Ontario Volleyball Association
111-60 Scarsdale Rd M3B 2R7 Toronto, ON, Canada

Happy National Girls and Women in Sports Day! Celebrating the girls and women in volleyball that make the game greater both on and off the court. The OVA is proud to have so many outstanding female players, coaches, referees and administrators that continue to inspire us and help us all move the game forward every day!

When someone mentions body image, what does that mean to you? What comes to mind? We are just a couple days away from our Athlete Wellness Week Body Image Panel! THIS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5 at 7:00 p.m.... The OVA is joined by Ontario Volleyball alumni/ Volleyball Canada high performance athletes to discuss stigmas, expectations and experiences surrounding body image The panel: Alexandra Poletto Ben Kerkhoff Amanda Harnett Liam Kopp Athletes and parents are encouraged to join this interactive call that shares the panels' experiences while also discussing topics of social media and seeking validation, among others. This event is a unisex topic and applies to both boys and girls! Register at the link https://bit.ly/36DW0OS See more

Way to go, Tyler! Great news on the new position down in sunny California! Whenever you come back to Canada, please make sure you bring that sunshine and warm weather with you!

You take a triple-A hockey player that’s 11 years old. These are kids that play hockey five times a week. It’s who they are. They wear their jackets. It defines their personality".

THIS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5 The OVA is holding a Zoom call leady by Ontario Volleyball alumni/high performance athletes to discuss body image as part of Athlete Wellness Week The panel:... Alexandra Poletto Ben Kerkhoff Amanda Harnett Liam Kopp We encourage athletes and parents to join in this interactive call that shares the panels' experiences while also discussing topics of social media and seeking validation, among others. Register https://www.ontariovolleyball.org/news_article/show/1143609

A merry Christmas, one and all! Have a wonderful and magical day with your loved ones.

Over the past few months we have noticed many clubs crank up the holiday cheer through various outreach initiatives such as donating to food banks and collecting for toy drives to support their local communities. Words cannot describe how amazing you all are for either starting these projects or participating in them! Your actions and goodwill has made someone’s - whether that be a family or just an individual’s - Christmas a little brighter than it was before. Have a wonderful and safe Christmas tomorrow!

From the OVA to you and your family, we want to wish the Ontario volleyball community a safe and happy holidays! May your days be merry and bright ...

We have an exciting referee webinar tonight with Mount Royal University professor and international referee, Dr. Scott McLean! Topic: Psychology of Refereeing: Managing the Anxieties of Return to Play Register for this session here: bit.ly/3371MXl

The most recent OVA Town Hall - and last session of 2020 - has been uploaded to our YouTube channel. Topic: 2021 Referee Update The slide deck from the Town Hall can be found at ontariovolleyball.org/town-hall... Thank you to everyone who has attended these meetings. In 2020, we held a total of 16 Town Halls covering a range of topics as it relates to our sport and we hope to keep the membership informed with more sessions in the New Year. https://youtu.be/fBBb1WbbTJ4

We’ve got more Friendlies coming up this weekend...and the weekend after that and the weekend after that. More info on how to register and locations at ontariovolleyball.org/indoor-friendlies These events apply only to those communities who are in the Prevent, Protect and Restrict regions.

An FAQ surrounding the recent Town Hall has been posted to the OVA website. Among the questions included concern communities who are in the Restrict/Orange and Control/Red zones. ontariovolleyball.org/town-hall-faq The next Town Hall is scheduled for Monday, November 30 at 7:00 p.m. which will address plans for indoor competitions in the New Year. A link to sign up for this session has been provided below:... bit.ly/35Pr6TS

We honour the men and women who gave their service and sacrifice for family and country. Thank you for your bravery. Past. Present. And forever. Lest we forget.

