The highly anticipated sitting volleyball coach Mentoring Programme will run for the first time in 2026, positioned as the final step in World ParaVolley’s coach education pathway. This pioneering initiative is open for Level 2 certified coaches and will provide structured mentorship on individualised target areas to aid the global development of high performance coaches.
Applications will open towards the end of this year for the inaugural programme, where 12 successful mentees will be paired with world leading figures from international sitting volleyball to enhance coaching excellence, foster tactical and technical mastery, and promote a culture of global knowledge sharing within the community.
The programme will run across 12 months and is divided into four phases:
- Initiation: Coaches are selected based on experience and potential, and matched with mentors according to compatibility in coaching needs, style, geography and language. Mentees are introduced to the programme and conduct a self-analysis to define their focus areas.
- Training & Development: Through monthly one-on-one sessions and exclusive programme webinars, mentees work closely with mentors to address their identified development areas.
- Practical Application: Coaches apply their learning in real-life settings, either through live feedback from mentors or recorded footage review. Opportunities to shadow mentors at training camps and/or competitions will also be explored if feasibly possible.
- Assessment & Certification: Final evaluations will lead to official certification, and mentees will receive personalised development roadmaps for future progression.
The cost of the programme has been confirmed as 300 EUR per coach and for this each candidate will get seven one-2-one virtual meetings with their allocated mentor, along with access to up to six webinars and discussion forums, one led by each mentor on the programme that year, on relevant coaching aspects.
“With the launch of this mentoring programme, we’re aiming to offer something to those aspiring high performance coaches and enable access to the world’s best coaching minds,” said Matt Rogers, World ParaVolley Coaching Team Leader. “By connecting up-and-coming coaches with some of the best minds in the game, we’re building a foundation for long-term growth and global competitiveness.”
Beyond building the next generation of elite coaches, WPV has outlined a long-term vision that includes expanding the programme to reach emerging nations and developing grassroots coaching capacity. Successful alumni may even return to serve as mentors themselves, reinforcing a cycle of growth and excellence.
For more information about the coach education pathway and this mentoring programmme click here.