The WPV’s first ever European practical course for its advanced coaching qualification — World ParaVolley Level 2 Coaching Award — has concluded near Ljubljana, Slovenia. The event was held between 29 November and 2 December 2025 and marked a major step in expanding high-performance sitting volleyball coaching across Europe.
The in-person “Part B” session was organised in partnership with the national federation Odbojkarska zveza Slovenije (Volleyball Federation of Slovenia), building on the hybrid coaching pathway defined by WPV. The course is designed for national-team coaches and elite-level club coaches who have already completed the online Part A, and aims to sharpen coaching acumen in tactics, long-term planning, and safe, inclusive athlete management.
Coach Tutors for the course, Nicole Ban (Canada) and Ifet Mahmutovic (Bosnia & Herzegovina), led the practical sessions and awarded diploma’s to all 10 coaches from 8 different countries. This reflects the sport’s growing international reach and the demand for well-trained, high-performance coaches — strengthening coaching capacity across a range of nations.
Coach Tutor Ifet Mahmutovic reflected that:
“The group quickly formed a unified team, showing exceptional dedication, strong spirit, and a genuine desire to learn as they supported, encouraged, and shared knowledge with one another. Even in challenging moments, they demonstrated their greatest strengths—unity, resilience, and a firm commitment to their shared goal—while open communication, mutual respect, and positive energy fostered an atmosphere of trust where everyone felt empowered to contribute and take initiative. I believe that the experiences gained through this program will positively shape their personal and athletic growth as they bring these values back to their clubs, national teams, and communities. It is only the beginning of what they can accomplish, guided by a shared purpose and the true spirit of sport.”
This latest boost in certified coaches adds to an earlier milestone: as in November 2025, 17 coaches from 13 nations completed another Level 2 course in Kigali, Rwanda — highlighting WPV’s dual strategy of global (Africa, Europe and beyond) outreach and coach quality assurance.
Level 2 coaches gain the skills to design long-term training programmes, deliver effective and inclusive sessions, develop tactical systems, and build a coherent coaching philosophy. This level of training ensures that at the highest level of sitting volleyball — whether for club championships, international tournaments or Paralympic-level competition — coaching standards are consistent globally. In turn, this helps improve athlete performance, competitive fairness, and the strategic growth of ParaVolley worldwide. Click here for more on the Coach Education pathway.
With the successful completion of the Ljubljana Level 2 course, and the Level 1 that preceded it, WPV reiterates its commitment to building a robust, global coaching infrastructure. Increasing the number of certified, high-level coaches across diverse countries will help grow the game in breadth and raise the overall standard of play due to the sharing of the latest methodologies and approaches.