There are two webinars taking place tonight at 8:00 p.m. Follow the attached links to register for a session. Coach Development Webinar Jen Neilson: Training Vision & Creativity: Coaching athletes to see the game before they play the game https://bit.ly/31NcIcc... Referee Webinar Kerry MacDonald: A Safe Return to Volleyball - Volleyball Canada and Ontario Volleyball Guidelines https://bit.ly/3mF2OBB

By order of the Government of Ontario, all regions of the province will enter lockdown on Saturday, December 26 at 12:01 a.m. No volleyball activity should be taking place during this time. Please stay safe and follow the regulations. https://www.ontariovolleyball.org/news_article/show/1138054

The OVA Coach Academy is now live! All registered coaches should have received an invite to access the platform. You can access the Academy by registering as a Coach or Technical Director. Tonight, at 8:00 p.m., a Town Hall will take place to walk through the OVA Coach Academy and explain its functions in greater detail. Coaches - be sure not to miss this session! Register for the Town Hall here: https://bit.ly/2TtaYQI... https://www.ontariovolleyball.org/news_article/show/1129812

Nominations for the next class of the OVA Hall of Fame are due by Sunday, December 13! Know an individual or team that has made a significant impact on the volleyball landscape in our province? Nominate them today by completing a nomination form at: ontariovolleyball.org/hall-of-fame

We had such a great time at the first Indoor Friendlies event this past Saturday at Niagara Sport & Social Club! It was amazing to see the teams back on the court and having fun getting back into the swing of volleyball with their coaches, referee and teammates. Thanks to the teams who travelled to play and followed the Return to Play protocols and a big thank you to the staff at the Niagara Sport & Social Club for your outstanding work in helping run this event! More Indoor... Friendlies will come this month. If you want to register your teams at one of the select locations, register today! Deadlines for weekend four of the Friendlies closes at the end of day Monday, November 16! Information on the Indoor Friendlies can be found at ontariovolleyball.org/indoor-friendlies

New resources have been added to the OVA Coach Academy! Wearing a Mask on Court Leadership How to Train in Stage 2 (Defence, Attacking, Serving)... Team Ontario Principles Social Media...And More! These resources can be accessed only through the Academy. Remember, access to the Academy is free - just activate your account which was sent to all coaches through email invite! If you’re having trouble getting into or would like access to the Coach Academy, please email OVA Operations Coordinator, Oklend Llakaj ([email protected]) Resources will uploaded to the Coach Academy regularly. To stay up-to-date with your coach development with the latest documents and resources, register for the free Coach Academy by visiting: www.ontariovolleyball.org/coach-academy

The OVA is grateful to announce that we were selected to receive a Jumpstart Sport Relief Fund grant. Thank you, Canadian Tire Jumpstart! Your support is helping us to support the education and awareness of inclusion and diversity issues in our sport all across Ontario. OVA members - stay tuned to find out how you can access inclusion, equity and diversity resources for your club or program! #sportforall #inclusivesport #strongertogether

Tomorrow, the OVA launches the Coach Academy and the Referee Engagement Centre thanks in part to the Canadian Red Cross! We are proud to be able to bring these platforms and resources to the membership as we continue to find ways to keep the community engaged and prepared during the pandemic and for beyond. For more information on each initiative, please visit the links provided:... Coach Academy ontariovolleyball.org/coach-academy Referee Engagement Centre ontariovolleyball.org/ova-referee-engagement-centre

Next week have two Town Hall meetings that will go over two major OVA updates: Monday, October 26 | 8:00 p.m. Topic: Coach Academy... Tuesday, October 27 | 7:00 p.m. Topic: Indoor Friendlies These two sessions will provide clarification for the membership on their respective subjects and hopefully answer any questions that you may have. To register for these session, please visit the following URL ontariovolleyball.org/town-hall

Monday’s Town Hall has been uploaded to our YouTube channel for those who weren’t able to attend last night’s session. This meeting reviewed the latest developments of the Government of Ontario’s COVID-19 response framework and its impact on volleyball and Return to Play in the various tiers. The next Town Hall is scheduled for Monday, November 30 at 7:00 p.m. which will provide and update on Indoor Youth Competitions planning for 2021. To register for this meeting, please fo...llow the link below: bit.ly/2UEGtru Presentation slides from the recent Town Hall and past meetings can be accessed at ontariovolleyball.org/town-hall youtu.be/2mhOhM9eM3Y

We’ve got some uplifting news that we would like to announce! There will be indoor volleyball prior to the New Year with the introduction of the OVA Indoor Friendlies! Like the Beach Friendlies that was offered over the summer, the Indoor Friendlies is a fun, exhibition style of indoor volleyball that follows the OVA’s Return to Play Protocols for Stage 3 of Ontario’s Re-Opening plan. We want to clarify that the Indoor Friendlies is simply an option for indoor teams who have ...been training this fall to participate in a form of safe indoor gameplay with teams from other clubs. Please read the attached article for further details about the OVA Indoor Friendlies. www.ontariovolleyball.org/news_article/show/1129211

At 7:00 p.m. tonight, Regions 1 & 2 AGMs will take place online. Members from these regions are invited to attend and vote for the positions up for election this year. To register for tonight’s Regional AGM, please find the link to your region and information about the positions below: bit.ly/3p3bGma... Region 3, 5 and 6 AGMs will take place tomorrow evening.

