PATTY SCHLAFEN

Patty’s passion for volleyball developed throughout the 1970-80s as she played for the BC women’s provincial team, Canadian junior and senior women’s national teams, and professional teams in Italy. She retired from playing in 1987 due to a back injury but quickly discovered that that coaching was how she could give back to the sport she loved so much.
Patty went on to support the province’s volleyball community for over 20 years. Her impressive coaching and leadership experience includes the University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University, Langara College, the BC Pac Rim team and the BC wheelchair volleyball team. Patty also became Volleyball BC’s Coaching and Technical Development Coordinator, and Chair of the Coaching Committee. She co-created the Coaches Code of Conduct during her tenure at VBC, which is still the foundation for guidelines used today.
In addition to these accomplishments, Patty was one of the first women to reach Level 4/5 of Canada’s National Coaching Certification Programme. She became a NCCP Course Conductor and went on to instruct at the National Coaching School for Women. She also became a board member of ProMOTION Plus, the provincial non-profit organization that advocates for the advancement of girls and women in sport.