Research Proposal: Matthew Shen

To: Dr. Erika Paterson

From: Matthew Shen

Date: June 19, 2020

Subject: Proposal for introducing a beach volleyball program at Air Attack Volleyball Club

Introduction

As the largest youth volleyball club in British Columbia, Air Attack offers competitive programs from ages twelve through to age eighteen for both boys and girls, as well as offering development programs for younger athletes, operating out of facilities located in Richmond, BC. The club volleyball program is run from December to May.

Statement of Problem

Air Attack Volleyball Club has approximately 500 athletes that participate in their competitive program from December to May. Additionally, high school volleyball programs are typically run from September to December. Although provincial and national level athletes are training during the summer time (May to August), this currently excludes a majority of the club, who may want to continue some form of volleyball training. Although there are beach volleyball tournaments hosted by Volleyball BC, there are no current options for athletes of Air Attack to participate in formal beach training and skill development during the summer.

Proposed Solution

A potential solution would be to start a beach volleyball training program as a branch of the current volleyball club. There are several location options including Spanish Banks, Shaughnessy Park, or Six Pack indoor beach to run this program. Gathering data about potential individual participation and consequently obtaining approval from the club’s Board of Directors would be the first step to implementing this potential solution.

Scope

To identify the feasibility of the proposed solutions I plan to pursue seven areas of inquiry:

-How many athletes from Air Attack’s current roster are regularly participating in beach volleyball tournaments without formal training?

-How do current athletes feel about a beach volleyball training program?

-Approximately how many coaches would the club need to hire to manage a group of athletes?

-What are the approximate costs of running a beach volleyball program throughout the course of the summer?

-How long should training sessions be and during what time of day?

-Which locations are the most cost efficient and convenient for the athletes and coaches?

-What are other potential legal issues that could arise with a formal beach training program?

Methods

My primary source of data will be interviews and surveys that are conducted with current athletes of Air Attack Volleyball Club. I also plan on distributing online surveys to coaches at the club, to identify their experience with beach volleyball and their potential availability during the summer time.

My Qualifications

I have spent more than 6 years of coaching at Air Attack Volleyball Club for their indoor program, which has provided me with an understanding of how to cater programs to certain athletes. Additionally, I have been an athlete and coach in several different beach volleyball training programs throughout the province, which has provided me with unique insight as to how a program should be properly run. Being a current member of Air Attack Volleyball Club and having close relationships with the athletes, I have the opportunity to implement and evaluate the proposed solutions on an ongoing basis. Throughout my six years of coaching, my relations with the board of directors and the coaches at the club have been excellent, and there should not be any problems obtaining accurate feedback and data.

Conclusion

Immediate action should be taken to see if we can begin this beach volleyball training with a small group of athletes in the summer of 2020. If the program is deemed successful (number of interested athletes, cost efficient) with this group, we can evaluate the logistics and implement the program for the entire club in the summer of 2021. By addressing the areas of inquiry listed above, I will be able to determine the feasibility of my proposed solution. With your approval, I will begin my research as soon as possible.