Event: 2007 AOCVD Womens Sitting Volleyball Championship
2007 Shanghai Women Sitting Volleyball Invitational Games
Venue: Shanghai Disabled Persons’ Sports Training Centre, Shanghai China
Introduction
Sitting Volleyball Australia (SVA) has had a men’s program since early 1998. Several of the current women’s team have been involved in the sport since that time. In January 2007 thanks to funding support from Australian Athletes with a Disability (AAWD) SVA were able to conduct a women’s sitting volleyball development camp. Also attending this camp was a delegation of Chinese sitting volleyball players and officials. This camp brought together potential players from around Australia and most of these players have since formed the Inaugural Australian Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team. Since the initial development camp the players have been training on individual skill development and they also took part in an AAWD funded Training Camp prior to leaving for China. The focus of the Australian team was to compete at the 2007 Asia Oceania Committee Volleyball for Disabled (AOCVD) Women Sitting Volleyball Championship and the 2007 Shanghai Women Sitting Volleyball Invitational Games. The first tournament also offered countries within the Asia Oceania Zone a chance to Qualify for the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. The second tournament offered invited countries from outside the AOCVD Zone a chance to compete with other sitting volleyball nations outside their zone.
Potential team members were given training diaries by coach Glenn Pyne at the January Development Camp. Individual training on skill development and fitness was up to each player. In March 2007 SVA conducted a training camp at Bond University of the Gold Coast. This gave all SVA members and in particular the women’s squad a chance to train and play together. It was during this camp that the decision to attend the Shanghai tournament was made. Within several weeks of the Gold Coast camp and after consultation with the selection committee players were informed of their inclusion in the Australian Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team. Given the lack of possible regular team training due to the geographical location of team members SVA organised a Training Camp prior to leaving for China. All players and officials attended this camp held 30 June – 2 July. This camp offered the team a chance to work on playing rotations and a match was held against a men’s team, the women won two games to nil. Uniforms were also presented to the players. The Australian Team consisted of 8 players, 3 officials. Jenni Cole was a late inclusion in the team and provided us with an extra player in the event of illness or injury.
Name |
Position |
|
Glenn Pyne |
Coach |
|
Mark Whiteman |
Assistant Coach/Manager |
|
Stephen Giugni |
Referee |
|
Melissa Dunn |
Physio/Player |
|
Bronwyn McColl |
Player (captain) |
|
Tracy Barrell |
Player |
|
Lynda Davies |
Player |
|
Cheryl Le-Brun |
Player |
|
Melissa Purcell |
Player |
|
Chelsea Harrington |
Player |
|
Jenni Cole |
Player |
The team flew direct to Shanghai with Air China and apart from one major problem it was a good flight. One of the team members is in a wheelchair and Air China does not have aisle chairs. Apart from the difficulty of getting Cheryl to her seat this meant that Cheryl had no way of going to the toilet for the duration of the flight (10 hours 20 minutes). Luckily for us and for the flight crew Cheryl was very accepting of this and managed the flight ok. I have written to Air China to let them know that we were not happy with the situation.
We arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday July 3. Our arrival a week prior to the tournament was made possible thanks to a generous invitation from the Shanghai Disabled Persons’ Sports Association. We were greeted at Pudong International Airport by a delegation from this association and also several of the Chinese womens team. For the next five days we were looked after in regards to accommodation, meals, transportation and training facilities. This took place at the Shanghai Disabled Persons’ Sport Training Centre.
Given the limited time the team had spent together prior to leaving for this tour the time spent training in the lead up to the tournament was important to performing at our best. However there needed to be a delicate balance between too much and too little training, as we knew there were a lot of volleyball matches to play. Training took place in the morning from 9am-11am and consisted of practising playing rotations, passing to the setter, serving, spiking and playing a practice match. All team members were enthusiastic and each trained to the level of their abilities. Apart from training on skill development it was also important that team spirit was also practiced and continually encouraged. As it turned out this was one of our teams endearing qualities and something that raised our level of ability when we needed it. Of course behind every team is their coach; Glenn managed to extract the best performances from this wonderful team of women. To ensure that the players could recover from training sessions other activities such as shopping and sightseeing excursions were organised. On the afternoon of Thursday 5th July we were taken to Chenghuang Temple where we spent several hours shopping or looking around.
