Coaches elect Fabio Ormindelli as Commissioner, herald new digital age for ParaVolley

Budapest, 20 July 2019 – Italy’s Fabio Ormindelli has been appointed ParaVolley Europe Coaches Commissioner, after being elected at a Coaches Meeting on the sidelines of the 2019 Sitting Volleyball European Championships.

The Italian coach will coordinate activities of PVE member nation coaches actions and also help set up and supervise a digital platform as a tool for coaches’ communication and exchange of ideas exchanging. He will also be helping implement the coaches’ education programmes currently being considered by PVE. Coaches of the participating countries at the 2019 #EuroSittingVolley took part in meeting hosted by the PVE Executive Board to stress the points and main discrepancies between national teams It is hoped that this will show the way forward for the development of the sport.

PVE President Branko Mihorko explained the plan and possible directions in which PVE is going, stressing the importance of development in playing quality, as well as the organizational level. He explained the competition system proposed to national teams as well as the idea of competition digitalisation which can help all participating nations thoughout all stages of an event, from nomination and inscription through to the actual competitions.

He also talked about Communication and Marketing, stressing the importance of these tools in increasing the visibility of ParaVolley, which in turn will open the door to sponsors and lead to the increase of the number of players participating in the sport. President Mihorko also informed coaches that PVE is working with the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) on an agenda which will incorporate ParaVolley coaches’ education officially as part of the CEV volleyball coaches education programme. CEV President Aleksandr Boricic has expressed the opinion that there are possibilities for CEV to help with grants for ParaVolley. That approach could help the inclusive processes for the planing of new ParaVolley events, said the PVE President. The first application of the ParaVolley education programme will be in four locations around the world, including three in Europe in Slovenia, Luxembourg and Hungary, alongside an event in Asia.

President Mihorko also explained the status of coaches in Slovenia, where volleyball education includes 10% of sitting volleyball in the coaches programme. ParaVolley rules need to be circulated months before implementation, allowing teams to be informed and enabling them to adapt to new conditions, as well as the implementation and changing of these ParaVolley rules, especially concerning the rule of maximum VS2 players on the court.

Some of the coaches, in agreement with the Athletes’ Commission concluded that it could be a positive to test the 2VS2 player on the court proposal – although there was also some disagreement amongst the coaches. With the majority against this implementation, the PVE President explained that just a few rules could be changed after the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

There was general consensus that eliminating Technical Time Outs has benefitted the flow of the game and all welcomed the scrapping of the coach restriction line. It was also pointed out that classification needs to be performed at least two months ahead at certain approved events. Coaches requested the long list of players for major competitions to be increased from 18 to 23, which President Mihorko promised to look into.