to invite the Mentee to attend practices at Sheridan. I am already doing this with other coaches in the Halton region.

Availability

Coaches attending Sheridan practice there is no charge.

 1-on- 1 Mentorship $50.00/ hour plus fuel for outside Halton Region

For any size group $100.00/ hour plus fuel for outside Halton Region.

Brenda Willis

Location

Kingston

About

44 years of coaching experience.  31 as the head coach of the men’s varsity program at Queens University. Cncluding six OUA championships, nine national appearances, and  6x  OUA coach of the year13 years of club experience - from 16 to 18 you boys,  8 years with the men’s provincial team (including four as the assistant coach and four has the head coach, leading to gold in 1993).
Currently a coach developer and evaluator for performance Coach, advanced development and development coach candidates.
Currently a mentor with the Coaches association of of Canada‘s women’s high-performance coaching program.
Adjunct professor in the Queen school of kinesiology where I taught the art and science of coaching and volleyball activities for about 20 years. President of OVA from 1999 to 2009. Current President of Kingston Rock Volleyball Club.
I have also been the OVA coach of the year, volunteer of the year and am a member of the legends category in the OVA Hall of Fame.

Preferred Areas of Mentorship

Preferred to work with Coaches who aspire to complete performance, coach certification, and coach in a high performance environment.

Availability

For this program the cost will be the OVA as a subsidy 

1-on1 Mentorship- $50/hr

Group Mentorship- $25/hr (Max. 4 in a group)

 

Danny Gosselin

Location

North Bay

About

With 28 years of coaching experience, I have dedicated my life to fostering athlete and coach development through the lens of collaboration, learning, and empowerment. My journey spans serving as a two-time Canada Games coach and a ten-time Team Ontario coach. Over the past 15 years, I have immersed myself in continuous learning, and now, I am eager to share my knowledge and experiences with the next generation of athletes and coaches.

Coaching Philosophy:
I believe in building strong, authentic relationships as the foundation of coaching. Empowering athletes and coaches to take ownership of their learning is at the core of my approach. By fostering open dialogue, I create an environment where growth, understanding, and collaboration thrive. My values include:

Relationship Building: Establishing trust and connection with athletes, parents, and fellow coaches to create a supportive and unified community.

Empowerment Through Learning: Encouraging athletes and coaches to take an active role in their growth by providing guidance, sharing experiences, and facilitating open communication.

Giving Back: Honoring the support I’ve received by mentoring others, contributing to the community, and sharing insights gained from years of coaching and learning.

Key Achievements:

Two-time Canada Games coach and ten-time Team Ontario coach, contributing to elite-level athlete development.

Completion of the old Level 2 coaching certification, demonstrating a long-standing commitment to education and excellence.

Founder of Vision High Performance Center, a facility dedicated to empowering athletes and elevating their performance.

Developed countless young athletes into thriving student-athletes, many of whom have advanced to higher levels of competition and success.

Established a reputation for building cohesive teams and nurturing a positive, high-performing culture.

Strengths as a Mentor:

Collaborative Leadership: Bringing people together through shared goals and mutual respect.

Holistic Development: Emphasizing both technical growth and life skills such as leadership, discipline, and resilience.

Adaptability: Tailoring coaching strategies to meet the needs of individual athletes and teams.

Community Focus: Actively contributing to and building relationships within the broader sporting community.

Lifelong Learner: Continuously refining my craft and sharing my knowledge to inspire others.

Vision for Mentorship: My goal is to pass on the lessons I’ve learned from incredible mentors while continuing to build meaningful connections. By mentoring, I aim to inspire others to find fulfillment in coaching, develop their unique coaching philosophies, and contribute to the greater sporting community. I love watching young athletes grow into student-athletes and, more importantly, into confident, capable individuals. Above all, I am committed to giving back to the sport that has given me so much, nurturing the next wave of coaches and athletes to carry this volleyball  legacy forward.

Availability

1on1-$50 per session up to $200 for individual sessions

Group Mentorship-$25 a person per session up to $100 for group sessions

Michelle Lange

Location

London

About

Coaching is my passion because it allows me to make a meaningful impact on young athletes, helping them not only improve their volleyball skills but also build character and life skills. Seeing players grow, overcome challenges, and achieve their goals is what fuels my dedication to the sport. Volleyball has given me so much, and coaching is my way of giving back to the game and the community.

