Coaching Team Canada Women’s Volleyball Sitting Team, Nicole Ban has become a leader not just nationally, but internationally.
After playing volleyball at MacEwan University and professionally for Oslo Volley in Norway, injuries forced Ban to retire. But she has a passion for volleyball and wanted to be involved in the game. She got back into U SPORTS as an assistant coach in 2011 with MacEwan University where, other than a two-year stint with the University of Alberta in the same role, she remains today.
Then, in 2014, she was named coach of the Canadian Women’s Sitting Team, her first major head coach role. She still holds that position and has become a leader in the volleyball community. She led the team to a 2016 Paralympic berth – the first appearance of a Canadian sitting volleyball team in the event. The team has qualified for the 2020 (now 2021) Tokyo Paralympics as well.
Ban has also coached in the 2015 Parapan Am Games, has been a regular coach of Team Alberta in various events, and has been involved with the Team Canada Youth National Program in Whistler, BC. In 2016, she earned her Masters in Coaching from the University of Alberta.
Volleyball Canada recently spoke with Ban about her coaching career and some general thoughts on coaching in the sport.
