After Kranjska Gora hosted the European Coaching Convention in 2019 and 2021, the long-awaited FIVB coaching seminar is also making its way to Slovenia, which represents another step towards development of beach volleyball in the country. Renowned volleyball expert Vangelis Koutouleas will be lecturing to coaches throughout the week in Novo mesto.
Among the most deserving that the event will be hosted in Slovenia is the former national team member and one of the most successful Slovenian volleyball players, Jana Vernig, who has been taking care of volleyball development in Novo mesto: “We have been hosting bigger events since we got new courts a few years ago. We are looking for different ways to develop beach volleyball as much as possible in the local environment and one of the steps is to educate coaches, who in return do quality work. Since there is no beach volleyball coaching education in Slovenia yet, we decided to organize a FIVB seminar and to host an instructor with immense experience.”
The efforts of the club from Novo Mesto are even more important and appreciated as there are not many such seminars held in Europe. “The biggest credit for the fact that we will host such an important event in Slovenia goes especially to the Women’s Volleyball Club of TPV Volley Novo mesto, and at the Volleyball Federation of Slovenia, we of course immediately supported their idea and project. I believe that the international seminar of the highest level, which will be the first of a kind in beach volleyball in Slovenia, will greatly contribute to the further development of this discipline in our country.” said the Secretary General of the Volleyball Federation of Slovenia Gregor Humerca.
The seminar will also be very important for the local environment, especially for the development of an international network, which, according to Vernig, is crucial for the popularisation of beach volleyball: “Coaches from all over the world will be here and we are looking forward to new acquaintances, through which we look forward to long-term cooperations in different projects such as competitions, training camps and other exchanges. In our club we are welcoming all these possibilities, and we are also very happy to have the support of our municipality. We hope that as many Slovenian coaches as possible will take part in the seminar, who will then transfer their knowledge to their local environments and contribute to the growth of the Slovenian beach volleyball community. It is a really beautiful sport, young people love it, they enjoy playing it and it has great potential.”
