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String of Coach Development Webinars lined up for the Fall

By Ontario Volleyball, 09/22/21, 10:45AM EDT

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The OVA is invested in coach development and keeping coaches engaged and supported. Please see the line up of coaches and the topics they will be presenting. Following each presentation, there will be a Question and Answer session. 

To access the links for a webinar, click on the date to expand. You'll find information on the webinar topic and presenter.

All webinars are scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. Each webinar attended will earn you 1 PD point (a maximum of 3 points per coach). Attendees can click on the links shortly before the scheduled presentation time.
 

Pre and Post Tournament and Match Discussions: Team and Individual Athletes, and Managing Expectations  

Monday, September 27 | 8:00 p.m.

Ashley Nixon

About Ashley: Bio: Ashley currently coaches with the KW Predators and Team Ontario Beach Programs. She has coached with the University of Guelph and Conestoga College programs in the past. Ashley played varsity for the University of Windsor, and currently lives out in Mitchell, Ontario with her husband Cody and our two dogs, Bowser and Douglas.  

How to Create Championship Culture and the Ultimate Experience for Your Athletes

Tuesday, September 28 | 8:00 p.m.

Brian Singh

About Brian: Brian has been a competitive coach for just over 13 years and the been the Head Coach of the Men's Volleyball team at Seneca College for the past 5 years. He's coached athletes from all levels including elementary to university and pro. Brian is also the host of the Volleyball By Design Podcast, a show for volleyball coaches which shares simple, actionable, step by step strategies so coaches can get clarity in their approach and apply what is learned right away. Brian is also the founder of Digital Volleyball Academy, a mentorship membership site for volleyball coaches around the world.

Volleyball is my passion and a big part of his life with mission is to help volleyball coaches, so they can grow this game and positively impact the lives of athletes around the globe.  

Planning from Yearly Down to Practice and Drill Design 

Wednesday, September 29 | 8:00 p.m. 

Nathan Groenveld

About Nathan: Nathan Groenveld is currently the Head Coach of the York University Men’s volleyball team. Nathan has participated in many National and Provincial teams including his most recent role as Team Ontario Red Boys Head Coach in 2019.

Since 2014, his National-level commitments have included serving as the lead coach of the youth national team east selection camp and assistant coach of the national B team. His volleyball resume includes stints as a member of Volleyball Canada’s national high performance selection committee and as Technical Director for the Niagara Region Volleyball Canada Centre of Excellence.

Tactical Game Planning & Match Preparation

Monday, October 4 | 8:00 p.m.

Natasha Spaling 

About Natasha: Spaling started her career as a member of the Waterloo Warriors Women's Volleyball team where she served as team captain for two seasons, team MVP and an earned an OUA All-Star honour. After graduating with a degree in kinesiology from Waterloo, she went on to complete her Master's in Coaching from the University of Alberta, where she was an Assistant Coach with the University of Alberta Pandas volleyball team, earning two U SPORTS silver medals and a Canada West Conference Championship.

Upon her return to Ontario, Spaling went on to be named Head Coach of Niagara College Knights Women's Volleyball program, leading the team to an OCAA silver medal and a berth to the CCAA National Championships.  After her time in Niagara, Spaling went on to take a position as an Assistant Coach at Queen's University for two years, during that time she also was involved in coaching with the Kingston Rock Volleyball Club.

Natasha has been involved as a head, assistant and mentor coach with Team Ontario for multiple years and will be serving as an Assistant Coach with the 2022 Canada Games team. Natasha is currently an Assistant Coach with the Guelph Gryphons Women's Volleyball team where she also works as the Intercollegiate Coordinator for the Gryphons department of athletics.  

Planning Tips for Becoming a More Organized Coach

Tuesday, October 5 | 8:00 p.m.

Daphne Choi

Daphne has been actively involved in the promotion and development of volleyball in Ontario for just over a decade. Beginning as an assistant coach with the Etobicoke Titans Volleyball Club, she quickly fell in love with the sport; over the years Daphne has coached for various clubs within the OVA, and contributed to the OVA High Performance Programs, including leading the 2016 Region 5 Team to a gold medal at the Ontario Summer Games. In 2013, she co-founded the Toronto United Volleyball Club, a prominent program within the North American Chinese Invitational Tournament Circuit - a safe space for athletes of Asian descent to learn and develop in the game.  The club currently fields 5 teams from approximately 80 athletes, and promotes the elevation of Asian athletes in sport.

She is also the Administrative Vice President of the Christian Volleyball Association, a community-based league which invites athletes of all levels to compete in a welcoming environment that builds friendships off the court. In recent years, Daphne has found herself at the helm of the George Brown Huskies Womens Varsity Program, and has made it her aim to teach athletes to set increasingly improving sport and academic goals and achieve them - under her direction, the Huskies have made history as the most successful women's volleyball program since its inception.

Finally, Daphne has involved herself in the governing of our sport, as a former elected member of the OVA Region 5 Board, and currently as a Director at Large of the OVA Board of Directors.

Developing Reading Abilities and Intentional Training 

Wednesday, October 6 | 8:00 p.m. 

Ryan Ratushniak

About Ryan: Ryan is the Head Coach of the Queen's University Women's Volleyball team, currently in his fourth year. In his first two seasons as head coach he's led the Gaels to identical 13-6 record season and consecutive OUA playoff berth.

Ratushniak is a former Assistant Coach with both the women's and men's national teams, and was an Assistant Coach for the men's team at the University of Manitoba. Prior to that, he served as the manager of Athletics and Recreation Services at Red River College in Winnipeg.

Ratushniak, who was a coach at Volleyball Canada's Centre of Excellence, is a University of Manitoba alumnus and played volleyball for the Bisons for five years. As the Assistant Coach for the women's national team, he coached in more than 50 international matches in different parts of the world.

Establishing an Effective Daily Training Environment 

Wednesday, October 20 | 8:00 p.m. 

Dan Lewis

About Dan: Dan Lewis, the former longtime National Team athlete and pro of the European circuit, is the Assistant Coach of the Men's Senior National team and National Excellence Program Head Coach. After an incredible run with the men’s national team, which was highlighted by bronze medals at the 2001 and 2011 NORCECA Championship and 2015 Pan American Games, he shifted to a coaching role in 2016 after the men had qualified for the Rio Olympic Games.