V-ball pro tells athletes to dig in

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From player to coach is a common road for numerous former athletes who refuse to let go of what they love most. Colleen Venne, who is now the technical director with the Alberta Sports, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation, is no exception.

As one of the keynote speakers at the Sept. 1 to 3 National Sports, Culture and Recreation Conference in Saskatoon, Venne gave some pointers and advice to anyone looking at a career in sports.

"Without my passion,I wouldn't have gotten here," she told the conference delegates.

Apart from the "dedication and willingness" that a player must bring to the game, she credits the support systems that athletes need if they are to fulfill their goals.

"Mine started with my parents," said the Metis woman, originally from Saskatoon.

She said her parents provided rides to and from practices and games, gave her money for equipment and other things and provided lots of encouragement.

Many athletes need to work extra hard to get away from the age-old problem of being the big-fish-in-a-small-pond and moving to a much bigger pond to further their athletic dreams.

Moving from a small community to a city, said Venne, many athletes soon discover there are a lot of other talented athletes to compete against because cities have larger populations to draw from. So to keep on top of their game, they usually need to improve and work that much harder at what they do.

She encouraged athletes to extend a lot of respect toward their coaches and to strive for and achieve the highest level of performance they can. She told the conference delegates that up-and-coming athletes need to push the limits

"You have to put in time," she said. "I had to learn to work hard."

A former team captain of the University of Saskatchewan's volleyball team, Venne's next role was from behind the bench as she spent several years as one of the best volleyball coaches in Canada's collegiate system.

Venne brought success to the University of Alberta Pandas volleyball team, the University of British Columbia volleyball program and also coached Team Canada's junior women's team which brought home the bronze at an international competition in Cuernavaca, Mexico, this past July.