History

The Dino Women's Volleyball Club was established in 2003 by Matt Stayner. Having children involved in club volleyball, he experienced how the lack of clubs in the Calgary area affected his daughters' opportunities to continue playing after the high school season. In 2005, operating under the "Tigers Volleyball Club" name, Matt joined forces with the University of Calgary Head Coach, Kevin Boyles to create the Dino Women's Volleyball Club. At the time, this club was a unique training concept, where by athletes were offered high performance training programs, coaches and experiences, with the goal to prepare athletes for post-secondary careers. The club has continued to grow in size and impact. From one initial team in 2003, to seven teams in 2018, the Dinos Club is now known across the country as an elite club producing exceptional athletes. 

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Dino Club Accomplishments & Results, 2005-2024

In addition to many silver and bronze finishes at these events, the Dinos club has secured:

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Resources

We have seven teams in our club (12U 13U, 14U, 15U, 16U, 17U, 18U). This fact is important in terms of the quality of our program. With just seven teams, we can ensure that our resources are focused on providing the best possible opportunities for our athletes, including experienced coaches, volleyball specific training facility, new equipment, competitive opportunities and top of the line uniform/gear package.

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Coach Role Models

We believe that role models play a large part in providing younger athletes with goals, competitiveness and drive. For this reason, our coaching staff is comprised primarily of exceptional female role models who lead our athletes with their passion for the sport. All of our coaches have experience playing high levels of volleyball including USport, CCAA, NCAA, Professional League and even National Team. Many of our coaches are former Dino Club athletes who themselves have developed a love of volleyball and are wanting to inspire the next generation. 

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In addition to extensive playing experience, all of our coaches are NCCP certified and continue to seek professional development opportunities to extend their knowledge, skills and experience. 

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Team Size

Our typical team size is 10-12 athletes. We believe in the value of quality competition in training and transfer of learning in game-play situations (6-vs-6). At the same time, we are careful to ensure an excellent opportunity for every Dino athlete to play an integral role on their team and benefit from quality training experiences. 

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Athlete Expectations

Athletes considering the Dino Women's Volleyball Club need to be aware that this program is intended for athletes who not only have the athletic potential to compete at the highest levels of post-secondary, but are ready to put in the work required to achieve this goal. It is an expectation that athletes commit to their training and to their team by making these a priority throughout the season. A commitment to Dinos entails the following:

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• 3-4 On Court Training Sessions per week

  • Volleyball has to be a priority, therefore organization and time management are important ​

  • If an athlete is unable to attend a practice, it must be communicated to the coach at the earliest possible date

  • This is a team sport. A team cannot be successful if every member is not on the same page

• 2-3 Physical Training Sessions per week ​

  • ​Competition is the reward for the hard work you put in behind the scenes​

  • You need to be strong enough and have enough endurance to outlast the competition

• 3-4 Mental Training Sessions per season​

  • The best athletes are not only physically prepared but mentally prepared

  • How do you respond to pressure, what does your self-talk sound like, can you be consistent when the pressure isn't there?

• 1 Yoga/Barre Training Sessions bi-weekly​

  • Ensuring correct recovery and join balance​ is essential for long term development

• 2-3 Nutrition Sessions per season ​

  • How do your nutritional choices affect your performance? ​

  • How do you prepare for practice versus a competition?

• Competition ​

  • Volleyball Competitions such as VA Tournaments and Nationals must be a priority​

  • Extra tournaments to the U.S.A., as well as other Canadian tournaments are experiences we want to offer our athletes. These options are based on individual team decisions and preferences. 

• Strong Academics​

  • In order to achieve your volleyball goals, you need to have the grades to get you into university​​

  • Knowing how to balance school work and volleyball is a necessary skill

• Team Chemistry ​

  • Being a good team mate and supporting one another is the basis of a strong team​

  • Being on a team is knowing that team' success is as important as the individual's success

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Play Time

The Dinos Club trains and competes every year with the intention of excelling at Provincials and Nationals. In order to do this, we require a team where all athletes are able to be on the floor and contribute positively to the teams' success. Due to the depth of many teams, we do not guarantee play time (with the exception of 12U, 13U, 14U & 15U).

 

Individual Progress & Success is worked on everyday in practice, as well as in competition (during the round robin/pool play games and extra tournaments). Every athlete needs to experience all circumstances of competition (starting, being subbed into a game, being subbed out of a game, etc.) and we work to build the individual athletes' abilities through these experiences. 

 

Leading up to situations where Team Progress & Success becomes a priority (medal rounds), athletes who have earned a spot though consistent play, positive attitude and executing game plans will be given the opportunity to play. This changes every tournament, therefore athletes always have the opportunity to make changes, work with coaches and earn a spot at the next competition. 

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