Kelvin Ma will be taking on the role of head coach for the Camosun Chargers men’s volleyball team starting with the 2022/23 season. This comes as Charles Parkinson retires from coaching after 14 seasons with the team (Parkinson will continue as Sport Management program leader at Camosun).
Ma heads to Camosun with ample experience coaching, having started at a young age.
“When I graduated high school I did not pursue playing post-secondary,” says Ma. “Instead, I started coaching volleyball BC programs, and I coached at my local club, Apex Volleyball Club in Vancouver.”
Since then, Ma has taken on a variety of coach and coordinator roles, leading him to his current positions. He’s currently located in Vancouver, where he grew up.
“I’ve been coaching at Douglas [College] for six years and I’ve been looking for the next step in my coaching career,” says Ma. “I’m also the volleyball coordinator at the Richmond Olympic Oval. So I run all the volleyball programs, camps, and private lessons at the Richmond Oval, and I also am the coordinator or liaison to Volleyball Canada and the women’s national team.”
Throughout his career, Ma has coached players ranging from ages 4 to 30 and he now works primarily with players aged 18 to 25. To develop his abilities while at Douglas, and to prepare for his position at Camosun, Ma is in the process of completing another certification from the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP), one that focuses on coaching players that are of post-secondary age.
“I’m currently in progress to complete my Performance Coach certification,” says Ma. “That coaching certification is geared towards coaching athletes ages 18 to 30 on the train-to-compete stage of the long-term athlete development.”
Ma is passionate about coaching and looks forward to developing his career, as well as his coaching abilities, with the Camosun Chargers. His approach to coaching emphasizes team and personal development.
“I’m really focused on team culture and personal growth,” he says. “My approach is that the team comes first, and individual development is a priority of mine, especially off the court. Volleyball is only five years, and education and the other parts of personal development are super important.”
Ma says that he found out about the potential opening with the Chargers last summer while in conversation with Parkinson.
“I worked with Charles this past summer at Team BC,” says Ma, “and he and I had a conversation about him possibly retiring. When the posting came up, I thought I would take the opportunity to apply.”
In addition to the new experiences and connections that the role will bring, Ma looks forward to leaving the bustling city of Vancouver for a more relaxed lifestyle on the island. He is excited to make the move and feels welcomed by everyone at Camosun.
“[I’m looking forward to] joining a legacy program that Charles has left behind, and with meeting everybody, I feel supported and welcomed to a program that is looking forward to having me over,” says Ma.
In other Chargers news, the Camosun Chargers held their annual awards ceremony on Thursday, April 7, recognizing the players’ accomplishments from the past season. The award categories include team awards, Team Leadership Awards, and Team Most Valuable Players. Additionally, the Derek Twomey Scholarship for Sport, and the President’s Award, recognizing the student athlete who best demonstrated a combined achievement in academics and athletics, were presented. See camosun.ca/chargers for more info on the Chargers.