A New Year for Volleyball Prospects
A New Year means a new direction for Volleyball Prospects Canada. With this change comes an exciting new look and feel on the programs website, the backbone of the organization. The completely redesigned interface will improve navigation, while the backend database will facilitate more efficient athlete research and surfing for the coaches. The biggest change is the additional database for USA and International athletes. Managing Director Barry Mclean said the changes are driven by demand on both ends of the spectrum: athletes and coaches. “There is a greater focus on broadening the base of athletes for post-secondary programs”, said McLean. “By adding the USA and International database, coaches will be able to access top recruits from not only Canada, but also other hot spots such as Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and so on”. The increase in athletes in the database will also mean more coaches will access the website on a regular basis and the spin-off effect is that more Canadians will get exposure as well.
Many of the programs initiatives will continue or be modified to reflect the current recruiting markets, added McLean. The Canada Prospects Teams will return this summer with one 15U team (girls going into grade 10 in the Fall) and potentially a second 16U team competing at the Volleyball Festival in Phoenix. Emphasis will continue on incentives for athletes such as the “10 Foot Club”, while the “Top Prospects” will move towards a nomination platform. Post-secondary programs will get in on the action now with universities being featured on the main interface. This new feature section will highlight the hundreds of post-secondary opportunities that exist at schools across North America.
“The focus will always be on bridging the gap between the athlete and coach” said Mclean, “while continuing to provide education, exposure and advice to parents and athletes.” Volleyball Prospects Canada will now also be referred to as “Volleyball Prospects International” with emphasis remaining on Canadian athletes. If you would like to get involved in the program as a coach in your region of Canada or internationally, please contact us; barry@volleyballprospects.ca
