VANCOUVER – As the 2023-24 Canada West Men’s Volleyball season begins in a matter of just days, it’s already been an October to remember for UBC Thunderbirds head coach Mike Hawkins.
Just two weeks ago, Hawkins was in Xi’An, China as an assistant coach with the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team, helping the red and white earn an unlikely early qualification bid to next year’s Paris Olympic Games.
“It still doesn’t feel real, I’ve had a lot of those moments of disbelief that we accomplished this goal,” said Hawkins who landed back in Vancouver on October 8, re-joining the Thunderbirds in time for their final pre-season tune-up. “I don’t take it lightly that I was the lone Canadian coach on our staff, so I definitely felt that responsibility. But it’s an incredible honour for me to be a part of such an unbelievable moment for volleyball in our country.”
Dropping a four-set match against Belgium on the penultimate day of the tournament, the Canadians had one last chance to punch their ticket to Paris facing the Mexicans. The young group of Canucks more than rose to the challenge, earning a straight sets victory (25-20, 25-21, 25-15) to finish second in their pool and earn that coveted Olympic berth.
“Being able to punch our ticket as one of the six who qualified from this first round just shows we’re not a team that just had a golden generation that qualified for two Olympics,” said Hawkins. “For us to qualify with a really young group and a roster that had a wild turnover and struggled last year trying to find our identity, I think as a federation it’s important that we are reasserting ourselves on the international stage.”
Not only does the early qualification allow team Canada an opportunity to exhale, knowing they won’t face a last-chance opportunity just weeks prior to the games, it allows the federation a chance to properly prepare in the lead up to Paris.
Forced to quickly re-adjust to Pacific time, Hawkins is still revelling in the success of the Chinese tournament while also ecstatic to begin the Canada West campaign.
“I always seem to come back reinvigorated and excited to see how I can apply some of my lessons learned with the national team to UBC. Being able to work with Tuomas Sammelvuo, our head coach, legitimately one of the greatest coaches in the world, I think just his ability to foster relationships, push guys in really meaningful ways on a foundation of care and clarity, I’m definitely taking all that away. But also his ability in-match to have the game on a string, being able to adjust tactically, quickly.”
Entering his sixth season with the blue and gold, Hawkins and the Thunderbirds open up the new conference season this Friday night, October 20, at home to the Mount Royal Cougars. First serve is set for 7:45 p.m. at War Memorial Gym. Tickets are available now.