Dan Hunter (Foundation Ambassador) updates us on his current role for Wessex Volleyball Club
Due to important Dad duties, Dan has taken a small step back from the volleyball world, however this hasn’t dampened his passion for the sport!
As Vice-Chair for Wessex Volleyball Club, Dan is working in a behind the scenes role trying to move the club forward and continue the positive bounce-back that they’ve seen post-COVID.
Let’s begin with a look at your past. Dan, what is your history in volleyball?
“I’ve played volleyball for 20 years or so, starting at Wessex Volleyball Club, progressing through England South/Cadets/Juniors and moving to Sheffield at 18 to be part of the Great Britain Squad. From there I represented Great Britain in the libero position with over 100 caps between 2008-2012 and was part of the London 2012 squad. I also played professionally in Holland for Landstede Zwolle in that time. After the Olympics, I continued playing for Wessex in the Super League, coaching at the club and the England Juniors with Darren Lewis and trying to improve Volleyball provision locally – particularly proud of helping start the LeAF Studio School setup and see the athletes benefit from that”.
What has been your volleyball highlight from 2022 so far?
“I’m not currently playing and coaching currently because I’ve got a young daughter that I enjoy my time with, but a few highlights watching from afar – seeing a major tournament back on home soil (Commonwealth Games) was fantastic, especially seeing the Bello’s get a Bronze medal! Locally its just been great to see our club continue to grow and develop – we’ve had so many new players join the club that we are oversubscribed and are searching for coaches and court space to provide youngsters with the opportunity to access Volleyball”.
Do you have anything exciting on the horizon?
“It’s exciting to see my old school – Poole Grammar School are building a new facility expected to open next year and they’ve taken a real interest in the Volleyball facility provision. That is exciting to see and hopefully we’ll be able to work with them to use the facility for the Volleyball community and get more people playing Volleyball. I have good memories of playing Volleyball at the school in my lunch breaks, so it will be good to provide that plus explore some outdoor opportunities for them too.”