Yesterday as part of the Riga Annual General Meeting, Club Awards and Volleyball Play 2024 event, the Riga Committee announced the winners of the President’s Award, Coach’s Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year.
Coach’s Player and Players’ Player awards have been newly introduced this year to continue celebrating individuals improving, making a positive impact on their team mates and making their teams and the club better as a result.
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Coach’s Player Awards 2024
An award for a player in each team, who demonstrated the most growth, sportsmanship, leadership, or has positively contributed to building team spirit throughout the season, on and off-court.
Women 1: Hannah Sharkey
Hannah is the ultimate team player and a delight to coach. She is super committed and willing to play any role which benefits the team. Hannah committed to every game despite expecting to be on the bench but her support for the team and other players never diminished. She creates a positive atmosphere on and off the court, and is a pleasure to have around.
coached by Jon Chetham
Women 2: Lucía Vázquez Vaquero
In the world of volleyball, where teamwork is paramount and dedication is non-negotiable, Lucia stands out as a shining example of what it means to be a great teammate. Lucia has an unwavering work ethic, coachable spirit, and relentless support for her teammates.
**A Great Teammate**
Lucia’s positive attitude and infectious enthusiasm uplift everyone around her, turning tough practices into enjoyable challenges and tense games into opportunities for growth. Whether celebrating a point or consoling a teammate, Lucia’s empathy and encouragement shine through, creating a cohesive and supportive team environment.
**Hard Working**
Lucia’s work ethic is second to none. She approaches every aspect of her training with dedication and determination. Her commitment to improvement is evident in her relentless pursuit of perfection in her skills, constantly seeking feedback and pushing herself to reach new heights.
**Coachable Spirit**
One of Lucia’s greatest strengths is her coachability. She listens attentively for feedback, eagerly soaking up knowledge and implementing suggestions to refine her game. Her humility and willingness to learn not only accelerate her own growth but also inspire her teammates to adopt a similar mindset.
**Conclusion**
In Lucia, we find more than just a talented volleyball player; we find a role model for what it means to be a great teammate, hard worker, and coachable athlete. Her journey in volleyball is not just about personal success but also about building strong relationships, fostering a positive team culture, and striving for continuous improvement. Lucia’s impact on her team and her sport will undoubtedly leave a lasting legacy—a testament to the power of dedication, teamwork, and a positive attitude.
coached by Madalyn Jira
Men 1: Roberto Rigante
Reason for nomination is because he came in to Riga this year and have stepped up to play Libero which was not his natural position. He became a very important member of the team playing consistently week in week out and have been very vocal on both demanding more from the team and celebrating points.
Overall a very great person to play with and coach.
coached by Kim Magdales
Men 2: Victor Solomon
Reasons: great attendance, showed most growth throughout the season, a lovely person to the coaches and other players, respectful, an amazing motivator (really brings out the best in the players and me), creates a positive environment on and off court, organised a meal for the two mens teams to socialise after the season, which shows that he goes that extra mile for the team.
coached by Lea Gostinčar
Juniors Beginner group: Ognjen Knezevic
We’re nominating Ognjen for his wonderful attitude, his hard work, his undeniable love for the sport and his continued commitment to our trainings. We’re extremely proud of him and how much he’s grown as a player in the couple of years he’s been with us — his improvement is undeniable and we can’t wait to see how far he will go in the near future. I can safely say every single kid in our session is better for having Ognjen around, as he usually shares tips with his teammates and is ever so kind and patient with others. Thank you Oggie, for being the very best a coach can hope for!
coached by Jon Chetham and Lucía Vázquez Vaquero
Juniors Intermediate group: Emily Suchanska
We have known Emily for quite some time and couldn’t be happier to nominate her for this year’s award. Emily’s love for volleyball is apparent and definitely shows in how hard she’s worked and how much she has grown over the last few years. She barely misses a session and is always willing to help others around her, regardless of the situation. Her technique and attitude are exemplary and we’d like to reward her for it. We really appreciate having her with us and can’t wait to enjoy one more year with her before she turns 18! Thank you Emily for your commitment!
coached by Jon Chetham and Lucía Vázquez Vaquero
Advanced Junior Girls: Jenna Williams
Jenna has been a key part of the team for season 2023/4 and one of the most regular members attending training and games. Her commitment to improving her own game and that of the team is tremendous. She always does so with a smile and being very inclusive of all the other players.
Jenna made the transition from the Riga Intermediates programme into the Advanced programme for this season. She fitted in straight away. She soon became an integral part of the team that had great success on court this season winning the U18 bronze cup (national Tier 1 competition) and coming second and earning promotion in the first season for the team in West Midlands league.
Jenna has also got involved in the beach volleyball at Moseley and encourages her team mates to do so as well. She has a natural personal style and makes the team a great place to be. We’ve appreciated her on and off the court contribution this season. Well done Jenna!
coached by Clare Francis and Brendan Fawcett
Advanced Junior Boys: Ryan Crowley
Ryan has grown tremendously over the season (both literally (taller than us now!) and in terms of his game). He embraces the libero position and commands the ball and respect of the other players in the team. Ryan is a regular attendee at training and games and always gives it his all coming with a positive attitude and encouraging his team mates to do so also.
