The Invictus Games sitting volleyball team will head out to Canada shortly for the next iteration of the games. Competing in Vancouver Whistler between Feb 8-16th, we caught up with GB coach Richard Osborne who leads the team, as well as selected athlete Ben Lukowski.
THE EVENT
The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 will bring together up to 550 competitors from up to 25 nations to compete in adaptive sports, including the new winter sports: Alpine Skiing and Snowboard, Nordic Skiing, Biathlon, Skeleton and Wheelchair Curling, in addition to the core Invictus Games sports of Indoor Rowing, Sitting Volleyball, Swimming, Wheelchair Rugby and Wheelchair Basketball.
Sitting Volleyball will take place at the Vancouver Convention Centre (VCC) on Saturday, February 15, 2025, Sitting Volleyball will showcase the competitors’ ability to work as a cohesive unit, relying on sharp instincts and collaboration. The sport emphasizes inclusivity and teamwork, offering a dynamic and exciting competition that highlights the importance of cooperation and trust between teammates as they strive for victory.
WHAT ARE THE RULES?
Each player is categorised based on their functional profile within each sport. This is assessed by the Invictus Games Foundation and the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025:
Minimum: three points.
Moderate: two points.
Maximum: one point .
Female competitors have a –1 applied to their categorization to encourage more female participation within teams (e.g. a team could field a legal team with all minimum categorised competitors if they have a female on court).
On court at any one time, a maximum of 17 points is allowed.
The current format follows a best of 3 set format: Sets one and two are played to 21 points, the third set is a tie-break set to 15 points (with a 2-point advantage). In the third set, teams switch sides of the court when the first team reaches 8 points. IG25 reserves the right to adjust the competition format at any time.
POOLS
Head Coach Richard Osborne Interview
1. Are you looking forward to heading to Canada for the Invictus Games? I was in Toronto in 2017 coaching the Georgian Armed Forces Invictus Games Sitting Volleyball team and it is exciting to be heading back, this time to Vancouver, with Team UK. It is a wonderfully welcoming country and the volunteers who take part always make it extra special.
2. How has the preparation been going, and what interesting things have you dealt with along the journey? Has there been any highlights e.g. athletes having never played making huge progress etc. The team I am coaching this year are all novices and although a couple have some sitting volleyball experience, they are still very much still learning the sport. It makes for an interesting competition because some of our competitors would have had significantly more training time than Team UK - we have had just 9 days in total which have mostly consisted of a weekend training camp per month from August to December. It is not a great deal of time to prepare beginners into a cogent, competitive team, especially as they have other sports to attend and so I often only have a handful of players to work with at any one time. But, that said, we took part in the Sitting Volleyball Grand Prix in Kettering in January and won one of our three matches, and took a set from another experienced team, so it bodes well for game time.
3. What are your main aims for the event? There is only one outcome that I want from taking part in the Invictus Games, and that is for the players to have fun with a new sport that puts them on the road to recovery. The Games are never about medals, although they are an added bonus, but are singularly about players who are Wounded, Injured or Sick beginning the process of rediscovering their identity, forming new relations with others who are in a similar position to them and learning new skills, coping strategies etc that they can take forward once the Games are over.
4. You are a sitting volleyball club coach, GB coach and invictus coach. What are the similarities and differences across club, GB and invictus coaching? What they have in common is that they all provide a sporting opportunity, particularly for those who are disabled and tend to experience exclusion from sport. At club level we provide a recreational outlet, which some use as a form of socialising as well as keeping fit. It also offers competition through the Grand Prix, regional events, plus opportunities to play overseas. At the national level it is very much geared towards competition and seeking to progress in the European and World rankings. For the Invictus Games, the focus is entirely different and is solely on recovery. Hopefully, though, along the way we fuel a desire in players to carry on playing after the Games and this is where club, GB and Invictus come together. We have good numbers of former Invictus Games participants playing regularly at club level, with some who are classifiable also featuring in the GB teams. In terms of my coaching approach, I would say it the pretty much the same. At the end of the day I want to maximise a player’s ability, whether they are a novice or national team player, recognising that will be different for each of them and this works best in partnership with the player, using a player first, disability second approach but understanding their needs, what they can and can’t do, and adapting ways to help them perform optimally. I do expect players to work hard, because I have seen first hand many times the sense of accomplishment players’ feel when they have worked their socks off, and while I don’t expect everyone to perform at the same level there is great satisfaction when a ‘light bulb’ moment happens and a player is able to execute a new technique consistently.
