Who would have thought in 2021 when a group of moms who just wanted their daughters and others to have the opportunity to play volleyball and be involved in sport during the pandemic... would turn into the amazing club we have today, starting our 6th season! 

We have so much to be proud of this year! New coaching faces, new Pro-D day and Jr SVC training, the addition of a U17 team, position and skill-specific clinic, intra-club playdays and so much more. Last year, our volunteers put in over 8,000 hours to make our club run and this year as our club re-brands from Squamish Volleyball Club to Sea to Sky Volleyball club, we will be relying on our volunteer community of parents from Mt Currie, Pemberton, Whistler and Squamish to make this the best season ever! 

We are so proud and delighted to introduce these incredible coaches to you in the coming weeks. For some it will be their first season with the club, others have been here since our first days! 

We can hardly wait for the season to get started! 

We dove into some "get to know Veronika" questions and here is what we learned!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever given or received as a coach?
Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing and how you stack up against them, focus on
yourself and being the best version of you that you can be that day. You can only control YOU
and how you react and show up each day.

What’s one skill or drill you think every athlete should master?
Proper throwing mechanics! It unlocks so much power in volleyball.
Also the skill of having a positive mindset.

Do you have a favourite coaching memory or proudest moment with a team?
Every year my teams bring me to tears (of joy and pride) for all sorts of random reasons...stay
tuned for this year's waterworks!

What’s your go-to hype song or pre-game ritual?
Sandstorm - Darude. Best EDM song of all time and gets me SO hyped!

Did you play other sports besides volleyball?
I played basketball and I also rowed.

If you could instantly learn any new skill (sports or not), what would it be?
Painting or drawing. I don’t have much artistic ability but I appreciate art so much.

What motivates you when things get tough?
I try to always compare a tough moment to an even tougher one and think “if I got through that, I
can get through this”.

What’s one thing your players might be surprised to learn about you?
I used to race mountain bikes. I raced downhill and enduro for many years. I am also a Level 2
mountain bike instructor.

If you could challenge your team to a non-volleyball competition (like karaoke, trivia, or board games), what would you choose?
Ooh that’s an easy one! Pickleball!

We dove into some "get to know Bal" questions and here is what we learned! 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever given or received as a coach?
The best piece of advice I was ever given and often share with athletes is just to be coachable. Everyone is going to get all the messages from tons of different coaches in their lifetime, but always being able to take feedback and adapt it is how you will continue to grow at anything you do. This goes for us as coaches and parents too!!

What’s one skill or drill you think every athlete should master?
Every athlete should master the ability to move on from what’s already happened and in the past. We never will become masters at anything and there’s always something to learn from. 

Do you have a favourite coaching memory or proudest moment with a team?
Every year I think we add a little bit more to the memories and pride we have with our teams. But a fun memory was our first year at SVC, we didn’t win much but when we got our first set win the girls were so excited and really built a foundation for growth and success. We are now a mid pack Div2 team which is so great for such a new club with kids who mostly didn’t start playing until about the time we started SVC. 

Who was your most influential coach or teammate when you were younger?
Hands down, the reason I coach, Mrs. Pat Marsh. She dedicated her life to everything we did in sports. She volunteered every year for Grad, even through the years her kids weren’t graduating. She taught us through her passion and action through sport, mainly Track and Field. That’s what got me into coaching Track and Field, but when SVC started I knew I needed to be inside coaching, not outside. 

What’s your go-to hype song or pre-game ritual?
I’d have to go to my old school roots here. I love all music, but what got me/my team going was some old Metallica. 

What was your favourite subject (or least favourite!) in high school?
My favourite subjects were anything to do with Math. 

Did you play other sports besides volleyball?
Growing up in the North, everyone played hockey. I didn't because that was way too expensive, so we found sports that didn’t have such a big expense. I played volleyball, basketball, and did track and field mostly. 

Share a funny or embarrassing sports moment from when you were a teen.
The year I played college volleyball in Kamloops, I rolled my ankle pretty bad, and when I got further into recovery, I served thousands of balls through practices. We were at a tournament in Alberta and I got subbed in to serve because I had perfected my float serving. I got in, went through my usual serving routine, tossed up to serve and totally flubbed it. I think the ball barely made it to the attack line. I’m sure no one else remembers it but I sure did. 

If we opened your high school yearbook, what superlative would you have wanted to win? (most likely to...) 
For sure it would have been "Most likely to coach sports as an adult"

What’s your biggest success or accomplishment outside of volleyball?
4x100 (anchor leg) 1988 BC Summer Games Bronze or BC Provincials Sr Boys Javelin BC 6th

If you could instantly learn any new skill (sports or not), what would it be?
Hockey. I’d learn to play hockey. I know the sport but didn’t play it. 

What’s one thing your players might be surprised to learn about you?
Athletically: I used to be able to touch the top of the shooting box above the basketball hoop.
Non athletic: I can type 120+ WPM

Do you have a motto or favorite quote you live by
Live the life you love. 
Love the life you live. 

If you could challenge your team to a non-volleyball competition (like karaoke, trivia, or board games), what would you choose?
Lifting heavy stuff! Otherwise they’d smash me at everything 

Find Bal's Coaching picture and bio, along with our other amazing coaches by clicking here! 

​I choose to coach because I believe that sport is one of the most powerful tools for building confidence, resilience and character. Volleyball has given me so much throughout my own journey such as teamwork, discipline and lifelong friendships and I want to pass those same opportunities on to the younger generation. 

When coaching, I’m not just focusing on the scoreboard but also on helping each player grow both as an athlete and as a person. I love guiding them through all aspects of competition, helping them set goals and celebrating the moments, big and small, when they realize what they are capable of.  
​
It’s very important for me to create a space where young women feel supported, challenged and inspired. I want my players to leave the season knowing that they have improved their skills, strengthened their mental game and learned how to work towards something bigger than themselves. The ultimate goal is for them to carry these lessons into every part of their lives both on and off the court. 

​- Veronika

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By Christine McLeod, Club parent


Having had kids in competitive sports ranging from hockey, climbing, gymnastics and BMX, I felt like jumping into a new club sport would feel familiar- from the rigour of practices, travel to games, tournaments and fundraising commitments. 

What I didn't expect from the sport was the camaraderie between teams and the culture of uplifting others. After every play- the girls come together for a brief second and give each other some encouragement, a high five and a smile. On the way to tournaments they spend hours thoughtful pins to "clip" other girls' backpacks, shirts or even hair at games. You see girls "clipping" others with a smile, and you see the other girl "find" the clip and feel the surprise.

Volleyball as a sport for girls is inclusive and positive. It's a game of a 1000 chances to succeed and fail. As a mom of daughters, I'm so grateful to not just Squamish Volleyball Club but the sport as well for the culture of encouragement, from cheering loudly from the sidelines, team mascots, matching hair ribbons and all. Thank you Squamish Volleyball Club! 

​- Christine