There were some great bargains to be had and once you mastered the art of haggling it got even cheaper. Mark Whiteman bought a Rolex for $10 (originally $30). That evening we were treated to a Reception Banquet at the Xintiandi Bar Restaurant. This was hosted by the Shanghai Disabled Persons’ Sports Association and in attendance were Executive Director Mr Cao Zi Ping, womens head coach Mr Le Rong Rong, AOCVD Promotions Officer Mr Wei Ping Tu and several of the Chinese womens team and entourage. The food was excellent and there was plenty of it. Conversations took place regarding the continued friendship between our two organisations.
Saturday morning we were escorted by Mr Le Rong Rong (head womens coach) to the city of Hangzhou, this is located about 3 hours south west of Shanghai. Upon arrival around noon we were treated to a wonderful lunch in a restaurant on the shores of West Lake. After lunch we did a tour around the shores of the lake and took in the beautiful scenery and cultural significance.
Upon completion of the tour we were back on the bus and headed back towards Shanghai. After an hour or so travelling we arrived at the city of Jiaxing, it was here that we would spend the night in a traditionally styled Hotel. It was a beautiful location situated on the waterfront and the facilities were Five Star. Dinnertime arrived all too quickly and we were again treated to a beautiful assortment of food from which to choose . After dinner several of us decided to explore the Hotel surrounds until we became caught in a ferocious rainstorm (it later became known as a tsunami as the story was retold). So much for team spirit as it became every man or woman for himself or herself. Mark became a hero as he vowed not to leave Tracy behind and they sheltered from the forces of nature standing under a one year old sapling tree. Upon arrival back at the Hotel soaked to the bone we decided the best way to overcome such an event was to dry off and meet in the bar for a drink.
Monday morning was classification time for our team, this was a new experience for all our girls and the result was pretty much what we expected. We were classified as having 4 disabled players and 1 minimal plus 3 able bodied players. I would like to acknowledge the contribution that our team member Melissa Dunn gave to the AOCVD Chief Classifier. Melissa assisted in classifying several teams by offering advise to Mr Atan Bin Muda. Melissa gave up the opportunity to be Chief Classifier because of a lack of available disabled players in the Australian Team.
We trained again Monday afternoon and then later that night we had a team meeting. At this meeting Mark thanked everyone for the sacrifices they made to attend this tour and also for the enthusiasm and commitment they had shown since arriving in China. He reminded everyone that the serious part of this tour was about to begin in 2 days. Coach Glenn Pyne also praised the team about their efforts thus far and then team members expressed their opinions and asked questions. It was clear from this meeting that we were going into the tournaments as ready as we could be and the mood of the team was very positive.
Tuesday morning all participating countries attended the General Technical Meeting. Coaches, Team Managers and Team Captains were required to attend. At this meeting the Organising Committee and all officials were introduced to everyone and the rules of the competition and team rosters of all countries were announced. All teams were then asked if they had any questions relating to the competition rules and regulations. On behalf of the Australian team Mark asked some questions relating to playing equipment and the use of mobility aids (skateboards and wheelchairs) during a match and at completion of a match.
This took place on Wednesday 11 July in the competition venue. All participating teams, competition officials and invited guests attended. There were the usual welcome speeches by all the dignitaries and then the Australian team captain gave a speech on behalf of the athletes.
The excitement was building, as the first matches of the tournament would start after the completion of the ceremony. The timing of the ceremony and the start of the matches was a slight organisational mistake but in the end the matches were delayed by 30 minutes and this was of little disruption to anyone.
