DOME DIGEST
October 4th, 2020
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It's officially Fall (hence the Fall color scheme). The leaves are dropping from the trees. The kids are back in school. Thanksgiving and Halloween are just around the corner.
It might be getting a little cooler outside, but indoors our programs are in full swing (within Covid capacity). Canuck, Jr. Canuck, Dome Club, Adult Leagues, and Beach programs are all flowing together in harmony.
On that note, we do understand that we may be very near a resurgence of the pandemic, so we're preparing for what may come and are doing our part to abide by AHS recommended protocols. A quick word from the Volleydome's top brass:
"Thank you to all our patrons for doing your part in keeping the Volleydome facilities as Covid safe as possible. Just a reminder that you should all be wearing masks until you have reached your court and again on your way out especially when there is more traffic. We appreciate your effort particularly now that the virus cases seem to be increasing again." - Mylène Camu-Saxton
In this issue we fill you in on what's been happening in our facilities and beyond, and what's to come in monster month (October).
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| We could tell the whole step-by-step story of how the original Dome has changed over the last few months. Or we could show you. Enjoy the Dome's transformation in the following series of pictures. |
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For a while there it looked like there wouldn't be any travel or international play this year. It's been great to come back home to Calgary and reconnect with the Dome and our amazing community here, but I'd been itching to play ever since the season (and the whole world) got canceled back in March.
Then finally we heard about an opportunity to play in September with the King of the Court event in Utrecht, the Netherlands. It's not your traditional beach volleyball event, with 5 teams on the court all at the same time. The format is based on the popular kings/queens court training drill that most people who've played volleyball will be familiar with. Grant and I were the men's team that travelled the furthest to get there, but it was clear that we weren't the only ones who missed playing, since the majority of the top European teams were in the event to all get their opportunity to play some top caliber beach volleyball for the first time this year.
As can be predicted, travel during a pandemic was a bit stressful. Overnight flights with masks on the whole time. Isolating within the player's bubble while in the city. Getting tested every other day during the event. Then the mandatory 2 week quarantine upon our return certainly dragged on. It was definitely a process
Being on the court with all the guys and girls from the tour made it all worth it, and not just because we love to play. Similar to athletes around the Dome facilities being part of the Dome Family, the athletes who make it onto the World Tour are together and sharing experiences so often it has that Beach Volleyball Family feel. Not getting to share the summer out there, competing against that family has been a bit sad. Needless to say, we had a lot of fun.
Another part of the story that made this trip special was that my beach partner, Grant O'Gorman, has had to overcome a little more than most since the pandemic started. From March until now, he's been diagnosed, treated, and recovered from testicular cancer, and was only cleared to start training again in August. His return to playing an international competition by September a truly superhuman event. I'm crazy proud of the guy, and lucky to get to play with him. I encourage everyone to follow he and his also superhuman fiancee, Isabela, on their journey via their youtube channel.
I'll leave you with the video below, from their channel, showing our trip to Utrecht, and I'll be back next month to talk about the NBVL!
-Ben Saxton |
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A big thank you to our Dome Club coaches, who've been working hard behind the scenes to adapt practices and help sanitize balls/courts so the program can run with only a few changes. This past weekend, we had our first play day under new guidelines. Minus a notable lack of fans, it was a lot of fun for those who could make it out.
Winter will see a couple more changes (i.e. Bringing in practice groups in waves, for easier check-in) and opened for registration on October 1st. Mini Dome Club and Dome Club Beach Registration will both follow on October 15. Winter sessions for all 3 programs will be as follows:
Dome Club, January 9th to March 21st (GYM location near Cross Iron Mills):
-DC01/DC02(Born 2003-05)- Saturdays ~6:30-8:00PM, Mondays ~5:00-6:30PM
-DC06/07- Fridays ~7:00-8:30PM, Sundays ~12:30-2:00PM
-DC08- Fridays 5:30-7:00PM, Sundays 2:15-3:45PM
-DC09- Saturdays 4:45-6:15PM, Thursdays 5:00-6:30PM
Click here for more Dome Club Information
Registration OPEN!
Dome Club Beach, January 9th to March 21st (DOME location near U of C):
-DC-B08/09- Fridays 4:30-6:00PM, Sundays 1:00-2:30PM
-DC-B06/07- Fridays 6:00-7:30PM, Sundays 2:30-4:00PM
-MiniDC-B (grade 4-7)- Mondays 4:30-6:00PM, Saturdays 5:00-6:30PM
Click here for more Dome Club Beach Information
Registration opens Oct 15
Mini Dome Club January 10th to February 28th (GYM location near Cross Iron Mills:
-MDC (grade 4-7)- Fridays 5:15-6:45PM, Sundays 2:00-3:30PM
Click here for more Mini Dome Club Information
Registration opens Oct 15
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Hi Domers, Dustin here!
The month of horror is upon us, as if this year hasn’t already brought us enough scares. Halloween might be a little tough to celebrate this year thanks to social distancing, but hopefully the spirit can be kept alive somewhat.
For our part, ActiVR is offering 4 new VR Horror Escape Rooms. If you’re a horror junkie or you know someone who is, I recommend you check out the trailer for Chernobyl below. As well, for those looking to amp up the fear factor we will be accepting VR bookings up to as late as 1 am between October 16th and October 31st.
For all your VR inquiries, check out our website activr.net
That’s all from me, have a happy October!
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It has been a pleasure connecting with you, building our skills, developing strength, and shifting old thoughts and movement patterns. As we continue to navigate the practices of taking care of ourselves in this uncertain time.
Dome Yoga classes are designed to bring balance to the body and the mind through a slow flow exploring what each pose has to offer. $15/hr
If you are interested in registering, simply CLICK the link above. I also offer private sessions, yoga online and team sessions. More information is available on my website https://www.emilylouiseyoga
Team Yoga
It has been a pleasure working with several Jr. Canuck teams building mobility, balance, strength and an athlete Mental Game Toolbox.
Coaches, if you are interested in:
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Team cohesiveness
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Mental focus and mindfulness strategies for performance
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Building mobility, flexibility and balance with alignment-based instruction
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Preventing injury and imbalances common with athletes
Athlete, team and group sessions are available online or in-person at the Volleydome GYM or Volleydome locations. For inquiries email emilylouiseraymond@gmail.com
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Seeing as it's Thanksgiving month, we can't emphasize enough just how thankful we are to everyone who's been a part of any of our programs, our revovations, or even just come in to say hi over the last several months. The Volleydome facilities are alive and well thanks to all of your support.
There's still a lot of work to be done to hold Covid-19 at bay, and return to a world where we can live and play sport restriction free, but we look forward to continuing to do our part to keep this incredible Volleydome community strong for a long time to come.
We're still looking for your Dome memories. if you've got a story to share please send an email to info@volleydome.net with the subject lin "Dome Story" . Likewise you can also send any suggestions for future issues to the same address.
There's no place like Dome!
The Volleydome |
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