As we make lunches, and get the coffee timer set for 5:00am tomorrow, we prepare for a significant part of the AIA ministry this coming week.
From Monday - Thursday, Ryan and Kara start their mornings coaching from 6:00-10:00am (M, W) or 6:00-8:00am (T, Th) for the Volleyball Canada Centre of Excellence.
Last spring, VC appointed Ryan as the head coach of the Fraser Valley VCCE, a development model they are planning to spread across Canada if successful. They want high-level coaching to specifically develop skills in high school athletes. Typically, most school and club programs develop team play but don't have enough time to really focus on individual skill work. This program is designed to give those elite athletes a deeper foundation to their game as they develop for post-secondary competition.
VCCE also values mentorship of these athletes. They also allowed Ryan to appoint other AIA staff as assistant coaches. So, for 12 official hours per week, Ryan and Kara (and Saralyn in Abbotsford) get to coach, build into, and mentor some of the top high school volleyball athletes in the Fraser Valley. The awesome opportunity far outweighs the earliness of the morning alarm clock!
Here is a link to Volleyball Canada's website. Watch the video on their home page to better understand the purpose of the program... and keep your eyes out for all of the AIA camp t-shirts, and for Kara and Ryan's appearances - most of the video was filmed at a Mini-Diggers program they ran last spring for younger athletes.
http://www.vcdm.org/