Ideal Mentee

My ideal mentee is a passionate coach or program leader who is committed to developing strong foundational skills and fostering a love for the game in young athletes, particularly at the 15U level and below. They are eager to learn and implement strategies to build a program focused on long-term athlete development, technical skill implementation, and creating a positive team culture.  

Availability

1on1 Mentorship- $75

Group Mentorship- $50

Brad Graham

Location

Barrie

About

I have coached all levels, HS, Club and college since 1982.  I am currently a Coach Developer in the OVA doing the Development Workshops and the Advanced Development Workshops.  I am also a Evaluator for those levels.  My previous experience as a teacher will allow me the opportunity to observe and provide feedback to a coach to assist them in providing a good experience in the development of heir athletes.

Availability

1on1 Mentorship- Email to Inquire

Group Mentorship- Email to Inquire

 

Sean Pellow

Location

London

About

FOUNDER of ClubNeutralVball

  • Private, small group and position specific training
  • Club presentations and Club Coach Development
  • Young Coach Development Program

NCCP - MASTER COACH DEVELOPER in Training
NCCP - COACH EVALUATOR
NCCP - COACH FACILITATOR
NCCP - PERFORMANCE COACH CERTIFIED
CANADIAN SPORT INSTITUTE - ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT CERTIFIED


TECHNICAL DIRECTOR - LONDON VC (2019-2024)

COACH

  • Stratford Stingers, FCVC, LVC, Western University, Mohawk College, Fanshawe College, Team Ontario, Madawaska Madness (One League) 
  • Mentor Coach for Team Ontario 
  • 2 years as an assistant Coach Western University - OUA Bronze (2009)
  • 2 years as a Head Coach Mohawk College 2009-2011 - OCAA Bronze (2010)
  • 5 years as Head Coach Fanshawe College 2014-2019, 2024/25 - OCAA Bronze (2016), OCAA Gold (2019), CCAA Bronze (2019), 2016 West Coach of the Year
  • Team Ontario - 2011 18U NTTC 5th, 2016 16U Canada Cup Silver Medal, 2017 17U 9th in 18U US High Performance Championships, 2018 - Guest Coach 16U HPC and Mentor Coach OSG,2019 17U Mentor Coach (boys and girls), 2020 Mentor Coach 15U Girls 
  • 10 years of High School Girls Vball at IDCI - 7 TVRA Championships, 4 WOSSAA Bronze, 1 WOSSAA Silver and 1 OFSAA Antique Bronze

Coaching Philosophy - Athletes before Outcomes; Play to Win, but NOT at all costs

Main Objective as a Coach - Develop youth into Productive Adults who love Volleyball and Activity

Main objective as a Coach Developer - Develop as many positive and productive coaches as possible to help positively impact our youth development

Preferred Areas of Mentorship

Any coach who wants to develop a high performance program while providing a caring and nurturing culture.

Availability

1on1 Mentorship- $150 per session

Group Mentorship- $300/hour per group (+mileage & accommodations when necessary)

Kevin McKee

Location

Sudbury

About

Coaching volleyball for 27 years. I am Advanced development trained and advanced development beach trained. I coach in the OCAA with the Boreal Vipers,  U13 boys with Northern CHill, and Team Ontario. I played in the OCAA with Nipissing University. I have many coaching awards including Northern Chill president award, queens golden jubilee, and numerous volunteer awards with Scouts Canada. 

As a coach culture is important to me. How we win is more important than winning itself. We are not just teaching volleyball to these kids, but also the right way to go about things. 

My coaching values include coachability, dedication, constant learning, honesty with athletes, positive reinforcement, and structured practice plans.

The reasons I coach volleyball are many. After I finished my time a player, I started coaching to stay on the court. As time passed I kept coaching because of the joy of the kids acquiring new skills. Since being introduced to OVA 5 years ago I have taken many coaching courses and started coaching with Team Ontario and have really bought into the development focus of the OVA.

