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ONE of the questions I am asked the most as a national volleyball player is, “Where can I go to learn volleyball?” And I always reply to them with one answer, “I know that volleyball is not that big in Malaysia, but there is one place you can go and learn from scratch, and that is at Grace Volleyball Academy (GVA).”
Grace Volleyball Academy is the brainchild of founder Edwin Ang, who gave up his steady teaching career to fully pursue his passion - volleyball, or more specifically, teaching volleyball. What started as simply a way to give back to his community has now turned into a full-fledged, thriving volleyball club (and might I add, volleyball clubs are incredibly rare here in Malaysia!).
“There was an absence of grace and proper sportsmanship, leadership, and platform for young athletes to play volleyball,” he said. “I was hungry to learn, but failed to find any team or club that could groom me to be a success. Whenever I found one, it was not beginner friendly. And I couldn’t thrive in it as everyone is busy playing, and no one bothers to teach. No one cares about the well-being of another individual.” Hence, the name “Grace” came to him when he realised that there could be a little bit of grace in every coach, player, and community leader.
Edwin and a group of like-minded coaches train boys and girls in the age groups U-14,U-16 and U-21. They are based in Petaling Jaya and have programmes in Persada Plus Sports Facility, Republic of Futsal PJ and Heritage Centre PJEFC (private facility).
What Edwin is doing at Grace Volleyball Academy is truly changing the way sports is taught in Malaysia. Growing up in a volleyball environment where it was very result-oriented, I grew up fearing making mistakes and learned not to take risks. However, Edwin understands that this is a very old-school way of thinking and is using a more holistic approach to run his academy.
“We prioritise an athlete’s wellbeing above all else. They will be in a community of like-minded athletes who want to excel in volleyball as much as they want others to be successful. They gain understanding of their strengths and weaknesses and how they could leverage on their strengths and work on their weaknesses.” said Edwin who focuses very much on the character-building aspect of his students.
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Another thing that Edwin teaches his students that other coaches typically don’t talk about is mindfulness. He realises that mindfulness can not only transform the way you play, but also other aspects of your life. “They gain the ability to remain calm under pressure and to be mindful. Mindfulness is part of our programme to ensure that each of the athletes excels in their inner game as much as their volleyball game.”
Before the lockdown, they practiced on weekdays and participated in Grace Volleyball Leagues on weekends. It was that way until the pandemic hit and everything slowed down. As of now, Edwin keeps his community active by doing online workouts together with his students and consistently updates exciting volleyball news on his Instagram page www.instagram.com/gracevolleyballacademy.
“Within the next two years, we want to establish tournaments and leagues to fulfill the demand of the community. We want to provide a safe platform for athletes to practice and play competitively. We are starting more programmes and training more qualified coaches. We want to build and partner with other sports facilities to have more volleyball courts available for the public.” he said when asked about the future plans of GVA.
Edwin’s coaching philosophy is also very much into female empowerment. So often we hear about female students or coaches not having a safe platform to play and express themselves because of the harassment and discrimination they receive, and that causes them to give up on the sport despite their passion for it. You will definitely not find that here at GVA.
“We want to ensure that female athletes feel safe to pursue and play competitively without discrimination and harrassment. The lack of female coaches in sports is a problem I would like to resolve through Grace Volleyball. We are consistently encouraging female athletes to coach and lead.”
Volleyball is getting more famous now due to the volleyball anime Haikyuu. I know of so many young players who got into the sport simply by watching this anime. If that is not enough to convince you to start volleyball, just remember that it is also one of the top five most watched sports in the world! Besides, it is also a Covid-safe sport since it is a non-contact sport, which means that it will likely be open up as soon as the MCO ends.
If your blood is pumping and you are itching to learn some volleyball, you can find out more about Grace Volleyball Academy at www.gracevolleyball.com. Alternatively, you could also reach out to Edwin at his email [email protected], or Whatsapp him at 018 316 2232.
Now go play some volleyball!! Or watch some Haikyuu!!! - The Vibes. July 13, 2021
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