The Australian teams first international match was against the host nation China. A tough way to start (China are current Paralympic Champions) but it could only get better from there. The Aussie Ducks decided on a pretty casual approach to preparing for each match and didn’t leave the change rooms till about 40minutes prior to match start time (most teams would be warming up for 60 minutes or longer). While in the change room team spirit and tactics were discussed and stretching took place. When it was time to make our way to the court the team would line up in the corridor and lead by Mark Whiteman they would march out singing the Australian National Anthem followed by the traditional Aussie Aussie Aussie chant when we reached our bench. This proved very popular with spectators and instilled a sense of National Pride in our girls. In the AOCVD Qualification Tournament for Beijing our team was aware we could not qualify due to make up of our team (too many minimal disabled persons) but the experience was invaluable. The teams competing were Australia, China, Iran, Japan, Malaysia and Mongolia. We played 5 matches and had 1 win (against Malaysia) to finish 6th. We did however manage to play some really good volleyball against the likes of China, Japan and Iran. Japan won the spot to compete in Beijing 2008.
In the Shanghai Invitational Games we played 4 matches and had 2 wins (against Malaysia, Mongolia). The game against Mongolia was a fantastic effort because the previous day Mongolia won 3 nil, but our girls turned it around and won 3 nil. It was a great coaching performance and the Ducks played very well. The team finished 5th. This was the most successful sitting volleyball team to leave Australia and it was also the most enjoyable tour I have been on. All match scores and the Results Table can be found at the end of this report.
Pictures of the Ducks in action and of the trip can be found by clicking on the link on the Home Page.
This took place on Sunday 15 July immediately following the final match of the Shanghai Invitational Games. The dignitaries spoke favourably about the success of the tournament and then all participating countries were asked to send a representative to collect their respective Trophies. I personally thought that this was a nice gesture on the part of the organising committee as each country received something in recognition of their effort and commitment to attend the tournament. Celebrations and photographs were then plentiful as the tournament was declared over.
After the closing ceremony teams were transported back to their Hotels to prepare for the Farwell Banquet. This took place on a Cruise Ship that motored along the Huanopu river in the heart of Shanghai. The 2 hour cruise provided teams and officials with an opportunity to relax, enjoy some great food and take in the sights of Shanghai. Each team was asked earlier in the week to come up with a brief act that they could perform during the cruise. The purpose of this exercise was to allow teams an opportunity to express their cultural heritage and other hidden talents they possess. It worked really well and the Australian Team set the tone with a brilliant rendition of ‘Tie me Kangaroo Down’. Glenn (coach) performed the spoken word part with the traditional ‘ocker accent’ and the rest of the team were in perfect voice with the chorus. A good night was had by all, my only criticism was that the ship was not entirely accessible to all sections for all persons particularly those in wheelchairs.
It was a great effort by the Australian Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team to be a part of the 2007 Asia Oceania Committee Volleyball for Disabled (AOCVD) Women Sitting Volleyball Championship and the 2007 Shanghai Women Sitting Volleyball Invitational Games. The results were very encouraging for the future development of women's sitting volleyball in Australia. Each member of the team performed very well during the tournament and as a whole the team spirit and camaraderie was excellent. Glenn Pyne performed brilliantly as a first time international coach and with the help of his assistant coach/manager Mark Whiteman the players focus was always on playing good volleyball but also having as much fun as possible.
Sitting Volleyball Australia (NSW) Incorporated is lucky to have the support of key disability organisations such as Australian Athletes with a Disability (AAWD), NSW Sports Federation Association of Disability Sports (NSWADS), Australian Volleyball Federation (AVF), Australian Paralympic Committee (APC), Queensland Sporting Wheelies Association and the National Volleyball Committee of Australian Sports Organisation for Disabled (NVC of ASOD). The funding grants that AAWD and NSW ADS provide our organisation with allow us to run successful national training camps and events such as the Stewart Shield Competition and National Championships. These events ultimately lead to Australian teams competing Internationally. The AVF, APC and the NVC of ASOD also provide equipment and important links to mainstream volleyball events and elite sporting opportunities for our members. Sitting Volleyball Australia (NSW) Incorporated is very appreciative of the support it receives and we look forward to building on these relationships in order to see the continued develop of the sport of sitting volleyball.