Preferred Areas of Mentorship

Drills & Culture Development

Availability

1on1 Mentorship- $50

Group Mentorship- $50

Patti Meggitt

Location

Region 3

About

I have been coaching in the OVA for 20 years, strictly girls ages 12-19. I have also coached some high school, elementary volleyball and at camp Madawaska Volleyball Camp.    I am a Level 2 certified coach with many OVA medals to show for my success.  I have coached athletes from beginner to premiere   I consider myself a very technical coach ensuring athletes perform skills correctly early on to prevent injury and have a long career in volleyball.  I have mentored numerous coaches over the years who are now coaching their own teams.  I have coached many athletes that have gone on to play post secondary in the US and Canada and when I see them again many will tell me you were one of the best coaches I ever had.  I have a passion for volleyball and it's important to me to instill that passion in my players and fellow coaches.  When coaching I not only coach technical and tactical skills but I also teach mental training, nutrition and other aspects it takes to become and elite athlete.   I am not a coach that believes  in 'winning at all cost'.  I believe if you train athletes in a positive environment ensuring they know what it takes to be an elite athlete and develop a strong team comradery, the wins will come.  I believe coaching isn't just about learning about volleyball it is about teaching life skills that will be used by all the athletes in their future.  I am a true believer that you never stop learning and I spend a lot of time looking few new ways to make myself a better coach as well as new ways to keep my athletes engaged.   I was a registered nurse for over 30 years and I was a preceptor to many nursing students and new nurses; and  I learned through this, that everyone learns in different ways at a different paces as do young athletes.  I started coaching once sport or another as a high school student then after my children got old enough I started coaching them volleyball and softball.   I can empathize with parents of rep athletes as well as coaches that have their own children on their team.  Still being able to coach as my children have grown I have the pleasure of my daughter being my assistant coach for many years as well as many of my previous athletes have come back and become my assistant coaches as well.  There are some terrible coaches out there who don't put the athlete first so if I can instill my passion and experience into new coaches any future athletes will benefit.

Preferred Areas of Mentorship

I prefer to communicate via email and in person sessions during practices for a true hands on experience.  I would like to do a pre-practice email of what to expect as well as receive emails from the mentee of what they are looking to learn.  I practice out of the Hamilton, Ontario.

Availability

There is enough cost involved in getting a coaching certificate so I am offering sessions for FREE!

 

 

Jennifer Kelly

Location

Niagara

About

I have completed the National Coaching Association Mentorship Program as well as the Ontario Coaching Association Mentorship Program.  I am an advocate for women in coaching and athletes transitioning from being an athlete to becoming a coach.  I assisted  in building the mentorship program with our local club and would love to extend what is working with our club to other coaches across Ontario.  I look forward to working with anyone sharing the same passion to learn and be a better coach.

Preferred Areas of Mentorship

I have mentored several coaches from all areas of their development and also been mentored from them as well.  I believe an ideal candidate will be a coach who shares the same love of the sport,  development, wants to learn, is willing to put in the work and wants to do that with an open mind.

Availability

1on1 Mentorship- $50 per session or up to $200 for 4 sessions

Group Mentorship- $25.00 for each session up to $100 for 4 sessions

Kristine Drakich

Location

Toronto

About

I have over 35 years coaching experience in the sport of volleyball at all levels from youth to international competition. In addition to coaching, I have been a volunteer leader in the sport of volleyball at every level from regional, provincial, national to international levels. I am one of the few sport leaders in Canada who has played, coached and volunteered at every level from local to international and in both beach and indoor volleyball.

My Coaching Journey
My primary coaching experience lies in the university system, where I have guided teams and athletes to tremendous success both on and off the court. My experiences extend beyond university to Team Ontario indoor and beach volleyball, and Team Canada youth indoor and beach programs.

