The JVA staff always looks forward to attending the AVCA Convention. Meeting new members, catching up with long time members and attending and hosting educational sessions are among a few of the reasons this event is so special. Witnessing the semi-final and final matches with coaches and directors who are passionate about bettering our sport is icing on the cake. Here is the line-up of JVA hosted sessions in Minneapolis this December so you can make a note to attend!

2018 AVCA Convention: Minneapolis December 12-16, 2018

Friday 12/14 1:15 – 2:15 pm
Classroom – “Getting Your House In Order.” 
Discussion about the importance of solid financial statements, policies and procedures to you can more easily obtain financing for your volleyball club and facility.
Presenters: Allan Rayson Co-Founder & CEO of PaidUp, and Steve Sack, Owner and Operator of Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy 

Allan is the CEO and Co-Founder of PaidUp, a financial technology company launched in 2014 designed to support youth sports clubs. Allan and his co-foundersarecurrently supporting many JVA volleyball clubs across the U.S, and he is constantly contributing to education for JVA Club Directors to make running your club easier, more efficient, less of a hassle, and empower directors to spend more time doing what you love: coaching volleyball and developing your coaching staff.

Steve has 26 years of experience managing and operating youth and adult athletic leagues coupled with sports marketing, event managementandsponsorship facilitation experience. 3 years of Big 5 Consulting experience. Steve is the owner of Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy, one of the country’s largest volleyball clubs, comprised of 150 teams, 1,500+ players, along with running a diverse group of camps, tournaments and lessons/clinics. He is also owner and operator of Play 4 Fun Sports, a youth sports organization running Flag Football and Basketball leagues with over 2,500 youth participants in Southeastern Michigan. Steve founded the Detroit Sport & Social Club, which operated sports leagues for over 5,000 participants in the Detroit area. He then joined the Chicago corporate office and facilitated growth from 5 to 23 markets nationwide, serving over 300,000 participants.

Friday 12/14 2:30 – 3:30 pm
Beach Court – “Getting Young Players Started on the Beach and Transitioning Indoor Players to the Beach.”
Presenter: Patty Dodd, Owner and Director of MB Sand

Patty Dodd was a 2 time ALL- American at UCLA. After competing professionally in Italy and the United States Patty made thetransition to beach volleyball. Patty won 15 Opens, including the Manhattan Beach Open. Along with her professional volleyball career, Patty taught Elementary School for 18 years. In 2015 Patty founded MBsand Volleyball Club. Tthe club has earned over 600 medals in youth Beach Volleyball, Gold in all the major events, AAU Nationals, USA HP Championships, AVPFirst Nationals, BVCA Nationals and CBVA Cal Cup. In 2018, MBsand Volleyball club earned Best Club out of 80 clubs at the BVCA Championships in Hermosa Beach. Patty Dodd is part of USAV BCAP Cadre, Master Coach for Beach Nation, HP USAV Coach and Assistant to the US National Team. Patty lives in Hermosa Beach with husband of 33 years, Mike Dodd. They have 2 daughters Dalas and Dominique. She speaks Spanish and Italian.

Friday 12/14 3:45 – 4:45 pm
Hard Court – “Teaching and Training Attacking and Setting to the Elementary Aged Athlete”
Presenters: John Shondell and John Rodriguez. The Academy Boiler Juniors

John, Associate Head Coach at Purdue University and founder of Boiler Juniors, will be the Head Coach of our 13 Gold team this year. JohnShondell is in his 15th year at Purdue and will lead the development and training of athletes at The Academy Boiler Juniors. Prior to Purdue, John was the Head Coach at New Castle High School for 9 years. He was named North Central Conference Coach of the Year in 1996, 1997, 2000, and 2001 and was also named Class 4A Indiana State Coach of the year in 2001. John also served on coaching staffs at Muncie-Burris and Delta High School. John played at Ball State University.

John Rodríguez, will be entering his second season with The Academy Boiler Juniors and serveas the 15 Gold Head Coach as well as coachingthe 12-1’s Head Coach at Grand Park. John has spent the last nine years coaching in the 12 open division. Most recently he coached the Asics Munciana 12-1 Peppers. John is currently the varsity assistant coach for his wife, Angi Rodriguez, at Blue River Valley High School. In 2018 John joined The Academy Volleyball staff full time as the Program Director at Grand Park after spending over 20 years teaching Spanish.

Saturday 12/15. 9:00 – 10:00 am
Classroom – “Top Ten Ways to Grow your Program at the High School and Club Level”
Presenter: Emily Hawthorne, Executive Director of The Academy Volleyball Club

Emily Hawthorne’s coaching career began in 1999 at Hoosier Heartland Volleyball Club and as a student manager forIndiana University. Since then, she has accumulated more than 100 high school victories, started many successful youth programs, and been named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s (AVCA) 30 Under Thirty list. She is now a serving member on the Junior Volleyball Association’s Board of Directors.

Saturday 12/15. 12:45 – 2:45
JVA Annual Meeting
Classroom: MCC Level 1 Auditorium Room 3 “Learning Like a Jungle Tiger”
Keynote Speaker: Trevor Ragan

Trevor is the founder of Trainugly.com, a free educational website designed to unpack and share the science of learning and development.

He spends his time with thought leaders and researchers from the worlds of psychology and developmental science, consumes their research, connects the dots, and shares it with anyone that will listen.

He’s worked with professional and college sports teams, Fortune 500 companies, reentry programs, and in hundreds of schools across the country. These workshops are designed to help people understand and apply important principles of development, in order to become better learners.

Click HERE  to RSVP if you are planning to attend.

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