Canada has launched a professional volleyball league in Ontario and Calgary. The league, ONE Volleyball Premier League, will have four men’s and four women’s teams that are made up of the best volleyball players from all over Canada. Each women’s team will play each other twice and each men’s team will play each other twice over the span of two months with a Premier Cup final at the end.
Most volleyball coaches want their athletes to pursue professional volleyball and to keep that as their goal to strive for. The Premier League could offer UFV volleyball players that experience.
ONE Volley was started by Panda volleyball alumnus Jaki Ellis and Golden Bears alumnus Jarron Mueller. The Pandas and Golden Bears are two separate volleyball teams from the University of Alberta.
“There has been a great need for a pro league in North America as we are the only continent to not have one. It also provides opportunities for Canadian coaches to expand their experience and knowledge in the game,” Janelle Rozema, UFV’s women’s volleyball coach, said over email.
Rozema has played some professional volleyball herself in Australia and was even signed to play indoor in Prague but ended up not following through on it. UFV’s men’s volleyball coach Nathan Bennett is also a former professional player. He played in Europe for 12 years.
“This was an amazing time in my life. The lifestyle, the different countries, meeting different people from different cultures,” Bennett said over email.
Athletes do not have to pay a fee to play in the league, and the winning team will be awarded a contract bonus. Rozema and Bennett feel that professional volleyball offers a great experience that athletes should strive for.
“I think professional volleyball is a great goal for our U SPORTS athletes to shoot for. It’s a great way to expose them to international volleyball and, ultimately, contribute to making volleyball in Canada stronger,” Rozema said.
“Professional volleyball is a wonderful experience, and it is my goal as a coach to work with the athletes to prepare them for professional volleyball. To be able to have the choice and hopefully choose to play overseas is an invaluable experience,” Bennett said.
The professional league will also give athletes the opportunity to travel the world and experience different cultures. For one to participate in the league, they must apply to be in the athlete draft. The draft for 2019 ended on May 1. For anyone interested, there is always next year!
