The Volleyball Australia Referee Committee (VARC) is an advisory committee that provides leadership, direction and technical advice to Volleyball Australia on refereeing and officiating in Australia.

The VARC focuses its advice on the areas of pathways, education and technical developments as it continually seeks ways to improve and develop the sport nationally.

Under the guidance of Chair George Chalhoub, the VARC has been creating resources and assisting states and clubs in the recruitment and training of referees at local, state and national levels.

Most recently, the committee has welcomed Sam Delany to oversee the VARC’s education priorities.

Delany has been refereeing beach volleyball since 2014 and was a member of the Volleyball WA Referee Committee from 2015 to 2020. He has been active in supporting the development of national beach volleyball referees, in particular in Western Australia, and has refereed at numerous national and state tournaments, including the recent Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures event in Coolangatta.

Currently working in the WA Department of Education, his experience in delivering policies and programs that support student wellbeing will put him in a fantastic position to influence the referee education priorities for Volleyball Australia.

“Volleyball Australia has supported my development as an official over the past decade, and I am keen to invest my time back into the organisation so that the sport remains strong,” Delany said.

“With a number of significant national events coming up in the next decade, including the Commonwealth Games and Olympics, our sport is going to grow, and that will also require additional officials.

“I will help spearhead, as part of the VARC team, the implementation of a curriculum for officials that is meaningful, relevant, clear and achievable, that will result in the establishment of an enlarged cohort of confident, competent officials.”

VARC Chair Chalhoub welcomed Delany to the committee.

“We are excited for the opportunity of adding Sam to the committee and looking forward to working together on achieving further development and growth,” he said.

Volleyball Australia is committed to creating a collaborative and supporting environment for all indoor and beach volleyball officials, and has created a Facebook Group to initiate two-way conversation and the sharing of resources amongst all Australian referees. Referees can request to join the Australian Volleyball Referees Group Facebook Group HERE.

Volleyball Australia are also calling on expressions of interest for referees at the upcoming Junior Championships in Sydney on 6-9 July. EOIs close on 25 May. NOMINATE HERE

Story Courtesy: Volleyball Australia