Ryan has not only been an integral part of the team that entered the West Midlands league for the first time this season but he also made his debut for the men’s National League team in January and has quickly fitted in at training and in matches giving the team an extra dimension.
Ryan has also represented West Midlands at the inter regional competition coming second – selected from a very strong West Midlands set of players with several in the England programme. Ryan was also selected by the Volleyball England national selectors from video nominations for a spot at one of the England pathway camps from which he received excellent feedback.
We look forward to continuing to see Ryan grow (no doubt upwards!) but also grow both on and off court. Well done Ryan.
coached by Clare Francis and Brendan Fawcett
Players’ Player Awards 2024
Players recognising their teammates… Who have you enjoyed playing with the most this year? Is there anyone on your team who you’d like to celebrate?
Men 1 Winner: Solomon Victor
- Sol showed exceptional commitment and improvement, moving from the M2 team to M1. His positive mindset and leadership were inspirational both on and off the court.
Men 2 Winner: Oleksandr Borovyi
- Oleksandr was dedicated and reliable, often attending matches despite tough work schedules and lack of sleep, fueled by his passion for the sport.
Women 1 Winner: Katarina Knezevic
- Katarina was a key player, consistently improving and contributing to multiple teams, always giving her best effort.
Women 2 Winner: Yee Lam Sze (Elam)
- Elam was a supportive team player, offering valuable feedback and stepping into leadership roles when needed, always helping teammates with kindness.
Winner Junior Beginners: Alicja Bieda
- Alicja helped her teammates improve in volleyball, showing expertise and perseverance.
Winner Junior Intermediates: Jenson Holroyd
- Jenson took initiative by organising additional volleyball sessions outside the club, enhancing team play opportunities.
Winner Junior Advanced Girls: Aspen Clay
- Aspen was admired for her respect and kindness and showed significant improvement throughout the year.
Winner Junior Advanced Boys: Ethan Charlesworth
- Ethan demonstrated excellent leadership as a captain, providing guidance and support to new players.
Big congratulations to the winners!
Lots more players were nominated:
Andreas Manthopoulos (nominated)
- Recognised as the calmest and most supportive player with a positive attitude.
Toby Roche (nominated)
- Men’s 2nd team player known for his positivity and determination to win while having fun.
Theo Blakey (nominated)
- Always fun to play with, known for an amazing attitude.
Lilla Whittaker (nominated)
- Plays for juniors, D2, and super league. Known for bringing positivity, fun, and great cheering to the court and being helpful on and off the court.
Katarina Knezevic (nominated)
- Recognised by her under 18s girls team as being consistently kind and willing to help.
Fabian Hermaszuk (nominated)
- Under 18s, attends all training sessions and matches, showing outstanding commitment and a good attitude.
Aedan Campbell (nominated)
- U18 boys, valued and recognised as a team player who always plays with a smile.
Jonathon So (nominated)
- U18 boys, remembered for being very funny in addition to a supportive team player.
Yonah Look (nominated)
- Under 18s, good player and enjoyable to play with.
Ekin Ozerciyes (nominated)
- Women’s NVL 1, recognised as an outstanding player.
Lucía Vázquez Vaquero
- Women 2 and Juniors Assistant Coach. Praised for her dedication, organisational skills, positivity, and proactive attitude. Instrumental in coaching and enabling juniors to compete effectively.
Jules Protesaru
- Known for being consistently present, helpful, improving, and celebrating successes with great enthusiasm.
President’s Award: Lea Gostinčar
This award is given to individuals in the club who have showed exceptional commitment, made a particular contribution, or gone over and above the call of duty in some way.:
Lea Gostinčar won the President’s Award for her exceptional dedication and contributions to the club despite facing an injury that kept her from playing. She excelled in her role as the Women 1 Team Secretary, coached the Men 2 team, and supported Men 1. Lea drove to away matches, ensuring player readiness, and found joy in coaching, committing to continue next season. She also spearheaded the West Midlands inter-regional beach teams and organised events, enhancing volleyball in the region. Her professionalism, leadership, and proactive spirit greatly enriched the club, on and off the court.
Lea’s nominations blew our socks off:
“Lea!
Lea has well and truly gone above and beyond for the last season. Having picked up an unfortunate injury it meant she was unable to play for most of the women’s super league season but instead of disappearing into the shadows until she is fit to play, which many people would have done, she has stayed extremely engaged with the club and continues to do so even though she now is fully fit once again.
To begin with she continued to do the women’s one team secretary role, a somewhat thankless role even when you’re playing let alone when you are watching from the sidelines. Also, she was kind or foolish enough to take on the coaching for Men 2. Which took her to the delights of Boston (twice) York and other such far flung places. She often insisted on driving too, so players were fresh by or the matches. She even admitted she actually quite liked coaching M2 and is sticking around for next season. She also helped out coaching M1, taking joint team training sessions and coached the Riga Cup team.
