The 2010 season will be one of growth, new experiences, and new challenges. With higher than expected turnout, our plan is to grow from 10 teams in the 2009 season to a possible 14 in 2010! With increased growth comes stiffer challenges that the club is ready to meet.

The first and greatest challenge will be funding. As I am sure most of you have heard, the government of BC has cut funding to sports organizations. This includes BC School Sports and Volleyball BC. As a result, registration fees with Volleyball BC will increase from $35 to $50. They will also begin to charge PST to tournaments, adding an additional 5% to all tournament registration fees this season, and 12% in 2011 once the PST is harmonized with the GST. The club must also increase our fees in light of these changes accordingly.

One of our goals has always been to be able to deliver a memorable sporting experience at an affordable rate. We are a not-for-profit organization and strive to keep costs at a minimum for our athletes. This year, we have enlisted the help of Jay Ho and The Third World, a community outreach program, who will aid the club in the acquisition of funding in the form of sponsorships and other fundraising opportunities.

Regardless, we are working hard to make the 2010 season our best yet. We have added new and past coaches to our staff, all of whom have a wealth of experience to share with our athletes.

The list of coaches include: Ken Li (UBC, Apex, Volleyball BC, Van Tech), Allen Tsang (Capilano, Apex, Volleyball BC, Lord Byng), Chanh Vuong (Apex, Killarney), Thi Nguyen (Apex, Gladstone, Van Tech), Tony Lee (Apex, Killarney), Tony Wong (Apex, Van Tech), Kent Laubman (UBC, Apex, St. George’s), Bryce Recsky (UBC, Kelowna Volleyball Club), Huan Pham (Capilano, Focus Volleyball Club), Kenny Lu (Langara, Apex, Britannia), Eric Leong (Britannia), and Derek Cho (Apex, Eric Hamber). Alex Pappas (Van Tech) and Corinna Liew (Notre Dame), 2 of the Lower Mainland’s most highly regarded officials, will join the club in a new coaching capacity, while former players Derek Lai (SFU, Apex, Templeton), Steven Kong (Capilano, Apex, Van Tech), Chris Singh (Capilano, Apex, Windermere), and Justin Quach (Apex, Templeton) will also join the coaching ranks.

Our U17 and U18 teams will compete in the National Championships, hosted in Abbotsford this season, while some of these teams will travel to play in the Emerald City Classic in Seattle. Our U15 and U16 teams are expected to attend the Western Canadian Open in Calgary, in addition to the usual tournaments in the province.

Tryout dates will be announced shortly. We are working with our partner schools in acquiring gym space.

On behalf of the rest of the club, we look forward to the upcoming season and another successful year.

Best Regards,
Ken Li
President
Apex Volleyball Club