Demicoli signs coaching contract at Italian club
Valletta VC seeking more ventures outside Maltese shores
Maria Demicoli is currently in Italy where she has just signed a nine-month contract to coach the mini-volley juniors at US Pro Victoria Pallavolo in Monza.
The go-between in this deal were Valletta Volleyball Club of the Maltese national league.
This will be the first time that a Maltese coach will be plying his/her trade outside our shores thanks to the contacts the forward-looking Valletta VC have esta-blished with foreign clubs.
Demicoli is the player-coach of Maltese team PlayVolley. She also plays for the national team.
During her stay in Italy, Demicoli will be engaged with the club on a full-time basis, con-ducting courses for young players and introducing them to the basics of the game adopting the English language.
This season, US Pro Victoria Pallavolo have launched a project, Mini-Volley For You, where six- to ten-year-olds learn English while practising their favourite sport. Ses-sions are held at different venues in the vicinities of Monza.
Demicoli has also been contracted as an assistant coach with Pro Victoria’s U-18 team.
Before taking on her new role, she attended a month-long coaching course while also availing herself of a series of volleyball clinics.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and although it is not easy to leave my country for such a long period, I am enjoying this experience and enhancing my knowledge of the game,” Demicoli said.
“I am particularly grateful to Valletta Volleyball Club who provided me with this chance and made all the necessary arrangements for me to get here,” she added.
Valletta Volleyball Club said they are always striving to seek similar opportunities for local players and coaches.
“It is our pleasure to have secured such a unique opportunity for Maria Demicoli and she will have a lot to give back to the local game with the experience that she is gaining in Italy,” club secretary Jonathan Chetcuti said.
“Besides concentrating on domestic competitions, our club also look beyond Maltese shores and we’re currently finalising pre-parations for our men’s team to visit Italy for another training camp. Besides, we’re also working on other incentives that will be announced in due course.”