What have Leicester Athena been up to during the lockdown?

Tell us a little about the club.

Leicester Athena has been running for 4 years. We started up because we felt there was a need for a women’s club in a city the size of Leicester and we have been overwhelmed with the response.

We now have over 50 members, with three teams and a growing junior section. We have been  East Midlands regional league champions, Division 3 North champions and our first team now plays in Division 2 North of the NVL. But most importantly, we have created friendships. In four years, we have created a place that gives people a reason to stay in Leicester!

Obviously, the girls are itching to train and play again. It has been difficult to keep some people engaged. Typically, it has been the squads with the most enthusiastic captains that have been the most engaged.  We have not had lots of luck in keeping in touch with the juniors. Our communication is mostly via parents and we haven’t really created a forum for the juniors to chat (mainly because we want to make sure that it is a safe space).

 What impact has COVID 19 had on the club?

The lockdown has also slowed a few initiatives we had on the go with local schools and universities. These relationships will have to be rebuilt after the lockdown.

We are also looking for a new coach for the NVL squad and we will have to change the selection process which is disappointing. We wanted the applicants to meet the squad and, maybe, run a session and let the girls give feedback, but that may not happen.

How have you been keeping in touch during the lockdown?

We have WhatsApp groups where we chat. I have also had one-to-one chats with the teams I coach to review the season and look at what we need to work on for next season. We have had weekly Zoom sessions with a couple of squads. We had a Zoom committee meeting last week where 15 or 16 players tuned in. And we have set little volleyball challenges.

Tell us about club members that have gone above and beyond during this time?

Charlie Surridge is our heartbeat. She is quite new to the sport, having joined us less than 3 years ago, but her enthusiasm is amazing. She keeps people going and keeps them chatting. Equally, Sarah Booth is the cornerstone of who we are and keeps the NVL squad chatting.

What do you think the biggest challenges will be when we get back on court?

Getting back on court? Fitness will be a big one. Some of my players are working extra hard in lockdown, some aren’t. I am hopeful that our old training slots will still be available and that we can find even more. 

How could the Foundation help after lockdown?

I am not sure what support the Foundation can offer. I guess it depends on what the need is for each club. 

At the moment, we are financially stable but we want to move from spreadsheets to Xero and that will require a little bit of money to set up and some training to make sure we can use it properly. With so many players, it is becoming too complex to track payments etc. We are also looking to become a CIC to give a better structure to the club … and if we do need to ask for grants, I hope it will be in our favour.

Thank you Paul Kaerger - Athena Volleyball Coach.