CHARLES PARKINSON

Charles was a member of the first Canadian Men’s Volleyball Team to win a major Games medal with a bronze at the 1979 Pan Am Games. He went on to become the captain of Team Canada before retiring and later becoming Executive Director of the BC Volleyball Association (now Volleyball BC) in 1984. Key successes while at the helm of BCVA included the growth of adult recreational indoor and beach volleyball, coach training and development, and corporate sponsorships for major events, such as the Jose Cuervo Gold Cup. To this day, Charles continues to influence the sport in different ways as a Provincial Team and college coach, an early collaborator on the Long Term Volleyball Athlete Development model, and a well-known commentator for domestic, international and Olympic beach and indoor volleyball matches.