Eligible athletes

• Female/male athletes born 2007-2009 (18U as of December 31, 2025)

Training period

• September 2024 through March 2025

Training group size

• 15-25 athletes

Coaching - all training led by 2025 Canada Games coaching staffs

• Female - Allison Saunders (HC), Hillary Hommy (AC), Jamie Brown (AC), Lucy Glen-Carter (AC)
• Male - Tyler Simmons (HC), Gord Brost (AC), Eric Villeneuve (AC)

Training
Training will consist of four training camps hosted between September and March. These
weekends will include four to five on-court sessions and off-court team activities. A minimum
of one training weekend will take place in HRM, others will be hosted outside the city.
Training dates (subject to change):
● September 27-28 - Bridgewater, NS
● October 24- 26 - Truro, NS - Dal Agricultural Campus
● December 28-29 - HRM
● January – 3-5 – tentative competition date, location TBA
● March 14-16 – Antigonish, NS – St FX University

Competition
The Canada Games Training Groups will compete locally and out-of-province during their
training cycle. Tentative out of province competition dates in early January 2025, with
coaching staff working to confirm and communicate provincial exhibition opportunities as
early as possible.

Training Group Program - Identification Process

1. Direct Invitation

• Based on identification by Canada Games coaches and VNS Development Director, select athletes will receive direct invites or waitlist offers to join the 2025 Canada Games Training Group following the completion of the summer season. Athletes will have the choice to accept or decline this invitation; if they decline they will still be eligible and welcome to try out for the final Canada Games roster in May 2025.

2. Athlete Application (Online form with video submission) - FOUND HERE

• To allow opportunity for athletes who did not or could not play for Team Nova Scotia during the summer, Volleyball Nova Scotia will also make selections for the Canada Games Training Group based on video submissions. Deadline for video submissions is August 31.
• Accepted forms of video submission are:
  • YouTube - share a link via email of an uploaded video
  • Google Drive - share a link via email of an uploaded video
• Necessary requirements of the video submission are:
  • Two complete and unedited sets of the athlete playing (can be two different matches). NOT A HIGHLIGHT VIDEO.
  • Within the Google Form, identify jersey colour and number, side of net you will start on, starting position on the court (position 1-6)
• Only submissions that include video will be considered.

3. Coach Invitation

• Canada Games Head Coaches have the full authority to invite players to join the training group at any point during the training period based on performances during the high school or club season.
• Athletes invited during this phase will be asked to pay a pro-rated program fee.

Commitment
This program requires a 100% commitment for all activities, and is for athletes who are fully
focused on being at their best for possible selection to the 2025 Canada Games indoor
volleyball teams. Upon program invitation, athletes will be asked to disclose ANY/ALL time
conflicts with program head coaches.
In the event there are conflicts communicated during program invitation, program head
coaches have full authority to decide whether to continue forward with an athlete invitation or
decline it.

In the event an athlete communicates they have no conflicts when entering the program, and
later end up having a conflict (family decided to book a vacation during a training period,
going to training or competition for another sport or program, birthday dinner, family reunion,
etc) that effects program attendance, program head coaches again have the full authority to
how they will move forward with that athlete. Athletes could be removed from this program
with NO refund available.

Cost
Program fee will be between $500-750 per athlete (dependent on athlete numbers), payable
through Sportlomo.
● Program fee includes court rental costs, training t-shirts and coach honorariums.
● Travel costs for competition is NOT included.

2025 Team Nova Scotia Indoor Canada Games Timeline

• Mid-August 2024 – Direct Invitations and Wait List notifications for Canada Games Training Group Program are sent
• August 31, 2024 – Deadline for athlete submissions for Training Group Program
• September 6, 2024 – VNS notifies all non-direct invitation athletes (wait-List, athlete submissions) of their selection results
• September-March 2025 – Canada Games Training Group Program training
• April-May 2025 – Open Identification Process for Canada Games Team Selection Event (Regional ID, Coach identification at club events)
• May 2025 – Team Nova Scotia/Canada Games Selection Event
• June-August 2025 – Canada Games team training (locations, TBA)
• August 17-25 – 2025 Canada Summer Games in St John’s, Newfoundland

Please contact Jon Elliott (VNS Development Director, vnsjon@sportnovascotia.ca) with program questions.