Some of my career achievements include:
•    Leading University of Toronto to a National Championship and 11 Ontario University Championships.
•    Earning inductions into the Ontario Volleyball Association (OVA) and Volleyball Canada (VC) Halls of Fame. As well as induction in the city of Toronto Hall of Honour as Coach of the Year.
•    Being named Ontario Volleyball, National High-Performance Coach of the Year and Canadian University Coach of the Year as well as Ontario University Coach of the Year 11 times
•    Contributing to the development of 3 Olympic beach athletes and many athletes who excelled at the international level with Team Canada.
•    Being awarded the Canadian Women and Sport Breakthrough Award and the Marion Lay “Herstorical” Breakthrough Award for leadership and advancing women’s sport.
•    Developing coaches as an NCCP Learning Facilitator, Coach Evaluator and Master Coach Developer in both volleyball and beach volleyball. Also serving as a USPORTS mentor for the USPORTS Apprenticeship Coaching Program.

What’s important in coaching for me & principles that I hold true to:
As a coach, what is important to me is fostering an environment of continuous learning that inspires individual & collective growth, courage and community building. Self-awareness is key and taking ownership of the things we have control over and making relationship building a priority creates the foundation for a community that will work together toward a common goal and be kind to everyone along the way.
•    Integrity: Demonstrating honesty and consistency in all interactions – doing what one says they will do.
•    Excellence: doing everything within one’s control to optimize performance.
•    Empathy: Building strong, meaningful connections to support and guide team members to have clarity of strengths, embrace challenges and build relationships.
•    Empowerment: Encouraging team to take ownership of their development, make decisions, and contribute positively to their teams and the communities around them

My main objectives as a coach are to:
•    Help people learn and go from A to B and support the development of well-rounded people who not just grow individually but also as a collective together. 
•    Equip players with transferable skills —such as self-awareness, learning to be present, effective communication, persistence & perseverance, relationship building, etc. —that will transfer in all areas of life.
•    Contribute to the advancement of healthy high performance sport in Canada by developing future generations of sport leaders.
•    Create a positive, inclusive space where athletes feel supported, valued, and inspired to pursue their dreams.

Why I coach:
Driven by a deep passion for volleyball and knowing that sport can, with tremendous intention and hard work, bring so much joy and strength and also develop better leaders and more inclusive communities.

Preferred Areas of Mentorship

Any coach who is curious & open to learning and likely better suited to those who coach girls/young women

Availability

For this program the cost will be whatever the coach is provided from the OVA as a subsidy.

$200 for 4+ one on one sessions and $100 for 4+ group sessions

Colin Walker

Location

Peterborough (Fall) & Ottawa (Summer)

About

My broad experience over 35+ years extends to coaching men, women, youth athletes at all levels, grassroots, high school, provincial, youth national, and high-performance elite. My years of coaching have allowed me to be a coach at the elementary level all the way to high school with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, coaching at multiple schools. As well I have had three stints with the Men's Ontario Provincial Program and two with the Men's Youth National programs.

This is my third year with the men's team and my first with the women.

I have been fortunate enough to work with many great athletes both on the women and men's side. I am very proud to say that many have gone on to play at the university level, National Level, and Professionally. Working with such great athletes has allowed me to experience success in multiple areas, including OFSSA Gold and bronze medals, City Championships and NTCC National Gold.

I started playing volleyball in grade 5 and continued through high school and university at uOttawa. Post university I played in the men's league in Ottawa until my body said no more!

As a coach, I'm all about putting the players at the center of the program, making sure it's not just about winning but also about personal growth. I want the team to be a place where everyone feels included and supported, in a safe environment. My love for learning about how you develops success in general, and how to develop elite volleyball players, fuels this passion. It's about helping athletes grow on and off the court. I'm into building a variety of skills, nurturing long-term growth, and making sure education is a big part of the game. I want players to learn self-respect, gain confidence, skills/tools of success and apply them to volleyball, school, and their everyday life. Volleyball, for me, is more than a game; it's a way to teach, develop and practice life skills like decision-making, mindfulness, teamwork, and staying organized. My goal is not just winning matches but preparing athletes for success way beyond their volleyball days.

Preferred Areas of Mentorship

Any coach that is loking to continue to grow as a coach and leader.