Thanks to the support of the Canadian Red Cross, the OVA will be leading a series of webinars designed for the province’s referees to prepare for a return to our sport that tackle different topics from protocols to psychology! There are three upcoming webinars which are scheduled to start next week: October 27 Kerry MacDonald... A Safe Return to Volleyball: VC and OVA Guidelines and Protocols November 12 Brian O’Reilly Conflict Management in a Return to Sport Environment November 23 Dr. Scott McLean Psychology of Refereeing: Managing the Anxieties of Return to Play All begin at 8:00 p.m. To register for these webinars, visit ontariovolleyball.org/referees-upcoming-clinics Stay tuned this coming Monday, October 26 for the launch of the Referee Engagement Centre! Information on refereeing in the OVA and Return to Play will be housed on this platform which is free to access for all Ontario referees.

Tonight at 8:00 p.m. we have the final Coach Development Webinar of the week with St. Clair College Saints Athletics Women's Volleyball Head Coach Jimmy El-Turk! Join this session here https://bit.ly/35k6txA... We'll be back next week with another three webinars to attend! www.ontariovolleyball.org/coach-development-webinars

Monday's OVA Town Hall is now up on our YouTube channel. Thanks to those who attended and to Ron Wuotila for providing the membership an update on the 2021-25 Strategic Plan! https://youtu.be/6_4mhQRF7Bw... Next Monday, we will host another Town Hall that will focus on the upcoming OVA Coach Academy. For all you coaches out there, this one is a can't miss as there will be an in-depth look at the platform and its resources. To register for the October 26 Town Hall, click on the link below. https://bit.ly/2FTNykw And speaking of the Coach Academy, coaches and technical directors registered in MRS by Friday, October 23 will be given access to the Academy on the launch day of October 26. An email will be sent to the email address used to register as a member in MRS. Coaches and TD's who register after October 23 will be given access within two days of registering in the MRS. More information on the Academy: www.ontariovolleyball.org/coach-academy

Whether you are a new coach leading a grassroots program or a newly formed 11U squad, or if you’re a young Assistant Coach of a successful 17U team, having a mentor to reach out to help you along the way can be beneficial for your development. The OVA Coach Mentorship Program is meant to support, encourage and develop coaches new and old through a comfortable and progressive environment that prompts idea/experience sharing and discussing challenges to find solutions. Delivere...d through monthly online meetings, the Program allows mentors and mentees to cover a wide range of topics at their discretion to ultimately improve their knowledge of the game and to create an improved coaching culture. The OVA has a list of experienced mentors from across the province that can help you along your coaching pathway. To register for the Mentorship Program, you can select a mentor from the list provided in the link below. ontariovolleyball.org/mentorship-program

Windsor Lancers Women's Head Coach, Lucas Hodgson leads tonight's seminar all about offense! To attend tonight's webinar, please click on the following link: https://bit.ly/3ja5Lru

Don't forget our Town Hall tonight at 7:00 p.m. which will provide a discussion on the OVA's 2021-25 Strategic Plan updates and actions moving forward. You can register at the link provided below: https://bit.ly/3o7vqEY

We enter another week of Coach Development Webinars beginning with a session tonight at 8:00 p.m. Assistant Coach of the Queen's Gaels Women's Volleyball program, Natasha Spaling will speak on mental health and offer tips for coaches and athletes! To register for this free webinar, please follow the link below.... https://bit.ly/2T6sUkb See more

Tonight's Coach Development Webinar is presented by York Lions Men's Volleyball Head Coach, Nathan Groenveld! Join Nathan as he leads the conversation around player development and how to build the framework that will ensure progression throughout a season. You can register for this webinar at the following link: https://bit.ly/3j2eADu... Coaches who attend these development webinars will earn 1 PD point. Stay tuned as we have plenty more over the course of October!