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Dedicated to Player Success
VolleyPro is an innovative offering in the New Zealand landscape - a volleyball programme committed to supporting and developing players for professional placement in overseas leagues.
VolleyPro has existing partnerships with European volleyball clubs, providing a clear and predictable pathway to professional opportunities.
With structured coaching, development programs, and a clear idea of what it takes to succeed, VolleyPro is dedicated to ensuring that our athletes reach their goals.
Once placed, VolleyPro remains engaged in your success overseas, and is a home for all programme alumni to return for future development should they require it.
The VolleyPro Programme
The purpose of the VolleyPro programme is to identify interested athletes, support their development and eventually select and nominate athletes for professional opportunities.
The goal of the programme is to help athletes reach a level where they are likely to be successful in the professional environment in which they are placed. Further to this, the athlete should be likely to be able to improve during this initial professional posting, such that they are able to gain subsequent contracts in increasingly competitive leagues.
The programme will be structured to best prepare our school-leavers to navigate this journey. Detailed programme design is still on-going, and will continue through consultation with athletes and experienced coaches and volleyball administrators throughout New Zealand in preparation for launch in 2027.
The VolleyPro Academy
VolleyPro will offer a limited number of our most promising athletes a position at a full-time, high-performance volleyball training academy.
Located in Palmerston North and operated in conjunction w. the Massey University Academy of Sport, the VolleyPro Academy will ensure that aspiring volleyball athletes are given opportunities to develop at the rate necessary to reach success.
More information is below.
Quality training environment
The VolleyPro Academy will give the best chance to reach professional level, with a specifically tailored and curated training environment.
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5+ on-ball sessions per week for 10 months of the year:
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Targeted training with academy squad.
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Team training as part of club team.
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2-3 programmed strength & conditioning sessions per week.
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Supported by accredited sport science professionals.
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Quality training resources & equipment, including AI video analysis & feedback.
Top-level competition
As well as participating the senior club season, VolleyPro athletes take part in a curated competitive programme designed to give them the best preparation for the rigours of professional competition.
This approach blends familiar tournament volleyball with league-format matches, and intensive competitive tours of the premier regions in New Zealand.
VolleyPro athletes will be competing for 10+ months of the year at indoor and beach volleyball.
World-class programme support
With all programme costs fully funded, the VolleyPro Academy enables athletes to focus on their volleyball development while preparing for an eventual career beyond athletics.
Operating in conjunction with Massey University, VolleyPro enables athletes to access expertise in balancing study with a sporting career.
In addition to technical and physical training, the Academy programme will offer support in areas such as nutrition and performance psychology.
For many athletes, scholarships will also be accessible to reduce the cost of tuition.
How do I apply?
The Expression of Interest process for the 2027 intake is now closed. If you are an athlete that is still interested in joining this intake you can reach out to Tim on tim@volleypro.co.nz.
Connecting with ambitious athletes early in their journeys aligns with our longer-term goal of establishing an on-going pathway to professional volleyball.
For all ambitious athletes, of any age, we welcome you to submit this generic expression of interest. This lets us know that you are keen, and enables us to connect with you to understand where you are at, and how you can connect in to the VolleyPro programme.
We will make contact with all athletes that submit an EOI, and in many cases there may be opportunities to participate in the programme in the short-term.
If you are interested, but want to understand the process further, please contact programme director Tim Middlehurst on tim@volleypro.co.nz.