Availability

1-on-1 Mentorship: $75 per hour +HST

Group Mentorship: $55 per hour + HST (Group of 3-4)

Josh Nichol

Location

Mississauga

About

Current Volleyball Canada Men's Next Gen Coach, Beach
FIVB World Tour, Pan Am Games, FISU Games, Olympic Qualifiers etc

Over 20 years of coaching: Club, High School, Team Ontario (Beach and Indoor), OCAA, OUA, Canada Games, House league, 9man, OVA Learning Facilitator 

What is important to me is that the athlete feels like they belong, that they are getting better, and that they have some control/autonomy over their development. 

The reasons I coach is I love to compete and helping others improve.

Preferred Areas of Mentorship

I've been extremely lucky to learn from a lot in a variety of settings. (informal, formal, podcasts etc). I would love to pass that on and continue my own learning. I'm open to any area of interest from other coaches. 

Here are a few areas that I continue to go down the rabbit hole often on:
- Motor Learning
- Evidence Based Training
- Periodization (Seasonal Planning / Yearly Training Plans)
- Individual Performance Plans
- Using video for teaching and learning 
- Practice Design
- Technical & Tactical variations

Availability

1on1 Mentorship: OVA Subsidy for all online meetings. In person, TBD

Group Mentorship: OVA Subsidy for all online meetings. In person, TBD

Elaine Pilgrim-Susi

Location

Hamilton

About

I bring nearly 30 years of coaching experience across multiple sports, with a strong focus on athlete development. For the past nine years, I have coached U13-U18 girls in the Ontario Volleyball Association (OVA) and served as the Head Coach of the Niagara College Women’s Team in 2023. Additionally, I have been a TORP coach, and an Assistant Coach for Team Ontario Black and Team Ontario Red for the past five years. 

I have 20 years of mentoring experiences, with a strong passion for guiding and supporting individuals in their professional growth. My approach focuses on identifying each coach’s strengths while strategically developing areas for improvement. I bring extensive experience in cultivating positive team cultures, emphasizing the importance of mental preparation in sports, and empowering female athletes both on and off the court.  I am dedicated to helping athletes understand the "why" behind our training methods while equipping them with the mental skills necessary for success.

With a Master’s in Education and a background as a retired educator and principal, I strongly believe in incorporating reflective practices, inquiry-based learning, and technology into coaching. I am also certified  in Cognitive Coaching and Restorative Justice. 

Throughout my life, my experiences as both a player and coach have been invaluable. I am deeply passionate about giving back and supporting others on their journey to becoming exceptional coaches.

Preferred Areas of Mentorship

Buiding a positive team culture
Mental performance
Performance analysis using technology in the gym
Planning an effective practice
How to use inquiry based and reflective practices while coaching
Parent presentations - what to say, when to say it, and how to set clear expectations for a successful season

Availability

1on1 Mentorship: $50/hr

Group Mentorship: $175/hr (Max 4 People)

Matthew Schnarr

Location

Hamilton

About

Coaching College 18 years, Team Ontario 10 years. Team Canada Youth 1 year, Club 15+ Years, OVA Coach of the Year, College Hall of Fame, Former College Athlere , Multiple College Championships
Values: Passion, Accountability,  Competitive, Unity, Empowerment

Preferred Areas of Mentorship

Anyone who'd like to connect or aspiring College/University Coaches

Availability

1on1 Mentorship: $50

Group Mentorship: $100

Keith Wasylik

Location

GTA

About

I have been coaching at different levels, from elementary school programs to all ages of club programs to OVA high performance programs, for the past 30+ years.
I am a certified Performance  level coach. Much of my early work with Volleyball Canada involved a collaboration to rewrite the VC coaching manuals. Since then I have been involved with the delivery of many NCCP volleyball coach certification workshops. And currently I serve as one of the coach evaluators in Canada.

My favourite quote: “I may have an answer, but likely I may never have THE answer.”

Favourite coaching highlights include working with Madawaska Volleyball Camp to develop and implement their original technical  program. Plus I have had the opportunity to present sessions at various camps in Ontario and the US. One of my first projects was creating a youth mini-volleyball program. Since then I have developed presentations to address major weaknesses of Canadian  volleyball athletes: reading a volleyball trajectory and other cues. And a few years ago I was inducted into the OVA hall of fame as a “Furlani Legend” coach.

