NI Volleyball has taken a significant step forward in developing a sustainable, long-term coaching system by joining the Coaching Leaders Programme, led by performance coaching expert Dr Julian North, in Newcastle, County Down.
The programme brings together coaches and leaders from different sports to explore how effective coaching systems are designed, supported and sustained over time. For NI Volleyball, this comes at a crucial moment in its development.
“We’re not just trying to run better sessions – we’re trying to build a proper coaching system for Northern Ireland Volleyball from the ground up,” said Indoor Performance Manager, Callum Grieve. “That means thinking about how we support coaches and players from schools and clubs right through to the national teams in a joined-up way.”
Starting from Scratch
Unlike larger sports with long-established structures, NI Volleyball is effectively starting from scratch. There is limited historical infrastructure, a small but passionate coaching workforce, and growing demand for more structured pathways from junior participation to senior performance.
This creates both a challenge and an opportunity:
- A challenge, because there is no ready-made system to plug into.
- An opportunity, because NI Volleyball can design something modern, flexible and fit for purpose from day one.
The Coaching Leaders Programme is helping NI Volleyball look beyond individual teams and training blocks, and instead think in terms of a system – how education, mentoring, talent identification, club development and national team performance all connect.
Learning from IRFU and Other Sports
A key strength of the programme is the chance to learn from other sports that have already gone through this journey, including the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU).
Through the programme, Callum and NI Volleyball have been able to learn from Jaime and the IRFU team about how they:
- Built a clear coaching pathway.
- Aligned coach education with their playing philosophy.
- Created ongoing support and development for coaches, not just one-off courses.
- Connected grassroots, club and high-performance environments.
“The IRFU and Jaime have already done the hard work of trial and error,” Callum added. “We can see what’s worked for them, what hasn’t, and why. That means we don’t have to repeat the same mistakes – we can adapt the best parts of their approach to fit volleyball in Northern Ireland and, where possible, improve on it for our context.”
Building a Better System for NI Volleyball
The long-term ambition is to create a coherent NI Volleyball coaching system that:
- Supports coaches at every stage – from new volunteers in schools and clubs to performance coaches with national squads.
- Connects learning across environments – so what’s taught in a Level 1 course links to what happens in a junior national team camp.
- Aligns with NI Volleyball’s values and playing identity, including the “Fortress” culture being developed with the senior men’s national team.
- Gives young players a clear pathway from first contact with the sport through to representing Northern Ireland, if that’s where their journey leads.
The Coaching Leaders Programme is helping NI Volleyball develop:
- Language – standard terms and concepts to talk about coaching and development.
- Frameworks – models for how coaches are recruited, trained, supported and retained.
- Confidence – in making long-term decisions that will shape the sport for years to come.
“Being part of the Coaching Leaders Programme with Julian North here in Newcastle, County Down, has come at exactly the right time for NI Volleyball. We’re at the very beginning of trying to build a genuine coaching system – not just a few good sessions or a couple of strong teams, but an aligned, long-term pathway that supports coaches and athletes from schools and clubs right through to the national teams. That’s a huge challenge when you’re effectively starting from scratch, with limited history, limited structures, and a very small workforce.
What this programme is giving us is the space and the tools to step back and really understand what a functioning coaching system looks like – how talent is identified, how coaches are developed, how learning is supported over time, and how all of that links to performance on the court. Learning from the IRFU and from Jaime’s experience of how they’ve built and refined their system is invaluable. They’ve already gone through the pain of trial and error; we can see what works, what doesn’t, and why – and then adapt those lessons to the reality of volleyball in Northern Ireland.
Ultimately, my goal is that NI Volleyball doesn’t just copy another sport’s model, but uses what we’re learning here to build something even better for our context: a coaching system that is sustainable, joined-up, and genuinely supports people – coaches and players – to grow over many years. The Coaching Leaders Programme is helping to give us the language, the framework, and the confidence to do that.”
Indoor Performance Manager, Callum Grieve.
Next Steps
Over the coming months, NI Volleyball will continue to:
- Map out a national coaching pathway aligned to the existing player pathway.
- Refine its coach education and development offer, informed by learning from IRFU and other sports.
- Engage with clubs, schools and current coaches to ensure the system is practical, supportive and sustainable.
Updates on the Coaching Leaders Programme and the evolution of NI Volleyball’s coaching system will be shared on this website and through NI Volleyball’s communication channels.
For coaches, teachers or volunteers interested in getting involved in the growing NI Volleyball coaching network, please get in touch with info@nivolleyball.com (or your usual NI Volleyball contact) for more information.
