March 26, 2021: Volleyball Canada will be hosting the Women’s NextGen Program at the National Training Centre in Richmond, BC. The 10-week program, from May 24 to July 30, will provide identified athletes with a full-time training environment that focuses on technical and tactical development in line with the women’s Senior A team.

Athletes will have access to a full coaching staff, headed by Gina Schmidt, and an integrated support team (IST) to guide their development and growth as a high-performance athlete. Volleyball Canada will select 12-16 athletes from across Canada with the potential to compete for Team Canada’s Senior Women’s National Team in the future.

“Volleyball Canada’s NextGen Program is an important part of our Women’s Senior National Team and is viewed as the entry point for anyone aspiring to play for Canada. The aim of this program is to create a sustainable podium pathway for indoor women’s volleyball by developing world-class athletes, who will help propel Canada beyond the current successes, to Olympic qualifications and podium performances,” said Women’s Head Coach Shannon Winzer.

This year, the Women’s NextGen Program will be hosting a virtual selection process on the GMTM platform open to all interested Canadian female athletes beginning on April 01. Participating athletes will be required to submit basic physical testing data, a highlight video and full game/set footage which will reviewed by the selection committee. The deadline for submissions is April 14.

The Women’s NextGen selection process will also serve as an identification tool for our U20 athletes (born 2002 or later). Interested athletes are encouraged to apply through the GMTM platform so they can be considered for 2021 summer training opportunities.

For more information, please see the following web page: https://volleyball.ca/en/nextgen-program

Program Staff
Gina Schmidt – Head Coach
Jeff Ross – Assistant Coach
Mischa Partridge – Athletic Therapist
Cody Piwowar-Desilets – Strength & Conditioning Coach
Dr. Sara Forsyth – Team Physician
Dr. Anne Muscat – Clinical Counsellor and Mental Performance Consultant
Ashlen Leonard – Sport Dietitian

Registration Information
GMTM registration: Open April 1 to 14, 2021 (see web site for link on April 01 or go to GMTM.com)
GMTM registration fee: $47.50 USD

For more information, please contact Bree Fraser at bfraser@volleyball.ca

Volleyball Canada media contact:
Jackie Skender
Mobile: 613.794.7676