2018 Canada Cup Female Beach and Indoor Coaches Announced

Volleyball Nova Scotia is proud to announce that Beate Hartlen (Halifax) will represent NS as the Head Coach for Team NS Canada Cup Beach Women’s Team. We are also proud to announce our coaching staff for Team NS Canada Cup Indoor Women’s Team as Hilary Sears (Truro) and Lauren Sears (Truro).
 
Beate, a Certified NCCP Advanced Development Coach, is no stranger to the Team NS Provincial Team programs as she was most recently involved as a guest assistant coach with the 2017 Canada Games women’s indoor team, as well as various Provincial teams since 2015. Beate has also been a club and high school Head and Assistant Coach with multiple volleyball teams over the last 8 years, of which a highlight was as an Assistant Coach with the Tigers 18U Girls Team who finished with a bronze medal in Division 1, Tier 1 at VC Nationals in 2017. Beate has dedicated much of her spring and summer months to Beach volleyball by starting her own Beach VB Club, Scotia Beach, in HRM in 2016, which has doubled in numbers in the past 2 years to include athletes in the 18U and 16U age categories, and will add in 24U this coming summer. Beate’s teams have consistently attended the Atlantic Beach Tour, as well as VC Beach Nationals each summer, highlighted by a bronze medal in the U24 age category.

“I feel extremely honoured and privileged to have been selected by Volleyball Nova Scotia as the Head Coach for the Women’s Beach Canada Cup team. I am very excited to be working with Nova Scotia’s top beach athletes and exposing them to the National Team coaching staff in Toronto through training and competition. Beach is an exciting sport to play, coach, and watch, and Canada has one of the fastest improving National Teams in the world. Beach Volleyball has tremendous benefits to the all around player including improving physical conditioning, mental toughness, improving all around skills and tactical adjustments. I am looking forward to late May/ early June when we will start selection and training for the season.” – Beate Hartlen
 
Hilary and Lauren Sears both bring a variety and depth of experience to our Canada Cup Indoor Women’s Program for 2018. Both coaches started their own club together in the fall of 2016, Bia, and one of their goals was to help athletes prepare for post-secondary careers in volleyball.
Hilary, a Trained NCCP Advanced Development Coach, is coming full circle in her involvement with Team NS. Hilary represented Nova Scotia as an athlete as a member of the 2009 Canada Games Indoor Women’s Team who finished a record high 4^th place. Hilary also went on to compete in the CIS (USports) Conference representing Dalhousie University for 4 years finishing with an AUS Conference Championship in 2013. Hilary officially stepped into the coaching world in 2014 as Head Coach for Auburn High School and has Head Coached a variety of school and club teams since then. Hilary was most recently a guest assistant coach with the 2017 Canada Games Women’s Volleyball Team for 2 years, and is currently an Assistant Coach with the Saint Mary’s University Huskies Women’s Volleyball Team who finished 3^rd in the AUS in 2018.

“Having come through the VNS high performance programs as athletes, we’re very excited to make our provincial coaching debut with this Canada Cup team.”  - Hilary Sears

Lauren, an In-Training NCCP Advanced Development Coach, has been involved in high performance volleyball for many years. Lauren represented NS as an athlete for multiple years in the Provincial Team program and was also a key member for the 4^th place finishing 2009 Canada Games Team. Lauren also competed in the CIS (USports) Conference finishing in 2012 and was recognized as a CIS (USports) 1^st Team All-Canadian. Lauren got involved in coaching in 2007 with the Junior Wesmen Volleyball Club in Winnipeg and has coached a variety of club teams since then. Lauren was also an Assistant Coach with the University of Winnipeg Wesmen Women’s Volleyball Team from 2012-2013. Since returning to Nova Scotia, Lauren has been an Assistant Coach with Saint Mary’s University Women’s Volleyball Team since 2015.

“We’re looking forward to the challenge of creating cohesion between a great group of athletes in a very short period of time, while also preparing these young women excited to tackle post-secondary opportunities.” – Lauren Sears

VNS is extremely excited to welcome the wealth of knowledge and mindset that Beate, Lauren and Hilary have to share with NS athletes through the Canada Cup programs and is looking forward to seeing this program succeed under the leadership of all 3 Coaches.

Coaches of both programs will be visiting the upcoming 2018 NS Championships this weekend.
 
For more information about any of the Canada Cup Team NS Programs, please contact VNS Technical Director, Megan Conroy.