“Strive to be the best you can be…focus, watch, listen, and learn. Try never to be satisfied with ‘good enough’…and above all, love what you do–share that passion with others…” (Robby Naish)
Bigger, Better, Stronger. It’s a phrase that has been used a lot recently. It’s a motto that says it all really. In Scottish Volleyball we have the potential to be bigger. To be better. And to be stronger. But what does it take?
Well we’re nearly there already. Did you make it to the Finals Weekend at Wishaw? If you did, you will see proof that we’re bigger, better and stronger than before. What a weekend it was!
We thought bigger! We gave each match International style protocol. We marched the teams in to the patriotic sounds of the lone piper. We showcased the players and the officials to the crowd. The players have reached the pinnacle of National competition in our country so why not show them off? Why not let them have the limelight and make them feel special? We thought bigger – that’s why we did it!
We had a new, even better court than before! The new Scottish Volleyball Taraflex looked amazing and really set the precedent for the weekend. The court stood out as a centrepiece for the players and coaches and gave them the best possible arena for concentrating simply on the game. It looked like an International standard court – and it was! Our Taraflex came straight from the Luxembourg Open!
We were stronger! It’s 40 years of Scottish Volleyball this year. What a tradition to celebrate. We used this Finals Weekend to reward deserving people who have made Scottish Volleyball stronger over the last forty years! It was a proud moment to see so many recognisable faces collecting well-deserved awards for their hard work. We’re stronger because we celebrate success and we recognise tradition. Then we look to the future and it’s getting stronger still. From as young as the ball retrievers from Muirhouse Primary, Plains Primary and Thornlie Primary who watched in awe and caught the volleyball bug! The Junior players who stepped up to the occasion with two magnificent finals. The Cup, Thistle and Plate matches – where we saw the young, and the not so young, demonstrate what is good about Scottish Volleyball. And the officials – some new faces, some old faces, but each handled their job with complete control.
That’s what makes us bigger, better, stronger. Are we there yet? Nope! Because once we get bigger, better, stronger – we’ll want to be even bigger, even better, and even stronger! It’s what makes us work hard. It’s what makes us commit our time to make our events the best.
The Finals Weekend was a start and only shows us what we can achieve. We have the sponsors on board – Mikasa, Schelde, and Red Bull. We had the TV crew there to capture the Men’s Final. We just need more people. Whether you play, coach, manage, referee or simply support – you are a part of Scottish Volleyball. We need more people. More volunteers. Plain and simple. More people to line judge. More people to look after the teams, to set up the court or to do stats. The list of jobs is endless.
The GB train rolls into Scotland in June and we’ll be hosting a full-scale European League weekend at Meadowbank. This event takes us closer still to bigger, better and stronger – but only if we do it well. And to do it well, we need everyone on board. So come up to us at our events, drop us an email at the office or speak to your coach. Any way you can, get in touch and offer your help – as much or as little of your time as you can give.
Do us proud – help take Scottish Volleyball to the heights it wants to be at. Help make us bigger, better and stronger!