Ways to grow the sport at the core of the discussion as Snow Volleyball Working Group members meet online

With the first stop of this year’s European Tour coming up in just a few weeks, the members of the CEV Snow Volleyball Working Group had an online meeting on Thursday afternoon to review plans and activities currently run to grow the youngest and coolest version of the Volleyball game.

With the European Tour due to visit Ukraine for the very first time in history, there are obviously signs that the sport is thriving even though the resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic continues to pose a major challenge to the organisers of any sporting event.

The Working Group members reviewed the latest actions taken in their respective countries and Zonal Associations, with as many as 10 national championships / tours already homologated by the CEV and FIVB. The very fact that in some countries National Federations and their promoters have planned more than just a standalone event for this winter speaks for itself. The appetite for Snow Volleyball is growing even though countries are very diverse and they have to find their own way and model for events to take place and draw attention from sponsors, partners and media alike.

The organisation of such national competitions can only help lay the foundations for the long-term growth of the sport as well as for the emergence of the next generation of Snow Volleyball players. To this extent, the CEV will continue to encourage National Federations to design and plan activities for the delivery of age group-competitions – in order to engage the younger ones with Snow Volleyball.

The perspectives for the future are good, especially if we are to acknowledge the still very challenging landscape brought about by the global health crisis. It remains essential to think out of the box and strategically as well – in order not to waste any efforts but to capitalise on the huge potential that Snow Volleyball has shown since its addition to the CEV’s activities back in 2016.

In an effort to prepare in the best way for the European Tour opener scheduled for February 18-20 in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, the Working Group discussed, among other things, a proposal for the calculation of the entry points for the eagerly anticipated 2022 season.   

There is obviously still much work to do, but the CEV continues to liaise with all stakeholders in order to provide more opportunities for Snow Volleyball to take centre stage – while supporting National Federations in various ways to get started and to deliver – at least in some cases – their very first events on the snow.