As of all this wasn’t enough, she is also coaching the West Midlands inter regional beach teams. This year is the first time for the West Mids to enter so a full trials, selection process was undertaken. After which she has been training the teams in Moseley and also running some wider junior beach scramble tournaments, for any U18s to enter. This last bit whilst not strictly Riga, she is still flying the Riga flag and making volleyball a better place in the West Midlands!
Go Lea!!”
“Lea Gosticar. Lea’s influence on the men’s team has been incredible. It’s being recognised constantly by her team and I think her bright spirit, professionalism, and performance-driven coaching has gotten this team great results. In addition, very quietly, she’s played a key role along Clare in the Moseley Beach partnership, and I believe that itself is worth recognising – having organised sessions and tournaments. This wasn’t something part of her Team Manager role, but rather in addition to it, which also happened to be part of the Development plan. She’s organised and proactive, and overall I think Lea’s adding a tremendous amount of value to Riga, on and off court. We’re lucky to have her, thank you Lea for the effort, passion and proactivity on everything you do.”
“Lea Gostincar, excellent job taking the leadership role of coach and showed great improvements and helped me personally a lot.”
“Lea – for coaching the Mens 2 team and always being there for us. Lea’s been very consistent in coaching us, employed various approaches to keep us fit and motivated. I think the squad has progressed so well during the past year largely due to her. Lea’s been to most practices and matches as well. She was also proactive on the social side too, proposing and organising events outside of the sports hall.”
Congratulations Lea for a well-deserved award and thank you for everything you do.
Special mention: Clare Francis
Every year, Clare has been consistently nominated for the President’s Award. There is not a part of Riga that she hasn’t had a positive influence over, and we’re all so incredibly grateful and lucky to have her as part of the club in her Club Treasurer role, as a player and as a coach.
We wanted to give Clare Francis a special mention for her remarkable dedication and behind-the-scenes work that has significantly elevated the club’s profile in volleyball as well as in the junior development pathway. Her efforts have led to junior players representing England and regional teams, and she has facilitated the club’s partnership with Moseley Beach. Clare has also implemented accounting systems and managed logistics, all while completing her level 2 coaching. Her commitment and proactive approach have made the club a serious contender in England, earning her recognition as a runner-up for Volleyball England’s Unsung Hero award in 2024. Her friendly and supportive presence makes her invaluable to the club.
“My forever feature when it comes to this award: Clare Francis. I could talk about this woman and her drive and ability to get stuff over the line forever, but I’ll do my best to keep this short. All the hard work from the Juniors is paying off, with our club now a serious contender when it comes to volleyball development in England. This year we’ve had our kids representing England and West Midlands and our girls promoted! She’s done her level 2 coaching this year, and somehow not only has she pulled off our partnership with Moseley Beach, but organised tournaments and got a Junior to help consistently too! She’s been runner up for VE’s Unsung Hero award 2024, for all the work she does in the background. She’s always looking for ways to improve us as a club, whether’s negotiating hall fees or implementing all by herself accounting softwares for the first time in our club’s history – Something John Boughton has congradulated her on in his Auditor’s Letter! Clare’s been my sounding board when I didn’t know what to do, always a friend and as always, the one person who knows how to go about solving something. Thank you Clare for everything, you make this club run and we are lucky to have you on this journey as a committee, and the kids are lucky to have you as their coach.”
“Clare Francis Clare has demonstrated exceptional commitment to the club through her unwavering support and dedication. Her friendly attitude and approachability make her a beloved figure among both children and parents. Clare’s contributions go above and beyond the call of duty, consistently fostering a positive and inclusive environment within the club. Her efforts truly deserve to be recognized with this prestigious award.”
“Clare Francis due to her inspiring amount of dedication to the team and to the club.”
“Clare Francis. She has always had exceptional commitment to the club, going above and beyond in all of her roles.”
“Clare – She’s literally been in London before and made it back in time for our matches”
Thank you Clare for everything!
In addition, the committee enjoyed reading the rest of the nominations, congratulations to all recognised:
Chris Jones (nominated)
- For his exceptional welcome and support provided to U18 Ryan as he joined the men’s team.
Jon Chetham (nominated)
- Successfully led the women’s first team to the Super League and served as a valuable coaching mentor.
Marta Pietrunko (nominated)
- Actively supports juniors by leading sessions in Clare’s absence, refereeing junior WMVA games, and playing as a substitute in regional matches.
Shannon Lo (nominated)
- For always helping with beach sessions.
Lucía Vázquez Vaquero (nominated)
- W2 team member known for her assistance with juniors and being a positive, helpful teammate.
Brendan Fawcett (nominated)
- An exceptional coach who has helped players adapt to fast-paced games, always prioritising the team’s needs, as well as for his significant contributions to the success and development of the team.
Mim Anderson (nominated)
- Despite a busy schedule and not playing this season, Mim has excelled in her role as Chair, providing emotional support and strategic guidance.
Iulia Protesaru (nominated)
- Exceptionally helpful and always ready to step in when needed.