Female Apprentice Coach Program: Čanković

The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) is proud to announce its 2020-21 participants in the annual Female Apprentice Coach Program (FACP) for the sport of Volleyball:

VIU Mariners, PACWEST

Apprentice: Andrea Čanković
Mentor: Shane Hyde

Having captured eight medals over the last 10 CCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championships, head coach Shane Hyde and his Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners are unquestionably a CCAA dynasty.

Over the past five seasons, Andrea Čanković was a key member of the Mariners teams who captured four CCAA titles and a bronze medal. Now, the former student-athlete has rejoined the team as an apprentice in the FACP.

She is being mentored by Coach Hyde, who is in his 20^th season as head coach at VIU in the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST).

“Andrea’s skill development during her time as a Mariner was impressive, but her work ethic and desire to be better, paired with her leadership style was why she was so successful,” said Danielle Hyde, Interim Director, Athletics & Recreation at VIU.

Čanković, who graduated from VIU last year with a Bachelor of Science in Geoscience, hails originally from Croatia.

“I moved to Canada five years ago in order to pursue my dream of playing volleyball while being able to have a proper education at the same time,” she said. “I loved the fact that volleyball has no borders, that you could explore the world while playing the sport you love and still get the education that you want.”

Looking back at her five years with the Mariners, Čanković realizes just how much she has changed – not just as a player but as a person as well. She has gained invaluable experience through many ups and downs, injuries and victories.

“I know what it means to work hard every day, to make sacrifices in other aspects of life in order to succeed in sport, to build confidence through both mental and physical strength on and off the court, and I want to pass that knowledge on to the upcoming athletes,” said Čanković.

Since her arrival, Čanković has also become a well-known indoor and beach volleyball coach in the local youth community. She has worked with various Mariners club teams and at several Volleyball BC camps. Her leadership abilities were also on display as a student worker with VIU’s Athletics and Recreation team.

Coach Hyde, who has worked with two other CCAA FACP apprentices in the past, understands the importance of mentorship. He himself came through the college system under the leadership of a great coach – Coach Hyde started his coaching career under the guidance of Rick Bevis and remained his assistant for two years.

During that time, Coach Hyde was subjected to many situations on and off the court which exposed the budding coach to situations he may not have otherwise known how to deal with.

“The ability to overcome pressure situations, team conflict, and team organization are all examples of parts of the game that are not taught in any manuals or clinics,” said Coach Hyde. “I feel like I have a lot to offer a new up and coming coach.”

With all 2020-21 CCAA Championships cancelled, this season is obviously like none other in CCAA history. This year however, coach education and training – which is key to the CCAA’s FACP – is being further supplemented via the FACP Leadership Development Program. This Leadership Program is developed by former CCAA student-athlete and current CCAA Head Coach and Doctoral student Danielle Cyr, who has been facilitating the mentorship process.

The sessions have been incredibly helpful for Čanković, especially once practices were cancelled in the fall semester. The program helped her stay on track with coaching while exploring other aspects of the craft and connecting specific coaching terms to previously gained experiences as a student-athlete.

While the Mariners were practicing, Čanković focused on Hyde’s feedback regarding the positions she hadn’t played (such as setter) in order to be able to provide players well-rounded skill development coaching.

Čanković was in charge of planning and running team workout sessions twice per week, helping student-athletes reach their performance potential on the court by working on strength and conditioning. She also focused on injury prevention with a goal of helping players be mindful of the risks that higher level sports have on their bodies.

She has also assisted in keeping players engaged through Zoom calls and outdoor hikes in order to work toward and build team culture for the 2021-22 season.

According to her former coach, Čanković will continue to inspire young female athletes with her leadership, professionalism and impressive work ethic.

“There are very few CCAA athletes that can say they medaled in all five years of her career, said Coach Hyde. “Her experience as a player and the drive she has as a coach will make her an outstanding female coach.”