An important quality for me is that coaches and athletes have a commitment to learning and to achieving excellence! (And understand all that is involved in the process.)  It is always a very interesting exercise to challenge, defend and discuss coaching practices.

My main principles of coaching are: 1. Plan and be prepared.  2. Practice with a purpose.  3. Play with passion.  4. Enjoy what you do!
I keep striving to create good learning opportunities for my myself and my athletes. 
My main objectives in coaching are:  develop my athletes to be courageous, focused,  self-correcting, tenacious, resilient and good teammates!

Why am I still coaching?  I love the challenges of sharing what knowledge I have about our sport and what it takes  to be a competitor.  I still have an interest in learning new “stuff”. 
I enjoy working with athletes/coaches/parents who have a desire to commit to a process to become more efficient .

Preferred Areas of Mentorship

I prefer to work with coaches who are willing to explore, share and experiment with different coaching concepts.

Availability

1on1 Mentorship: Online $60/hr Live: $60/hr plus travel

Group Mentorship: Online $100/hr Live $100/hr plus travel

Carra Myers

Location

Cambridge, Ontario

About

I have been coaching with the KW Predators for the last 8 years. I have taken a team from 11U to 17U (current). I started coaching because I felt a responsibility to transfer the love of the game to the next generation. I grew up playing and was influenced by many great coaches along the way and the sport of volleyball shaped me into who I am today. Through coaching I can have a positive impact on the next generation of those that will believe in “Volleyball For Life” as I do. I am fiercely competitive and strive to transfer the love of competition to all of my athletes, while remaining steadfast in my grounding principles of long term development of all of my athletes. I can’t imagine a life without coaching.

Preferred Areas of Mentorship

I would love to mentor young, female coaches because I think it is immensely important for us to find a way to keep young females in coaching positions and therefore have more females in leadership roles down the line. I think if we can have an early influence in the lives of female coaches then they will more likely stay in coaching / the sport in some form once they have families of their own in lieu of stepping back as has been done in the past.

Availability

1on1 Mentorship: Free

Group Mentorship: Free

Steve Delaney

Location
Burlington
About

Steve Delaney  a professional certified Performance coach has been the head coach of the Brock University women's volleyball team since 2018. Under his leadership, the Badgers have achieved significant milestones, including winning their first Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship in program history during the 2021-22 season. This success was followed by consecutive OUA titles in the subsequent seasons, underscoring the team's sustained excellence. 

Delaney's coaching prowess has been recognized with multiple accolades. He has been named OUA Coach of the Year three times (2019-20, 2021-22, 2022-23) and received the U SPORTS Coach of the Year award in 2021-22.

Before his tenure at Brock, Delaney had a distinguished playing career. He competed at the university level with the University of Winnipeg before turning professional, playing in France and Finland. Additionally, he was a member of the Team Canada Beach Volleyball team. 

Transitioning into coaching, Delaney led the Halton Hurricanes under-17 team to a national title in 2016 and back-to-back provincial titles in 2017 and 2018. His success with the Hurricanes highlighted his ability to develop young talent and build championship-caliber teams.

Since joining Brock, Delaney has emphasized creating a strong team culture and fostering a sense of unity among his players. This approach has been instrumental in the Badger's rise to prominence within the OUA and on the national stage.

Delaney's commitment to excellence, both as a player and a coach, has significantly impacted the Brock women's volleyball program, establishing it as a formidable presence in Canadian university sports.

Delaney's main objective as a coach is to create winners on and off the court. He likes to teach athletes that is ok to make mistakes and to learn from them. As a coach, it important to him that everyone works with -in a We before Me environment with a growth mindset.

Preferred Areas of Mentorship

I would like to work with coaches who want to increase the level of compete in practice while training under pressure using modified gameplay. I also would like to work with coaches who want to work with-in a growth mindset and create a winning We before Me culture. I also would like to work with coaches who are looking to improve serve-receive, attacking,, and team offense. I will share drills, team concepts,  team leadership and principles and more.

Availability

1on1 Mentorship: $125 Online 1 Hour session. 4 hrs for $400

Group Mentorship: $40/ 1 hr session per person min 4 people/ In person in practice on Court $400 GTA only