Becoming the flagship Volleyball development events on the European Volleyball Stage, the 2023 CEV Coaches Convention will take Volleyball coaches from across the continent to Sofia, Bulgaria. There, they will have the opportunity to take part in both theoretical and practical sessions, exchanging knowledge with focus on developing and growing the game for the younger generations.
The Bulgarian capital will host the fourth edition of the event between September 22 and 24 in the Levski Sofia Sports Hall/Vitosha Hotel Park.
The Activities
The two-day event will provide the participants with the opportunity to learn both on a theoretical and on a practical level.
In the morning on September 23 (Saturday) the coaches and teachers will first listen to the keynote speakers (with Q&A sessions at the end of each theoretical part) at the Vitosha Park Hotel. After that, in the afternoon, the group will move to Levski Sports hall for the practical sessions (where the attendees will once again have the chance to make their questions to the speakers).
On September 24, the participants will take part in interactive working group sessions.
The Speakers
This year’s edition of the event will feature Mr. Eric Hodgson from the USA and Mr. Angiolino Frigoni from Italy as keynote speakers. Both specialists, coming from two different countries with different backgrounds, will share their wide knowledge, inspiring experts who work on grassroots levels.
Stay tuned as interviews with them are coming your way!
The Venue
Levski Sofia sports hall is one of the newest sports venues in the capital of Bulgaria, and according to the president of VC Levski Sofia – Vladimir Nikolov (former Bulgarian Volleyball star), the conditions in the venue are “more than excellent”.
Levski Sofia Sports Hall
There are three training courts in the venue (the total area of the playing ground is 1821.11 m.), and the height is just over 12 meters. The fixed seats in the main stand are 888, but maximum seating capacity together with the movable stands is 1741).
The host country
Bulgaria has a long-standing tradition in the development of Volleyball, being one of the key players on the international Volleyball scene. Home to many Volleyball stars, Bulgaria has had a good model of developing young talents (and the recent successes of the junior teams confirm that, as just some days ago the U17 Men’s team became Balkan champions, while the U21 are on a successful journey at the Worlds).
On the other hand, the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation is well-specialised in delivering high-class Volleyball events.
Combining the Volleyball successes and the heritage, Sofia is the perfect setting for inspired Volleyball coaches who want to further expand their knowledge on the game and on the work with kids.
“One of the most important missions of the BVF in the recent years has been to further expand the development of its “Volleyball people” – not only players, but also coaches. The results that we are achieving with the junior national teams show us that we are on the right path. We have organised numerous coaching seminars and I am glad to see people who want to learn. Bulgaria has always strongly developed Volleyball and I think that Sofia is a wonderful place to organise the convention.”
Lyubomir Ganev
President of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation (BVF)
“We are well-known for our hospitality. Every year, Bulgaria hosts international Volleyball competitions. In 2023, Varna will host matches from the European Championship. The hall of “Levski Sofia”, where the Convention will be held, is one of the newest and most modern. It is a true home of Volleyball. All who come, will see it for themselves, but most importantly, here they will be visiting Volleyball friends. We are looking forward to welcoming Volleyball coaches from around the continent.”
Valentin Pomakov
LOC Project Coordinator
CEV School Project in Bulgaria
The Bulgarian Volleyball Federation launched a large-scale initiative “With Volleyball at School” as part of the CEV School Project. The project is looking for opportunities to ignite the Volleyball interest of Bulgarian children, as Volleyball is one of the most successful team sports in the country.
CEV School Project implementation in Bulgaria
The project “With Volleyball at school” was launched in partnership between the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation, the Municipality of Sofia and the Regional Department of Education (RUO) Sofia-city, with the support of the CEV. After the launch in the capital, it was developed in other Bulgarian cities, becoming a national phenomenon, beloved by Bulgarian students.
The program aims to show that Volleyball and education can go hand in hand.