5. You've been the Invictus sitting volleyball head coach for a while, what has your experience taught you, and what has been your most memorable experience? The Invictus Games cadre is unique. Every person who is selected for Team UK is either Wounded, Injured or Sick, some with complex physical or mental impairments but all in need of support to aid their recovery. It is humbling but utterly life affirming to watch first hand the transformation from being timid and self-isolating to confident and gregarious although, of course, that is not the case for everyone and some will need longer in the process. There are so many memorable experiences, and just watching people grow is up there but on a competitive level I have to say coaching the match between Team UK and Jordan in Sydney stands out for me. It was a great match that ebbed and flowed but had really good skill levels from both sides and was great spectacular for the neutral. Happily, Team UK came out on top and progressed to the semi final but that match was a particular high point for me.
5. The next Invictus Games is coming to Birmingham, what will that mean to you, and will you continue your involvement? In a way it is brings the Games full circle as the inaugural event took place in London in 2014. It is always great to host the Games and I hope it will be as well supported by the public as it was in 2014. I have had 11 very happy years involved with the Invictus Games and hope I have helped those who have served their country so faithfully on their recovery pathways. However, I would dearly like someone else to enjoy the experiences I’ve had coaching the UK and I will be stepping down once we return from Vancouver. That does not mark the end of my own Invictus journey as I hope to be involved with sitting volleyball in Birmingham, but to every competitor I have worked with throughout those 10 years I would like to express my sincere thanks for letting me coach them.
Invictus Athlete Ben Lukowski Interview
1. You are selected to head to Canada for the Invictus Games 2025. How are you feeling about the event and the experience you will get? It still hasn't sunk in yet, I just keep with all the Grand Prix's (GP) that been, they are my focus. However, I am looking forward to competing in front of my family and representing the UK and Our armed forces community.
2. How has training been going for you, and how has the team been preparing? I've been trying to find the right balance, I am also on the Paralympic Pathway for rowing, as well as preparing for rowing in Invictus. Personally, I tend to struggle in the afternoon sessions, and I still have ongoing injuries from my car crash. So I try and manage myself best I can. The Team have been preparing really well, and its a testament to our Coach, Richard Osbourne, who has somehow managed to get us all working together, with many of the team having never played Volleyball before! It was apparent how far the team has come with how well they did at the GP this weekend. Unfortunately, I was out injured along with a couple of others, but the team did themselves proud.
3. What are your personal aims for the event, and what is the team's collective aim? The main thing is to have fun and enjoy it, both myself and the Teams collective aim. We can't control what the other countries are doing so no point in worrying about that. If you focus too much on the score or points, we will end up losing sight of what the Games is about. Its about recovery and being part of something again, which many people lose when leaving the Forces.
On a personal note, I'd love to raise awareness of invisible injuries (Especially Traumatic Brain Injuries and Functional Neurological Disorders) and, hopefully, inspire those at home who are struggling.
4. What have your highlights been to date of your preparation? I think being with the Team and just having a laugh throughout. We all have different injuries, and it can be quite funny how they manifest themselves in Volleyball, we don't take ourselves too seriously which helps put us at ease. I was gutted that the day before we had entered a team in the GP I was admitted to hospital, so missed it! Don't worry I'm ok now!
5. What have you learnt from your time so far? For me, it's how far I've come on my recovery journey, I know there's still a long road ahead, and I will need to rely on my team and others for support. I would struggle to go it alone.
6. The next games are in Birmingham, how exciting is it to be in our home country again, and do you think you'll be involved in some capacity? I'd love to be involved again, but I also would be happy to step aside and allow others to get involved, so that they can experience the benefits. If that was the case I would also love to be involved in a coaching or mentor capacity.
For more information about the Games, follow the website on https://invictusgames2025.ca/ and Team UK https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-support/physical-and-mental-wellbeing/the-invictus-games/supporting-team-uk