ParaVolley EUROPE Sitting & Standing Volleyball in Europe
Helena Skogström (FIN) – Co-opted Sports Director
It is with regret that we are announcing that Helena has decided to step down as PVE Sport Director and Board member following a new professional challenge. It was not an easy decision for her to make but she felt she could no longer contribute to Paravolley to the extend she wanted.
On behalf of the ParaVolley Europe Executive Board and all Zonal members, Branko would like to express his appreciation of her work in the ParaVolley Board over the last few months.
We are all aware about the amount of personal time that Helena has dedicated to her voluntary work for ParaVolley and that this has required many hours of additional work which are not always compatible with a busy job.
All of us involved in the area of sport for disabled are conscious that a lot of sacrifices are required for some projects to succeed and Helena’s professional life must come first in that instance.
Branko would like to thank her for all the work and wishes her the best of luck with her new job. There is no doubt that Helena will succeed in her professional life and hope she will remain involved in the sitting volleyball world.
Una Dzalba – Training & Education Commissioner
Further to various discussions raised at the Strategy Dialogue Weekend workshops, the PVE Board has decided to appoint Una Dzalba (LAT) as Training & Education Commissioner.
Una is no stranger to volleyball or sitting volleyball as she started playing age 6 and went on to become Latvian champion during her youth. She was also member of the Latvian National team for youth and women.
She started playing sitting volleyball in 2007 when she was asked by former Latvia sitting volleyball women’s team coach to come and try the sport following her many knee injuries. She made the team which took part in the 2007 European Championships classified as MD and the team finished ranked 5th. This ranking qualified Latvia for Beijing but after the games, the team disbanded. She continued training with the Latvian sitting volleyball men’s team, and have been training and playing with them ever since.
She has developed a great love for the sport and has met some amazing people. She is very excited to become an official PVE member and is looking forward to developing and expanding the paravolley disciplines in Europe.
Una will be part of the Development department and will work closely with the Sport Department
- to develop referee education and training
- to develop classification education and training
- to develop coach education and training
She will also be responsible for preparing all educations processes together with WPV educators and relevant commissions together with the PVE development, referee and classifiers commissioner.
She will work with WPV educators and relevant PVE commissions to develop processes for education courses as well as communicate with LOC’s and course candidates to arrange courses during PVE events.
We wish Una all the best and welcome to the PVE team.
