LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, April 7, 2021 – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) has partnered with the International Beach Volleyball Coaches Association (IBVCA), a non-profit formed to elevate professional beach volleyball coaching through advocacy, education, and networking. This partnership will drive a new education initiative for beach volleyball coaches who aspire to or who already coach at the highest levels of the game both in the United States and across the globe.
“Professional beach volleyball coaching is a young and growing discipline,” said AVCA Executive Director, Kathy DeBoer. “Partnering with the best minds and most experienced beach coaches in the world is an exciting opportunity for the AVCA and allows us to serve our beach coaching community at both the college and youth levels.”
Through an Advanced Coaching Education (ACE) beach initiative, coaches worldwide will gain access to shared knowledge from the sports leading experts. Members of both associations will be able to continue their professional development through a series of virtual events.
Two events are planned for this summer prior to the Olympic games. The inaugural event, in May, will feature Olympic coach Steve Anderson and Australian Olympian Kerri Pottharst who will share their experience from the 2000 and 1996 games. The second event will feature Dain Blanton, NBC’s Olympic Beach Volleyball analyst, along with others who will break down the Olympic field and identify teams to watch in Tokyo.
“The knowledge-sharing partnership between the AVCA and the IBVCA is a real bonus for both memberships as it will provide a broad international perspective of the game at both developmental and elite levels,” said Victor Anfiloff, chair of the IBVCA. “This is a great opportunity for the IBVCA to continue to fulfill our mission of helping to develop the sport and further recognize the profession of beach volleyball coaching.”
“Rapid growth is happening right now, particularly with increased opportunities for beach coaches. Now is the right time to provide virtual access to the world’s best coaches to support a collaborative culture globally,” said Megan Burgdorf, Founder at Beach Volleyball Consulting. “A key attraction of working with the AVCA and the IBVCA is their proactive attention to building sustainable solutions.”
A new educational suite of virtual events is will launch in September 2021, following the 2021 Olympic Games.
About AVCA
The AVCA, with its headquarters in Lexington, Ky., is managed by Associations International. The mission of the AVCA is to advance the sport of volleyball with AVCA coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy and professional development. With a membership of over 7,200 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for those individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and promoting the sport. Members include collegiate, high school, club, youth and Olympic coaches, as well as volleyball club directors. The AVCA provides education to volleyball coaches, recognition of elite players and coaches, promotion of volleyball competitions throughout the world, and networking opportunities for volleyball products and services providers. Further information is available at www.avca.org.
About IBVCA
The IBVCA is a a non-profit association committed to helping the beach volleyball coaching profession through collaboration and networking with all stakeholders involved in the sport. IBVCA goals are to establish an international code of conduct for coaches, to develop best practices for beach volleyball coaches, to seek and share knowledge and to network with the IBVPA (International Beach Volleyball Players Association), the FIVB and tournament promoters. Further information and membership guidelines are at www.IBVCA.net.
